I Became the First Prince: Legend of Sword's Song
chapter-23

Everyone is not the same as a fool (2)

What were all the scholars doing when the knights and soldiers shed blood and rolled the mud. The dreamers who couldn’t practice their theories were simply good for sharing useless discourse from the safe side.

They never had to stand in front. They were just sharing spit.

That was how I thought scholars were.

So, when the elderly scholar came to me and told me that he is going to teach me, I laughed.

I have no desire to learn dead knowledge that didn’t reflect reality.

No, I even wondered if I have anything I need to learn at this point.

Not everyone who handled my hilt was an ignorant swordsman. Some were families learned in both swordsmanship and scholarship. And over the centuries I spent with them, I have acquired their knowledge.

So, there was no further reason to learn useless things, I thought.

But.

The scholar in front of me wasn’t a dreamer who had his head in the clouds.

His knowledge was realistic, practical, and extremely efficient.

I realized it when I started talking to him.

“Yes! People should always watch their backs. No one knows when a traitorous sword or a poisoned drink would come.”

“That’s a radical way to put it, but that’s correct. The Iron Blood Monarch Theory also speaks of the necessity of the monarch to be wary of the wickedness of the gods. In addition, it states that the monarch should not give out excessive power to someone, even if they trust them.”

“That makes sense. Too much power corrupts.”

I was thrilled by the scholar’s words.

Time and again, royals were careless because they were surrounded by people who worshipped them. They have been warned of man’s vicious qualities, but they did not listen and had to pay a harsh price.

Even I could be betrayed by people I trust.

Just thinking about it made my heart feel upset.

“In the Iron Blood Monarch Theory, the relationship between the royals and the military was considered as a kind of a contract or transaction like any other. To protect the kingdom, the royals provide the military economic and social power, while the military seeks to protect the political stability of the monarchs.”

“Right. The basics to maintain a relationship is to give and receive. Isn’t it natural to follow the hand that feeds you?”

To me, the practical and rational theory of governance the scholar talked about moistened my mind like rain to a drought.

“Then, Your Highness, I think that’s enough for today. We will continue talking tomorrow.”

“Uh. Yes, yes. I will wait.”

The elderly scholar smiled gently, then left the room.

I kept contemplating about the Iron Blood Monarch Theory as I listened to his sluggish footsteps.

Then, I realized something.

“Huh?”

When I came to my senses, I realized I implicitly agreed to continue my studies with the scholar.

I unconsciously agreed to meet him again.

As I recalled the scholar’s gentle smile after he told me that he’d see me tomorrow, I felt like I have been slapped.

This was definitely what I wanted to happen.

“That wasn’t a smile, that was a smirk!”

I laughed at my own foolishness.

* * *

After leaving the First Prince, the old scholar went straight to the queen.

The queen greeted him as if she had been waiting.

“Sir Nicolo…”

“The rumors about His Highness were half right and half wrong.”

The elderly scholar started reporting the news that the queen was curious about.

“His words and actions were like the rumors. However, he had an extraordinary wit and insight that were different from the rumors.”

“Ah, you don’t have to say good things about him. I know that child is fine physically, but his wit is good for nothing but cunning tricks that are used to fool other people.”

The queen expressed concern about Sir Nicolo’s feelings if he had been offended by the prince’s harsh remarks.

“No, it was a great time for me, too. I didn’t know when was the last I enjoyed talking to someone.”

Again, the queen seemed to think that the scholar was sugarcoating.

Sir Nicolo then told her, “I swear I am not someone who calls black things white.”

“But I know my child. That kid is by no means the thoughtful kind.”

“If the queen thought so…” the elderly man’s eyes deepened, “then he must have made you see it that way.”

“Are you saying the kid had hidden his knowledge all this time? Why would he do it?”

Sir Nicolo shook his head at the queen’s question.

“To know someone’s thoughts, we have to discuss a hundred times; to know his character, a thousand times will not be enough. I could not guess what His Highness is thinking with just one meeting.”

