Yarny Hi, sorry for the late chapter. Had roadblocks planning it out in my head, so I decided to just go for it. Deleted one of the character drawing chapters because it made me cringe looking at it, and I'll probably replace it with higher quality work later. As always, thanks for reading.
“No.” Elenoa stated firmly.
“Alright so– wait, what?” Chris looked up in bafflement, not expecting such a firm rejection right out of the blue.
Elenoa crossed her arms, taking a second to appreciate the greenery of the palace gardens before replying. The mother and daughter pair were enjoying their afternoon leisure time through tea as all noble families did. At least, they were supposed to —the tense air revealed otherwise.
“My swordsmanship is too rough for most people,” she said.
“I challenged a kid to a fist fight in front of all the kingdom's nobility,” Chris retorted. That managed to break the regal queen’s bearing. Remembering the absolute nightmare it was to keep rumors from spreading like a wildfire still made her brows furrow.
The saving grace came from the fact that all the fools who dared to call her child weak before had shut their mouths for once.
“Your incident is a different story. What I mean is that it’s impossible for me to show you anything worthwhile. At least, something that you’ll actually learn from.”
“You’re still not telling me why.”
“I already let you train with sir Sevraus and his knights. And given how thoroughly you thrashed Fernan’s prince in your duel, I’m sure that all your practice hasn’t gone to waste. More than that, it’s dangerous to teach you the way I was taught.” She averted her eyes. “Too many risks. Too many. I can’t give my full attention to teaching you. Not now, at least.” The queen sighed under her breath, setting her teacup down. “We’ll wait until you’re older.”
“That doesn’t explain anything.” The girl pouted, before realizing her slipup and schooling her expression. Elenoa suppressed a smile. Her two sons may have been stone-faced for their entire youth, but her Christiana at least acted like girls her age. She changed the topic.
“Aren’t you interested in replying to the party invitations that the other noble daughters have sent you? And what about playing with the dolls that came with their gifts?” Chris looked at her like she had grown a second head.
“Painting the knight figurine from Mr. Seras is way more interesting.”
Maybe not so much like girls her age, then. She’d forgotten that Christiana’s recent hobbies strayed far from the norm for any child of high society. But Chris wasn’t finished.
“They’re all annoying to no end –not to mention boring. And why should I bother with things like dolls when you already treat me like a dress-up doll?”
Elenoa coughed, looking around to make sure they were well out of earshot of anyone who shouldn’t be there.
“That’s just how we spend quality time together.”
“And you can’t spend this quality time teaching me a thing or two about how to wreck people?”
“...That’s precisely why I don’t want to teach you anything yet.”
“Alright, point taken. But I’m still not going to giggle and gossip with a group of girls who I barely know.” Chris shuddered.
Elenoa frowned. Normally, she wouldn’t be one to have high expectations of her children –they had a tendency of subverting all expectations themselves– but there was one major problem with her seemingly antisocial daughter that continued to tug at her mind every passing day.
“I’ll be frank.” She took a sip before continuing. “...You have no friends at the moment, do you?”
The girl on the other side choked on her tea and went into a coughing fit. A watchful maid on the side stepped forward out of concern, but Elenoa raised a hand to stop her.
“I’m worried, Christiana. You’re going to attend Aesir in merely a month. I’m not all too concerned about the entrance exams —James has given me confidence on that– but once your brothers graduate, it will be up to you to continue building up Lorien’s faction in the academy. You’ll need capable allies to do so.”
Chris looked at her intently. She’d almost forgotten that although Elenoa may not normally look the part, the woman was politically and socially savvy enough to navigate Lorien’s noble circles like a shark in the ocean.
“I’ve never heard about this before. What’s up?” Her question made Elenoa tilt her head to think. She then waved her hand to dismiss the attendant maid, who withdrew in haste. Her voice lowered into a conspiratorial pitch.
“Don’t speak of this to anyone but those in our family, ok?” Seeing a nod, she continued. “Do you remember Duke Bregan and Marquis Lant from your birthday celebration?” Chris pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted to think. Two fleeting images came to mind.
“The two noblemen who voiced out against me when I challenged Prince Matthias?” she asked. The queen nodded solemnly.
“There are currently three duchies in our kingdom of Lorien. You remember their names and roles I assume?”
Ok System. Time to bring up all the relevant info.
[...Affirmative.] The System began to sift through Christiana’s memories like a high speed database.
“There’s house Audrey, which you’re from, Mom. They’ve raised many loyal knights, and are also responsible for coordinating collaborative efforts with the adventurer’s guild to exterminate monsters in the countryside.” From the memories she inherited from Christiana, her maternal grandparents were tirelessly overseeing various administration and subjugation operations throughout the kingdom. Needless to say, they had very little business or time to spend in Lorien’s secure capitol. Her response earned an appreciative smile back from her mother.
“Good, please continue.”
“There’s house Pergeus, known for producing many decorated officers in our navy. They keep our surrounding seas clear of hostile vessels to defend our maritime trade, ports, and fishing towns.”
“One of the letters sent your way is from their youngest daughter, in case you haven’t read it yet.” Elenoa added. Chris shrugged at that statement. Although replying to all of them would be a hassle, she looked forward to seeing what a lady of such a renowned clan had to say to her. But that could come later. She continued on,
“Last but not least, there’s the house of Bregan, famous for their research into magical and historical artifacts and possessing a lot of land holdings in Lorien’s southern half. They’ve a long line of capable spirit mages and artificers.” Upon finishing her answer, Elenoa’s lips raised into a warm smile.
“Very good, Christiana, you’ve studied hard.”
“Haha… thanks.” What can I say? The Heroine Creation System’s a decent cheat to have. She wouldn’t acknowledge it herself, but being complimented despite this fact felt good in a special way, like her heart was an urn being filled with every show of affection.
The queen’s gaze turned solemn.
“Since you know all there is to know so far, I’ll make this quick. Here’s the main issue: we can no longer trust house Bregan,” her mother said brusquely. Chris didn’t say anything, only motioning for her to continue. “We’ve long had our suspicions, and they’ve always been somewhat uncooperative with your father’s policy initiatives. The only reason we haven’t taken more action to curb their power is that they’ve been more concerned with honing their research into spirits and magic than anything truly dangerous in the past years. But this latest incident from your birthday celebration has proved even more worrying.” She knitted her eyebrows.
“Marquis Lant is one of the many nobles who support Duke Bregan,” she said. “Their faction wouldn’t normally antagonize the royal family, but the impunity they showed that day was strange, even for them. Upon further investigation from a specialized knight order led by James, we found…” her voice trailed off. She looked with concern at her daughter, before finally continuing, ignoring Chris’s puzzled stare. “...traces of unknown mana in the duke’s residence, and in the ballroom you dueled Fernan’s prince in. They were similar to what remained in your previous bedroom after what happened a month ago.”
Chris narrowed her eyes. Did that mean more darkspawn or demons? What role did Matthias and house Bregan play in the grand scheme of things? Should she let Elenoa know about the dangers she faced? She frowned. Everything was just getting more complicated.
“Did Bregan cause all this?”
“We can’t make a definitive conclusion or accusation yet. Not without concrete evidence. For now we must continue to take caution in our interactions with the Bregan ducal house. They hold too much power for us to simply disregard; alienating them without reason could lead to dire consequences.”
“But with the combined might of our royal family, house Audrey and Pergeus, not to mention every other loyalist noble house, shouldn’t we be able to isolate them and win?”
“Think, Christiana. Our kingdom of Lorien may exist on an island, but outside of it is a continent of foreign powers. Which one of them is closest to the lands that Bregan and their allies occupy?” Her eyes widened in realization.
“...Fernan.”
Elenoa grimly nodded.
“We don’t have many sources inside of the Empire. It’s secretive to the point that most of our trade is conducted through its proxy territories rather than the nation itself. There’s only so much that we can do at the moment. In Aesir, however…” She looked into her daughter’s eyes.
“Children of many powerful families and hidden talents gather there. Building a faction of allies will mean more than just making friends; your relationships will have real world consequences. Luckily our internal situation seems to be tame at the moment, but Bregan’s scion –and Fernan’s crown prince as well– will also be attending the school several years above you. While your brothers would normally be present to countervail their influence, with them graduating in the next two years you’ll have to step up to fulfill their roles so that their side doesn’t gain any more traction. You’ll have to piece together whatever clandestine ties they have, and make your own fair share of alliances.”
“Ok, I'll do my best.” Chris said. She was originally planning to rope in the various characters of The Guardian Knight’s Saga’s main cast, so either way she agreed with that course of action.
A light breeze disturbed them, and Lorien’s queen brushed her long blue hair to the side. She pushed a plate of confectionaries forward.
“...We’ll continue this talk later. For now, have yourself some cake while your tea is still warm.” The conversation reached an impasse, that is, until Chris remembered the reason for her being there in the first place.
“Can we go back to the topic of you teaching me your swordplay.” Her insistence earned a sigh from the older woman.
“And here I thought I managed to distract you from thinking about it. Fine, if you do this one important task for me, I’ll consider taking you to a nearby area to train.” Chris’s expression lit up like a kid waking up on Christmas morning.
“I’m up for it! What do I have to do?” she said, not realizing that she’d sealed her fate the moment she tried to bargain with the scheming queen. Elenoa leaned closer to her daughter, casually producing a long strand of frilly ribbon from her sleeve in the manner of a stage magician on Earth.
“You talked about being my dress-up doll earlier?” Her sapphire eyes gleamed with rising anticipation.
Chris realized her blunder too late.
“Ah.” Shit.
_______________________________________
The palace’s kitchen was forever busy, making world class food to nourish the royal family and their employees. Today wasn’t any exception. Even from the hallway leading up to it, one could hear the resounding rhythmic thuds of a knife gliding against the cutting board, followed by a long period of silence. A rich broth simmered in a large plot, absorbing essence from stock and bone.
Griselda hummed a tune to herself while sorting spices with one hand and scooping diced ingredients into a ready container with the other. All manner of pots and pans sat on well organized shelves, and knives of varying sizes hung from their racks like prized trophies. The maid was in a state of pure focus. The kitchen was her domain. Her perception barely registered the squeak of an opening door, which warned her of an intruder.
“Aaah, I finally escaped.” A pale faced girl stumbled in.
“Your highness? What are you doing here–” Griselda twitched her brows at the sight in front of her.
Twintails and white bows.
Of course, like any professional, she assumed a neutral expression soon after.
“How can I help you, your highness?” Griselda pulled out a stool for the girl to sit on. It wasn’t much, certainly not compared to the lavish furniture outside the room, but it was clear that Chris was here to stay for a while.
“Can you help me take these off?” She took the offered seat and gestured towards the adornments on her head. The maid regretfully complied.
“Ah, finally.” Chris breathed a sigh of relief, her hair finally being liberated. One more reason to cut the problem off at the roots… or at least leaving some length.
“Dinner is yet to be made, your highness. But if you would like a snack, I’m able to prepare something for you.”
“No, I’m alright, thanks. I just wanted to ask you a question.”
“Hm? Well that’s fine, what would you like to know?”
“Do you know anything about how my mother learned to use a sword?” Griselda froze, beads of sweat starting to form on the side of her face that weren’t there before.
“...Pardon me for asking, but why would you like to know?”
Chris told her maid the story, starting from when she asked Elenoa for private lessons. The maid’s expression changed from perplexed, to worried, to downright horrified as she went on. She sprinted to the door and looked left and right before shutting it closed. With a wave of her hand, the flame under the pot dimmed.
“I agree, you shouldn’t be telling anyone about what you’ve conversed with her majesty,” Griselda said.
“Uh, ok?” Even with her assurance, the pink haired woman paused to make sure they were the only ones who remained in the kitchen.
“I think you must know this already, but aside from their efficient politicking, house Audrey prides itself in its swordplay. I would say that the knights it raises rival even Belrhast’s Havelockes in their sheer strength and skill, and that officials under the Audrey mantle can manage an entire region by themselves.”
Shit, I almost forgot about Rayden. Chris almost facepalmed. Somehow the male protagonist of the novel had slipped away from her mind, likely because of how eventful the past weeks have been for her. She shoved these thoughts to the back of her head, fully intent on listening to her maid’s story.
“Your mother was known for being a prodigious fighter and explorer in her early youth. She inherited the insane talent of her family and honed it on frequent adventures… much to her parents’ dismay.” Griselda carried on with a grimace. “When she was engaged to your father, she challenged him to a duel.”
“Eh?”
“Your father lost.”
“Say that again?”
“Granted, he wasn’t as strong as he is today, and he was full of himself to a fault. He wasn’t accepted by the Ocean Spirit at that time, likely for those personal shortcomings. All of his retainers, me included, felt grateful to her for taking him down a peg.”
“What I mean to say is this,” Griselda leaned in to whisper, even though they should have been the only ones in the room. “When your mother gets serious with a blade, very few, if any, can keep up with her. That’s about all I can tell you.”
[Now I really want to see her in action.] Amphitrite voiced out.
Chris wondered. She felt like there were some parts that were left out, specifically, whatever would make the woman so on edge when talking about her mother’s past. She decided against prying further, given how both Elenoa and Griselda seemed reluctant to reveal anything more.
[A wise decision.] Raisendel added. [It will do for you to be prudent.]
“Wait, where did her majesty say that she’ll take you in your ‘training’?” The maid narrowed her eyes.
“Uuuhh, she said it was a surprise, but that it would be best for us to head there before the summer ends. And that it’ll be cold.” The woman paled to the point that Chris would have thought she was a ghost.
“No, no, it can’t be there…”
“Where?” The fire on the stove briefly burst into a roaring flame. Griselda gasped, realizing her error.
“Dear Deura!” She sprung to quell the fire, and checked if the contents remained intact, all while pointedly glancing at the princess to leave. Dinner had to be made, and the preparations couldn’t be delayed any further. As she walked out, Chris couldn’t help but wonder.
What am I getting myself into?
_______________________________________
Lysander waited inside his office, shooting an impatient glare towards the unopened door across on the other side. Sevraus cautiously peered in a moment later, balancing two bowls in his hands. He offered one to the seated man.
“Courtesy of Griselda.” The king took it and uttered his thanks. A wholesome stew, imbued with the maker’s will to warm the diner’s heart and soul; his longtime maid never ceased to uplift people’s spirits with food. He motioned for the knight captain to sit down. They would eat while they talked.
“Since you’re coming here, I assume she told you as well?” Sevraus grunted in affirmation.
“I would say that the trip is ill-advised, but knowing her majesty’s hidden… expertise, I think she knows what she’s doing,” he replied. Lysander leaned back in his seat.
“It’s an area that’s only miles away from the northern wastelands, what happens if a stray monster wouldn’t catch them off guard?”
“As you said, the tundra itself is hostile towards most adventurers, but I wouldn’t expect anything as powerful as a frost wyrm to even step a foot out of their territory. Our experience at the frozen wastes won’t happen to just anyone.”
“Still, I should be allowed to worry.” Lysander drank deeply from the bowl.
“Everyone has to see the world someday, and her highness is no exception.” The knight captain scratched his beard in thought. “Overprotectiveness will only dull her blade.”
“And yet you’re still not letting your recruits go out on missions?” the king asked. Sevraus scowled.
“You underestimate how idiotic those children can be.”
“Oh, don’t give me that. I know you just don’t think they’re ready yet, you big softie.” Lysander teased, the words eliciting a look of annoyance from his friend. The temperature in the room fell by a few degrees as the man harrumphed.
“I can help my recruits train their bodies, but not so much for their self esteem. The Espard boy charges into battle with his peers like he’s trying to prove something. It doesn’t help that he’s been getting closer with the princess; all the brats from noble families act like they’ve been robbed.” He massaged his forehead. “The unit’s cohesion is terrible, and I’m struggling to think of what its future will be.” He looked to his liege.
“...Just pray to the gods above that your daughter doesn’t turn into the same breed of warrior as her mother.”
“I think that’s already too late.”
“True.” Sevraus frowned, remembering the Fernan prince's screams as Griselda merged his bones back into place.
They silently ate.
_______________________________________
Chris grunted, weathering Bertram’s swing with her wooden sword. A bead of sweat dropped down the ridge of her nose. She tried to shove him off, but felt his own blade press further down like a heavy iron. She grit her teeth, feeling the heels of her boots dig into the gravel. Then, an idea popped into her head.
She moved to the side, shifting her weight to let her opponent’s sword slide into open air. Bertram fell forward. He looked towards her too late. Before he could react, she swung down to his exposed back, only to stop at a semi transparent barrier.
“Tch.” Chris fell back into a ready stance. “That’s bullshit.” Even if she was the one who asked the boy to fight her with no holds barred, it felt unfair for him to have that safety net. Bertram looked up, swiping the dust off his shoulder.
“And to think that you seemed so much more elegant in our first meeting.” He held his wooden sword in a two handed grip. “Now you sound like any one of us ordinary peasants, cursing like a drunkard in a bar.”
[We really must work on refining your manners.] Raisendel agreed.
“I can act all prim and proper when I want. It’s just a pain to do so ninety nine percent of the time.” She retorted, ignoring the resident elf spirit.
Bertram quirked a brow.
“Looks like spending time with us commoners has been a bad influence on you.”
