The River God
1090 Words
"My dearest son, why must you venture to the distant Norman Empire?"
Queen Juliet's eyes were full of reluctance.
"Mother, I must go there to seek true love and find a way to break the curse."
Yize gently embraced his mother.
Father also patted Yize on the shoulder, encouraging him, "Yize, my proudest son, you are the future heir to the throne of the Duchy of Kabel, and the most promising young magician. I believe you will return safely."
Looking at his aging parents, Yize felt a surge of emotion, "Yes, Father, I will not disappoint you. I will be back on my eighteenth birthday."
Yize was the most talented magician not only in the Duchy of Kabel but also in the entire Norman Empire. At the age of two, he could cast fireball spells, playing pranks on the servants around him.
At the Kabel Magic Academy, he effortlessly mastered various low and high-level magic spells, consistently being the top student each year.
Blessed with extraordinary magical talent, Yize initially thought it was his cheat as a transmigrator, only to realize it was the prophecy made about him in childhood coming true.
Of course, the prophecies about being strong and brave but picky with food, handsome and charming yet with black hair, smart and clever but stuttering when lying, all manifested in him.
Therefore, Yize had no doubt that if he couldn't find a solution before turning eighteen, he would indeed die on his eighteenth birthday.
King Robert prepared a sturdy carriage for Yize and assigned his most reliable five-star knight, Raymond, to protect Yize throughout the journey.
Raymond, now 53, was brave and strong, at the peak of his knightly prowess.
"Raymond, you are my most trusted guard. The prince's safety is in your hands."
"Yes, Your Majesty! I swear by my knight's honor that as long as I live, I will ensure Prince Yize returns safely!"
Raymond solemnly swore by his knight's honor, the most sacred oath for any knight.
Queen Juliet prepared 500 gold coins, a large amount of food, clothing, daily necessities, and potions for Yize, filling the entire carriage, forcing Yize to clear out many items.
"Mother, please don't worry about me. I'll only be gone for a year, and these gold coins will be more than enough."
Yize smiled at Juliet.
One gold coin equaled 100 silver coins, one silver coin equaled 100 copper coins, and an ordinary person usually earned only 30 silver coins a year.
So, 500 gold coins were more than most families could spend in a lifetime.
"Son, please be extremely careful. Our Duchy of Kabel is merely a vassal state of the Norman Empire, so if you encounter the Norman royal family, be respectful and avoid making enemies. The Emperor of Norman might not show courtesy to me or your father."
"Rest assured, Mother."
Yize comforted his mother with a smile, knowing she would never let him go if she knew he was planning to steal the Norman queen's magic mirror.
The king and queen personally escorted Yize outside the city. Yize tearfully bid them farewell, vowing to repay their unselfish love and care if he survived this ordeal.
The king and queen watched the carriage until it disappeared from sight, then supported each other back to the palace.
...
Yize and Raymond sat in the carriage, driven by Charlie, Yize's age-mate and most loyal servant, who had cared for Yize since childhood.
"Your Highness, there is a river ahead. We've traveled a long way; would you like to rest?"
Charlie called out to the carriage.
Yize looked at Raymond, "Sir Raymond, shall we take a break?"
"As you wish, Your Highness."
Raymond was very respectful towards Yize, not only because he was the king's favorite prince but also because Yize was a highly gifted magician.
In Eurasia, magicians were considered the rarest and noblest profession, followed by wizards, then knights and rangers.
These were the four combat professions, with two support professions: seers and alchemists.
The universally accepted ranking from high to low was: magician, wizard, knight, ranger, alchemist, seer.
In terms of population, it made sense; a talented alchemist might emerge among hundreds of thousands, while combat professions and seers were even rarer, especially magicians, who were the rarest.
So, if a family had one person become any of these six professions, they wouldn't worry about their livelihood for a lifetime.
Profession ranks ranged from one-star to nine-star.
Raymond was a five-star knight, while Yize was only a three-star magician, but Raymond knew if they fought, and Yize kept his distance, Raymond's chances of winning were less than ten percent.
There was no help for it; magicians were incredibly powerful, capable of launching strong attacks from a distance, and possessing various survival techniques.
As a prince, Yize must have learned many advanced magic spells, given his terrifying learning ability.
Raymond knew Yize would one day become the brightest star in the Duchy of Kabel.
So, Raymond admired Yize from the heart, not to mention he was the most humble and courteous of all the princes, never talking down to or ordering around the servants.
"Your Highness, we've just left our country. Crossing this river will take us into the Duchy of Eaton. It's getting dark, so why not camp here?"
Raymond suggested.
"Alright, I'm getting hungry. Charlie, start a fire and heat up the roast meat Mother sent."
Yize instructed Charlie.
"Yes, Your Highness."
While Raymond set up the tent, Yize, feeling bored, took out an apple and a dagger, squatting by the river to peel it.
Having been accustomed to being served food and drink, he was clumsy with the dagger and accidentally dropped it into the river.
"Sigh."
Yize looked at the partially peeled apple, sighed, took a bite from the peeled part, and tossed it aside.
Apple skins were something he'd rather starve than eat.
Suddenly, bubbles rose from the middle of the river, water surging upwards.
Then, a head slowly emerged from the river, with white hair and a long white beard, yet perfectly dry.
The man smiled at Yize, holding a glittering gold dagger in one hand and a shining silver dagger in the other.
"Young man, you dropped something. Is it this gold dagger or this silver dagger?"
Didn't I just drop a bronze dagger?
Yize was taken aback, thinking, Damn! Isn't this the story of the golden axe and silver axe?
The elderly man was clearly the river god, testing Yize's honesty!
Sorry, but this prince already knows the story.
- Writer
