It was already crowded. Avir Fortis stood in his study, watching the training grounds from the window behind his desk. Aside from the ever-curious soldiers, even some highly regarded nobles had come to watch the duel. They had sent their servants beforehand to secure places with a good view on top of the courtyard walls, setting up tables with umbrellas to avoid the afternoon sun.
Avir Fortis was not from a noble family, so he never understood their frivolous customs, even after gaining the title of 'Lord'.
Everything was merely an excuse for them to gather and sip sweet wine. He never attended these gatherings, not that he was invited anyway. His rapid rise in the Kingdom had always bothered most noble families. A 'lowborn' like him was not fit for the job, they always said.
That was why he admired Lord Regory Vandenberg. Even though he was from a highly regarded noble family, he was a man of duty. He judged a person by their capabilities, not by their bloodline or connections.
When they first met in the training barracks at the southern front, Avir was surprised to see a noble mixing with the common folk. Most nobles sent their heirs to the military academy in the Capital or trained them privately. But he was there, eating, training, and fighting alongside the common soldiers. That was how they grew closer over time. He was one of the few people Avir could gladly call a friend.
In their current situation, Avir wanted to do everything he could to help an old friend. The duel was not a bad idea. He understood His Highness's intentions; it was obvious the Vandenberg family was being framed. But once the rumors spread, managing public opinion was difficult. There was also the First Prince's fragile pride, of course. If the girl could prove her prowess on the field in front of all those people, it would provide a solid reason to announce their innocence.
They had also caught the escaped prisoner. He was truly trying to flee through the West Gate, exactly as the mysterious man had claimed. He had been interrogated since early morning, but had yet to speak. Avir was certain Lord Landa was behind all this. It was well known that the Landa and Vandenberg families had been bitter rivals for a long time. However, lacking concrete evidence, Avir couldn't make a move when Landa left the city right after the prisoner was caught this morning.
His time would come, for sure, but today was not that day. Today, he needed to help his friend by dueling his beloved daughter. The girl was an interesting one. She possessed the physique and vigilance of a veteran soldier, and her movements, posture, and reflexes fully supported this observation.
Furthermore, the Head Magician had confirmed she possessed a terrifyingly high magic affinity. He had watched her train yesterday. Though her technique had some lacking spots, her strikes were exceptionally fierce. Avir Fortis was one of the few people capable of fighting her carefully enough, without worsening the situation any further.
Rumors had already started to spread. Because of his close connection with her father, some claimed he would go easy on her. They were the fools who knew nothing about his character. Such a dishonorable thought had never even crossed his mind. He would never do such a thing, nor would Lord Vandenberg ever ask for it, or even accept it if offered.
He glanced at the sun; it was almost time. He still had a few moments to make a final check of the remaining reports before heading down to the courtyard.
***
He was adorable. Elise held her little brother in her arms. He was so little and fragile that she had to focus intently on not making any sudden movements.
Everyone always told her she had her mother's face and skin, but her height, straight hair, and dark eyes were all passed down from her father. Her brother, Laren, however, was an exact copy of their mother.
His jewel-like green eyes and golden hair heavily emphasized their mother's southern roots. He was an absolute treasure to behold, single-handedly driving away her piling tension. But it was time to hand him back to the attending maid, because her mother, Kalena Vandenberg, sat directly in front of her, looking like she still had plenty of sharp things to say.
"A duel with Avir Fortis?!" They were in her father's guest suite. The layout was similar to hers, but much grander. Her mother had arrived not long ago, resting here after the long journey. "Can you not stay out of trouble even for a single moment? You keep bringing nothing but shame to our family."
She was exactly as Elise remembered. They hadn't seen each other for almost a year and a half, yet Kalena had already started complaining about her actions the second they reunited. If not for her father and little brother, she would rather not talk to her this much.
"Kalena!" her father tried to interfere, but it was not necessary.
"It is okay, Father." She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You know I am used to it."
