Oh my, why am I behaving like a 12-year-old kid?" Sheng Cheon muttered to himself, irritated by his body's odd reactions. He sighed and decided to approach the door, taking slow steps. With each step, he felt an inexplicable ache in his chest. "Whoever this is, let's get it over with."
Pulling the door open, Sheng was momentarily stunned. A stunning woman with golden hair stood before him, dressed in a long red gown adorned with delicate flower patterns and slightly flared cuffs. Her beauty was striking, even to someone like him, who had lived for millennia.
For a brief moment, he admired her appearance. However, his composure returned quickly. He wracked his brain to remember if she was one of the faces in the family portrait he had seen earlier. "No, she wasn't in the picture," he realized.
The woman looked at him anxiously. "Alex, why did you take so long to open the door? You know how worried I was!"
Her tone was gentle, yet filled with concern. Sheng Cheon couldn't respond immediately; his body reacted strangely to her presence. His heart fluttered, and a warm, inexplicable sense of happiness washed over him. It became clear to him: this child—Alex—was deeply attached to her.
"I should act like a cute teenager," Sheng thought, trying to mask his unfamiliarity with the situation.
"My son, are you okay?" the woman asked softly, stepping forward. Sheng tilted his head slightly without realizing it. She smiled warmly, reached out, and patted his head. Before he could react, she pulled him into her embrace, holding him on her lap.
"My son, I have good news for you," she said, hesitating slightly. "Your father has appointed a tutor for you. If you work hard, you'll be ready to join Oxid Academy alongside your big brother."
Sheng Cheon blinked. He had no idea what she was talking about, but he needed to maintain his cover. "Yes, I will go to Oxid Academy, Mother," he replied simply.
Her smile grew brighter. "Good. I'll inform the head maid. Don't worry about anything; your mother is here for you. Just promise me you'll work hard and not stay up late at night." With that, she stood up and left the room.
As soon as she left, Sheng's face turned serious. "First, I need to learn about this world," he thought. "Two priorities: one, understand the rules of this place. Two, read this kid's diary."
The Knowledge of the World
Sheng browsed through the bookshelf and found a book titled The Knowledge of the World. Sitting down, he flipped through the pages with an impatient sigh.
"This world revolves around mana, and mana users exist too. The Grenevora continent consists of four major kingdoms," the book began.
• The Elf Kingdom Grenor: An ancient realm located in the Forest of Histories. The thick mana here amplifies magic efficiency for humans, but elves strictly forbid human entry.
• The Kingdom of Dwarves: A vast network of underground passages and caves where dwarves reside. No official name is given for this kingdom.
• The Human Kingdom Leventha: The heart of the Grenevora continent, this is the largest kingdom. While primarily human, merchant dwarves and some elf warriors live freely here. Aura knights are the main forces of Leventha kingdom also consist huge army of knights and mages,
• The Kingdom of Dragons: The most feared and mysterious of the four. Few details are known.
"Ugh, so boring," Sheng muttered, snapping the book shut. "At least I have a general understanding now. Time to tackle the diary."
The Diary of Alex Agniverta
Flipping open the diary, Sheng noticed symbols of an unfamiliar ritual on the first page. The second page was blank, but the third page caught his attention.
"My name is Alex Agniverta. I am the second son of the king, or rather, the son of his second wife. My father has never loved me or my mother. His heart belongs to my older brother and my stepmother. From the day I was born, my fate was clear: I would never become king. Even if I surpassed my brother in strength or wisdom, I am destined to be a mere knight—a bodyguard to the crown prince."
Sheng Cheon flipped through the diary, but most pages were either blank or filled with fragmented sentences. He leaned back, silent for an hour as he processed the information.
"This boy's life was filled with sorrow. He was abandoned by his father, overlooked by everyone, and manipulated into taking his own life," Sheng thought, a cold fury igniting within him.
"Fine," he muttered, standing up. "I will accept this identity—for now. But I think, I will not forgive the ones who wronged this boy, or those who forced his hand. They will pay for what they did."
...…
The second queen stood before the head maid, a soft smile on her face. "Alex said he would work hard this time. Thank you for all your efforts on his behalf. I know he's not as strong or talented as the first prince, but he's still the king's son. The blood of royalty runs through his veins."
The head maid nodded solemnly. "I understand, Second Queen. I believe Alex will work hard. One day, he will become someone capable of protecting this family and the kingdom."