Why? How did things end up like this?
Damien stared blankly into space, his finger tracing magical circles in the air with zero soul behind the movement. The classroom had been rearranged; the students were now spaced about a meter apart, each relentlessly practicing their spells. Compared to the decisive, crisp movements of the others, Damien looked like a hesitant painter, his lines broken and shaky.
"[Light]!"
Accompanied by a highly dramatic, operatic incantation, a pale blue magic circle unfurled from the palm of Second Prince Corean. The formation completed exactly as his chant ended, and a brilliant radiance blossomed forth.
This was their current curriculum: [Protection from Evil] and [Light]. These two First-Tier spells were only slightly more difficult than [Create Water] and [Create Paper]. The former defended against mental attacks, while the latter provided illumination and could inflict minor damage or blindness upon the undead—making them perfect for indoor practice.
After finishing his cast, Corean began instructing the eight-year-old Fourth Prince. It didn't take long for the young boy's progress to surpass Damien's, who was currently moving with the speed of an elderly man possessed by a sloth. Sanita watched Damien's sluggish pace until she finally snapped.
"Damien! Can you move any faster? How long does it take you to trace a single magic circle! Timing is everything when releasing magic! We are casters—we don't just draw circles; we incant! Language has power!"
Sanita spoke through gritted teeth, her eyes full of the frustration one feels toward "iron that refuses to become steel." Previously, First Prince Caspond had been responsible for supervision; since his departure, the task had fallen to the twins. Sanita had originally intended to give Damien a hard time as petty revenge, only to realize that trying to teach him was a form of self-torture. Damien's daily training was effectively a punishment for her.
Damien looked miserable. Drawing a magic circle required the synchronization of mana and imagination, which was exceptionally difficult for him. While he could force the drawing through muscle memory, his constant failures in magic had shattered his confidence. Every step was tentative, resulting in abysmal efficiency.
Observing Damien's expression from the sidelines, Calca knew exactly what was going through his head. What Damien failed to realize was that since Calca was only six, their parents would never allow her to become a target of hostility for her older siblings. This was why Calca had never been worried about him "tattling." On the contrary, because of the matter regarding his future fief, Damien was the one who needed to work the hardest. As a father, the Holy King had to push his son to the limit before giving up on him. Queen Elizabeth was equally clever; by overhauling the system, she had dissolved and redirected the conflict, forcing Sanita and Corean to publicly support the decision. At most, it just meant a bit more training for Damien.
Seeing the situation unfold exactly as she had anticipated, Calca offered a small, satisfied smile. At that moment, Great Priestess Mariana approached.
"Princess Calca, according to the schedule, today you are to learn lifestyle magic—spells such as [Odorshield], [Clean], [Sleep], and [Create Water]. Which would you like to start with?"
Mariana was full of anticipation. She wanted to see if this genius, who had mastered a Tier 0 spell in a single morning, would maintain her god-like speed in the First-Tier domain. Faced with the choice, Calca gave the answer she had prepared long ago:
"I would like to learn [Sleep] first."
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I'm not the Queen Greatsword. (70 Chapters, Ongoing)
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