1. The Prince and the Wizard
The world of swords and magic, Alphala, on the continent of Isas, of which 20% of it was accounted for by the Kingdom of Llahendia.
Not only was the land bountiful, but water resources and mines were also abundant. As a result, there was no shortage of materials for weapon, let alone jewelry. The king and his were fair and excellent rulers, while their 8-years-old prince, Lydian was a renowned angelic beauty.
“Oh, my, it’s HIs Highness Lydian!”
“He’s as handsome as always! When he grows up, he’ll be a real heartthrob!”
The maids could be heard swooning their hearts out.
The new hires were enamored by the 8-years-old prince, Lydian, who was passing through the corridor.
His gentle face, coupled with his sophisticated gestures which resembled the queen, made for a truly orthodox prince.
As if that wasn’t enough, the principal of the Royal Academy, who was notorious for being hard to please, praised the prince’s intelligence to high heavens.
“—I can’t wait for such a child prodigy to grow up. Surely, in his reign, Llahendia will develop even further.”
He was also the talk of the academy. A student with whom he danced was overjoyed to the extent that she strained her back the next day.
“Once His HIghness Lydian succeed the throne, he’ll unify the continent—even those across the sea—turning Llahendia into an empire!”
Even those of lower ranks would grin from ear to ear, their fantasy running wild.
In fact, even the principal’s wife had something to say about him.
“…Somehow, it’s as if my friend has regained her vigor, as she suddenly became talkative—!”
—Thus, Lydian was touted as the flawless and impeccable prince.
However, that wasn’t the case in the royal court.
Surely, once the rookie maid from earlier became a veteran, merely hearing the syllable ‘Li’ from the name ‘Lydian’ would make her scrunch.
…After all, he was a man with the face of an angel, but the mind of a devil.
Although the visage of Lydian walking through the corridor was pure and angelic, the same couldn’t be said about the man who stood in front of his chamber. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, while his brown skin exuded exoticism. Anyone who recognized him might collapse while screaming, “—I-isn’t that a man of Gujri!? A warrior tribe famous for their savagery!?”
As he spoke with such a man, Lydian’s smile could be seen.
“Did it go well?”
“Yes. As per your instruction, I brought them in unharmed, but Your Highness might find their disobedience frustrating.”
“I don’t mind. Rather, I’m pleased that they’re alive.”
Lydian’s joyful smile had that childlike adorability to it.
When Lydian stepped into his chamber, the two men lying on the floor in their restraints stared at him.
The man in the robe was the first to make a fuss.
“—Bastard! Who do you think I am!? I’m Buffeg the wizard! Far from being ordinary, there are only a few like me on the entire continent! To tie me up and kidnap me, do you not know the meaning of death!?”
Sunken eyes, unkempt hair. A creepy man of unknown age shouted in a croaky voice. The stains on his brown robe only made him looked even more ominous.
The hairy man was the next to bark.
“Damn you! I’m Gaaka, the king of the Kingdom of Lobdov! What is the meaning of this!? Release me right away, or your head will fly!”
Apparently, the man was also foul-mouthed.
His trimmed hair looked like a black porcupine. He had stubbles, while the tanned skin of his chest and arms were covered in bushy black hair. The highlight was his corrupt gaze. With that kind of appearance, how could he be a king?
The luxurious chamber of the prince hid such a surreal sight.
A handsome boy, a foreigner, a creepy old man, and a nasty old man. For the sake of their mental wellbeing, no servants were assigned to that room.
With a smile, Lydian nonchalantly spoke to the nasty old man, Gaaka.
“I don’t dislike your boisterousness, but be mindful with your tone. Unlike you, a self-proclaimed king and a thief, I’m a true descendant of the royal family. The former kingdom of Lindell was small but useful, and my business was going up, too. Right until you took over it, that is…”
Despite pouting like a child, his words were both arrogant and irreverent.
Gaaka seemed about to pop a vein.
Although he did raid the Lindell Kingdom and usurped the throne, being called a ‘thief’ was something that he couldn’t stand the most. Nobody enjoyed being confronted about their wrongdoings, especially to their faces.
“To hell with you! Enough blabbering! A business, you said!? As if a brat like you will understand the true value of Lindell! The same goes for other countries! It hasn’t been made public yet, but Lindell’s weapons are extremely valuable to those behind the scenes! It’s the best weapon shop on the continent!”
Lydian snorted at Gaaka’s words.
“Did you know that Lindell was originally a metal carving country? When I learned about their advanced technology, I ordered the craftsmen to craft weapon. Meanwhile, you are a thief who stole their hard work. Who are you to speak of Lindell’s value?”
When Lydian scoffed, Gaaka’s face turned bright red.
“Shut up! You’re just a kid! If not for this damn rope, I’ll rip that smile off your face!”
Gaaka thrashed around like a fish out of the water.
“Untie him.”
Prompted by Lydian, a single swing of the foreigner’s sword severed the restraint. In the next second, Gaaka lunged at Lydian.
Gaaka grinned.
Lydian chuckled.
The foreigner didn’t move an inch.
Before Gaaka’s fist could connect to Lydian’s face, he was decimated into ash, evaporating in the air.
The sight only came off as a surprise to a single person, Buffeg the wizard.
The foreigner remained calm, while Lydian had a refreshing look on his face.
“S-sorcery…?”
The wizard couldn’t help but speak.
After all, there was no other way to explain what he’d just witnessed.
Although royalty and aristocrats were born with magic power, in order to use it, they’d have to undergo precarious training with a mortality rate of 50%. Unless someone was really desperate—or in Buffeg’s case, really eccentric—he didn’t think anyone would attempt it.
Hence why wizards were hard to come by.
Excluding the low-ranking ones, there were only one or two high-ranking wizards on the continent.
Becoming a high-ranking wizard was almost akin to a thing of legend.
In spite of that, even Buffeg, an adept wizard, couldn’t do the trick Lydian just did. At best, he’d just conjure a fireball to scorch the opponent.
In other words, this little boy was a better wizard than Buffeg. In other words, a legend
Lydian smiled softly at Buffeg, whose jaw hung wide open. After such devastation, his angelic smile became nothing short of demonic.
“I apologize for the rude invitation, Wizard Buffeg. I was busy, so I resorted to pest control.”
Despite his smile, Buffeg knew Lydian didn’t feel the slightest remorse towards him, which only terrified him even more.
“I invited you here to appoint you as my teacher. I learned a little about magic on my own, but wouldn’t it be better to learn from a teacher? I know wizards are few and far between these days, so I wanted to arrange for one before I went abroad. Oh, of course I’ll compensate you for the trouble.”
His public opinion and true feelings were clashing against each other. But was there a need for public opinion in the first place? At this point, he was just speaking out of self-preservation.
After all, the man who was tied up alongside Buffeg until a moment ago died instantly. If he were to refuse, the same fate would surely await him!
Upon sensing this, Buffeg struggled to rub his head to the floor.
“I won’t ask for any compensation! If you’re okay with me, I’ll do my utmost to serve you and work hard!”
When Buffeg spoke in panic, Lydian smiled.
“Is that so? Then, please take care of me. Dargal, I leave him to you.”
After saying that, Lydian vanished in the blink of an eye.
…Even Buffeg, an adept wizard, couldn’t teleport. After all, in addition to an insane amount of magic, the spell also required superb level of talent.
“What am I even supposed to teach him…?”
Buffeg tearfully whined, which the foreigner turned a deaf ear on.
Translator’s Note:
Good luck teaching the young Thanos, Buffeg!
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Bruh, how do you even teach the literal mini legend extraordinary genius that is like once every 10 billion years?