Evil Dragon Chapter 6: Won’t Run Away

Chapter 6: Won’t Run Away

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: CaiCai, Kris

The palace training grounds were adjacent to the grand stables, consisting of a spacious open-air arena with tiered seating and three enclosed training rooms. The open-air arena and two of the training rooms were accessible to the royal guards within the court. These guards, handpicked young nobles by the king himself, patrolled and trained day in & day out to ensure the safety of the royal family.

The largest of the training rooms was reserved exclusively for the royal bloodline’s use. This room was quite expansive, with a high-pitched roof and walls adorned with exquisite mythological patterns. The door was a solemn reddish-brown, presenting a dignified appearance.

Around the training room, guards in knee-length tight uniforms patrolled constantly, preventing overly eager or excessively curious nobles from peeking through the doors or windows to observe the princes’ training sessions.

Lin Nuo, guided by the mental map, didn’t have much trouble finding the training room. As he approached the door, the two guards bowed deeply and opened the passage for him.

“Your Highness, Sir Clement is already waiting for you,” they announced respectfully.

Lin Nuo nodded, took a deep breath, reminding himself not to be nervous or intimidated. With his head held high, he walked inside. The training room had a soft indoor carpet and exquisite tapestries hung on the walls. In one corner, there was a small door leading to another room. At first glance, except for fewer furnishings, this training room was not so different from the royal lounge.

In the center of the training room was a deep red armchair. Sir Rennes Clement was dressed in knightly attire, one leg crossed over the other, one hand resting on his knee, and the other on the armrest of the chair, his striking, slightly elongated black eyes fixed on the young prince who had just entered.

The young prince walked confidently across the carpet towards Rennes, attempting to appear self-assured. If his strides had been more coordinated, he might have appeared more confident.

Rennes observed the prince’s somewhat ‘I’m not afraid of you’ expression and clumsy movements. A hint of a smile briefly flashed in his eyes, disappearing into a realm of indifference.

Upon reaching Rennes, the young prince stood with one hand behind his back and the other lightly clenched into a fist under his chin. He coughed softly and said, “Sir Clement, I have something to discuss with you.”

Rennes raised his eyes, his voice even, “Your Highness, please address me as ‘Teacher.'”

Lin Nuo felt a shiver inside, but he tried to maintain a calm demeanor on his face. “Sir Clement, that’s precisely what I wanted to discuss,” he started, preparing to recite his 500-word essay. “Sir Clement, I am deeply honored by your willingness to guide me. My body is too weak, and… huh?”

Before he could finish two sentences, something between Rennes’ fingers completely captured his attention. The shiny, small, golden object exuded a familiarity, warmth, and a reassuring feeling—A coin! A specific kind of coin!

Lin Nuo completely forgot what was written in his essay. He swallowed hard, just managing to utter three words, “A gold coin?”

“Yes, a gold coin,” replied Rennes with a calm demeanor, seemingly playing with a trinket.

“How… how did you… get this?” Lin Nuo managed to ask, struggling. He’d thought that magical coins were rare treasures, things that required extensive searching across the country’s wilderness. Yet here it was, right in front of him, in the knight’s hand, a fresh one!

“This?” Rennes stated somewhat puzzled, unaware of why Lin Nuo was so intense in his reaction. “We have many of these in our family.”

Lin Nuo pursed his lips, tentatively asking, “In your family, you have many of these magical coins?”

Rennes stopped flipping the coin, sitting up straight, holding it out. “Of course.”

Lin Nuo felt his tongue and mouth no longer obey him. These two unreliable guys, against his will, somehow blurted out a question, “If you have many coins, then could I… touch one?”

Hey, hey, hey! What a humiliating question! How could I ask something so embarrassing! Have I no shame?! While Lin Nuo internally berated his own tongue and mouth, his face turned crimson, eyes fixed on Rennes’ fingertips and the coin, as if afraid the man might suddenly retract it.

“Sure,” replied Rennes Clement nonchalantly.

Lin Nuo’s eyes sparkled with surprise. He had to keep every muscle tensed to stop himself from lunging forward to grab the coin and tuck it into his pocket. Now, hearing that he could actually touch the coin made him even more restless, looking like he was on the brink of leaping up at any moment.

Rennes’ next words sent a chill through the excited Lin Nuo, “Your Highness, this coin was meant for you.”

