First, the 3rd Army Command is a place where even the Marquis of Antioch would be received as a ‘suitable’ guest.
Despite being such a place, it was evident that the atmosphere had turned icy cold, leaving everyone visibly flustered.
Second, the Marquis of Antioch, who usually made other nobles tremble, was bowing his head this time.
His demeanor was exactly like that of the other nobles who used to bow before him at banquets.
Lastly, third, the tone and gaze directed at me were anything but ordinary.
Above all, the aura and energy emanating from him were extraordinary. It was almost like… yes, like an elf.
In other words, it was the kind of pride and self-love that only someone truly confident in themselves could display.
“Her Highness, the Princess!”
Damn… I had a feeling, but of course.
This is what makes it a fantasy, isn’t it?
A sudden appearance of royalty and a noble left flustered.
Isn’t that just too cliché?
I glanced at the flustered Marquis of Antioch beside me and then turned my gaze forward again.
“Your Highness.”
“Is that elf the one you mentioned, Marquis?”
Without even sparing a glance at the Marquis who had approached, the woman referred to as the Princess walked towards me, her eyes fixed solely on me.
“…..”
I could tell immediately.
This woman is of the same ilk as Sir Noah.
No matter what blood flows in her veins, no matter what others call her.
She is the type who considers herself someone with a purpose and moves forward towards that goal.
However, her skills are nowhere near the level of Sir Noah.
If she is a blazing torch, then Sir Noah is the sun in the sky.
‘Not that the Princess is weak. It’s just that Sir Noah is ridiculously strong.’
Objectively speaking, the Princess’s level is among the top by human standards.
She has every right to be proud of her abilities and act accordingly.
So, it wasn’t a good sign that such a person was looking at me with anything but a friendly gaze.
Whoosh!-
As the Princess passed by, the Marquis of Antioch frantically gestured at me.
He was probably asking me to greet her appropriately and to tone down the elf pride a bit.
But even without his urgent request, I had already planned to do so.
The Princess isn’t just any ordinary person.
I know how to behave around the Marquis, so I certainly wouldn’t be rude to the Emperor’s daughter.
“I greet Her Highness, the Princess of the Empire.”
Not too subservient, but not too stiff either.
I bowed slightly, and Hadishi, who was beside me, followed suit after catching my cue.
“I couldn’t believe it, but you really are an elf similar to humans, Marquis.”
“Your Highness, we have already discussed that matter thoroughly…”
“Ah, no need to worry. Do you think I came here to argue over something that has already been settled? Even I wouldn’t do something that would embarrass my father and brother.”
It sounded like she wasn’t going to take an openly hostile stance, but that only made me more uneasy.
“However, there is one concern I have.”
“What might that be?”
“Have you been told? Among the monsters, there are some that are particularly resistant to magic, and there are also those that spirits are reluctant to confront.”
What? This is the first I’m hearing of it. I had only imagined the monsters as mere weak creatures.
Looking at the Marquis of Antioch, he began, “We were planning to inform the monster specialists in the 3rd Army Command.”
I thought it would have been nice to be told earlier, but considering what I had shown recently, it seemed they weren’t too worried.
“Did you hear that, elf?”
“Yes, I heard.”
“I acknowledge that you are masters of magic and geniuses of spirit arts. But even for you, there will undoubtedly be moments of difficulty. And the Empire is not a place that pushes others into obvious predicaments.”
Whether she was trying to elevate the Empire’s status or subtly belittle the elves, one thing was clear: she had successfully provoked Hadishi beside me.
“We will handle that ourselves.”
“Handle it? And if something goes wrong, you won’t blame the Empire, will you?”
“The forest clan would never do such a thing.”
“Confident, aren’t you? But in the history of the Empire, there have been a few such instances. And in the end, they all changed their tune and blamed the Empire’s shortcomings.”
Magic and spirit arts, equally powerful to elves, humans, and other races.
And while they are highly effective against most monsters, there are a few exceptions.
Perhaps the reason the elders emphasized not venturing into the human world was partly due to this.
They might have feared that overconfidence in their abilities could lead to significant consequences.
“The elves once said that humans are an inevitably inferior race, using their bodies for tasks that don’t require physical effort.”
“…”
“But what you are about to do will undoubtedly require physical effort. Can you handle that?”
