I Know the Secret to Surpass Level 100
Chapter 84: A Boy without Anything

Lance was surprised, his lips parted as he watched Elliot with nothing but curiosity in his eyes. With a sigh, Lance relaxed his shoulders and breathed deeply.

"Well, my mother… I only knew her from memory. A long, long time ago. Back when my father was still okay and Pentos was still together," Lance started. "I wasn't the prince with two affinities. I was the boy without anything."

In Solaguer 18 years ago, Lance was nothing but a small boy. A boy with barely a hint of affinity in him.

Threatened by the future of the kingdom, the king hired a Fae to enhance Lance's magic. Forcing the boy to drink concoctions made from mysterious sources, and spells cast upon him that would make him scream in pain.

"Stop this," the queen, Divina, cried. "Lance is nothing but a boy. Please Grant, please."

"Divina, if the people replace out that their future king has no affinity in him, they would throw a revolution. A king must be fit, powerful. A king like Lance would make the nobility lose their mind and brainwash the people into overthrowing us," the king argued.

"But he's only a boy!" Divina argued even more. "You're going to sacrifice your son for your pride?"

"I am sacrificing my son for the good of our family!" the king yelled, unintentionally hitting his wife.

Perhaps it was only a spur of the moment, the heavy tension that had been rubbing its friction in the king's mind for weeks. The heavy burden to decid what his next move would be. Perhaps he did not mean it.

But to a 4-year old Lance, his father hitting his mother triggered something inside him.

A well of hatred that time started to fill in with more hatred.

Days had passed and the queen's health started declining. Lance begged his father to see a Priest or a Healer but the king turned him down everytime.

"Father, please, mother is sick," Lance cried. "She needs help."

"She can fend for herself," his father said coldly. "I have a kingdom to rule."

"Father–"

"Enough!" the king yelled, shocking the young boy.

"She's dying, father!" He grit his teeth and started to clench his fist. "You're worthless!"

Lance exploded into fury. His magic burst out of his body and his body floated into the air. The half of his body spewed a raging black aura while the other half held a calm yet grazing aura.

His presence said nothing but powerful. The people inside the throne room trembled as they watched the boy hovered in the air.

"Woof."

A man suddenly appeared behind the boy. He held a grin in his mouth and amusement in his eyes. "You're dangerous, kid."

The man placed his hands on Lance's shoulders, the aura from the boy started to settle down. He smirked and slowly guided the young boy down the ground.

"There we go, good as new," he chuckled.

He patted the boy's arms off the lingering aura, seemingly canceling them.

"Hey," a woman approached Lance and held his right hand. "You're okay, okay? Sorry if his words came out wrong, but you're not dangerous. You're special."

"Who are these people?" the king asked, raising his brow as he watched unknown people crowd around his son.

"Announcing the arrival of Pentos–"

"Two of us are already inside," one man said and the other laughed.

"Your kingdom's men suck," a large man said.

"Y-You're Pentos?" the king asked, stuttering. "But there's–"

"Father," Lance called out. "Who are these people?"

"We're Adventurers," the man who saved him said. "We hunt monsters and do quests and live life. Not to get stuck in castles and rot."

Lance crossed his arms, "What do you know about us, royalty?"

"Well, I am a prince myself," the man grinned.

This lit a sparkle in the young boy's eyes. "Really?"

"Of course!" the man grinned and winked. "A prince of my own kingdom."

"That's like an imaginary kingdom, right?" Lance quirked his brow and rolled his eyes. "That's what they say all the time."

"Sure it is," the man chuckled, ruffling the boy's hair. "You'll know soon enough how great Adventurers are."

"Your majesty!" a woman in green fairy-like clothing walked in. "The queen…"

–

The sky was dark, the clothes were black. The kingdom was mourning for the loss of their queen. The woman who ruled with the king for years had passed away due to an illness.

"I told you she was sick," Lance growled, looking at his father who was sitting on the throne. "I told you she was dying!"

The king did not respond, seemingly staring deep into the abyss.

"Answer me!" Lance yelled. "Why didn't you help her?!"

