Chapter 10

A chuckle echoed throughout the training ground. Eileen laughed her heart out at the sight of him.

Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew he looked wretched, but— "Please stop," he muttered.

"Ah, my apologies, Your Highness." Eileen wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It seems Master George truly gave you a hard time."

"Hard?" Lucien deadpanned. "It was hell."

Though the physician's magic knit his skin and mended his bones after every session, the phantom sensation of muscles screaming in agony remained etched in his mind.

For a week, he had been bruised and battered without mercy. And the most frustrating part? Seven days of torment had passed, and he still couldn't wield the damn Aura. For the first time in his life, he felt truly, utterly stupid.

Somehow, he roughly understood why the original Lucien preferred the path of a mage. Magic followed formulas and logic; Aura was just raw, mindless instinct that refused to answer him.

Eileen stifled her laughter and softened her expression. "It's all right," she said gently. "Your Highness struggled with mana once as well. It is simply a different kind of growth."

Lucien exhaled through his nose and nodded, more to himself than to her. If agony were part of the price to tear down every red flag surrounding him, then he would make sure it was worth paying.

"So," Eileen clapped her hand once, a bright smile gracing her lips. "Now that Your Highness can control Mana, today we'll learn about Conjuring."

Lucien's heart raced. Three weeks into his grueling training, he was finally beginning spellcasting.

"Conjuring is a technique that allows you to manifest the Primary Elements externally." Holding his gaze, Eileen asked. "Before we proceed, could Your Highness explain what Primary Elements are?"

Lucien inclined his head. "Yes. The Primary Elements are natural forces residing within the Mana Reservoir. There are four: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. They are inherited through genes."

The book Eileen gave explained that if the father possessed the Earth Element and the mother the Water Element, their child could inherit either one or both.

In rare cases, the child might inherit an Element from their ancestor.

"That's correct." Eileen nodded with satisfaction. "And by combining Primary Elements, we can create new Elements. For instance, a combination of Air and Fire creates Lightning, while Air and Water Elements create an Ice, among many others."

Simply put, the concept was similar to primary colors: by combining them, you could create a new color.

She paused, regarding him momentarily before inquiring. "Does Your Highness remember which Primary Element you possess?"

He shook his head. "I don't."

The story only described Lucien as a talented mage, and nothing more.

"I see." Eileen nodded in understanding and retrieved a transparent crystal ball from her magical ring—about the size of a basketball—with four pearls inside. "Your Highness, this is a Primary Element Appraisal tool. Place your hand on top, and the pearl inside will change color according to each Element you possess: red for Fire, white for Air, blue for Water, and hazel for Earth."

Stepping forward, he did as instructed, and she began chanting. The crystal ball glowed faintly, and the pearls inside started to shimmer. Though he had no idea how many or which Primary Elements Lucien possessed, he hoped Earth was among them, as it was versatile for offense and defense.

Subsequently, the leftmost pearl shone, emitting a luminous hue that indicated he possessed the Air Element. It wasn't the one he wanted, but it was better than having none. The idea of cutting down enemies with invisible wind blades—just like Tristan—sounded pretty cool, too.

Right before he removed his hand, the pearl beside it lit up in blue. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 'Two Elements? Not bad.'

However, his amusement was shattered when the third pearl shifted to a hazel glow. To his surprise, the final pearl flared a vivid red, leaving him flabbergasted. The pearls hovered and swirled, dancing in unison as if mocking his bewilderment.

Pulling his hand away, Lucien met Eileen's citrine eyes. "Could the tool be malfunctioning?"

She shook her head, a smile danced along her lips, "There's no mistake, Your Highness. Your four Primary Elements were confirmed when you were first tested as a child."

Lucien's cerulean eyes flickered toward the crystal ball, his indifferent reflection staring back at him. "…I see."

It was not that he was ungrateful; being born with three Primary Elements was considered insanely lucky. But four? That was unheard of—so absurd that he almost burst out laughing. Even Tristan, the protagonist of this world, was only a Triple Elemental Bearer.

No wonder Lucien's life was so fucked up; he must have used up all his luck just by being born with four elements.

Returning his focus to her, he asked, "Is there another Quad Elemental Bearer besides me?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. You are the only Quad Elemental Bearer on the continent."

Lucien clamped his mouth as her words sank in. 'The only one, huh?'

It wasn't hard to see why the Vazquez family wanted Lucien dead so badly. His mere existence overshadowed Tristan.

Lucien's power was both a blessing and a curse: a gift that could help him thwart red flags, yet a burden that drew unwelcome attention.

Suppressing his thoughts, he posed another question. "What Element do I usually use?" It seemed wiser to follow Lucien's habits; maybe this body would feel more natural that way, helping him adapt more quickly.

"Your Highness typically favors the Ice Element; it's your preferred choice. However, all your Primary Elements are at remarkably high levels."

Being born with Primary Elements didn't automatically make someone a powerful mage. Each Element required training, and the same applied to combined Elements.

Lucien offered her a slight nod. "I understand. Thank you for answering. Let us continue the lesson."

"Certainly, Your Highness," Eileen replied before resuming, "To Conjure, we first need to create a magic circle. By channeling our Mana into the Primary Element and chanting the runic language with the correct syntax and intonation, we can manifest our Primary Element through the Magic Circle."

Eileen lifted her right hand and recited a spell. A magic circle formed above her palm, and water burst forth, quickly shaping into a perfect sphere. "Each rune corresponds to a specific spell property. If the syntax or intonation is even slightly off, the magic circle won't form."

She flicked her wrist, and the water ball dissipated into mist. "However, the most crucial aspect is mana control. Without proper control, the magic circle won't stabilize enough to sustain the Primary Element and may even backfire on the caster. The same applies when a circle is subjected to external interference."

"Now," Eileen clapped her hands. "Why doesn't Your Highness try forming a basic circle with the Water Element, just as I demonstrated earlier?"

Lucien lifted his hand and commenced chanting. He carefully channeled his Mana, ensuring it wouldn't backfire on him. A magic circle slowly formed above his palm, runic symbols weaving around it.

Once the magic circle was complete, water surged upward and reluctantly curled into a small ball. Before long, its surface rippled violently and exploded, splashing water over him.

Lucien clicked his tongue in annoyance, wriggling his hand to shake off the water. Of course, reality always seemed to deliver the exact opposite of what he expected.

"Not bad for a first attempt, Your Highness," Eileen said with a smile, wiping the water from her cheek.

Lucien sighed in resignation as he mopped his damp sleeve across his face. "My magic exploded."

In contrast to his frustration, Eileen chuckled softly. "Mastery takes time, Your Highness. Even the finest mages don't master the circle in an afternoon. You've manifested the element—that's a victory in itself."

Lucien fell silent. She wasn't comforting him; she was stating a fact. Taking a deep breath, he nodded. "Let's give it another try."

After a torrent of failures, a water sphere finally held firm in his palm, its perfect shape gleaming in the sunlight. Lucien stared at it with a mix of emotions he couldn't name.

Unlike previous breakthroughs that took hours of sweat and struggle, this time he succeeded in under an hour—though he was drenched like a wet cat. Regardless, his three weeks of devoted practice clearly played a big role.

For the first time since his training began, a faint smile tugged at Lucien's lips.