Marked Ones: Advent of the Demon Prince-Chapter 370: Royal Instruction

"A waste of potential."

Lefae's words crushed Rena's spirit. After twenty minutes of sparring, her opponent had yet to move an inch. Just as she had at the start of the bout, the black-haired princess stood with her rapier limply hanging from her fingertips.

As for her own appearance, 'ragged' would be an understatement. Rena's tightly bound hair had come loose. Dirt smears and scrape marks ran along her face and body from being tossed about like a ragdoll. All without the princess giving her so much as a meaningful glance. This distance between them felt nothing like an Advance Rank and a Master.

"There's definitely a reason people call you the next King Ranker. You're using Mana Manipulation." She wiped sweat from her brow, taking this moment of rest. A few minutes ago, Lefae ordered the rest of the guards that did not serve under her to leave the training grounds. Other than a few token men and themselves, the arena was empty.

"Yes. Just like Lucius, I learned Mana Manipulation. It is a wonderful tool. Though for me it is just a tool."

"For you?"

"Yes. Your husband is much more skilled at it than myself. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that he might even surpass Wally and Kalivas in his usage of that skill." Lefae continued. "For your lover, it would be wrong to call it a tool or a skill. Mana Manipulation to him has become just as natural as breathing. Mana surrounding him bends to his emotions without so much as a thought. Through struggle, pain, and necessity, Lucius has perfected absolute Mana Control."

"Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because you will never reach that height."

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"Well thank you for that obvious input…"

"But." The woman finally locked eyes with her for the first time since the spar started. "You can still learn to use it as a tool like I have. Come at me again. This time—with each spell you cast—focus not on the power or hitting me. I want you to only focus on what it 'feels' like to cast the spell. Feel the mana move through your body. Memorize the sensation."

Rena took a deep breath. Rest was over it seemed. While everyone else was gone, she had tried to learn this skill on her own, like her husband had. Everything the princess said was true. Lucius struggled and learned to do this on his own. He had to come up with a way to bridge the gap between himself and his peers. Something she never needed to do.

She could never emulate his path. Never recreate his experiences and learn from them. What Rena needed to do was be taught by someone who walked a similar path to herself. Lefae was a normal human. Unmarked. She was a member of nobility who specialized in magic. This teacher… this was what Rena needed.

"[Ventus: Air Step], [Aqua: Water Lance], [Ferrum: Iron Wall]!" Three spells shot through her body one after another. The formation and release of the Mana was nearly too quick to notice, but she felt 'something' within her.

Same as before, Lefae flicked her rapier, slashing through the water magic. The [Iron Wall] erupted from the ground, creating a momentary visual block. Rena used that moment to step into the sky, each foot landing on an invisible step. She had at most twenty of them before the spell failed.

An intense heat slammed into her. The metal wall glowed red, orange, then a blinding white. From its center, the mass began to melt. A trail of molten rock swallowed the barrier. Following the trail to its source, Lefae stood as stoic as ever.

"Magma magic? Are you serious?" Rena groaned. "What spells do you know?"

"Many."

"Fuck it." She shouted. Rena gathered mana in her once more. She focused on the sensation of Mana entering her body. The feeling was faint, but it was there. For a moment, she grasped hold of it, but then it vanished. "[Ferrum: Iron Chains]"

Metal chains broke through the arena's surface, coiling around Lefae's legs. The wound up the princess's body, wrapping around her waist and holding her in place. Not that she had moved on her own anyway. Next, they wrapped the woman's sword arm to her side.

"Gotcha!" Rena shouted. She leaped over the molten barrier, several feet in the air. "[Ventus: Wind Cutter]!"

For the first time ever, Rena though she saw Lefae smirk. An ominous feeling washed over her. Dread catching Rena still, cancelling her spell before it could be completed. She noticed a small streak of red dripping off the point of her opponent's blade.

"Did you cut yourself?" the redhead's words came out as a garbled, choking sound.

The blood drips froze in the air, as if gravity had ceased to function. A small tendril of the same substance wrapped around the rapier, slithering towards the hovering droplets.

"There is a reason I am called the 'Cursed Princess', Rena."

"Th-that's…"

"Blood Arts. Yes. The source of my family's shame."

The chains surrounding the princess cracked under the strain before shattering into pieces. Razor thin 'wires' of blood whipped around Lefae, slicing the metal into a fine powder. "A monster's power. The reason I am feared and hated. It is because of this I understand Lucius so."

"Does he know?"

Lefae smiled again. "Yes, he does. I used it shortly after he executed those who would do his family harm. There's more to it than that though. I found out when I met him… no. I'll save that for later."

Rena gripped her sword even tighter. Her opponent's abilities did not matter. The purpose of the fight did not change just because of this. Neither did it change her opinion of their benefactor. A person should not be judged on the basis of their Arts or Mark. She took a deep breath and stepped off her invisible perch. With renewed determination, Rena sheathed her sword and prepared to cast additional spells. By today's end, maybe, just maybe, she would have the beginning of understanding Mana Manipulation. Perhaps then she can feel more confident in standing by her husband's side.