The next day Quinus was doing his usual routine with the exception of writing 'Thank You' letters to everyone who gave him a gift. The servants were all acting normal and the incident yesterday wasn't talked about.

"Hey, Quinus? Why are you doing this boring stuff?" Asked the 3-year-old, who goes by the name Percy.

"Because, I need to write a thank you note for everyone that gave me a gift, Percy. It's just something I need to do." Quinus said as he was quickly scribbling on another 'Thank You' letter.

"But you are five... Why would someone care? My parents always said 'thank you' for our presents but I've never written them a letter. I think it's dumb."

Quinus looked at the boy who had his mother's eyes and hair color and his father's face. He was a cute kid and all, but sometimes it's hard to tolerate a three-year-old.

"It may seem dumb, but in the long run, these letters will help me build my reputation. The nobles and royals of this kingdom and others will remember how I treated them. And when the time comes I'll have more allies to have my back."

Percy furrowed his brow as a kid, it was hard to understand.

"Oh, okay. Do you think we can spar soon? I want to learn from a master."

Quinus smiled at the compliment. "Thanks. I will be happy to help you train in the art of the sword. But not until your parents say so. I don't want to be the one to get in trouble."

"Hmmm? Like when you get in trouble for being late for your sword lesson?" Percy asked.

Quinus chuckled, "Yeah, Lady Nelumbo really hates it when-"

He cut himself off when he realized that Percy was talking about being late right now.

Quinus turns to look at the clock in a panic.

"Ah! Lady Nelumbo is gonna kill me!" Quinus yelled as he ran out of the room.

"I told you writing those letters was a waste of time," Percy said with a smirk.

"Percy! You knew I was running late! Didn't you?"

"Well, you never want to train me? So, I thought it would be fun to see panic."

"OH, you're gonna get it! That's if I survive Lady Nelumbo's wrath!"

As Quinus ran to his sword training he was praying that his teacher would have some mercy on him.

'Please, Goddess don't let me die!'

As Quinus ran down the hallway, he noticed he was moving with great speed. It was a surprise since he was a kid's body, but he was definitely running faster than when he was an adult back on Earth.

"Huh, it must be the effect of having my mana veins awakened. Cool." Quinus said to himself as he ran down the staircase.

***

Quinus burst through the door.

"Lady Nelumbo! I am so sorry I'm late!"

Nelumbo was standing there with a blank expression.

"I-I'll get to my warm-ups now."

As Quinus did his warm-ups, he noticed that his stamina had increased. He was able to maintain his warm-up longer than normal.

"So, I hope you have a good reason for being late."

Quinus gulped, "Well, I was writing letters to everyone who gave me a gift and I lost track of time."

Lady Nelumbo was studying Quinus's movements, with the practice sword, a little more closely than normal.

"I see. Well, let's just get to work. You know the drill."

"Yes, ma'am!"

As Quinus got ready for his training, he heard a chuckle. That's when he saw Percy walking alongside Sir Mathew.

"Percy? Don't distract His Highness while he's training. He needs to focus." Mathew said with a stern tone.

"Okay, Dad," Percy responded to his father and stood at attention.

'Sir Mathew is here? I wonder what the deal is?' Quinus thought as he went back to focusing on his stance.

"I have noticed you like to show off in front of a crowd, your Highness. You do remember the first rule about combat, right?"

"Always be aware of your surroundings," Quinus said while in the middle of his swings.

Nelumbo didn't look impressed. "Exactly. If you remembered to keep that in mind you wouldn't have struck the floor."

"Yes, ma'am."

After witnessing Quinus's warm-ups Lady Nelumbo clapped her hands together to get his attention.

"Alright, I want you to take a position in front of the dummies."

Quinus nodded his head and did what he was told while Sir Mathew and Percy watched.

"Okay, Your Highness, I want you to do a simple strike with your wooden sword."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Percy. Stand behind me, please." Mathew said to his son.

Quinus didn't know what the big deal was as he saw Percy looking at him from behind his father. Who were standing about 15 feet away from him. He tried not to pay any attention to them as he raised his sword and went into a battle stance before charging forward and performing a slash. This looked flawless as he was about to make contact with the wooden dummy. But just before the wooden blade was about to touch the dummy's neck, a spark could be seen traveling through his sword, right into the dummy as they both exploded.