Lance summoned a ball of black energy in front of him. He pointed his hands at the king who just looked at him blankly.

"I loved her," the king said. "I don't know what I did… I just…"

"Yo!" the man walked in and shot a small spark in front of Lance, canceling the aura Lance was creating. "You need to control your power, young prince. A few days ago, you weren't able to fully express your magic since they would clash inside you. But something had happened and you have gained control with both of them at the same time. That's sick. But in a good way."

Lance fell to his knees and looked at the Adventurers with pleading eyes. "Mr. Reginald, help me." He bowed. "Please help me."

"I will," Reginald grinned, ruffling Lance's hair like he always do. "But my beautiful friend here will help us with that. Me alone doesn't fit your magic since you wield two. You're that special."

"Do we have your permission to teach the prince, your majesty?" the woman with Reginald asked.

The king could only sigh and nod. "Do what you must."

In the course of the weeks that Pentos spent inside the castle for internal relations, they had taught Lance everything he needed to know to properly wield his magic.

But every good thing has its end.

"Do you really have to leave?" Lance sniffled as he watched the people he'd been with for the past few weeks start to go.

"I'm sorry, young Lance but the kingdom needs us," Reginald said. "But we will come back. Right, Chad?"

"Stop calling me that," another man growled. "I may be your best friend but you shall not taint my name."

"Whatever. So, young Lance, here's a gift from us." Reginald made Lance held his hand out as he took something from the air.

"An egg?" Lance pouted, helplessly receiving the egg from the man.

"To continue with your lesson, you need to focus your aura, both of them, into this egg," Reginald instructed. "You are very special, Lance. I will emphasize that. You have the Dualism and at the same time, you have a Faint Ability that prevents your affinities from clashing."

Lance slowly nodded, "But what if I fail your task?"

"Then we'll kill you, that egg is–"

Another one of their members smacked Chad in the nape. "Don't scare kid."

"I'm sorry Guild Master," Chad pouted. "Forgive me?"

"Whatever," their guild master rolled his eyes and walked away.

"Lance, keep this pin," Reginald said and kneeled, placing the pin on the Prince's suit. "This pin resembles my kingdom. And this pin may be useful for you in the future."

"How far in the future?" Lance pouted.

"Not far," Reginald chuckled.

With one last ruffle of the boy's hair, Pentos left the castle.

Lance was left in the large entrance, carrying the larg egg the crew gave him.

"I will not disappoint you guys," Lance said with pure determination.

In the span of days, Lance had focused his magic on the egg, doing his best to finish his task and make Reginald proud.

His hardship was rewarded after the egg started hatching, only to be shocked when a dragon popped up. This dragon would become his now friend and teammate, Hope.

He was rooting for Pentos about their special mission. The reason why they came to the castle was for the king to assign the mission and initial rewards. He just knew that and he was excited for them to go back to the castle and claim their reward.

But they never came back.

When the news about Pentos's disbandment got to him, Lance broke down in tears. He loathed his father, and no one else in the kingdom wants to do anything with him, so he cried himself to sleep alone every night.

That was, until a pair of arms opened up for him. Warm hands that wrapped around him when he was cold. A guiding light that supported him even when he decided he would become an Adventurer like Reginald and his peers.

He had a goal. And part of that goal was to clear Pentos's name.

"Madam Hoot, could I control my powers better now?" Lance asked.

Madam Hoot nodded, "Yes, my prince. I have been helping you perform well for these years. My Fae magic will guide you to your future."

–

"So, that's what happened," Lance flattened his lips, barely smiling at Elliot. "I knew my mother. But my time with her was short."

His mother must be hiding something. Elliot thought. Maybe she suddenly died because she had somewhere else to be, like in another realm.

Lance tilted his head, blushing after realizing he just blabbered about his past. "Why did you ask, anyway?"

"I was just curious," Elliot lied. "Anyway, let's go home."

Lance smiled, nodding as he slung his arm around Elliot's neck. "Yeah. Let's go home."

'Forging [[ Mettelium Arm Sleeve ]]'

~ Please read the Author's Thoughts ~