At this moment, a handsome young man and a gorgeous girl entered the hall from one side. Both had pure white hair and wore expensive, royal-like attire.
Everyone present who caught sight of their appearance was surprised. These two were the only Prince and Princess of the Royal Family. They were rarely seen in public, especially during such events, so none had expected their presence at this celebratory feast.
Nobles, who were still young and eager to socialize with the Royal descendants, stepped forward. But sadly for them, the 20-year-old Prince Jarrett merely nodded with a polite smile and walked away, while Princess Seraphin, who had just turned 14, gave them all the cold shoulder and didn't even glance at anyone.
Everyone present could only sigh with pity. Both the Royal Prince and Princess seldom appeared in public or at gatherings, making this a rare opportunity to interact with them. Yet both siblings were odd—or rather, excessively focused on their training.
Prince Jarrett still conversed, but the young Princess Seraphin didn't interact with anyone and remained a complete loner; her expression stayed stoic and unchanging, as if her beautiful face and eyes existed solely to gaze forward.
Both siblings had pure white hair, an extremely rare and striking color within Sildargrade, inherited from Queen Illiana. Prince Jarrett had King Basil's dark brown eyes, while Princess Seraphin inherited both her eyes and hair from her mother.
Rumors claimed that long ago, King Basil Silvia had traveled outside the Silvia Kingdom and encountered Queen Illiana. After getting to know each other, they fell in love and married.
Decades had passed since then, yet Queen Illiana's beauty remained undiminished. Without a doubt, she was the most beautiful woman in all of Sildargrade—perhaps even across the vast lands of the Silvia Kingdom. Her son, Prince Jarrett, was considered the most handsome, and Princess Seraphin the fairest among the younger generation in Sildargrade.
As Prince Jarrett walked, he received numerous subtle and overt invitations from the young women in the hall. He ignored them all with polite smiles and nods of acknowledgment before walking away without pause.
Nearly everyone in the hall knew that Prince Jarrett and Princess Seraphin were fiercely determined to reach Master Rank. Not only that, they were also arrogantly committed to the path of the Mystical Knight, despite widespread warnings.
To most citizens of Sildargrade, the Prince and Princess's decision was idiotic. Achieving Master Rank was difficult enough, and attaining it through the Mystical Knight path was at least three to five times harder than via Warrior or Mage.
Not everyone could accomplish what Vilok Lopez had done—he wasn't hailed as the greatest genius in the Silvia Kingdom for centuries without reason. Not only had Vilok achieved one of the rarest feats possible for a Mana Wielder, but he had done so at a remarkably young age—he was only 50. Even if another Mystical Knight attempted the same, they would likely require a century! Such was the common understanding in Sildargrade.
Yet not all hope was lost. Prince Jarrett remained at the late stage of Rank 1, and Princess Seraphin, having just turned 14, was at the early stage. Whether they would abandon their path depended on whether they chose to face reality or persist in their delusion of attaining Master Rank as Mystical Knights.
Princess Seraphina, walking alongside Prince Jarrett, was a dazzling, gorgeous girl. Though not yet an adult, she appeared as mature as an 18- or 19-year-old. She was the jewel of the Royal Family, regarded as the loveliest girl under 20. Many nobles of all ages sought her hand, but Queen Illiana rejected every proposal, leaving the decision to her daughter.
Mana Wielders enjoyed far longer lifespans and retained their youth longer than mortals. A 60-year-old man or woman marrying someone aged 15 or 20 was unremarkable. Once a person reached 15, they were considered adults and free to wed. Only when a Mana Wielder was elderly, nearing the end of their lifespan, and still sought to marry someone young did society frown. Otherwise, unions between centenarians and young adults were neither strange nor unheard of.
The white-haired siblings were unyielding in their pursuit of strength. They rarely socialized, dedicating themselves to training—improving their stats and mastering skills under various instructors. Consequently, both were unattached, never engaging romantically or spending much time with others.
King Basil and Queen Illiana respected their children's choices, believing they were young and entitled to live as they pleased.
Though nobles of both genders sighed in disappointment. They desired marriage or at least dalliances with the siblings, yet neither showed interest in the opposite sex. Prince Jarrett was tolerable in social settings, but Princess Seraphin never spoke, her face perpetually distant. Many lamented the waste of her beauty. Rumor held that she was close only to Queen Illiana, conversing solely with Prince Jarrett and King Basil. Otherwise, she trained ceaselessly, friendless and absent from social events.
