Two Years LaterTemple District — Empty Grounds, Rear Courtyard
A man who looked to be in his early thirties stood watch over Rajkumar Hamsa, who sat cross-legged on the stone ground, deep in meditation.
The man walked slow circles around him, a cane resting lightly in his hand.
Then—
whish—thad
"Ow—ow—ow…"Hamsa hissed as pain shot through his shoulder.
"You are losing concentration," the man said calmly.
But when he noticed the Rajkumar not listening to him. he Stopping in front of him and said."Listen well, Rajkumar Hamsa. You possess an amount of mana we have not seen for generations. Its existence is spoken of only in scriptures, old records, and half-forgotten folk tales."
He tapped the cane lightly against the ground.
"You must learn control first. At your current state, letting too much mana leak could kill a man without you ever meaning to."
"I know that," Hamsa replied, frustration clear in his voice."But you said we'd move past this quickly. You said we'd start using mana soon. It's been two years, and all I've done is meditate—pull my mana out, then push it back in. Over and over."
He looked up.
"Rajaguru Devasharma… I'm begging you. Can we please move on?"
The Rajaguru sighed and looked down at him.Hamsa met his gaze with eyes that were far too earnest for a prince—almost like a pleading child.
"No," Devasharma said simply."You will not move on until your mana is stable. Control comes before use. Always."
He turned away.
"Now return to meditation. The sooner you master this, the sooner I will teach you how to wield it."
Hamsa let out a quiet breath.
"…As you say, Rajaguru."
He closed his eyes once more and resumed his meditation.
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Two whole years have passed since the assassination attempt on my life.I'm seven years old now.
From what I heard, the man eventually talked. Spilled everything, really.It turns out the more conservative factions among the nobles and merchants wanted me gone, with Garuda placed first in line for the throne instead.
Well… as you can see, they failed.
And after that, well—let's just say a lot of tragic events happened to those involved.
Putting that aside, these past two years have mostly been about one thing: controlling and stabilizing my mana. Apparently, I have a ridiculous amount of it. And that warning Rajaguru gave back then about accidentally killing people?
Yeah. Something like that actually happened.
After I recovered, we finally went on the capital tour Uncle Vasu had promised. It was an elephant ride, and for the most part, it was fun.
Right up until my emotions got the better of me.
I kind of let loose.
People around me started collapsing from mana exposure. Not dying, but enough to terrify everyone involved.
After that, my training became… stricter.
Now, about mana.
From what I've been taught and studied so far, mana exists basically everywhere. In all living creatures and in nature itself.The ground I sit on. The air I breathe. The food I eat. Everything has mana in it.
But—and this is the interesting part—not everything can use mana in the same way.
In theory, I can use mana in a more traditional sense. Things like moving objects, bending elements, strengthening my body, and so on, as long as I don't break the basic laws of science.
Most people can't.
For the vast majority of humans—and animals—external mana use isn't possible to the same degree as someone like me. Strengthening your body, reinforcing your skin with mana, sharpening your senses—those things are almost universal. But freely manipulating mana outside your body? That's rare.
For example, a laborer might strengthen his own body with mana, then reinforce the material he's carrying to improve grip and reduce strain. Some even infuse a little mana into the material itself to make it easier to work with.
An animal, on the other hand, might develop a strong sensitivity to mana, avoiding plants that emit it at unusually high levels—plants that evolved that way as a form of defense by attracting predators.
What I'm trying to say is this:
Mana is universal.It improves life drastically.And without it, death is guaranteed.
But free external mana use is extremely uncommon.
There are a few animals in the wild that can do it, but they're rare, as you'd expect.
For humans, being born mana-gifted is basically hitting the jackpot.
If someone shows talent, they're taken to a local temple for basic training, though they're still allowed to live with their families and communities. After reaching a certain age, they're sent to larger temples for advanced training. From there, they either remain with the temples or are taken in by a kingdom.
I don't know the full process yet. This is just what I've learned so far.
