Dragon Monarch System Chapter 1016:- Forgiveness Is Not So Simple

He couldn't help but secretly yearn for the love and warmth from his parents in everything he did. However, he held no hopes of ever gaining their parental care, love, or affection.

Aditya believed that no one in life gets to have it all. Everyone on this earth misses out on something. Even the wealthiest individual can buy nearly anything with money, yet certain things remain forever out of reach.

In his present circumstances, reconciliation wasn't on Aditya's mind. His parents were the ones who cast him out and banished him. Returning to patch things up had never crossed his thoughts. It wouldn't benefit him at all. Worse, it might convince his parents they could act without consequences. Aditya refused to allow them back into his world to disrupt his tranquility. That was his view until recently.

Yet now, mere words had utterly transformed his previous outlook.

"My child, please forgive us...!!!" As she embraced him tightly, his mother offered a heartfelt apology. She and her husband realized a mere sorry couldn't erase the awful deeds inflicted on their sole child. Still, she trusted that atonement began with those words.

Aditya stayed silent. Even with the truth revealed, harboring no bitterness toward his parents was impossible for him. He wasn't some holy figure capable of forgiving with just an apology.

His mother's words stirred deep turmoil within him. Part of him longed to offer kind words to soothe the weeping woman—his own mother. Yet that inner conflict overwhelmed him so much he couldn't find the right response, opting instead for silence.

"Your father may not grasp the truth, but I've witnessed matters linked to the shifts in our behavior."

Upon hearing that, Alen dried his tears and approached his wife and son.

"Why hold back this information until now?" Alen questioned. He thought that had his wife spoken up sooner, before everything unfolded, they might have altered or spared a whole chapter in their son's life. Their precious boy wouldn't have endured such suffering if only she'd shared it.

"Back then, Ren's actions struck me as slightly strange, but with our focus on Sky Dragon festival preparations, I brushed it off." Held every two years throughout the Celestial Dragon Empire, the Sky Dragon festival carried immense historical weight and commanded great respect. Event preparations kicked off nearly six months in advance.

Alen sighed at her words. Regret and tears couldn't undo the past. Yet brushing it aside entirely wasn't the answer either.

"What exactly did you witness?" Alen demanded gravely.

"I spotted Ren slipping out of our bedroom. His face bore a clear expression of guilt when I caught him. Overwhelmed with duties then, I let it slide without deeper thought. Strangely, post-Sky Dragon festival, that incident never crossed my mind again."

"We recall how, after that festival, the passing years warped our personalities further, particularly our attitude toward our dear Aditya. This incident feels like the origin of whatever force altered us."

"What makes you certain Ren was behind it?" Aditya possessed plenty of proof pointing to his cousin's guilt, yet puzzled over his parents' swift agreement.

"Aditya, millennia of life sharpen the mind through vast experience. Plus, after Ren claimed the throne as Emperor, he dropped all pretense of his real nature, even around us."

"Take how his mild demeanor vanished entirely in private, as though it had never been. Arrogance, narcissism, and rudeness took over."

"The strongest proof it's Ren lies in the coronation day when I set the crown upon his brow—it outright refused him."

"Reflecting now, his tampering blinded me to that glaring warning. As I mentioned, we challenged nothing, merely agreeing to his every word."

"Why did no one else object?" The Empire's every Duke attended the ceremony.

"The Ceremony—especially the crowning moment—occurred before the Ancestral Shrine. Only I, your mom, and his most devoted followers were there."

"Oddly, he mounted the Throne publicly with an identical fake version."

"I'd not be shocked if he'd swapped the Throne entirely prior to the Ceremony." Alen and Elena agreed with Aditya's assessment.

"My baby, tell us more about your journey." Elena and Alen yearned for details on the transformations over five and a half years.

"Let me introduce them first." Rin and Athena materialized before Alen and Elena.

Alen and Elena knew them instantly upon arrival. They'd last seen Athena at Aditya's birth. Rin had come to the Celestial Dragon Empire’s capital during the Sky Dragon Festival, where they'd crossed paths.

"Athena, never thought you'd cross paths with Aditya." Word had it she'd retreated to a pocket Dimension for concealment and power recovery—and only they knew her location.

Most astonishing was how Aditya, banished to the six continents, linked up with Athena, tucked away in a pocket dimension on the main continent.

Athena shared a brief embrace with Elena. "Aunty, it's quite the tale. The same foes who killed my parents hunted me. Heading to the Six Continents for my other half, we met at the Tunnel World—he was en route to the Main Continent with Aditya seeking me."

"My curiosity grows even stronger now." Elena gazed at her son.

"Rin, you've blossomed into even greater beauty over the years." Elena drew Rin into an embrace. Rin returned it with a soft smile. Elena's warmth remained unchanged after all this time.

"Alfred, forgive me." Alen embraced his loyal friend and confidant, whom he'd once doubted.

"Your Majesty, no need for apologies. I hold no grudge. Seeing you both here fills me with joy." Though much unsaid lingered between the men, the moment wasn't right.

Their focus shifted back to Aditya.

"Aditya, how have you survived these years? Was it tough, my son?"

"It surely was grueling. Still, your father and I crave every detail of your life since our unjust exile of you."

Showing beat telling, Aditya decided. He glanced at Rin and nodded.

Rin nodded back, grasping his intent. She flicked her fingers.

Snap!!!

In the instant that followed, their surroundings transformed entirely. The tiny floating island vanished; now they hovered mid-air over a colossal City, positioned roughly 100 meters above it.

This City sprawled enormously. Endless crowds bustled along its streets.

"From its vast scale, I'd guess 5 to 7 million residents dwell here." Aditya's father eyed the enormous Azure City while addressing his wife.

"Your guess falls short by a few million." Azure City's populace exceeded 10 million—a true count, not hype. Daily influxes once hit tens of thousands. Without rapid building efforts, Aditya couldn't have housed them all.

The ex-Emperor's gaze locked on the City. Its planning and order struck him deeply.

A single overhead view revealed street and home arrangements clearly. No sense of overcrowding plagued it. Vast yet stunning, the City evoked an ideal home.

Countless features enriched it: verdant spots and waterways enhancing its allure.

"Parks like these let folks relax or recreate. Those waterways are ponds of all sizes, mostly for fish farming and sales. They lend extra charm and vibrancy too." As architect and visionary, Aditya detailed it all proudly for his parents, a subtle grin lighting his features.

"Impressive! Utterly Impressive. The Celestial Dragon Empire's Capital pales in comparison for planning and order."

"Upholding such excellence with this population must prove challenging." Aditya nodded quietly. The effort paid off richly.

"Behold the Istarin Empire's Capital."

"Aditya rules as Emperor of the Istarin Empire." Rin summarized the Empire's history and Aditya's astonishing overhaul in just two and a half years.

Shock and awe gripped them both. Pride swelled fiercely for their son. Stripped of all, he hadn't stagnated—instead, like a dragon in flight, he'd forged his own Empire.

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A huge thanks to everyone for the golden tickets and gifts! Let's keep the momentum going!!!