Alberto

Biodata

Power Progression

Background / History

Alberto entered the Borderlands disguised as a human adventurer. He presented himself as a curious explorer investigating why the formerly chaotic region had begun to change, using his charm to secure passage on a merchant vessel despite lacking funds. His performance with harp and dance further won over the crew. 270 272

In truth, Alberto was a young Gold Dragon pursuing an extreme interpretation of justice. He had taken the Sacred Dragon path, trained far more diligently than most dragons his age, and sworn the Crown and Conquest Oaths in pursuit of a continent-wide Golden Order. 275 277

His parents disapproved of his unconventional ambitions and tightly controlled his activities and access to wealth. Alberto escaped their supervision when powerful Metal Dragons were summoned away by their Dragon Realms. He selected the Borderlands as his first target because its position between the Ser Wilderness and the Permafrost Tundra, together with the Estonia River, made it a strategic base amid the Lothern Federation’s growing instability. 271 279 280

After arriving in the Borderlands, Alberto extorted the Molten Iron Tribe while framing the act as a “civilized conversation.” He then confronted Garos and his dragonflight as supposed Evil Dragons, only to be defeated after underestimating their discipline, organization, and strength. 272 274 275

Garos pardoned Alberto on the condition that he repay ten times the wealth he had taken. Alberto rejected employment under Garos because it conflicted with his own oaths and ambition, but accepted Garos’s hospitality and gradually became his ally. 279 280 281

Alberto later established a territory in the Ser Wilderness, but it was destroyed. Approaching another slumber and unwilling to return to his controlling family, he sought shelter in Dragon Valley. His sister Nasha arrived to retrieve him, only to become interested in Garos’s training and remain there herself. Their father, Orvis, eventually brought Alberto back to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm by force. 389 394 415

After Garos’s recovery from his battle with Xiano, Alberto and Nasha accompanied him back to the Ser Wilderness to take up the territories and roles he had promised them. Alberto subsequently governed Law City as an implementation of his Golden Law. 436 441 467

Appearance

In dragon form, Alberto is a large, athletic Gold Dragon covered in brilliant scales and possessing an imposing, sacred presence. His draconic bearing is usually noble and severe, though his expressions openly reveal his emotions. 279 343

• Bright golden scales likened to metal forged beneath the blazing sun. 343
• Battleworn marks engraved across his back scales, representing his past victories and combat experience. 275
• Five years of extreme training broaden his formerly agile frame, giving him dense scales, pronounced musculature, and a build approaching that of a Red Dragon of the same length. 290
• In humanoid form, he appears as a tall, handsome young man with shoulder-length golden curls, azure eyes, and a warm smile. 270 280
• His adventurer disguise includes leather armor, a map, waterskin, and dagger. 270
• He later attaches conspicuous fake metal dragon-horn ornaments to improve his recognizability and perceived charisma. His original display consists of four pairs in total: one genuine pair and three artificial pairs. 396
• By his later meeting with Garos in the Verdant Gardens, he displays three pairs of horns in total. Garos destroys the two artificial pairs, leaving only his natural horns. 745

Personality

Alberto is passionate, proud, idealistic, and unusually straightforward for a dragon pursuing power. His self-awareness borders on extremism, yet he does not hide his emotions or scheme behind a false demeanor; humiliation, excitement, envy, and determination are all plainly visible on his face. 279

His ideal is an eternal Golden Order: a world governed by strict laws, peace, and what he considers perfect justice. Though his Conquest Oath gives him authoritarian impulses, he still values the lives and feelings of weaker beings, leaving him distinct from dragons fully aligned with evil. 277

Repeated defeats and the burden of his self-imposed oath temper some of Alberto’s arrogance. He learns to respect Garos’s discipline, accepts the need for rest alongside training, and becomes more practical about leadership and territory management. 295 317 390

Alberto also craves glory, attention, and recognition. His fake horn ornaments, dramatic entrances, and envy of Garos’s achievements reflect his desire to be seen as a ruler worthy of admiration. 343 396 745

His demeanor changes markedly with his form. As a dragon, he is imposing, obsessive, and sometimes somber; as a human, he becomes a sunny, exuberant performer who readily loses himself in music and dance. Garos finds the contrast striking enough to regard the two presentations as almost entirely different personalities. 280 281

Despite his stubbornness, Alberto develops the ability to recognize when a fight is beyond him. He concedes a renewed challenge after sensing Garos’s overwhelming strength and later declines to join a direct attack on a Legendary opponent because he would be a burden rather than an asset. He nevertheless promises to remain nearby rather than abandon his ally. 407 409

His enthusiasm for order can become excessively restrictive in practice. In Law City, he takes pride in regulations that Garos judges to reflect distrust of the population and to suppress the city’s vitality. 467

