CHAPTER 97
Edmund: (Irritated) That guy gets on my nerves!
He thinks he can command just because he has the strength to do so.
Eleanor: (Smiling amusedly) And you, don’t you do the same with your title of "King"?
Edmund: (Even more irritated) He was even more respectful to you than he was to me!
I’m not saying he shouldn’t have been, but I am the King!
Eleanor: (Sighs) Here we go again…
(Looks at him gently) I’m just an old lady now.
Come, rest your head on my lap and relax a little, my King.
[Without saying a word, Edmund moves closer and lets himself rest on his wife’s lap.]
Edmund: (With eyes closed) What do you think of him, aside from the fact that he’s irritating?
Eleanor: (Chuckling) He’s an interesting man.
If only you made a little effort, you two might get along quite well…
But you always demand respect instead of earning it.
Edmund: (Sighs) I only care about my people and my family, nothing more.
I just hope Arthur gets stronger thanks to him and competes in the tournament.
He is my heir—he will carry on the monarchy and our name.
Eleanor: (Caressing his hair) I didn’t expect him to defeat Selene using only his aura…
He’s really strong.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I had the impression that Selene smiled at him, as if thanking him.
Edmund: (Surprised, suddenly sitting up) Selene?!
Smiling?!
At the man who humiliated her in front of everyone?!
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?
Eleanor: (Annoyed, with a playful smirk) I may be old, but I’m not blind!
Edmund: (Thoughtful) Maybe… maybe it’s time to help her achieve her dream.
(Looks at his wife with a knowing smile) I want Selene to go with Arthur and learn more from the hero.
I’ve heard that Dav is an excellent teacher in combat arts.
He even defeated an SSS-rank holographic monster with a single strike…
Eleanor: (Mischievous gaze) Who knows…
she might even end up joining our family.
After all, they’re the same age, aren’t they?
Edmund: (Laughs) You’re more ruthless than I am, my dear!
That’s why your advice is always precious to this old heart of mine.
But that means I’ll have to put up with seeing him often at the palace… with that irritating face of his.
Selene: (Takes off her uniform, remaining in a tight-fitting shirt and combat shorts.)
Tell me when you’re ready.
Dav: (Sighs) So impatient…
(Removes his uniform, staying in a fitted shirt.) Show me everything you’ve got, royal guard.
[Selene vanishes in a flash and launches a flurry of strikes at Dav.]
Selene: Let’s see if you can dodge these!
Dav: (Activating Divine Step) You’ll have to be faster if you want to even touch me.
[Selene stops, breathing heavily.]
Selene: (Thinking) I knew this would be tough, but this is too much… He hasn’t even moved.
I need to use one of my abilities.
[Suddenly, she drives her sword into the wall to her right.]
Dav: (Perplexed) Have you lost your mind? Now you’re attacking walls—?
(Instinctively dodges) Oh… interesting.
A magic attack? Dimensional?
Selene: (Smirking) Exactly! Let’s see if you can avoid them all.
[Invisible strikes materialize around Dav from every angle, raising a cloud of dust.]
Dav: (Surprised) A nice attack… enough to force me to use a barrier.
As Dav speaks, Selene uses her ability to teleport next to him and assaults him with a series of slashes.
Selene stepped back a few paces, releasing her red aura.
She infused it into her sword, increasing her speed and power.
With overwhelming strength, she continued to strike Dav repeatedly, forcing him to move back inch by inch.
The castle trembled under the pressure of her aura, alarming everyone nearby…
(Except for the King and Queen, who continued sipping their tea with absolute indifference.)
Selene kept fighting for dozens of minutes, showing no signs of fatigue.
Suddenly, Dav vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of her and, with a single strike, disarmed Selene and sent her crashing against the wall.
Selene: (Sarcastic) Did your sword slip? That strike seemed a bit personal…
[With a glint in his eyes, he Divine Steps to mere inches from her, face to face.]
Dav: (Half-smiling) Don’t tell me you’ve already given up?
Selene: (Furious grin) Are you kidding?! This is just the beginning!
Narrator: They kept fighting for two hours.
He with a small smile, she with the enthusiasm of a child finally having fun.
A duel without reservations, without holding back… and without fear of getting hurt.
Selene: (Panting, on her knees, gripping her sword for support) I admit defeat…
I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.
Dav: (Sits next to her) That was a good duel.
I’m sure that one day you’ll become strong enough to even dethrone me.
Selene: (Slightly embarrassed, moving closer to him) I hope to learn a lot from your training at the academy, Professor.
END OF CHAPTER 97
