Saul headed to the classroom with his Magic Sword in hand, accompanied by Kastel.
“Today, we will review the technique of attacking an enemy by controlling all Four Great Element spells simultaneously.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
After announcing the subject of today’s lesson in the classroom they had been using for the past five years, Kastel gestured toward him.
It was a signal that he was free to attack her as much as he pleased.
Saul raised his Magic Sword.
Instead of drawing the blade, he held it upside down and pointed the hilt, with its embedded blue crystal, at Kastel.
The Magic Sword responded to the mana within Saul’s body.
The blue crystal began to glow as a faint vibration, perceptible only to the person holding the sword, ran through it.
It had begun performing its function of assisting with spellcasting.
Saul cast four spells simultaneously.
Fire, water, wind, and earth.
His mana split into four streams, each taking on one of the Four Great Elements and forming a distinct shape.
The mana that became flame turned into the basic fire spell, ‘Fire Arrow.’
The mana that became water turned into the basic water spell, ‘Water Spear.’
The mana that became wind turned into the basic wind spell, ‘Air Blade.’
And the mana that became earth turned into the basic earth spell, ‘Rock Blast.’
They were basic spells that used the elemental forces themselves to burn, pierce, slash, or strike an opponent.
Casting the basic spell of each element was easy even for a novice mage.
However, casting two spells simultaneously was exponentially more difficult than casting one.
Casting four basic spells at the same time was exponentially more difficult still.
Yet Saul succeeded.
“Hah!”
With a shout, Saul swung his Magic Sword.
At the same moment, all four spells shot toward Kastel at once.
Each spell flew with impeccable speed and accuracy.
The problem was their power.
“…….”
Kastel did not even raise a barrier to defend herself against Saul’s magical assault.
At first glance, it looked as though she was simply taking the spells with her bare body.
For an ordinary person, doing the same would have been suicide.
Kastel, however, was different.
“Not bad.”
Kastel spoke after taking all four spells head-on.
Not only was she completely unharmed, but even the hem of her cloak remained undisturbed.
Of course, she had not truly taken the attack with her bare body.
Saul had seen how Kastel blocked his magic.
Rather than casting a spell, she had released the raw force of pure mana to protect herself.
It was something only a monstrous mage of Kastel’s caliber could accomplish.
‘With Kastel’s abilities, she could return to the battlefield right now and wreak havoc. If not for that ‘weakness’ of hers.’
As Saul muttered inwardly, he suddenly realized how accustomed he had become to calling Kastel ‘Teacher’ and gave a wry smile.
Someday, he intended to cut off that teacher’s head.
“Your Highness, what are you thinking about?”
Kastel’s question brought Saul back to his senses.
“My coming-of-age ceremony is tomorrow.”
“That is right. Since tomorrow is Your Highness’s coming-of-age ceremony, we will end today’s lesson here.”
“Thank you. You’ll attend my ceremony too, won’t you, Teacher?”
“If that is Your Highness’s command.”
If Kastel attended Saul’s coming-of-age ceremony, it would once again demonstrate publicly that she was both Saul’s teacher and one of his ‘closest retainers.’
“It isn’t an order. But if possible, I’d like you to attend.”
At the ‘request’ of her disciple and prince, Kastel nodded.
“I will attend.”
“Thank you.”
Kastel did not enjoy lavish parties, but apparently attending her disciple’s coming-of-age ceremony was not entirely objectionable.
Reassured, Saul continued preparing for the ceremony.
He tried on the clothes he would wear in advance and mentally rehearsed how he should conduct himself.
He also decided what he would say to Father after the ceremony.
While he was doing so, a familiar voice reached him.
Gray had grown slightly older over the past five years, but his voice and manner remained as upright as ever.
“Your Highness, the Fourth Prince has come to see you.”
“Show him in.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Jonathan Darius, the Fourth Prince and the brother immediately above Saul, appeared.
