Chapter 191: The Worth of the Hatchling

Albert could not bring himself to believe it.

In truth, mere moments ago, he had plummeted into the absolute depths of despair. He was convinced everything was over—that no matter how desperately he struggled, he would fail to graze Lady Amelia even once.

Even his final strike had been nothing more than a desperate gamble.

He had gathered every last drop of his remaining strength, along with the overwhelming grief suffocating his chest, and hurled his physical vessel forward in one final assault. It was the defiance of a warrior who refused to let the battle conclude in absolute helplessness.

That singular drive was precisely why he hadn’t collapsed, even after her attacks pierced his scales and left him saturated in wounds.

The physical agony was immense.

Yet one force burned stronger: his desperate desire to prove his worth.

Even so, after feeling his final thrust miss Lady Amelia once again, he was confronted by the reality he had spent the entire duel attempting to ignore.

He was nowhere near her level.

The gulf separating them was exponentially vaster than his imagination had allowed.

Granted, Albert had refrained from unleashing his full, unbridled power. Had he assumed his complete draconic form, he could have invoked his deadliest technique—the Breath of Ruin. Yet he had consciously suppressed it, even while swallowed by feral rage. He was unwilling to risk taking Lady Amelia’s life simply to claim victory in a trial.

Yet now, even he doubted whether his Breath of Ruin would have been sufficient to take her life—or if it could have even left a single scratch upon her.

And yet...

He had won.

In theory.

He had successfully made physical contact.

Yet Albert felt not a single shred of triumph. On the contrary, he let out a bitter, internal sigh.

He hadn’t truly won. The parameters Lady Amelia had dictated were the sole reason victory had fallen into his lap. Had this been a genuine life-or-death confrontation, he likely wouldn’t have drawn within a mile of her.

How could someone like him stand before her and claim he wished to act as her shield? Was that not the height of foolishness?

Albert, who had genuinely believed his strength was sufficient to stand at her side, was now forced to confront the harsh reality that the distance between them remained astronomical.

Refusing to collapse, he fought against the excruciating agony gnawing at his entire vessel, forcing his trembling legs to hold his weight. Blood welled from his wounds, streaming down his body before dripping onto the grass below, drop by drop.

Albert raised his head briefly, then lowered his eyes to the dirt.

He turned and began walking slowly back toward the manor.

Every step was agony, yet he did not halt.

"I am sorry, Lady Amelia, for wasting your time..."

His voice emerged frail, yet carrying a surreal, haunting calmness.

"I understand now... I cannot become the person who protects you."

Amelia’s footing stalled.

Albert continued his slow departure. "You do not require my protection."

By that point, Amelia had exhausted nearly every droplet of her mana reserves. She lacked the energy to invoke a basic spell, let alone cast high-tier healing magic upon him.

Thus, she could only remain standing in place, watching his retreating silhouette.

She swallowed hard.

For some reason, an uncomfortable knot tightened in her chest. She felt as though she had been profoundly unfair to him.

Albert was the victor of this duel.

He was the one who had managed to touch her, despite her possessing centuries of combat experience and grand-tier arcane mastery far beyond anything his young mind could fathom.

Furthermore, he had held back his true power. He had deliberately restrained his lethal draconic abilities, even when consumed by pure instinct, simply because he feared causing her harm.

Looking at his battered frame... it was glaringly obvious he had expended every ounce of his capability without crossing that line.

How could she possibly deem him unworthy of accompanying her?

On the contrary.

In Amelia’s estimation, Albert was not merely worthy of joining her expedition—he was more than qualified.

Of course, that did not mean she would allow him to step into the most lethal, uncharted sectors of the tower. She had zero intention of endangering his life unnecessarily. She would permit him to accompany her, but his activities would be strictly restricted to safe zones for training.

Once the trek breached sectors where she could no longer guarantee his survival, she would command him to withdraw.

That was the logical path.

Yet Albert had already retreated into his own conclusions.

"Albert, stop."

His footsteps halted. He turned slowly to face her.

Amelia held her head high and locked her eyes directly onto his.

"I do not require your protection."

Albert remained silent.

Amelia continued softly, "However, that does not mean you are unworthy of coming with me."

Albert’s eyes widened slightly.

"In fact, you are more than worthy."

He offered no reply, staring at her as though his mind struggled to process her words.

Amelia pressed on, "You passed the trial I established, did you not?"

"But—"

"And do not dare suggest I was being lenient with you," Amelia cut him off before he could begin. "I stated explicitly that a single touch constituted your victory."

She glanced at the blood staining his body, then met his gaze once more. "And you achieved it."

Silence reigned between them.

Then, Albert let out a faint, dry laugh, shaking his head as he lowered his eyes again.

"Lady Amelia... there is no need to be gentle with me." His smile was frail. "I understand completely that I am weak, and that I will be nothing more than a burden to you."

He turned away once more. "You may simply forget this ever happened."

Yet Amelia refused to let him walk away.

"I am not flattering you."

Albert stopped in his tracks.

Her tone had shifted completely. It carried no trace of shallow consolation, nor the patronizing comfort offered to a broken child.

It was the absolute, unyielding voice of a Sovereign delivering an irrevocable judgment.

"I am telling you that I want you to come with me."

Albert turned around slowly.

Amelia locked eyes with him and declared, "However—not as my protector."

She paused, a subtle smile touching her lips. "Rather, as my student."

Silence fell upon the clearing.

"You wish to grow stronger, do you not?"

Albert clenched his fists tight. "I do."

"Then come."

Amelia glanced at the bleeding lacerations covering his frame. "However, I have one condition."

Albert’s small dragon ears twitched upward slightly. "What is it?"

Amelia gestured toward his entire body. "Before you accompany me anywhere, you will first learn how to tend to your vessel after committing such an absurd act of foolishness."

Albert froze, looking down at himself. His small frame was covered in deep scratches, his garments were soaked in blood, and the scales that had surfaced across his skin were slowly receding as full consciousness claimed his mind.

He raised his head, a flush of embarrassment breaking across his face. "I... I didn’t do anything foolish."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. "You battled me to the brink of bleeding to death simply to touch my cheek."

Albert fell silent.

After a long pause, he muttered, "...When you state it like that, it truly sounds foolish."

Amelia offered a small smile despite herself.

Yet her amused expression did not linger long. She did not view what had just transpired as a mere minor victory for Albert; she had witnessed something infinitely more vital.

The boy was not yet powerful enough to act as her shield. Yet he possessed a trait that could not be easily taught: absolute, unyielding resolve.

More importantly... despite his immense, volatile power, he was willing to exert absolute self-control so as not to harm her.

That single realization granted Amelia profound peace regarding his presence at her side.

"Albert."

"Yes?"

"In the future, when you become powerful enough to truly protect me..."

She fixed her gaze upon him with unwavering absolute clarity:

"Do not hesitate to tell me."

Albert paused for a moment.

Then, a genuine, radiant smile broke across his face for the very first time since the duel commenced.

"Yes, Lady Amelia!"

In that single instant, his mind was no longer occupied by his technical victory over her rule.

He was focused entirely on the true victory he had yet to claim.