“Shut up, and get on with it.” Chris grumbled. She crouched into readiness, and Bertram prepared himself in turn. She drew a small stream of energy from her mana well. Like a trickling faucet, it slowly seeped through veins, muscles, and tendons. Not enough to provoke a “mana imbalance” as her spirit’s called it, but enough to get the job done.
Following a split second of silence, she shot forward. A cloud of dust erupted from the sudden movement. Bertram followed her charge with eyes of glowing gold. He met her full force swing with a smile on his face.
“Have you gotten stronger?” He felt the girl push him back.
“Have you gotten weaker?” She replied, grinning.
“Nope.” With a bestial growl, he flung her off. His brown hair rose, as if defying gravity. He bared his teeth, and wildly attacked her from multiple directions with animalistic and erratic swings.
Chris worked to parry his blows, as Raisendel had taught her to do. Even so, she found herself losing ground against the sheer ferocity of his assault. She deflected a particularly powerful strike and retreated with light steps, catching her breath.
[Interesting… I think this boy might be a descendant of the ancient werebeasts.] her teacher remarked.
[He inherited their attitude too, from the looks of it.] Amphitrite said.
Quit it, you two.
She narrowed her eyes and sharpened her focus. Bertram’s current pose favored power over agility, and looked like it hindered any movement other than charging forward. Chris breathed out slowly, and went into a fencing stance. She looked into her opponent’s eyes, and a wordless exchange took place.
Bertram charged forward, kicking up clouds of dust. He prepared to make an overhead swing.
She sidestepped his attack, dodging it just barely, and retaliated with a thrust of her sword. Again, her efforts were thwarted by a near invisible barrier. She frowned, realizing that without being able to make full use of her spirits and mana that this would be a difficult matchup. Bertram grinned.
“You’re not the only one who’s been practicing.” Hearing this, Chris could only grit her teeth.
Just stick with it. You’re learning how to fight like a swordsman, not a shounen protagonist, she told herself. Using Raisendel’s rapier form may lead her to cough up blood, but she could at least refine her technique.
Their spar continued. She carefully flitted away from Bertram’s reckless charges and deflected the ones that couldn’t be dodged, while blending in feints and lunges in between. Her valiant resistance was met with futility. Under the boy’s gaze of molten gold, all her strikes were blocked with little to counter the effect of his defense. Unable to disengage, Chris found herself being steadily backed into a corner.
Their battle led them to the outer edge of the training grounds, where the ironwood forest began to loom.
“You look like a rabid dog right now,” she said, backing away.
“That’s hurtful, your highness. I’m sincerely sorry for not being able to mimic your noble swordsmanship.” He advanced. Chris chuckled nervously, feeling her back touch a tree trunk. Tactical retreat was no longer an option.
“So, what’re you going to do now?” Bertram asked. He tensed when he saw her crouch down, but relaxed when she made to drop her sword.
In a quick motion, she flung the sand and dirt on the ground into his face. He stumbled backwards, clutching his burning eyes, no longer able to put up a barrier when the princess directed a sudden blow to his sternum. He grunted in pain.
“Ugh, you sneaky little…” He tried to glare at her and then grimaced from the irritation. His opponent smirked, initiating a burst of mana to push off the ground. She wound her arm for a haymaker, feeling the natural flow of mana coursing through her.
“Nothing noble about this, buddy!” She barreled into him. The first translucent shield broke with a satisfying crunch. Bertram was knocked a few steps back. Amidst falling bits of shattered golden mana, Chris charged again. She grinned into his face, and saw his wide open eyes.
“Oof–” and pressed her face straight into a dome. She slid off in defeat, and a wooden sword was slammed into the ground next to her. Bertram walked up to her nonchalantly.
“I’m assuming that’s my win. Which makes us 3-2 in my favor.” He smiled.
She groaned.
“What the hell, that’s just not fair! How’s anybody supposed to beat that?” The boy raised his brows.
“I don’t get why you refuse to use your spirit. If you want to brute force your way through my shields, it should be a lot easier to destroy them with magic.” He eyed the girl as she rose and dusted herself off.
“Where’s the fun in that?” she answered. “You’re the perfect person for me to test my strength against.”
“Sometimes I think you act more like a commoner than a high and mighty princess.” He sighed.
“Are you bothered by that?” She frowned at a dirt stain on her pants.
“No, no. It’s refreshing. A lot better than the posturing and pretentious prattling that I’ve seen from some noble sons and daughters. You’re a nice change of pace from some of my spoiled peers in the knight order.”
“If it’s really that bad, then why are you staying there?” Chris asked. Bertram looked at her with an incredulous expression.
“Ah, now there’s the royal ignorance that I was expecting. I’m not staying in the knight order because it’s fun, believe me. It’s likely my only chance of gaining enough prestige and status to… yeah.” He turned away.
“You don’t strike me as someone who cares too much about their place on the social ladder.”
“And trust me when I say I really don’t. But not all of us exactly have the freedom to choose what we do in life.” He faced her once more. “Some people, your highness, have to actually claw their way to the top to get that privilege.”
“See you.” Saying his farewell, he set off. His gait seemed to be burdened by whatever burden was on his shoulders. As Bertram walked away into the distance, Chris breathed a sigh of guilt. She’d forgotten that the boy hailed from a fallen noble family. She’d likely touched a sore spot for him. Once he’d vanished from sight, she turned around.
The ironwood forest beckoned behind her.
[Tip: It is not recommended to enter Domains alone. Please seek out a party member.]
“It’ll be fine, System. Ilias won’t mind me. I think.”
It had been long since she’d last visited her. However upbeat the girl seemed when they met, her look of loneliness in a fleeting moment of vulnerability stayed in Chris’s head. It was about time to do as Amphitrite asked her.
But would she come willingly? What if she refuses? What do I do if she actually does come with me?
Her stomach rumbled.
Whatever, might as well get it over with. Dinner called.
The Lorien princess strode into the dark, wooden sword in hand.
