The Prince's Mistake

I should stop thinking about these things now. It is meaningless to think about them again and again. They are all dead now. I should just sleep. I just hope that the prince should not have any more suspicions.

....

In an another room, Roy or more appropriately Veric Ozalis was talking with a man who wore a black hoodie.

"Lord Austin, can you please use your illusion powers to check all the people who returned from the dungeon. Father is already angry with me over this matter. My siblings are also creating many problems for me. A lot of my spies are now known to them. They will soon know about my face changing ability too. You are my only hope. I will be depending on you." He said to the man respectfully.

This person he was talking to is Maurice Austin, a C-rank hunter an illusion master. When humans first started to awaken, people in different areas awakened with different energies. For example, majority of the people born in the Ozalis Kingdom are awakened by the elemental energy. But there are also a few who gets awakened by other energies. He awakened through the higher tier magic energy-Mana with the subtype being illusion.

He is an illusion master who are rare in the kingdom. But there is also a disadvantage for people who are awakened through mana. There bodies will remain as weak as a normal human. Even an F-rank hunter can kill any illusion master who is a hunter below C-rank if the latter stood defenseless. So they usually have defensive artifacts.

In the case of elementalists, their physical strength starts increasing iteself as soon as their ability's potential awakens. For example if Veric who is an elementalist becomes a D-rank hunter, then his physical strength will also reach D-rank. Any average E-rank weapon's attack will feel nothing more than a tickle to him. Of course, being an elementalist have diadvantages too.

Other who knew nothing about hunters might ask, isn't he just a C-rank hunter so why the prince is talking so respectfully to him. Can't he simply order him? But it is not so simple.

The ranks of hunters start from G to S and above S are many other ranks. The hunters from rank D to G are nothing more than cannon fodders for those above D-rank, because only starting from rank C, one truly becomes a hunter. The strength of a person, when he steps into C-rank increases exponentially. In a fight, a D-rank hunter can stand against ten and a powerful one, can at most fight against 20 E-rank hunters. But once one becomes a C-rank hunter they alone can stand against 100 D-rank hunters.

Unlike elementalists, whose rank can't increase after they used up their potential unless they use precious resources, the people who are awakened by mana have a chance to reach higher rank. For example, this illusion master in front has C-rank potential but he also have a chance of reaching B-rank.

The Kingdom of Ozalis is not too strong and its strongest person, the ruler is only of A-rank. Even though the kingdom's army consists of elementalists who are strong as compared to warlocks, wizards, mages, sorcerers and arcane masters, its size is not big.

One of the main reasons the kingdom is still standing is because of the backing of Silvermoon Empire. Once a elementalist with ability potential of S-rank had appeared. Once the news reached the Silvermoon empire, they immediately asked him to join their forces. Of course, he couldn't say no to a kingdom, otherwise the consequences will be not good. ( from now on A.P. will be written instead of ability's potential )

With the empire's resources and his talent he soon became a S-rank hunter and a powerful one at that. But he died while saving the princess of the empire from monsters' attack when she went on an exploration. For his bravery the empire announced that the kingdom hewas born in will be under its wings. But even though the other kingdoms can't attack on them openly, they still can use other means so the kingdom can't increase its strength. The empire had also turned a blind eye to it. They don't have spare forces to protect every kingdom under them. If they did send their forces to help every single kingdom they have under their wings, how they will protect themselves from other empires? Evenif they did send forces to help a single kingdom what if, their enemies sent spies to create chaos in that kingdom. The kingdom may became a playground for the empires.

Therefore the kingdom is desperately trying to increase its strength. The royality dosen't cares if someone whose A.P. is from E to G dies. But they highly focus on kids whose A.P. hasen't awakened yet. Every child is required to register his ability and A.P. Slavery is therefore banned in the kingdom for those below 15. If parents can't take care of their children whose A.P. hasen't awakened, they can contact the speacial institutes who will take care of them. Crime against children under 15 has worst punishment imaginable. That is why the king was very angry with Veric, as because of his schemes 51 children have lost their lives.

That is also the reason why the prince is in such rush to find the book and the dungeon core. If he isn't able to find even them then he couldn't even imagine what kind of punishment he would get.

Being born in royality Veric has always seen common people as nothing more than weeds. Even though he is cunning, the pride of being of being a royal filled his bones, making him arrogant. Even though he always heard his father saying kids are future of the kingdom, he dosen't cared. He also disdained the many rules which to prtect children. Veric had though that his father will be happy if he manages to get the book and the core before his siblings and even though he couldn't get them due to certain someone, he still had hope that his father will forgive him for not being able to get the book and core. But all of his hope was shattered and the pride in his bones was removed by the king's slap.

The king had already ordered his wives before to not let his children know of the kingdom's situation, because he dosen't want them to lose hope thinking that their kingdom has only survived because of an empire's backing otherwise it had long since been conquered.

But on this day the king was so angry that he called all his sons and daughters and told them about the real situation of the kingdom. The king only wanted his children to practice and awaken their ability and A.P. as soon as possible and only then he will tell them about this. But he can't do it now if its cost is the life of so many children.

On this day the king had made it clear to his children that he didn't cares if they slaughter a whole family of commoners who are below E-rank but they must not harm any children whose A.P. hasen't awakened yet.