Descending Into A Novel-Chapter 73:Rayleigh Von Mez (3)

"T-this!"

Rayleigh stared at his teacher, unsure of why he seemed so surprised.

He had just done what the teacher asked him to do right? What was so impressive about that?

"Prince Rayleigh, your talent with mana is unprecedented! You have the talent to become the best mage this world has ever seen!"

He tilted his head slightly, the talent for a mage? Wasn’t he supposed to be a warrior like his father, the emperor?

The emperor never treated mages well, many of them were killed or ran away in that war before he was born.

"But I want to be a warrior! Holding a sword like the emperor!"

Why would we want to be a mage?

They only just stood at the backlines, they didn’t experience the same action that a warrior did! He wanted to be like the emperor, leading entire armies into battlefields and conquering territory. The clash of steel on steel, the shouts and roars of men fighting, the sparks and ash that flew.

The emperor was a legendary figure who had united humanity under a single banner, conquering seven kingdoms in a row using only his sword and the army that followed him. Rayleigh wanted to be like his father.

Yet he was being told that he had the talent for a mage instead?

"Prince Rayleigh, becoming a warrior with such talent is a waste! You must convince your father, the emperor to let you pursue magic!"

***

Thak thak thak

Their two wooden swords clashed continuously. One was perfectly textbook—following each movement of the Von Mez Sword Style down to every single minute detail.

The other seemed more primal. Every thrust and every slash originating from raw instinct rather then trained skill. Only occasionally would he remember his training and follow through with a technique from the Von Mez Sword Style.

Each attack by one was perfectly parried or deflected away by the other. Despite the intense speeds, neither lost track of the other. The two seemingly on the same wavelength as they exchanged strikes.

The larger of the two suddenly stepped forward, his right arm raised slightly behind him as he executed several precise strikes aimed at the other.

Seeing the attack, the smaller one calmly adjusted his stance. Tightening his grip on his sword as he instinctively moved to protect himself.

As he parried the strikes however, his eyes suddenly widened as a blue aura formed around the sword.

Within mere seconds, the sword had been destroyed. Split into half mid-thrust. Unable to handle the power that flowed through it temporarily.

The two of them paused, looking at the destroyed sword and the lingering aura around it that quickly dissipated away.

Before quickly celebrating.

"You can control mana now!"

William smiled, staring at the remaining hilt he was still holding. Despite being older by three years. His mana skills were severely lacking compared to his brother.

To think that he could only now manipulate his own mana, whereas Rayleigh had managed to do so and more months ago already.

He remembered when he had come to him to celebrate the achievement. The joy that they had felt together, William couldn’t have been any more proud of his younger brother.

But it had also been a drawback. Now, their instructors only went harder on prince William during their training. If prince Rayleigh can manipulate mana already why can’t you do the same? They seemed to be asking.

It had even started rumors on whether prince William may have been an illegitimate son. As the carrier of his majesty the emperor’s bloodline, he was impossibly untalented. Numerous calls were made to replace his position as the crown prince with prince Rayleigh instead. Citing his lack of skills necessary for such a position.

That was fine with him. He never wanted to be a crown prince, or an emperor. He’d much rather find a nice young lady and settle down somewhere quietly. Raise a few kids and maybe have a small garden. Tending to a few chickens here and there, fishing in the mornings and drinking beer in the taverns. To him, that was happiness.

But he couldn’t. Because he knew if he ran away, his younger brother would truly become the crown prince and he couldn’t subject him to something like that.

The stress, the constant gazes he received from nobles and his teachers. He couldn’t remember the last time he had talked to the emperor. Only communicating with him through servants. His teachers went harder on him not just due to his lack of talent but because of his duty as crown prince.

He would rather die then force Rayleigh to undergo such a thing. Not when he was still so young.

He ruffled his younger brother’s head, causing him to pout slightly as his hair was ruined.

"It’s all thanks to you, why don’t we go and ask for ice cream as a reward? We can share it with mom as well."

His face brightened, "Sure! I’ll go ask now!"

With that, he quickly ran off. Leaving William to clean up after the two of them.

He sighed, picking up the wooden training sword used by Rayleigh. With a thought, a bright blue aura manifested around the sword. Making the sword look as if it was lit aflame. His face straining as he tried to maintain the flow of mana.

William stared at the blue light, with another thought. The sword soon exploded into splinters as it failed to withstand the mana flowing through it. Causing him to release another sigh. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Quietly picking up the larger shards of wood on the ground, he deposited them onto a pile. Hoping that the next servant that came here would clean it up for him.

Leaving the courtyard, he followed the dirty footprints on the ground. Walking for several minutes until he reached the royal kitchen, causing him to have an exasperated look on his face.

Really, how far did you run just for ice cream?

William shook his head slightly, he already knew about his brother’s love for sweets but this was truly something else.

He reached for the slightly ajar door, pausing before he could open it.

"-ldn’t you have been the crown prince? You deserve the position more then your older brother!"

William frowned, he knew his younger brother had a good relationship with most of the palace servants. Being young, cute and naturally the friendly type—he got along well with anyone that could talk.

Making sure his presence was hidden, he quietly listened to the ongoing conversation between Rayleigh and the servants.

"Brother is super hard working! He deserves to be the crown prince more! He’s also super smart! Just now he even beat me in sword fighting!"

"Did you two use mana?"

"No, why does that matter?"

"Your brother is older and bigger then you, without mana. He naturally has the advantage. Prince Rayleigh, you shouldn’t try to cover up for your brother so much. He is unbefitting of the throne. I would rather serve you as my emperor."

William laughed silently in his head, the chances that these regular servants would live to serve Rayleigh or him on the throne were abysmally low. Their father was a warrior who had undergone thirteen temperings, with rumors of him currently undergoing his fourteenth. Which was why no one had seen him for the last few months.

Such a figure would be able to live for hundreds of years, he was already over three hundred and he could very well hold on for another three hundred. Unless he died or was heavily injured—which was highly unlikely. Neither William nor Rayleigh would be on the throne until they were themselves centuries old.

These servants wouldn’t even live until the end of his father’s reign, let alone William’s or Rayleigh’s.

He quietly backed off from the door, before coughing lightly and walking loudly towards the kitchens. Making sure they heard him approaching.

Opening the door, he could see the frantic expressions of a few servants. As well as his younger brother innocently nibbling on some sort of snack handed to him.

"Greetings, your highness!"

They bowed before him, their attitude a stark contrast to how they treated his younger brother Rayleigh.

William could see a few snide looks at him, mentally slandering him he supposed. But he didn’t care about such looks—not anymore. Otherwise, how could he have remained in his current position all this time?

"We are deeply sorry your highnesses. But creating ice cream is difficult, our stocks of ice are running low and using them to preserve foods is more important."

"Are you saying that you can’t or you won’t?"

"we...can make it. But doing so will-

"Then make it, are you disobeying my orders as the crown prince?"

Their faces paled significantly, if William wanted to. He could have them all executed and no one would care, they were only commoners after all. Even if William held little to no authority, no one would argue with him for the sake of a few worthless lives.

"W-we would never! I will make it myself right this very moment!"

In the end, the two brothers got their ice cream. Making sure to save some to share it with their mom.