Best Of The Bunch.

Each groan, each shout of pain that echoed through the door behind Aric sent a shriek of fear through every one of the accountants standing before the 4th prince. They stood and watched with pale faces and horrified expressions, while Aric waited patiently.

Moments later, the screams stopped. The two guards exited the office and closed the door behind them, their hands and clothes now stained with red, in such amounts that it was terrifying to think about what had happened in that room.

Aric, his expression as unreadable as it usually was, asked, "Alive?"

"We can't be certain," Meholt reported.

"Good," Aric nodded.

He began to walk through the hall of his court. As he moved, each of the men present held their breath, as though awaiting his next words, praying internally that their punishment would not be as agonizing as Devan's.

Aric walked past, reaching the entrance of the fiscal court before turning to the group.

"You are all sacked," the prince announced, taking his leave.

And each of them breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to keep their lives.

Aric made his way to the other side of the Exchequer building, where he had submitted the signed decree, with which the stated funds were all transferred into his personal vault.

As Aric exited the building, a panel materialized before him, causing his face to light up with excitement.

[M-Quest Completed]

[You have been rewarded: Martial God Technique.]

Aric exhaled deeply; it still felt surreal, but he had done it. He had taken back what was his—and from Darius, no less, a man whom in his former life he couldn't even fathom going against. Yet here he was, winning his first battle against his brother.

However, the good part was yet to come, as Darius was not aware of what had transpired yet.

———

The prince, with a stride of victory, returned to his estate. The notification for the new main quest still lingered at his peripherals, but he continued to ignore it, deciding to at least understand his first reward before diving into another quest.

As Aric walked through the doors of the manor, sitting on the worn-out chairs at the side, were Serina and Lerai.

'Is it time?'

Aric's head tilted slightly as he regarded both mages.

Seeing him, both stood and, with a nod, greeted, "Your Highness."

"Well, this is a surprise," Aric remarked as he walked closer to the two.

"I doubt that," Serina replied with a skeptical gaze.

"No, truly," Aric reiterated. "What brings you both?"

Then, suddenly, Lerai dropped to one knee, his face brimming with respect and determination as he bowed before Aric, who instinctively took a step back, startled by the sudden gesture.

'What the hell?'

"I kneel before His Highness to swear fealty to him and his house!" Lerai exclaimed.

"Please do not do that," Aric raised his hands, slightly flustered.

"I told you, get off the floor… this is embarrassing," Serina shook her head, facepalming.

"Will you not accept me, Your Highness?" Lerai asked, slightly devastated.

"No, I do, just… no need to do… well, that," Aric stated before turning to Serina. "So, are you here to swear fealty as well?"

She shook her head, her dark hair ruffling a bit as she did. "No. However, if I'm going to heal you, it requires that you be of swift and easy access."

"I see," Aric smiled. "Well, thank you. Your decision means a lot to me, both of you."

In that moment, it was clear that the usually irascible prince was genuinely appreciative and grateful.

"If only both of you are here, then the other hundred or so graduating mages must've joined my brothers' houses?" Aric asked.

"No, about half decided to join the imperial army evaluation, in hopes of maybe making it to the imperial squad someday. And one-third of the rest did indeed join your brothers."

Aric almost let out a laugh. He couldn't believe that out of all the mage students, he had managed to get the two strongest of the generation, even if nobody knew it yet. Lerai Castro, the Maker of Mages, he would eventually be called. He had single-handedly pioneered a future where powerless men wielded weapons that aided them in opposing martial artists and mages, and with it, he raised an army.

Serina Marceli, the Ardian Plague, a healing mage who eventually reached such a level that she could raise the dead. They said she had become dark later on in life, but from what Aric saw, it was quite early on.

"Both of you can make yourselves at home, for now at least," Aric gestured to Mia, who stood at the side, asking her to take them to their rooms.

"For now?" Serina raised a brow.

"It's likely we might have to leave soon, but we will speak on that later."

Mia led Lerai to his room, leaving Serina and Aric.

"I'll be retreating to my chambers for a while; there are things I must take care of. Afterward, we have much to discuss," Aric said, glancing at the screen still displaying his reward along with the new, unopened main quest from the previous day.

"Alright then, Your Highness," Serina nodded.

"Before I leave, though, one thing I've been curious about: the woman you spoke about, the one who talked of ruling with kindness and love. How is that going currently?"

Serina's face dissolved into a rather grim expression, her eyes narrowing slightly as she spoke.

"She can't really rule anything since I long killed her," she replied darkly.

'So, it was her mother's words after all,' Aric thought internally.

"Well, good night, Serina," Aric said, turning and ascending the stairs.