CHAPTER 338: A PRESENT FOR SHARON

In the western continent, there are many empires and kingdoms. One of the most famous and powerful among them is the Celestial Empire of Velgranth.

Unlike most other empires or kingdoms, this power was founded by the dragon race. They control millions of kilometers of territory in the western continent and are feared by other great powers.

This makes sense, considering that dragons are known to be incredibly powerful and have existed since the world was formed. What’s more, the Dragon Emperor himself is a terrifying figure.

It is said that he can split mountains with a single roar. Not to mention, their military strength is also extremely formidable.

The most renowned among them is the Black Armor Battalion—an elite force composed of the strongest dragons.

Of course, when compared to the Great Velmora Empire, they are still slightly inferior. But that’s only on paper. If war were to break out between the two, it wouldn’t be impossible for the Great Velmora Empire to fall.

Ragnark Azyron is the first prince of the Velgranth Sky Empire. It is said that he is the strongest candidate to become the next Dragon Emperor.

But... how could someone that powerful end up at the Fallen Star Magic Academy?

Nolan pondered for a moment before finally voicing his confusion.

"Why would Ragnark appear there? Doesn’t he already have physical and magical talents that don’t need training?" Nolan asked.

If his memory was correct, dragons in this world didn’t require training like humans.

They only had to inherit the power of their ancestors—and in Ragnark’s case, that ancestor was the founder of the Celestial Empire of Velgranth.

At his question, Sharon sighed deeply and gave a wry smile.

"It’s because of an incident in the past. Back then, there was a major event at the Fallen Star Magic Academy, where students had to go on a journey to find seven pieces of an eclipse crystal. These seven fragments were part of an eclipse stone used to activate the academy’s shield. But for some reason, the stone was destroyed and split into seven pieces," Sharon explained, sipping her hot chocolate.

"At that time, my friends and I went to the Celestial Empire of Velgranth to retrieve one of them. Since the fragment was located inside the imperial palace, I asked the imperial dragon family for permission. Knowing that I was the third princess of the Great Velmora Empire, they naturally granted it. However..."

She paused, her expression gradually darkening.

"That man, Ragnark, took an interest in me and proposed immediately. I refused, but he didn’t give up. Even after I finished my business there, I continued to refuse. What I didn’t expect was that a month later, he enrolled as a senior student just to pursue me. And the result... well, it’s exactly as I told you earlier."

Ragnark wasn’t actually that bad. Although he couldn’t be considered handsome by human standards, his face was still quite attractive. His status was extraordinary as well—he was the first prince and heir to the throne.

If it were any other woman, they would have accepted his proposal without a second thought. Unfortunately, Sharon didn’t like him at all.

Having seen her brother’s good looks, she felt Ragnark was insignificant. Anyone who wanted to be her husband had to be at least as handsome as her beloved younger brother.

But... that was clearly impossible. On top of that, Ragnark had a repulsive personality and appalling behavior.

As a dragon, he was a creature driven by lust. According to the information Sharon had, Ragnark had five fiancées and four children among them.

He treated his fiancées purely as reproductive tools—and most likely, he regarded Sharon the same way.

His behavior was rude, and his arrogance unbearable. He looked down on others, especially humans.

If it weren’t for the Celestial Empire of Velgranth backing him, Sharon was certain he would have been dead long ago.

Nolan fell silent, lost in thought for a moment. Then he nodded slightly and asked, "I see. What kind of threat did he make against you?"

Sharon didn’t answer. Instead, she stood up and smiled at him. "Can you run a comb through my hair?"

Nolan was surprised but quickly regained his composure. "Of course."

Sharon reached into her pocket and handed Nolan her comb and silver headband, then walked over to his study chair.

Nolan followed and began to gently comb Sharon’s hair.

Since childhood, Sharon had always struggled to comb her own hair. It grew quickly, and while she could have asked a servant for help, for some reason she didn’t like strangers touching her.

In the end, she had always asked her younger brother—Nolan—to do it. Unbeknownst to her, from that day on, Nolan continued to comb her hair until she left for the academy.

Sharon relaxed under his touch before explaining, "The threats he made were like cursing me or threatening to destroy the Great Empire of Velmora."

Nolan’s hand paused for a moment, but only briefly.

Sharon didn’t notice the subtle change in his expression and continued, "He did many other things just to gain my favor. Besides threats, he often made my life difficult—sending people to trap me or causing trouble in other ways. Fortunately, I was strong enough that it didn’t affect me too much. Even so, it was still annoying."

"The academy couldn’t do anything because of his status as a prince of the Celestial Empire of Velgranth."

Having said that, Sharon sighed deeply. If she could turn back time, she would never have gone to the Celestial Empire of Velgranth.

Unfortunately, she knew that what had happened could not be undone, and she simply had to bear it.

"I see. I understand," Nolan said softly. He laid the comb on the desk, then stroked the front of Sharon’s hair with his fingers before carefully securing the silver headband.

Giving a satisfied nod, Nolan opened his right palm, and a golden staff suddenly appeared in it.

Thankfully, Sharon had her back to him, so she didn’t notice.

"Sister, I have a present for you."

Sharon was surprised and immediately turned around. "What is it?"

Nolan handed her the golden staff. "This is a magic staff for you. I’m sure you’ll like it."

Sharon accepted it carefully and studied it intently. The staff was quite long—about eighty centimeters—with ancient symbols engraved along its length that she didn’t understand at all.

A red crystal was set at the top, reflecting a beautiful light under the sunlight streaming through the window.

"This..." Sharon was stunned. "A magic staff? How did you know my magic staff was broken?"

Obviously, Nolan didn’t know. However, he quickly pretended. "I’m your brother. Of course I know."

His words made Sharon feel warm. A gentle smile appeared on her face as she gazed at the staff with affection.

"Where did you get it?"

Nolan chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You don’t need to know. The important thing is, I can guarantee you’ll be stronger with it."