“For… for me…” Despite feeling dizzy and disoriented from the shock of seeing the coin, this sentence somehow revived the remaining bit of his sanity. What does the knight mean? What’s the significance of this statement? Why would he specially prepare this magical coin for me? Could it be… a trap?!

The young prince, with these words flashing in his mind, turned pale.

Rennes Clement gripped the coin, stood up, his shiny black boots stepping on the dark red carpet. He calmly explained, “Yesterday, Your Highness mentioned you couldn’t even operate your personal crystal due to your lack of magical ability, so I prepared this coin as a beginner’s aid.”

“An aid?” Lin Nuo was completely taken aback by this response.

Rennes turned his palm over, revealing the shiny golden coin. Doing something Lin Nuo couldn’t comprehend, the coin began to float from his palm, leaving a faint golden trail in the air. Then, with a slight movement from Rennes, the coin shot out like a bullet, tracing a golden arc straight towards the wall.

Lin Nuo held his breath, expecting the coin to either hit or pierce the wall. Just before the coin was about to make contact, it abruptly stopped, hovering in mid-air. What was even more bizarre was that the wallpaper on the wall facing the coin vanished suddenly, replaced by a cold, deep gray wall adorned with a silver-glittering powder outlining a magical rune, with a radiant crystal at the center.

Lin Nuo momentarily forgot his fear, wide-eyed, and asked, “What’s this?”

Rennes closed his palm, after summoning the gold coin back. “Those proficient in magic can sense its fluctuations and unveil its disguises. But for those with thin magical connections, they might not detect magic at all—like yourself. Did you notice anything unusual about the walls earlier?” 

Despite Rennes’ indifferent tone, his words held a precise and subtly persuasive undertone.

Upon hearing this question, Lin Nuo felt less tense. He glanced around and earnestly replied, “Nothing seemed different. The patterns on the wallpaper were rather appealing.”

In Lin Nuo’s eyes, the wallpaper here differed from the slightly ostentatious floral designs in the lounge. It featured simple geometric shapes—cool but easier on the eyes, avoiding an overwhelming look.

Rennes nodded slightly, drawing a circle in the air. “Take another look.”

In an instant, the elegant yet noble wallpaper vanished entirely. The walls around transformed into a deep gray stone, adorned with various magical runes and bright crystals at their centers. Wide-eyed, Lin Nuo realized that this entire room had been disguised by magic. The wallpapers, the crystal chandeliers, the carpets, even the armchair—were they all mere illusions?

Releasing the coin again, Rennes leisurely guided it to float along the walls, pausing in front of each magical rune for a few seconds. “This type of coin is highly sensitive to magic. Properly employed, it can identify the source of magic and briefly dispel disguises. So, for a beginner like you, Your Highness, your first lesson is to follow this coin, attempting to trace the source of magic. This will awaken your innate sensitivity to magic.”

Although Rennes spoke at length, Lin Nuo only caught two words—’this coin.’ His gaze remained fixed on that small piece, unmoving. It took him a full half-minute before he could articulate, “So, if I study with you, I’ll have access to this coin during class?”

“Yes,” replied Rennes. He added, “After completing the first phase of the course, you may keep this coin for your own revision.”

Even in his human form, the temptation of having access to the coin at any time and later keeping the coin for himself was irresistible to Lin Nuo. He turned to face Rennes, his fair face flushed with excitement. “Teacher! Let’s start the class now, please!”

Rennes nodded, tossing the coin into the air and catching it easily. He casually asked, “Your Highness, it seemed like you had more to say earlier?”

Lin Nuo replied, “Huh?”

Glancing at Lin Nuo, Rennes continued, “You mentioned your weak physical condition, and then?”

Lin Nuo paused, then, with the most composed expression he could muster, said casually, “Ah, yes, I was going to say that being weak might make my learning process slower. I hope for more guidance from you and, um, please don’t mind my apparent foolishness.”

Rennes didn’t look at him again, simply replying nonchalantly, “It’s alright. You’re not that foolish.” With that said, he gestured with his right hand, and the walls around the room once more vanished into an illusion, turning back into an ordinary hall. Then, Rennes swiftly threw the coin into the air, allowing it to dart around a few times before saying, “The lesson begins. Retrieve the coin, Your Highness.”

 

 

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