"As long as their numbers grow, the Leon Kingdom will one day possess the might to brandish a flame so fierce it will burn away the darkness and reclaim this world as our own! To guard them is not only to guard the kingdom we see now, but to protect the future that waits beyond the horizon. And to forge such a future, I, a mere commoner, would gladly lay down my life without hesitation."
Nameless's passionate speech resonated with Ray.
Ray's chest tightened with admiration.
That answer satisfied him more than he cared to admit. Had Nameless uttered some hollow, cliché nonsense, Ray would have laughed with disdain and never taken him seriously. But his words, rooted in a clear, uncompromising judgment of the kingdom's current state, had a clear weight to them.
In that instant, he decided he would help Nameless write the next chapter of his life, which would be brighter and more grandiose than the one he now walked.
And he was certain it wouldn't be thankless.
For every effort he poured into aiding Nameless, he believed he would receive something far greater in return. After all, Nameless's identity was extraordinary.
"To have raised a son like you so excellently," Ray remarked with a wry smile, "King Leon must truly be unmatched when it comes to raising children."
Nameless's expression turned proud, but not arrogant. "My father is the greatest human to have ever walked this earth. What could he be if not the greatest?" He paused mid-speech, his eyes narrowing as a crucial realization suddenly dawned upon him. "Wait—you know my father is King Leon!"
Ray grinned faintly, as though it had been obvious all along. "I also know you are the former Crown Prince… Leonson, right?"
Nameless was tongue-tied for a moment before he stuttered.
"H-How?"
Ray spoke thoughtfully.
"The Shattering Mother is King Leon's only sister. She is the Kingdom's Grand Princess. To become her legacy student, there are two clear cut requirement. Yet, you became her disciple without properly meeting her requirements. To use Stiches, you require external aid as you are not a silver rank expert. That can only mean a special exemption was made for you. Someone powerful commanded it. And who in this kingdom has the authority to command such a royal figure? Only one man comes to mind. King Leon, the Overlord himself. He would never intervene for just anyone. The only reason he would do so… is because you are close to him. Besides, you slipped earlier and admitted your father is more than world-famous. Who in this world is more feared, more respected, than our Overlord?"
Nameless tried to regain his composure. "I could be one of his more capable children. Why do you think I am the Former Crown Prince specifically?"
Ray smirked faintly. "As far as I know, out of King Leon's seventeen sons, ten are already too old to look or behave as young as you. Five are still far too young, barely in their teens. That leaves only two possibilities. The Former Crown Prince and the current one.
"But the current Crown Prince is a Divine Seal Holder. Divine Seal Holders are the jewels of the kingdom. They are hidden away, hoarded, nurtured under the crown's watchful eye. Given all the resources and protection in the world to grow into their potential quickly. And for good reason.
"The demonic races has never shied from assassinating our geniuses before they fully bloom. Whenever a Divine Seal Holder appears, assassins would swarm like vultures, willing to sacrifice armies just to erase them. The only way to protect such a precious person is to place them in the safest place in the kingdom. The royal palace. So tell me… why would the Crown Prince abandon that safety and wander into a dungeon? He wouldn't. Which leaves only one conclusion. You are the Former Crown Prince.
Nameless froze, staring at him like a frog caught in sudden torchlight. "With so little information, you managed to piece together my identity. What in the hell is your brain made of?"
Ray chuckled. "The same stuff as your brain. So you really are the Former Crown Prince. My guess was correct." He said it triumphantly, though deep down he admitted relief.
After all, how embarrassing it would have been if it was all in his head? If Nameless was truly not who he believed to be, he would have to dig a hole and bury himself into it to escape getting burned by embarrassment.
Nameless sighed heavily, then straightened his back. "Since you've guessed correctly, I may as well reward you with the truth. I am Leonson, the Former Crown Prince of the Leon Kingdom. My name was stripped from me and gifted to my half-brother when it was revealed that I had no talent for taming demonic creatures. Now I am Nameless. That is what I've become, and that is what I will remain. So keep calling me that, and treat me as you would any other commoner. If the wrong ears ever hear you call me Leonson, they might rip out your tongue and force you to swallow it. The new Crown Prince and his faction are among the most ruthless people I have ever known."
Ray spoke, his expression solemn. "I will take your advice seriously."
"I am really curious. How strong are you, and how did you become that strong?"
What Ray truly wanted to know was whether Nameless had discovered a way to use his Seal.
Nameless replied, "Although I was reduced to a commoner, my parents never abandoned me. They gave me the resources to elevate my soul's quality. You probably don't know what soul quality is since you're from the backwater parts of the kingdom. Let me explain. Soul quality determines how much magic power you can contain at a time. Thanks to their support, I managed to enhance mine greatly—it's comparable to that of a highly talented Peak Bronze Rank Tamer.
"They also helped me study under the Shattering Mother and inherit the best from her. Learning her signature move made me unrivaled under the Silver Rank."
'So his power was handed over to him? No… his efforts can't be denied,' Ray thought. 'Stitches is the ninth hardest Soul Technique to learn. The Shattering Finger should be just as hard to learn if not harder. To learn both at such a young age… he must have been working relentlessly.'
"What are you doing here, Nameless?" Ray asked.
"Training exercises. I have been tasked with closing three dimensional rifts and annihilating two fiend legions causing trouble in this region before I can return to the capital and study more of her self-invented techniques."
"The Shattering Mother set you up with the task of annihilating legions? Doesn't she care about your life?" Ray asked in shock.
"I am her nephew. How could she not care about my life?" Nameless replied, though even he seriously doubted his own words. He cleared his throat and added, "Ahem. I have learned her signature Soul Technique. The Shattering Finger. If I were to die at the hands of the bastards causing trouble in the kingdom's Northern Outer Region, then I would truly be worth nothing."
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