He continued to speak with a shy attitude.

“It was just a glimpse into His Highness deep thoughts and insights.”

The queen’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect that the scholar would assess her child so generously.

What kind of person is the elderly scholar?

When he was young, he was praised as a genius, and when he got older, he was praised as a wise man.

Although the thoughts contained in his book, the Iron Blood Monarchy, which he wrote in his later years, were considered too radical, and his reputation has now fallen to the ground, no one could deny his wisdom.

If such a wise man praised his son, it must have been true.

Sir Nicolo then asked the queen with his eyes bright.

“I dare to ask the queen… may I convey to His Highness the enlightenment of this old man who says that the world is frivolous and wicked?”

“Why do you humble yourself? Everyone I know refers to you as a wise man.”

“They refer to me as a ‘lowly wise man.’ I’ve grown old, but I’m not completely deaf, so I know how the world calls me.”

The queen did not deny it.

The elderly scholar degraded the relationship of the royals and the military to a simple trade of business and earned the resentment of the nobles.

She had a hard time trying to look for a teacher to her son, whom no one wanted to teach.

At the same time, no one wanted to be Sir Nicolo Marchiadel’s disciple.

A rude and stupid student who all the teachers wanted to avoid, and a teacher who didn’t have a student because he said the world is wicked.

What could be a more exquisite combination?

“If you are able to teach him, you will be able to restore your reputation. Do whatever you want with him.”

“I have found the joy of old age, and I am pleased to be in the grace of the queen.”

Thus, Nicolo

Thus, Sir Nicolo Marchiadel professed in front of the queen that he would become the First Prince’s teacher.

Of course, Prince Idrian did not know about this conversation concerning him.

He was in his room, kicking himself because he had been outsmarted by an old man.

* * *

When the elderly scholar left me, I began feeling extremely bored.

The aftereffects of Muhun-si has not completely worn off yet, so I had to avoid training.

I have to wait at least until my mana heart has filled itself.

I just wandered around the room with nothing to do.

Immediately after waking up, I devoted myself to scraping mana, struggling to recover my lost power.

But whenever I take a break, my mind was restless.

“More powerful! Stronger!”

I trained Adelia, who is doing well.

“Why are the court knights not training?”

I also condemned Carls and court knights who were also doing well at their jobs.

However, the time does not pass quickly as I wandered aimlessly like that.

Then, Uncle came.

It had only been a few days, but he seemed to have a lot more wrinkles.

His eyes were dull, and his hair, which was always well-kept, was now disheveled in places.

Someone would think that Uncle had lost his will.

I could see right away that he couldn’t overcome the truth I planted in him.

When Uncle opened his mouth, all that came out was an apology.

“I’m sorry…”

It was really surprising.

“I broke the promise I made myself and ended up hurting you a lot. I have nothing to say.”

That was not true. The reason I was forced to recuperate for days was not because of his Aura Blade, but for forcibly using a <Myth> level poem.

“Well…”

I thought about the queen’s words. Uncle had secretly been my guarantor for my probationary release, and that made me indebted to him.

I felt a little torn. I got revenge and won the bet. Perhaps, that is why I felt a little more relaxed towards Uncle.

He continued speaking useless words.

“Say what you want. If you ask for my arm, I’ll give it; if you ask for my eye, I’ll give it.”

“What would I use those for? Tsu.”

I clicked my tongue at his words.

In the old days, to be called a sword master is no big deal.

The souls of the knights in this era were too low compared to the past ones.

Instead of breaking their limits and growing further, they chose to stagnate in sharpening and cultivating their existing skills.

If I leave Uncle like this, in all likelihood, he would be suffering for quite a while.

“Okay. I have decided what I want to wish for.”

Only

At my words, Uncle looked eager and expectant.

If I told him to give out an arm, he looked like he was ready to cut it off.

Of course, I wasn’t interested in his furry arms.

“Uncle. I want to go outside.”

He looked confused.

“Why not? You can go out of this room even without me.”

I shook my head.

“No. Outside.”