Saul bowed his head to the two princes.
“Thank you for attending my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“There’s no need to thank us. Of course we had to attend.”
Sylvester accepted the greeting with a smile.
Compared with five years ago, he had become somewhat more intellectual and composed, though there was now a distinctly colder air about him.
“Yes. You’ve become an adult before we knew it.”
Charis also received Saul’s greeting graciously.
He seemed warmer and more approachable than Sylvester, but he was certainly no one to underestimate.
Around Sylvester and Charis stood not only attendants, but also several young nobles.
They were nobles who had already chosen their sides.
By choosing early, they stood to receive correspondingly great rewards if their ‘lord’ became king. But if another prince took the throne instead, they would likewise have a price to pay.
Sylvester and Charis were already grown men and had established factions of their own to some extent.
It was hardly surprising that most people believed one of the two would become the next king.
The young nobles surrounding Sylvester and Charis regarded Saul with little more interest than they would a passing stranger.
They maintained outward courtesy, but it was obvious that they paid him little real attention.
They had attended only because this was an important royal ceremony. Saul himself barely registered in their minds.
Saul clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘So even a prince gets treated like this if he has no power.’
He certainly possessed the right of succession to the throne.
He had simply never shown any intention of exercising it.
How would the people gathered here react if he suddenly revealed that he intended to compete for the throne?
The thought alone was amusing, but it was also reckless.
For now, Saul decided to continue playing the role of the harmless young prince.
He smiled as though he knew nothing and continued exchanging greetings with the guests.
Then that person arrived.
“His Majesty the King enters!”
At the attendant’s shout, everyone’s attention turned in one direction.
The man entering under even more attention than Prince Saul, today’s central figure, was King Maren himself.
He wore the dignified ceremonial robes of a king and even carried the royal scepter, an item rarely seen outside occasions such as this.
Princess Lucia could also be seen behind Maren.
Everyone bowed to the king.
Then Saul, as the central figure of today’s ceremony, stepped forward on behalf of everyone and bowed before his father.
“Father. You have arrived.”
“Yes. Raise your head.”
“Yes.”
When Saul lifted his head, a smile appeared on Maren’s lips.
Five years ago, his father’s middle-aged face had still possessed considerable youthfulness, but he seemed to have aged noticeably over the intervening years.
Yet his dignity had only increased.
Maren took Saul by the hand and led him to the center of the banquet hall.
Everything required for the coming-of-age ceremony had already been prepared.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Maren extended the royal scepter and rested it upon Saul’s shoulder.
“As king, and as a father, I offer my gratitude to all who have gathered here to celebrate my son’s coming of age. From this day onward, my son Saul Darius is an adult, and in time he will become one of the pillars supporting this kingdom. Every one of you gathered here must fulfill the responsibilities of your station. Stand beside my son in supporting this kingdom and guiding it upon the proper path. Remain loyal until the day comes when every enemy of the Kingdom of Darsen, including the Kingdom of Gamelda, kneels before Darsen’s banner.”
That was the purpose of a prince’s coming-of-age ceremony.
It was a celebration commemorating the prince’s entry into adulthood.
At the same time, it was also an occasion intended to strengthen unity between the royal family and the nobility.
With his head bowed, Saul answered loudly,
“I will remember your words, Your Majesty.”
Following Saul, the central figure of the ceremony, everyone gathered in the banquet hall cried out in unison.
“We will remember your words, Your Majesty!”
Maren nodded in satisfaction.
Then he looked at the Magic Sword hanging from Saul’s waist.
“Have you chosen your path?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Those undergoing their coming-of-age ceremony were expected to bring an object symbolizing the future they had chosen.
For a mage, it might be a Magic Sword or a Magic Staff.
For one who chose the path of martial arts, a spear or sword.
For one who chose scholarship, a book.
After studying Saul’s Magic Sword, Maren raised his gaze and addressed Kastel, who stood behind Saul.
“I should offer my gratitude to you as well. Thanks to an excellent teacher, this child has been able to walk the path of magic properly.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. You have all heard it. Saul Darius has chosen to walk the path of a mage. May God’s blessing be upon this child’s future.”
Everyone gathered in the banquet hall answered Maren’s words.
“May God’s blessing be upon him!”
***
Saul did not particularly enjoy parties.
He attended them only because doing so was one of a prince’s duties.
Even dancing with noble young ladies at a ball felt more like an obligation than entertainment.
“Lady, would you dance with me?”
“It would be an honor, Your Highness.”
Most of the noble ladies attending the party were older than Saul.
Dancing with beautiful young noblewomen was hardly unpleasant, but neither did he find it particularly meaningful.
On Yulen Island, it was customary to marry several years after one’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Saul would eventually have to consider marriage as he grew older, but there was no need to hurry yet.
He danced with everyone he reasonably ought to.
He had even considered asking Kastel to dance if she wished, but Kastel herself declined.
Just when it seemed that the ball was gradually drawing to a close, a noble approached him.
No—a member of the royal family.
“Sister?”
It was Lucia, dressed in a formal gown.
Without a word, Lucia extended her hand, and Saul gave a faint smile as he took it.
“Shall we dance, Sister?”
Lucia’s hair, the lightest among all the siblings, gleamed almost silver.
Her features were as orderly as a marble sculpture, and even her glasses could not conceal the chill in her eyes.
The nobles supposedly called Lucia the ‘Ice Princess.’