Abilities & Skills

Sacred Dragon Path

Alberto trained himself from youth on the Sacred Dragon path, surpassing most Gold Dragons of his age in combat ability and Life Level. His battle experience is marked physically upon his scales. 275

• Trains continuously and can endure extreme physical conditioning. 291 295
• Possesses considerable battlefield experience despite his young age. 275
• His oaths pressure him into training even when exhausted or mentally strained. 296
• His trained wings can briefly lift him through physical wingbeats alone, demonstrating strength beyond that of most Gold Dragons at his level. 295
• Practices Garos’s hypergravity exercises, although his movements initially remain much slower and clumsier than Garos’s. 295
• Repeated tempering increases both the purity and abundance of his Holy Oath Energy. 292

Crown Sacred Oath

The Crown Oath embodies Alberto’s beliefs in law, loyalty, courage, and responsibility. It manifests as a crown of holy light and grants him powerful Holy Oath Energy. 275

• Creates Holy Armor, a protective suit of condensed holy energy. 275
• Can restore his condition during battle. Its crown radiates healing light capable of rapidly repairing damaged scales, bones, and flesh. 275
• Grants the Challenge, an oath spell that inhibits an opponent’s retreat and incites them to fight him. 275
• Grants the technique Turn the Tide, used when he is severely pressured. 292
• Enables holy attacks such as Most Holy Slash. 277 281
• Can reinforce the defensive effects of his Holy Armor when used together with his other oath powers. 282

Conquest Sacred Oath

The Conquest Oath drives Alberto’s ambition to impose his Golden Law and establish a continent-spanning order under his own rule. 277 279

• Condenses Holy Oath Energy into the Conquest Halberd. 275
• Grants Holy Strike, a close-range blow empowered by the conquest rune on his arm. 275
• Grants Desperate Counterattack, a high-risk technique used alongside Turn the Tide. 292
• Strengthens his combat drive and prevents him from accepting obligations that would divert him from his personal path. 279

Dragon Magic and Combat Techniques

• Command Spell — briefly compels a target to retreat, allowing Alberto to create an escape opening. 275
• Spell Scale — can provide defensive power and speed comparable to a mature Gold Dragon. Alberto later expends its energy escaping the Mountain Giant King. 279 366
• Shapeshifting Spell — transforms Alberto into his humanoid form. Decades of practice allow him to use approximately seventy percent of his true strength while transformed. 280 319 320
• Holy Healing — allows him to treat his own injuries, including the severe damage suffered during Garos’s test strike. 282
• Holy Shield — forms a solid, radiant, diamond-shaped shield to protect his vital areas. 392
• Holy Flame Breath — his strongest Dragon Breath, though it was overwhelmed by Garos’s Destruction Dragon Breath. By combining Turn the Tide and Desperate Counterattack, he channels his remaining Holy Oath Energy into the attack. 292

Training Oath

After enduring a devastating test strike from Garos, Alberto swears to reject entertainment, leisure, meaningless rest, and idleness until he becomes indisputably stronger than Garos. The oath binds his soul and pressures him to resume training whenever his condition still permits it. He declares that breaking it should cause him to be reborn as a White Dragon. 282 296

His Sacred Dragon recovery initially worsens the burden by allowing him to keep training without adequate rest. He eventually realizes that necessary relaxation can improve subsequent training and therefore need not violate the oath’s purpose. 291 317

Other Skills

• Music and dance — an accomplished harpist and dancer whose performances combine elements of elven grace, human court dance, and other styles. 272 280
• Intelligence gathering — maintains extensive connections and supplies Garos with information on Gorsas, the Dominic Family, and developments in the wilderness. 297
• Fundraising through blessings and protection — obtains gifts from human settlements by offering blessings, protection, and assistance against evil creatures, using the proceeds to repay his debt. 343

Equipment / Items

• Conquest Halberd — a golden halberd formed from Alberto’s oath runes and Holy Oath Energy. 275
• Golden sash — a Legendary Artifact provided through his family; it causes nearby creatures to overlook the wearer’s true race and perceive them as one of their own. Alberto gives it to Garos. 429
• Fake dragon horns — magical-metal ornaments welded onto his head to increase his visual impact and public recognition. Orvis tears off his original display when taking him home; Alberto later wears artificial horns again, which Garos destroys in the Verdant Gardens. 396 415 745
• Harp — used during his performances aboard the merchant ship and at Garos’s banquet. 272 280

