Even though this guy, Adrien Leofrick, is stuck babysitting me, he's still an Arcanist with a fourth-solid-ring core.
Now, a fourth-solid-ring core? That's no joke. It means Adrien has reached an advanced level of Arcanist. A mana core is the very heart of an Arcanist's power. When it's first awakened, it's just a simple ball of glowing energy. But with cultivation, something amazing happens, the core starts to form rings.
These aren't just decorative halos. No, these are mana rings, swirling around the core as they channel energy. The number of rings tells you just how powerful an Arcanist is. It's a scale that goes from one to seven, with seven being the highest and most rare.
Each ring is a sign of progress, of mastery. There's an intermediate stage too, called the Transparent Ring phase, where the ring isn't fully formed yet, it's like a ghostly outline, just waiting to become solid.
And once it's complete? That's when the ring turns solid, signifying true power.
But here's the kicker: the mana core can only hold up to seven rings. That's the absolute limit of a core's capacity. Anyone who reaches that, they're a legend in the making. A seven-ring Arcanist is a rarity you don't find every day.
Anyway, Adrien isn't just a guy with a Fourth-solid-Ring core; he's got dual affinity for Aqua and Terra. And this freak didn't stop there. He even created his own stigma, a unique power combining both elements. It's called Mudslide (the name could use some work, but whatever).
Stigmas are something special. Only the most skilled Arcanists can create their own stigma by merging two or more elements into a new, powerful form. And having dual affinities is rare enough, that Stigmas are basically unheard of.
As for me, when I was Xavier, well, I had five affinities. Five. A number that doesn't even have a word for it. Yeah, the world has no clue what to do with me. What's the term for that level of crazy?
I could control all the five major elements: Aqua, Ignis, Terra, Fulmen, and Aero. To regular humans, these are just water, fire, earth, lightning, and wind. But to me, they were more than that. I could manipulate them all, bending them to my will.
And on top of that, I could also manipulate Light, a sub-element tied to my solar Lion. Light manipulators are rare, almost as rare as shadow users, who are seen as legendary figures.
Well, Major elements users are common across all races. Sub-element users are rare, with light and shadow being exceptionally so. That makes me an Ordinant Arcanist who uses major elements and also a Variant Arcanist who uses sub-element powers.
"Do you wish to continue, young master?" Adrien asked, clearly worried about me.
I mean, come on, my whole body was aching, and I looked like a walking dust cloud. He hit me like five times with that wooden sword! And don't even get me started on the last one. My back still feels it.
Yeah, this was just another day in my life: sword training with a guy who forgets I'm literally a child.
To tell the truth, I'm not exactly great with swords. Even in my past life as Xavier, my go-to-go weapon was a golden scythe. Sometimes, a spear.
But swords? Meh. I'm not terrible, but I'm not good either. And with this tiny body? Ugh, I know what to do, but I just can't do it. My body doesn't move how I want it to. Super frustrating.
And Adrien? This guy doesn't care at all. Still smacking me like I'm some adult sparring partner. I swear he's enjoying this. Bullying a kid, aren't you, Adrien?
Also, my mom and dad weren't too thrilled about me training like this. They think I'll get hurt. Normally, I'd say no one can hurt me... but today's not the best example. Let's just forget that for now.
The practice yard sits behind our house. It's nothing fancy but pretty decent for a poor barony. There's a weapon rack in the corner and space to train with swords, spears, and even archery. Maybe it's because my great-grandfather, Ciel Ashford, was once known as the strongest Arcanist of Crownland before he passed away.
"Kaiser," Adrien suddenly straightened up and quickly hid his wooden sword behind his back as he heard a voice. That means- mom!
She came through the back door, holding a basket, her green eyes matching the soft green dress she wore.
"Oh, there you are- my gosh, are you okay?!" she gasped when she saw the mess I was in.
"Yeah, Mom," I said with a smile, trying to play it cool even though everything hurt.
She squinted at me, clearly not buying it. "Is that so?"
She looked like she was going out somewhere. "I'm thinking about going around the barony to buy some things. Wanna come with me?" she asked.
