"Young Master Kael is…" One servant whispered.
"He's too strong." Another completed.
The servants of the Veyren family stared at the training ground with wide eyes, unable to look away.
A young boy stood alone in the expanse, pieces of shredded dummies scattered on the ground.
His black hair covered his forehead, only allowing a pair of purple eyes to shine through.
"Not enough…"
He exhaled, looking around disappointed. He had been trying to test the limit of his mama reserves, but realized that he hadn't even gotten halfway.
"Do I really have that much mana?"
Eyes narrowed, he raised his hands. The fingers moved deftly in the air, wisps of purple mana flowing from them. He quickly drew up a magic circle larger than him, then raised it at the sky.
The instructor overseeing his training was shocked. "Young Master! Stop!"
Unfortunately, it was too late. Kael injected one final pulse of mana into the circle, activating it.
Whoosh-!
From it, a huge green fireball was shot into the sky. It streaked through the air, shimmering like a star until it disappeared beyond the clouds.
A few seconds later, the sky rained tens of Blood-Feathered Eagles. They looked like they had been electrocuted till death, striking the ground like stones.
"You actually… ah…"
The instructor was dumbfounded, unable to say a word. While the servants might have been confused, he was very clear about what Kael had done.
The spell he just used was an Eighth Circle spell—Soul Flame. It wasn't meant to be utilized by him at all, as he hadn't reached that level.
Mages with average mana started from the First Grade, capable of using First Circle Magic. At this moment, Kael's progress was shocking, as he had already reached the Fourth Grade at the age of twelve.
To advance in grades, the amount of mana you had didn't matter. What really mattered was how much information your brain could handle.
Mages needed deep understanding of spells to be able to cast them, else they'd end up with fried brains.
"Young Master! I knew doing this wasn't good!"
Kael stumbled, holding his head as he was assaulted by a stinging headache.
"I'm fine." He stabilized himself, then dragged his weary body to his room, while the instructor immediately went to call the healers.
After minutes of slow and disoriented walking, Kael arrived in his room and laid on the bed.
'Oh goodness. It actually hurts this much. Even thinking is a hassle.'
Even then, he didn't regret the fact that he had tried.
'Even though I can't gauge the limit of my mana right now, I know I have enough to cast an Eighth Circle spell when I'm just at the Fourth Grade.'
Breathing slowly, he slowly emptied the thoughts in his mind, until they were very few and insignificant.
The stinging pain in his brain subsided, and he remained like that until the healers arrived. They treated him gently, casting healing and restoration spells on him until he felt really better.
"You may now leave."
He said coldly. The healers didn't even waste a moment and immediately left his room.
Now alone, Kael sat up on the bed. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, then looked away.
He stood up to check his drawer, then pulled out a scissors. Holding his overgrown bangs, he trimmed them neatly until they fell slightly above his eyebrows.
'Although I do resemble my past self, I look more refined.'
His purple eyes would have been strange on earth, but it wasn't strange in this world.
In his past life, he had been a soldier. He had participated in several wars and had a sharp mind.
'The war ongoing in this world… I can't let it continue. I'll control it and make it end.'
This was his vision. He hated seeing wars happen, as it always claimed lives without caring for the desires of the soldiers.
'The warriors are brainwashed to fight to death, only for the wars to end in a ceasefire. Lives that have been claimed are lost eternally, unable to be recovered.
'Then what is the meaning of war? It is just a hollow victory made atop piles of corpses and rivers of blood.'
Frustration boiled in his heart, and his mana became turbulent.
'Tch. All I've got is a child's body… for now.'
In a few years, he'd become a teenager and be eligible to participate in the war. Then, he would finally be able to control everything in this war.
"Son, I'm coming in."
An adult female voice was heard from behind the door, and it opened immediately after.
A woman with light blonde hair, wearing an elegant dress walked into the room, worry evident in her eyes.
"Mother." Kael turned to her, his expression unchanged.
She walked up to him and gently held his face.
"My treasure. I thought I warned you not to try spells above your grade."
Her voice was colored with worry, but Kael knew it wasn't directed at him. Instead, it was directed towards the potential he carried.
He didn't care, and neither did he mind.
'I will use them for my growth, just like they're using me for their political agendas.'
"I am fine." He held her hands for a moment, then pulled them from his face. "How is little sister doing?"
Eleanor's smile dimmed slightly, but she didn't let it become obvious.
"Your little sister is doing fine. She's with her friends in the academy, preparing for her first examination. The teachers there say she's talented, but not as much as you."
Her smile bloomed. "You're very talented, Kael. Even more than the princes in the royal family. You're the perfect prodigy, Kael."
Kael was unmoved, "Thank you for the high praise, mother."
"Now then, I have to take a nap."
Understanding that it was her cue to leave, Eleanor smiled and patted his head.
"Rest well, Kael. The City Tournament will be coming up soon. I and your father expect great results."
Watching her back as she left the room, Kael's mind drifted.
'City Tournament, huh? Pretty sure it'd be boring.'