"Hoo... Hoo..." Rudeus collapsed onto the ground, clutching his chest as it continued to beat rapidly.
He had completely misunderstood everyone's intentions when they warned him about Prince Gilgamesh's behavior. He wasn't a self-conscious young man who cried over things he thought were his. Unlike other nobles with a unique character, Gilgamesh didn't seem to be anything like them.
The prince's qualities were on a completely different level, something he still couldn't comprehend. Gilgamesh was something entirely different from anything he knew; he was a true noble who strongly represented his title.
"And to think someone like me thought Gilgamesh would be a jealous child just because his fiancée's tutor is a few years younger than him. I'm losing my way and my mind."
The fear he felt when hearing those words from Prince Gilgamesh still lingered in his mind, something he didn't think possible for a child. "He must be like me, there's no doubt... I'll have to ask that person about it another time."
The next day, Rudeus attended Eris's first class and expected to see Gilgamesh there, but he was nowhere to be found. After inquiring about it from Eris, she simply mentioned that he occasionally went out on business and didn't return for days.
"So, I will teach you the fundamentals of magic..."
"That's right..."
Rudeus, who watched the days go by, remembered each and every one of his experiences.
"Fireball!"
Rudeus applauded and said, "That's incredible; if you didn't pursue the sword, I'm sure you'd be a great mage."
That's the best I can say, but even I know that intermediate rank is the highest you can achieve, Eris!
As a magic tutor for a nine-year-old girl, my life in the castle changed completely. I had grown accustomed to living in the solitude of my room, learning and devising new magic, focusing on my private studies, and avoiding interaction with others, not even considering Sylphy within this. However, Eris, the girl I was supposed to teach, was the complete opposite. She was much friendlier and more confident than I was at her age, and her reserved way of speaking intrigued me.
From the first day, I noticed that Eris had a natural talent for fire magic. Though her skills were raw, her potential was undeniable. It didn't take long before I began teaching her the basics of magic, and she absorbed every lesson with enthusiasm. It was clear she wanted to learn and better herself, often mentioning that she wanted to impress Gilgamesh with her spells.
Despite our personality differences, we began to forge a bond. Often, after our lessons, we would sit together in the castle garden, gazing at the stars and sharing stories from our lives. Eris didn't talk much about her family, but there was something in her gaze that shone with a certain sadness as she noticed Gilgamesh's frequent absences.
After he threatened to harm my family, I sent an urgent letter home, but the response in the following days was quite simple: they were fine, and nothing had changed since his absence. They did mention Prince Gilgamesh, who had shown an interest in Sylphy and her talent for magic, but beyond that, nothing seemed to catch the attention of her family, or at least that's how her idiotic father appeared to perceive it.
At times over the past few days, I tried to learn more about sword techniques. Ghislaine was very helpful in the practice, but as I knew, I wasn't talented at wielding a sword, and beyond one of the simple ranks, I knew I would never excel.
My attempts to seek out Prince Gilgamesh were never granted; I never saw him up close again, so I knew the chances of doing so in the future were slim.
Initially, I had admired his bravery. A boy just over ten years old was truly an incredible being for his age, so as time passed here, I wanted to somehow find out if his suspicions were true.
I believed it that way until I received another visit from that strange being.
...
Uruk Tower.
"Did Gilgamesh sense apostles heading towards the village where that half-elf girl is?" Elaine thought carefully, and after realizing that what Gilgamesh was referring to was about to begin, she said, "Select a strong squad, send a Sword Emperor as the captain."
"Yes, my lady!"
Elaine looked at the documents in her hand and murmured, "It seems that this is now a battle of who has better future-seeing abilities. Somehow, I sense that Gilgamesh's enemy wants to eliminate future allies or wives. It's not a bad idea, but manipulating the future in such a way is truly horrible."
"I hope this doesn't escalate further..."
A few hours later, a man with a face hardened by his vast experiences bowed before Elaine and said in a serious tone, "I'm proud to know that you require my expertise. I'll be more than willing to fulfill your wishes."
"It's not that serious, Sir Kaelen. That girl in the village of Banne isn't special beyond her talent for magic and great spellcasting abilities, not to mention her, but what's most important is that some people with ill intentions could harm those folks, and Gilgamesh's wish is for you to prevent all of that in the best way possible."
Kaelen nodded and said, "My lord's wishes are orders; I will fulfill his demands to the letter. I'll depart as soon as possible; I'll have to travel by magical ship to arrive in less than a day."
"In that case, I'll sign the necessary documents so you have no concerns on the way." Elaine nodded as she walked towards her office.
Kaelen, who followed her, saw a young girl, to be honest, she looked like a child, but those enormous daggers on her waist gave her a completely different appearance.
"Is she your personal guard?"
Elaine shook her head and said, "Not at all, but she enjoys talking to me when no one else is around, and I often teach her many things. Her name is Ana; she was rescued by Gilgamesh from the hands of an old pig..."
"She's dangerous..." was the only thing Kaelen thought when he saw Ana, looking at him and smiling faintly.
Gilgamesh often buys slaves of all kinds; warriors are the best purchases, but many of them decide to try to return to their homes. An example would be the beast girls who are returned to their forest, all with the sole intention of establishing good relations with large tribes and hidden villages.
Slavery is something that no one cares about; they see it as natural. But Kaelen detests that about society as a whole, so when he learned that an organization was buying up all the slaves in Ars, he secretly investigated them.
But in just one night, he was caught, explained his motives, and to his surprise, Elaine personally told him the intention of the one behind all of this. He never believed it was true, but when he visited those orphanages, he felt deeply moved.
From that day on, he swore loyalty to Prince Gilgamesh, received immense power, and wholeheartedly committed himself to follow him to the death if necessary. If Prince Gilgamesh ever becomes King, it would be fantastic for the future of the Asura Kingdom.