38 | Royal Palace(2)|

"What did you say your name was?" Curtis asked.

"Merlin"

"You know, I was very surprised when father told me that you're younger than me and is already a capable mage."

"It's an honor to be get compliments from you, your highness" Merlin replied, his face straight.

"What's your mana core color and stage?" Curtis curiously asked, seeing Merlin beating four guards who are all around an light red to orange stage mage, Curtis assumed him to be a level higher.

"...Solid Orange, your highness" Merlin didn't tell the truth.

"The same as Sebastian?! How did you beat the four guards at the auction house then?" Curtis asked, surprised.

"Using strategy and technique. Also, having an affinity for water and its deviant, ice, played a huge role in it. As you know your highness, Ice can be used as both offensive and defensive. It's tricky to deal with." Merlin answered with a straight face.

Only if the prince know how Merlin beat the four guards...Merlin isn't the type to use strategy nor technique against weak foes as spamming spells is far more efficient.

The prince's eyes lit up. "Strategy and Technique...You must have high mastery on manipulating mana then. I would be delighted to see what you're capable of in our sparring session."

"Look forward to it, your highness" Merlin said.

"Also, stop addressing me so formally. You're younger than me and is going to be my sparring partner. Just call me Curtis" The prince gave Merlin the permission to be informal with him.

"Sure, Curtis" Merlin said without hesitation as he too found it troublesome to always address someone formally.

>Creak<

"Welcome to my personal training room."

The training room is spacious with variety of weapons, ranging from dagger to spear. The room is brightly lit by the light core around the room.

"This room is large, you use this alone?" Merlin asked, looking at Curtis.

"For now, yes. If my sister awakened then she'll be using this room as I'll mostly be at Xyrus. Anyways, shall we start?" Curtis said,

'Talk about his sister, her mana core is almost fully formed already. She will naturally awaken by herself...soon. What if I quicken her awakening pace?' Merlin thought about something before smiling to himself, he wanted some gear from the king as well.

"Sure, you'll be using sword right? Then, I will also use sword" Merlin asked as he picked up a decent short sword, while Curtis picked a dual, double-edged sword on both hands.

.

.

>CLANG!<

The clang of metal filled the air as Curtis swung his dual swords with a fierce intensity. Merlin expertly dodged and parried each blow, his short sword moving with a fluid grace. The prince was strong and quick, but Merlin was faster and more precise. He could see the prince's moves before they even happened, predicting each strike with ease.

Merlin could have easily ended the fight within seconds if he were to go all out, but this is a 'spar'.

Merlin feigned weakness, letting the prince get in a few good hits. The prince laughed and taunted Merlin, thinking he had the upper hand. But Merlin was just biding his time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

As the prince swung both swords at once, Merlin sidestepped and delivered a swift blow to his opponent's back. The prince stumbled forward, dropping one of his swords. Merlin quickly disarmed him of the other sword and held it to the prince's throat.

"You lose," Merlin said, his voice laced with amusement.

The prince grinned, clearly enjoying the fight despite his defeat. "Well fought, Merlin," he said, sheathing his remaining sword. "I'm glad to have a skilled opponent like you to spar with."

Merlin smiled back, feeling a sense of satisfaction. He knew he could have easily defeated the prince, but he was content with the prince's admiration and respect.

"First, you moved too much! Try minimizing your movement between each swing of your sword. With that, you'll be able to land a lot more hits on me." Merlin advised, while Curtis took mental note.

After resting for a few minutes, the second round began.

The air crackled with energy as the prince's dual swords blazed with flickering flames. Merlin watched as the prince's eyes glinted with anticipation, eager to avenge his previous defeat to the point of augmenting fire.

As the prince charged forward, Merlin stood his ground, feeling the heat radiating from the fiery swords. He extended his hand and summoned a small sphere of water from thin air, which he then hurled at the prince.

The water extinguished the flames on the prince's swords, leaving him momentarily stunned. Merlin seized the opportunity and lunged forward, his short sword glinting.

The prince recovered quickly and parried Merlin's attack with a skillful swing of his swords. The clang of metal echoed throughout the training room as the two opponents continued their dance of blades.

Merlin was impressed with the prince's improvement. He noticed that the prince was using fewer movements, a testament to his newfound understanding of swordsmanship. However, despite the prince's progress, Merlin remained the superior swordsman.

After several minutes of intense combat, Merlin finally disarmed the prince, knocking his swords to the ground. The prince, panting and sweating, looked up at Merlin in defeat.

"Well fought," Merlin said with a nod of respect. "You have improved greatly."

The prince grinned, clearly pleased with his progress. "Thanks to your guidance," he replied, extending a hand to Merlin. "Perhaps we can continue our training another time."

Merlin shook the prince's hand and smiled. "I look forward to it."

As they both catch their breath, Merlin explained that every element has a counter element, and that water is the counter to fire.

The prince nodded in understanding, impressed with Merlin's knowledge and skill.

"Also, when your the fire on your sword is extinguished, don't stop fueling it with mana, like that you'll regain your control over the flame quicker than adding a new layer of fire." Merlin once again advised Curtis who took mental note.

One thing Merlin learned is that, Curtis is hardworking and is willing to hear his mistakes so he can improve himself. And that's a good and strong mindset.

They both sheathed their swords, chatting about their next training session and is about to walk out of the training room when finding the Queen watching them with a smile.

"Mother! What are you doing here? What about Kath? Is she alone?" Curtis asked, expressing his overprotective personality.

Merlin gave the queen a respectful bow.

"Kath is in her room and can't mother come and see her son sparring session?" The queen acted sad.

"T-That's not what I meant..." Curtis slumped,

"It's good that you were having fun. Carry on, don't mind me" The queen waved at us before walking away with maids following her.

"...Let's go for a third round in the evening" Curtis suggested.

"Sounds good to me" Merlin agreed.

The two men stepped into the center of the training ground and assumed their positions. The prince attacked first, but Merlin was quick to counter, his movements fluid and precise. The two men exchanged blows, each one testing the other's defenses.

Merlin was impressed by the prince's speed and strength, but he also noticed a flaw in his technique. The prince was too predictable in his attacks, always favoring his right side. Merlin decided to exploit this weakness and launched a series of attacks, forcing the prince to defend himself from multiple angles.

The prince was caught off guard, but he quickly recovered and began to adapt to Merlin's unpredictable fighting style. The two men continued to spar for several more minutes, their movements a blur of steel and sweat.

Finally, the match ended and the two men stood panting, their swords at their sides. Prince Curtis grinned at Merlin.

"Very impressive, Merlin. You have a unique style of fighting. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to spar with you."

Merlin smiled back, feeling a sense of pride at the prince's compliment. "Thank you, Your Highness. It was an honor to spar with you."

***

A/N: This is the last drafted chapter I have.

Also, you can grant me motivation...paypay me ;)

I have never receive a single cent :(

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