How long has it been?
How long have I been trapped in this black void?
Why is this happening to me?
What did I do to deserve this?
After dying to that strange shard called a [World Tree Fragment], I ended up reincarnating. I remember being held in a woman's warm embrace. I could barely make out her face. It was warm, the first warmth I had felt in a very long time.
However, that moment soon became a distant memory. I closed my eyes for a split second, and when I tried to open them again, they refused to move.
Then this—[Awakening progress... 99%], began to appear in my mind, ticking upward like a relentless clock. The speed at which it increased by a single digit was painfully slow, yet I had no choice but to wait, clinging to the hope that when it finally reached one hundred percent, I would wake up.
'Please let that be the case… please.'
I can't take this anymore. The sensation of being unable to move, of having all my senses dulled except my thoughts, while my eyelids remain sealed shut.
Luckily, my inner voice still functions. Without it, I would have gone insane. That—and the ticking, floating words, have kept me company. Speaking of those words, it feels like it's finally time for it to reach one hundred.
Tick, tock…
[Awakening progress... 100%]
[Before you awaken from your slumber, please choose two talents, one extra magical attribute, and one extra trait.]
[For your perseverance as a guardian of one of the World Trees, you have been granted this privilege.]
'Talents? Attributes? What does that even mean?'
[Talents available based on social rank of prince, the Luxeria bloodline, and the title of World Tree Guardian:]
[«Talent in Magic»]
[«Talent in Swordsmanship»]
[«Talent in Killing»]
[«Talent in Memorization»]
[«Talent in Governance»]
[«Talent in Mana Control»]
[«Talent in Learning»]
[Choose two…]
'So I just have to choose two? Will that finally wake me up?'
[Yes.]
Finally I'd be able to escape this hell. I could faintly begin to feel my heart pounding, though I reminded myself not to get too excited. Who knows where I'd end up?
Still… to think I'd reincarnate as a prince. I wonder how much time has passed in the outside world? There was only one way to find out, by following whatever these words were, even if I didn't fully trust them.
After some thought, I made my choice. From the available talents, it was clear that magic existed, which immediately piqued my interest. Just what kind of world was I about to wake up in? Regardless, I chose the two talents that made the most sense to me.
[You have become talented in all things related to magic…]
[You have become talented at controlling the mana within your body…]
Since magic was real, I might as well fully commit to it. I didn't know how this "magic" worked, or even what it looked like, but who cared? It sounded fun, and after spending so much time in boredom, I desperately needed something new.
Next came the magical attributes.
[Attributes available based on the Luxeria bloodline, your talent in magic, and the title of Guardian:]
[«Attribute of Fire»]
[«Attribute of Water»]
[«Attribute of Wind»]
[«Attribute of Earth»]
[«Attribute of Darkness»] (Highly compatible)
'Why is the Attribute of Darkness marked as highly compatible? It's practically forcing me to choose it.'
Still, it stood out from the rest, and for some reason, I felt drawn to it. Without overthinking it, I made my decision.
Lastly came the most important choice—selecting a trait.
[Traits available based on the Luxeria bloodline and the title of Guardian:]
[«Divine Sight»]
[«Overflux»]
[«Sixth Sense»]
[«Animal Alphabet»]
[«Flora Alphabet»]
[«Inhumane Strength»]
…
[«Lesser Immortality»]
There were nearly a thousand traits to choose from, but my mind was already made up the moment I saw it.
[You have gained immortality. Your wounds heal at an incredible speed, and lost limbs can regenerate after a set amount of time. As this is only partial immortality, damaged organs cannot be restored.]
'That's understandable.'
Immortality was never a bad choice. In this new life, I wanted to live for as long as possible.
[Awakening process complete…]
[Arise, World Tree Guardian and prince of Luxeria.]
***
In the Luxeria Kingdom, there existed an unspoken rule.
Do not speak of the Third Prince.
The Third Prince, Grey Luxeria, lay in a coma. The day of his birth brought grief instead of joy. Not once did he cry, nor did he ever open his eyes. His mother, the king's third concubine, tried everything. Healers, researchers, magic scholars, she summoned them all, yet no one could identify the ailment that plagued her child.
Speculation soon spread. Some claimed it was a curse. Though curses were proven not to exist, the rumors refused to fade.
