The Prince's Birthday Party
A sharply swung sword streaked toward my neck. The strike carried fierce, cutting intent. It was the kind of blow that would leave most swordsmen frozen, unable to react, but my opponent deflected it with practiced ease and immediately countered. A technique that exploited the structural weaknesses of the human body forced me to release my grip. If I hadn't let go, my arm would have snapped like a dry branch.
“Ugh—!”
“Haha, what a shame, young master.”
I frowned slightly as I stared at the senior knight. I had lost. Again.
Still not good enough…
I glanced at the other knights watching our spar from the sidelines, their voices filled with admiration. Apprentice knights and fresh appointees who had only just earned their titles. Against them, I won without breaking a sweat. The real problem was the veteran knights—the battle-hardened specialists who had already survived multiple real combats. These were living weapons who spent every waking hour thinking of new ways to knock people down more efficiently, to kill more effectively. Beating them wasn't easy.
Lack of experience, huh.
I chewed on my lip, lost in thought, when the senior knight who had just defeated me flashed a reassuring smile.
“Don’t worry, young master. In my opinion, your talent is the real deal. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. To be this skilled at such a young age, with a body that hasn’t even finished growing… I can’t even imagine how many people will be able to stand against you once you reach your full potential.”
I couldn’t dismiss his words as mere flattery. The knight’s face was lit up with genuine excitement. These men were knights sworn to the Meyer family. Their own honor rose alongside their lord’s. If the boy who would one day become their new master displayed such overwhelming talent, it was cause for celebration, not jealousy.
“You are truly remarkable, young master.”
Children my age would have beamed at such praise. But it wasn’t nearly enough for me.
Not enough.
I was still hungry. I could become so much stronger.
I picked up my sword and rose to my feet, locking eyes with the senior knight.
“One more round.”
“—As you wish.”
The knight swung his blade without hesitation, as if he’d been waiting for exactly those words. Every clash of steel tempered me further. A thousand swings make dan. Ten thousand make ryeon. True training means ten million swings.
Until I reached that number, I still had 9,999,999 to go.
There’s one saying every gym rat understands deep in their bones: “Screw the office job. I just want to live at the gym.”
Unfortunately, no gym rat has ever actually pulled it off. Humans are social creatures, and life has a way of forcing you to do things you’d rather avoid.
I let out a long sigh inside the speeding carriage.
“I really don’t want to go.”
“Kyle… to be honest, this father doesn’t want to go either.”
Father gave an awkward smile. His expression made it clear he had no choice in the matter. And honestly, that was only natural. Today’s event wasn’t something a mere count could brush off.
Who throws a birthday party this extravagant?
Today marked the third prince’s tenth birthday celebration. Every noble in the empire was expected to attend. The Meyer family—known as the Empire’s Guardian Sword and Guardian Knights—could not possibly skip it.
We don’t even celebrate my birthday at home.
The reason was simple. Our family had never been big on empty formalities. More importantly, my birthday was—.
The anniversary of my mother’s death.
It wasn’t exactly a day you could celebrate. How could anyone throw a party on the day the family’s mistress had died? Unless Father had taken a new wife or kept a concubine afterward, but he was the very definition of a one-woman man. He had loved only one woman his entire life.
“Hey, Dad.”
“What is it?”
“Why make the birthday party this huge? I don’t remember them doing anything like this last year.”
“Ah, that.”
There was another reason I was grumbling. In all my years—last year, the year before, and every year before that—I had never once traveled to the capital for the prince’s birthday. If they were going to do it, why not do it every year? Why suddenly start now?
Father explained it easily.
“Medicine has advanced these days, and we have priests, so children don’t die as easily. But in the past, the majority of children never made it to ten years old.”
“Ah, so that’s why?”
“Exactly. Royalty and nobility alike lost children at alarming rates, so celebrating a child’s birthday before they turned ten was considered foolish. It became tradition. That’s why the imperial family throws a grand celebration for their children when they reach ten.”
Infant mortality rates in medieval times were brutally high. Out of three births, one would die. The same was true in this world. Even among nobles and royalty, one in ten children didn’t survive. Of course, with the development of magic, divine healing, and modern medicine, infant deaths had plummeted.
“We’ve arrived.”
At Father’s words, I peeked out the carriage window. The capital sprawled in the distance, and rising above everything else was the most imposing building I had ever seen. I couldn’t even begin to calculate how much money had been poured into it.
Should I be glad the country has so much wealth?
Or should I worry that the imperial family was drowning in decadent displays of power?
Shaking off those thoughts, I watched as our carriage entered the capital proper.
Now that I think about it.
The third prince’s tenth birthday celebration. A gathering where every noble in the empire would be present.
I wonder if she’ll be there too.
I thought of my fiancée whom I hadn’t seen in years and tried to imagine how much she might have grown. I hoped, at the very least, that her smile had improved.