He cut an imposing figure in ornate leather armor that only members of the royal family were permitted to wear, with a large sword strapped across his back.
Jonathan had undergone his own coming-of-age ceremony a little over a year before Saul and had chosen the life of a soldier.
Saul had heard that Jonathan had joined one of the kingdom’s knightly orders and was now commanding a unit of his own.
Being entrusted with a unit at such a young age undoubtedly owed something to his noble blood, but Jonathan’s own ability must also have supported the decision.
Father was not the sort of man who would entrust an entire unit to an incompetent prince.
Indeed, Saul could sense mana emanating from Jonathan.
He was walking the path of a ‘Magic Warrior,’ one capable of manipulating mana.
“It has been a while, Brother.”
“Yes, it has. Are the preparations for your coming-of-age ceremony going well?”
“Yes. Teacher said she’ll attend too.”
At Saul’s words, Jonathan glanced sideways at Kastel.
Kastel greeted Jonathan once, then stood there with her usual vacant expression.
Such behavior would have earned an attendant—or even most nobles—a reprimand for disrespect, but Jonathan did not bother pointing out Kastel’s poor manners.
He knew perfectly well that doing so would accomplish nothing.
“How have you been lately, Brother?”
“Busy, as always. I’d like to get onto a battlefield as soon as possible, but... those bastards from Gamelda refuse to make a move. I’m thinking I might go hunt down some rebels or notorious bandits instead.”
“I see.”
“What about you? What do you intend to do? Someone in your position now has quite a few paths available.”
There were many paths Saul could choose after becoming an adult.
If he could gather enough political influence, he could even challenge for the throne.
But Saul had not yet set his sights on becoming king.
“I have something in mind.”
“Really? You aren’t thinking of joining Eldest Brother’s faction or Second Brother’s faction, are you?”
“I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Politics is troublesome too.”
“Hah, you’re right about that. Politics is a headache. Just watching Eldest Brother and Second Brother already eyeing and monitoring each other is enough to make my head hurt.”
“Haha. I agree. That’s why Sister is remaining neutral between the two of them, isn’t it?”
At the mention of their ‘sister,’ Jonathan visibly recoiled.
“Do not even bring her up.”
“Ah, sorry.”
From Jonathan’s perspective, neither the First Prince Sylvester nor the Second Prince Charis was especially difficult to deal with.
Both were preoccupied with expanding their own factions and generally avoided creating unnecessary enemies so long as no one opposed them.
Thanks to that, Saul and Jonathan, who supported neither the First Prince nor the Second Prince, could meet both of their elder brothers without much trouble.
Their two elder brothers also seemed relatively unconcerned about Saul and Jonathan, who showed no signs of siding with either faction or challenging for the throne themselves.
Lucia, however, was different.
She remained an elder sister whose thoughts were impossible to fathom, which meant they could never lower their guard around her.
“In any case, I’ll be counting on you at my coming-of-age ceremony today, Brother.”
“Of course. Is there perhaps some young noble lady you want to dance with? Shall I look into someone for you?”
“I can manage that much myself.”
“Hoho. Fine, then.”
Jonathan rose from his seat.
Perhaps it was because they shared the common ground of both being princes born to concubines.
Saul found it easier to talk with Jonathan than with his brothers and sister born to queens.
Though Jonathan’s rather simpleminded nature occasionally bothered him.
“Your Highness, I will take my leave as well.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
After Kastel left, Gray appeared again.
Perhaps overcome with emotion, Gray’s eyes were glistening with tears.
“Your Highness will finally undergo your coming-of-age ceremony tomorrow.”
“Thank you for everything, Gray.”
“Please, there is no need to thank me. This Gray has only ever been loyal to Your Highness.”
“I really am grateful. I’ll continue relying on you.”
Words alone could hardly express how grateful Saul was to Gray for always caring for him.
If possible, Saul wanted to keep the man beside him for the rest of his life.