Those very rumors led to his mother's death. To erase the stain that brought shame upon the royal family, the prince was sent to the duke of Everfield's territory, on the outskirts of Luxeria. On the king's orders, the duke used his unique magic to sustain the infant's life, yet even he remained indifferent to Grey's existence.
The only one who truly cared for the child was Daisy Longcloth, a former and trusted maid of the third concubine.
For sixteen years, she looked after the boy—cleaning him, holding his hand, speaking to him, and praying desperately that he would one day wake. Having already passed the age of seventy, this year would be her last in service to the prince.
She had accepted that she would never see him awaken.
That resolve shattered the morning she saw the prince staring out the window.
***
The duke's mansion was a cold place. The gazes the servants cast toward Daisy were filled with disdain, with only a few offering her genuine respect.
"Good morning, Miss Daisy!" a girl waved from the top of the stairs, dressed in a servant's uniform.
Lidia Clover. A surprisingly beautiful girl with long brown hair and warm, almond-colored eyes. She was one of the few who treated Daisy like a human being.
"Good morning, Lidia," Daisy replied with a gentle smile as she climbed the stairs.
The mansion was enormous, to say the least. Paintings adorned nearly every wall, and the staircase leading to the second floor was lined with a red carpet that felt far too extravagant for Daisy's worn steps.
She stared at it with mild displeasure, wondering just how much it must be worth.
"Miss Daisy, are you going to check on the prince?" Lidia asked, interrupting her thoughts as she dusted the railing.
Daisy nodded. "Since this is my last day here…" she said, smiling softly. Behind that smile lay regret, she would never be able to tell the child how deeply his mother loved him.
Lidia paused. "I see… it's that time already," she murmured.
"Lidia—"
Before Daisy could continue, another servant came charging down the right hallway like an enraged bull. She tripped mid-run and slid across the floor, stopping right in front of Lidia.
"Ow," she said flatly, as though she hadn't just slammed face-first into the ground.
"Mika! Are you alright?" Lidia exclaimed as she and Daisy rushed over.
The girl lifted her head. "I think so?" she replied, expression unchanged. Her glasses were shattered.
"You're not okay! Your nose is bleeding, and there's a shard of glass stuck in your cheek!" Lidia panicked, unsure where to even begin.
Mika, whose full name was Mikael Florentine, was known throughout the mansion as the walking doll. Beautiful in appearance, yet aloof and emotionless. She had short light-brown hair and light-grey eyes.
She wiped her nose with her hand and looked toward Daisy. A faint smile curved her lips.
"He's awake."
Daisy's face slowly lit up as tears welled in her eyes.
"Go," Lidia said brightly. "I'll take care of this. Go be the first person he sees."
"Second," Mika replied as she sat up and removed her broken glasses.
"Shut up. Do you want to get hit?" Lidia muttered, fist clenched just in case.
Daisy didn't hesitate. She ran as fast as her aged body would allow. The prince had finally awakened. Even if he couldn't understand her yet, she didn't care. She only wanted to hold him and tell him everything about his mother.
She rushed through the halls, past paintings and flower pots, past empty rooms, until she reached the final door at the end of the corridor.
She didn't knock.
She entered immediately.
"Young prince..." She muttered out of breath.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she covered her mouth.
There he stood, gazing out the window. His blond hair cascaded over his shoulders, shimmering like gold in the light.
When he turned, Daisy collapsed to her knees, sobbing.
A beautiful child, resembling her former mistress. A face more beautiful than any woman, yet more handsome than the most perfect man.
Striking blue eyes with sharp, cat-like pupils, the unmistakable sign of royal blood.
The proof of his undeniable status.
The Third Prince of the Luxeria Kingdom, Grey Luxeria, had finally awakened.
And the Duke of Everfield was most certainly the first to take notice of his unique magic...
[«Manasynthesis Recollection»],
...deactivating.
The fact that the prince had awakened was a surprise he had not expected, but more than anything, it was a nuisance. Were it not for the king's orders, he would have left the child to die…
Still, there was no need to worry about some clueless fool getting in his way, yet he was still of the Luxeria bloodline, the kind that produced powerful magicians, wielding power enough to obliterate a small village. He had to exercise caution, even if the prince was someone who would wake with the mind of a baby, incapable of walking.
Unbeknownst to the duke, all his fears would become valid the moment he met the prince he thought a fool.