Chapter 37 : Even if that wasn’t the intention

“Come to think of it, what’s that? I saw it on the way here and it’s been bothering me.”

Prince Reyzen, who had come out to the garden, pointed at a golem crouching in the corner and spoke.

“Ah, that’s a golem we made for security around our mansion. We created it recently due to some unfortunate incidents.”

“Ooh, so that’s the golem. It’s my first time seeing one in person.”

The gleam of interest sparkled in Prince Reyzen’s eyes as if he had discovered a fascinating toy.

As expected, boys seem to like these things more.

But still, it’s surprising that a prince would be seeing a golem for the first time.

“Well then, shall we start the lesson soon?”

Let’s save the small talk for later and get to what needs to be done first.

Prince Reyzen, seeming to think the same, nodded and agreed, asking for my help.

Meanwhile, Serena… though she looked a bit displeased, she silently kept her distance from the two of us.

It felt like she was being left out again, and it made me feel a little sorry.

I’ll have to make it up to her later by petting and playing with her as much as she wants.

“You remember roughly what I taught you before, right?”

At my question, Prince Reyzen nodded.

How to use advanced magic at the level of a mid-tier mage.

It’s only a one-time thing, but it allows you to momentarily break through your limits.

Of course, that’s the only advantage — when used, it drains all the mana you have, so it’s really just a last-resort technique.

Honestly, I wanted to tell him not to rely too much on it, but seeing his eyes full of anticipation, it was hard to say something so cold-hearted.

I had no choice but to go over what I taught him last time, treating it like a review.

“The reason why you haven’t been able to succeed even after trying again, Prince, is probably because the technique hasn’t become ingrained in your body yet.”

“The technique, you say?”

“Yes. Simply thinking ‘I need to draw up my mana’ isn’t enough.You need to concentrate as if you’re squeezing out every ounce of strength from even the tips of your hair.”

Last time, I interfered with his mana internally, making it easier.

But this time, I’m going to make him succeed with his own strength, without any external help.

“Indeed, it seems I haven’t been desperate enough. My mindset was wrong, I suppose…”

“No, it’s also because my explanation wasn’t good enough back then.”

Considering he’s mentally mature for his age, he wouldn’t give up so easily.

I’ll be right by his side giving advice too, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

And so, Prince Reyzen continued practicing to draw out all his mana at once, following my guidance.

There were frustrating moments where he came close but just couldn’t quite do it.

Still, seeing the sweat fall from his unwavering determination made me unknowingly focus on him.

I even forgot that Serena had been watching us intently the whole time.

*

“Grrrgh…!”

“Put more energy into it! Focus on the image of bursting from within while gathering your mana!”

The lesson was now in full swing.

Prince Reyzen closed his eyes, gritting his teeth, while Ershi stood beside him, fervently offering advice.

To an outsider, the scene might have looked odd, but to Serena, who had learned some magic herself, it looked very different.

‘It keeps scattering.’

Since when, she didn’t know.

But there was a point when her vision changed strangely while learning magic.

It was as if she could see inside people — especially whenever she looked at Ershi,she saw a massive, pure mass dwelling within her and grew curious about what it was.

And then, whenever magic was performed and she saw that mass stirring,she realized it was mana.

Without any interference, she had become able to sense the flow of mana directly.

She had never told even Ershi about the unprecedented change.

Even though she knew it was unlikely, she was scared that Ershi might find it disgusting and distance herself.

Anyway, to Serena’s eyes, Reyzen’s mana was, in a way, precarious.

It seemed like it would gather together but would then slowly scatter again.

The scale of it was no more than a droplet, but because of that, he was struggling in the current situation.

‘Ugh, how frustrating.’

Why can’t he do it? 

All he has to do is focus properly.

It was a thought Serena could have because she had never experienced much difficulty learning magic.

In a way, it bordered on arrogance — though she never showed it outwardly.

She even felt like walking over to Reyzen and telling him directly.

But doing so would be the same as helping someone she regarded as an enemy.

So all she could do was stare at him disapprovingly.

“Huff, huff…”

Meanwhile, Reyzen, having spent too much of his concentration, let out rough breaths and bent over.

The streaks of sweat running down his face were proof of his effort.

Ershi also thought it would be good for him to take a short break and decided to pause the lesson for a moment.