Temples aren't just religious places here. They're centers of learning, research, and in many cases, administration. They're an essential part of society.
They act as community centers and provide universal education, which keeps literacy rates very high.The state, on the other hand, does what you'd expect—collecting taxes and providing public services.
Temples are also the only places where mana-gifted individuals are properly trained. Almost everyone there has at least some talent, though scholars can still enter through study alone. Even then, most of them turn out to be mana-gifted anyway.
That's because proper mana control doesn't just increase strength. It improves everything across the body.
On top of all that, temples help maintain public order and serve as a way for rulers to legitimize their authority.In return, the state acts as their donor and protector.
It's kind of like how medieval Europe worked.
With a few very big differences.[1]
A temple can't just declare a ruler unfit and cause a revolt.And a ruler can't denounce the temples without triggering massive public and administrative chaos.
It's a balance.
An uneasy one, but a balance nonetheless.
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As Rajkumar Hamsa continued to meditate.
He was often visited by his mother—and even more often by his younger brother. And on rare occasions, his father would come as well, usually when he had business with the temple.
Today, his mother and brother arrived together.
Though Hamsa did not notice.
"Rajaguru Devasharma," Mahadevi Bhadra asked quietly, "How is his training progressing?"
The Rajaguru, who had been standing near Rajkumar Hamsa, stepped away from the empty ground and approached her. He pressed his palms together in respect before answering.
"It is progressing well, Mahadevi," he said calmly."The Rajkumar can now maintain control over his mana even under pressure. He can manifest and retract it freely."
He glanced toward Hamsa, still meditating at the center of the field, then looked back.
"In fact, we should be able to begin proper mana utilization training within a week or two."
"That is good to hear," Mahadevi Bhadra said."He will soon begin his formal education as well, so you may have less time with him."
"That will not be an issue," the Rajaguru replied."Given the aptitude he has shown, one or two hours of daily practice will be more than sufficient."
At that moment, Rajkumar Garuda—who had been watching his elder brother quietly—spoke up.
"Rajaguru Devasharma," he asked, "When will I have to do the same things as big brother?"
The Rajaguru turned to him, his expression softening, and answered in a cheerful tone.
"Rajkumar, you will have to wait until your mana develops throughout your body first. Only then will you train as your elder brother does."
"And when will that be?" Garuda asked, eyes sparkling.
"For you," Mahadevi Bhadra answered gently, "It... may take until you are at least fifteen. Most people's mana does not develop as quickly as your brother's did. He is… an outlier in that regard."
"Is that so?" Garuda said quietly.
The Rajaguru knelt down to Garuda's level.
"Why do you want to do what your brother is doing so soon?" he asked.
The boy hesitated, his expression uncertain, as though unsure whether he should answer. Noticing this, Mahadevi Bhadra placed a reassuring hand on his back.
Garuda finally spoke.
"That's because big brother doesn't play with me as much anymore," he said softly."And everyone is always talking about how special he is. I don't want to be left out."
The Rajaguru chuckled lightly.
"Listen, Rajkumar Garuda," he said kindly."You should not compare yourself to your brother like that. As your mother said, he is an outlier in many ways."
He continued,
"If you wish to be with him—if you wish to stand beside him—then focus on what you can improve right now. Study hard. Learn well. And when your mana awakens, train diligently. That is how you walk the same path."
Garuda looked confused. He did not yet understand what it truly meant for his brother to be an outlier of such magnitude.
But one thing did reach him.
"So… if I study hard now," he asked eagerly,"And train hard later, once my mana develops… I can be with big brother?"
"Yes," the Rajaguru said with a smile."But only if you are willing to put in the effort."
[1] In Europe you basically justified your rule by saying you and your blood was chosen by GOD to rule over the masses. In classical India, you ruled cause you have the means and blood ties required, then temples and religion were used to get more legitimacy. Though throwing festivals and donations and building showing you are devoted to said god. This is a gross simplification so if you wanna ask anything please do i will try my best to answer.