After reaching the capital, we changed clothes at the lodging we had reserved in advance and headed straight for the imperial palace. Combining both my past and present lives, this was the first time I had ever worn a tuxedo. The stiff, uncomfortable fabric made me want to rip it off immediately.
It doesn’t suit me at all…
I tugged at my tie with a slight frown. Father reached over and smoothed out the wrinkles in my clothes, speaking carefully.
“Kyle, you must be cautious once we arrive.”
“Watch my words, right?”
“Yes. Well, as long as you stay near me, you probably won’t cause any trouble…”
Father looked down at me with clear worry in his eyes. I nearly laughed out loud. I wasn’t a child—what was there to worry about?
Oh, right. I technically am a kid right now.
Come to think of it, I was still a child in this body. Deciding to act like one and listen to my elders, I gave him a bright smile to reassure him. I had no intention of causing trouble. In fact, I had never caused any trouble in the first place. Father was just worrying needlessly.
Still wearing that doubtful expression, Father led me toward the banquet hall. The knights standing guard at the entrance searched us thoroughly before we were finally allowed inside.
“The Empire’s Guardian Knight, Count Karl Meyer, and his son, Young Master Kyle Meyer, are entering!”
At the herald’s announcement, every noble inside turned to look at us at once. The quicker ones were already walking over to greet us. Father welcomed them with a warm smile.
“It’s been a while, Baron.”
“Oh, indeed. I must visit the marquis’s estate sometime soon…”
“Yes, of course. Regarding that matter—”
While Father exchanged pleasantries with the nobles, I stood beside him with a polite, doll-like smile plastered on my face. There was no room for me to join their conversation. To be honest, I couldn’t even understand half of what they were talking about.
After standing there for what felt like forever, I spotted a child waving at me from across the hall.
“Dad.”
“Oh—yes, Kyle. What is it?”
“I’m going to head over there.”
I pointed toward the area where noble children around my age had gathered. Father nodded, looking relieved. I loosened my suffocating tie a little and made my way over. The child who had waved at me approached immediately.
“Kyle. It’s been a long time.”
My fiancée, Yuri Grace, whom I hadn’t seen in five years. She greeted me with the same icy, emotionless expression as always.
I let out a hearty laugh at the sight of her.
“Whoa, Yuri. It really has been a while.”
“Yes. A long time.”
“So? Did you practice smiling like I told you?”
“I practiced a lot. Father even complimented me.”
“Really? Let me see.”
I grinned, eager to see how hard she had worked on it, but Yuri shook her head with a completely blank face.
“I can’t.”
“…Why not?”
“Father told me not to show you.”
I tilted my head in confusion. Was he sulking because I hadn’t visited once in five years? Even so, she was my fiancée—how could he forbid me from seeing her smile?
Fortunately, her refusal wasn’t for such a childish reason.
“…He said I shouldn’t smile carelessly at men who aren’t my husband.”
“Wait, why am I ‘a man who isn’t your husband’? I’m your fiancé.”
“We’re only engaged. We aren’t married yet… so he told me not to show it freely.”
“Ah.”
It was clearly revenge for what I had said last time about not liking her expression. Realizing this was all my own fault, I rubbed my face and let out a deep sigh. Still, wasn’t this grudge a bit too strong?
This is why northerners are…
I hung my head, sneaking glances at Yuri’s noticeably grown chest. She must have noticed my gaze, because she quickly turned away, covering herself with her arms. I couldn’t see her smile, but I could confirm her growth, so I decided that was satisfying enough.
That’s when someone spoke up behind us.
“What are you two talking about?”
I turned my head to see a blond boy with an aristocratic air smiling at us. While I was still trying to figure out who he was, Yuri beside me immediately recognized him. She bowed politely.
“Yuri Grace greets Your Highness the Prince.”
“Ah, yes. Nice to meet you.”
Realizing the boy in front of us was the host of this very party—the prince—I quickly copied her greeting.
“Kyle Meyer greets Your Highness the Prince.”
“Ah, so you’re…”
The prince seemed to recall something when he heard my name. As I stood there tilting my head, he grinned and introduced himself.
“I’m Bellion Dairos. The third prince. Same age as you two.”
“Oh, then can we drop the formalities?”
“Huh?”
“You said we’re the same age. Doesn’t that make us friends?”
Bellion stared at me in momentary surprise, then burst into laughter.
“Haha, hahaha! Alright! Let’s be friends, Kyle!”
“Nice to meet you, Bellion.”
“Hahaha!”
He even grabbed my hand and shook it vigorously up and down. The sight caused not only Yuri but everyone around us to change expressions in rapid succession. While I stood there wondering what the big deal was, only Bellion—the one who had just gained a new friend—kept laughing brightly.