1 The Beginning

The bells tolled in a delightful manner, ringing throughout the great Kingdom of Aidraniel to alert the world of the birth of its first prince. On this day, the people of the kingdom rejoiced. Unbeknownst to them, this was simply the beginning of the fall of a hundred years' worth of rule. There was no stopping such a person who was so weak to the whisper of corruption.

"Have you heard? His Majesty is holding a grand ball to celebrate the birth of His Royal Highness!" Excited chattering from the commoners could be heard echoing through the streets as they feverishly discussed the matters of the Prince of Vinterhelm. This grand ball was unlike no other, as it invited all citizens of Aidraniel. Which of course, included commoners. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be graced by the sight of the Royal Palace.

The young men and ladies alike rushed to prepare their best outfits, hoping to catch some noble's eye. This could be their winning lottery ticket. As the kingdom bustled about in anticipation, the Royal Palace was livelier than usual as well. The servants ran to and fro as they prepared for the several hundred thousand guests that will make an appearance in a couple of days' time. Stressing enough to age several decades, every servant was working their hardest. The veteran chefs and newly hired hands hurriedly scribbled down the best recipes to serve the guests, the maids worked day and night to make the Palace sparkle, and the hired merchants did their best to collect the finest dinnerware.

The ball area was confined to the rooms of the Palace, further out was more of a commoner's party than anything. Contrary to the people's expectations, the nobles and commoners were unlikely to mingle as commoners are not even allowed to set foot in the Palace. The only chance of interaction was if a noble decided to step outside. That, however, was as likely as the No Man's Tundra melting. In the end, the grand ball that the commoners were looking forward to was nothing more than a large party.

This was a clever trick from Her Majesty. It was the best way to get the whole kingdom excited while keeping the peasants away. Her Majesty's disdain for her people was large, but she never failed to keep on a gentle front. As she toiled in her plans, His Majesty remained blissfully oblivious.

When it seemed as if the kingdom was about to burst from excitement, the Royal Palace finally opened its gates. Hordes of commoners poured through the gates… only to find the entire Royal Guard was deployed. They were prohibited from entering the Palace and were instead ushered around to settle in the acres of forestland next to the Royal Palace.

The event filled many with disappointment. The nobles went on as usual as they interacted with each other, leaving the commoners with heavy hearts. Knowing that Queen Consort was behind this, they never forgot that day.

Even in the later years, hushed voices never ceased to gossip about Her Majesty's corruption.

Five years passed in a blink of an eye and the young Prince of Vinterhelm was admitted to a private institution for high nobles. Once more, the Prince caused ripples in the kingdom's composure. This time, it was to prepare for his first appearance to the public. The firstborn son of His and Her Majesties, Prince Ainz Alnswick of Vinterhelm, was rumored to be the genius of the century along with having looks able to overturn ships.

~Third Month of Aidraniel's 92nd Year~

Prince Ainz ran to the courtyard to meet his afternoon swords instructor. The slightly loud pitter-patter of his tiny feet echoed through the large hallway, alerting the servants of his presence. They immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look at the sprinting royal. Not one of them could muster up the courage to remind him to not run in the halls. His beauty was known to be so enchanting that one would often get strange thoughts.

Prince Ainz reached the courtyard not before long, not slowing down when he spotted his instructor. He came to an abrupt stop and bent over to catch his breath. As he huffed, the crystal-like droplets of sweat slid down his fair face and ran along his jaw. The golden sunset dyed his entire being with an ethereal glow, making his raven hair appear hazel. When Prince Ainz was finally able to stabilize his breaths, he looked up at his instructor.

The middle-aged man inhaled sharply, it was as if he had been under a spell. The young Prince's amethyst eyes shone with such innocence that the man couldn't help but wish to take him home. Even this swords instructor began to form dark thoughts. Ainz looked at the swords instructor with such glee and respect in his expression that the man began to desire his eyes.

The instructor glanced away. "Ahem, Your Royal Highness. I brought a gift to celebrate your enrollment in Swanton Castle's school for nobles." He reached behind him to present a long object wrapped in black velvet.

The young prince lit up when he saw his mysterious gift. The black velvet unfurled slightly when it transferred hands, revealing a portion of a scabbard. Ainz unraveled the rest of the velvet, only then discovering that it was a mantle. It was on the simpler side with silver threads lining its edges. Two silver chains held the two sides of the mantle together. Ainz immediately donned it. Finding it to be a bit large, he pouted. The instructor took the chance to fix the mantle's collar and fasten the chains. "I thought that this would go well with your uniform."

Ainz nodded and diverted his attention to the weapon. A simple piece of clothing could not hold his interest for long. His instructor grinned, knowing the young prince's thoughts in their entirety. He cleared his throat and began to advertise the weapon. "Your Royal Highness, I'm sure that you'll like this sword. It's a full tang sword from the east. Made of a special Manganese steel alloy, it's the perfect weapon for a spell caster like Your Royal Highness. Its sharpness cannot be compared, it's at the peak of weapons. The easterners call it a Jian."

Ainz unsheathed the Jian, revealing its glistening blade; he inhaled sharply. "What a beautiful blade…" He was confused by its strangely small guard, but those thoughts were blown away when he saw the workmanship on the Jian's blade. Enhancing runes were engraved into the deep violet blade. The silver runes made the blade hum with magic, growing hotter in his hand. Ainz exhaled, sheathing the sword. As he did so, the black tassel on its hilt shook, making the silver bells ring as well. "Why the bells?"

"The world should take a moment to prepare itself in your presence." The instructor replied without hesitation as if it was only logical.

Ainz laughed, the seriousness he had when examining the sword evaporated. There was no trace of the young adult from before. Ainz hugged the intricate sheath and sword to his chest. "Thank you!" He smiled from ear to ear, making his instructor forget how to breathe for a beat or two.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness, only the best for you."

The rest of their time together passed quickly with Ainz learning more sword skills to go with his newly acquired sword. He hung the sword at his hip, replacing the wooden sword he had before. The long sword stuck up awkwardly due to Ainz's height. It was a slightly funny sight to see the young prince somewhat limp around with the heavy sword.

As Ainz turned away from his instructor to make his way to dinner, the man's eyes shone with a strange light.