*BOOM!*

"ACK! WHAT THE!?" Quinus said as he covered his eyes from the dust cloud.

Percy was in shock and awe and Mathew was covering his son from the impact of the blast. Lady Nelumbo didn't look bothered as her hair blew in the wind. When the dust finally settled Quinus could see the wooden dummy was in splinters and his practice sword was nothing but a handle.

"Wha-What happened?" Quinus asked in shock.

Lady Nelumbo crossed her arms, "Well, this is what we were afraid of. Your mana vein is releasing mana and channeling it through your weapon involuntarily."

Quinus dropped the handle and took a step back.

"W-Will this happen every time I wield a weapon?"

Lady Nelumbo looked over to Sir Mathew who shook his head.

"No, your Highness. You will be able to wield a weapon... It's just you aren't used to controlling your mana. That's why we wanted you to slay a weaker monster so we could gradually get you used to channeling your mana."

Quinus calmed down and took a breath.

"I-I see."

Lady Nelumbo chimed in, "Well, the good news is we confirmed that you are a Maja with a potent mana pool. If you're not a Demi-god. I'm sure you have an Elite vein at worst... Anyway, this was the reason I requested Sir Mathew to come here. He will be your master now."

"What?"

"Yes, your Highness. Sir Mathew is similar to you. He has a powerful mana vein and is one of our best Maja. He knows the ways of controlling the flow of mana. I will leave him to instruct you further."

"B-But aren't you a Maja? Why can't you teach me?"

Lady Nelumbo was quite touched by the prince's statement. But she kept a stoic face.

"It's an honor that you wish to still have me be your instructor. But my mana vein is far too weak to guide you. You are a very talented fighter, my prince. I just lack the ability to show you how to properly wield your mana."

Quinus understood what she meant by that. But he didn't know why having a weaker mana vein disqualified her from teaching him.

"But Lady Nelumbo, can't you still teach me the way of the sword? I'm still a kid and—"

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Lady Nelumbo raised her hand to stop the prince from continuing his statement.

"And here I thought you hated my teachings. One thing you will have to learn is when to move on to the next lesson."

Quinus didn't know how to reply.

Lady Nelumbo then bowed her head, "May your training be fruitful." She said before looking at Mathew.

She spotted the 3-year-old hiding behind Mathew. "So, you wish to have me train your boy, Sir Mathew?"

"Yeah, I think it's time. Plus, I fear he'll talk His Highness into training him and I don't think His Highness is ready for that."

"Huh!? How did you know Father?" Percy asked.

Sir Mathew chuckled, "Because you have a big mouth."

"I don't have-"

"Percy! Don't bother your father. He has a lot of work to do and he needs to train the Prince." Lady Nelumbo stated.

The little boy stood at attention as he looked at Lady Nelumbo.

"Come with me, Percy. Your first task will be running four laps around the palace."

"Four!?"

"Well, you're a fast runner, aren't you? Now get going. Or do you need an escort?"

"No! I can run laps myself."

"Good, because if you are too slow you will have to run another lap. Now get going."

Percy looked at the Prince, "See you later, Prince Quinus." He said before running off.

Quinus waved goodbye and turned his attention back to Lady Nelumbo and Sir Mathew.

"So this is it? I won't see you anymore?" Quinus asked while getting sad for some reason.

Mathew cut in, "Your Highness, Lady Nelumbo is one of our strongest knights but her specialty is in the physical arts. While her strength is unmatched, her mana is lacking and it will be difficult for her to properly train you. I will be able to teach you the way of the Maja, Your Highness."

"I guess that makes sense... How strong are you, Lady Nelumbo?"

She smiled when he asked her that.

"No one can beat me one on one."

"Oh."

"Yes, her mana vein is almost a Master rank. So, she only has enough mana to strengthen her body to deal a fatal blow to anyone dumb enough to cross her. And even when she doesn't use her mana she's tough to defeat." Mathew said proudly.

"That's impressive." Quinus didn't doubt that especially going through her training regiment.

"Alright, Lady Nelumbo, I'll leave it to you. Don't be too hard on him," Mathew said before looking at Quinus and motioning him to follow.

