I did not get the duke's permission and I have a week to obtain it. This is not surprising, but it is a setback nonetheless. On my way to Elysia's room, I heard the servants talking about my demand of authority. At least that plan worked. It will not be long until he hears of it.
In the story, Elysia was found guilty of conspiring with the Demon King. After the oracle announced that the female lead was the destined heroine of the continent, she grew jealous of all the attention directed towards the celebrated character. What made Elysia a formidable obstacle of the story was her fighting prowess. I did not portray her as a cunning villainess because she abhorred being associated with her mother, who was known as an unsuccessful shrewd.
All the male nobles of the kingdom were obligated to be a knight and to be one, at the age of 7, a noble boy is sent where a knight resides to study to be a page. If he passes the training, he can then be a squire to serve the knight. If his performance is satisfactory, he can be knighted by the knight he serves, the church or the king himself, depending on what career choice he makes. To reference, Xenon in the story is knighted at the age of 16, the youngest knight of the era. He was knighted by the king to be a royal knight.
Elysia, being female was not given this opportunity. However, she did have someone who trained her in the art of fighting.
He was known as the 'Ogre of the North'. Duke Xanros was a formidable opponent on the battlefield but he is a diplomat. On the other hand, the Ogre of the North was the man known for wiping out one of the tribes of the Inoi. If given the chance, he would rather fight than talk. On top of being muscular and huge, he was a brute. After the peace treaty between Etherion and the Inoi tribes, he camps out in the woods of the Sylvion duchy and occasionally visits Duke Xanros and the guards of the Cortiana manor.
The former duke, as he was named in the story, is the father of Duke Xanros who retired early on as soon as Xanros turned 20. He did not want the responsibility and was only waiting for the youth to be of age so that he can focus on fighting. Elysia was out playing outside the courtyard when he encountered the man. Elysia did not know then but she demanded the man to play with her. It was the first time someone demanded something out of him so he agreed to play with her out of pure fascination. He told Elysia about a game called 'sticks and stones may break your bones'. Sorry, my teenage self thought it was funny. Obviously now, well, it maybe is a little funny.
Elysia, as a child, agreed to play the strange game. As it turns out, it was the start of the most rigorous training anyone can do. With that and until the age of 12, Elysia had trained better than most knights, with a decisive and forceful striking style just like the former duke.
He is the man I'm trying to make contact. I can't seek him out personally because nobody knows where he stays. I know that he goes out and trains with the guards or if not, has drinks with the servants who goes out in town. I know he'll want to talk with me because he did not want Elysia to take over the duchy. He had wanted Elysia on the battlefield.
All this thinking is making me so anxious and so tired.
Sighing, I get out of the bed and step outside the balcony. There's still hope inside of me that this is all still a dream. Surely, I was just so sleep deprived and..and..
I'm dead, aren't I?
Atleast, I don't have a deadline anymore, right?

The next day started like any other day, well I hoped it did.
The manor was woken up by a thunderous presence in the middle of dawn.
I did say that I wanted to meet him but not this early, it's only what? 3 in the morning!
"Where is my lovely granddaughter?! Elysia!"