He was displeased. The Traveler put the half-eaten pastry back on its plate as if getting rid of something disgusting, while the whole room watched him muttering to himself. No one could react for a moment, except one. Avir Fortis jumped up before anyone else. "What is this man doing here? Guards!" He reached out his right hand. He didn't need to say anything; a guard next to the door threw him his sword. Two other guards stationed at the corners of the room came to their senses, quickly stepping in front of the Traveler to point their halberds at his chest. The rest formed up behind Avir Fortis to protect the Royal Family and the guests. Elise also sensed a large amount of Energy gathering, possibly from Head Magician Gustave Vorony. She hoped the situation would not worsen.
The Traveler carelessly watched them while searching for another plate of food to try. When he finally found a slice of cake he liked, he grabbed it and turned to the two guards in front of him. Avir Fortis had drawn his sword and was slowly approaching. The Traveler took a big bite of his cake and waited for Lord Fortis. "You should have been in the dungeon. How did you get out of your cell?" he asked, pointing his sword at the Traveler. The Traveler looked at him while chewing on the cake. "This one is not bad," he said with a pleased expression, before sticking the rest of it into his mouth.
"Such disrespect in front of the Royal Family!" Avir Fortis rushed forward between the two guards, bringing his sword closer to the Traveler's throat. "Answer the question." He was not someone who could be disrespected to this extent. Hopefully, the Traveler would not keep that attitude. "Not that there was much to stop me in there," he said with a full mouth. "Even the man who came with me got out before me. A guard let him out, but you get the point." A guard had let the other man out? He was crucial to her cause. They needed to interrogate him to get more information, or maybe a confession. Elise was sure Lord Landa had a hand in this. Maybe this was the business he had in the Capital, along with being an unbearable obstacle.
She took a quick look at him. He was still sitting in his seat, unlike most guests, but his facial expression gave away that he was not relaxed at all. It was obvious he did not anticipate this. Good; these unexpected events could prove useful. But first, she needed to fix the situation. "Send someone to the dungeons to confirm this. Be quick!" Avir Fortis commanded, still pointing his sword at the Traveler. One guard left the room and returned with three others. He must have informed the four guards in the hall. The Queen, with the youngest prince and the servants, backed away to the other side of the room while Avir Fortis continued to question the Traveler.
"What is your purpose in being here?" "Well, I heard some people were giving a hard time to this pupil of mine. So, I decided to intervene before things got more complicated," he answered with a smug gesture. "This is not a place you can just walk into. This is a dinner for the Royal Family and high officials of the Kingdom." He did not even try to hide his irritation. "I will kindly ask you to return to your cell, with an escort, of course." "Oh, I will. Don't worry about it. Right after I am done here." "That, I cannot allow. If you insist on staying, I will have to use force." He tensed up even more.
Elise could see him preparing to act. If she could see it, the Traveler definitely could too. She just hoped he would not do anything unreasonable. She prepared to interfere if anything happened, but felt a grip on her arm before she could even take a step. Her father was warning her. She could still try to interfere, but if things went awry, her already troublesome situation could become much worse. Her other option was to wait and see what the Traveler had in mind. He wouldn't have come here without a plan, Elise thought.
She chose to stay still and trust the Traveler. While she struggled with her thoughts, the Traveler slightly opened his arms to the sides. Elise assumed he was taking a harmless pose to show he carried no weapons. Not that he needed one, but it relieved her to know violence was not his intention. Then, he did something worse. "Oh, come on. Do I look like I want a fight?" He started walking forward. The halberds pointing at him touched his chest, and Lord Fortis's sword pressed against his throat, but he didn't stop. Realizing it had no effect, Avir Fortis pulled his sword back and stepped away to take a stance. The guards tried to hold their ground, but despite pressing their halberds to his chest, they were being pushed back.
The Traveler still had his weak and messy appearance—except for the beard, of course—so the guards could not understand how they were being pushed back. However, as the King's Guards, they quickly gathered themselves and stepped back into formation with Avir Fortis. The rest of the guards tensed even more. It was too late for Elise to intervene; a fight was about to break out. She could only try to stop the Traveler before he destroyed the entire Capital, but even that was uncertain. "Get the Royal Family out of here!"
