Hello. I made a little change: the phrase "Unless you had a 100 or higher in at least one of your stats..." was removed from Chapter 1. I was planning to add game elements to the novel, but decided against it now.
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The Scorched Frontier, previously known as the Evergreen Lands, was once a prosperous territory. With the River of Florc flowing across and the Baluhm Woods bordering the west, there was plenty of food and water. However, the Greeners, as they called themselves, didn’t settle for a life of hunting and fishing. They made use of the fresh water from the river and the fertile soil from the forest to create farming lands and grow their crops. Over time, more and more families reverted to agriculture and soon, the Lands became the best exporter of produce in the empire.
More people started moving to the Lands, hoping to have a bit of the promised riches there. As the population grew, so did the demand on the environment: more land to use for farms, more timber for houses, more water for the crops, just more and more of everything. Finally, after providing abundant crops for more than a century, the soil had finally given up almost a hundred years ago. There are no more minerals or nutrients in the ground that is closer to sand now. The Baluhm Woods is long gone. Even the River of Florc is close to completely drying up.
The Evergreen Lands became the Scorched Frontier, a hot savannah of only a few thousand people. The farming families that once populated the area have left for bigger cities, hoping for a new life. However, not everyone left. The ones who chose to stay had survived through hunting and trading of animal skins and bones. Despite its weak economic growth, the Scorched Frontier has been stabilizing in recent years. It is all due to the efforts of Duke Reinsmann who took charge of the unstable region five years prior.
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Zen closed the book and pondered for a minute.
I assumed the worst about the situation there, but apparently not.
He looked at the last sentence again, “due to the efforts of Duke Reinsmann.”
Never mind. I shouldn’t trust a book with such blatant propaganda. I need to get the first-hand information myself, then. Should I go to the Frontier? No, school is starting next month, and a round trip is four weeks at least. I can’t afford to miss even a day of school. It’s my only chance at improving my skills quickly. What should I do now?
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Zen looked left and right then called out to the empty library, “Walter.”
The butler promptly entered, “Yes, young master Zen?”
Zen smiled to himself. Of course, he was going to be around.
Zen stood up and started walking out of the library, “Since I can’t go to the Frontier, I might as well go to the school dormitories now. Please make the arrangements.”
“With pleasure,” Walter followed his departing young master, “However, are you not being too hasty, young master?”
“Too hasty?”
“His Majesty announced your inheritance mere hours ago. Perhaps, it will be a good idea to stop and think for some time to--”
“Walter,” Zen suddenly stopped walking, “what am I good at?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“My swordsmanship is average at best. I don’t have a large mana pool, so the most I can do is elementary magic. I am not very good at arithmetic or history, either. In fact, I hate studying. When you think about it, all I have is my status as a prince and my family’s money. Oh, yeah, and this face women seem to fawn over.”
“Young master, Zen…”
“I don’t have any ‘best’ qualities right now. However, I can work hard to achieve them. Now I know what my inheritance is and it doesn’t matter that it is probably the worst place in the empire. I don’t have the time to sit here and brood about that. I have already thought about the next steps I should take, and I have to start acting immediately.
Zen turned to Walter, “School is only the first step. The skills I will learn and the connections I will establish there are vital for my future reign in the Scorched Frontier.”
Walter looked at his young master with new understanding. He has always known that Prince Zen is more than just the charming and indifferent person everyone else thinks he is. However, he has never seen him like this.
Zen smiled before walking away, “This little exchange is a secret, okay? Tell everyone the Radiant Prince decided to leave for school early to play in the town.”
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“We have arrived, young master,” the coachman announced from outside the carriage.
Zen stepped out of the carriage and marveled at the building before him.
Built during King Xalvador’s reign, the Xalvador Academy for Knights and Magic was designed for the training and of potential knights and magicians who would one day serve the empire. It has produced the great heroes of legends such as Magnus the Valiant and Sacradh of the Red Skull.
Zen took a deep breath, "Well, this is it."