At the center of the training field, four people were standing. One of them was the king, obviously.
The King stood at the lead, his golden presence was unmistakable.
Beside him was an armored knight. He was I had often seen from a distance and yet never met.
But it was the other two—a man and a woman in travel-worn gear—that really caught my eye. There was something hauntingly familiar about their faces.
Not from the game, but from... somewhere else.
They must be adventurers but do I know them from somewhere else ?
"come here, Tyler." The king said "I want you to meet some people."
Yeah, I can see that.
I stepped forward, the sand crunching under my boots. Mike remained at the gate, instead of following. I felt the weight of four pairs of eyes on me as i got closer.
"Father" I said, coming to a halt before him.
I was confused about what should i call him but after the last night's conversation, calling him 'Father' does not seem to bother me that much.
It's not like it's an official meeting, anyway.
"Hmm..." The king said "I want you to meet these people."
The King looked me up and down, his gaze sharp enough to feel like a physical probe. Then He turned to the armored knight, standing slightly behind the king "You likely know who this is, but you've probably never been formally introduced with him, have you?"
I looked at the man. He was a mountain of steel. Even without his helmet, his presence was suffocating.
Indeed. As a royal, I do know him but I've never been face to face with him.
"George," the king said to the man "introduce yourself."
"Yes, Your Majesty" The Knight gave a bow as acknowledgement of command.
The man stepped forward and stood before me, put his hand on his chest and gave a slight bow of about fifteen degrees.
"Greetings, Your Highness. I am George Gard, The Captain of the Royal Guards"
In other words, The most powerful knight that the Royal Family has.
'The Royal Guards' is an elite squad of the Royal Knights. Each one of its members are the best of the best in our kingdom. They have the duty of protecting Royal Members.
And as their captain, George Gard was the strongest among them. He is also the king's personal Bodyguard.
Despite having a last name, he is actually a commoner by blood who rose up to this position from nothing. 'Gard' is a name given to the Royal Guards captain.
Of course, this position is not hereditary. You have to prove yourself to be worthy To get this Title.
He is a proud man, not so much different from the rumors.
I have heard people saying that he has a lot of pride but now that i am here face-to-face with the man himself, I can see it for myself.
There is an unspoken rule for people of this nation while formally greeting any royal member.
Members of Grand Duke and Duke families are supposed to bow at least fifty degrees and for families below them, They must kneel.
Of course, The head of the families are partially exempt from this.
But following that 'Unspoken' tradition. George should kneel before me during the introduction, even if I am Just a Kid Third prince.
But forget about kneeling, This Guy didn't even bow properly.
It feels as if he is making it clear that the only Royal member he would ever show any respect to is the king.
Well, It's actually better this way. I prefer It.
"It's an honor to meet you too, George." I replied to his greetings as politely as possible.
I really hate fake formalities. If a man like The George Gard had kneeled before me just because I have royal Blood in my veins, It would've made me uncomfortable. And I might have also lost some of my respect for him.
I know many people might not agree with me on this one but I want to be respected for my own achievements not for what I was born with.
Yes, Someone might say that my achievements will come from my strength and my strength will come from my traits that I was born with, But I think Otherwise.
Efforts, People often miss that. My efforts are also there. The Tyler Of game is the clear proof of it. He also had the traits and yet what did he become ? What did he achieve ?
Maybe, efforts are exactly the difference between me and The Tyler of The Game.
Without any word George Rose and went back to his position, At the King's Side.
A True professional Bodyguard
"Alright, Now Tyler, I need you to meet your trainers" The King gestured for the remaining two figures to approach closer.
Trainers ? So, It really was two people then. Good Job, Father. You Almost won over my heart. Almost.
The two people moved closer. The woman stepped forward first. She didn't maintain the distance of a subordinate; she crouched down until we were eye-to-eye, her presence wrapping around me like a cool, evening mist.
She was strikingly beautiful, but it was the contrast that caught me. Her hair was a cascading silver-grey, while her eyes were a deep, void-like black. It was quite the rare combination, I gotta say.
"Hello, Ty!" she said, her voice like a chime. "My name is Vivi. I am an adventurer, and from today onwards, I will be your Magic Instructor."
She smiled—a radiant, beautiful and kind expression. And then my brain froze.
Not because of her beauty but because of what i just remembered.
Vivi ? That sounds familiar.... Wait... A mage with grey hair named Vivi...
I remember now.
I looked at the other Strong-looking man with lean yet strong muscle, with orange hair and orange eyes.
"Yo, Kid! The name's Boran. And I will be your martial arts and weapon instructor. You'd better get ready for some insane muscle pain, kid! I don't stop until my students forget how to scream." The Burly Man, Boran, said.