“I’m sorry… Maybe I just don’t have the talent…”

“That’s not true. Your Highness, you are capable — with a little more effort, you’ll be able to do it.”

“Well, thanks for saying that, but…”

Despite her encouragement, he still looked unsure.

“…I’ll go get a mana potion, so please wait just a moment.”

Thinking that rest would be better than encouragement right now, Ershi quickly headed back toward the mansion.

After she left, Reyzen sat down on the ground and tried to catch his breath.

Thanks to that, his complexion improved a little, but an air of unease still lingered around him.

Will I really be able to do it if I keep trying? 

Is it even possible?

His fear of failure was something even Serena, who was watching from the side, could sense.

‘…It can’t be helped.’

She didn’t like it, but if she helped the struggling Reyzen, she might be able to redirect Ershi’s attention back toward herself.

With that in mind, Serena pushed aside her feelings and approached Reyzen.

“Your Highness.”

“…What is it?”

Sure enough, when she approached, he responded with a wary look.

Maybe that’s why —Even though she originally intended to speak calmly, Serena couldn’t help but let some emotion creep into her voice.

Of course, her goal was still to give him advice.

“Could you concentrate a little more? You won’t be able to do it properly if you keep being so half-hearted.”

**

As I headed back toward the garden with a mana potion in hand, I saw something happening — they were tangled up and rolling on the ground.

From a distance, I couldn’t quite tell what it was at first, but once I realized what was happening, my legs moved on instinct.

It was none other than Serena and Prince Reyzen fighting each other.

“Both of you, stop!”

As they grabbed each other’s collars and exchanged punches, I hurriedly intervened and separated them.

Even then, both of them bared their teeth and growled, still fuming with anger.

“You arrogant little…! I’ll never let you off for this!” 

“Look who’s talking!”

I was about to ask what the hell had happened while I was away for just a moment.

Sure, they were a bit awkward around each other, but it hadn’t been bad enough to start throwing punches.

At least, if I could call it a small mercy, neither of them seemed seriously injured—no nosebleeds or anything like that.

Not that the situation was anything good, of course.

“What have you done to His Highness!”

Hearing the commotion, Prince Reyzen’s royal guards rushed over.

And when they saw his disheveled clothes and the chaotic atmosphere, their eyes turned menacing, hands drifting toward the swords at their waists.

“Count Christian, you will have to explain this properly. You must understand this is no small matter.”

Of course, I knew that better than anyone.

It’s not every day a royal prince—especially the youngest son of the king—gets hit.

The fact that they hadn’t immediately drawn their swords on Serena meant they were at least willing to hear the full story first.

Or maybe they were simply reluctant to pick a fight with me.

“Stay out of this.”

At that moment, Prince Reyzen waved his hand, ordering his knights back.

Even then, his eyes remained fixed on Serena.

“B-But, Your Highness…” 

“I said stay out of it! I’ll deal with her myself!”

Sensing he might truly explode if they pushed further, the knights hesitated and didn’t interfere anymore.

Still, I had to find out what happened, so I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Your Highness, what exactly happened? Serena isn’t the type to be rude—”

“If you mean rudeness, she definitely crossed the line! She told me to get my act together and concentrate! And I was sincerely trying!”

“…Excuse me?”

At that unexpected answer, my eyes naturally turned to Serena.

I didn’t even need to ask if it was true—she nodded as soon as we made eye contact and said,”It’s true! If you had just concentrated a little more, you would’ve finished it already!”

“W-What?! You—!”

Good grief.

So, to sum up the situation:Serena said something that hurt Prince Reyzen’s pride, and that escalated into a fistfight.

How simple.

And therefore, how much more of a headache.

Even if Serena hadn’t meant to pick a fight, it was clear who had crossed the line first.

In the end, the responsibility for this whole mess would fall on me.

Now.

How was I supposed to calm down Prince Reyzen?

First, I bowed my head and apologized, but it didn’t seem to be enough to satisfy him.

“There’s no need for you to step in, Count. I simply want to settle things with that girl myself.”

“But, Your Highness, if you do that—”

“I know. I’m not trying to assert my authority over something like this. Even so, I have my own honor to uphold.”

As he said this, Prince Reyzen pulled a glove from his pocket and threw it at Serena.

Throwing a glove — among nobles, that gesture had only one meaning.

“A duel! I’ll personally correct that arrogant attitude of yours!”