Dusk.
The sun gradually set, and the sky turned red.
"Hey, hey."
In the rippling sea of grass swaying in the breeze, a little boy stumbled around, working hard.
Several guards stood nearby, watching him with confused expressions.
Some wanted to help, but they saw the little one repeatedly slipping and falling, unable to keep his footing.
"Ouch!"
A painful yelp rang out as a silver-blond head popped up from the grass.
Aemon had fallen to the ground, weeds tangled in his hair, grumbling, "It's so hard to pull..."
His butt felt like it had cracked into eight pieces.
"Your Highness, do you need help?" one of the guards asked hesitantly, his face awkward.
"No, I've got it!" Aemon waved him off.
In his hand, he tightly clutched a handful of dark green grass blades.
The [Magic Essence Panel] popped up helpfully:
"You've found a clump of Ula Grass containing magic. Gained Essence +1."
Aemon beamed, satisfied. He stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.
With the help of [One-Time Guidance], there was no way he would waste good medicine.
He called a few guards and headed straight for the eastern coast.
He had a feeling this would be worth it!
"Let's see what this stuff does," Aemon said, rubbing his hands together with a grin.
A dazzling golden screen appeared before him.
One of the three card slots was now empty, and the golden funnel below updated its label:
[Number of Essence: 7]
It took 10 points of Magic Essence to draw a new card. The Ula Grass had added 1 point—just enough.
Aside from that, the rest of the panel hadn't changed much.
"It's just a plant..."
Aemon examined the Ula Grass from all angles, as if expecting it to bloom.
This type of vegetation wasn't rare—he'd even heard of it in his past life.
It was considered one of the "Three Treasures" along with ginseng and deer antlers.
Often used as hay to stay warm in winter.
Under the influence of the panel, he gradually understood what made this particular grass special.
Weaving it into a sleeping mat!
Magic-infused Ula Grass had the dual ability to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. It calmed the mind and soothed the spirit, improving sleep quality.
With it, he wouldn't have to worry about nightmares or stunted growth.
"You're such a precious little thing." Aemon's violet eyes sparkled with delight.
Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of it—not even to make a cushion.
Smart Aemon rubbed his chin thoughtfully. This was no problem for him.
He turned a circle in place, scanning the rolling sea of grass covering the hills.
A small opportunity...
There had to be more than one clump of Ula Grass, right?
Aemon's brain kicked into high gear. He'd already decided: climb the hill and pick more grass.
"One clump of Ula Grass gives 1 point of magic essence. Ten clumps give 10 points..."
A zero-cost venture—wasn't this a goldmine?
Just as the idea fully formed, someone interrupted.
"Prince!"
A guard from Rune Stone City ran up and reported, "Lady Rhea has returned and is waiting for you in the hall."
"Alright, got it." Aemon quickly returned to his senses.
He tucked the Ula Grass into his arms and, shielded by his guards, returned to the towering castle.
…
His short legs moved quickly, and he arrived home before nightfall.
In the grand hall, Lady Rhea had been waiting for some time.
"Mom! I missed you so much!"
Dusty and messy, Aemon rushed forward and threw his arms around the woman with the strongest presence in the room.
His chubby cheeks were all smiles, radiating warmth and mischief.
Lady Rhea's expression was unreadable as her son ran headfirst into her legs, tightly bound in leather like iron chains.
"When did you return? I wanted to greet you," Aemon said, looking up with a bright, innocent smile.
Don't hit a smiling child!
He cheerfully swayed his head, looking up at his mother.
Lady Rhea was in her prime. Her black hair and dark eyes reflected the ancient blood of her line. Her lean figure, though not curvaceous, exuded grace and strength.
Her face was elegant and narrow, her nose high and dignified.
A true classical beauty with commanding presence.
No wonder Queen Alysanne had chosen her as the future granddaughter-in-law.
"Ahhh..."
Lady Rhea looked down at him for a moment, sighed, and gave in helplessly.
She looked over his clothes.
Dust-covered from head to toe, muddy feet, pockets stuffed with weeds even goats wouldn't eat...
Anyone who didn't know better would think he'd just returned from a hunt.
Aemon asked playfully, "Mom, how long will you be staying home this time?"
Now that he had returned to childhood, his tone was full of childlike innocence.
Such was the benefit of being a brilliant scholar reborn in a clean, naïve body—untainted by the corrupt world.
Full of potential!
Lady Rhea, harassed by her son's affection, sat down in a chair and replied distractedly, "There's another hunt in a few days."
"Oh," Aemon said, already used to it.
"What do you think of this little deer?"
Some of her hunting trophies were stacked in the hall. Lady Rhea pulled out a deer carcass the size of a dog and said, "You don't like venison, but I saved it for you to roast or make soup."
Before Aemon could compliment her, she pulled out two gray rabbits.
"The valley gets cold in winter. Snow rabbit fur is soft—I'll sew you new gloves."
Lady Rhea became more animated as she spoke, admiring her trophies: "And this black bear—no use to you, but I'll skin it and hang it in my room..."
Aemon: …
He was very touched but didn't dare say a word.
As his mother rambled about her hunting exploits, his small, sleep-deprived body finally began to waver, and his head nodded lower and lower.
Eventually, the old nun noticed and changed the subject, excusing herself for dinner.
The maid had already prepared the meal and brought it to the table.
Aemon sat on his stool, his short legs swinging back and forth as he craned his neck to look at the food.
Sliced white bread, sausages, and mashed potatoes—a standard, dry set meal.
Lady Rhea came to the table with little interest, picked up her plate, and began eating.
Also at the table was a boy in orange-yellow bronze armor, eating politely with a fork.
Aemon squinted at him and asked, "Why are you dressed like that?"
Ever since the Andals landed on the Fingers, iron tools had become common across Westeros.
But the Royce family still honored the glory of ancient bronze and had a tradition of wearing bronze armor.
Even so, wearing armor to dinner was still a bit much.
William finished chewing, elegantly set down his fork, and flashed what he thought was a charming smile: "Lady Rhea promised I could join you for the next hunt."
Aemon blinked and stabbed his sausage with his knife.
Just say you're going—why act like you've won the lottery?
This guy had been assigned as his study companion half a month ago. He also served as both bodyguard and attendant.
His full name was William Royce—a direct cousin.
Technically, Aemon should respectfully call him "Cousin."
In the original timeline, William had a few lines. He held the Royce family sword Sorrow and served as one of the Queen's Iron Guards.
During the Riot of the Dragonpit, he charged in to help, and both he and his men were slaughtered. The precious Valyrian steel sword was lost.
"I'm done!"
Aemon scarfed down his food, jumped off his stool with a full belly, and scampered off.
He hadn't even touched the floor fully before launching into another jump.
Lady Rhea frowned, watching his retreating figure, hesitant to speak.
Aemon walked off happily, like a squirrel carrying home a bounty.
Lady Rhea shook her head, swallowed whatever she had wanted to say, and instructed the old nun, "Replace his stool."