Tyrus Weiss, the same age as Char, is currently studying in the magical department of the Norton Public Royal Academy. However, unlike Char, he is not a native of the Helen Empire. His distinctive silver hair serves as evidence, as the mainstream hair colors in the Helen Empire are black and gold. Standing out in the crowd, Tyrus is often the most conspicuous, making him the target of ridicule.
Tyrus hails from a small country named Norstan, with a total population of just four hundred thousand. The land area is barely half the size of Char's hometown, the Sacco Province. Norstan is located southwest of the Helen Empire.
It is worth mentioning that the surname Weiss carries the meaning of "angelic and noble person" in the Norstan language, and it is highly respected domestically because it is an exclusive surname of the royal family.
Yes, Tyrus Weiss's true identity is that of a prince.
Five years ago, the neutral border state of Norstan discovered a vast reserve of a rare mineral within its territory, known as the Bloodstone. Due to its excellent magical storage properties, it is commonly used in the production of mid to high-end magical devices and holds significant strategic value.
Originally, this was a major discovery that could have led the Norstan Kingdom to national celebration and potentially towards revitalization. However, in the previous life, Char remembered an old saying, "The common people are innocent, but bearing a jewel brings guilt." When a weak individual gains immense wealth that surpasses their own capabilities, everything they do becomes a transgression.
Soon, this news reached the upper echelons of the Hiren Empire.
Next came a very cliche plot development.
The Empire dispatched an inspection team for a "friendly" visit to the neighboring country. After "amicable" negotiations, the two nations eventually reached a long-term "strategic partnership." Following the recommendations of the inspection team, one of the three princes of the Norstan Kingdom was selected and sent to the top-tier Royal Training Academy of the Hiren Empire as an "exchange student."
Those who understand the situation would easily comprehend the underlying dynamics
The revival plan of the Norstan Kingdom collapsed effortlessly, and they ended up sacrificing a prince with the right to inherit the throne for nothing.
It was said that at the age of just 11, Tyrus voluntarily requested to go. It's unclear what was going on in this guy's mind.
Five years later, Tyrus , who had reached adulthood according to Hiren Empire laws, enrolled in the same academic year as Char.
Due to his background from a small neighboring country and his appearance, Tyrus not only failed to receive the respect befitting a prince, but he was also frequently bullied. If it weren't for a fortunate coincidence that led to his unexpected encounter with Char, the following four years could have been incredibly miserable for him.
...
The following day, after finishing their morning classes, Char and Tyrus met at the agreed-upon location.
"So, what does 'shabi' mean? You mentioned it yesterday, and even though language is my area of expertise, I went back and searched through numerous texts, such as Ancient Elvish, Draconic, Tedian, Ancient Hiren, and more... but I couldn't find this peculiar term anywhere."
Tyrus scratched his head while yawning and asked, displaying his perplexing thirst for knowledge.
"It's nothing. Just take it as a compliment," Char twitched the corner of his mouth. "By the way, this is for you."
With that, he handed Tyrus a small cloth bag that jingled when it was passed.
With a sense of curiosity, Tyrus opened the bag and was astonished to find it filled with silver coins. Roughly estimating, there were probably seventy to eighty coins in total.
"dahlia manages the money very strictly, and this is what I managed to save... Use it as a makeshift solution. After all, you are the most pitiful prince I've ever seen," Char sneered.
Witnessing this, Tyrus' eyes welled up, and he wanted to give Char a hug. "Char, you will always be my best brother!"
"Don't disgust me," Char replied, refusing the gesture.
After a round of jokes, the two returned to their usual selves and walked along the road, with occasional students wearing academy uniforms passing by.
The sides of the road were adorned with the Hiren Empire's distinctive white oak trees, while to the left, within a fountain, stood a statue of the academy's founder, Norton.
As they moved further into the distance, apart from the beautiful green lawns, there were classical buildings with towering spires, bearing a strong Hiren-style architecture that exuded a sense of historical heritage.
Char glanced at Tyrus, his silver-haired companion, and finally asked a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time. "By the way, does your family possess any powerful ancestral martial arts techniques? Like, ones that allow you to separate your body and consciousness, enabling you to instinctively sense danger and swiftly dodge or counter-attack?"
