Reawakening with Limitless Mana-Chapter 49: The King

The sudden appearance of the youngest Prince caught everyone off guard. But even more surprising was the man who followed behind him—the Crown Prince himself, Tristan von Aldercrest.

"What’s going on here?" asked the eighteen-year-old Prince, his brows drawn together in a sharp frown.

Eric stepped forward, calm and composed, and addressed the room so everyone could hear. "Bumping into someone by accident doesn’t give anyone the right to throw a punch. Tell me if I’m wrong, gentlemen."

The blue-haired boy kept his head down, his fists clenched in silence. Count Drevon stood nearby, his face caught in a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, and maybe even guilt.

Eric then turned to face the Duke and his son, his voice firm yet even. "And after that... mocking someone for their present, laughing at their choice—surely that’s not acceptable either."

Prince Tristan’s frown deepened. His eyes flicked between the two young boys, noting how neither dared to meet anyone’s gaze. That was all the confirmation he needed.

"Is it true, Gustav?" asked Duke Montclair, his voice low and heavy.

Gustav said nothing. He simply lowered his head, the silence speaking louder than any excuse could.

What most didn’t know was that Eric hadn’t seen the incident himself. He arrived just moments after the Count and Duke. It was his maid, Synthia, who saw everything. She was the one who told him, the one who led him here.

Eric walked over to Arthur, his steps quiet and steady.

"May I have the present you brought for me?" he asked gently.

Arthur said nothing at first. He simply looked at the man who had once stabbed him—the same man now standing before him with calm eyes and an open hand. Without a word, Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm.

It was small, simple. A good luck charm.

Eric took it with care, slipping it onto his wrist where everyone could see.

"Thank you," he said, the words soft but clear. "I truly appreciate this gift. And thank you both for coming to celebrate today. I’m sorry for the way things turned out."

It was... a rare sight. A ten-year-old boy, so calm, so thoughtful.

Without hesitation, he bowed his head before commoners—something no one would expect from someone of his status. Especially not at that age. frёewebηovel.cѳm

But Arthur wasn’t surprised by the gasps of awe or the soft praises that filled the room.

This was Eric.

The people’s hero.

He had always been this way—kind, humble, and someone who doesn’t consider himself above anyone except for demons. The kind of person others dreamed of becoming but never quite could. He punished the guilty without bias and treated the innocent with warmth and care.

To become humanity’s greatest hope, raw strength isn’t enough. One must inspire, lead, and light the path ahead like a star that outshines the darkness.

And Eric... Eric was that star.

"It’s okay now, Your Highness. It was a misunderstanding on both sides. Let’s put this behind us," Aston spoke up gently, trying to ease the tension before the nobles were further embarrassed by their children’s actions.

The celebration slowly found its rhythm again.

Later, during the cake cutting, the King and Queen arrived at the grand hall. The Supreme Authority stood tall, offering heartfelt words to the people, thanking them for attending.

As expected, the Duke kept his distance from the Baron. His son had been hurt. Regardless of who was at fault, humiliation had followed, and pride like his rarely forgets that.

"I’m sorry, Father... If only I had been more careful," Kevin said, voice low and full of regret. His father had started to build a promising bond, but Kevin had broken it before it could take shape.

Aston gave a small smile and patted his son’s back. "Don’t worry about it. I never cared much for befriending high nobles anyway. They’re... complicated. Always finding reasons to be offended."

He wasn’t here to chase titles or favors. Aston believed in walking forward by relying on his own strength, not someone else’s name. So, he didn’t mind how things turned out.

Still... Arthur couldn’t help but sigh.

’The Count definitely holds a grudge now...’

The blue-haired man’s cold stare said it all. He stood silently beside his wife, eyes fixed on Kevin and Arthur. His son was nowhere to be seen, and it wasn’t hard to guess where he might be right now.

While Arthur was thinking about how he should deal with the situation, an unexpected person arrived before them.

Every eye traveled with the man since he had the supreme authority in the nation and was also the host of the celebration.

Aston had seldom felt as nervous as he was at the moment upon seeing the man walking toward him.

The hall seemed to have turned silent under mutual agreement as the King stopped before the family of four.

"Mister Aston, it’s a pleasure to meet you."

He stood there with his hands crossed behind his back and greeted him with a crisp smile.

Aston gave a faint bow, and so did the other three, as the man of the Stronghart family spoke, "It’s a pleasure to stand in your presence, Your Majesty."

"Ahah~you don’t need to be so formal. This celebration is meant to bring us closer." He gave a soft pat on Aston’s shoulder before directing his eyes toward his family

"Raising two sons must have been quite the adventure, Lady Stronghart. My wife often remarks how ours seems to treat the house as little more than a place to sleep."

Virelle was, naturally, quite nervous in the presence of the King, but she held herself together better than her husband, "Ah, yes. They’re endlessly energetic—and frequently find themselves scolded for their rather excessive enthusiasm for hunting and swordplay."

He gave a soft chuckle, "Well then, I daresay Eric would thoroughly enjoy their company."

Looking back at Aston, he said, "On that note, I would like to invite you and your family tomorrow for breakfast."

Aston opened and closed his mouth a few times before he uttered the response, "I’d be honoured to share the table with you, Your Majesty."

*******

Later that night, as their carriage rolled quietly along the moonlit road, Aston let out a deep, heavy sigh.

"I was so damn nervous..." he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Virelle chuckled softly. "You’re not the only one. I never imagined the King himself would invite us."

Kevin nodded in agreement, still a little dazed. He didn’t know what exactly had caught the King’s attention, but a part of him wondered if it had something to do with that day in town—the people he helped. Just a guess, but one that lingered in his mind.

Arthur, however, had a different concern altogether.

"But Father," he said, frowning slightly, "we were supposed to return to Westmere already..."

Aston blinked at him, confused. "You want me to decline the King’s personal invitation... just because we’ll get back a little late?"

The carriage fell silent as all three turned toward him, eyes wide with disbelief. For a moment, it felt like he had spoken in another language.

Arthur broke into a small smile. "Naturally, I’m joking."

But no one laughed.

The silence remained, as quiet and unmoving as the road ahead.

*******

A/N:- Thank you for giving my story a chance. Please leave a comment.