Avir Fortis attacked right after his command, delivering a strong strike from above. Elise sensed something unexpected: a quick flash of Energy surged through his body. His attack landed between the Traveler's neck and left shoulder, causing a small impact that swung the tablecloths around. The Traveler did not dodge or block. He only tilted his head slightly to open the area Lord Fortis attacked, making it easier to land. As Elise expected, the sword did not even scratch his skin. The chaos caused by those trying to leave the room slowly died down; the doors were not opening for some reason, so they stopped trying and instead looked at the scene in shock. An attack from Lord Avir Fortis, the best swordsman in the Kingdom, the Head of the Military, and the Commander of the King's Guards, had no effect whatsoever.
"Lord Fortis!" someone shouted. Elise turned to the owner of the voice. She had totally forgotten about him. She was so focused on the conflict with Avir Fortis that she hadn't even sensed the Energy he was emitting. Head Magician Gustave Vorony was preparing an attack. He gathered his Energy into a single spot in front of him and altered its properties. Elise couldn't see exactly what he did, but the result was obvious. He launched a condensed ball of fire at the Traveler. Avir Fortis had already gotten out of the way, so it went directly at the Traveler's chest. Again, he didn't move and took the attack head-on. The ball of fire dissolved as soon as it reached him. Elise couldn't understand what happened, but the fire had turned back into Energy. It didn't even disperse; it was immediately sucked in by the Traveler.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" the Traveler yelled in shock. "Who casts a fireball inside a closed room full of civilians? You low-wisdom wizard." And again, the whole room fell into silence. He had not only withstood an attack from the best warrior in the Kingdom, but he had also taken no damage from the best Magician, considered a genius in this era. "He dispelled my spell in an instant and took control over my mana." Gustave Vorony broke the silence, speaking with visible shock. "Such a level of mastery..."
He couldn't finish his words and just stood there with his mouth half-open. The Traveler looked at the crowd by the door for a moment. Their situation was not that different from the Head Magician's. He took a small step back, still showing his empty hands. "Does anybody want to try their luck?" He slowly met everyone's eyes. Elise thought he was challenging them at first, but after some thought, realized it was just to make sure they were listening. This whole show was to gain acknowledgment by asserting dominance—an aggressive way to take control of the conversation. Only Lord Fortis moved, taking a defensive stance in front of the King, but even he didn't act.
"Anyone? Good. Now, I will start again." He pointed at Elise. "I met this girl in the North. She managed to impress me, and I took her as my disciple. We have been traveling together ever since. Nothing less, nothing more. Any questions?" Silence. Elise thought no one would dare say anything. Some still wore scared expressions, especially the Princes and the Queen. They were the ones who insulted her, after all, and the situation made Elise feel a little better. Her father, on the other hand, was still cautious. Elise couldn't imagine what he was thinking. He surely had questions, but he knew this was not the time to ask them. But someone proved Elise wrong.
The King himself took a step forward despite the guards' warnings. He reached for Lord Fortis's shoulder and gently pushed him aside. "Why should we believe you? You dared to barge into this place and cause a scene. How can we even trust you? You may as well be saying those things to clear her name, so her family is not implicated. We can see you are a formidable man, but can you prove she is your disciple?" With that question, a wide smile spread across the Traveler's face. "Ah, I am glad you asked." He seemed to be waiting for this.
"How about a duel? You could see her progression that way. If she satisfies everyone with her power, you will have your proof. What do you say?" A duel? Was this what he planned from the start? But with whom? "A duel, you say." King Arteon looked thoughtful for a moment. "So, you are going to throw her into the fire without even asking her." The Traveler made a dismissive hand gesture. "I am her master. I have the right to decide when she fights." She had no problem with that, but it would have been nice if he had informed her beforehand, Elise thought. She wondered who her opponent would be.
"Fa– My King!" The Second Prince, Aveon Alethani, stepped forward. "Allow me to do it. I want to help clear up this misunderstanding that fell upon our family." Him? The Second Prince was known to be a prodigy of this age. He had been training under Avir Fortis since his talent was discovered. Elise took a good look at him; he had great posture and build for his age. It was obvious he knew how to wield a sword. It was just a hunch, but she felt he could take down the leader of the bandits they fought in a one-on-one... barely.