Saul had no idea who had coined the epithet, but it suited her remarkably well.
Saul danced elegantly with his Ice Princess sister.
Both Saul and Lucia were children of the king, so dancing at this level was part of their basic education.
As the song approached its end, Lucia suddenly spoke.
“Have you decided what you’re going to do with your future?”
“Yes, Sister. As you can see, I’ve chosen the path of a mage.”
“And what will you do once you become one?”
Her movements remained graceful, but Lucia’s gaze was cold.
Saul continued dancing just as smoothly as he answered.
“I’ll have to think about it further. About what I can do for the glory of the kingdom.”
“You should.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our two elder brothers seek the throne. Jonathan wants to succeed as a general. I work in the Kingdom Intelligence Bureau and bear responsibility for this nation’s intelligence. But what about you?”
“For now, I intend to become an excellent mage.”
“And after that?”
“I’ll have to give it considerable thought.”
Lucia’s reply sounded almost like a warning.
“Remember this. If you were born a member of the royal family, you must live for the glory of the kingdom above all else. Whatever you may personally desire can never take precedence over that.”
Saul found himself growing wary of his sister all over again.
He had heard that after joining the ‘Gray Shadow’ division of the Kingdom Intelligence Bureau, Lucia had astonished her superiors with her exceptional ability.
Apparently, those rumors had not been exaggerated.
For now, Saul had only one answer he could give.
“I’ll remember that.”
“Then that’s enough.”
With that, their dance ended.
By now, the night had grown late, and Maren was the first to rise.
“We shall retire now. The rest of you may continue enjoying yourselves for as long as you wish.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Maren and Lucia departed first.
The other princes soon followed one by one, taking their cue from him.
As the central figure of the evening, Saul remained longer than anyone else, but even he did not stay for very long.
There was something the royal family needed to discuss among themselves.
Not long afterward, Saul left the Sea Palace and headed toward the Golden Palace, where Maren would be waiting.
Sure enough, when he arrived, Maren and the rest of the royal family were already there.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward Saul, who had arrived last.
Maren spoke.
“Saul, you know why we were waiting for you, do you not?”
“Yes, Father.”
“Have you decided what you intend to do with your future?”
“Yes.”
This was why Saul had endured the long coming-of-age ceremony from morning until late at night.
So that he could declare the future he had chosen for himself.
His brothers and sister had all gone through the same thing.
Now it was Saul’s turn.
“I already know that you wish to become a mage. But what sort of mage do you intend to become? Do you wish to enter the military? Or would you prefer to pursue magical research?”
“I would like to follow a somewhat different path.”
“And what would that be?”
“I want to gain real combat experience as soon as possible.”
Maren’s gaze changed at Saul’s words, which carried a boldness unusual for a boy who had only just undergone his coming-of-age ceremony.
“What do you mean by that? Surely you are not asking me to declare war on the Kingdom of Gamelda?”
“No.”
“Then do you mean you wish to suppress bandits or groups of monsters somewhere?”
“Yes.”
“Explain yourself in detail.”
“If you permit it, Father, I would like to gain practical combat experience in the Gallet Region.”
Everyone except Saul and Kastel looked surprised.
The Gallet Region.
It was a turbulent frontier territory of the Kingdom of Darsen, ruled by one of only two provincial lords in the entire kingdom.
And now a highborn prince who had only just completed his coming-of-age ceremony was volunteering to go to such a chaotic place.
“You wish to go to the Gallet Region?”
“Yes, Father. Please permit me.”
The Gallet Region was a chaotic land.
But to Saul, that also made it a land filled with opportunities.
A place where he could become stronger and build power of his own.
At Saul’s words, Maren suddenly turned to the other princes and princess.
“I wish to speak with Saul alone.”
Understanding their father’s intention, all the princes and the princess left the room.
Only Maren and Saul remained.
Maren spoke.
“Do you desire the crown as well?”
“Pardon?”
“I asked whether you are behaving this way because you covet the throne.”
The throne of the Kingdom of Darsen.
A position from which one ruled half of Yulen Island.
And if the Kingdom of Gamelda could be destroyed, a position from which one could rule the vast entirety of Yulen Island.
Having been born a prince, Saul would be lying if he claimed the throne did not tempt him at all.
But he had never seriously considered pursuing it yet.
He did not want to gamble his entire life on a dream that might never be realized.
He did not know what the future might bring, but for now, he wanted to focus on taking revenge against those who had destroyed his previous life.
That goal alone would be difficult enough.
Even for the sake of achieving that dream, he did not want to waste time fighting for power within the kingdom.
There were more important matters than worrying about the succession right now.
His most dangerous enemies were outside the kingdom, not within it.
After organizing his thoughts, Saul answered sincerely.
“I have no such intention.”
“No intention. Then you mean your mind may change someday.”
“What I can say with certainty is that I have no intention of pursuing the throne at present. I want to hone myself further in the Gallet Region. If I succeed there, then afterward... perhaps I may challenge myself to reach somewhere higher.”
Maren answered Saul’s audacious words with a broad smile.
“Is that truly what you think?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Then become as strong as you please. So long as you do no harm to the kingdom, the more powerful members of the royal family we possess, the better. If you prove yourself more capable than your brothers and sister and earn the support of more people, there would be no reason I could not pass the crown to you.”
Saul bowed his head.
“Thank you, Father.”