Lucien walked through the vast hallway of the royal palace, heading towards where Gareth was supposedly waiting. Soon after, he finally saw him. A man in a formal outfit was seen standing still, his hands clasped behind his back.
As Gareth saw Lucien heading toward him, his expression softened. He then bowed in respect and asked:
"Your Highness, did everything go well?"
"Yes, everything went well," Lucien confirmed with a smile. "Also, I will be strolling around the palace for a while, before we go back," he paused for a moment, then added. "So, I'll dismiss you for now. Get some rest."
"I understand, Your Highness," Gareth said, taking his leave.
Lucien watched as Gareth disappeared, then finally decided to navigate his way around the grand palace. The location he wanted to visit the most was the training grounds of the castle, where diverse warriors could be seen doing their training.
Lucien had previously thought that a talented warrior might be closer to his grasp than he realized. However, he understood that he couldn't expect anyone to be loyal. Loyalty is not simply a choice; it is forged through an undeniable bond.
Although he could have gone to some other place inside the palace, the training grounds were the first thing that came to his mind, as he had made the choice earlier to roam around before going back to his estate. Since it wouldn't kill him to do so, he first visited the training grounds.
Seeing the environments Lucien had once been in from his memories was different from experiencing them. That's why he was eager to explore more of this place.
Lucien walked through the grand palace, heading to the training grounds. He simply followed the path, based on the original Lucien's memories, to get there. Moments afterward, after minutes of stopping and admiring every decoration and furnishing he passed by, he finally arrived at his destination.
Lucien stood on a balcony, admiring the view from below, where countless warriors could be seen doing their daily training. What truly amazed him, though, was the unusual powers the warriors were showing. It was the use of mana, something Lucien was very familiar with, back in his world.
Many of the warriors below use weapons coated with their elements. Some were pure mages, who used magic attacks to deal with their opponents. It was the most breathtaking thing he had experienced in this world, at least for now.
After all, magic was simply something that could be seen in fiction back in his world. Lucien's expression showed how much the scene in front of him amazed him.
'Come to think of it, Lucien was also a Novice-ranked mana user. He never really managed to break through to the second stage, though.'
Lucien's eyes widened.
'Doesn't that mean I can also use magic spells?'
'I mean, the muscle memory of all those trainings has still gotta be there.'
Lucien thought back to the time when the original Lucien first learned how to control his mana. At that time, Lucien had struggled to grasp the mana around him and circulate it to form his mana core. However, at the end of the day, he still managed to do it.
One of the few magic spells he had first learned was Radiant Blossom. It makes flowers glow, giving the scenery a better look. The reason why he wanted to learn it was… a bit embarrassing to admit. However, he still wanted to give it a try. The process might be quite hard for beginners, but since it was one of Lucien's specialties, something he had done all over and all over again for certain reasons.
He was certain that it would resonate with him more than any other spells he had in his arsenal. Even though the body was now his, he still needed more time to get used to it, which is why doing anything other than the basic things that a body can do would be a lot harder to get used to.
'Well, progress is progress.'
Lucien turned his gaze toward the flower pot beside him. Inside it, a pink hydrangea blossomed from a pale stone pot, its petals soft and full, standing out brightly. It was the perfect flower to practice on. Just imagining how it would look as it glows made Lucien feel excited to cast his first magic spell.
He felt a lot like the original Lucien at the time when he was still the one to possess this body. He was also very excited to learn this spell.
Lucien walked closer toward the flower pot, then he pointed his fingers at it. After that, he dived deep within himself and tried to control and form his mana, just like the way the original Lucien did. He followed both the pattern and the entire process of it.
Before him, the blossoms stirred to life, their delicate petals shimmering with a soft, ethereal glow. Light danced along the gentle curves of each bloom as if the stars themselves had chosen to rest upon their velvet crowns, casting quiet magic into the air.
A soft smile found its way to Lucien's lips. "I can see why he was very obsessed with this spell," he said gently. "It truly is beautiful to stare at."
As Lucien was admiring his first magic spell, at least for Seojun. He suddenly heard a familiar voice that deeply scared him. However, he tried to remain as calm as possible.
"Lucien, I see that you have finally decided to step out of your comfort zone," he said with a deep, manly tone. A soft, gentle smile can be seen on his face. Making it hard to say that he was a traitor.
Lucien remained quiet for a moment, then he smiled softly once again, this time a bit harder to maintain. "Knight Verric? I am glad to see you again. I never really got the chance to say my thanks before. You have my sincere gratitude, Knight Verric," Lucien said in a convincing tone.
Verric let out a chuckle. "I only did what I thought was right, Your Highness," Verric said in a neutral tone, saying it with his usual deceiving mask. "After all, how could I simply let the man whom I have been serving for years be left stuck on a boulder that has been weighing him?"
Lucien stared at him intensely on the inside, hiding behind a forged smile.
'How can he lie this much without ever stuttering or blinking?'
'He creeps me out.'
Information Drop:
Verric's Appearance - He had a sharp, clean-cut look that hid more than it revealed. His short ash-brown hair and cool gray eyes gave him a calm, unreadable air. A faint, almost charming smile often rested on his lips—deceptive in its warmth. Dressed in a fitted white coat marked with a silver emblem over his heart, he looked every bit the lieutenant captain of the Royal Guard. The rest of his uniform was simple yet crisp—black slacks and polished shoes that added to his composed, disciplined image.