Before anyone could say anything, the First Prince stepped in front of his brother. "No. If anyone should do it, it is me." He turned to Elise. "I will be your opponent. We will see about the sword skills you brag so much about." The First Prince, Alber Alethani. Elise should have guessed. There was no way he would miss the opportunity to humiliate the one who had humiliated him. It was known his sword skills were inferior to his younger brother's, but he must have thought she would be an easy match. Well, it would be, but not for him. A duel with her ex-fiancé... would be awkward.
"No." All eyes turned to the owner of the voice. Avir Fortis had lowered his sword but remained alert. He slowly turned toward Elise and evaluated her with his eyes. "I am sorry to inform you, my Prince, but you are no match for her." He looked at the Second Prince. "Both of you." "What do you mean, Lord Fortis? Are we both below this woman in strength?" asked the First Prince. "I mean what I said. She is far stronger than both of you. I don't know her full capabilities, but if the Investigation officers' report is true, I can't let her fight any of my men either. If they lose, it would be bad for the King's Guards' reputation. That is why I would like to be the one to fight her. If Your Highness is also willing, of course."
He finished his words with a slight bow toward the King. A duel with Avir Fortis. She couldn't even imagine how something like that would end. It would be a dream come true to have a chance to duel someone like him. But this time, she was unsure. This was a great chance to see how strong she had really become, but she also had to win. While everyone waited for the King's answer, an objection came from someone Elise was not expecting. "My King," her father raised his voice. "Are you really going to approve this? She is still too young. A duel with Lord Fortis is unreasonable."
He was the last person Elise thought would oppose this. Even though it was a long shot, this was the perfect chance to clear her name. While wondering about her father's reasoning, she noticed his expression. It was not about reasoning; he was simply worried about his daughter. Elise was moved by it, but this was not the time. As she thought about what to say to convince him, Magician Gustave Vorony came to her aid. "Lord Vandenberg, I believe your worries are pointless." He looked like he had come to his senses. "Like Lord Fortis, I can also feel a great power within your daughter. If she knows how to use it, she will do just fine. She also has a Blessing, if I remember correctly."
"What are you trying to say, Head Magician?" Her father had no way of sensing Energy, making his confusion understandable. "Oh, didn't you know, Lord Vandenberg? I can feel a great amount of mana coming from her. Have you considered apprenticing her to a court magician? She could learn a lot." "I requested someone from the court to check her magic affinity when she was at that age, but the appointed magician said she had almost none. We didn't look into it any further. But now you say she has great potential. Even so, she is still–"
"Father!" Elise interrupted, looking him in the eye. "I am not a child anymore. Please, let me fight. This is our chance." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment. Elise kept her stubborn expression, just as she always did when she wanted something from him. And, like always, he eventually let his guard down. "Fine..." Before her father finished his words, the doors they had tried so hard to open swung wide from the outside. The guard they sent to check the dungeons rushed in. "The prisoner is gone!"
All eyes turned to the doors. Some were relieved they were finally opened and quickly headed that way. Elise noticed Lord Landa was one of them. He tried to sneak out of the situation, but the King himself had other plans. "Nobody leaves! Let's first hear what this guard has to say, shall we?" He waited for a moment to let his words sink in, then turned to the out-of-breath guard. "Now, tell us how it happened. Are there any witnesses?" "I questioned some of the prison guards; some said they saw him leaving the dungeon with a man wearing an Investigation Bureau uniform. That is why they didn't question it."
"So, someone inside helped him escape. Inform the city guards; don't let him leave the city. We will have to question that man; he committed a great crime against one of the most prestigious families of this Kingdom, after all." "He is heading toward the West Gate right now." The Traveler broke his silence and joined the conversation. "How do you know?" the King asked. "I overheard them when they were leaving," he answered with a careless tone. The King turned to the guard again. "Tell them to focus on the West Gate."
Just as the guard was about to leave, Lord Landa unexpectedly spoke up. "Your Highness, would it be okay to act based only on a prisoner's words? He may be working with the runaway to mislead us." Of course. Elise should have expected another move from him. He would do anything to be a hindrance. But this also confirmed that the runaway prisoner was one of his men. This could be a problem. On the other hand, the Traveler didn't seem bothered by him at all. "Believe it or not, it's your choice. Now that things are settled, I am heading back to my cell." He looked at Elise and added, "See you at the duel." He performed an overly exaggerated reverence before suddenly vanishing, just as he had appeared, leaving the whole room in silence.