Relationships

• Garos Ignas — rival, ally, creditor, and eventual mentor. Alberto initially attacks Garos as an “Evil Dragon,” but later respects his strength, accepts his ideals as worthy of consideration, and seeks his guidance in leadership and training. 275 281 390
• Deborah — fellow Metal Dragon and ally. She taunts Alberto over his infamous reputation, later discusses his family situation with him, and helps him reassess Garos. 277 389 393
• Nasha — Alberto’s biological older sister. She is protective of him, disapproves of his fake horns, and initially mistakes Garos for an enemy before Alberto explains their alliance. Sent to retrieve him, she beats him for his defiance but ultimately stays in Dragon Valley herself. 392 393 394 396
• Orvis — Alberto’s father, an influential Gold Dragon of the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm. Alberto resents his family’s restrictions and openly mocks Orvis’s gambling habits. Orvis eventually knocks him unconscious, removes his fake horns, and carries him home. Alberto nevertheless relies on him in a crisis, sending an urgent distress signal during Xiano’s ambush. 390 415 435
• Vera — Fairy Dragon ally and frequent tormentor. Vera pranks Alberto during his coma and openly mocks his pride, but Alberto gradually becomes unable to intimidate her. 278 295
• Gabriel — Alberto’s nephew and former companion in mischief. Alberto influenced Gabriel during his childhood, but Gabriel later surpasses and defeats him in a challenge for leadership among Bernardo’s Metal Dragons. Alberto’s habit of encouraging Gabriel’s complaints about Nasha and then reporting them to her contributes to Gabriel’s desire for revenge. 618 745
• Tressie — White Dragon who participated in Alberto’s initial defeat. Alberto later faces her as part of Garos’s dragonflight. 275 280
• Gorsas — enemy whom Alberto agrees to help Garos hunt. Learning that Gorsas is Garos’s biological father does not make Alberto condemn Garos by association. During the eventual battle, Gorsas easily overpowers him. 343 365

Story Role / Major Arcs

Borderlands Arrival and Defeat

Alberto arrives seeking to investigate the new order of the Borderlands, secretly hoping to confront Evil Dragons and advance his ideal of conquest through law. His extortion of the Molten Iron Tribe brings him into conflict with Garos’s dragonflight, whose unity overturns Alberto’s assumptions about Evil Dragons. 270 272 274

Despite fighting with Holy Armor, the Conquest Halberd, and both Sacred Oaths, Alberto is defeated and pursued by Garos’s group. His first loss to Garos becomes the source of his resentment, debt, and determination to grow stronger. 275 279

During his attempted escape, Vera disguises herself as a Red-Silver Dragon and catches him with Frost Breath. Even after Garos pins him, Alberto attempts to continue fighting with Most Holy Slash before their confrontation gives way to discussion. 275 277

Alliance and Oath-Bound Training

Garos recognizes Alberto’s sincere ideals and invites him to Dragon Valley rather than killing or enslaving him. Alberto promises to aid Garos if called upon, while continuing to pursue the Golden Order independently. 281

Their initial agreement explicitly allows for future rivalry if their ambitions collide. In the meantime, both recognize the advantage of cooperating against stronger threats in the Ser Wilderness. Alberto also promises to repay his debt within ten years. 280

After enduring a devastating test strike from Garos, Alberto swears a harsh oath to surpass him. Until he succeeds, he must abandon leisure and devote himself completely to training. The oath drives five years of extreme self-tempering but also leaves him physically and mentally exhausted. 282 291 296

His second decisive defeat leaves him unconscious for a month. Observing Garos’s relentless hypergravity training afterward changes Alberto’s view of strength: he comes to admire Garos’s voluntary discipline rather than seeing him only as an opponent to surpass. 292 295

Growth as Garos’s Ally

Alberto gradually learns that rest and recreation can support rather than weaken training, finding a way to live with the restrictions of his oath. 317

After helping watch over the Molten Iron Tribe during Garos’s slumber, Alberto has reduced his outstanding debt substantially. He then challenges Garos to a human-form duel, expecting his superior experience with shapeshifting to secure victory. Garos raises the stakes by making Alberto’s previous debt reductions conditional on winning, then defeats him decisively. Alberto pretends to be unconscious to avoid further humiliation. 318 319 320

Alberto later brings Garos gemstones earned through blessings and protection work and agrees to join the hunt for Gorsas. In the battle, his furious charges accomplish little against the stronger Red Dragon, who breaks his Conquest Halberd and badly injures him. Afterward, Alberto explains that his life-saving Spell Scale had already been depleted during his escape from the Mountain Giant King. 343 365 366

He also participates in the campaign against the Dominic Dragonflight, striking Cloudsplitter hard enough to send the Blue Dragon tumbling before looking for other opponents. 385 386

He continues challenging and sparring with Garos, serves as a combat partner during agility training, and fights demons alongside him near the Abyssal Rift. He ultimately decides to remain with the Molten Iron Tribe to study territorial governance and develop the charisma he believes a future ruler requires. 389 390

