Ion Cáel May 23rd,20XX

As I looked over the battlefield (if it could still be called that) I couldn’t help but wonder why in the great name of magic my grandfather had sent me here alone.

On a level, I understood that Aies had just awakened and needed to stabilize his magic, but on the other…

I saw witches grow purple in the face as they yelled through the soundproof individual bubbles Aies had created and Rubella, the main witch herself only looked on helplessly as she realized that she had lost.

It had only taken a few minutes, but Aies had done more than I and my team had completed in over three hours of constant battle.

It felt bad.

It felt like I had lost, even though he was on my side. No, rather I was on his side.

When I was younger my grandfather would tell me stories about Theodulus and me, to whom my grandfather was the strongest existence ever would always question why he had never fought for the throne against Theodulus. Or why he had never taken the throne even after Aies’s father had died and we goblins were without a leader.

It was only now that I watched Aies, a goblin that had barely awakened less than a week ago, that I realized why.

There was a sort of helplessness in my mind as I watched him completely immobilize the witches with a single spell and not even get a scratch on himself.

With another spell, he captured the goblins as well, including myself and I felt a healing spell run over me. External magic wasn’t very effective on goblins; that was why during the battle we could kick away the low levelled curses that the witches had hurled at Sparrow's group of witches. It seemed that he knew that and had used an extremely strong spell it heals us all of the injuries we had sustained through battle.

“Don’t lose confidence kid, that’s not why I sent you here.”

I suddenly heard my grandfather’s voice and looked around, but I quickly realized the pointlessness of such an action as I was still trapped in Aies’s bubble. My attention was then drawn to the crystal that I had gotten from Aies and kept.

“Grandfather?”

The blood-red gem lit up as his voice filtered through once again.

“Yeah, who else would bother to encourage you at a time like this.”

I instinctively started to bluster and deny my earlier discouragement. It had surprised me when I realized someone that I had been told to protect was much stronger than me but that didn’t make me any less skilled than I already was. I just needed to remember that.

“I don’t need to be encouraged, old man. I was just down because I couldn’t finish my assignment.”

“Hahaha. If you say so.”

His dry laugh that sported a growling undertone came from the gem and even though I would never admit it to him, put me at peace.

“But… not that it has anything to do with Aies but… How did you get used to being second best… to Sir Theodulus I mean?”

“Ahh, So the halo over your old granddad has finally faded? Ah, that hurt to hear more than I thought it would.”

He spent a few more minutes faking heartaches before he finally got to the point. Well not that we were in any rush for time.

“It was easier for me than it’ll be for you since I’ve never been the best in my life. I grew up with Theodulus and as annoying as he can be, he’s always been a genius. At least you have the excuse that Aies is half fairy and can do more than you but what do you say to someone with the same bloodline as you but is simply better in every way?”

“Is there any way to stop-“

“To stop being envious? I’m afraid not. Accept the envy Ion and use it to hone yourself like a blade. It will never go away, but something is comforting about the fact that someone so overwhelmingly powerful puts their trust in you, as Theodulus does in me, though he would never admit it.”

I took a deep breath and internalized my grandfather’s words, but I couldn’t bring myself to accept them.

No.

There was no way after I’d worked so hard for so long that I would settle for a second-place like my grandfather, and even my father had. I had no animosity towards Aies and would even support him if, in the end, he became the emperor, but nothing had been decided yet.

Aies, like myself, was still young and Theodulus seemed ready to rule for a long time.

I didn’t particularly want the throne since it seemed like a lot of thankless work but even if Aies took it, I wanted it to be because I gave it up and not because I was unfit for it.

“Well, It seems like you’ve come to a conclusion of your own, Ion. I just hope you remember the Cáel promise.”

He reminded me of the promise my ancestor had made, which stated that we would never compete for the throne against the Olcay branch of the family.

“Don’t worry Grandfather. I have no such intentions.”

And again, I didn’t. Being a ruler seemed like such a pain, and not one I wanted to bear. But even if I wanted to take the same position as my Grandfather as the ruler’s closest companion, I didn’t think I was fit to do that in my current state.

I wasn’t weak, but I wasn’t strong enough. But I still had the time and the will to change that.

Aies released the bubble around us goblins and began to talk to Rubella, who he had brought much higher up into the sky than he left the other witches. She looked defeated and deflated but I still clenched my dagger close to myself, ready to act.

A familiar red-haired witch flew by me and I jumped onto it.

“Mind giving me one more ride?”