The golden-colored scrolls rested on top of Kion's desk as he stared himself down in the dressing mirror.
His usual poncho outfit was the don for the day. He looked good, for a prince, his longsword resting casually by his side.
He had looked through the scrolls, but for the first time since using them, he found a talent scroll particularly difficult to master.
Unlike his fire mana, which usually flowed easily through his inner channels, his lightning energy seemed far more clogged.
Shaman had told him that it would come naturally with training since lightning mana required a heavily conditioned body to tame it.
And while Kion was already quite fit, with chiseled abs and sculpted lean biceps, he wasn't quite there yet.
It was something that would've taken more time to master—a luxury he unfortunately didn't have.
Shaman had suggested that he ask Vice-Admiral Kuvira for tips. The poor wizard could only look confused when he saw the glare from the young prince's scary amber eyes.
She was the only other warrior anyone knew of with the lightning domain, but strangely, Kion refused to even entertain the thought of speaking to her.
It was out of the question.
Therefore, Shaman had suggested the second but obvious choice.
For Kion to keep training.
But that was not what Kion intended to do.
He opened his hand, staring unblinkingly at the two glowing capsules that rested in his palm.
They were beautiful in a mesmerizing way. These pills were going to be his secret weapon.
He hadn't taken them before, and he'd heard about their nasty side effects, but he didn't care about any of that. He knew he was built different.
Shaman would scream if he knew Kion had snagged these from his alchemical room earlier, but what had been done was done.
It could only go forward from here. Kion planned to use the pills and scrolls once he was away from the castle.
Knock! Knock!!
"Who is it?"
"It is time for your journey to begin, my lord. The royal carriage is here."
"Okay. I'll be outside in a minute."
Were it not for Penelope, Kion would have no idea what went on outside the four walls of his room.
His introverted nature had quickly been recognized by the castle noblemen, who grew accustomed to informing his personal maid of any antics within the castle that should concern him.
If Kion was ever seen outside his room, it was either to train at the courtyard with Sir Alex or to visit Shaman in his workshop.
Of course, there were the usual functions he was required to attend as a royal—weekend dinners with the noblemen of Stormholt, or hunting expeditions with his father and the king's personal guard.
But aside from that, Kion was never seen outside his quarters.
Kai, on the other hand, was all over the place.
Maybe it was his way of compensating for losing to a lowly prince—associating with everyone and trying to win their favor. At least, that was how Kion saw it.
But they usually avoided each other whenever their paths inevitably crossed.
Something they both knew they wouldn't be able to keep up after today.
They would only have each other to rely on, and since this was a first-time experience, neither of them would dare go solo and put the mission at risk.
It was a temporary fix neither was thrilled about, but it was something that had to happen.
Kion let out a sigh as he exited the quarters of his room.
A place he'd be leaving too soon.
He'd long grown accustomed to its solitude, but Kion had never known his peace to last this long.
The door slammed shut behind him as he checked his bags and satchel, confirming everything was in place.
He didn't need much, but the mission itself might take weeks. He had to be stocked well enough with everything.
King Aurelius had only given him and his brother five gold coins each, a huge cut below the amount royals usually budgeted for travel.
Not that it wasn't a lot—two gold coins alone were enough to buy a decent cottage.
It was just too low for their standards as royalty.
And that was exactly what Aurelius wanted—for them to move with limited resources.
Kion didn't care much. He'd lived with far less money and in far worse conditions. He knew he'd be fine.
He turned toward his carriage stationed just outside his quarters, only to run headfirst into Penelope.
"Watch it!" he hissed.
"Pardon me, my lord. I'm terribly sorry." Penelope bowed, her cheeks flushed red.
Kion ignored her and continued on his way.
He hadn't walked far before he heard familiar footsteps behind him, the sound of her rushing like scrambling mice.
"Why are you following me?" He turned to face her.
"Umm… you didn't know?"
"Know what?"
"That I'd be accompanying you on this journey, as is customary for young masters, my lord."
Kion had almost forgotten the usual tradition demanded for long trips outside the castle—that one's personal maid was to accompany them wherever and whenever.
There was also usually a knight who came along, but Kion hadn't yet reached the standing for that. Only Kai had that privilege.
Not that it mattered. Kion was perfectly capable of managing himself.
Meanwhile, Penelope fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure what to make of her master's thoughts as her head remained lowered.
She never looked him in the face. It was the way of the castle, and not to mention, her master had quite a brash personality.
She was sure he'd slap her if she so much as locked eyes with him.
Which was why what Kion said next caught her by surprise.
"I almost forgot that tradition. Anyway, you're free to follow me. I don't think there's much I can do about that. But it's going to be on one condition."
"And what would that be, my lord?"
This was where she expected the usual demands masters made of servants like her.
She had served him for almost two weeks, but no such request had ever been made—not to bed him, not to draw his bath and wash him, not even to dress him.
She was sure that after all this time, she could finally serve her master properly. Surely, he had only been shy all this while.
Penelope steeled herself. She had to do a good job. If she messed this up, who knew when her next chance to impress Kion would come along?
Kion's hand firmly gripped her shoulder. This was it.
"You'll have to look me in the eye when you speak to me. And also, stop drawling your voice like that. You're too beautiful for that business."
Penelope's face flushed red.
"Do we have a deal?"
"Y-yes, my lord." She stuttered.
Kion turned and left, leaving her momentarily stunned.
What in the—
"We leave in five. Go get dressed. Or do you want me to leave without you?"
"Definitely not, my lord!" Penelope screamed after him as she picked up her long flowing skirts and dashed to her maiden's room.
The castle gates were majestic.
Kion had seen them before, when he'd gone on hunting expeditions with the king, but he felt a sense of awe every time he laid eyes on them.
The twin gates stood tall and strong, fashioned from the greatest oak trees in the kingdom. They were laced with intricate gold etchings that depicted a mural crest of a dragon's head encircled by laurel wreaths. At their base was a massive magically-locked seal fashioned from storm iron—one of the strongest metals in the kingdom.
The debriefing had taken only a minute or two. Admiral Khyaal of the Imperial Baton brushed over some details of the mission, along with rules on how they should act and behave outside castle walls.
Usually, such details took far longer to cover, but the Admiral couldn't care less about this mission. To him, it seemed suicidal.
The Vice-Admiral stood next to him while he spoke, her gaze laid straight ahead.
Together, they were a lifeless pair. Kion was sure their behavior fit the description of those Greitors everyone had been talking about.
Two carriages were provided—one for each prince—as sharing was not even an option.
After the debriefing, their journey began.
Ten foot soldiers on horseback rode as their escorts, along with Penelope for Kion and Sir Richard for Kai, his personal knight bodyguard. Kai also had his personal maid with him, a certain Dimitria.
Together, their carriages rolled along the dirt road leading away from the castle, heading toward the bustling interior of the capital town and their first stop on the journey: Styria.
Kion assumed it was his imagination, but he could almost swear he glimpsed the Vice-Admiral staring at his carriage for longer than usual as it left the scene of Stormholt castle.