One year later.

Typical for the mountain village, an active bustle filled this place. Men were busy hunting, farming, building, feeding their families in short, while women stayed behind, taking care of their households. As usual, life in such villages was boring. Hence, there weren't too many things to do for small ones. However, there was a unique person in this village, the person, respected by everyone. That person taught children basic grammar, counting, reading, and told stories. He also gave councils and provided herbs in time of need. Overall, Gustav was the second person after the village elder.

His house at the hill, some distance away from other huts, looked just like any house in the village, but it was the most comfortable one and reliable. It was the only hut that never needed repairs.

Right now, following the usual routine, Gustav sat under the shadow of the tree, surrounded by the small crowd of children who came to listen for his stories.

“Teacher, tell us about the Founder of the Empire!” cried, one boy.

“No, we have already heard about it a hundred times. Tell us about Crusades," said another one.

"Tell us another tale from Ancient times," cried one girl.

While Gustav sat and caressed his beard, he paid no attention to their yelling and carefully chose what to tell them, what will eventually reach the boy's ears when he grows up a little. It was his duty to raise a right man, Nero would become and certain views and qualities weren't things which he could push into his future disciple. Hence, he prepared the soil in which he will grow up.

In such a manner, several minutes passed when Gustav noticed a crawling infant whose eyes shined with curiosity as he crawled inside the big basket, placed right next to the door, and stopped moving, pretending as if he was dead.

Once again, a small, peeking spy came to his lessons and took a place, dedicated to him. Besides, Gustav few elder children also noticed his appearance, but ignored him, when Gustav smiled took a small musical instrument into his hands.

As soon as he took the instrument, the crowd quickly turned silent because it was rare when they heard his singing. Though his storytelling was engaging, and they all tried not to miss his stories, but his singing was much better. Excitement appeared on their faces when they saw how the best voice of the village released several sounds with his instrument.

"My song will be about the Last Sword, about the time when turmoil and despair embraced the country, the time when the forgotten Hero raised the blue banner for the last time," said Gustav, introducing his song as a missing sigh escaped his lips.

A moment and music started. With each new moment, the melody became quiet before Gustav opened his mouth.

"Long before, the strong, brave griffon ruled under the heavens. No opponent could face him open. His strength and glory followed him. All birds and beasts bowed before him. Life was peaceful and they all knew no war.

"As time flew, the ages changed, the same as that brave griffon. Soon, he weakened and became sluggish, as his strength collapsed as treason inflicted a fatal strike.

"Soon, brothers raised swords against brothers as they shed blood just like water. Cities fell one after another as the blue banner lost more grounds, and more chaos came to those lands. North, south, east, west, and center, they all fought for power.

"But, soon, a knight and boy appeared at the small city in the center. That knight protected the last Griffon and raised the blue banner, reminding them about vows and oaths. He united the last few, loyal to the true leader, and once again raised blue banners, leaving for the war.

"His army fought well, and the fame about his black armor and winged helmet traveled far away, glorifying the knight Krystalis and terrifying enemies of the prince. But, nobody wanted the return of Griffon. Hence, soon, a huge army came to the gates of the last city.

"The battle lasted days, dead bodies covered all fields around the city. He fought well and immortalized his name, but he didn't gain the victory. The enemy stormed inside the city, shedding blood, but before he died, the knight Krystalis smiled. His black hair flew, following the wind towards the secret place where was his prince, the one for who he fought.

"He was the knight who saved the nation's bloodline, the Last Sword, the forgotten hero who fell to save the spirit of the Griffon," sang Gustav before finishing his song.

"Hence, as long as you keep living tell others of his name and remember why he fought," said Gustav, repeating the same phrase which his teacher told him at the end of this song.

Following those words, Gustav released a sigh, putting away his instrument while silence descended on their ground, and sobs were the only sounds he could hear.

Satisfied with the result, Gustav nodded.

"Fine, I will answer a few questions about this song," said Gustav.

A moment and noise returned as children started asking.

“Teacher, what happened to that boy?” asked one girl after wiping her tears.

“Nobody knows. Some say that he founded a kingdom out of the ashes of the Empire, others say that he died in battle,” said Gustav with a slight smile on his lips.

“Is it true that knight Krystalis had a legendary sword and rode a griffon?” asked another boy. As if to support his question, many children stopped talking and turned at Gustav.

“It might be true. This happened a long time ago when even I was not yet born and when people were much richer. I don’t know about the sword, but he had a griffon,” said the old man, moving to the next questions.

...

..

.

Following a short session to answer questions, the old man ended up, raising his arm to stop the children. It was time to switch topics because he didn't want to spend hours here. It's was better to make them think themselves and move to the next topic.

“Okay, now let’s move on to our lesson. As you know, I will only ask a few of them and explain if nobody knows. That would be enough for today," said Gustav as he looked at the children who weren't glad to move without answers to their questions. But the old man only smiled as he cleared his throat. "That one who will be active and answers many questions will choose the next story."

That was enough for everyone there to make a 180-degree change and focus on Gustav who only widened his sly smile and quickly changed the topic.

"Do you remember where we live?” asked the old man as he looked at them. A small boy started showing something and making incoherent sounds.

“Griffo kingdom,”

“Graffy kingdom,”

“Briffon kingdom,”

It took some time for the children to tell the right answer.

“Griffon kingdom,” Gustav nodded when he heard the right answer.

