Chapter 12

The Rise of a Prince

The king studied me for a long moment before I spoke again, my voice steady and resolute.

“The next thing I request is for Commander Darius Valen to be appointed as my Lord Commander.”

My father’s gaze shifted to Darius, his eyes scrutinizing the seasoned warrior. The weight of his silence was heavy before he finally called forth a royal guard.

“You will explain the reasoning behind this promotion in tonight’s meeting,” my father stated firmly.

“Yes, Father,” I acknowledged, my expression unwavering.

Turning his attention back to his men, my father continued, “Take Commander Darius Valen to the Lord Marshal immediately. Have his signet exchanged for the official badge of his new station.”

The guards bowed, acknowledging the king’s orders, before escorting Darius away.

Once they were gone, I straightened my posture and spoke with conviction, “My next request is for these new recruits to be placed under my command.”

My father arched an eyebrow. “And what exactly do you plan to do with them, son?”

“I will forge them into the finest army this kingdom has ever seen. I assure you, Father, you will be proud of me.”

The king’s gaze sharpened. “You understand the weight of your words, don’t you? Their lives are now your responsibility. If you fail, it won’t just be your reputation at stake—it will be their future as well.”

I met his gaze with unwavering determination. “I understand, Father. I am prepared to take on this responsibility.”

My father studied me for another long moment before nodding in approval. “Very well. See to it that you honor your promise. Guard, make the necessary arrangements.”

One of the royal guards bowed and swiftly left to carry out the order.

“Son, you will need to create your own crest soon,” my father added, his voice lighter now.

“I will, Father. Thank you.” I paused, then hesitated for only a moment before adding, “There are just two more things I need—some spending money and a place where I will not be disturbed.”

The king chuckled. “The money is no issue. Go to the royal treasury and take what you need.” He then rubbed his chin in thought before a royal guard stepped forward and whispered something in his ear.

My father nodded, then looked at me with a satisfied expression. “That’s correct. The south side at the back of the castle is yours to do with as you wish. It is currently unused land. Send a message to the builders, and they will construct anything you require. I will also assign a few runners to act as your messengers and see to it that no one disturbs you or your trainees.”

I bowed deeply. “Thank you, Father.”

We spoke for a while longer before Darius, Aldric, and a group of runners returned, accompanied by the royal guards who had been dispatched to fulfill my requests.

Once my father departed, the castle bells began chiming. I counted the tolls—seven in total. Darius wasted no time, quickly assembling the recruits while I conversed with one of the runners.

“Listen carefully,” I instructed. “Go to the royal storehouse and bring me a few Carbolium ingots along with a long spool of bowstring.”

The runner bowed and sprinted off to complete my task.

Training Begins

Our training session commenced immediately. For the next hour, Darius led the recruits through an intense warm-up routine—running, jumping, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, and various other conditioning exercises. Their discipline impressed me, though I could see that many were unused to such rigorous activity.

As the bells chimed again, signaling that it was now 8 a.m., Darius called for a break. The recruits sat in a circle around me, their faces glistening with sweat, their breaths heavy.

The runner soon returned, carefully carrying ten Carbolium ingots and the spool of bowstring. I took a moment to inspect them before cutting the required length of string and handing the rest back.

“Take the remaining ingots to my room for storage,” I instructed.

With the materials in hand, I activated my metal manipulation magic. A hushed gasp spread through the recruits as they watched me reshape one of the Carbolium ingots with nothing but my will. The dense metal warped and stretched, reforming into the elegant, curved frame of a compound bow.

The awe in their eyes was unmistakable as murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd.