Volume 4, Chapter 27 – An Instant

Although the other party was from the military, and the Imperial Military Headquarters held significant power in the Royal Castle, these people were trying to make an example of Anastasia, so she couldn’t be blamed for being impolite.

If it hadn’t been for Anastasia, she would never have chosen to return to the Elf Kingdom in the first place. It was true that the former princess had died, but without her death, the current her would not exist. To exile the person who had saved the princess was simply ridiculous.

Not to mention, the root of the conflict was the nobles’ deep-seated contempt for humans. Claire also had a human appearance. If she did not act forcefully enough now, it would only create hidden dangers for her future actions. The military’s status was high, making it a suitable target to make an example of. If the Eldest Princess was not afraid of even the military, then other nobles would naturally have to weigh their words more carefully when speaking to her in the future. This would both solve the persecution of Anastasia and lay the groundwork for the future.

“Your Highness, I—”

Following behind Fia, Anastasia’s face was flushed with urgency, her eyes filled with unspoken words.

Fia knew what she wanted to say, and even why she had stopped halfway. Anastasia was both relieved that she wasn’t being exiled and anxious that she had turned the situation into such a mess. However, she was the center of the conflict, and anything she said at this moment would be inappropriate. Anyone in her position would have reacted the same way.

Without turning back, Fia simply gave a light wave of her hand.

“My mind is made up. You don’t need to persuade me, Anastasia. If I don’t show some strength and let them know that our positions are no longer equal, they won’t be willing to open their ears and listen to me.”

Anastasia said in a worried, low voice.

“…They won’t let this go so easily.”

“Then let them try,” Fia’s tone became serious. “Anastasia, I have already chosen this path, so from now on, you must put away your timid and weak parts. Do you know what I’m saying? There is no turning back—and we don’t need to.” ¹ demn cool

“…”

As if making a decision, Anastasia swallowed, her hesitant face becoming incredibly complex. She understood what Fia wanted to say. They were now on the opposite side of the military. Therefore, as the person at the center of the event, she had to show the resolute and tough parts of her personality and could no longer keep backing down as she had in the past. Otherwise, she would not only be disgracing Fia, but also failing her intentions.

Doing so would surely bring countless troubles. No noble could tolerate a half-breed dancing on their heads.

However, she was Fia’s servant. With her master having already gone this far, there was no need to say what choice she had to make. Even if her acting tough, as someone who bore the Sinner’s Mark, would cause more trouble for Fia, it was the only way to live up to Fia’s feelings. More importantly, Fia was the sun that guided her and brought her warmth. She had long ago sworn to be her sword, and as a sword, she could not retreat when her master was facing the enemy.

It was both to not weaken the name of the Eldest Princess and to fulfill her duty as a sword.

Although Anastasia lacked self-confidence, she was not incapable of being tough. Once she had set a direction, or rather, once Fia believed that “it must be done this way” and the other party was an enemy that needed to be eliminated, then Anastasia would no longer hesitate.

The complexity in her expression quickly disappeared, and her azure eyes became firm. She lowered her hands and took a deep breath.

“From now on, I will carefully consider my attitude towards others.”

“Mhm.”

Fia nodded. Anastasia’s change in expression had already told her that her intentions had been conveyed. Her gaze turned to the grand hall ahead. Because she had come out of the audience chamber so quickly, and her expression and pace revealed her displeasure, all the servants waiting by the walls of the hall showed looks of surprise and curiosity, peering into the chamber. Some of the young nobles waiting outside even approached, intending to ask what had happened.

Until a voice stopped their thoughts.

“Stop, Dofilia!”

The voice came from behind Fia. It was the son of Greyan. When Fia had stood up to leave, the eldest son of the Greyan family had immediately followed.

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He had even omitted the honorific “Your Highness.”

