His eyes gleamed mischievously, as if the sun itself shone within them from sheer joy.
Suddenly, he snapped out of his thoughts—someone was still sitting in front of him. Someone who could read his mind.
The woman simply smiled, her deep blue eyes shimmering like the endless ocean as she gazed at him.
"Prince, close your eyes."
It wasn't a command, nor did she attempt to compel him. Yet, without hesitation, he closed them.
'What is she trying to do…?'
"Don't waste time overthinking, Prince."
Her voice was calm. He heard the rustling of fabric as she rose from the ground and began walking. He couldn't tell where she was going or how far she had moved from him.
Then, all of a sudden, he felt her footsteps approaching from behind—followed by the cold press of her palm against his back.
He concentrated deeply, attuning himself to the sounds and sensations of his surroundings.
'Just how talented is he?'
The woman marveled at his natural aptitude, though her expression remained serene.
He felt it. Every little noise became more vivid—the enchanting melodies of birdsong, the soft yet mystical whispers of the wind through the trees, the distant murmur of flowing water, and even the gentle rhythm of the woman's breathing.
It was divine—so mesmerizing that time itself seemed to slip away. He had no idea how long he had been meditating.
Then, a sharp, piercing chirp shattered his concentration, jolting him back to reality.
His eyes snapped open as a notification appeared before him.
'How much time has passed…?'
"Three hours, Prince."
The woman's voice was steady as she withdrew her hand from his back and rose to her feet.
"It's time for you to return."
Her words carried a gentle finality, filling the entire space without flaw.
'Mother is going to kill me…'
His hand instinctively went to his head as he braced for the inevitable consequences. The woman chuckled softly—she had read his thoughts again.
"I'll take care of it, Prince. But for now, hurry along. We'll meet again."
Before he could respond, she turned and walked deeper into the vast garden, vanishing among the towering trees.
'Just how big is this garden, anyway…?'
Shaking off the thought, he sprinted back toward the palace as fast as his small legs would carry him.
His parents were going to kill him for this.
He could almost cry just thinking about the consequences. Even though she had promised to handle it, he didn't even know who she was.
He reached the palace entrance faster than expected, dashing through the same door he had snuck out from.
Gasping for breath, he had to stop for a moment. He felt like an old man struggling to walk.
'That wasn't a bad run, though. Pretty impressive for my little legs.'
Once he regained his composure, he made his way toward his room. He didn't run into his mother or father, only a few maids who bowed upon seeing him. He awkwardly nodded back, still unused to the etiquette.
'I'll have to get used to this…'
The moment he stepped into his room, he collapsed onto his bed, which practically swallowed him whole.
'Status window, show me my attributes.'
'Not bad… I'll save these points for later. Who knows when I'll need them.'
[A wise decision, Host.]
The system chimed in, almost as if it were proud of him.
'Then I should get a wisdom point, right?'
The system remained silent. Lindarion chuckled at its reaction before slowly closing his eyes, exhausted from the day's events.
"The Prince can already meditate properly."
A blue-eyed woman stepped into his study, delivering the report.
"So soon, Seraphine?"
His voice wavered slightly, his body heating with excitement.
"Yes, my Lord. But there is no need to rush. If he continues at his own pace, he will successfully form his Mana Core by the age of seven or eight."
Seraphine's tone was cheerful, yet her face remained cold and emotionless. Still, her words sent a chill down his spine—one filled with both pride and the weight of the future.
"Continue observing him. Report any developments."
He ordered. Seraphine bowed before vanishing into the shadows as if she had never been there.
'So you're this talented, Lindarion… As expected of my son.'
A rare smile crept onto Eldrin's lips as pride swelled within him.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
He spent a lot of time with his mother during these years. His father, however, was always buried in paperwork, making it nearly impossible to see him.
He had grown used to the maids and could now freely explore the palace gardens—though his mother never realized he had already been sneaking out before. It was better that way.
Yet, most of his time was spent meditating, as it required little physical effort with the aid of mana.
Now, he was at a peak—he could feel it. Something within him was on the verge of change.
Mana and the system guided him toward the realization of what it was.
My Mana Core is almost complete.
He tried peering into himself through meditation, hoping to witness the core's formation. But no matter what he did, he couldn't see it.
He racked his brain, searching every corner of his mind.
Then it hit him. He finally understood.
Jumping to his feet, he sprinted out of the palace.
The maids must have thought he had lost his mind, but none of them stopped him.
'System, tell me the basic tiers of Mana Cores again!'
[Mana Cores are divided into 16 levels. Due to your current weakness, Host, I can only reveal the beginner stages:
Each core type is further divided into four sub-ranks: Low, Mid, High, and Peak. This is all I can disclose for now, Host.]
He slowed slightly, taking deep breaths as he processed the information.
Then, with renewed determination, he resumed running, his still-small legs pushing forward.
It didn't take long before he reached the garden—the place he had become so familiar with over the years.
Yet, he had never once stepped into the stone circle again after meeting the woman. He had always been afraid someone—especially his mother—would find out.
'Let's do this… I accept the quest!'
[Quest initiated! Good luck, Host!]
He stepped into the center of the stone ring, steadied his thoughts, took a seat on the ground cross-legged, and began to meditate.