- Oh Alice, how are you? Ka to you? How is mother father? - Seeing her, I was taken aback for a second , and then began, waving my hands, asking her stupid questions.
- How are you? Great Ash! Just awesome! - Step by step approaching me, she began to answer my questions. - I live well, my parents are fine, only my father does not know what to do. A month ago, the elite intelligence of the Empire returned, which in horror said that the fourteen-year-old guy , alone, almost killed them . - Going up close, she climbed into the bag, which was cheerful on her back, and pulled out a small bundle with the Emperor's seal . - Message from the father, he of asked to give it to you. - Handing me a bundle, she looked around, and seeing that a huge number of people gathered around us, she went into the guild building.
"Can topple down?" - For a second, this thought appeared in my head, but almost immediately it was thrown aside. - "No, here and now, I need to explain." - Throwing a look at the package, I began to print it.
Having printed it, I opened it and set about its deep study. As was requested Inside of that, I returned to the capital, in order to explain everything that happened a month ago. There was also a proposal to join the Imperial Military Academy, which was signed not only by the Emperor, but also by the Director of the Academy. Having read it, I rolled it up and put it in my pocket, but actually moved it in my inventory, after which I followed the first princess into the guild.
She was sitting on the couch, on which I was waiting yesterday for when they will lead me to the office of the head of the guild. Approaching her, and taking a seat opposite, I took out a thermos bottle of tea from a subject bag, which I made a very long time ago. Seeing a new thing in my hands, she looked for a second and in my direction, and then, almost as quickly turned back. We sat, just sat and were silent, until she started talking.
- Why did you go away? She asked, with a little sadness in her voice .
- I have already mentioned. I do not want to sit on the estate or study in the capital, I want to explore this world, I want to fight with different monsters, conquer dungeons and labyrinths, visit different cities and get to know a lot of people. - Answering, I took the bowls to from the subject bag and poured her tea. - Black tea, which is grown in the village of Hines, try it , it is very tasty. - Having said that, I pushed a cup towards her.
Without answering anything, she took a cup of tea and took a sip, only for a moment, a warm smile appeared on her face, which, as quickly as it appeared, disappeared into oblivion .
- I agree, very good tea. - Having said this, she emptied the cup, and gesturing , so that I would no longer pour, added. - I understand that, but why did you abandon the legacy ? You could travel the world accepting it, no one would drive you into the office and make you deal with all the problems in the Empire. - Having said this, she turned to me and asked with welling tears in her eyes . - Why did you leave me?
After her last question, I did not know what to answer, I had long known about her feelings, but I did not want to accept them. Maybe I just escaped from reality, and maybe clung to the remnants of what I had in the past world, that I had long gone, for my wife and for my little eight-year-old daughter, who was supposed to finish this year school. It already disappeared a long time ago, and I was already reconciled to it, even at that moment when I rushed without hesitation to save that guy from death, I said goodbye to them even at that moment, but something didn't let me accept her feelings, something inside me constantly rattles about my heart, every time I think about it.
- I ... Forgive me ... - and not daring, I just apologized because I could not find the right words to answer her.
- Esh ... - saying my name, she wiped away her tears, and, resolutely looking into my eyes, continued. - Fight with me!
- What? - Having heard her request, I was a little shocked. - Why did she ask for this? What is she doing?
- I said - Fight me !! - repeating the princess, she got up from her seat and, coming up to me, added. - If I win, you will return to the capital, and if you lose ... do what you want ... - Agreeing, Alice went to leave the guild, not forgetting to mention the meeting place. - In the capital in two weeks, I will be waiting for you where you killed your father, exactly two weeks later. If you don't come ... - she didn't finish the last sentence, leaving the guild the girl went to the Marquis's estate.
"Two weeks, huh? So, what will happen if I don't come? "- involuntarily thinking about it, I left the guild and went to the hotel.
Walking down the street, people looked at me here and there, they were all shocked by what happened on this square a few minutes ago. The first princess of the Empire personally came to the border to the city of Krival to find and transmit the message to the guy, and then brought him to the guild and without any protection had a conversation with him.
"Damn, I'll have to change my place of residence after this duel." - Thinking about it, I pulled the hood over my face and resolutely went to the hotel. If before that they considered me a simple guy from the city of Zover, whose name was Ash Gryffindor, a guy who came here after the death of his parents, now I was a boy who escaped from the capital.
On reaching the hotel, Dean stopped me.
- Boy, what did the princess want from you? - He looked straight into my eyes. - I see, I get it. Are you the son of Edgar Rise?"
- What? How do you know? - very surprised that he knew my father, I raised my voice, asking my question.
- I was the first captain of the Knight's Order in the city of Aquos, under his direct supervision, but after my second daughter was born and my wife died, I left the Knight's Order and moved to this city, closer to the south. - saying this, he led me into the dining room and, pouring tea, we began to talk about the past.
An hour later, our conversation came to an end. I told him everything that happened during this time: the reason why I left home, the reason why the princess was looking for me, and that in two weeks in the capital, I will have a duel with her.
- Ha ha ha, man, and you're all in your father! - a good laugh with my situation, he began to talk about how I had a father.