Fia raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

The higher one’s status, the more they valued face. Although she had long expected that the eldest son of the Greyan family, who belonged to the military, would not let this go, she hadn’t expected him to be so obtuse. The entire Royal Castle was within the range of the [Citadel of Silence]; no one could use magic. For her to have used telekinesis to embed Laevateinn into the conference table should have said enough. She didn’t know if he hadn’t realized it, or if he had, but had chosen to press on for the sake of face.

Without giving Greyan’s eldest son a pleasant look, Fia turned with a cold expression to face him as he rushed out of the audience chamber towards her.

“Do you intend to command me as well? The military has quite the nerve.”

“Don’t be so arrogant!”

Being turned on by Fia, the already angry son of Greyan’s face instantly flushed red. As the eldest son of the family and a high-ranking official in the military, he had never suffered such a great humiliation. Now, the sight of the servants in the hall looking over and whispering among themselves made him feel even more ashamed, and his anger burned.

In a loud voice that everyone could hear, Greyan’s eldest son roared.

“To use force against a minister of the military in the audience chamber, even if you are the crown princess, is too outrageous!”

“Outrageous? I gave you a chance, but you didn’t take it. That was just a warning. Or can you not see the vast gap between us?”

“Anastasia’s crime of failing to protect you is a matter of course! Not executing her is already a favor to you, yet you want to act as if it never happened! Losing your memory is not a lifeline—”

His voice paused, and as if remembering something, he turned to Anastasia beside Fia with a look of realization.

“So that’s it… Anastasia, you anticipated this day, so you seduced Princess Dofilia all along the way, making her protect you after you reached the capital. Heh… what a good plan. Today, I will take the liberty of eliminating the shame left behind by the Queen on behalf of His Majesty!”

In a fit of rage, he drew the longsword of a nearby Imperial Guard and charged straight for Anastasia.

But he had not taken more than a few steps before Fia stood in front of her, her magnificent, ruby-like eyes narrowed slightly.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Get out of the way, Your Highness! Don’t be fooled by this mongrel!”

Even the son of Greyan did not dare to raise his sword against royalty. He tried to push Fia aside, but found that his outstretched hand was unable to move in mid-air, as if an invisible wall was blocking him.

“It seems you still haven’t understood what I said in the audience chamber. Then let me make it clearer.”

Her gaze swept unceremoniously across the crowd in the hall, and Fia emphasized each word.

“Anastasia is my guard. Without my permission, no one is to touch a single hair on her head. Otherwise, you are slandering my name. I have indeed lost my memory, but what I have gained is a power several times greater than before. There is no reason for Anastasia to be punished. If anyone doubts my strength, then come and try for yourself, on the condition that you bear the consequences. In addition, I do not wish to hear any more discussion about Anastasia’s origins. Whether human or elf, as long as they are worthy of kindness, there is no high or low in my eyes.”

The moment Fia’s words fell, the entire hall was in an uproar. Protecting Anastasia could be considered the princess’s private affair; after all, everyone in the palace knew that Anastasia was her pet, and a master would not watch their pet be beaten for nothing. However, to equate humans and elves made one doubt her motives. Perhaps the princess did not just think that keeping a pet was fun, but truly believed that Anastasia was qualified to be in the palace.

But one must remember, it was precisely because the royal family could not marry humans that the Elf King was able to justifiably keep the current Queen Veronica by his side. The princess’s words were undoubtedly a direct contradiction to the King.

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“You are forgetting your roots!” Greyan’s eldest son’s eyes were wide with anger. “Don’t act so wantonly just because you are the crown princess favored by His Majesty. Silvar is not yet yours to command!”

“Oh? You want to try me?” Fia pressed on aggressively, not backing down in the slightest. She hadn’t said those words in a fit of anger. If she didn’t use this chance to lay the groundwork for her and Claire’s future, it would be difficult to find a better opportunity.

Laughing out of extreme anger, Greyan’s eldest son withdrew his longsword and took a step back. This was not a sign of retreat, but a prelude to an attack.

“Dofilia, I have watched you grow from an infant to what you are today. Don’t think that just because you are younger than me, I would not dare to lay a hand on you. The dignity and rules of the kingdom are not something you can trample on. Let’s settle this here. Your Highness Kalsey, Prince Schain, please bear witness for me.”

