NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59: Unwelcomed Visitors
"It's you again…" Lyla muttered, her big round eyes peering into Jin from across a shiny lake.
"My name is Arthur Moonshire," Jin stated.
"...Arthur…?" Lyla tilted her head. "What a weird name."
"And yours is not?"
"...."
"Say, we have that assignment on Magic Theory, don't we?" Jin changed the subject. "Why don't I come and help you out?"
Lyla became even more confused. "You… help me? Shouldn't it be the other way around?"
"Normally," Jin nodded. "But I'm smarter than you are."
A deafening silence traveled over the lake; it surrounded them before Lyla broke it by saying:
"Okay."
With that confirmation as a go-ahead, Jin blurred from his spot. A long line formed in the lake as he shot through it like a spearhead, reappearing beside the dazed brunette a moment later.
"So, how much do you understand of Magic Theory?" he asked very casually. "Or tell me what troubles you, and I'll deduce your level from there."
Silence…
"...Arthur," Lyla said awkwardly. "Why have you decided to help me? You didn't seem very… uh, what's the word…"
"Nice?" Jin spoke for her, his expression one of mysteries.
Lyla nodded.
"That's simple," Jin began. "It's because you're the most promising of the lot. Furthermore, your personality is the easiest to get along with. Better to befriend someone with more value than someone without."
"You… Why are you telling me this?" Lyla may not have been the most astute, and her friend count may have been severely lacking, but she at least had a little common sense. It wasn't the slightest bit normal to befriend someone based on factors that sounded more like the contents of a business deal.
"Why am I telling you this?" Jin repeated, staring up at the pretty girl standing a head above him. "I don't believe in lying to those I wish to wholeheartedly recruit. It doesn't align with my principles."
"...recruit…?" Lyla was really confused now. What did he mean by that?
Jin revealed a mysterious smile. "Tell me, Lyla, what makes a good Ruler? Is it power? Is it a commanding tone? Perhaps charisma?"
Lyla didn't even know where to begin with this question, so she kept silent.
"The truth is that a good Ruler isn't anything without… subordinates," Jin explained. "Without proper confidants, even the most powerful of Rulers are not really Rulers. They're just powerhouses demanding respect and authority.
I, the Crown Prince of the Moon God Empire, am destined to one day rule this country. However, it is up to me to decide what kind of Ruler I wish to become. That which only has myself to rely on—or that which has a cabinet he can entrust his life to in times of need?"
Even Lyla knew what the correct answer to this question was. After all, no actual Ruler was a one-man show; such people couldn't even be considered Rulers.
"You must understand why I'm saying all of this to you by now, don't you?" asked Jin.
Lyla nodded slowly.
She may have been a bit dull, but she wasn't utterly hopeless in terms of intelligence. And it became quite obvious that she was being poached, though it did come off as quite weird when it was a seven-year-old child doing the poaching.
"You don't need to give me an answer right now, as I haven't displayed anything worthy of your devotion yet, but do think about it." Jin started walking toward his residence, which sat adjacent to Lyla's. "Also, back to the topic of studying, follow me in if you—"
Suddenly pausing, Jin looked in a certain direction. His entire vibe changed in an instant.
Returning to normal, he said to Lyla, "It would seem that we're going to have to postpone the study session. However, from what I can tell, the areas where you're lacking in Magic Theory are detailed in Chapters 63 through 74.
There are some other more… complicated problems you're dealing with, but I'll have to address those later. Right now, just focus on those eleven chapters. And memorize Rudimentary Magic Sigils B-6 through G-9, with emphasis on the C category; they will assist you and your Elements greatly."
Lyla wasn't sure why the sudden change in demeanor, but she nonetheless nodded before making her way inside her mansion.
After she was gone, Jin's expression iced over.
"Follow me somewhere more discreet. This place is inconvenient."
It would appear that he was talking to nothing more than the breeze blowing through, but that wasn't actually true. And after receiving no response, Jin flickered from his spot. In seconds, he was already some miles outside Academy Grounds.
In the middle of a wide, open valley, he stood like an unsheathed sword. His brows furrowed as his pupils darted around, seemingly identifying the locations of several targets. When this occurred, those hiding in wait gave up on the sneaky approach.
FWIP!
Stepping out of cracks in space, three white-haired old men appeared.
"Don't blame us for this, young prince; blame your talent for being too immense," said the tallest of the old men.
With the |Spiritual Sight| Innate Skill, he was determined to be in the 5th Circle Great Grandmaster Mage Realm. The other two were a stage lower, in the 4th Circle Great Grandmaster Realm.
"Hmm… So that's how it is," Jin said as if he figured everything out. "You must've used some sort of distraction at the Kingdom's borders, luring away every powerhouse of the Kingdom, including my parents. Oh, and what is this around us? A Concealment Barrier? Must be meant to shield the prying eyes of anyone who happens to pass by; no, you're likely more concerned about the gaze of the Moon God."
Surprise filtered through the expressions of the three Great Grandmaster Mages.
"You're even more intelligent than the rumors depict you to be, and you've indeed figured everything out," said the tallest old man, his aura flaring. "But what does that matter? Today is the day you die—and no amount of intelligence or intuition will change that fact."
*Sigh…*
'What blind fools these ones are.'