Back at the **Draker Estate**, the atmosphere was usually one of grim determination and the clanking of training dummies. But today, the massive obsidian gates were thrown wide.
A carriage bearing the Imperial Crest—and another bearing the emerald seal of the Kingdom of Valerius—clattered up the stone path. This was unprecedented. The Academy session had only just begun, yet the "Imperial Flowers" and the "Kingdom's Sword" were already knocking on the Draker door.
Inside the Great Hall, **Lord Alaric Draker** sat upon his throne of dragon bone. Surrounding him were several of his twenty-three wives, their eyes sharp with curiosity.
"Lord Patriarch!" a scout yelled, skidding to a halt on the marble floor. "The twin Princesses of the Empire and the Heir of Valerius have arrived. They... they are asking for Young Lord Leo. They say they have an appointment for 'Special Research'."
### The Patriarch's Pride
Alaric paused, a goblet of wine halfway to his lips. He looked at his wives, then back at the scout. A slow, booming chuckle began to vibrate in his chest, eventually erupting into a roar of laughter that shook the chandeliers.
"On the very first day?" Alaric boomed, slamming his fist onto the arm of his chair. "I knew the boy was a prodigy, but this! To lure the Emperor's own blood to our doorstep before the first week is out... he truly is my son!"
**Lady Elena**, Leo's mother, fanned herself with a smirk. "It seems his 'First Words' weren't just a toddler's whim, Alaric. Our Leo is a man of action. He's already started his court."
"Bring them in!" Alaric commanded. "And fetch Leo from the meditation chambers. If he's in the middle of a 'session,' tell him his students have arrived!"
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### The "Lesson" Begins
The three girls entered the hall, looking uncharacteristically nervous. **Seraphina** and **Lyra** kept adjusting their royal capes, while **Isolde** gripped her rapier hilt as if she were walking into a battlefield—which, in a way, she was.
Leo descended the grand staircase, looking perfectly refreshed. He had just finished a light "warm-up" in his private chambers and his mana was humming at a stable, potent frequency.
"You're early," Leo said, his voice echoing through the hall. He stopped in front of them, his presence forcing them to tilt their heads back to meet his violet eyes.
"We... we wished to begin the 'Private Lessons' immediately," Seraphina said, trying to regain her royal composure. "The Imperial archives have no record of this... **Dih** organ. We must witness its function for ourselves."
"And the Gooning!" Lyra added, her face flushed. "You said it could jump-start our circuits. Prove it."
### The Patriarch's Blessing
Alaric stepped down from his throne, his massive shadow falling over the group. The princesses bowed instinctively.
"Princesses," Alaric said, his voice like grinding stone. "My son tells me you lack the proper... equipment for the Draker path. But do not worry. Leo is an expert in 'sharing' his vitality. If he says he can train you, he will. Just remember—Draker training is... intensive. It requires a lot of 'stamina'."
He winked at Leo, a gesture that made the girls even more flustered.
"Go on then," Alaric waved them off toward Leo's wing of the estate. "Don't let me interrupt the education of the next generation. I expect great things from this session!"
Leo turned to the three beauties, a dark, confident smirk crossing his face.
"Follow me," Leo commanded. "The training room is soundproofed. You'll find that when it comes to the 'Aethel-Strok', the first lesson is all about **Endurance**."
As the four of them disappeared into the dark hallways of the Obsidian Wing, Alaric turned to his wives with a grin.
"Twenty-three was my record," Alaric muttered. "But at this rate, the boy might need a whole city just for his bedroom."