Seeing that it was about to turn into a duel, the crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed, for fear of being caught in the crossfire. The Second Prince, who had been waiting for an opportunity for a long time, quickly came between Fia and the son of Greyan, trying to persuade them with a placating smile.

“Everyone, calm down. Sister, and you, Lord Godley. The hall is not a place for a duel. If Father finds out, you will both be punished. Please, calm your anger.”

“The Eldest Princess has lost her memory and needs someone to teach her what the rules are again. I am willing to accept any punishment afterwards. Your Highness Kalsey, please step back.”

“Kalsey, do not interfere with a sacred duel,” Prince Schain said, forcefully pulling him away.

On the other side, Fia was also ready. She had Anastasia hand her the mithril sword, then had her retreat until only she and the eldest son of Greyan were left in the center.

The distance between them was less than five meters. Fia could even hear Godley’s heavy breathing.

“Let me see what gives you the confidence to say such things.”

Without answering Godley’s provocation, Fia, holding the sword in her right hand, just quietly watched her opponent. Although Godley could not use magic in the hall, his Fifth-Rank strength had long since changed his physical constitution. Therefore, even without using magic, his strength was comparable to an ordinary Third-Rank practitioner.

Of course, this level of strength was not enough to be a threat in Fia’s eyes. She couldn’t help but feel that it was a waste of time. Defeating a Fifth-Rank warrior would not have the effect of making an example of him.

I’ll end this quickly.

“I will preside over the duel. The signal will be when the gold coin lands.”

Prince Schain, putting on his monocle, placed a gold coin on his thumbnail and then flicked it into the air.

Ting—

The gold coin quickly hit the ground.

Following it was a flash of golden light.

This was not the light of magic, but the glint of the sun reflecting off the blade of a sword. When the crowd’s eyes followed the flash of light and fell on Godley, everyone’s pupils constricted.

The duel was already over.

The tip of Fia’s mithril sword was resting on Godley’s Adam’s apple. He, in turn, was frozen in the posture of having just taken a single step, not daring to move. His eyes were filled with terror, and a coldness that felt like being plunged into an ice cellar spread from the soles of his feet to his brainstem. He could feel from Fia’s icy expression that if he made the slightest move, the sword would pierce his throat—in fact, he could already feel the sting of the tip breaking his skin. Yet, besides lowering his eyes to look at the blade pointed at his throat, there was nothing he could do.

Few had seen what had happened. By the time the crowd reacted, the duel had ended with Godley’s defeat.

He’s too weak.

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Fia pursed her lips internally.

Although she hadn’t held back in that instant, for him to be defeated without even seeing her move was simply too weak. There was no sense of accomplishment in defeating such an enemy.

She glanced at the stunned crowd in the hall, then her gaze fell on Prince Schain, who was also stunned, his expression still frozen in the look of someone watching a good show.

“Can you announce the result now?”

“Ah… ahh…” Swallowing involuntarily, Prince Schain hurriedly announced, “The winner is… Dofilia.”

His voice was not loud, but in the hall, which was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop, it was deafening. The hall once again erupted in a clamor. If at first Fia’s statement that “there is no high or low between elves and humans” had seemed absurd, now people felt that the Eldest Princess did indeed have the right to say it.

There were many people with transcendent magical abilities in the hall. They could sense that Fia had not used magic. To defeat the son of Greyan with only physical ability, without even giving him time to react, was something that perhaps even his father, Greyan, could not do.

The Eldest Princess had not been lying. Her strength was on a completely different level than before.

“No wonder she dared to challenge the military for Anastasia…”

“The military has completely lost face this time.”

“More importantly, look at Prince Schain’s face.”

“This is going to be trouble.”

Ignoring the discussions in the hall, Fia gracefully withdrew her mithril sword. She raised her chin slightly and looked at Godley, whose face was alternating between green and white.

“Well? My strength.”

“You—”

“What are you all doing?”