"It's up to your boy if he truly wants to follow in his father's footsteps." Lady Nelumbo said with a smirk.

"Haha... You don't have to worry about that. He wishes to be the Prince's retainer. So he must learn how to handle the sword."

"Very well."

With that said, the three of them left the training room and went their separate ways. As Quinus followed behind Sir Mathew, he couldn't help but notice a few servants looking at him with smiles on their faces.

"Huh, I guess the rumors about me having a strong mana vein weren't all that secret. But what if I can't control it? Will they change their opinion about me?" Quinus asked while he was walking beside his new master, and he was a bit worried.

Mathew stopped and looked down at the prince, "Controlling your mana is easy once you know how to feel it."

"Feel it?"

"Yes. Let's do some mediation once we get to my office."

"Uhh, sure."

As the two of them made their way to Mathew's office, Quinus had to ask a question.

"Sir Mathew? Was the reason you didn't train me at first, because you were waiting for my mana vein to be awakened?"

"Hmmm... Yes and no."

"Uhhh, what do you mean?"

"I am one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom, but I am the best Maja in the knighthood. So I focus on training our recruits who have their veins awakened. And I trust Lady Nelumbo's ability to teach the way of the sword. Plus, it was more convenient. But now that you have your mana vein awakened, I have no excuse."

Quinus still was a little sad that he wasn't going to be trained by her anymore. But he did respect the fact she knew her limitations and didn't try to go beyond them.

"I see."

"Haha..." Mathew smirked.

"What's so funny?"

"I had never seen one of Nelumbo's former students get so attached before. Usually, they can't get away from her brutal training fast enough. You're different, huh, Prince Quinus?"

"Brutal? Well, her training regimen was pretty intense. But it was the only way to get better. But I'll miss her training."

Mathew nodded before he sighed, "Listen, once you can control your mana flow. You can request to be taught by her again. Just don't tell her that."

"Huh, but why?"

"Because she'll have my head. She's very particular about her way of teaching. So, let's focus on getting you in control of your body first, okay?" Mathew said as he opened the door to his office.

"Sure. Where do we start?"

"Well, sit and we'll go through the basics."

As Mathew sat behind his desk, Quinus sat in a chair and waited for his new training while Mathew went through one of the drawers looking for something.

"Ah! Here it is," Mathew pulled out some artifacts that looked like a lighter for starting a bonfire or a magical wand, but the handle was wider and the point had a sphere at the end of it.

"Is that a wand?"

"Haha... It would be nice if it was an Elemental wand. Then I could pretend that I'm a mage... So no... This is a focusing tool. It shows you how well you channel your mana. Usually, we would use this to help a recruit to learn how to control their mana. If they were struggling to channel mana into their weapon, shield, or armor. They would practice with this. But since you are already channeling your mana subconsciously. We'll use this so you can practice to halt the flow of mana instead."

Mathew then channeled a little of his mana into the artifact to show how bright it glowed, "This is the color of my mana, and once you grab this it will light up with the color of your mana. It will be a faint glow but that is normal. Now try it."

Quinus grabbed the artifact and immediately it lit up. The light was so bright that Quinus and Mathew had to close their eyes.

"Whoa! Maybe I should slay some Crystal Pythons if that's how strong your mana is." Mathew joked around while using his hand to shield the light from his eyes.

"What do I do?" Quinus asked with a bit of panic.

"Try channeling the mana back into yourself. Just imagine the flow going in the opposite direction."

"Uhh... But I don't feel anything. I don't know what it feels like."

"Just calm your mind, Your Highness. Your situation isn't unheard of, but it is rare. So, the fact you can channel your mana without thinking about it is amazing. Once you learn to control the flow, you will have no problems."

"Okay, I'll try," Quinus said as he closed his eyes.

'Just calm your thoughts, Quinus. You can do this.' He thought while trying to visualize what Mathew said.

After a few minutes, Quinus thought he felt something and tried to focus on it. It was hard to describe but it felt like an invisible force inside him and it was traveling through him.

"Ugh. There is a weird feeling in my body. What should I do?"

"Okay, just think of it as if you are stretching out your arm but it is calm and relaxed. Now contract your muscles."

Quinus imagined his body was his arm and slowly he did the actions Mathew instructed. The artifact's glow became dimmer but it was still bright.

