Thalia, having heard her son's answer, rose gracefully, her sharp eyes narrowing with restrained fury. Unlike the other elves who relied on their bows, she began conjuring a fireball in her palm, the swirling flames reflecting her mounting anger.
But just as quickly as the fire ignited, she extinguished it with a flick of her wrist, her expression shifting from rage to calculated calm.
Her son, who had been watching with smug anticipation, looked crestfallen. "Mother, why did you stop?" he demanded, his tone tinged with annoyance.
Thalia ignored him completely. While she doted on her son, she wasn't blinded by her emotions. Her sharp eyes had already caught the emblem on Ron's chest—the mark of an Imperial Knight of Hestia. As a member of royalty, it was her duty to recognize such symbols, especially those of the most powerful empire on the continent.
