Reborn as the Third Prince: To Build and Conquer my way to Royalty.-Chapter 42: The second trial.

"Alfred, is it ready?"

Martin stood tall and proud, eyes studying the eternity of the forest.

Nothing could live up to this moment—the moment when he would determine which of his children would succeed the throne after him.

He may not show it, but he had been looking forward to it.

Alfred moved closer, his head slightly bowed as he replied,

"All three of them have taken different routes in the forest; they have already begun their search for the blade."

Hearing that pushed a smile onto Martin’s face.

"And Sylus?"

"Are you asking about his whereabouts, Your Highness?"

"Yes."

Weird—Martin wasn’t the type to play favorites. Even if Sylus had the rare catalyst star, if he couldn’t use it to its full potential, then he was never worthy of it.

This was something Martin’s has always preached.

Is he showing interest in the third prince just to feed his curiosity? Or has the king shifted his principles and shown more inquisitiveness in him?

A small sigh left Alfred’s mouth, but it was silent.

"I believe the young prince has chosen to take the west side of the forest."

"I see."

Elizabeth ambled forward a bit, trying to hide her concern.

"Isn’t that where the monsters are mostly gathered?" she asked.

Alfred looked at her. "Yes, Your Highness. It’s further deep into the forest; many monsters are indeed nestled there. But this was Prince Sylus’s choice—I warned him about the potential spike in monsters."

It sounded like something Sylus would do, so Elizabeth didn’t bother doubting it.

Still, she couldn’t hide the fact that she was genuinely worried about her son.

"I don’t think you need to worry; the young prince is far tougher than you think." Alfred smiled a bit. "He is your son, after all."

Although those words only belonged to the queen.

As for the king, all three of his children were in the forest.

Whoever died or lived was left to fate to decide.

He was simply a spectator.

But even with a cold heart, losing any one of his children will most definitely affect him.

...

Meanwhile, on the west side of the forest, Sylus and Zani stood at the entry, gazing into the dark forest.

On every tree were bright lanterns, acting as a source of light in order to make their mission in the forest more leisurely.

Aria was napping behind them.

The bird was the one to bring them to the forest, and since it wasn’t allowed to follow Sylus in, it decided to rest up.

"This forest is far creepier than I expected," Sylus let out, holding a fire torch in one hand.

Zani felt the same way, her hand clenching around the hilt of her blade.

If there was one thing Zani was afraid of, it would be the dark.

It has always been a fear of hers since she was a kid.

Only when she is with Sylus does she overlook it; the moment he separates from her, it creeps back in.

"My lord, are we going to spend the night in the forest?" she asked.

Sylus took a while before giving a reply.

"Depends on how the trial goes."

The second trial was set to test which of the siblings was worthy enough to become king—a way to determine who was stronger and who was more fit to wear the crown.

It starts by having the siblings take different sections of the forest and then head toward the heart of the woods, where the Sibain sword is.

Anyone who pulls out the sword, exits the forest, and presents it to the king is automatically the winner.

Of course, there was also the option of battling for the sword and taking it from anyone who pulled it out first.

In conclusion, it makes no difference how the sword is obtained; all that matters is that the one with the sword leaves the forest and presents it to the king.

This could last a few days, or even one night.

The outcome was uncertain.

Especially considering the fact monsters would be roaming about as well, now that the sun was down.

Sylus sighed.

’My father really is a monster. Choosing nighttime of all things.’

Then again, Sylus didn’t mind, as the monsters he would kill would help him grow stronger.

Suddenly, there was a luminous spark in the sky, flaring all around the forest as if the clouds were showering flames.

This was a signal from the king.

The trial could begin.

Sylus grinned.

"Let’s go, Zani."

Zani nodded her head and quickly trailed beside him.

...

Entering the forest, Sylus had already thrown his torch away since many parts of the forest already had light for him to see.

It was noiseless and cold.

The gruff texture of the weather biting their skin was not something they could easily ignore.

Every single step Sylus took was a bargain, as he could not tell when a monster would sneak up on him from behind the tall trees and thick bushes.

Although he had already explored the forest beforehand, it was still harder to predict monster movement when half of the road was covered with dark leaves and arches.

"My lord, I should stay in front; just in case a monster shows up, I would be able to protect you."

Sylus kept treading carefully.

"Sure."

Zani was surprised to see that he agreed to it.

Normally, Sylus would have refused and told her he was capable of protecting himself.

With satisfaction, she skipped to his front, and once she was there, she began glancing left and right, keeping her senses high.

Little did she know he had his reasons.

The second trial was not only to see how well the heirs to the throne acted to win, but also to see how well their Mysteros performed by their sides.

If Sylus were to win, and Zani played a huge role in that, she would receive a promotion from the king, which was the title of a knight.

However, this was kept a secret, as they wanted the Mystero to act based on their duty to their masters and not because they wanted a reward.

’This family has a weird obsession with quality.’

Walking behind Zani, Sylus suddenly discerned something coming from the path they were heading to.

It would seem Zani did as well, as even she stopped.

With a swift move, she stretched out her blade and took a fighting posture.

"Something is coming; please stand behind me."

Sylus turned his gaze to the side.

"Yeah. We’re surrounded."

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