Chapter 8. Before
It all started three months ago when Prince Lysander, or myself, first encountered Prince Lysander's parents, King Clover and Queen Clover. They had invited both Prince Lysander and Prince Lucius to dine in the royal family dining room.The king bore a striking resemblance to an older Lucius, while the queen had much paler blonde hair compared to the king. Did Prince Lysander take after his mother more?
"Alright, how are your studies, Lucius? I heard you completed the Level 3 knowledge book designed for 12-year-olds. That's quite an accomplishment, isn't it?" King Clover initiated a conversation with Prince Lucius at the dining table, expressing his pride. Queen Clover smiled, "Indeed. I am also proud of you, dear."
"Th-thank you, Father, Mother..." Lucius responded shyly. Prince Lucius smiled broadly in his chair before composing himself and adjusting his sitting posture. The two adults' attention turned to Prince Lysander, who was still relishing his grilled meat. Observing their youngest child absorbed in his own world (or maybe I was just pretending because everything felt awkward and daunting), King Clover cleared his throat and smiled at Prince Lysander, "I hear you have successfully unlocked your magic, Lysander. Water magic, is it? It bears resemblance to your mother's and grandfather's magic."
"Yes, thank you, Father," Prince Lysander responded in a neutral tone, returning to his meal.
'What is this? Am I appearing too composed? Should I be more excited and animated like a regular child? Argh, I forgot to ask Rina how I typically act around my parents...' Although Prince Lysander appeared calm as he continued to chew his meat, his mind and heart were in turmoil, filled with doubt. Would they notice the peculiarity in their child? Should I eliminate them? Or maybe manipulate their memories to believe they had only one son? I could go and find a new home, living as an ordinary person...
Ah! That way, I could avoid the game event, all the characters, and the magic academy...
Ahahaha, it seems so easy...to escape from everything.
Why am I here, following Kain's training, playing with Lucius, and learning so much about this Kingdom, if ultimately the solution to my life problems is to run away from it all?
"I heard from Kain that your magical abilities have developed swiftly and are quite advanced. You truly are a talented child, my dear son!" The gentle tone of Queen Clover's voice towards Prince Lysander snapped him out of his thoughts, prompting him to raise his gaze to meet her tender eyes and maternal smile. This small gesture elicited a slight smile from Prince Lysander as he nodded his head slightly, "Thank you, Mother, Father. I will study diligently so that I can assist my brother in the future to govern this kingdom and care for all the people of Clover."
"Ahahaha! Both of our sons are truly exceptional, my dear husband! Well then, let's continue our meal! Remember to rest and take care of your health, both of you!" Queen Clover exclaimed, followed by jovial laughter from King Clover, which, although slightly impolite, indicated his joy.
""Alright, Father, Mother!"" replied both Prince Lucius and Prince Lysander simultaneously. Upon finishing their meal, Prince Lucius and Prince Lysander exited the palace dining room. Two royal guards, donned in full protective gear, swiftly ran past them and halted before King Clover.
"What's the matter with you? Is the kingdom under attack by a horde of monsters again?!" King Clover inquired, surprised at the guards' breathless state.
"N-no, Your Majesty! It's the Night Flare gang again! This time, both noble couples from the Marques Westwood family were robbed, and their child found them both..." one of the guards began to explain, but their words trailed off as they noticed Prince Lysander still lingering at the doorway.
King Clover remained silent, while Queen Clover, understanding the gravity of the situation, smiled at Prince Lysander before her expression shifted to a serious demeanor as she nodded to Rina.
"Your Highness, it's time for training. We better go before we keep Master Kain waiting," Rina patted Prince Lysander on the shoulder. He nodded, and they left the room. As they were about to go, Prince Lysander overheard King Clover exclaim in surprise, "What?! We really must take action against the Night Flare gang!"
The Night Flare gang?
If memory serves me right, they are a notorious underworld organization with their own tale in the game Seasonal Magical Love. Wait... I do recall, they are known for targeting nobles, as one of the romance options mentioned their name.
Given the trauma inflicted on romance target John by that incident, and my capacity to change things, I must prevent these unfortunate events from occurring to avoid feeling regret for the rest of the night because I failed to act despite having the power to change the course of events.
Ah, consider me as playing the role of a supportive character to unfold the love story of John and Sharon simultaneously.
I must save my own life, and perhaps I should cease avoiding my sibling and assist them in mastering their magic later (perhaps I should refine my magical abilities first)...and also determine the whereabouts of the Night Flare gang. Following a frantic search for the location of Night Flare, I finally encountered one of its members.
Through his own manipulation magic, he arranged a meeting with Lilith, the gang's surprising female leader. Observing her aura and the magic she exuded, Prince Lysander comprehended why she had ascended to the leadership of the notorious gang. Her exceptional fire magic skills allowed her to effortlessly handle a large sword that she could throw and wield with ease after enchanting it with her magic, showcasing her prowess as a skilled sword magic user.
It dawned on Prince Lysander that this was exceedingly rare since even the characters in the game were unable to infuse their magic into their weapons, other than using them separately.
Feeling that Lilith would be better suited for her own spin-off game, Prince Lysander found himself smiling at her before noticing that she had already drawn the sword embedded in the wall next to him.
"Why do you keep smiling like that? Are you so impressed with my defense? Ah, speaking of defense..." Lilith's words trailed off as she turned back to the young man, now urinating in his pants and surrounded by his own blood still flowing from his hand, while grimacing in pain at the sight of his severed hand.
"P-please forgive me, Miss Lilith!" he cried out with a trembling voice, as Lilith grinned at him.
"Is forgiving someone who insults my important guest supposed to be easy, haaah?!" Lilith retorted with irritation and a chill in her voice.
Sadly, it was his own fault.
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To Be Continue ?