Her father looked at her for a moment with a gaze full of profound sadness and despair. He knew their relationship had always been like this, but, just like now, he never knew how to fix it.
In their household, women were raised by women, and men were raised by men. It had been like that since the beginning of their lineage. Thus, he had to leave Elise in her mother's care and judgment according to strict family traditions. That was why her unusual behaviors—like training with her father and the household guards—were never approved. Her father tried what he could, but it was not his place to step between a mother and daughter. This suffocating dynamic was the main reason Elise had escaped.
"Look at you!" her mother continued with disdain. "What are you even wearing?" Elise wore her padded gambeson and leather leggings to be ready to put on her armor quickly—the very clothes her mother despised seeing her in the most. The guards had also let her carry her sword around since the duel was happening in an hour or so, leaving it hanging casually at her waist. "Are you playing knight now?"
Elise kept her silence, but her mother had no intention of stopping anytime soon.
"You are about to duel the most famous warrior in the Kingdom. What do you possibly expect to happen? You are just going to bring even more public humiliation to our family. Stop this utter nonsense before it is too late. No one will blame a young girl for backing down against Avir Fortis."
Her beautiful face warped from the various intense emotions she experienced during her harsh speech. Elise and her mother looked at each other in heavy silence for a moment. Her father's heavy breathing filled the room; it was painfully obvious he was trying to hold himself back from escalating the argument. Her mother's maid had already cowered in the back corner from the suffocating tension. It was a common response from the maids; they usually backed down and tried not to interfere, mostly to avoid the Lady's wrath—one of the many reasons Elise fiercely disliked most of their housemaids.
Elise finally broke the silence. "You don't have to worry anymore, Mother. You won't be seeing me after today."
Seeing her mother's confused face was the most amusing thing Elise had witnessed in a while. Kalena batted her eyelashes and asked, "What do you mean by that, young lady?"
"I mean exactly what I said. After I clear my name, I intend to leave this..." She stopped for a moment to think of what to say instead of 'Realm'; it would be far too hard to explain. "...place. This is the exact reason I came back: to leave officially, without any lingering heartbreaks."
Her mother's eyes widened, and she whipped her head toward her husband for a reaction, but quickly realized he already knew.
"How could you permit something like that?" she demanded furiously. "She just came back, and you are letting her go already?"
While her mother waited for an explanation, her father took a deep, weary breath, pausing to weigh his words before speaking. Elise knew that speaking to her mother without thinking could end terribly, and her father knew this better than anyone.
"Kalena, even though it is incredibly hard to admit, she is not a child anymore. We cannot just detain her against her will. If her true wish is to travel to faraway lands, then so be it."
Elise tried to remain as emotionless as possible while her mother's face twisted between shock and outrage. After a short moment, she settled on a cold, furious glare toward Elise.
"I tolerated your rebellious tantrums for years. But since you are a grown woman now, hear me well: if you leave, there will be no home for you to return to."
The very look that once gave Elise shivers, she could now return with unwavering intensity straight into her mother's eyes. She had already made up her mind.
"Kalena, enough!" her father interfered.
"No, Father. I was actually going to bring this up, too."
"What do you mean, Elise?" asked her father. She had not talked about this specific detail with him yet.
"After this duel, I will officially forfeit my rights as the heir of House Vandenberg."
"What are y–"
Elise didn't let him interrupt. "Since there is another heir now, I have absolutely no intention of becoming the head of the Family. I don't even know when I will come back, if ever."
Her parents stared at her with wide, stunned eyes. It must have been a massive, world-shattering surprise for both of them. Knowing it would be impossible to reason with them once they gathered their wits, she took her chance to escape the suffocating room.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a duel to fight."
She quickly left the room before they could formulate a reply. It was almost time. Her armor was already prepped at the armory next to the training grounds. It didn't take long to strap into her familiar half-plate armor. Before she even fully processed the gravity of what she had just done, she was walking out under the bright afternoon sun, heading directly toward the shining figure waiting across the courtyard.