The sunlight spilling into the room woke me.
It was calm and regal—like the palace itself. Slowly, I got out of bed and glanced at Rei, still asleep. I didn't wake him; it was far too early to leave anyway.
"They said we'll gather at the gate at noon before passing through," I murmured to myself.
Since I still had time and assumed everyone else was asleep, I decided to find the training hall and start my daily practice.
I stepped out of the room and wandered through the corridors, admiring the paintings on the walls.
One of them depicted the royal family—Saya Rin was there, the only child.
"So, she doesn't have any siblings… that means she'll become the next queen of Eldora. I bet many people won't look kindly upon that."
I whispered to myself, my gaze lingering on her painted smile.
"Then that's why she said what she did yesterday," I realized.
Her words from the dinner now made sense. "She's trying to gain supporters. Clever. If she finds strong allies, her position will be secure—no one will dare question her rule."
Eventually, I asked a guard to show me the way to the training center. He guided me there politely.
"Thank you," I said as he bowed and left me alone.
The hall was enormous—and beautiful. I stood frozen in awe for a moment, my mouth slightly open.
"Wow…" was all I managed to whisper.
I had expected it to be impressive, but it surpassed every imagination.
There was even a treadmill powered by mana. I stepped onto it, channeling my energy to start the machine. I could see my pace and endurance displayed in front of me.
Then I tried another unfamiliar device—one that could create training opponents using mana.
I summoned four mana constructs; that was the most I could manage with my current capacity.
They were strong but caused no harm—only mild pain when their attacks landed.
It was an incredibly effective way to gain experience without the risk of injury.
When I finished, I suddenly heard clapping behind me.
Startled, I turned around—purple hair shimmered in the light.
Saya Rin was standing there, smiling.
"I'm sorry for being here!" I bowed deeply. "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to use the training hall!"
"There's no need to apologize," she said softly. "I never said you couldn't use it. In fact, I want you to."
Her words shattered my panic. I raised my head slowly.
"You… want me to use it?" I asked, unsure if I'd heard her right.
"Yes. You're the first person my age I've seen summon four constructs, and you defeated them so easily."
Her eyes sparkled as she took my hands, holding them between hers.
"It's not that big of a deal," I replied, trying and failing to hide how flustered I felt.
"Everyone I know can only make two or three at most. Even I can't summon more than three, no matter how hard I try."
She released my hands and looked up at me from where she crouched, her violet eyes catching the light.
"And you handle a sword so well… I didn't expect someone from a small village to be this strong."
I rubbed the back of my neck, gathering my thoughts.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for acknowledging my ability," I said firmly, meeting her gaze. She looked momentarily surprised by my composure.
"M-may I know your name?" she asked, her tone a little unsteady.
"Narihu Mizuhara," I said, bowing slightly. "It's an honor to be asked by the princess."
Without thinking, I dropped to one knee—an instinct that must have carried over from my past life.
"There's no need for that, Narihu," she said kindly, offering her hand and helping me stand.
"Please, treat me like everyone else. Just call me Saya."
Her hand was warm; her smile even warmer.
"Alright, prin—Saya," I corrected myself with a small laugh. "I'll try to forget the difference in our ranks."
A quiet joy filled my chest. I was glad—this was the kind of person who would one day rule our kingdom.
After that, I returned to my training, focusing on physical exercises while Saya practiced her mana control.
Every time our eyes met, we both looked away instantly, our faces turning red.
I lost track of time until a soldier entered the hall.
"Princess, breakfast is ready. Please come with me."
"I barely did anything yet," she said, surprised at how quickly time had passed. Then she turned to me, her hands clasped behind her back, leaning forward slightly.
"You're coming too, right?" Her eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"I'm not sure… I should probably bathe first. I've been sweating quite a bit," I said, scratching the back of my neck.
"I think I'll pass." I forced a polite smile, knowing she wouldn't like that answer.
She grabbed my hand and pulled me along before I could protest.
"That's fine—you'll bathe at our place," she said with a bright grin.
Before I knew it, we were standing before the royal family.
"Good morning, Your Majesty, Your Grace," I said, kneeling respectfully.
"Good morning to you as well, my boy. Please, stand," the king replied, his expression curious.
Then he turned to Saya. "Why did you bring this young man with you?"
Saya quickly explained everything that had happened.
"I see," the king said at last, then turned to one of the attendants.
"Show this young man to the baths and bring him fresh clothes."
The royal bath didn't surprise me anymore—but the sight of so much gold still took my breath away.
The water was crystal clear, almost shimmering with mana.
When I stepped in, it felt like every bit of fatigue was washed away.
The clothes I received were simple white garments, but as soon as I put them on, I could feel their fine quality.
As I returned to find Saya, I overheard her speaking with the king.
"I never thought my daughter would bring a boy along—especially one from a simple village," he said, amusement in his voice.
"He just didn't want to eat while he was sweaty, so I invited him to wash up first," Saya explained quickly, her words tumbling over each other.
"Oh really?" the king chuckled. "And since when does my daughter care so much about how one boy feels?"
Before Saya could answer, a voice called out behind me.
"Are you done, Narihu?" It was the queen.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied quickly.
She led me to Saya, whose face was now completely red. The king was smiling faintly, clearly entertained.
"You two should go eat. Everyone's waiting," said the queen warmly.
As we began to leave, the king called after me.
"Take care of my daughter—and remember the difference between your ranks."
I didn't know how to respond. Maybe because there wasn't enough time… or maybe because I truly didn't know what to say.
Saya and I walked toward the dining hall together. She entered first; I waited a moment before following—trying not to draw attention.
Saya clearly felt something for me—not love, not yet—but there was interest, warmth.
I'd also met the king and queen; both were surprisingly kind, not at all arrogant.
After a few minutes of thought, I joined the others for breakfast.