Yarny Hi, sorry for the late chapter. Had roadblocks planning it out in my head, so I decided to just go for it. Deleted one of the character drawing chapters because it made me cringe looking at it, and I'll probably replace it with higher quality work later. As always, thanks for reading.
“No.” Elenoa stated firmly.
“Alright so– wait, what?” Chris looked up in bafflement, not expecting such a firm rejection right out of the blue.
Elenoa crossed her arms, taking a second to appreciate the greenery of the palace gardens before replying. The mother and daughter pair were enjoying their afternoon leisure time through tea as all noble families did. At least, they were supposed to —the tense air revealed otherwise.
“My swordsmanship is too rough for most people,” she said.
“I challenged a kid to a fist fight in front of all the kingdom's nobility,” Chris retorted. That managed to break the regal queen’s bearing. Remembering the absolute nightmare it was to keep rumors from spreading like a wildfire still made her brows furrow.
The saving grace came from the fact that all the fools who dared to call her child weak before had shut their mouths for once.
“Your incident is a different story. What I mean is that it’s impossible for me to show you anything worthwhile. At least, something that you’ll actually learn from.”
“You’re still not telling me why.”
“I already let you train with sir Sevraus and his knights. And given how thoroughly you thrashed Fernan’s prince in your duel, I’m sure that all your practice hasn’t gone to waste. More than that, it’s dangerous to teach you the way I was taught.” She averted her eyes. “Too many risks. Too many. I can’t give my full attention to teaching you. Not now, at least.” The queen sighed under her breath, setting her teacup down. “We’ll wait until you’re older.”
“That doesn’t explain anything.” The girl pouted, before realizing her slipup and schooling her expression. Elenoa suppressed a smile. Her two sons may have been stone-faced for their entire youth, but her Christiana at least acted like girls her age. She changed the topic.
“Aren’t you interested in replying to the party invitations that the other noble daughters have sent you? And what about playing with the dolls that came with their gifts?” Chris looked at her like she had grown a second head.
“Painting the knight figurine from Mr. Seras is way more interesting.”
Maybe not so much like girls her age, then. She’d forgotten that Christiana’s recent hobbies strayed far from the norm for any child of high society. But Chris wasn’t finished.
“They’re all annoying to no end –not to mention boring. And why should I bother with things like dolls when you already treat me like a dress-up doll?”
Elenoa coughed, looking around to make sure they were well out of earshot of anyone who shouldn’t be there.
“That’s just how we spend quality time together.”
“And you can’t spend this quality time teaching me a thing or two about how to wreck people?”
“...That’s precisely why I don’t want to teach you anything yet.”
“Alright, point taken. But I’m still not going to giggle and gossip with a group of girls who I barely know.” Chris shuddered.
Elenoa frowned. Normally, she wouldn’t be one to have high expectations of her children –they had a tendency of subverting all expectations themselves– but there was one major problem with her seemingly antisocial daughter that continued to tug at her mind every passing day.
“I’ll be frank.” She took a sip before continuing. “...You have no friends at the moment, do you?”
The girl on the other side choked on her tea and went into a coughing fit. A watchful maid on the side stepped forward out of concern, but Elenoa raised a hand to stop her.
“I’m worried, Christiana. You’re going to attend Aesir in merely a month. I’m not all too concerned about the entrance exams —James has given me confidence on that– but once your brothers graduate, it will be up to you to continue building up Lorien’s faction in the academy. You’ll need capable allies to do so.”
Chris looked at her intently. She’d almost forgotten that although Elenoa may not normally look the part, the woman was politically and socially savvy enough to navigate Lorien’s noble circles like a shark in the ocean.
“I’ve never heard about this before. What’s up?” Her question made Elenoa tilt her head to think. She then waved her hand to dismiss the attendant maid, who withdrew in haste. Her voice lowered into a conspiratorial pitch.
“Don’t speak of this to anyone but those in our family, ok?” Seeing a nod, she continued. “Do you remember Duke Bregan and Marquis Lant from your birthday celebration?” Chris pinched the bridge of her nose and squinted to think. Two fleeting images came to mind.
“The two noblemen who voiced out against me when I challenged Prince Matthias?” she asked. The queen nodded solemnly.
“There are currently three duchies in our kingdom of Lorien. You remember their names and roles I assume?”
Ok System. Time to bring up all the relevant info.
[...Affirmative.] The System began to sift through Christiana’s memories like a high speed database.
“There’s house Audrey, which you’re from, Mom. They’ve raised many loyal knights, and are also responsible for coordinating collaborative efforts with the adventurer’s guild to exterminate monsters in the countryside.” From the memories she inherited from Christiana, her maternal grandparents were tirelessly overseeing various administration and subjugation operations throughout the kingdom. Needless to say, they had very little business or time to spend in Lorien’s secure capitol. Her response earned an appreciative smile back from her mother.
“Good, please continue.”
“There’s house Pergeus, known for producing many decorated officers in our navy. They keep our surrounding seas clear of hostile vessels to defend our maritime trade, ports, and fishing towns.”
“One of the letters sent your way is from their youngest daughter, in case you haven’t read it yet.” Elenoa added. Chris shrugged at that statement. Although replying to all of them would be a hassle, she looked forward to seeing what a lady of such a renowned clan had to say to her. But that could come later. She continued on,
“Last but not least, there’s the house of Bregan, famous for their research into magical and historical artifacts and possessing a lot of land holdings in Lorien’s southern half. They’ve a long line of capable spirit mages and artificers.” Upon finishing her answer, Elenoa’s lips raised into a warm smile.
“Very good, Christiana, you’ve studied hard.”
“Haha… thanks.” What can I say? The Heroine Creation System’s a decent cheat to have. She wouldn’t acknowledge it herself, but being complimented despite this fact felt good in a special way, like her heart was an urn being filled with every show of affection.
The queen’s gaze turned solemn.
