Ancient Empire Calendar Year 1803
While Ricardo continued his training on aura and swordsmanship from his master Richard, he did not neglect his mana training with his mother.
At the end of a year of training, he had succeeded in creating his own mana heart. Now his mother, Seliarnevre, could begin teaching him how to create mana veins.
"Listen carefully, Ricardo. Take a deep breath and focus on the mana in your breath. Feel the breath you take spreading throughout your body. You must watch how the mana in your breath passes through your veins and map the veins in your body. To create mana veins, first learn the locations of the veins in your body."
Ricardo followed his mother's instructions to the letter. He breathed and watched how the mana in his breath passed through his veins, learning as he did.
At the end of 15 minutes, he visualized the map of the veins in his body.
"It's finished, Mother. I've learned the veins. What should I do now?"
Seliarnevre was surprised. Even the most talented mages would take between 25 to 35 minutes to learn the vein pathways.
Seliarnevre had learned them in 23 minutes, and her son Ricardo had learned the vein pathways in a record time of 15 minutes.
Ricardo managed to surprise and amaze his mother Seliarnevre every time with his great talent.
Seliarnevre looked at her son and began to laugh.
"Hah, even if I say I won't be surprised again, you still manage to surprise and shock me every time, my son."
Ricardo was happy. His mother smiled at him and was proud.
He had forgotten these feelings decades ago, but his mother reminded him of them again. Ricardo looked at his mother confidently and said:
"I will continue to surprise you every time, Mother."
Seliarnevre stood up.
"Have I spoiled my son too much? This is not good."
She was a little worried, because arrogance and spoiledness were the golden rule of death in this dark Dynasty.
Seliarnevre realized she had to get serious.
She wiped the smile from her face and put on a stern expression.
"We've had enough fun. Now it's time to create your mana veins, Ricardo. Once you start, you cannot stop until you finish, so listen to me carefully before you begin and make sure you've learned everything."
Ricardo didn't understand at first why his mother had suddenly become serious, but after thinking a little, he understood the reason.
Ricardo also realized that he could no longer be a child and decided to become serious, listening to his mother with full attention.
"Most mages can complete their mana veins in 24 to 25 hours. Those considered talented take 10 to 15 hours, and those considered even more exceptional finish in 5 hours."
Seliarnevre thought that Ricardo could complete the mana pathways in 5 hours, and with his talent, it was possible.
"Alright Ricardo, first visualize the veins in your mind, then begin spreading the mana from your heart throughout your body by giving it the shape of veins. Slowly and steadily, create your mana veins. Don't rush. This process is very long; even if it takes hours, don't worry. Clear all thoughts and feelings from your mind and focus on creating your mana veins."
After learning everything he needed to do, Ricardo began preparing to create his mana veins, but before doing so, he decided to ask a question he was curious about.
"Mother, what are the functions of mana veins?"
Seliarnevre gave a short but concise answer to Ricardo's question in order to continue the process:
"Mana veins carry the mana from your mana heart to your limbs, allowing you to cast spells. Without mana veins, you cannot carry your mana to your limbs and cast spells. Additionally, mana veins direct the mana in your breath straight to your mana heart without dispersing it throughout your body. In short, we can say that mana veins and the mana heart are vital organs for a mage."
After receiving the answer to his question, Ricardo closed his eyes, mapped out the veins in his body in his mind, and according to that map, distributed the mana from his heart throughout his body, shaping it into veins. Slowly and carefully, the mana veins spread through his body. Within 3 hours, they had covered his entire body. When he finished and opened his eyes, he looked at his mother.
"I've finished, Mother, and I'm very tired."
Seliarnevre could not hide her surprise. She spoke to herself in a tone Ricardo could not hear.
"This is now beyond talent. This is very illogical. No matter how talented he is, it should have taken at least 5 hours, but he finished in 3 hours."
Seliarnevre felt the burden on her back growing heavier.
Her son had great potential in both aura and mana.
If he developed both of these skills well, Ricardo would become the greatest swordsman and mage of the age.
Seliarnevre saw that Ricardo had unknowingly fallen asleep on her lap.