Even before my father got married, he, along with Dean, his best childhood friend , ran away from home, grabbed a relic of his kind , namely the sword " Devourer " , and went on an adventure . After they registered with the guild, they rose to rank B for a year , and then they were sent to the military academy, because a catastrophe was approaching, due to which the northern part of the continent fell. After graduating from the academy, my father and Dean went to the front line , where my father received the unspoken nickname " Lord of Fire " . Dean was not as strong as my father, so all he did was help him and command the small detachment that his father received after graduating from the academy. Reflecting all the undead attacks on the castle to which they were attached, my father received all the laurels, and Dean found his wife.
Arriving in the capital, Dean lied to the Emperor that my father was the best commander, and that it was he who commanded all the troops and only because of him, they were able to protect the western fortress from the undead. Then the Emperor awarded my father the title of Viscount, and granted him the city of Aquos, which was just being built, but my father refused all this, he wanted to fight, and the emperor, listening to him, allocated him a detachment of five hundred knights and granted him the title the commander. And it was founded by " The first Imperial Army " , my father with his overwhelming strength, and his best friend Dean, who commanded his Army it. E th is also allowed to recruit in his Army th , so the beginning of full-scale war, his army numbered three thousand people.
Under the ideal guidance of Dean, they crushed all the attacks of the demons, and even recaptured small territories from them. Father was angry with Dean for lying to the Emperor and attributing all the merits to him, and Dean, in turn, said that he never wanted to be recognized, he had enough of a good friend and wife with children. Throughout the war, they fought side by side, Father at the forefront crushed the thousands of undead armies with his strength, and Dean in the rearguard commanded troops, and helped with lightning magic, reclining with medium-level spells.
And so it came to the fact that the Seven Great Heroes went to the last attack on the God of Evil, where the father's army, which at that time had five thousand representatives from all races, cleared the front line and created a space for the heroes so that they could fight with God Evil, not worrying about the hordes of undead sent by the seven High Lichs, but this could not last long, all the detachment, except for his father's army, were defeated, they fell from the endless number of soldiers whom the Lichs constantly resurrected. But by that time it was all over, the hero of the sword, along with the other heroes, had already killed the God of Evil. It was necessary to run away, but my father sensed something was amiss, collecting his will in his fist, he ordered that the whole army go to the aid of the heroes, and did not lose. Arriving at the place of the last beat, he noticed that four of the seven heroes were killed, and the latter were surrounded by undead and could not escape. Having made his way to the survivors, he took my Julia, the holy virgin in his arms, and began to run as fast as he could towards the nearest castle. After this victory, my father was awarded the title of Duke, and granted territories that were previously under the control of other nobles, but since they died in the war, now no one controlled them.
At the end of the war, my father married the holy virgin - Julia , and Dean married Catherine, the girl whom they saved during one of the sorties. They lived together in the city of Aquos and enjoyed life, Dean had her first daughter, and three years later Emilia was born, and then I and Sarah, but after her birth, Catherine could not stand it and died. Then their paths were divided. Dean moved to Krival and bought the building from the Marquis, opened a hotel here.
- And so it turned out my young friend . - Having finished his story with tears in his eyes, Dean said. - have long wanted to see Egert and your father, but I couldn't find a reason, but now you are going to the capital to fight the first princess, this is a wonderful occasion to meet!" He declared, wiping the tears with his own hands.
- Ha ha ... I'm still not sure if I will go at all ... - Grinning at his story, I said what I was thinking about initially.
- Do not go? The first princess came so far for you, and you refuse to fight her? Does your conscience torment you? He said after drinking a glass of water. - You immediately go to collect your things and tomorrow we will leave for the capital. Don't worry, you won't stomp on your own, I have a carriage.
- Good ... - I answered his statement and, getting up, went off to collect my things. - He's right, I have to figure it out, if I don't do it, my conscience will torment me in the future.
Rising to my room, I packed up all my things and, having steamed a little in the bathroom, went to bed.
The next day, I went to the capital with Sarah, Olivia and Dean. Of course, I could get there in one second just by opening the Gate, but when else can I ride in the company of lovely girls who are not my sisters? Exactly, not soon! And so began our twelve-day journey.
Having reached the capital, we settled in the entertainment district, in the best hotel in this city. Having a half-hour bath, I began to just walk around the capital.
- Nothing has changed here in a month - Thinking about it, I clucked my tongue and started to just walk, not paying attention to anything.
***
Two days later, the day of the duel came, the stands were filled with people, this time they didn't sell tickets, but when people found out that there would be a duel between the first princess and the strongest swordsman in the empire, they quickly abandoned all their affairs and headed for the arena .
- You still came. - Alice said, pulling the rapier from its sheath.
- You should thank Dean, who brought me here... - He pulled out the mithril sword that the old man made for me, even before I came with the news that it had broken, I took up the counter .
- You don't take me seriously? - She said it angry.
- If I take you seriously, the duel will end in an instant.
= Do you remember the conditions? = If I win, you stay with me, if you win, do what you want . - Without waiting for my answer, she immediately reminded me of them.
- I accept such conditions. - I added with a nod, after which our one-on-one duel began.