Alan thought about the life-and-death duel happening tomorrow; he couldn't afford to engage now, so he decided to put that thought aside for the moment.
However, this Alice was extraordinarily talented—far beyond the likes of a Stone Man or an ordinary mage.
If he missed this opportunity, there might never be a suitable one again.
Thus, Alan said seriously, "How about we fight after tomorrow?"
Alice shook her head slightly. "A tier-iron lv10 is rare, but it's not worth my time to wait." With that, she mounted her aether steed and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Alan felt a surge of energy in his soul and sent a telepathic message to her:
"If I were still a magus, would you be willing to wait?"
Alice paused for a moment, then regarded Alan with a serious expression as she sized him up.
Finally, she nodded.
"You're now qualified to make me wait!"
At this moment, Isabella seemed to have thought of something.
She smiled and said,
"Big sister, are you going to challenge William? My brother and I are from Roan Castle; we can show you the way."
Upon hearing this, Alice became more interested in William.
"If that's the case, please lead the way."
Alan took Isabella's hand, and together with Alice, they headed toward the nearby castle.
At Roan Castle, the seneschal and others, who had already learned of Duke Alice's arrival, were all filled with excitement.
They immediately summoned everyone from the family to wait at the entrance for her arrival.
If they could establish a relationship with this noble duke and win her favor, Roan Castle would soar to new heights!
As Alice approached on her aether steed, the seneschal, whose face was blooming with joy, was about to speak.
However, upon seeing Alan and Isabella accompanying her, his expression faded somewhat.
But since welcoming Alice was of utmost importance, he still forced a smile and said,
"Your Grace, it's a long journey; we've prepared a banquet and accommodations for you inside…"
Alice replied coolly, "No need. I'm here only to challenge the pride of the kingdom, William. Where is he?"
Seeing Alice's lack of enthusiasm, the seneschal shot a fierce glare at Alan and Isabella, thinking they must be the reason for her displeasure.
"You two have the audacity to leave the castle? Come here at once!"
Afterward, he turned back to Alice with a sycophantic smile.
"Your Grace, don't be upset with them; one is a waste, and the other a sickly weakling. They run amok in the family, doing as they please, lacking discipline."
"A waste? A sickly weakling?"
Alice was taken aback.
Isabella looked pale; her bloodline was weak, indicating her poor health, which she could understand.
But how could Alan, who had broken through to tier-iron lv10 and truly entered the ranks of prodigies, possibly be considered a waste?
She looked at Alan in confusion.
Isabella, feeling indignant, retorted,
"It's clearly you who are out of line! My brother has done so much for the family, yet you selfishly stripped him of his heir status for your grandson!"
"What does he have that compares to my brother? You've even conspired with other family members to target him, trying to push him to his death!"
Long before Isabella spoke, the seneschal felt something was off.
Now, hearing her angry voice, his expression darkened, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
He feared he hadn't pleased Alice and might end up provoking her ire instead.
Alice, uninterested in such trivial matters, didn't know the ins and outs of the situation, nor did she care.
However, she noticed Alan's talent and thought that suppressing and targeting such a promising prodigy was not the behavior of a good family.
Seeing a hint of coldness in Alice's eyes, the judgment elder felt a surge of anger and was about to silence Isabella.
At that moment, William, dressed very elegantly and with white gloves on his hands, appeared. He spoke in a gentlemanly manner,
"Is this beautiful lady the one who wishes to challenge me? It's truly my honor! The venue has been prepared."
He gestured invitingly.
However, Alice only glanced at him coldly before turning to leave.
"No, you're not worthy to be my opponent."
William's lips twitched; he felt a sense of being disrespected. Anger surged within him, and he charged at Alice.
Flames appeared as patterns on his body, heat waves radiated, and he seemed to transform into magma, exuding an extraordinary aura.
However, before the seneschal and others could cheer, William halted mid-charge, staring blankly at Alice.
At that moment, Alice had already drawn her sword—a long, golden blade that shimmered like brilliant gold, pointed threateningly at William, sending a jolt of danger through him.
Blade Aura!
Alice had actually mastered the blade aura taught to her!
In just a single exchange, he understood that he was far from being Alice's match.
After all, those who could cultivate various forms as mages were all exceptionally talented individuals or top-tier mages with terrifying power.
Just by looking at the blade aura, he felt as if his entire body was about to be torn apart.
Seeing this, Alice shook her head in further disappointment,
"You lack even the courage to face me. You're just a mediocre waste, wasting my time."
With that, she made no effort to hide her disdain and rode her aether steed away without looking back.
Only when she passed by Alan did she slow down a bit and whisper, "Remember our agreement."
Having seen William, she could firmly ascertain that the one who could invoke the wonders of the world was not him, but Alan!
Only Alan had the qualifications to summon such phenomena!
And the more brilliant Alan became, the more eager she was to fight him!
At the same time, she couldn't understand why they, instead of properly supporting such a top-tier prodigy, chose to target him.
One could only say that their talent was lacking, but their vision was even worse.
She didn't want to linger in this so-called Roan Castle any longer.
After Alice left, the seneschal and others glared angrily at Alan, reprimanding him:
"It's all your fault, Alan! You've ruined the hope of our family's rise!"
"Exactly! If it weren't for you causing Alice to feel disgusted, she would never have left so decisively! This is all your doing!"
Various accusations and blame flooded in like a tidal wave, nearly overwhelming Alan.
"Ha, if a person can't achieve success, should they blame the road for being bumpy? Tomorrow's life-and-death duel, I hope you don't let me down!"
Alan scanned the seneschal and others with disdain before fixing his gaze on William.
After that, he ignored the elders who were furious about missing Alice and took Isabella back to the small courtyard where their mother used to live.
After Alan and Isabella left, the judgment elder glared at their departing figures,
"Tomorrow, leave no one behind! You must show them what happens to those who oppose us!"
William nodded, having taken note of the humiliation he suffered earlier, adding a score to Alan's account.
…
Back in the courtyard, Isabella began organizing the items she had bought today, while Alan returned to his room and entered the hellish training of the Light Sword Spell.
Tomorrow was the life-and-death duel, and there could be no room for error!
He knew very well that if he died, the seneschal and others would not spare his sister, Isabella!
Moreover, apart from William, Alice was truly his worthy opponent!
To deal with a talent like her, mastering the Light Sword Spell was his only chance.
Time flew by in this intense training.
The next morning, the Northern District was buzzing with excitement!
The news of the life-and-death duel between Alan and William had spread widely, fueled by William's rising fame.
Many were eager to see what kind of spark would fly when a former genius faced off against a rising star.
Particularly, many nobles and factions, who didn't know much about William, saw this battle as an excellent opportunity to learn more.
At this moment, a dueling platform had been hastily set up overnight in a square outside Roan Castle.
The area surrounding the platform was already packed with onlookers eager to see the spectacle.