It was obvious he was very tired. She looked at her son with proud eyes and patted his head.
Then she called the servants and ordered them to take Ricardo to his room.
That night, everyone's spirits were high. It was past one in the morning, but as Seliarnevre and Richard sipped their wine with pleasure, they began to think that it was no longer impossible for Ricardo to become the new Lord of the House.
When Richard finished his wine, he said:
"My Lady, I am certain that Ricardo will be the next Lord of the Dynasty. I say this sincerely. In the coming years, when the young lord reaches his twenties, he will be unrivaled in both magic and swordsmanship. Perhaps even the Dynasty Lord IV Orsman will not be a rival to young lord Ricardo."
Seliarnevre nodded in agreement with Richard. She was pleased with all this praise; she was proud of her son.
"Richard, I didn't even tell Ricardo this, but at first, my only goal was to protect him from all assassins until he turned 14 and ensure he left the palace safely. But with this talent, I too think Ricardo could be the next lord. However, it will not be easy."
Richard saw the excitement mixed with fear in his lady's eyes and thought he should reassure her.
"My Lady, I understand your concern, but there is no need to be afraid. There have been no assassination attempts in the last few years, and the other wives are both indebted to you and afraid of you. You even destroyed the Zelfhaya that terrorized the palace back then. You found the killer of the Dynasty Lord's murdered daughter. Yes, all these achievements have attracted a lot of attention, but everyone is aware that you are not someone to be easily messed with."
Despite Richard's words, Seliarnevre could not calm down, but she decided not to show it. She straightened up confidently, pulled her shoulders back, and a sharp, self-assured expression appeared on her face.
"You are right, Master Richard. For my son's sake, I must trust myself more. For you and for all my servants, for everyone who has sworn loyalty to us."
Richard was impressed by his lady's confident stance, but there was something strange. Even though it was night, the surroundings were very quiet. Richard silently drew his sword.
"My Lady, go to the Young Lord. Something is strange. There may be assassins."
Seliarnevre quickly went to Ricardo and woke him. Ricardo was sleepy and confused.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Seliarnevre didn't want to scare Ricardo, but she knew that realizing things from a young age in this palace could extend one's life.
"There are assassins, Ricardo. Calm down. Take a deep breath. Just like in meditation, clear your mind of thoughts and emotions and focus."
Ricardo quickly grasped the seriousness of the situation. Outwardly, he might be a child, but he had once been an Emperor who sat on the throne for 50 years.
Ricardo took the short sword hanging beside his bed, infused it with his aura, and waited ready for any possible attack on him.
Seeing this, Seliarnevre was impressed by her son's cool and confident demeanor and prepared for battle like her son.
Holding the ice dagger Silvarist in one hand in case of close combat, she transferred her mana to her other hand and prepared to cast a spell.
Seliarnevre was the most powerful ice mage on the continent.
Although she couldn't use powerful spells since they were in the bedroom, she had to help Richard.
Richard approached the door. He looked at his Lady and Young Lord, whom he was sworn to protect. Both were worried but ready to fight.
"Even if I die today, I will protect you. Anyone can replace an ordinary guard like me, but no one can replace a genius like Ricardo."
Richard focused all his attention and felt the aura of the assassins outside the door.
"There are about 30 assassins. The warriors and servants responsible for guarding the hall have been killed. I must stay calm. I have to kill at least half of the assassins before I die."
Richard kicked the door open before the assassins could. The assassins stepped back in surprise.
"What? What's happening?!"
Before the assassins could recover, Richard attacked them with his aura-infused sword. He transferred half of his mana to his feet to increase his speed, and the remaining half to his arms to swing his sword faster. He stabbed the startled assassin in the throat with tremendous speed.
"Gh... argh..."
Then he swung his sword to the right, splitting another assassin's stomach in two. The assassin's organs scattered around. Next, he gathered his aura into his fist, broke another assassin's jaw, swung his sword, and cut off the assassin's head. He plunged his sword into another assassin's heart, who died vomiting blood. Another assassin transferred his aura to his dagger and attacked Richard.
"Die, you bastard!"