“Who is ruling in the kingdom?” asked the old man. To this question, children showed different reactions, and they instantly told that it was king.

“Fine, now let’s move on to more difficult questions,” said the old man as he started asking them.

His questions could vary. Starting from field tools, beasts, and monsters that lived in near forests and finishing with plants that could help when someone had a fever. Such a scene continued for several hours. Children answered whatever Gustav asked. Sometimes, he stopped to explain new things and shared his knowledge with the children. Even though it could bore some of them, only a few children left because they knew Gustav was the only one who could tell them something new and interesting. Of course, they hated when he asked about herbs and preferred to listen to different things.

“Now, tell me which herb growing on this mountain is useful for training the body?” asked the old man as he looked at the crowd. Minutes passed, and nobody answered. Gustav already wanted to tell them once again when a sudden sound came from a direction nobody expected.

“Aba bu ba bua,” said a 1-year-old boy with purple eyes, who didn't know how to speak yet, in his basket. Other boys and girls turned to him and started laughing when they saw how he was sitting in the basket and gesturing. He looked so funny.

While children were laughing, Gustav didn’t because he noticed something he never paid attention to. He felt as if the boy could understand him and tried to answer. He wasn’t the only one who noticed that. Tiona - Nero’s mother had just returned with a deer on her shoulder when Nero tried to speak. A caring mother noticed more than Gustav and saw that Nero tried to gesture when children started laughing. Noticing her return, Gustav stood from the chair and looked at the children.

“That’s it for today. You can go,” said the old man before moving towards the woman.

...

..

.

Tiona was sitting on the chair inside the hut together with Gustav. They watched how the purple-eyed boy was busy playing with some toys.

“I think he didn’t mean it and just tried to attract some attention,” said Tiona as she looked at her son, that now looked just like any ordinary child.

“I don’t know, my lady. I felt different. It's not his first time when he comes to my lessons and you also know because you left a basket there” said the old man. “Besides, you know whose son he is. He should differ from ordinary children,”

Tiona just continued to look at her son for some time before releasing a sigh.

“Fine, let’s check it, Gustav. I am also curious whether my son, who still doesn’t know how to speak, can understand us,”

Gustav nodded and quickly stood up from his place. Nero was busy beating one wooden knight against another knight when an old man approached him, sitting next to him and attracting the attention of those purple eyes.

“How many coins would you have if you took 100 copper coins and spend 80 copper coins to buy a sword?” asked the old man, looking into those eyes. At first, nothing happened and Gustav already released a disappointed sigh and started standing up when Nero put away his toys and looked at him.

“Abu bua bua,” said the child as he clenched his two tiny fists two times to show his answer. A shock appeared on both faces when they saw how Nero showed 20 with gestures. It didn’t take long for Gustav to take several sheets of paper, pen, and ink to put in front of Nero.

“Can you draw the shape of the kingdom where we live?” Asked the old man with big anticipation in his glance. Of course, he once drew it on one of his lessons, but he still had doubts about how the child learned new things. He wanted to make sure whether it was because of his lessons or the boy already knew them. At first, Nero looked at Gustav before moving his glance at his mother. The pen was too big for his hands, so Nero dyed his arm in ink and started drawing. Of course, the lines that appeared below his fingers were different, but a shock intensified on Gustav’s face when the boy finished half an hour later. The old man and Tiona spent several moments exchanging glances.

“I drew it once on my lesson,” said the old man with a shocked expression on his face. Still unconvinced, Tiona quickly approached Nero and took him in her arms. The boy used that chance to draw something on his mother, but she ignored that.

“Son, dear, do you know where in the house you can find salt?” asked Tiona as she threw her glance at the old man who would always ask her again and again. Nero, who was now trapped in his mother’s hands, just raised his hand and pointed towards the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, Tiona was shocked again when the boy pointed at the cupboard where she held salt!

“Young lady, your son is a genius,” said Gustav, still recovering from the shock.

“If he can already understand us, I can already start teaching him,” said the old man with an impatient expression on his face.

“What?” asked Tiona with a surprised expression on her face.

“He is still a small child. I won’t let him learn martial arts or magic,” said Tiona with an iron in her voice.

“Don’t worry, young lady. I won’t teach him any of that. It’s still too early for him. But, I can start teaching him words, basic grammar, how to read and can begin telling him basic knowledge which would be very useful for him in the future. In short, I can start teaching knowledge that wise mortals share with others,”

“Abu bau,” said Nero as if agreeing with Gustav and stretching his dyed-in ink hand towards him. Tiona, who was still thinking about the old man’s proposal, looked at her son’s tiny hand and smiled.

“Looks like he has already decided. Gustav, look, he is stretching out his hand to you. Why don't you shake it?” asked the woman as she looked at the old man with a smile.

“Abu bua ba,” said Nero, nodding his head.

But Gustav only threw a glance at that small, dyed hand before focusing his questioning glance at Tiona.

“Fine, old man, you can start teaching my son, but no martial arts or magic till his 5th birthday. Got it?” said Tiona with metal in her voice as she turned to Gustav.

“Don’t worry, my lady. There won't be anything of those,” said Gustav after a slight bow.

In such a manner, during an ordinary sunny day when Nero was still a 1-year-old boy, his relaxing days of childhood ended. The purple-eyed boy never knew what he had agreed to when he showed his talent. From that day, his peaceful and relaxing days when he could sleep and play for hours ended!