Backstory

At that time, Issei's parents were still recognized by the empire as nobles; they were the Ende, a family of valiant knights.
Money wasn't an issue: they just had to maintain their noble status.

The Ende family had agreements with the royal family. Issei's great-grandfather was the step-brother of Kazuma's great-grandfather.

The Ende family didn't have royal blood, but thanks to that bond, they had earned a place among the nobles of the Wohlstand kingdom.

While Issei's father performed his noble duties at the castle, little Issei, just six years old, played with little Prince Kazuma, who was nine.

<Kazuma!>

Issei greeted the prince. The two went into the garden to play together. They passed the time sparring: Issei, despite being smaller, was able to hold his own against the prince and, in fact, often beat him.

They got along very well, and Issei wasn't at all arrogant. Every time he won, he would reach out to the prince to help him up.

One day, the prince, a bit more rebellious than Issei, who strictly followed the family rules, decided to go into the forest.

Issei followed him. The forest near the castle was the only part of the estate left completely untouched. Even though it was within the walls, that area was never touched by the gardeners.

Behind the castle, beyond the garden, was a ditch that carried water to the fields, and beyond it lay the forest.

The prince leaped over the ditch. Issei watched him for a few moments, then jumped across.

<What if they find out?>

The prince laughed. He was smart. He knew the rules forbade him from leaving the castle walls. The forest, still within the walls, allowed him to explore.

<Don't worry, Issei, I've already thought about that. We're not breaking any rules.>

The prince, carefree, hopped here and there in the forest as if dancing. Issei gripped his wooden sword and followed him.

He paused to observe the vegetation around them. It was beautiful. Colorful insects flitted from leaf to leaf, while birds chirped in the branches.
Everywhere Issei looked, there was a different shade of green, a different plant, a different insect.

Suddenly, the prince disappeared from his sight.

<Kazuma, where are you?>

But the prince didn't answer.
Issei heard a rustling in the leaves, then a scream. He immediately sprang forward and ran toward Prince Kazuma's cries.

He found him standing before a beast with long fangs protruding from its mouth. The creature was drooling over the prince's body. Kazuma had stumbled and fallen to the ground.

With one hand, he picked up a stick and tried to ward off the beast, but its sharp fangs easily snapped the stick.

Issei took a deep breath and launched himself into the attack. With a shoulder charge, he managed to dislodge the beast. It shook its head, a little dazed, but it wasn't finished yet: its hunt had only just begun.

With a roar, it lunged at Issei. He fell back and tried to parry the beast's jaws with his wooden sword, but, just like the prince, his sword also broke.

Issei, in a panic, bit the wolf's paw, freeing himself from the awkward position. Then he grabbed what remained of the sword and stabbed it in the wolf's eye. The beast let out a cry of pain and walked away.

From that day on, Issei resolved to become a royal knight.

As time passed, Issei forgot the promise he had made that day, but King Kazuma never forgot the child who had saved his life.

Later, Issei's father fell ill with an illness that seemed to have no cure. He was no longer able to carry out his duties as a nobleman.
At first, he sent others to the castle in his place to fulfill his duties, but then he was no longer able to even work from home.

His noble title was later revoked.

Issei's father, however, did not give up immediately. He tried to move forward, albeit more and more slowly, maintaining his lifestyle by selling the mansion's valuables.

Then the time came to sell the sword his master had given him. It was then that Issei's father realized he had truly hit rock bottom.

Because of that illness, the Ende family lost its importance, its wealth, and a loved one, who had taught his son everything he knew.

Issei stopped visiting the castle and ended up forgetting Prince Kazuma. The prince, however, never forgot Issei's gesture, and neither did fate.

An opportunity had opened up before Issei that would lead him back to glory.