The Prince Of Magic

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Before Hadrian knew it, the days had stretched to a week.

His hours gone in the blink of an eye as he spent most of his days studying, training, and learning from the Flamel couple about certain branches of magic in this world.

In truth, he did not even notice it until one of his retainers had mentioned it to him.

The blank expression that Hadrian wore that day when it dawned on him made his retainers howl in laughter, much to the young mage's mild embarrassment.

As for his studies, Hadrian would say that he had everything under control for now.

The subjects were demanding, even more so for the written assignments that Lady Lorelei and his grandfather had tasked him with to finish.

Even though he was exempted from attending the many courses of the Clock Tower and was given a high colored rank, his apprenticeship under Lorelei Barthomeloi remained in effect.

Meaning, he would still receive written assignments from her from time to time, apart from the little missions of exterminating rogue minions of the more troublesome members of certain Dead Apostles and among other things.

Unlike most people though, doing paperwork was a quiet task that Hadrian often enjoyed doing.

Sometimes, it would bring him headaches, but that would depend on the situation.

Most of the time, paperwork was a quiet and relaxing task for him.

But of course, Hadrian was still a mortal, one that was in a weak body at that.

He tried to pace himself, but more often than not, he would push himself beyond what the vessel was capable of, especially during training exercises and sparring matches against his retainers.

By the fourth day, fatigue had begun to catch up, leaving Hadrian to sleep in only to wake up half an hour before the time he would usually rise up in.

Even his retainers were beginning to notice, considering their recent mindful and attentive behavior with him during their bouts.

Yuuki and Yuuri, the homunculi twin maids, were more considerate as they would take care of any mess he was unaware of and cook him food that leaned more on the healthy side.

Nicolas and Penerelle Flamel were also in the same boat, often encouraging him to take large breaks in between the hours they would teach him and telling him to take care of himself more, especially as he had recently awoken from a long-term coma – the vessel that he was occupying currently, that is.

Of course, when the two quickly realized how dedicated (stubborn, more like) Hadrian was to his studies and training sessions, the ancient couple had took it upon themselves to assist his retainers and the homunculi twins in looking after him, much to the young mage's resignation.

In addition to his retainers and the poised twin homunculi maids, there were now two more people that are making sure he was healthy and careful.

While a bit annoyed with their behavior towards him, Hadrian endured their combined attention as they were simply worried for him.

Also, he could understand their point of view, seeing as the body he was using was not as strong as the one he had left back home. For some reason, even with the steady progress of strengthening his body, Hadrian can feel that the vessel was still delicate. The small increase in muscle mass and stamina were fortunate results, but more was left to be d.e.s.i.r.ed.

Luckily, his reflexes and senses remained at the same level he was always familiar with. But, the main issue remains the same. The vessel was still weak, which makes most physical exercises and spars a bit difficult for Hadrian to manage, along with the former two skill sets.

The headaches from his mystic eyes were still unpleasant, but nothing he can't handle with the pills his grandfather gave him.

Granted, the vessel was still young, about 11 to 12 years old. Thus, it would only be a matter of time before the body's condition becomes more manageable.

Fortunately, even with the slight fatigue and mental stress, Hadrian had persevered through his busier-than-normal routine.

He had only needed a few adjustments here and there, thanks to the care and attentiveness of the people around him. And now, he was steadily making progress on strengthening his body.

Yan Qing was making good time with the task he had assigned to him, but nothing important has yet to be found, so it was still a work in progress.

His studies were also the same, but his learning from the Flamel couple was going along smoothly than Yan Qing's investigation.

Speaking of which, it turns out that Hadrian can use their branch of magic without issue.

It came as a great surprise to the ancient couple that he could do so without a focus.

Apparently, that kind of thing was rare, seeing there were only a number of people that were capable of wandless magic. Most of which had been alive centuries ago.

In present time, practitioners of such a unique skill had become scarce as it was a branch of magic that many wizards and witches found difficult to emulate.

The only ones that the ancient couple knew that could accomplish the feat were individuals that could be counted in one hand, and Hadrian and his grandfather were included in this category.

Idly, Hadrian wondered how the Flamels would react if they were to know that the magi in his world can cast spells without a focus.

Moving on, his ability to cast spells without a focus was sure way to gain attention, unwanted or not.

Therefore, he was specifically advised not to cast spells too much, especially in public, which Hadrian can only comply with as the ancient couple was simply being worried for him.

Nicolas had promised to give him a wand of his own, one that was specifically made to accommodate his magic. In the meantime, Hadrian was forbidden to cast spells that would be easily detected.

Of course, leaning to his mischievous side, the young mage would restrain himself from using easily detectable spells, but unknown to the couple, he has a plethora of spells that were the opposite.

That was a thought that Hadrian looked forward to seeing how the Flamels would react to.

The mere idea was enough to smile and laugh under his breath.

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