“That—”
“If you’re going to say you can shoot a bow, forget it. If bows and arrows could solve the problem, the Empire wouldn’t be in such a mess because of those monsters.”
Silencing Hadishi, the Princess turned her gaze back to me and continued.
“I’ve heard about you, elf Tyreal.”
“What do you mean?”
“An elf who, unlike other elves, wields a sword.”
“Yes. By chance, I learned the sword, albeit inadequately, from a fellow elf who is a disciple of Sir Noah.”
“Inadequate? I heard you crossed swords quite a bit with Sir Noah.”
We did cross swords.
But in truth, Sir Noah went easy on me.
I can assure you, if a Sword Saint or Sword Demon had wielded their sword with killing intent?
I would have become Tyreal.
Or perhaps T/Y/R/E/A/L.
“I was quite surprised to hear that.”
“An elf, who usually disdains physicality, wielding a sword.”
“So, I was wondering. Would you like to cross swords with me?”
“…What?”
“Your Highness?”
What a ridiculous proposal.
Suddenly, I’m in the position of an elf dueling with the Princess.
This is problematic no matter how you look at it.
If I refuse?
The elf is too arrogant, looking down even on the Empire’s Princess.
If I accept?
The elf is too arrogant, not even refusing.
Damn it.
No matter how I react, the elf’s arrogance is unavoidable.
Thanks, past clichés!
Because of you, we descendants are suffering like dogs!
“Let’s do this. If you defeat me, I will treat the elves as honored guests.”
“And if the opposite happens? If Your Highness wins, do the elves all return to the Great Forest?”
“Would you listen if I set such a condition?”
The Princess smiled and set a different condition for her victory.
If that were to happen, the elves would have to sincerely align themselves with the Empire’s standards.
Not just to a moderate extent, but to the point of receiving the Empire’s approval.
That part about receiving the Empire’s approval.
If other elves heard that, they would be furious.
Even Hadishi beside me was seething with anger.
From a young age, elves are pressured by parents and surroundings about magic and spirits.
But once they reach adulthood, no one can force anything upon them.
And yet, here was a human, not even an elf, demanding their approval.
“Are you really sure about this?”
“Of course. So, will you do it?”
“Very well.”
This is a legitimate chance to knock down the Princess.
I can’t pass this up.
*
The duel was set.
All that remained was to cross swords.
At first glance, it might seem like a fight with no chance of winning.
After all, my opponent had crossed swords with Sir Noah, and she’s not even human but an elf.
But on the other hand, did Sir Noah really go all out against her?
And could an elf, who has never been in a real battle, truly bring out their full potential?
Moreover, knowing the weakness of someone who has never been in a life-and-death struggle.
Ezel believed she could definitely win against this elf named Tyreal.
After all, isn’t this a race that utterly despises martial arts?
She, who had held a sword from a very young age and strived to reach the pinnacle.
She firmly believed that shattering their arrogance was her duty as the Empire’s Princess.
But.
Whoosh!-
“…What?”
It didn’t take long for her to realize that arrogance wasn’t exclusive to elves.
Fast. That word couldn’t even begin to describe it.
If she had wielded her sword with reason instead of instinct, the blade would have reached her throat already.
“Gah!”
The Empire’s greatest swordsman, Sir Noah, had not held back against the elf.
She had thought that an elf, who had never been in a real battle, couldn’t possibly bring out their full potential.
She had believed in herself, having always moved forward in battles against monsters and other nations.
But now, she realized that none of that mattered.
Sir Noah had gone all out, and this elf was fully demonstrating their abilities.
‘What is this?!’
Moreover, all her efforts seemed futile as she was being relentlessly pushed back.
The elf wasn’t using magic or spirit arts to assist their swordsmanship.
The elf was purely overwhelming her with their own skill.
In speed, in strength, and even in savagery.
There was no area where they fell short.
The characteristics of the elves, proven over hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
A race that disdains physicality and is far removed from martial arts.
That’s what she had learned, heard, and seen, which made it all the more bewildering.
‘Here it comes!’
A lightning-fast thrust.
She barely managed to react and block the path.
No. It was an illusion.
She thought she had blocked it.
Until she saw the sword continuing its path unimpeded.
“Your Highness.”
As she stared blankly at the sword that had closed in on her, the elf named Tyreal spoke.
“Shall we continue?”
It was the moment she realized that arrogance belongs to those who have earned the right to it.