บท 23: Wish

A week ago.

In the Capitolio's main barracks.

An old knight: "I've got a direct order from the emperor. Rookie, you're tasked to protect the prince for the upcoming festival next month. You will be sent there next week, try to get to know each other in three weeks before the festival. Knowing you, you might treat him with a bitter attitude."

A middle-aged knight: "Whether the prince liked you or not will decide the fate of your life. He's not like your previous commoner clients."

A young adult knight with an aggressive face: "There must be a mistake. Why would the emperor give a major mission to this child?"

Middle-aged knight: "This child still has a better ranking than you despite being a rookie, and he continues to climb the ranks in a fast pace. Show some respect to your superior."

Aggressive knight: "Tsk.."

The rookie knight sighs and left without permission: "How bothersome.. Protecting some bratty prince is the last thing I would do."

Middle-aged knight sighs in disappointment: "That kid.."

Aggressive knight: "How can I respect someone like that?"

Back to the present.

Kali went to his bed, hugged his pillow, and thought about her.

That mischievous smile she made while they are both looking at each other back in the garden. That moment marked into the deepest of Kali's mind.

As he thinks about it, a feeling of romantic excitement surged throughout his body.

He hugged the pillow tighter and made a giddy face. He then proceeded to roll on his bed, back and forth.

Kali didn't have enough sleep that night.

The next day.

The requested meat for Kali's experiment has arrived.

Kali: "What in the hell is this?"

Gale: "For what reason did you order this, master?.."

Kali: "I asked for a few meat for.. cooking."

Gale: "But why are we in the castle's dungeon?? And why is it a whole dead pig?!"

Kali: "Ask my father about that.. Also, you wouldn't want to see what I'm about to do to this poor pig."

Gale: "I don't really need to know. But I have to supervise you just in case."

Kali: "This is something I must do alone, Ms. Gale. For the sake of your sanity, I order you to leave."

Gale: "Thank you for worrying about me but I should stay."

Kali: "No, Ms. Gale. As the Prince of Agham, I am seriously ordering you to leave."

Gale: "That's unusual... Just be careful, 'kay?"

Gale left.

Kali continued to where he last left off. He would try to specify the area affected by his magic, focusing it on one body part at a time.

He chopped off the ear and grabbed the bottom part. He tried to test out his first theory, where his magic can be blocked by his own body.

It didn't work. His hand got knocked back as the ear ripped off into his shape.

Kali wondered: "On to the next theory. This time, it might take quite a bit of trial and error before I can prove this to be true."

Kali focused his mind to the tip of the left ear.

The tip scatters while a small chunk of the bottom part remains.

Kali: "Whoa, first try!"

He wonders: "So this one must be true. Well, I'll eventually find that out once I try testing it."

Kali sliced a skin from the hind leg of the pig and held it.

He's trying to cast his magic to specified parts of the skin.

Kali thought: "This one's going to need a more intense focus."

Kali sent his mana.

The magic was casted into the specific parts successfully, the problem is that Kali had a rough visualization of the target area, blowing off the tip of his index finger in the process.

Kali: "Ackkkkk!!"

Kali quickly ripped his luxurious robe using his teeth to patch his bleeding finger.

The blood hardly stops from flowing.

He panics, the blood then gushes out.

Kali left the dungeon to find help.

A knight found him, but he's already about to pass out due to extreme panic.

He regained conciousness few minutes later.

His father, his mother, and Ms. Gale was there in his room.

Mari: "Kali! Thank goodness!"

"I don't care whatever your father says! You will never use dark magic again! Got it?!"

Sakal looked at him.

Kali gave him a serious stare.

Sakal said nothing and left. He realized that even if he doesn't order him to do it, or if anyone tries to stop him, Kali will continue to practice dark arts anyway. Kali is in desperation for power by any means necessary.

In this world of magic where power is thousand times more impactful than in reality, weakness is a sin. Kali knew.

Gale: "I am sorry your highness. I shouldn't have left him."

Mari: "Please never let him do such thing next time.."

Gale: "I will make sure of it."

Kali: "Mother, who and where was that person who helped me?"

Mari: "He left just now. He carried you all the way here-"

Kali quickly jumped out of his bed and ran.

Mari: "Stop! You should rest first!.. That child.."

Kali saw the knight walking through the hallway leading outside.

Kali: "Wait! Mr. Knight!"

The red haired knight who seemed to be the same age as Kali that time, turned around.

Rookie knight: "What was it?"

Kali spoke as he pants: "May I have your name?"

Rookie knight sighs: "..Biel."

Kali: "Thank you for helping me, Mr. Biel. I want to pay back your kindness. Ask me anything and I shall give it to you."

Biel: "I want you to leave me alone."

Kali: "Huh? Are you sure you don't want something? I'm not going to bother you anymore anyway after I made sure to pay you back, so if you want me to leave, ask me for help."

Biel: "Quite the business man you are, making offers in an instant."

"Then, I want you to end the war."

Kali: "That's.. Understood. It might take me a while to grant you that wish, but I will make sure to make it happen."

Biel: "What? Are you nuts? I was obviously joking."

Kali: "I will seriously dedicate my life to it if you want me to."

Biel: "..Hm? Interesting. Then make it happen, Prince Makali Albedo. End the Great War."

Kali: "I will not fail you, Sir Biel."

Biel: "With that enthusiasm of yours, you must have thought of a possible way."

Kali: "I'm still not sure of it, but I will find out soon."

Biel: "How are you going to end the Great War? Magicians are becoming more and more powerful generation by generation, and the numbers and intensity of war between countries have been in the greatest than any point in the past. Even the legendary figure General Kata can only just lessen the wars."

Kali: "I figured it's about time we do it in a different way, but I can't reveal that for now."

Biel: "I see. I'm not expecting any half baked results, got that?"

Kali: "Just who is the prince between us again?"

Biel: "Prince or not, I'm still stronger than you. Now leave me be."

Biel walked away.

Biel: "Oh, I forgot. We will be meeting each other a lot more."

Kali: "What? What does that mean?"

Meanwhile.

Sakal: "Things are escalating faster than expected, problems are appearing all at once. To think that every powerful nation in this continent has formed an alliance to take down our empire. We are surrounded by enemies, this is the first time I can't think of any way to solve this. Thank you for your report, colonel Vint."

"Looks like that is the best solution I can think of."