The journey actually wasn't long at all. The facility was near the western border of Crown's territory, so they only needed to walk 20 minutes to reach the large river separating the two lands.
Paryl didn't even need to worry about the biting cold or his wet clothes, as the emperor created a heat bubble almost 3 times the size of the one Paryl made, sustaining it effortlessly.
The walk was mostly filled with silence. Paryl was too tired to talk, and Indom was preoccupied thinking about the indescribable pain he was planning to put Utbrus in.
Still, a few questions managed to get through the thick wall of silence.
"Mr. Ordin, can I ask you a question?"
The grimace sullying Indom's usually handsome face disappeared.
"Sure, kiddo, fire away. And stop with the 'mister' thing. Weirds me out."
"Okay, Ordin. I saw you use Inferno, Ice, and Gravity. Can you really use three element evolutions?"
Indom cackled at the child's question, answering:
"You think I can use only three? You dare doubt me, kiddo?!"
Paryl was confused.
"Well, nobody is capable of using all four."
Indom just grinned in response. Paryl's jaw fell.
"Seriously?!"
"Yep! I can use all four evolutions! I just don't like using Thunder unless absolutely necessary. It's the element closest to my heart, so using it willy-nilly would just be sullying it."
The boy's brain refused to accept this information.
"B-but... that's impossible! You're pulling my leg!"
"Kid, it isn't nice to doubt your elders. Just you wait and see. The moment an occasion that calls for it happens, I'll show you thunder magic."
Paryl still held a firm stance that Indom was joking. Indom interrupted his curious thoughts about the plausibility of a person capable of using all four element evolutions with a question.
"I'm surprised you didn't know that every emperor can use all evolutions."
"All... emperors? But there's only one empire! The Dwarven Empire!"
Indom seemed absolutely exasperated.
"Kid, will you stop with that nonsense? I know what the goddamn map looks like! And I even personally know all the other emperors. There's Dece, Art, Enga, Utbrus, and me."
"Mr. Ordin! I'm serious!"
"Kid. Stop it."
The boy just sighed sadly, looking at the scenery.
A few minutes later, they were overlooking the flowing river from a large cliff. On both shores were small camps filled with soldiers. On the Dormalia republic's side, all the warriors were human.
On the side of Crown's independent territories, there was a mix of all the races. Minus the dragons, of course.
"Ordin, how do we pass the border? I don't have a passport."
Without responding, Indom grabbed the kid, tossing him over his shoulder.
"Whoa—?!"
Mana gathered into the man's calves, exploding upward. He continued applying mana to the kinetic chain, making sure none of his muscles failed. Indom could have easily just amplified his whole body with mana; however, this precise technique was a way to stay in shape, at least mentally.
In the next moment, they were above the clouds. Giant red wings extended from Indom's back. Paryl expected to be breathless, but for some reason his lungs felt as full as ever.
"It's simple advanced air magic. I made a small bubble of air. You can sleep. I'll land somewhere near the city and set up camp."
Flashes of Elizabeth invaded his consciousness.
Paryl expected to be terrified. He awaited the moment every on of his senses would go into overdrive, making him feel like a person in a driverless carriage.
The moment never came. For some reason, his mind and body trusted Indom fully.
Every muscle in his body ached, and the bloody wounds stung. He sleepily muttered:
"Okay... Goodnight, Mr. Ordin."
Indom smiled.
"Nice dreams, kiddo."
He drifted asleep.
Paryl woke up slowly the next morning. His body was bruised and hurt all over. The wounds were cleaned out overnight by Indom, so they didn't have dried blood or mud covering them.
The kid pulled himself up, looking around. He was in a large tent made out of stone. He was lying on a purple, embroidered coat. It was softer than silk.
'Wait a minute... He definitely threw that coat yesterday before fighting. I don't remember him going back to pick it up.'
The mystery bugged him, but he decided to get up first.
He stretched in the big enclosure, then got to his feet, wincing as his sore muscles sent out pangs of pain.
Paryl walked outside the tent. He smelled smoke and heard meat sizzling.
Indom was standing by a small fire, holding a piece of bird meat he hunted. It smelled heavenly.
The man was wearing an identical purple coat. He pulled back, looking back at the tent where his improvised mattress was, then back at Indom. Paryl finally asked:
"Ordin, why are there two copies of your coat?"
Indom smiled as the boy was exiting the accommodations he made.
"I can make 'em."
Paryl should've been flabbergasted, but the boy was already getting used to Indom's nonsensical sentences. He was concerned that it took less than an hour of interaction to happen, but he couldn't do much about it.
"Is it a personal ability?"
Asked Paryl, his tone defeated.
"I don't have a personal ability."
Indom smiled smugly.
Paryl felt the urge to choke the satisfied expression out of the man's face.
"Mr. Ordin, please give me a straight answer."
Indom chuckled, deciding to spare the poor kid.
"Answer number one: I can produce coats with an ability all emperors share, regeneration due to immortality. Why do clothes regenerate too? Ask my dead father, as I sure as hell don't know!"
Indom smiled wide. Paryl felt compassion towards the man. Something about the inflection and tone of his voice was off. However, he had a dire question to ask.
"Immo...WHAT?!"
Indom didn't bother providing a response.
"Answer number two: I don't have a personal ability in the normal sense. What other dragons have as a bloodline ability, that is my "personal ability," but with a third stage instead of the usual two. I can't use anything else except CWs, elemental magic and inscriptions."
"Huh? But why, Ordin?"
Ordin shrugged.
"Because I was born that way. All my brothers and sisters are the same. None of us has a unique ability. Every emperor just has a stronger version of their bloodline ability."
Paryl just nodded. He didn't want to be insensitive towards the man.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Ordin, but you haven't quite elaborated on the whole immortality thing—"
Indom stood up suddenly, offering the roasted piece of bird meat to the boy.
"You'll see it when you see it. Eat up. Growing boys need a good diet."
Paryl wanted answers but decided not to press further. Such fearsome power commanded respect.
"Okay..."
He then took a bite. His frown got turned upside down in an instant.
"This is great! It's so juicy!"
Paryl consumed the large piece of meat in 2 seconds flat.
"Where did you learn to cook, Ordin?"
"My sister, Enga, taught me. She's an incredible cook."
"Wow..."
Indom decided to turn to more pressing
matters.
"Kid, we're going to the capital. I flew a considerable distance but didn't approach Lutingen. I was worried Utbrus would somehow locate me. Instead, we're walking."
Indom suddenly pulled a third coat from seemingly nowhere.
"Here, cut it up into little pieces and wrap your wounds with them. That's what you'll be focusing on during our stroll."
The boy seemed confused.
"What should I cut it with, Ordin?"
Indom grinned crazily.
"You'll do a partial stage one dragon transformation and cut it with a claw, obviously."