“Since you know all there is to know so far, I’ll make this quick. Here’s the main issue: we can no longer trust house Bregan,” her mother said brusquely. Chris didn’t say anything, only motioning for her to continue. “We’ve long had our suspicions, and they’ve always been somewhat uncooperative with your father’s policy initiatives. The only reason we haven’t taken more action to curb their power is that they’ve been more concerned with honing their research into spirits and magic than anything truly dangerous in the past years. But this latest incident from your birthday celebration has proved even more worrying.” She knitted her eyebrows.
“Marquis Lant is one of the many nobles who support Duke Bregan,” she said. “Their faction wouldn’t normally antagonize the royal family, but the impunity they showed that day was strange, even for them. Upon further investigation from a specialized knight order led by James, we found…” her voice trailed off. She looked with concern at her daughter, before finally continuing, ignoring Chris’s puzzled stare. “...traces of unknown mana in the duke’s residence, and in the ballroom you dueled Fernan’s prince in. They were similar to what remained in your previous bedroom after what happened a month ago.”
Chris narrowed her eyes. Did that mean more darkspawn or demons? What role did Matthias and house Bregan play in the grand scheme of things? Should she let Elenoa know about the dangers she faced? She frowned. Everything was just getting more complicated.
“Did Bregan cause all this?”
“We can’t make a definitive conclusion or accusation yet. Not without concrete evidence. For now we must continue to take caution in our interactions with the Bregan ducal house. They hold too much power for us to simply disregard; alienating them without reason could lead to dire consequences.”
“But with the combined might of our royal family, house Audrey and Pergeus, not to mention every other loyalist noble house, shouldn’t we be able to isolate them and win?”
“Think, Christiana. Our kingdom of Lorien may exist on an island, but outside of it is a continent of foreign powers. Which one of them is closest to the lands that Bregan and their allies occupy?” Her eyes widened in realization.
“...Fernan.”
Elenoa grimly nodded.
“We don’t have many sources inside of the Empire. It’s secretive to the point that most of our trade is conducted through its proxy territories rather than the nation itself. There’s only so much that we can do at the moment. In Aesir, however…” She looked into her daughter’s eyes.
“Children of many powerful families and hidden talents gather there. Building a faction of allies will mean more than just making friends; your relationships will have real world consequences. Luckily our internal situation seems to be tame at the moment, but Bregan’s scion –and Fernan’s crown prince as well– will also be attending the school several years above you. While your brothers would normally be present to countervail their influence, with them graduating in the next two years you’ll have to step up to fulfill their roles so that their side doesn’t gain any more traction. You’ll have to piece together whatever clandestine ties they have, and make your own fair share of alliances.”
“Ok, I'll do my best.” Chris said. She was originally planning to rope in the various characters of The Guardian Knight’s Saga’s main cast, so either way she agreed with that course of action.
A light breeze disturbed them, and Lorien’s queen brushed her long blue hair to the side. She pushed a plate of confectionaries forward.
“...We’ll continue this talk later. For now, have yourself some cake while your tea is still warm.” The conversation reached an impasse, that is, until Chris remembered the reason for her being there in the first place.
“Can we go back to the topic of you teaching me your swordplay.” Her insistence earned a sigh from the older woman.
“And here I thought I managed to distract you from thinking about it. Fine, if you do this one important task for me, I’ll consider taking you to a nearby area to train.” Chris’s expression lit up like a kid waking up on Christmas morning.
“I’m up for it! What do I have to do?” she said, not realizing that she’d sealed her fate the moment she tried to bargain with the scheming queen. Elenoa leaned closer to her daughter, casually producing a long strand of frilly ribbon from her sleeve in the manner of a stage magician on Earth.
“You talked about being my dress-up doll earlier?” Her sapphire eyes gleamed with rising anticipation.
Chris realized her blunder too late.
“Ah.” Shit.
_______________________________________
The palace’s kitchen was forever busy, making world class food to nourish the royal family and their employees. Today wasn’t any exception. Even from the hallway leading up to it, one could hear the resounding rhythmic thuds of a knife gliding against the cutting board, followed by a long period of silence. A rich broth simmered in a large plot, absorbing essence from stock and bone.
Griselda hummed a tune to herself while sorting spices with one hand and scooping diced ingredients into a ready container with the other. All manner of pots and pans sat on well organized shelves, and knives of varying sizes hung from their racks like prized trophies. The maid was in a state of pure focus. The kitchen was her domain. Her perception barely registered the squeak of an opening door, which warned her of an intruder.
“Aaah, I finally escaped.” A pale faced girl stumbled in.
“Your highness? What are you doing here–” Griselda twitched her brows at the sight in front of her.
Twintails and white bows.
Of course, like any professional, she assumed a neutral expression soon after.
“How can I help you, your highness?” Griselda pulled out a stool for the girl to sit on. It wasn’t much, certainly not compared to the lavish furniture outside the room, but it was clear that Chris was here to stay for a while.
“Can you help me take these off?” She took the offered seat and gestured towards the adornments on her head. The maid regretfully complied.
“Ah, finally.” Chris breathed a sigh of relief, her hair finally being liberated. One more reason to cut the problem off at the roots… or at least leaving some length.
“Dinner is yet to be made, your highness. But if you would like a snack, I’m able to prepare something for you.”
“No, I’m alright, thanks. I just wanted to ask you a question.”
“Hm? Well that’s fine, what would you like to know?”
“Do you know anything about how my mother learned to use a sword?” Griselda froze, beads of sweat starting to form on the side of her face that weren’t there before.
“...Pardon me for asking, but why would you like to know?”
Chris told her maid the story, starting from when she asked Elenoa for private lessons. The maid’s expression changed from perplexed, to worried, to downright horrified as she went on. She sprinted to the door and looked left and right before shutting it closed. With a wave of her hand, the flame under the pot dimmed.
“I agree, you shouldn’t be telling anyone about what you’ve conversed with her majesty,” Griselda said.