Family Intervention and Dragon Realm Tournament

Nasha arrives in Dragon Valley on their father’s orders to bring Alberto home. Alberto gives her an embellished account of his relationship with Garos, portraying their first fight as evenly matched. Although Nasha accepts that he has sound reasons to ally with Garos, she still beats him for his provocative defiance. Her subsequent decision to stay allows Alberto to remain in the wilderness. 393 394

Inspired by Garos’s advice about a ruler’s presence, Alberto adds three pairs of artificial horns to his natural pair, declaring them a sacred crown that proves his destiny. He then enters slumber. Upon waking, he challenges Garos again but immediately concedes once Garos removes his training armor and reveals his overwhelming aura. 396 407

When Garos faces a prospective Legendary opponent, Alberto admits that he is too weak to contribute directly but promises to observe nearby rather than abandon him. Both he and Nasha are reluctant to request their family’s intervention because doing so would threaten their freedom. Orvis eventually arrives and takes Alberto back by force. 409 411 415

Alberto enters the Five Dragon Realms United Tournament but encounters Brass Dragon Zafili, a favored contender, in his first elimination match and loses. He subsequently envies the public acclaim Garos receives for his own victory. 431

Xiano’s Ambush and Return to the Wilderness

While traveling with Garos, Alberto considers establishing his Golden Order within Garos’s future kingdom. The group is then ambushed at sea by Legendary Bronze Dragon Xiano, whose opening assault knocks Garos’s companions unconscious. After awakening, Alberto sends Orvis an urgent distress signal. 435

Following Garos’s victory and collapse, Alberto and Deborah confirm the circumstances of Xiano’s attack. Orvis takes Alberto, Nasha, the injured Garos, and Xiano’s remains to the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, where the remains serve as evidence amid the anticipated political backlash. 436

Once Garos is ready to leave, Alberto and Nasha accompany him back to the Ser Wilderness, accepting the territories and roles he has offered them. 441

Golden Law and Future Ambition

As Alberto implements his Golden Law in Law City, Garos criticizes the rigidity of his rule. The city’s regulations extend to confiscating citizens’ modified vehicles, and Garos argues that such restrictions reveal distrust of the population and suppress vitality. He warns that Alberto must restore the city’s vitality or risk losing authority. 467

During the war against Theo Kingdom, Alberto is the only Metal Dragon to participate directly. Ignoring his kind’s restrictions, he declares that Theo intends to expand the Abyssal Rift and volunteers to fight in defense of order. He later spreads an embellished account of his battlefield partnership with Garos and the emperor’s capture of the Sky-Eye Satellite. 478

Alberto also understands the political limitations of his homeland: when Nasha suggests that Garos slumber in the Wave-Subduing Dragon Realm, Alberto explains that its neutrality prevents him from bringing Aura’s external conflicts there. 580

After Gabriel defeats him, Alberto’s desire for glory remains undiminished. Garos offers him a chance to become a world lord through the Empire’s planned Great Expedition, which Alberto eagerly accepts as a path toward the recognition he has always sought. 745

At their meeting in the Verdant Gardens, Alberto is visibly wounded from Gabriel’s beating. He has already complained to Nasha, who punishes her son in turn. Garos also destroys Alberto’s latest artificial horns before presenting the expedition opportunity. 745

Notable Quotes

“A promise is something that must be fulfilled with every effort, no matter what hardships or obstacles lie ahead!” 281

“Parents who cannot understand my magnificent vision and unwavering will, along with those brothers and sisters of mine, are nothing more than insignificant obstacles on my path to growth!” 389

“Proper relaxation and rest for the mind make the training that follows far more effective.” 317

“Garos! I seriously suspect you secretly stole the perfect dragon life that was supposed to belong to me!” 431

Trivia

• Alberto’s human disguise is convincing enough that a merchant captain grants him free passage after meeting his eyes, despite initially demanding payment. 270
• He is an accomplished musician and dancer, captivating an entire ship’s crew with a harp performance. 272
• His unconventional ambitions make him a cautionary example among elder Metal Dragons, who use his reputation to warn their descendants against following the wrong path. 277
• Alberto cannot tolerate Black Oil, unlike Garos, who treats it as both fuel and a training stimulant. 389
• His fake horns successfully make him more recognizable to outsiders, even though dragons close to him can immediately identify them as ornaments. 396
• He later displays his artificial horns on the Star Network, where some viewers genuinely believe that he was born with three pairs. 745
• Garos later destroys part of Alberto’s fake horn display, provoking an outraged reaction. 745
• Although Gabriel eventually becomes stronger than both Alberto and Nasha, Alberto can still retaliate against his nephew by reporting him to his mother. 745