"I don't think so. The Weiss family, we are known for our expertise in spiritual magic. Very few of us have achieved notable accomplishments in knightly training," Tyrus shook his head, looking somewhat curious at Char. "But it sounds cool. What's the name of this martial art technique?"
"It's called 'ultra instinct.' Once you master it, you can even take on a god of destruction in single combat," Char said with a hint of regret.
"It's a peculiar name, with a pronunciation as awkward as 'shabi.' And who exactly is this 'god of destruction'? I've never heard of such a revered deity. Hopefully, it's not some kind of malevolent god," Tyrus muttered in confusion, chewing on those words.
Ah, that's just a lazy cat that does nothing but eat and sleep. Generally harmless.
Char and Tyrus locked eyes for a moment, remaining silent.
Tyrus glanced at his friend, who had a serene expression. After a while, he seemed to have figured something out, and his eyes began to brighten.
He remembered how Char would occasionally mention things that were cryptic and even had their own peculiar pronunciations, like "Devil Fruit," "Nen abilities," "Reincarnation in Impure World," "Suigetsu"... Could it be that all of these were newly created languages or secret codes by Char?
The mere thought of this possibility made Tyrus feel a slight tremor coursing through his body, as if he had been electrified.
This... is just too cool, isn't it?
They say that every man has a mysterious journal hidden under his bed, sealing away his glorious past. Given the chance, I really want to sneak a peek and see what brilliant ideas Char has in his mind.
Of course, it would be best to first decipher the codes.
Tyrus sincerely looked at Char, giving him a thumbs up and confidently said, "Char, you're such a 'shabi'!"
The pronunciation was extremely accurate.
Char's face turned dark.
After a while, the two finally arrived at the restaurant.
It was a large building capable of accommodating a thousand people at once. Besides serving as the dining hall for students' daily meals, it sometimes doubled as a grand auditorium for hosting large speeches. The relief sculptures on the top of the building depicted the graceful figure of the goddess of abundance, symbolizing that food and health were gifts from her.
"Why does it feel like there are more people in the cafeteria today than usual?" Tyrus curiously observed the crowd entering the building, occasionally receiving meaningful glances from some individuals.
Char looked around, cleared his throat, and said, "Perhaps it's because of... Crazy Tuesday?"
He couldn't help but feel embarrassed saying it out loud.
He rarely dined in the academy's cafeteria, as Dahlia personally cooked for him, fearing that Char wouldn't eat healthily. This particular aspect did have a slight touch of nobility.
Upon entering the main hall, rows of expensive oak dining tables were neatly arranged, adorned with silver candlesticks and exquisite tablecloths and tableware.
At this moment, several students wearing academy uniforms were already seated at the tables, chatting quietly while enjoying their meals.
Due to the large number of students, the cafeteria didn't operate on an ordering or set menu system. Instead, it was somewhat similar to the buffet style Char experienced in his past life. After paying, they would take a tray and serve themselves.
Waiting in line took quite some time, but they finally managed to collect their meals. They found an empty spot and sat down together.
"Looks pretty good," Char observed as he examined the stewed meat medley on his tray.
The beef had been cooked for a long time, resulting in a tender and flavorful texture. It had a reddish hue and emitted a subtle and pleasant aroma. Even with Char's discerning palate, honed by Dahlia's cooking, he couldn't find any faults.
"Indeed, we should thank the goddess of abundance for blessing us with vegetables, water sources, and meat," Tyrus praised, lightly touching his chest with his palm.
Seeing this, Char couldn't help but roll his eyes.
He recalled the impoverished times of his childhood, living in a village. In order to increase crop yields, he had to join his parents in helping the villagers with agricultural work at a tender age. Every morsel of food was hard-earned, cultivated through their hard work and sweat. It was not easy to come by, and if a harvest season went poorly, there were even cases of people starving to death.
During that time, why didn't the goddess bestow upon them the opportunity to survive?
Lost in thought, Char began to eat.
However, before long, an unexpected guest approached their table.