Why is a baroness going shopping herself? Weird question, but with Mom, not really. She likes strolling around the market with her kids. Usually, it's me and Arlan, but since Arlan's been acting like a grumpy old man lately, I guess she wanted a little peace of mind.
"Okayi," I nodded.
So, after changing into clean clothes (and trying not to wince too hard), I headed to the market with Mom.
I still remember those early days, Mom, Dad, Arlan, and me walking through the streets together. Mom would buy me anything I pointed at and let me eat new kinds of sweets. Honestly, it's one of my favorite memories.
The market wasn't huge, but it was lively and full of warmth. Families strolled together, lovers picked out sweets and trinkets, and shopkeepers greeted us with big smiles. Some even handed me toys and candy. It was... nice. Something I never had as the crown prince.
Back in the capital, I was always surrounded by guards. Even when I went out alone, they'd tail me. People didn't smile or wave; they just stepped aside, stayed quiet. No one dared talk to me, let alone give me candy.
But here? I wasn't a prince. I was just Kaiser. And honestly, I liked that.
Most of the houses here were wooden and small, decorated with flowers and vines. The smell of fresh bread floated through the air, and trees bloomed with soft pink and yellow blossoms lining the streets.
"Hello, young master!" called Granny Lee from her candy stall, waving at me. She pointed to some new sugar candies she had. My eyes must've sparkled because Mom laughed just looking at my face.
"Here you go," Granny Lee said, handing me a rabbit-shaped sugar candy on a stick.
"Thank you, Granny Lee," I said, giving her my best smile.
Mom tried to pay, but of course, Granny refused. So, Mom just bought three more extras for Arlan, Adrien, and my little brother, Luca.
Luca's two years younger than me, just three years old. And yet somehow, he's got more common sense than Arlan. He's adorable, like a perfect mix of sunshine and mischief. Unlike me and Arlan, he takes after Mom, with black hair and those soft emerald-green eyes.
Honestly, Luca always reminds me of Caius... my little brother from my past life. I wonder how he's doing now. He and Arlan are the same age, so maybe Caius is attending Waewin College, too?
I wish I could see him one more time.
"Kaiser, do you want some butter cookies?" Mom asked, eyeing a cookie cart.
Behind the cart there was a little girl selling cookies while her mother, Aunt Matilda, watched proudly from her seat. Matilda also owns the biggest bakery in the barony, which is behind that little cookie cart. Since she's pregnant with baby number seven (yeah, seventh), her seven-year-old daughter Elsa was running the cart.
"Hello, Elsa," Mom greeted.
"Oh! Lady Eleanor!" Elsa's face lit up when she saw Mom. Back off, she's my mom.
"Good evening, Lady Eleanor. Out shopping with the young master?" Aunt Matilda asked, trying to stand.
"It's okay, don't get up, Matilda," Mom said quickly. "Is the due date close?"
And just like that, a never-ending conversation started. I sighed.
Elsa giggled when she saw my face. "Do you want a cookie, young master?"
I nodded and joined her behind the cart, just like Mom did.
"Which one is the best?" I asked.
"You like strawberry, right?" she asked, handing me a pink, round cookie with a proud grin.
I took it with both hands and took a bite. Delicious.
Elsa leaned on the cart and watched me eat like I hadn't eaten in days.
"What?" I asked, mouth full.
"Nah, you look cute, young master."
Seriously? I looked away, pretending I didn't hear that. But... "If that's the case, give me one more."
She laughed and handed me another. Shameless? Yeah. Worth it? Totally.
"So, young master Kaiser," Elsa said, her tone softening a little. "I heard young master Arlan returned. Is he... alright?"
Figures. Elsa and Arlan used to be pretty close.
"Yeah," I said between bites.
Her face fell a little. "Oh... I see. Thank you for telling me."
Her voice dropped too.
Well, that's Arlan for you. Coming back and not even saying hi to someone who clearly cares about him.
I opened my mouth to say something, but before any word could slip out, a random customer interrupted.
"Can I have a cookie?"
The voice just floated in the air. Huh? Where's the customer?
Elsa tiptoed to peek behind the cookie cart, and I leaned a little too. Turned out the voice belonged to a boy, maybe about my age, who was just short enough to disappear behind the cart, like me.