“I’d like to think by myself for a while.”
“Ah, yes, Your Highness. Then I will leave you to it.”
Once Gray had left as well, Saul was alone in the room.
After confirming that no one was nearby, Saul retrieved a diary he had hidden in a corner of the room.
A diary was a private thing.
And the diary of a prince who remembered a previous life was more secret still.
Unless Saul became involved in an act of treason, no one would dare open a prince’s diary without permission.
Even so, in preparation for the slightest possibility, Saul wrote his diary in something resembling a cipher.
No one but him could possibly understand it.
In truth, the diary was a collection of notes for his revenge.
The current state of affairs in the Kingdom of Gamelda.
The people who had allowed Roland’s house to collapse and his family to die despite the loyalty for which Roland himself had given his life.
The targets against whom Saul needed to take revenge.
It contained all manner of information necessary for the vengeance he intended to carry out.
The First Stage
“I’ll never forgive these bastards. Never.”
His desire for revenge had determined the direction of Saul’s life.
Someday, he wanted to cut off Kastel’s head, cut off the heads of his enemies living in the Kingdom of Gamelda, and take revenge upon the entire Kingdom of Gamelda itself.
Tomorrow’s coming-of-age ceremony would be the first stage toward accomplishing that goal.
***
The day of Saul’s coming-of-age ceremony dawned.
Today, Saul was the central figure of the kingdom.
Dressed in splendid formal attire befitting that role and wearing his Magic Sword at his side, Saul headed for the ‘Sea Palace.’
The Sea Palace.
It was the largest and most magnificent palace after the Golden Palace, where the king resided.
True to its name, the Sea Palace was decorated with blue gemstones and stonework, and it served as the venue for many of the royal family’s important ceremonies.
As a prince born to a concubine, this might be the first and last time Saul would ever be the central figure at a celebration held in the Sea Palace.
That alone demonstrated how important a prince’s coming-of-age ceremony was.
“His Highness the Prince is entering!”
At the attendant’s announcement, Saul entered the Sea Palace accompanied by several attendants and Kastel.
The gazes of the many people gathered in the Sea Palace’s banquet hall immediately focused on Prince Saul.
Every one of them was either a famous noble, an influential figure of the kingdom, or an attendant accompanying such a person.
Among them were several powerful figures who normally would not have paid much attention to a mere prince born to a concubine.
But today, they all greeted him with appropriately courteous expressions.
To show disrespect toward Saul today would be little different from showing disrespect toward the entire royal family.
“Your Highness. Congratulations on your coming of age.”
“Thank you, Sir Angelo.”
Saul politely returned the greeting of ‘Sir Angelo,’ who had approached him first.
Duke Angelo Martes, the kingdom’s Chancellor, was said to wield more actual power than anyone but the king himself.
At first glance, he appeared to be nothing more than a kindly old gentleman of small stature with graying hair.
Maren, however, had once told his children this:
‘If I happen to die sooner than expected and one of you becomes king earlier than planned... remove Sir Angelo before anyone else. As you are now, none of you could handle that old serpent.’
Remembering Father’s words, Saul maintained impeccable courtesy until the end.
The duke was not someone he wanted as an enemy.
Saul went on to exchange greetings with numerous other nobles.
For now, regardless of their factions or political affiliations, he had no desire to create enemies, so he treated everyone as equally and politely as possible.
The nobles’ attitudes toward Saul were not unfavorable either.
Once he had finished most of his greetings, Saul headed toward the area where the members of the royal family had gathered.
Two princes standing in a conspicuous location caught his eye.
Two young men dressed almost as splendidly as Saul, despite Saul being the central figure of today’s celebration.
The First Prince, Sylvester, with his dark brown hair and strikingly sharp gaze.
The Second Prince, Charis, whose blond hair was lighter than Sylvester’s and whose deep-set eyes stood out.
They were currently the two strongest candidates to inherit the throne of the kingdom.