Thus, Prince Jarrett and Princess Seraphin's appearance at this occasion stunned many—they were scarcely spotted at such functions. Yet observing their destination, the astute were less surprised. Vilok Lopez had walked the very path they aspired to tread. Seeking his guidance was logical.
"Prince, Princess," the High Nobles acknowledged with nods and smiles. They did not rise—such deference was reserved for the King and Queen, as the siblings were not yet at a rank demanding excessive respect.
Vilok's gaze fixed solely on Seraphin, disregarding Jarrett entirely.
"Princess, have you considered my offer?" Vilok flashed a charming smile.
Jarrett and Seraphin concealed their displeasure. Vilok ought to have greeted them properly before posing such a question, yet he had been blatantly disrespectful—particularly toward Jarrett.
Seraphin shook her head lightly, replying indifferently, "I apologize, Lord Vilok, but I do not wish to marry before reaching Master Rank."
Vilok sighed regretfully. "A pity, then."
The nearby High Nobles found his response odd.
What was there to pity? Just wait till she reaches Master Rank. It may take eighty to a hundred years at most, as both the Prince and Princess are extremely talented. Reaching Rank 4 is the same as having a 300-year lifespan; she would still be considered very young even at the age of 100.
Although they found Vilok's response strange, they didn't comment on it and just smiled while playing ignorant.
Jarrett didn't care much; he was here for another purpose. He asked with curiosity, "Lord Vilok, why did you choose to become a Mage after reaching Rank 4?"
When a Mystical Knight reaches Rank 4, they have the choice to either be a Mage or a Warrior. Warrior was still considered mainstream even at Rank 4, largely because they don't need to worry too much about skills, as they could create their own if they have enough Mana Control. Warriors also didn't need to worry about having an Element; if they had one, it was a great boost, but if not, it was still acceptable, and they could still be very strong. There are other reasons too; however, becoming a Mage was arduous.
A Mage needed to collect Spells. Creating a new one was nearly impossible, as it was very time-consuming and also dangerous; very few old Mages might spend time on it. Also, it was not easy to obtain ready-made Tier 3 and above Spell Books. They also had to practice laboriously to become fluent in casting, and during battles, if a Mage were not calm enough, they might even fail at casting Basic Spells.
Though Spells consumed less Mana than pure Elemental techniques or Mana Control and could unleash greater devastation than a Warrior's strikes, Mages often depended on Warriors in battle—they lacked self-sufficiency.
Physically, Mages weren't frail, but they weren't frontline fighters either—a significant drawback.
Thus, most Mystical Knights unhesitatingly chose the Warrior path.
Moreover, Mystical Knights boasted higher physical stats than even Warriors, enabling them to dominate peers of equal rank due to their superior base attributes, honed since Apprentice Rank.
Thus, Vilok's Mage selection baffled Jarrett and Seraphin, prompting their visit. According to his answer, they might also need to reshape their own training regimens.
Vilok regarded Jarrett indifferently and shrugged. "I simply found the Mage path appealing. That's all." He wouldn't waste breath explaining his grand designs to this fool.
Only an amateur would underestimate Mages. They weren't brawlers, but a well-trained Mage could obliterate a same-rank Warrior both at long and close range, and the Mage pathway opens up many other possibilities beyond just fighting head-on.
Only a dullard incapable of foresight would pose such an asinine question.
Intelligence outweighed all other stats. Though Constitution mattered, as a Mage, he could train that too, and he'd already secured a source for high-tier Spells and everything else he desired.
Vilok knew he'd reach Rank 5 before these siblings even grazed Rank 4—and that was if they even had the opportunity to reach Rank 2 in the first place.
Jarrett and Seraphin silently seethed at Vilok's dismissive answer but masked their fury. They'd originally hoped for a deeper discussion; now, they lost all interest.
Jarrett smiled, offering slight bows to the High Nobles and Guild leaders before departing.
Seraphin prepared to follow, but at that moment, Vilok interjected, smiling: "Princess Seraphin, reconsider my proposal. It would benefit you greatly."
Seraphin dipped her head slightly and left without a word.
She was still underage to marry, though it was possible to be engaged or even to marry; she would leave the Royal Palace after she turned fifteen. Even so, she had the least interest in marrying anyone—she didn't even mind being single for life. What she aspired to was reaching the peak of Mana Wielders. Sadly, she still couldn't leave to adventure and grow; otherwise, she would gladly wander the world as her mother once did.