For Ein Roundheart, becoming the crown prince overnight was a bit of a peculiar experience.
Out of the blue his grandfather, the king, made the proclamation, “I bestow upon you the title of crown prince!” However, his grandfather was a man that he had never met or even heard of before.
From the moment those words left his grandfather’s lips, the boy’s life had changed forever. Although he was the eldest son of a count, his family had regarded him as useless and disinherited him. He had never dreamed of becoming the crown prince of another, much more substantial kingdom. He was now strolling through the castle, escorted by two adults. They were on their way to the lower floors of the castle, looking to fetch a certain item.
Seriously, this place is way too big, the boy thought to himself.
Hanging from the ceiling was a glimmering chandelier that overlooked halls of well-polished white stone. The general decor gave off an air of elegant, but expensive taste.
“Your Majesty, Your Royal Highnesses. How do you do?” a servant greeted them as they passed by. His greeting was accompanied by a deep bow towards them.
“Uh, yeah, thank you,” the boy hesitantly replied with a forced smile as he stepped on a soft rug. He still wasn’t used to being addressed as a “Highness.” Suddenly, he heard a voice to his right.
“Ein, have you become accustomed to living in the castle?” asked Silverd, his grandfather and the current king.
The boy hadn’t been at the castle for long, and he could only offer a weak reply and smile. “Um, well, it’s only been around two weeks since I first set foot in this castle.”
“Hm... Indeed, you’re absolutely right.” The king nodded while stroking his long beard. His large stature proceeded down the halls while his luxurious cape fluttered behind him.
The soothing, elegant tones of a woman’s voice came from the boy’s left. “Not to worry, Ein. You’ll get used to it soon.” Wearing a beautiful dress, she looked down at Ein with a saintly smile.
“I’m sorry, mother. It’s just that this castle is much, much larger than my previous home.” Ein said.
She chuckled. “You’ll be living here from now on, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Indeed. Olivia is right,” the king said.
Reassured by his mother’s words, Ein continued to compare the castle with his previous mansion. Hmmm... “otherworldly” is the perfect word for this situation, he thought.
The mansion he had formerly lived in belonged to a count. While it was quite grand, the jump from nobility to royalty came with a substantial leap in luxury. Additionally, his new kingdom was much larger and more powerful than his home kingdom. Mulling it over, he couldn’t help but be a little troubled by his current position.
I was called useless, but now I’m told that there’s some worth to me. Life’s full of surprises.
Ein was currently headed to the lower floors to gain a new power.
“Ah, there it is. The treasury,” the king said.
The three proceeded towards their destination. Ein gulped, wondering about the treasures that were stored away inside. He kept his eyes trained on the large stone door in front of him—a door located at the end of a long, barren hallway. Examining the door’s many keyholes, he soon realized that they were magic.
“So, beyond that door lies something that will give me a new power, right?” he asked Silverd, who was walking next to him. Ein knew that he couldn’t contain his slowly growing excitement.
The king silently nodded while staring at the treasury door. “Indeed, there is. The treasury is home to the Dullahan’s magic stone. The Dullahan was second to none in the art of swordplay.”
Ein took another large gulp as he continued to listen to Silverd’s words.
“A few hundred years ago, at the time of the Demon Lord’s demise, the Dullahan was one of the Demon Lord’s most trusted associates. The king of swords—no one could even hope to best it while it held a sword firmly in its grasp. There are legends that it could even slice the heavens. The stone we’ve come for was made from this monster.”
The Dullahan’s magic stone was apparently regarded as a national treasure, but Ein believed it to be a deathly one. The stone contained so much power that if a monster were to absorb it, it would surely turn into a terrifying force of evil.
And something that powerful is going to become mine. The future can’t get any more promising than this, he thought.
Normally, the power contained within magic stones was considered to be highly poisonous to human beings. In other words, Ein’s method of obtaining power was unconventional. Sure, it was a vast world, but he was the only one who could do it this way. His heart beat faster with every step he took towards the door, his mind racing with thoughts of the stone’s potential.
Silverd stopped in front of the door. “Now then, let’s open this treasury, shall we?” He laid his hand on the center of the door.
“Th-The door?!” Ein gasped.
The scattered keyholes reacted to the king’s touch, slowly moving to form a vertical line. A low groaning sound soon followed. As if the mortared stones were shifting to slowly open the door. Ein could only stare in awe as the stone door pried itself open.
“Father, wherever could the Dullahan’s magic stone be?” Olivia excitedly asked Silverd.
“Let’s not be too hasty. Over there,” the exasperated king replied as he pointed his finger into the treasury.
Olivia grabbed Ein’s hand, leading him deeper into the treasury. Wow, there’s so many amazing things here! Despite his thoughts, the boy couldn’t find the exact words to describe what made these items amazing to him. The treasury contained valuables such as precious metals, jewels, and swords, but it was also home to a menagerie of magical stones. Of course, Ein was being led to the most eye-catching stone of the collection. Was this the stone he was looking for? Above everything else, it was resting upon a white stone pedestal encrusted with jewels and gold trim.