13 Control
Ace absentmindedly ate his breakfast of soup and meat that the servants had prepared.
He asked them not to prepare something too extravagant because his stomach did not do too well.
Anything too heavy would lead to him throwing up and he did not have the time to be worried about that at the moment. His entire body felt queasy and he believes that it might be because he has to meet this 'player' character today.
But … would he feel this nervous just from meeting this person?
Is there something else? Or is he always like this?
"You look so nervous." Ajax laughed as his brother continued to play with his tasteless soup. "That worried?"
"I am not too sure what I am worried about." He admitted, a little surprised.
This was him talking, not the character or the dialogue. He knew this because he had full control of what he is saying right now.
"It is understandable." his brother nodded. "You always were the type to be forgetful once you become nervous."
"What am I nervous for? Is there something big happening today?" he asked, hoping to get something out of his brother.
"Well, yes and no. Today is a big day because you are finally going to go back to school but that is not all." His brother smiled brightly at him. "The day you are finally going to be getting your share of the army is already tomorrow."
Ace was taking a sip of the soup when Ajax told him this and he started to choke on the liquid as it went down the wrong pipe.
Coughing as Ajax watched with amusement, he reached for a glass of water, drinking from it and finally, kinda, calming down.
"Are you ok?" His brother mused.
"I am fine." He quickly wiped his mouth with the napkin at the side of the table.
"Do you remember now?"
"Yeah." He said, frowning. "A portion of the army huh? No wonder I feel so queasy."
Six children with the brooch from their father. No one has been able to beat Ace's number in the past three years. They have been quite close … but no one has been able to beat it and now, Ace is of the right age to get all his rewards.
Those with the brooches are sent out by their father as envoys to other kingdoms. Either to get them to submit or put them in their place.
For the first time, their father sends them on a mission and if they are able to take care of it properly, they will get the chance to gain an army of their own and also, get used by the king more.
Ace can't really remember what happened when he first turned sixteen and his father sent him out but … he must have been successful for him to be able to get a portion of the army.
"I wonder how much you will get." His brother grinned at him.
"Pardon?" he asked, quickly trying to zone back in while his hands still played with his spoon in the soup.
"The army you are given." His brother said, grinning. "How big do you think it will be?"
"I don't know." He admitted. "I didn't think I would be getting an army … after I completely failed the test."
"That was not your fault," Ajax said, frowning slightly. "He gave you the most difficult kingdom to take care of. There was no way to save that kingdom."
So that was what happened?? I failed the test?? Why am I even given an army though?? This doesn't make sense.
"You handled it in a way that was admirable, even for father." Ajax pulled him out of his thoughts, smiling brightly.
"How?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. Though Ace is not having complete control over this body at the moment, he agrees with everything it is saying.
"You were able to wipe out the entire kingdom." He said grinning brightly at his brother choking on his own saliva.
"What??"
___________
Seated in the carriage to his school, Ace couldn't help but replay what his brother said over and over again in his mind.
"You were able to wipe out the entire kingdom!"
"Why would that be a good thing?" he asked to no one in particular.
"Is something wrong, your highness?" The driver poked his head in as Ace shook his head.
"Nothing. I am just a little bit … nervous." He said, chuckling as the driver nodded.
Driver? Is that what they are called? Driver? Carriage driver? Oh, whatever. I have other things to worry about at the moment.
"What did I do?? The king told me to do something and it seems I was unsuccessful, for the most of it. But I destroyed an entire kingdom and suddenly I am going to be getting an army??
The king hates failures, so … wouldn't this be a failure?
"Your highness, we are about to arrive at your school." He heard the driver call out.
Curious, Ace stuck his head out of the carriage and looked at the enormous building in front of him that looks too much like a palace to be a school.
Stone walls surrounded the entire building with iron railings at the very top. The entrance also has an iron railing type of thing that is used as a door.
Right at the front is a guard where you will have to show your family crest to be allowed in. They will authenticate the crest in your hands there and will decide if they should allow you or not.
Now, this should be something easy to break in, shouldn't it? Just replicate the family crest and, bam! You are in. Unfortunately, that isn't the case.
Each family crest is made of very specific, rare, materials that have been forged, again, in a very specific technique. Now, these materials are rare and only the family blacksmith knows the techniques as well as ingredient- I mean- materials needed to make this.
For noble families, it is easier as the family can share a single crest, though this is highly unlikely. A noble family sharing a single solid crest shows just how poor they are, for a noble family.
And the people here would rather go into debt rather than 'appear' poor.
But that is beside the point. These crests are expensive to make and very valuable. They are used instead of signatures for anything. Usually, high schoolers like Ace would just have a simple one made for them. Because they wouldn't need it much.
It doesn't need to be too special but, in case one has forgotten, Ace is the prince. Not the crown prince but the prince of the kingdom that was acknowledged by the King, his father.
Aside from the brooch the king gave him, and also the uniform, he was also given two crests. One that belonged to his mother's lineage mixed with the king's one as a sort of hybrid crest and another that was the royal family crest.
On the day that the king gave him the brooch, he discarded it almost immediately but he did show off the royal family crest. Many of his siblings became green with envy as they watched him strut that crest around like a medal.
That day was to celebrate him and he made sure to take full advantage of it.
________
As they neared the gate, Ace reached into his bag, trying to look for the crest. Much to his surprise, it wasn't there.
Panic filling him, he took out all the contents of his bag and tried to look for the crest but it was nowhere to be found.
Where did I keep it? Where did it go?
He tried to think back but his mind was completely blank and he started to worry even more.
Suddenly it hit him, why was he so worried about this? In the game, he is the perfect student. Always on time and all that.
Ace was nothing like that in real life. He was a lazy student with wasted potential. Or he would like to believe that.
He did try hard in school but he remained average, no matter the effort he put in so he just gave up and, much to no one's surprise, he remained average.
I am trying to change things here, right? School shouldn't scare me as much as it does.
So he decided to relax as the guard stopped their carriage and peeked in, "Crest?"
"Uh … I may have misplaced it." He heard himself say with his heart drumming to his chest.
So Ace is still trying to be a good student. Well, that is what he is programmed to be anyway. I pity him.
"You misplaced it?" The guard said, sceptical. "Do you know what the punishments are if you are found to be impersonating a student? Especially the prince?"
No reply came from Ace as his heart calmed down almost immediately.
Hmm?
He flexed his fingers and saw that he had more control over them now. He even stretched his body to feel it again.
What is happening?
