A/N- people this novel has been rebooted by me, the link is in the novel description, if you want to feel free to read it, but i suggest you just read the reboot, i have done a much better job with that one.THIS NOVEL WILL PROBABLY BE HIDDEN IN A WEEK.
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As John finished his training, he trudged back to his room, deep in thought about his plans for the future. The castle was filled with the eyes and ears of his brothers and the nobles, and he knew he had to get rid of them if he wanted to make a move. The head maid, assistant butler, personal chef, and many others would have to go, but he couldn't simply fire them without cause. It would raise suspicions and alert the nobles to his true intentions.
"Your Highness, what has you so deep in thought? Your face looks like it's in a complete daze," Albert's voice interrupted John's thoughts, bringing him back to the present. John looked up at his butler, who maintained his usual neutral expression.
"Ah, nothing. Just tired from the training. I must have been mumbling to myself," John lied, attempting to brush off the conversation. "Let's return to my room for now."
"After you, Your Highness," Albert replied, falling into step behind John as they walked back to his chambers.
"Ah!" John exclaimed, coming to a sudden stop before turning to Albert. "Albert, before I forget, my grandfather will be arriving today and will be having a meeting with me tomorrow morning. You and Merry should prepare accordingly."
The news seemed to shock Albert, as evidenced by his response. "His Majesty the High King will be visiting? For what reason?"
"Beats me," John shrugged. "I can only assume it's because of my trial."
"I see," Albert nodded, composing himself. "Well, I'll have Merry prepare for tomorrow properly." He followed behind the young prince as they resumed their walk.
Slowly, John and Albert arrived at the door to John's room, ending their conversation.
"Now, Albert, if you'll excuse me, I'd like some time alone," John said, opening the door to his bedroom.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Albert replied, bowing his head before turning to leave. "I'll go talk with Merry about tomorrow's arrangements. See you later then."
John watched as Albert walked away before closing the door behind him and walking into his bedroom. He let out a sigh as he collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from the events of the day.
"To think that even Albert was working as a spy… This makes my work so much more difficult," he muttered to himself. But he knew he couldn't afford to waste time feeling sorry for himself. "No time to sulk. I need to start gathering my mana, or else, like in my last life, I won't be able to handle the burden the trials will place on me."
He sat up, crossed his legs, and started to breathe slowly as he tried sensing the surrounding mana.
Five minutes later, John let out a triumphant exclamation. "Woo-hoo, I can finally feel the mana!"
But his triumph was short-lived as he began to contemplate his next move. "Where should I form my core, though? In my last life, I ended up regretting establishing it in my torso, as it limited the things I could do. And I don't want to form chains around my heart as mages do…"
John stopped in the middle of his thoughts, a sudden realization dawning on him. "Wait, hold on. What the hell was Geoffrey talking about back then with that full-body core thing?"
{
"Hey, John, have you ever thought about why no one has tried to make their entire body their core?" Geoffrey slurred, chugging down a pint of beer.
"Nope, the idea just seems insane. It doesn't make sense to me. I mean, how would you even do that?" John shook his head, taking a sip of his whiskey.
Snapping his fingers and pointing them at John, Geoffrey continued, his face reddened by the alcohol. "That's exactly it. No one has ever attempted it because the idea is so outlandish. But did you know that there was one person who tried doing it? Do you know what happened?"
"He created the empire we live in," Geoffrey hiccuped, signaling for another pint of beer. "Bar wench, get me another pint of beer!"
"What the hell are you talking about, Geoffrey?" John asked confusion etched on his face. "I'm a part of the imperial family and, as far as I'm aware, we've always been around."
"My ancestor formed his core in his heart," John said with a confused expression on his face.
Geoffrey nodded his head a few times before speaking again. "That's the usually told story, but it's not the truth. When I used to work for the Ivory Tower, I was researching how cores worked for a commission from the imperial palace. It was then that I found a record from the founding emperor where he recorded his results and his method for forming a full-body core."
"Here you go, your pint of beer," the bar wench interrupted, slamming a pint down in front of Geoffrey.
"Thank you, young lady," Geoffrey said, turning back to John. "Now, where was I again?"
"Where the hell did you even find such a thing?" John asked, intrigued.
"Surprisingly, a copy was available for the common public in the empire's public library," Geoffrey replied, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sure your castle and your brothers' castles probably had a copy too, but the original was probably only allowed to be viewed by the emperor and the higher-ups. The copy had a lot of things missing, but anyone with some knowledge of mana use could easily fill in the gaps."
"So why did no one try it after him?" John asked, gulping down his whiskey.
"Well, all those who knew about the method either died trying to form a full-body core or were incompatible," Geoffrey said, gulping down his beer.
"Incompatible? What do you mean?" John asked, tapping the table twice to signal the bartender for a refill.
"You have to be a) young and b) not have established a core yet. Most kids in the empire form a core by the age of 5, so no one wanted to gamble with the technique after a thousand people died trying," Geoffrey explained, finishing his mug of beer.
"So why are you telling me this?" John asked, a confused expression on his face.
"Huh, how the fuck am I supposed to know? Can't you see, I'm a fucking drunk…" Geoffrey mumbled before passing out on the tavern floor.
"God damn it, you and your drinking habits, you old geezer," John muttered, picking Geoffrey up and walking out of the Tavern.
As he walked home, John couldn't shake the conversation from his mind. "If what he said is true, then I should visit the library before I do anything. Who knows, maybe I'll find something interesting in it. Even if I don't form a full-body core, the insights of the founding emperor would probably give me an idea of what I should do right now."
After a brief pause, John nodded to himself, deciding on his plan for tomorrow after his meeting with his grandfather. "Yep, let's do that." he said to himself as he laid on his bed to get some sleep.
As John lay in bed, his mind racing with thoughts of the full-body core and the possibility of finding more information on it at the library, he couldn't shake off the feeling of excitement and curiosity. He had always been fascinated by mana and the ways in which it could be harnessed, and the prospect of discovering a new, unexplored method was tantalizing.
Despite his exhaustion from the day's events, John found it hard to fall asleep. The ambiance of the room seemed to heighten his senses, the soft glow of the moonlight filtering in through the windows and the sound of crickets chirping outside adding to the sense of anticipation.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, John drifted off into a restless sleep, his dreams filled with visions of ancient tomes and magical secrets waiting to be uncovered.