As William entered the library, he knocked softly on the door.
"Come in," Lumia's voice called out.
He stepped inside, seeing his mother seated with a book in her hands. She gestured towards the chair in front of her. "Sit," she said calmly.
William nodded and took his seat. Lumia closed her book and looked at him with a curious gaze. "How did your day go?" she asked.
William began recounting his day, from his training with Myre to the details of the fight and everything in between.
"Hmm," Lumia mused after hearing the full story. "I think it wouldn't be bad if you took such a break at the end of every month. It could help with your training."
William's lips twitched in response, but he wisely kept quiet. He knew better than to argue with her about training. After all, if anyone understood how to push their limits, it was his mother, and there was a reason why Amelia had chosen Lumia as her master and why Mia had been assigned to him. Lumia's own approach to training was legendary—hardcore, to say the least. She was relentless, a battle maniac who, even now, would spar with the knights and guards whenever she wasn't engrossed in a book.
"Good, you can go and rest," Lumia said, and William nodded before replying, "I've decided to choose Mia as my next master. I'd like to master swords and blades."
Lumia acknowledged his decision with a nod. "I will inform her," she said. William, feeling reassured, began retreating to his room.
Unbeknownst to him, he left behind a part of his shadow in the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Lumia called out, "Mia, come out."
From the shadows, another figure emerged. This woman resembled Mia but appeared older, her features more refined. With the same white hair cascading down her back and a different set of eyes, she stood tall, exuding an aura of seriousness that only heightened her enchanting presence. Dressed in a maid's uniform, this woman was none other than Amelia, Mia's mother.
Mia stepped out from the shadows as well, bowing to both her mother and Lumia.
Amelia, standing behind Lumia, asked with a slight smile, "How is my son?"
Mia responded promptly, "He's a great talent. Even when faced with powerful challenges, he adapts quickly and defeats his opponents with ease."
"And?" Lumia pressed further.
"I believe young master's natural talent lies in swordsmanship. He might not be fully aware of it yet, but I noticed during the fight that he instinctively shifted his dagger techniques into sword movements, and he executed them with surprising proficiency," Mia explained.
"Hmm," Amelia mused. "In that case, I think we should reconsider other instructors. Having the young prince learn from them would waste his potential. He could be using that time to perfect his swordsmanship instead."
Lumia thought for a moment before replying, "Still, I want him to earn at least a foundation in archery and shield arts. It will help round out his skills and cover his basics. His training in daggers and hand-to-hand combat already gives him an edge in close quarters, but a sword is good for all kinds of battles. Archery will allow him to take out long-range opponents and give him an advantage in stealth. As for the shield, it's better he learns how to defend rather than just counterattack—he'll conserve energy that way."
Amelia and Mia nodded in agreement with Lumia's reasoning.
"Yes, that will be better," Amelia agreed. "Still, if the young prince takes too much time, I believe it might be wise to adjust his training path. We wouldn't want to waste precious time before his journey truly begins."
Lumia nodded, her eyes thoughtful as she considered the future training of her son. "We'll monitor his progress closely and adjust as needed. But for now, he will learn all that he can."
"Young Prince also found this," Mia said as she placed a talent crystal and a Divine Skill book on the table.
Lumia picked them up, her eyes glowing with a purplish hue. "Hmm, this is a King-Class middle talent—Flame Demon Transformation," she murmured.
Her eyes widened as she examined the book. "And this... A Divine-Grade Skill?" Lumia's voice held a hint of disbelief. Their royal family possessed few Divine Skills, as the chances of a Divine Skill book dropping after the death of a Divine creature were less than 1%, not to mention that such creatures were rare.
Mia continued her explanation, and as she spoke, Amelia's expression turned cold. "He was likely a worshiper of demons. Only demons can leak such dangerous information," she said icily.
Lumia nodded, bringing out a small disk, no larger than a teenager's palm. She placed it in front of her, and it began to levitate. A hologram emerged from the disk, projecting the image of a man who quickly knelt as he saw Lumia.
"Yes, Queen Lumia," the man said respectfully.
"Mia," Lumia prompted.
Mia stepped forward and relayed all the events, from beginning to end, to the figure in the hologram.
The man's eyes narrowed into fiery slits, and part of his face began to shift—his jaw elongated, revealing overlaid teeth with sharp metallic edges, a clear sign of a transformation-type talent. "You're not lying, are you?" he asked, his voice rumbling.
"I know what I saw," Mia replied with her usual stoic expression. "He is likely a Demon Worshiper."
The hologram nodded. "Thank you, my Queen. This information will help us root out more traitors." With that, the communication ended.
"He's still the same as ever," Amelia remarked once the call was cut.
Lumia sighed. "Grief changes people. You went mad after your husband died, and he... He lost both his pregnant wife and newborn child in one brutal attack," Lumia shook her head softly.
Amelia bowed her head in acknowledgment. "Forgive me, I was insensitive," she said quietly.
"It's alright," Lumia reassured her. "Given his power, many fear him more than they sympathize with him." She recalled his Emperor-Grade talent, Deep Sea Terror Transformation, a power as formidable as his pain was deep.