“Uh, ok?” Even with her assurance, the pink haired woman paused to make sure they were the only ones who remained in the kitchen.
“I think you must know this already, but aside from their efficient politicking, house Audrey prides itself in its swordplay. I would say that the knights it raises rival even Belrhast’s Havelockes in their sheer strength and skill, and that officials under the Audrey mantle can manage an entire region by themselves.”
Shit, I almost forgot about Rayden. Chris almost facepalmed. Somehow the male protagonist of the novel had slipped away from her mind, likely because of how eventful the past weeks have been for her. She shoved these thoughts to the back of her head, fully intent on listening to her maid’s story.
“Your mother was known for being a prodigious fighter and explorer in her early youth. She inherited the insane talent of her family and honed it on frequent adventures… much to her parents’ dismay.” Griselda carried on with a grimace. “When she was engaged to your father, she challenged him to a duel.”
“Eh?”
“Your father lost.”
“Say that again?”
“Granted, he wasn’t as strong as he is today, and he was full of himself to a fault. He wasn’t accepted by the Ocean Spirit at that time, likely for those personal shortcomings. All of his retainers, me included, felt grateful to her for taking him down a peg.”
“What I mean to say is this,” Griselda leaned in to whisper, even though they should have been the only ones in the room. “When your mother gets serious with a blade, very few, if any, can keep up with her. That’s about all I can tell you.”
[Now I really want to see her in action.] Amphitrite voiced out.
Chris wondered. She felt like there were some parts that were left out, specifically, whatever would make the woman so on edge when talking about her mother’s past. She decided against prying further, given how both Elenoa and Griselda seemed reluctant to reveal anything more.
[A wise decision.] Raisendel added. [It will do for you to be prudent.]
“Wait, where did her majesty say that she’ll take you in your ‘training’?” The maid narrowed her eyes.
“Uuuhh, she said it was a surprise, but that it would be best for us to head there before the summer ends. And that it’ll be cold.” The woman paled to the point that Chris would have thought she was a ghost.
“No, no, it can’t be there…”
“Where?” The fire on the stove briefly burst into a roaring flame. Griselda gasped, realizing her error.
“Dear Deura!” She sprung to quell the fire, and checked if the contents remained intact, all while pointedly glancing at the princess to leave. Dinner had to be made, and the preparations couldn’t be delayed any further. As she walked out, Chris couldn’t help but wonder.
What am I getting myself into?
_______________________________________
Lysander waited inside his office, shooting an impatient glare towards the unopened door across on the other side. Sevraus cautiously peered in a moment later, balancing two bowls in his hands. He offered one to the seated man.
“Courtesy of Griselda.” The king took it and uttered his thanks. A wholesome stew, imbued with the maker’s will to warm the diner’s heart and soul; his longtime maid never ceased to uplift people’s spirits with food. He motioned for the knight captain to sit down. They would eat while they talked.
“Since you’re coming here, I assume she told you as well?” Sevraus grunted in affirmation.
“I would say that the trip is ill-advised, but knowing her majesty’s hidden… expertise, I think she knows what she’s doing,” he replied. Lysander leaned back in his seat.
“It’s an area that’s only miles away from the northern wastelands, what happens if a stray monster wouldn’t catch them off guard?”
“As you said, the tundra itself is hostile towards most adventurers, but I wouldn’t expect anything as powerful as a frost wyrm to even step a foot out of their territory. Our experience at the frozen wastes won’t happen to just anyone.”
“Still, I should be allowed to worry.” Lysander drank deeply from the bowl.
“Everyone has to see the world someday, and her highness is no exception.” The knight captain scratched his beard in thought. “Overprotectiveness will only dull her blade.”
“And yet you’re still not letting your recruits go out on missions?” the king asked. Sevraus scowled.
“You underestimate how idiotic those children can be.”
“Oh, don’t give me that. I know you just don’t think they’re ready yet, you big softie.” Lysander teased, the words eliciting a look of annoyance from his friend. The temperature in the room fell by a few degrees as the man harrumphed.
“I can help my recruits train their bodies, but not so much for their self esteem. The Espard boy charges into battle with his peers like he’s trying to prove something. It doesn’t help that he’s been getting closer with the princess; all the brats from noble families act like they’ve been robbed.” He massaged his forehead. “The unit’s cohesion is terrible, and I’m struggling to think of what its future will be.” He looked to his liege.
“...Just pray to the gods above that your daughter doesn’t turn into the same breed of warrior as her mother.”
“I think that’s already too late.”
“True.” Sevraus frowned, remembering the Fernan prince's screams as Griselda merged his bones back into place.
They silently ate.
_______________________________________
Chris grunted, weathering Bertram’s swing with her wooden sword. A bead of sweat dropped down the ridge of her nose. She tried to shove him off, but felt his own blade press further down like a heavy iron. She grit her teeth, feeling the heels of her boots dig into the gravel. Then, an idea popped into her head.
She moved to the side, shifting her weight to let her opponent’s sword slide into open air. Bertram fell forward. He looked towards her too late. Before he could react, she swung down to his exposed back, only to stop at a semi transparent barrier.
“Tch.” Chris fell back into a ready stance. “That’s bullshit.” Even if she was the one who asked the boy to fight her with no holds barred, it felt unfair for him to have that safety net. Bertram looked up, swiping the dust off his shoulder.
“And to think that you seemed so much more elegant in our first meeting.” He held his wooden sword in a two handed grip. “Now you sound like any one of us ordinary peasants, cursing like a drunkard in a bar.”
[We really must work on refining your manners.] Raisendel agreed.
“I can act all prim and proper when I want. It’s just a pain to do so ninety nine percent of the time.” She retorted, ignoring the resident elf spirit.
Bertram quirked a brow.
“Looks like spending time with us commoners has been a bad influence on you.”