Just as Godley was about to argue, an exceptionally steady voice suddenly came from the entrance of the hall. His eyes instantly lit up, while Fia raised an eyebrow slightly.

It was Greyan himself.

Covered from head to toe in black plate armor, he walked slowly to Godley’s side. He had seen the commotion between Fia and his son, but before he could stop it, his eldest son had already been defeated.

“…Father.”

Although he was nearly three hundred years old, Godley still bowed his head to Greyan like a child.

The answer he received was Greyan’s deep voice, laced with anger.

“Kneel and beg for the Eldest Princess’s mercy.”

“Father!”

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“As a servant of the royal family, you not only dueled a royal, but your opponent was the Eldest Princess who has lost her memory. Do you not feel ashamed?! Kneel and apologize! The Greyan family has no such shameless person as you!”

Before Godley could argue, Greyan gripped his arm tightly with one hand and kicked the back of his knee with the other. With a thud, Godley was forced to his knees before Fia.

“Father, I was also acting for the dignity of the kingdom!”

“Dignity is you challenging the amnesiac Eldest Princess to a duel?! Ask for her forgiveness, or I have no such disgraceful son as you!”

It was clear that Greyan held considerable prestige in the Royal Castle. Even when he used violence, not a single noble dared to stand up and persuade him. Godley himself did not dare to make a sound, like a frost-bitten eggplant. Although his face was flushed, he still wilted under Greyan’s authority. After a moment, he spoke to Fia with difficulty.

“I was wrong… Your Highness, the Eldest Princess. Please forgive me…”

It was unclear what Greyan was thinking.

Watching Godley’s reaction, a slight vigilance rose in Fia’s heart. The conflict between her and Godley had arisen because of Anastasia’s origins, and from the way Greyan had blocked her earlier, it was clear that he did not like Anastasia either.

For him to be reprimanding his son now was likely because Godley had challenged her, a royal, in front of all the nobles. As for his own opinion on the root of the conflict, that was a question mark. Her intuition told her that things were not that simple.

Without showing her thoughts on her face, Fia waved her hand lightly, her expression magnanimous, as if she hadn’t taken it to heart.

“Rise. I was the one who said you were welcome to test my strength. I will not hold this against you.”

At this, Fia glanced quietly at Greyan. As he was completely covered in armor, she could not see his expression. She could only test him with words.

“But what I said earlier still stands. From now on, I do not wish for anyone to be disrespectful to Anastasia. As for my Father, I will explain it to him myself when he returns.”

As if confused, Greyan, under his armor, tilted his head slightly.

“Your Highness, may I ask if your earlier statements in the hall were all serious? I understand your desire to protect Anastasia, but on matters of right and wrong, we must be clear. It is an undeniable fact that she failed to protect you. If she is not punished at all, I’m afraid it will be difficult to convince the public.”

“Removing her from her post as captain of the Imperial Guard is enough. General Greyan should have seen that my power is much greater than before. If not for this experience, I would never have been able to obtain this power. Besides, I was the one being guarded. I am the most qualified to decide the punishment. From my perspective, I do not wish for any more punishment to be placed on Anastasia.”

“Mmm…” a low hum came from Greyan’s throat. After a moment, his shoulders relaxed, and he sighed a long sigh. “Since Your Highness, the one who was guarded, has said so, then it shall be so. Anastasia will be removed from her post as captain of the Imperial Guard, and from now on, she will only serve by your side as a maid.”

He agreed just like that?

Unexpectedly open-minded.

Fia couldn’t help but be a little surprised. She had thought that after reprimanding his son, he would turn his spear on her. After all, she had made the statement of treating elves and humans as equals. As an old fossil who had supported Yelido in taking back Veronica, he should have stood up to oppose her.

As it turned out, Fia was not wrong.

Greyan’s next words came quickly. He stood up straight and said slowly.

“But, Your Highness, I have a request. I once served as your swordsmanship teacher. Now, I would like to test whether the power you have obtained is as great as you say.”