Generous Friend

Chapter 10: A Generous Friend

Rhaegar felt a strange mix of emotions as his newfound friend departed without a word.

They hadn't even had a chance to chat much.

"I still wanted to ride it around a few more times."

Rhaegar joked with Illyric.

"If fate allows, perhaps we'll meet again."

Illyric chuckled in response.

With that, he confirmed the little prince's emotions had calmed and stood up to prepare the pheasant's carcass.

Looking at Illyric's white cloak, Rhaegar pursed his lips and took a long drink from the waterskin beside him.

"Ah~, I feel alive again."

His throat moistened, Rhaegar suddenly recalled the system notification he'd heard before losing consciousness.

"I wonder if that was just my imagination?"

With a thought, the system panel appeared.

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Talent: Dreamer (Gold), Longevity (Green)

Bloodline: Valyrian Dragonlord (+10%)

Skills: Valyrian (Mastery)...

Relic: Blood of the Dragon (Fire Resistance +50%)

Evaluation: "Lucky boy, you have made a generous friend."

Staring at a line of small text on the system panel, Rhaegar's eyes widened.

"New talent, Longevity?"

Rhaegar blinked, confirming he wasn't mistaken.

"There really is a new talent!"

His heart pounded wildly. Rhaegar clutched his chest, overcome with excitement.

"What does Longevity mean? Can I really live to be a hundred?"

Rhaegar knew his own body well; it wasn't exactly riddled with holes, but he was basically half a cripple.

His heart beat faster and faster, his hands and feet grew cold, yet he felt even happier.

His poor health stemmed from organ failure.

That's why he gasped for breath after a few steps and suffered from insufficient blood supply to his heart whenever he got excited.

Now, he felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

Yet, he only felt slightly uncomfortable.

His hands and feet weren't even trembling.

"Haha, I can live to be a hundred! This damned poor health can't kill me anymore!"

Recovering from a long illness, Rhaegar couldn't control his surging emotions and suddenly burst into laughter.

Illyric, who had just finished plucking the chicken and was about to start roasting it, was startled by the sudden laughter.

He turned around and saw the little prince laughing uncontrollably on the ground, completely losing his composure.

His arms flailed back and forth, kicking up dirt.

The overwhelming joy affected Rhaegar's young mind, causing him to vent his emotions uncontrollably.

Otherwise, he would have been driven mad by his suppressed feelings.

Although, in Illyric's eyes, Rhaegar currently looked like a little madman.

"Seven hells, please stop tormenting me."

Illyric sighed, forgetting about the roast chicken, and went to check on the little prince.

He had just woken up from his coma; he couldn't have gone insane.

Sneaking the prince out was already enough to warrant a trial from the king.

If he brought back a mad little prince, the king would surely have his head.

"My dear brother, I hope this doesn't implicate you."

Illyric prayed silently, hoping his brother Aleric wouldn't be dragged down when he was beheaded.

As it turned out, Illyric had worried for nothing.

After letting Rhaegar carry on his wild display for over ten minutes, he finally tired himself out.

He lay on the ground honestly, not wanting to move at all.

When asked why he was laughing, he only received one answer.

"Isn't it worth being happy when a cripple gets rid of his crutches?"

Illyric didn't understand.

But he realized that the little prince was recovering well.

He shouldn't be unconscious or insane.

"My head is safe."

Shaking his head, Illyric indicated that he couldn't keep up with the Targaryen's way of thinking.

He might as well finish the roast chicken and prepare dinner.

Rhaegar lay quietly on the white cloak Illyric had spread out, lost in thought.

He thought of many things.

The system's evaluation of "generous friend"...

The white hart Illyric mentioned feeding him a red fruit...

The Valyrian Dragonlord bloodline continuously increasing in the bloodline section...

He flipped through the system panel.

The system detected the white hart as a rare species with exploration conditions.

While Rhaegar was unconscious and lying in its embrace, the exploration was automatically completed.

And that red fruit was the exploration reward.

[Magical Creature: White Hart]

Exploration Progress: "100%"

"Relic auto-pickup, detecting..."

"Detection successful, classified as Epic Relic, Blessing of the Auspicious Beast."

"Activate relic?"

"Relic automatically activated."

"Congratulations, Blessing of the Auspicious Beast activated successfully, you have obtained..."

[Longevity]

Level: Good (Green)

Effect: A blessing from an auspicious beast to a new friend, capable of fulfilling the most sincere wishes.

Evaluation: "The red grapes were too sweet; a sour and sweet orange suits my taste better..."

Seeing the evaluation filled with personal will, Rhaegar laughed from the bottom of his heart.

The disappointment of the white hart leaving without saying goodbye was completely dispelled.

"Thank you, good friend."

Rhaegar silently sent his thanks to the white hart.

At the same time, he discovered a blind spot.

The auspicious beast's blessing was classified as Epic.

But the [Longevity] obtained after activation was only Good.

Compared to the Legendary [Blood of the Dragon], and even the Excellent Valyrian proficiency, it was inferior.

After a moment of thought, Rhaegar attributed it to the nature of "blessing."

Subconsciously, Rhaegar most wished for a healthy body.

The blessing was aimed at this point.

Bringing him the healthy physique and lifespan of [Longevity].

Looking up at the crescent moon in the night sky, Rhaegar's eyes held a sense of ease he had never felt before, and his dark circles seemed to have faded considerably.

"From tonight, from this moment on, I am no longer a sickly child."

"A Rhaegar Targaryen, free from the threat of premature death, will bring a legend to this world that will be sung for thousands of years."

Clenching his fist above his head with one hand, Rhaegar made a silent resolution.

Let the world know his name!

Illyric, who was cooking nearby, sniffed the golden-skinned roast chicken with a puzzled expression.

"Strange, it didn't burn?"

The next day.

Rhaegar, still groggy from sleep, was placed on horseback early in the morning, mumbling "Dragonflame."

Walking along the small path back to the camp, Illyric curled his lips. "As expected of a Targaryen child, riding a dragon even in his dreams."

The morning dew gradually disappeared as the sun climbed higher.

Around eight in the morning, Illyric, riding a black horse, appeared at the camp entrance.

"Illyric, you're finally back."

Before he could even enter the camp, a figure darted out from a corner, their voice full of surprise.

Rhaegar, who had long since woken up, turned his gaze and saw another face of Illyric.

No need to guess.

This was Illyric's twin brother, Alaric. Cagell.

Alaric looked anxious and snatched the reins, questioning before his brother could even reply, "Where were you yesterday?"

Facing his brother's indignation, Illyric dismounted with Rhaegar in his arms and said helplessly, "What do you think?"

Alaric grew even angrier. "The King ordered you to bring Prince Rhaegar to see him, yet you snuck out of the camp with him. That alone is enough for the King to order you hanged!"

Illyric's gaze was complex, his lips moved slightly, and finally, he let out a sigh.

Yesterday's experience was too bizarre, and he himself was still struggling to process it.

Let alone telling his stubbornly single-minded brother.

Sensing his difficulty, Rhaegar stepped in to ease the situation. "Sir Alaric, it was I who asked your brother to take me out of the camp; it was not his intention."

Alaric looked at Rhaegar, who was shorter than his own legs, and lowered his head. "Your Highness, it's not that I'm accusing you, but the King waited for you and the Princess for a long time yesterday and was extremely enraged."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

Hearing the hidden meaning in Alaric's words, Rhaegar said sincerely, "Don't worry, I understand your concern for your brother. I will do my best to defend Sir Illyric."

"The matter started because of me, and I will bear all the consequences."