"I-I can't stop it."

"Yes, you can. Just keep doing what you're doing."

Quinus was sweating due to him straining his muscles to stop the mana flow, and after a while, the sphere began to glow brighter once again after he started to tire out and had to relax his muscles as they felt sore.

"Damn it!"

"Relax, Your Highness... On the bright side, you will have no problem using enchanted weapons and armor."

Quinus dropped the artifact on the desk in frustration, which made the sphere's light go out.

"Haah... If I can't control my mana how will I know if I'm not going to make my pen explode?"

Mathew chuckled, "Well that's a good point but that's unlikely, Your Highness. Only if you're under great stress or exerting yourself will your mana flare up and channel through whatever object you're holding."

"Really? Then what about the practice sword earlier? How come I didn't feel any pressure?"

"You were exerting yourself there. Even if you didn't think you were."

"Hmm. Okay, but is there no other way to stop the flow? I'm having a hard time just trying to feel my mana. I feel normal." Quinus complained.

Mathew leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment. After a minute he thought up an interesting idea. He wasn't sure if the prince was going to like it but it was the best idea he could come up with.

"Alright, Your Highness. I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"If you're having trouble sensing your mana then we can use a technique where I channel my mana into your body and have it interact with your mana. It's not an exact alchemy. But if you are aware of your own mana, you will know how to manipulate it."

"You can do that? Why didn't you bring this up earlier?" Quinus questioned with a bit of irritation.

"Well? This technique is used for interrogating prisoners who are against the crown. It's also used to torture prisoners and make them confess their crimes."

Quinus gulped and got a nervous look on his face.

"So this is going to be painful?"

"It most likely will be a bit uncomfortable and I'll only be channeling some of my mana and making it interact with yours. Plus, this technique is more effective against those who don't have a strong mana vein. It's not a foolproof method to get a confession out of someone with a strong mana vein. But it's better than nothing."

Quinus nodded his head, "So, this should help me sense my mana? Is it really okay for you to do this technique to me?"

"We won't do this today. I need to discuss this with some people first, mainly your mother and father. But yes, I think this will be the quickest way to help you learn to control your mana. Since the feeling of foreign mana is much different than your own."

"Hmm. Do what you have to do, Sir Mathew. I wish to get a hold of this as soon as possible."

Mathew nodded and stood up. "Alright, let us go and talk to your mother. If we are lucky we might be able to do this today."

Quinus smiled and walked beside his new teacher, hoping his new training would work.

***

After speaking with the Queen she reluctantly agreed to letting Sir Mathew go through with his idea. With her approval, Mathew was allowed to go through with his plan.

A couple hours later the prince was gritting through the discomfort of Sir Mathew's mana which was entering his body when he grabbed ahold of Sir Mathew's hands. The process took an hour while the Queen along with Wina and a few other servants watched on as the prince struggled with the pain. The whole process was very uncomfortable for the young prince. Mathew could sense the boy's mana and it was the most intense mana he had ever encountered.

"I-I can feel it! The weird sensation inside me. It feels like energy is flowing through my body." Quinus said in pain.

"Good, you have done well. Keep your mind focused. You are in control now." Mathew said as he let go of the young prince's hands.

It took him a moment but he was finally able to stop the flow of his mana. The young prince felt a sense of accomplishment and joy. He didn't know he could be so happy about stopping the flow of mana, but after going through so much trouble to just sense his mana it was worth the effort.

Over the years Quinus was able to master his mana and his skill in the way of the sword, and after a while, he was able to master the spear as well. The young prince was known for his talent and skills. He was also very well respected among the soldiers of the Fiafyr Knighthood by the age of seven.

Mathew was able to teach him a few Maja skills that didn't need the use of a magical weapon. The most useful skill he taught him allowed the user's weapon to become filled with energy that could almost cut through anything. Then the next Maja art he taught could make his weapon and armor stronger than steel. And the energy could even strengthen his body so he could dodge incoming harm.

Mathew was able to pass down all his knowledge to the prince and the young man was thankful. As well as Percy who was almost as fast of a learner as Quinus. They would spar against each other in their spare time and were close friends.

But not everything went smoothly for Quinus and Percy.