The stage was set for both of us, I didn't even think we were going to be having a duel three days after the emperor said it like a passing comment.
Denethor continued to make a big deal about it, telling me how the princes have all trained in martial arts from a young age and even though the young Prince's core just ripened his body is probably very accustomed to fighting. Well, little does he know about my body.
I had no reason to be worried.
But this crowd, the crowd that filled the in-palace arena which was like a mini Colosseum. Though not the entire seats were filled but it was beyond what I pictured when I imagined today.
'I can't show my powers'
"I don't understand why you are hiding your powers Goshujin, won't it be better to just show them your might, it would even help us find the rings faster."
'You've been asleep for over two hundred thousand years, you don't know what has changed. I can't just announce my powers, it will draw enemies, competitors which are unnecessary and some of which might even be stronger than I am, it will bring around situations I might not be ready for. Right now this is a process and process is meant to be hidden, does that answer your questions?'
"Well, my Goshujin is a smart person."
'Of course.'
The young Prince stood in front of me, it's been seconds since he's stood like that staring at me with eyes that wanted to tear every bit of me.
The knights cheered and yelled, perhaps for them, it was a fun and entertaining sight about to unfold. Even with the Knights, the same freedom and air, I felt I could feel, even with the way the princes conversed with the Knights, sitting amidst them as though they were equals.
It was good to see and somewhat gave me a positive remark about the Binneniel Empire imperial family.
"I demand you pick a wooden sword." He said, pointing his wooden sword at me.
'-sigh-, shall we save this little champ some embarrassment' I walked over to the stand where several wooden swords were hung and picked a sturdy one then returned to my initial position.
"Okay, this is a friendly match and brother has left me in charge of it so let's round it up with three hits or better still a knockdown." Prince Lemniselenis said, standing between the both of us. He looked at both sides one last time and stepped back.
"Start!!"
Just like a buffalo, he came dashing towards me.
'Now, now, shall I hit him on his forehead and just knock him out'
~Whoosh~
I swung the wooden sword wide open backwards as I waited for him to reach me and in less than three seconds of swing I swung back aiming for his head.
~Wooooossshhh~
My eyes widened as his upper body bent backwards to weave the hit, he naturally slid past beneath the wooden sword and me by the friction of the speed which he stopped belatedly after realising my attack.
It was a last-second dodge but it was impressive before my eyes.
'Looks like he has really trained.'
"No kidding, I doubt if you can dodge like that'
'What do you mean?'
"No kidding Goshujin, No kidding..."
'It's not funny.'
"That's what I said, no kidding"
I turned and looked at him, "...this bastard..."
"What do you think about the first strike Knight Searl?" Prince Lemniselenis asked the man standing beside him.
"The impact of his attack was strong but it lacked form..."
"But it isn't that what made Evan not see it coming, it was sudden." The prince replied.
"Yes, you are right, however, if it continues like that it will move in the Prince's favour, the prince has trained his body from a young age so his body is quite accustomed to battle, and one thing I've noticed about prince Evan is: he is very intelligent, his body and mind adapt quickly in battle which means in the next few minutes if he continues without form prince Evan will get used to it and begin to overpower—
"Ah..." Prince Lemniselenis softly exclaimed. He touched the knight's shoulder, "No need for too much analysis. Evan has been knocked out." He said.
The Knight's eyes shook wide open.
Smoke seeped out from the wooden sword I had used to slam the middle of his head by covering the distance by jumping over in anger, it was an aerial hitting, his mouth couldn't drop as he was being hit. It's probably going to swell for a while but I didn't care.
"How dare you dodge my hit, with coolness like that."
"That was impressive."
Some little dark-skinned, black hair, with golden ornaments on his neck, arm, wrist and waist said to me while resting on the pillar that held the gate out of the arena.
"And you are?"
"Prince Malik of Qualis, I have considered you worthy to be my friend, think of yourself as graced, dear noble." He said to me, stretching out his hand and smirking.
I looked down at his hand and his naughty and annoyingly appealing face and gently passed him by while Knight Denethor belatedly ran after me after being carried away by being with other Knights like himself.
"That was, fast and -
"I know right, I wonder if I would have been able to pull that off" Prince Lemniselenis replied to Knight Searl.
"My prince, you shouldn't compare yourself to a kid, you are a level 11 Prima."
He smiled, "I should report to brother and father." The prince said as the young Prince was carried to the infirmary.
***
***
***
I folded my hand in front of the window of my room, staring at the scenery of flowers in my quarters and the maids that continued to work and play amidst each other.
"Right now, what we know that is; the emergence of dungeons might be linked to your sisters. We need to enter a dungeon to confirm that but I don't think anything spectacular will come from conquering a dungeon."
"But still, we can't be still and do nothing. You promised."
"Yes, Ana... I have a plan"
"That's my Goshujin."
"I'll be sneaking outside the palace a lot these days. I plan to register at the public guild as a Prima and also an adventurer. I'm sure they've got one of those here too."
"Then?" She asked.
"We take on requests, make money, climb the ladder, gain connections and investigate as we do all this, I'm sure as we get stronger, popular and make a name worldwide, we'll get closer to it."
"But I thought you don't want to show your powers...?"
"Nobody will know it's me, since I will be using this..." Ardor covered my face as usual.
"Wahhhh, so cool." She said, clapping her hands and admiring me.
"So because of that..." I turned towards Siegfried, "I think I will have to make an actual contract with Siegfried. But the only thing that worries me is him being recognised since he is a sword of the house Maxnor."
"Wait a minute," she said and flew over to Siegfried, she touched the sword and after some seconds the black part of the sword began to change to gold including the silver design of a dragon.
I grabbed the sword and was awed, "Wow, you can do this."
"I can also upgrade him and make him have more skills but that will require more of my strength and I don't want to go into hibernation." She replied.
"It's fine, this is more than enough. So Siegfried what do we need to make a contract?"
"Is that because of my link to Anastasia?"
"Well then, that's comfortable for me"
"So when is our first outing going to be?"
"Tonight, Challan is in the capital and has come with some answers. I also need at least one person I can trust and he doesn't seem like a bad idea."
"What about Denethor, you seem to like him."
"Challan is more useful than Denethor," I replied to her and spotted the black-haired kid from earlier amongst my maids.
For some reason, their reaction as he talked to them irritated me, 'Is this bastard flirting with my maids?'