Soon enough everyone gathered has gathered in the main hall just as lady Misena wished for.
"NOOO!"
Seeing his son wounded and unconscious, Mizoe has forgotten about his position and dashed towards the black-haired boy.
"Zoemi...! Who did this!?"
The pale-blue-knight cried out bitting his lips so hard that he had drawn blood.
"Mizoe, I send a message already - a medic will be here soon. Take your son and cool his burns with your magic. I will personally make sure that you will learn about everything later."
Misena patted the knight on the shoulder.
"I... yes. Thank you, my lady.|
Mizoe didn't have to be told twice, he took his son in his arms and stormed out of the main hall.
"..."
"Now that the most pressing matter is done with..."
Even though general Victureo looked like he wanted to say something the duchess didn't bother to stop talking.
"Sweetie, please tell everyone what happened."
She only gave her daughter a gentle push on the back on the back.
"We... after we finished breakfast we went to the garden..."
And Miriette recounted everything that happened without missing even a single detail – not even hiding the fact that her own spell had made the initial fire much worse - even though she started sobbing tight by the end.
"My son would never do such a thing!"
When she finished general Victureo showed an angry face, glaring at the little girl crying at her mother's side.
"That's right! She's lying! That magicless boy had provoked me!"
Like father, like son - young Grazio stubbornly refused to acknowledge his mistakes and doubled down in an attempt to relinquish any and all responsibility.
"SILENCE!"
"...hup...!"
"!!!!!!"
But then the father and son felt an overwhelming presence behind their backs once they turned around they saw the imposing duke Espine's face twisted with fury.
"So, you're coming to my house... your son offends my daughter...! he gravely injured the son of my most trusted knight...! the same boy who the first prince himself calls a friend...! All while he was protecting my daughter from your son's cowardly attack, no less...! And now the same shameless son of yours has the cheek to call my daughter a liar...! And instead of scolding him, you are encouraging such repugnant behavior?"
"N-no! I...!"
The man tried to take back his words, realizing his mistake – but it was already too late.
A wave of hot air swiped through the room and the duke's body emitted a crimson light before an imposing fiery armor appeared on his body thanks to his own original spell.
"Who do you think you are? Have you forgotten why you even got to your current position?"
"URGH...!"
"!!!!!!!!!!!!"
General cowered under the pressure the duke was emitting as if he received an actual physical hit, and Grazio almost pissed himself.
The thing was, the duke's words were honest and not a result of him losing his temper.
Current lord Victureo became the general only because duke Espine refused the position that was as good as his.
Before that, Telorius Graxul Victureo wasn't even considered as an option as the general as the difference in power was made obvious the moment when during a friendly duel Telorius's lightning speels didn't manage to pierce through Doregon's fiery armor.
The two men were similar in age but the difference in either power and charisma was simply too great.
"..."
Right then and there, Telorius wanted to bite his tongue off - if only he swallowed his words and smacked his stupid son instead of backing him up while it was clear that he had done what he was accused of and was simply playing the fool – while being incompetent with it too...!
"But first... all of you."
"...!?"
Without revoking his magic. duke turned towards the servants and knights that the duchess lead there.
"You have ten minutes to pack your belongings and get out of my castle. If after that time my wife will detect your presence, I will personally kill you on the spot."
He declared, raising his hand, and a fireball at least ten times larger than the one that hit Zoemi appeared above his palm.
"N-noo!"
"My lord, please forgive me...!"
"B-but my lord, that's not fair...!"
Servants panicked and some fool even tried to complain.
"Fine then, five minutes it is."
Duke was merciless – as he declared and nodded with understanding.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Freshly laid-off people started running with all their might.
They realized that the duke was serious and because of some idiot, their time got cut in half!
"My d-duke, I-I'm so terribly sorry...!"
Telorious fell on his knees and tried to save as little of their good relationship as there was left...
...but the problem was, there was already nothing to save...
"You wanted to convince my wife and me to officially change our stance against your family - so we will be doing just that, sir Telorius. And here is that change"
Duke Epsine scoffed and raised his head imposingly.
"You and your son are no longer welcomed in my territory and I will speak to you only under the direct order from our king. Oh, and don't you worry – while we're at it - the king will hear about this without a doubt. Now leave before I'll do what I'm thinking of doing."
"!!!!"
Telorious got up and started rushing to the door after grabbing his son's arm.
"B-but father...!"
The red-haired boy - who singlehandedly soured the relationship between his house and the most powerful noble house after the royal family - still had the nerve to speak with reproach.
"Telorious, please tell Senear that I don't wish to see her ever again."
"...!"
When they were approaching the door duchess said out loud without even looking in their direction.
She wasn't as benevolent as her husband and severed the relationship with the general's wife - who she had known since childhood - with a single cold sentence.
"Also, please tell her that I'm deeply disappointed in how she is raising her son. It looks like I do not have nowhere near as good eye for people's character as I thought."
She spoke towards the window as the father and son fled the castle chased by the heat of the fiery armor brought to them by an equally furious wind.
This was Espine's household, friends would be cherished and those foolish enough to offend them would surely regret their actions.