“Shut up, and get on with it.” Chris grumbled. She crouched into readiness, and Bertram prepared himself in turn. She drew a small stream of energy from her mana well. Like a trickling faucet, it slowly seeped through veins, muscles, and tendons. Not enough to provoke a “mana imbalance” as her spirit’s called it, but enough to get the job done.
Following a split second of silence, she shot forward. A cloud of dust erupted from the sudden movement. Bertram followed her charge with eyes of glowing gold. He met her full force swing with a smile on his face.
“Have you gotten stronger?” He felt the girl push him back.
“Have you gotten weaker?” She replied, grinning.
“Nope.” With a bestial growl, he flung her off. His brown hair rose, as if defying gravity. He bared his teeth, and wildly attacked her from multiple directions with animalistic and erratic swings.
Chris worked to parry his blows, as Raisendel had taught her to do. Even so, she found herself losing ground against the sheer ferocity of his assault. She deflected a particularly powerful strike and retreated with light steps, catching her breath.
[Interesting… I think this boy might be a descendant of the ancient werebeasts.] her teacher remarked.
[He inherited their attitude too, from the looks of it.] Amphitrite said.
Quit it, you two.
She narrowed her eyes and sharpened her focus. Bertram’s current pose favored power over agility, and looked like it hindered any movement other than charging forward. Chris breathed out slowly, and went into a fencing stance. She looked into her opponent’s eyes, and a wordless exchange took place.
Bertram charged forward, kicking up clouds of dust. He prepared to make an overhead swing.
She sidestepped his attack, dodging it just barely, and retaliated with a thrust of her sword. Again, her efforts were thwarted by a near invisible barrier. She frowned, realizing that without being able to make full use of her spirits and mana that this would be a difficult matchup. Bertram grinned.
“You’re not the only one who’s been practicing.” Hearing this, Chris could only grit her teeth.
Just stick with it. You’re learning how to fight like a swordsman, not a shounen protagonist, she told herself. Using Raisendel’s rapier form may lead her to cough up blood, but she could at least refine her technique.
Their spar continued. She carefully flitted away from Bertram’s reckless charges and deflected the ones that couldn’t be dodged, while blending in feints and lunges in between. Her valiant resistance was met with futility. Under the boy’s gaze of molten gold, all her strikes were blocked with little to counter the effect of his defense. Unable to disengage, Chris found herself being steadily backed into a corner.
Their battle led them to the outer edge of the training grounds, where the ironwood forest began to loom.
“You look like a rabid dog right now,” she said, backing away.
“That’s hurtful, your highness. I’m sincerely sorry for not being able to mimic your noble swordsmanship.” He advanced. Chris chuckled nervously, feeling her back touch a tree trunk. Tactical retreat was no longer an option.
“So, what’re you going to do now?” Bertram asked. He tensed when he saw her crouch down, but relaxed when she made to drop her sword.
In a quick motion, she flung the sand and dirt on the ground into his face. He stumbled backwards, clutching his burning eyes, no longer able to put up a barrier when the princess directed a sudden blow to his sternum. He grunted in pain.
“Ugh, you sneaky little…” He tried to glare at her and then grimaced from the irritation. His opponent smirked, initiating a burst of mana to push off the ground. She wound her arm for a haymaker, feeling the natural flow of mana coursing through her.
“Nothing noble about this, buddy!” She barreled into him. The first translucent shield broke with a satisfying crunch. Bertram was knocked a few steps back. Amidst falling bits of shattered golden mana, Chris charged again. She grinned into his face, and saw his wide open eyes.
“Oof–” and pressed her face straight into a dome. She slid off in defeat, and a wooden sword was slammed into the ground next to her. Bertram walked up to her nonchalantly.
“I’m assuming that’s my win. Which makes us 3-2 in my favor.” He smiled.
She groaned.
“What the hell, that’s just not fair! How’s anybody supposed to beat that?” The boy raised his brows.
“I don’t get why you refuse to use your spirit. If you want to brute force your way through my shields, it should be a lot easier to destroy them with magic.” He eyed the girl as she rose and dusted herself off.
“Where’s the fun in that?” she answered. “You’re the perfect person for me to test my strength against.”
“Sometimes I think you act more like a commoner than a high and mighty princess.” He sighed.
“Are you bothered by that?” She frowned at a dirt stain on her pants.
“No, no. It’s refreshing. A lot better than the posturing and pretentious prattling that I’ve seen from some noble sons and daughters. You’re a nice change of pace from some of my spoiled peers in the knight order.”
“If it’s really that bad, then why are you staying there?” Chris asked. Bertram looked at her with an incredulous expression.
“Ah, now there’s the royal ignorance that I was expecting. I’m not staying in the knight order because it’s fun, believe me. It’s likely my only chance of gaining enough prestige and status to… yeah.” He turned away.
“You don’t strike me as someone who cares too much about their place on the social ladder.”
“And trust me when I say I really don’t. But not all of us exactly have the freedom to choose what we do in life.” He faced her once more. “Some people, your highness, have to actually claw their way to the top to get that privilege.”
“See you.” Saying his farewell, he set off. His gait seemed to be burdened by whatever burden was on his shoulders. As Bertram walked away into the distance, Chris breathed a sigh of guilt. She’d forgotten that the boy hailed from a fallen noble family. She’d likely touched a sore spot for him. Once he’d vanished from sight, she turned around.
The ironwood forest beckoned behind her.
[Tip: It is not recommended to enter Domains alone. Please seek out a party member.]
“It’ll be fine, System. Ilias won’t mind me. I think.”
It had been long since she’d last visited her. However upbeat the girl seemed when they met, her look of loneliness in a fleeting moment of vulnerability stayed in Chris’s head. It was about time to do as Amphitrite asked her.
But would she come willingly? What if she refuses? What do I do if she actually does come with me?
Her stomach rumbled.
Whatever, might as well get it over with. Dinner called.
The Lorien princess strode into the dark, wooden sword in hand.