Richard blocked the attack with his sword, directed his aura to his foot, and kicked the assassin. The assassin was thrown back, landing on his back. Richard jumped on the assassin and stabbed his sword into his heart.
"Aaaaaa!"
The assassin's screams of pain were short-lived. Richard began swinging his sword faster, killing one assassin with each swing. One, two, three. One by one, the assassins were dying on Richard's sword. But Richard's stamina was not infinite. He fell to one knee, out of breath!
"Haa... haa..."
Richard saw that there were still about 20 assassins in front of him, but he could no longer stand. He was too old.
"Damn it. If I were a little younger, this day wouldn't have turned out like this."
Richard the Warrior was worried. If he died, what would happen to his Lady and Young Lord, whom he was supposed to protect?
Seliarnevre might be strong. Ricardo might be a genius, but could they fight 20 assassins?
Just then, dozens of ice spears rained down on the assassins from behind.
The assassins ran left and right to save their lives, begging for mercy, screaming in pain.
"Aaaaaa!"
"Run!"
"Take cover!"
"Damn it, no one told me this whore was such a powerful sorceress!"
Richard was surprised. His lady, whom he had been slightly worried about, had killed 10 assassins with a single spell.
"Maybe the three of us can get out of here."
His morale had risen. Suddenly filled with energy, he gripped his sword with both hands.
"Come here, you motherless bastards! Let's see what this old wolf can do!"
The enraged assassins attacked Richard as if they had no tomorrow.
Richard swung his sword diagonally upward and killed one assassin, but due to old age and fatigue, two assassins cut Richard's vital points with their daggers.
Richard swung his sword toward the assassin on his right, cutting deeply from shoulder to waist.
He caught the other assassin with his hand and broke his neck. He could no longer continue. The remaining 6 assassins were attacking Seliarnevre.
Unlike Seliarnevre's surprise attack, their attacks this time were not landing. This distracted Richard.
One of the assassins took advantage of this situation and threw his dagger with tremendous speed, using all his might.
The dagger slit Richard's throat and stuck into the shoulder of the assassin in front of him.
Seliarnevre seized the opportunity and plunged the ice dagger Silvarist into the assassin's heart.
As the assassin's body froze and disintegrated, Seliarnevre saw Richard lying on the ground covered in blood and went mad with rage.
"RICHARD, YOU DAMN, ACCURSED BASTARDS!"
Seliarnevre screamed until her throat tore. The mana she channeled into her vocal cords was so loud that the assassins covered their ears with all their mana and aura. Ricardo saw his mother going mad with rage; she couldn't even see her own son. Ricardo knew he had to protect himself.
"GISKAR!"
The contracted spirit Giskar, responding to Ricardo's call, immediately protected Ricardo's ears with his spiritual energy.
The assassins, however, had no spirit to protect themselves. Their internal organs exploded from the loud noise.
Blood gushed from their mouths, ears, and noses. They died in agony. The leader of the 29 assassins, except for one, rushed forward.
Before Seliarnevre could notice him, he was right at the tip of her nose.
Just as he was about to slit Seliarnevre's throat with the dagger in his hand, Ricardo transferred his mana to his feet, cast an acceleration spell, stepped in front of his mother, and infused all his aura into his sword.
The aura had increased the size of the sword fivefold. This was the aura shaping he had been working on for a long time. He had shaped the giant sword of his dreams.
The assassin was horrified and caught off guard.
"IMPOSSIBLE!"
Ricardo frowned and clenched his teeth. He swung his sword with all his might.
"DIE, YOU ACCURSED BASTARD!"
Ricardo's swing was so powerful that it tore through the bedroom and the adjoining rooms. The battle was over. Thirty assassins had been killed, but the price was heavy.
All the soldiers and servants loyal to Seliarnevre had been killed. But the greatest loss was their Guard, their Warrior, their Master, and their closest friend, Richard Kislavein. He was dead.
Neither of them would forget this day for the rest of their lives. Ricardo was filled with anger and sorrow. He looked at his mother.
"Mother, I will avenge my master."
Seliarnevre shared the same feelings.
"We will take it together, Ricardo."
This oath would be fulfilled one day, and much blood would be shed that day.