Two Years Later (Now Three Years Old)
In one of the royal castle's rooms, a child sat reading an ancient book. It was a book that many considered useless, yet his intuition told him otherwise. He felt that it held immense potential—enough to change the technological civilization of this world. The book was called "Rune Magic."
Once, he had asked one of the maids, curiously, "Why is this book considered useless?"
The maid answered simply, "Because it has no effect on the battlefield. So, it's useless."
Hearing that left him speechless. Just how backward was the technology of this world? At the very least, he should study it. Perhaps he could use it to help him fight the roaming monsters.
Monsters? Oh, right… there were so many of them roaming this world. In one of the books he read, it was even mentioned that massive dragon nests—each as large as a fortress—existed all over the land. The thought sent shivers down his spine, so he tried to push it out of his mind.
Now then, what kind of technology did he want to design? Of course, something that would make him agile and strong when wielding a weapon—an exoskeleton. This technology was still being developed in his previous world, but with precise craftsmanship and the addition of Rune Magic, he believed he could create a frame that moved at will, even if the material was just ordinary wood.
"How would I make it?" he thought. "Quite simple…"
"Ranya, please make a toy like this," he said, handing her a carefully drawn sketch with precise measurements of each part.
And who was Ranya? Of course, she was his personal maid. Ranya glanced at the drawing, sighed, and said, "Master, you always come up with strange things." She held a block of wood, preparing to carve it according to the sketch.
He looked at her with hopeful eyes. "At least you can do it, right?"
She smiled slightly. "Yes... at least I'm gifted, so it's easy." She then began cutting away the unnecessary parts.
"Gifted?" In this world, some lucky people were born with gifts embedded in their memories—like spearmen, archers, royal guards… There were even records of individuals receiving the legendary Hero gift. It felt just like an occupation system in an online game.
If you asked whether he wanted one… his answer was no.
"Why?" Because each of these gifted occupations followed a predetermined growth path. But Rune Magic? It offered limitless possibilities. Who told him that? No one… but his intuition did. So, he chose to trust it.
However, Ranya's next words shattered his hopes.
"It's impossible to refuse. The priest visits every region to bestow blessings. And you, as a prince, will receive yours when you turn eight."
"Damn it. Isekaiiiiiiiii…"
While listening, he absentmindedly asked something he shouldn't have. "So, what is your gift, actually?"
Oh crap. He shouldn't have asked that.
Ranya narrowed her eyes. "Do you really want to know?" she asked, her hands still busy crafting.
He quickly waved his hands. "No, no… never mind." His body trembled slightly.
After a moment, she smiled and said, "Done."
Hearing that, he ran toward her and inspected the finished piece. His eyes lit up. "Yes! This is it—perfect technical precision! Now, we just need... 120 more parts... Oh, come on!"
Ranya chuckled. "Be patient, Prince." She continued working on the next part.
He sighed, "Okay..." Then, he picked up the Rune Magic book and continued reading.
While he was reading, someone opened the door to his room. Hearing that, both Paul and Ranya looked toward the door. They saw that the one who entered was the King. Ranya greeted him with a maid's salute, saying, "Your Majesty."
Paul immediately ran toward the King and said, "Father…" with open arms.
The King nodded toward Ranya, crouched down to catch Paul, lifted him up, and smiled, "Ah... my son is big now, huh?"
After lowering Paul back down, Paul asked, "What's wrong, Father? Why are you here?" with a confused expression.
The King replied, "Oh... I'm going to another country for a while. Are you okay?" while stroking Paul's head and smiling.
Paul answered, "Of course," with a happy nod.
Hearing that, the King was relieved and said, "Okay, I will—"
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Ranya and said, "Ranya, come with me…" while walking out of the room.
Hearing that, both Paul and Ranya were confused, but Ranya still followed the King out of the room.
After walking toward the garden and gazing at it, the King suddenly spoke to Ranya, who was following behind.
"How is that damn person?" he asked in a relaxed tone.
Ranya looked a little confused and replied, "Who do you mean, Your Highness?"
The King sighed and said, "Shadow... right?" while looking sharply at Ranya.
Realizing her cover had been seen through, Ranya simply nodded calmly.
Seeing that, the King turned his gaze back to the garden and asked, "So, what mission did that bastard give you?" while releasing his aura.
Feeling the immense pressure, as if she could be cut down at any moment, Ranya could only answer honestly, "Guarding the Prince," she said with resignation.
Hearing that, after a few minutes, the King withdrew his aura and started walking in another direction.
"Okay, I'll take your word for it," he said, glancing at Ranya briefly.
"Go back to Paul's room," he added in a firm tone, before continuing on his way.