"Oh, look who it is! My good brother Tyrus! The esteemed Prince Your Highness!" A somewhat exaggerated voice rang out, accompanied by a few echoes, as a male student approached from behind Tyrus.
"S-Sergei?" Tyrus was taken aback and turned to look at the student. "What's the matter?"
Sergei was tall and muscular, with an ordinary appearance and a hint of ferocity in his brows. He seemed difficult to get along with.
The student named Sergei waved his hand and smiled, saying, "I just wanted to thank the generous and magnanimous people of Nortan for allowing me and my friends to have a delightful evening at the party and meet some beautiful ladies."
"But didn't you say that the money was meant for treating your seriously ill grandmother?" Tyrus paused, furrowing his brow slightly.
Upon hearing this, Sergei turned his head and exchanged glances with his friends behind him, eliciting a mocking chuckle.
The student named Sergei waved his hand and smiled, saying, "I just wanted to thank the generous and magnanimous people of Norstan for allowing me and my friends to have a delightful evening at the party and meet some beautiful ladies."
"But didn't you say that the money was meant for treating your seriously ill grandmother?" Tyrus paused, furrowing his brow slightly.
Upon hearing this, Sergei turned his head and exchanged glances with his friends behind him, eliciting a mocking chuckle.
He then propped his hand on the table, leaning slightly forward, assuming an aggressive posture. "Tyrus, that's the reason I came to find you. I accidentally spent all that money last night, and I deeply regret it when I woke up. I think of my poor grandmother lying sick in bed, without the means to afford treatment... So, my good brother, can you lend me some money again?"
As he spoke, Sergei attempted to place his hand on Tyrus's shoulder.
However, at that moment, a voice interrupted abruptly.
"Get lost."
Char set down his utensils and directed his gaze at Sergei.
Clearly, Sergei, who was solely focused on mocking Tyrus, hadn't noticed Char's presence.
Upon seeing Char, Sergei's eyes narrowed, and his bulky arm froze in mid-air. It seemed that he recalled some painful experiences, instantly finding himself in a dilemma. He didn't know whether to sheepishly retract his hand or boldly ignore the warning and continue placing it on Tyrus's shoulder.
After a moment, he gritted his teeth and spoke, "Adelaide, do you want to meddle in this?"
"Oh, by the goddess! Sergei Barrett, if you dare to let that repulsive ugly face appear before me again, I swear by the name of the deceased Fennel that I will kick your ** so hard with my pointed boots!" Char exclaimed.
Faced with Sergei, who was not much less sturdy than himself, Char raised an eyebrow and exaggeratedly imitated Sergei's earlier demeanor and tone, sardonically saying, "Who is Fennel?"
"A dog I used to raise," Char replied.
Upon hearing this, Sergei's veins bulged, and he almost couldn't resist getting into a fight with this guy.
But in the end, his face turned pale, and he clenched his fist with a stiff expression, refraining from making any inappropriate moves.
It was a dilemma with two options.
Either choose to be taught a lesson by Char's intervention or take a step back for now.
Seeing his decision, Char smirked mockingly.
Tyrus lowered his head, imitating his friend's calm demeanor, and continued eating, leaving Sergei and his group hanging on the side.
Sensing the silence in the air, Sergei's face slightly reddened as he felt insulted. He wanted to say a few harsh words, but in the presence of Char, he found himself at a loss for words.
Damn Adelaide!
Did he think that having a little power and being the future inheritor of a title meant he could disregard others?!
Wait... a title?
After muttering a few curses to himself, Sergei suddenly discovered a blind spot.
He recalled a widely circulated rumor in certain circles recently and quickly raised his head, scanning the surroundings but temporarily not spotting the person mentioned in the rumor.
However, the credibility of the rumor should be unquestionable... After weighing his options for a moment, Sergei gradually regained his composure. There was a hint of strangeness in his gaze as he looked at Char.
"Hopefully, tomorrow, or perhaps even later, you can still be as leisurely and carefree as you are now, hehe... my esteemed 'Viscount'," Sergei said, leaving behind these cryptic words and coldly chuckling a few times before walking away, brushing off his sleeves.