She was tense. Her guards had allowed her to use the training grounds in the castle courtyard for the upcoming duel. During yesterday's dinner, Lord Fortis had said she could rest a day before the duel; Elise had come from a long journey, after all. As if she could even think about resting. The duel was tomorrow afternoon, and her opponent was Lord Avir Fortis. The Avir Fortis. The very man who had fought alongside her father on the frontlines of the twenty-year Borderline War against the three kingdoms surrounding the Alethani Kingdom's southeast border. The man who had fought off the Barbarian Raiders in the northeastern mountains. The Captain of the King's Guards and the Head of the Military. One of the King's closest aides. He had won countless duels and was considered the best warrior in the Kingdom. Yeah, she could rest.
CRACK!
Another one had broken. She threw the remaining hilt of the wooden training sword into the woodpile she had accumulated since morning. They didn't let her train with her real sword, of course, so she had to use these wooden ones, but they were not holding up well. It was mostly her fault. She was having a hard time controlling her strength and Energy due to the tension. Her head was full of thoughts and possibilities, slowly eating away at her mind.
She went to get another wooden sword from the rack. She received fewer awkward stares compared to the first few times she had broken a sword. Soldiers and guards were also training in the courtyard, constantly shifting according to their schedules. Every time she broke a sword, she felt their confused looks on her back.
Most of them didn't even know who she was, but it didn't take long for the word to spread. The young Lady of House Vandenberg was going to duel Lord Avir Fortis. They had swarmed the courtyard to see who she was. Since Lord Fortis wouldn't accept just any duel request, they assumed she must be a formidable fighter.
The number of those watching her increased with every wooden sword she broke. They even started to cheer when it happened. Elise saw some of them exchanging money after she broke one, openly betting while she continued her daily training. She forced herself to exceed her limits multiple times just to make them lose as much money as possible.
This continued until her irritation spiraled out of control; with a single hit, she sent a training dummy flying, crashing into the opposite wall. The cheers instantly stopped, turning into timid whispers. Their numbers gradually decreased, leaving only those who had actually come to train. She did apologize to the trainers for the dummy, though.
Her father had also come to see her. Ever since she was a child, he had always brought her comfort. Even the hardest things seemed possible when her father was there. He was a strong pillar she could always lean on, whatever happened. But this time, she had to handle the situation on her own. He came and watched her train, sparred with her a little, gave some advice, and left. There was nothing more he could do, and he was a busy man.
He was still against this whole situation; it was written all over his face. Last night, after the Traveler left, he had tried to oppose the duel again, and Elise had to convince him once more.
It was understandable; he was just worried about his daughter, but this was probably their fastest way to settle things. Her father was fearsome to most, but he always had a soft spot for his one and only daughter, so convincing him was not that hard.
But there had been another reason for him to be here. They had gone to see the Traveler in the dungeons after dinner. She was not surprised to find him casually lying inside his cell. Elise knew that if he had wanted to escape, he would have done so long ago. Their conversation was... not that comforting.
"It was a bold move," her father had said to him. But he only responded with a smile.
"Do you believe I can win against him?" Elise had asked. "He is someone I have looked up to ever since I first held a sword. Fighting a duel against someone like him... is something I never imagined."
She was feeling anxious. Her only hope was that the Traveler had planned all this and trusted her skills. This put a lot of pressure on her, but if he believed in her, it meant she could do it. That was what she hoped, until he looked at her with a confused expression.
"Oh, you have no chance of winning," he said casually.
"Eh...?" After a moment of silence between the three of them, "WHAT!" she shouted. "What do you mean, I have no chance? Why do I even fight then?"
"I thought you already realized. That guy is a beast. I believe you have the upper hand in raw strength and speed because of my training, but he has more talent and experience than you. Not to mention his so-called 'Blessing' is more combat-oriented than yours."
Elise couldn't even say anything; instead, her father got involved. "If that is the case, why did you even put my daughter in this situation?" He grabbed the cell bars in anger, pulling himself closer as he spoke. He was already tense, and the current situation was not helping at all.
"Well, because she doesn't need to win."
"What do you mean?" Elise asked from behind her father.
"You only need to show them your capabilities. You didn't get the chance to unleash your power since you came here. If you keep fighting weaklings, you'll never get the chance, either. So, go in there and go all out. Show them what you can do. That would be more than enough. You could get roughed up a bit, but you will be fine. I trained you for it, after all."
After listening to him, both Elise and her father calmed down. He had a point; it really could be enough. But something was still bothering Elise. After giving this plan some thought, she realized there was a hole in it.
"Well, even if I prove myself to be your apprentice, Lord Landa can still say you are both my master and my lover. The Crown Prince will also follow his words, and he could be a hindrance. What are we going to do about that?"
But the Traveler didn't seem bothered by it. "That is why you must catch the guy who escaped and the one who helped him. He is most likely associated with that Landa guy you mentioned. He seems cautious. If there was even a chance of exposure, he would leave the city as soon as possible. So, there is no problem on that part."
"Your King has already accepted this deal; I believe he also wants this situation to be settled quickly. So that child, the Crown Prince, can't open his mouth without any backup. Now stop worrying about these things and don't even think of neglecting your training."
Was he always this thoughtful? He had come up with this plan and even thought through its many variables. Elise knew he was a smart man, even though he acted like an impulsive person. She had discovered another unexpected side of him that night.
That conversation still bothered her. She was trying to devote herself to training for a fight she had no way of winning. Too many things were happening all at once; with so much pressure, she felt like she was about to explode. She needed to focus if she wanted to achieve anything in this short time. She needed to hone her sword skills, as well as her Energy control. But she couldn't use most of the Energy she drew in with a wooden sword against a dummy. Even if she could, it would only attract unnecessary eyes. On top of that, she had learned from her father that her mother was expected to arrive at the Capital right before the duel, so she would most likely attend!
CRACK!
She had only tried to use a little more Energy, but it quickly got out of control. She even tried the method she had seen from that Demon, focusing the gathered Energy in one place and distributing it as strong pulses to gain explosive power. But she was losing focus and dispersing the Energy too quickly with all that on her mind, leaving only a slight burning feeling inside her chest. She went to get another wooden sword and saw an unexpected spectator watching her.
Head Magician Gustave Vorony watched from the top of the walls surrounding the courtyard. He had an excited look in his eyes that Elise couldn't understand until she reached down to pick up another wooden sword. She was glowing.
More accurately, she was smoking. She hadn't even realized the amount of Energy she had drawn all this time. She was overflowing with it. She hoped only those affiliated with Energy could see this, but her hopes were quickly dashed. More people in the courtyard were looking at her with surprised expressions. Well, so much for not attracting more eyes. She tried to release the excess Energy, and the glow faded, leaving a slight heat and a stinging pain inside her.
This was the first time something like this had happened to her. She tried not to panic, deciding to ask the Traveler at the first chance she got. She glanced at where the old man, Gustave Vorony, had been and saw him leaving. Why was he even there? He was only getting on her nerves.
She grabbed her wooden sword, deciding not to train with dummies anymore. The last one was badly damaged, and it was best to stop before breaking another. She took a stance against an imaginary foe, training until she couldn't lift her arms.