“What are you grinning about?”
Lian suddenly received a light smack on the head with a fan.
She looked up and found, for the first time, Princess Nolan’s gaze resting on her.
Somehow, their group had already finished speaking with the nobles and risen from their seats.
“S-sorry, I got distracted.”
The Princess’s fan hadn’t struck hard, but her sudden address made Lian a little flustered.
Seeing that Princess Nolan’s group was still glancing at each other, seemingly undecided on their next move, she suddenly recalled Chief Steward Wright’s instructions to all the servants during his earlier admonishment—
“After lunch, our honored guests may wish to walk around the court or the palace at their leisure. If that’s their wish, you must guide them well and follow their instructions.”
Lian knew this message wasn’t really meant for her.
After all, she was just a newcomer; expecting her to lead guests along paths she herself barely knew was simply unrealistic.
But what if she just made suggestions, let them explore on their own, and simply followed at their side?
Besides, she had actually toured other palace facilities with Feiyin, and had listened to explanations that were closely related to her former companions and past adventures…
Even if she was suddenly cast as a tour guide, she wouldn’t be tongue-tied with nothing to say.
I can do this, too!
Lian couldn’t help but admire her own quick thinking—at least this way she wouldn’t have to stand outside like some ornament anymore.
With her mind made up, she made a suggestion to the Princess:
“May I ask if Your Highness has already decided on the plans for the afternoon? If you are interested in the inner palace, perhaps you could stroll around a bit. Should you have any needs along the way, I will do my best to assist you.”
“Hmm… That’s a good idea. But your banquet was so excellent, I ended up eating more than usual without realizing it. Now I feel a bit drowsy… Brother, what do you think?”
The Princess fanned herself and yawned, turning to ask the Prince beside her.
“If you don’t feel like moving, then go back to your room and rest. I’ll go out for a walk with Oak and Vlad.”
“I’ll pass too. The sun is blazing right now, and I don’t want to go running about with a parasol.”
Blood Demon Noble Vlad shrugged and walked straight out of the Banquet Hall.
Given his race, this was indeed the worst time for him to be outside.
“Then I’ll return to my room to rest as well. Brother, I hope you have fun, all right?” the Princess said, following in Vlad’s footsteps.
Lian wanted to step forward and tell her where the Royal Suite was, but the Prince stopped her.
“No need to worry about her. She remembers the way. You take us.”
It was the first time this laconic Prince had ever given a command, and Lian quickly agreed:
“Your Highness and Officer, where would you like to visit?”
“The Training Ground.”
…
……
…………
After a dozen or so minutes, Lian led them to the entrance of the Training Ground in the inner palace of the Honglian Palace.
After reporting to the guards at the gate, the group entered this practice ground, reserved for the Duke and his relatives.
The place the Prince wanted to visit was the Training Ground—this wasn’t really a surprising answer for Lian.
Nolanstia was, after all, a martial nation, and King Roland himself was a warrior strong enough to rival her own prowess.
For his son to choose the Training Ground for leisure was entirely reasonable.
“What are you doing? Use your waist!”
But a voice from deep within the Training Ground made Lian’s hair stand on end—that was Vera’s voice.
Urged on by her command, a dazzling crimson flame danced about.
“I-I really am using my waist! If you don’t believe me, Teacher Vera, you can feel it!”
“Who wants to touch you? I can tell at a glance whether you’re using your strength, and how much! If you keep being so lazy, do a thousand more swings for me!”
The teacher’s relentless scolding nearly drove Milin Klauschel to tears as she continued to swing her wooden sword.
Sweat had soaked her training clothes, and the sound of her sword striking the training dummy in front of her was growing fainter.
Vera, dressed in military uniform, urged her on with an increasingly grim expression.
“Who are those two?”
Prince Julian Nolanstia stopped a short distance away, scrutinizing them as he asked Lian.
“…That is our young lady. The one beside her is her teacher, named Vera.”
“Vera? Is that the ‘Sword Saint’ Vera?”
“Yes. But she is also the Princess of Yilansiya…”
Oak asked in surprise, while Lian answered his question with a resigned face.
She hadn’t expected to find those two in the Training Ground, nor had she expected the scene before her to bring up painful memories:
“I really am using my waist! If you don’t believe me, come check!”
“I’m not checking! How will you ever get on the battlefield like this? Give me another ten thousand swings!”
That damn woman is giving her special treatment…!
Lian wanted to shout this out—but she couldn’t.
Even without her doing so, Vera had already noticed their presence.
“Stop for now.” She issued the order to the sweat-drenched Milin, then turned toward Lian and the Prince’s group:
“It’s you? …Ah, right, Saifei’s letter did say we could order you around as we pleased. But who are these two?”
“In answer to the Sword Saint and Her Highness the Princess: this is Prince Julian Nolanstia of Nolanstia. And this is—”
“I am Oak Eisenhardt. Member of Nolanstia’s Third Army Group. It is an honor to meet you, Sword Saint.”
Before Lian could finish, Oak stepped forward and introduced himself.
His eyes contained neither reverence nor awe, but rather a spark of eager challenge.
“My apologies for my earlier rudeness.”
Hearing that the visitor was the Prince of Nolanstia, even Vera immediately set aside her inexplicable hostility toward Lian, and instead, following the military etiquette of Yilansiya, removed her hat and saluted the Prince.
“I am the Second Princess, Ayavera Yilansiya. It is an honor to meet you, Prince Julian, and Officer Oak.”
She gave no military rank or Saintly title, only the identity of Princess, equivalent to the other’s rank.
Seeing her like this, Prince Julian also gave a slight bow and reported his name and title.
“Prince? Is this the son of Uncle Roland?”
Freed from Vera’s torment for the moment, Milin ran over and crowded up to the Prince, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
“Hmm, looks good, and he’s pretty tall… but I wonder about his skills? Is he as strong as Uncle Roland?”
“Milin! How can you be so rude? Step back at once!”
The utterly informal and impolite Milin was, unsurprisingly, harshly scolded by Vera.
She stuck her tongue out and stepped back, but the scrutinized Prince Julian then spoke up:
“So this young lady is the famed Crimsonflame Princess, the Hero’s Daughter. Truly radiant, just as the rumors say.”
With that, he bowed his head in salute.
But unlike the formal exchange with Vera before, this time he stood straight as a rod.
“Hey. I don’t mind the first title, but you’d better take back the second one.”
Originally quite interested in the Prince, Milin’s face darkened visibly upon hearing his compliment.