He wore fancy clothes, too fancy for the market, honestly, and had messy black hair and bright ocean-blue eyes. Something about him felt oddly familiar, like I'd seen him somewhere before.
Elsa smiled warmly and started packing his cookies in a neat brown bag. Meanwhile, the boy turned to look at me. I was still half-hiding behind the cart like a cookie thief caught mid-heist.
"Hello," he said with a smile.
"Hello," I replied back, stepping a little out. "Are you alone?"
Honestly, even in a peaceful barony, it's a bit dangerous for a kid to wander around looking like they belong to royalty. He looked down, a bit shy.
"I-I got lost," he said quietly, clutching his shirt. "And I'm hungry..."
He glanced up, hesitant. "Is it okay if I pay when my guard arrives?"
"It's alright, you can have this," Elsa said quickly, handing him the brown bag. "No need to pay."
Oi, girl. You're running a business, not a donation center. I wanted to say that, but the kid shook his head.
"Thank you, but I will pay," he said, taking the bag politely with both hands. Such manners.
"You look about the same age as Young Master Kaiser," Elsa said with a soft smile. I could already tell she wanted to keep talking, but more customers were lining up.
So, I decided to lead the kid to a wooden bench under a big tree. It had a circular seat around the trunk, and we both sat down. I watched as he munched on his cookie like he hadn't eaten in days.
Still… why did he seem so familiar?
He looked up, clearly sensing my stare. Was I that obvious?
"Do you want some?" he asked, holding out the cookie with a grin. Crumbs clung to his lips like he'd wrestled the cookie and lost.
"Huh? No."
"You were staring. I thought you were hungry too."
"Tch, don't worry. I'm not. Eat it yourself."
Truth be told… I want more. But I'd already had two big cookies earlier, and this tiny stomach of mine couldn't take a third.
"Okay," he said cheerfully and went back to munching.
What a weird kid. He looked like a noble but acted like… well, not one.
"Here you are, your- Young Master!" someone shouted from the crowd, running toward us. The guy was sweating buckets, dressed in a sharp black shirt with a sword strapped at his side.
Wait a second. Did he almost say your highness?!
The guy shot a sharp glare at me like I just stole a national treasure or something. I raised my eyebrow and gave him an equally icy look.
And then he unsheathed his sword a little.
what?! what is this idiot doing? unsheathing a sword toward a kid?
But even before he could unsheathe it fully, as if summoned by chaos itself, whoosh! Someone flew over me from behind, sword already drawn. Like seriously, the man tried to cut the poor guy down right then and there!
ADRIEN! Are you trying to kill him?!!!!
The black-shirt man barely blocked it in time, his sword clashing against Adrien's, the impact pushing him back. Now, everyone in the market turned to stare.
Mom came rushing toward us, her eyes wide. The little kid beside me looked more confused than scared.
"What are you doing, Adrien?!" I yelled.
Adrien didn't even flinch. "He unsheathed his sword at you, Young Master. I won't let him get away with that."
Oh my god, calm down. This isn't a duel arena! What should I even do with this idiot?!
Before either of them could go berserk again, Mom stepped in front of me and the kid with full mama-bear energy.
"Both of you, STOP! What do you think you're doing, pulling swords in front of children?!" she yelled.
Adrien blinked like he didn't expect to be scolded. "But Lady Elea-"
"Enough with that, Adrien! Put your sword away. Now!"
Adrien's face looked like he just swallowed a lemon, but he obeyed, though not before shooting a death glare at the black-shirt guy.
"And YOU!" Mom pointed sharply at him. "How dare you draw your sword in Ashford territory?!"
Nice, Mom. She really has that scary noblewoman energy when she wants to.
I had a feeling that Adrien followed us from the house just to make sure we were safe. Well, that's the kind of guy he is.
"Put it away, Mr. Loid," the boy said softly, stepping out from behind me. "They're good people."
The man- Loid- immediately lowered his sword and bowed deeply.
Wait, Loid? Did he just said Loid? Probably not that Loid I knew...right?
"My sincerest apologies for the trouble I caused," he said.
"Tch. I don't feel the sincerity, though," Adrien mumbled to himself as my mom glazed at him again to shut him down.