chapter 4 : bow down to your king

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In this world, feeling the mana is like a second birth. Those who do not feel the mana are often treated as less than human. That's why using mana was crucial.

As soon as Ethan began to feel the mana, Mary promptly conveyed this crucial information to the king and queen. The king and queen were aware of how valuable Ethan's ability was because feeling the mana was a skill that allowed one to control both spiritual and physical powers. Those who couldn't feel the mana were usually ostracized in society and didn't participate in important decisions because the power of mana could only be understood and wielded by those who possessed the skill. Therefore, it was crucial for Ethan to learn to use mana and develop this skill, as it was a critical element for both his own safety and the safety of the kingdom.

However, they celebrated this together at the dinner. Mary was also present at the dinner. Looking at Mary, Richard asked, "When will you start the training on mana?"

Mary looked at me with a slight smile and said, "I'm thinking of starting tomorrow." Upon this, Luciana said, "Don't push him too hard, Mary." Mary was known for pushing her students hard. Mary said, "Don't worry, I won't push him," with a smirk on her face.

I fell to the ground with a swift sword strike from the right. "Won't push him? I guess trying to kill me means she won't push me," I thought to myself. It was the first day of training. Mary had started to give both sword and magic lessons now that I could feel the mana. Of course, I had been receiving basic sword training before, but those were just simple movements.

With Mary starting sword and magic lessons, Ethan began to explore his new abilities brought by feeling the mana. The basic sword lessons were now more in-depth and complex, as Ethan could now enhance his movements using mana. Despite Luciana's concerns about Mary's teaching style, Ethan was determined and eager to develop this new ability.

Mary's lessons taught Ethan how to use mana for both defensive and offensive purposes. Each passing day, Ethan understood and controlled the power of mana better.

Ethan managed to recover from the swift sword strike he received on the first day of training and learned to cope with Mary's unconventional teaching methods. Exploring mana with her was a turning point in Ethan's life, and he now had greater potential for the kingdom.

After a few months, he had learned to use mana primarily. His sword skills had also improved, but whenever he thought he could defeat Mary, it seemed as if Mary had suddenly become even stronger. Ethan realized that Mary was using only a fraction of her strength during training sessions.

In addition to training, he now also attended meetings with his father, King Richard, to discuss kingdom matters. These days, the topic was mostly about the news that the state of 'Tamerid' would soon declare itself an empire. In addition, discussions were held on how Isabella, Karl, and Henry were managing their regions. Just the day before, a viscount near the area governed by Karl had come to the king, crying, claiming that his daughter had been harassed by Karl and that when his daughter resisted Karl, he beat her.

Richard was furious about this and immediately summoned Karl to the palace. Firstly, Queen Leylia sent a letter to the king asking him to forgive Karl. But Richard became even more angry at the letter because in his view, a child who clung to his mother's skirts could never become a king. Richard wrote a second letter, stating that if Karl did not come, he would come himself and punish Karl with his own hands.

Upon this, Karl set off for the capital, and finally arrived in the capital a week later. This situation demonstrated the sensitivity of internal affairs within the kingdom and Richard's authority. With Karl's arrival in the capital, how this tense situation within the kingdom would be resolved became a matter of curiosity.

At the same time, Ethan, with the new abilities brought by feeling the mana, was developing both his sword skills and getting involved in kingdom matters. However, he was still exploring the limits of Mary's power, which was a challenging situation for him.

Finally, Karl was admitted to the king's presence. In the grand hall, there were many nobles as well as some important state officials present in the capital. The king sat on a large dark throne. The throne had gold embroidery, and one step below the throne, to Richard's left, was the queen's throne. It was slightly less ornate than the king's throne, but it didn't matter as the queen Luciana's beauty overshadowed it. Ethan, meanwhile, quietly watched the hall from a corner.

The doors of the grand hall opened with a loud noise, and Karl entered with his advisor. He had an absolute fear on his face, constantly thinking about what to say. As soon as he approached a dozen meters to the throne, he immediately began to speak: "Father, I'm truly sorry. I will do everything to fix this, and I will pay for all the girl's medical expenses and apologize to her." Everyone in the hall looked at Karl with a shocked expression, even his advisor couldn't hide his surprise.

The reason was that Karl had not only not bowed to the king but had also spoken before the king. This was a highly disrespectful gesture in this world. Upon this, a deadly aura emanated from the king, so powerful that Ethan found it difficult to breathe. A few seconds later, Karl realized his mistake and his eyes widened with fear. Richard slammed his sword forcefully on the ground.

"Is... is this a spell?" I thought to myself. Shortly after, Karl fell to his knees violently, it happened so quickly that the clothes on Karl's knees tore, and his knees started bleeding. The king stood up and spoke in a voice that would fill the entire hall:

"BOW BEFORE ME!!!"