"I do not understand.
Infernal Skyrazor is her first Bond, yet it is quite a few levels below her. Why is that?
Isn't a Bond's Growth connected with the Tamer?"
Kael questioned with a frown on his face.
From what he had seen all this while, the first Bond and its Tamer were always on the same level, whether that was Sarah, Aria, Lyra, the Tamers in Estwyn, or even Tobias, whose Laughter was corrupted but was on a similar level as him.
The second Bond is usually a few levels behind the Tamer, the third is a few levels behind the second, and so on.
This was the usual pattern. It was the same for Elira too. Magma, her second Bond, was a few levels below Emberaile, but Emberaile and Elira's levels were different. Elira's level was higher,
Something that didn't make sense.
Or at least that's what Kael thought, but,
"Why is that strange? Were you not told about Humans with Talent? Or did you think you were the only one with Talent?"
The King questioned with a smile, and Kael finally remembered it.
'Humans who could grow on their own without needing to Bond with Magic Beasts.'
Tamer Lyric had taught him that, but he had been just so occupied that this information had skipped his mind, and the fact that he had never once seen this before didn't help either.
Soon, however, another question appeared in Kael's head.
"But this is just the case for Elira out of the four of them. Does this mean the others do not have a Talent?"
Honestly, this didn't make sense either. After all, these Tamers were representing their Nations. Would those Nations choose talentless Tamers when their reputation was at stake?
The King, understanding the Hero's line of thought, smiled. He was glad that the Hero was reading between the lines and trying to understand the bigger picture.
"They do. They all possess their own Talent, but all of them have an Epic Rank Beast as their First Bond, so their Talent is overshadowed by their Bonds.
Humans with Talent strong enough to surpass their Bonds, especially Epic Rank Bonds, are extremely rare.
Your Instructor is one of them."
Then, a light smile appeared on his face, and he continued,
"And in Battles, such Talent is what puts a Human in a disadvantageous position."
He said something that normally should not have made sense. Kael, however, understood it.
After all, he was seeing the problem with his own eyes.
While Elira's own level was higher than her opponents, her Bonds were weaker and considering that a Tamer's biggest weapon was her Bonds, Elira was at a major disadvantage in this battle.
"Then… having Talent is a… bad thing?
Are the Talented in this world actually… Talentless?"
Kael questioned, and at those words, the King chuckled.
"Talented are Talentless, huh…
That is an interesting way to put it."
Soon, however, he shook his head.
"If you look at it from a limited perspective, that may seem true, but as a Hero, you need to broaden your horizons.
Learn to think from different perspectives, Hero Kael.
Take this situation, for example,
Yes, in the battle, Court Mage Elira is at a disadvantage, but you also need to understand that the opponents that girl is facing are all well in their late 40s and above. They are nearly twice her age.
Think about this. What if Court Mage Elira was given that much time to grow? Do you think those Tamers would stand a chance against her then?
Do you think most Tamers her age would ever stand a chance against her?"
"So for the Kingdom, she is an important force, and she is only at a disadvantage because she is fighting older opponents.
It is like how genius students who excel in their field are far better than those around them, so they are moved up in classes to compete with older students. And even when they score less than those older students, it doesn't take away their credit or talent."
The King nodded with a smile, and Kael nodded back, his eyes shining in understanding.
Honestly, he was enjoying this conversation far more than their first one.
Back then, he had nothing to say and could only reply with a 'Yes, Your Majesty.'
Right now, the King felt more… human.
And while the Crown Prince's constant gaze did bother him a little, he didn't let it get to him.
He still had a lot to talk about.
The very King was answering his questions. It would be rude not to ask and learn more, wouldn't it? Not to mention, it would help him form an opinion regarding the King.
"Is this the reason why other Nations sent those Tamers and not someone like Elira?"
"That is one reason, yes. It would be easier to win."
"But more importantly, none of those Nations brought their Prodigies with them."
Wouldn't they want to show off their Prodigies in front of the Hero?
After all, all this charade was happening because these four Nations wished to show him their might.
A bunch of old Tamers defeating a young Tamer half their age wouldn't exactly give them the reputation they were hoping for.
"As I said, Prodigies like Elira are rare.
Nations protect them with everything they have.
After all, who in their right mind would put the Future Pillars of their Nation in any form of danger?"
The King's tone turned heavy by the end of that sentence.
Kael even noticed his hands trembling before he clenched them into fists, and very quickly, he understood this wasn't about Elira anymore.
It was about Lavinia, the King's Daughter, and… the most exceptional Mage that Nerathis had ever seen.
A Mage even more talented than Elira and…
A daughter this man loved but was forced to send away as a mere slave.
Kael, with his heightened senses, could feel the King's heartbeat quicken. It wasn't just him,
Igni noted it as well.
Alden's eyes were reflecting emotions Kael had never seen on his face before.
The King's poker face had cracked.
A/N: Pictures of Bonds who are about to participate in the battle to create a better image in mind.