Even though Alan managed to wound the head steward, it was no small feat, but still hardly enough to make him famous throughout the Plantagenet Kingdom.
The bald elder narrowed his eyes and said slowly, "I've just received confirmed news: Alan has gained the favor of Duke Alice!"
Duke Alice's favor?!
The head steward and the others gasped.
If these words hadn't come from the head himself, they wouldn't dare believe it.
Duke Alice, with her unmatched talents and towering status—how could she possibly take an interest in a young noble genius like Alan? How was that even possible?
Seeing their confusion, the bald elder explained calmly:
"Alan once fought Duke Alice, and although Alice suppressed her tier, they ended in a draw!"
Silence!
The hall fell deathly quiet.
Duke Alice was a living legend, unmatched among her peers.
Even seasoned mages trembled before her blade. Her reputation and status were forged day by day in blood and battle.
Yet Alan could draw with her on equal footing?
It was common knowledge that for Alice, challenging up tiers was as easy as eating or drinking.
So Alan... is he really that formidable?
Hearing this, the head steward finally felt a bit better.
The others also no longer looked at him with disdain.
The head steward had been defeated by Alan, and Alan had fought Duke Alice to a draw. Didn't that mean he'd essentially lost to Alice?
Far from being a disgrace, it was an honor!
"Are we just going to let our loss slide?!" Despite the pain wracking his body, the head steward remained indignant.
The bald elder shook his head, "We can't let our loss go, but we also can't take it out on Alan!"
"Alan has left House Roan.
Though House Roan had significant resources, it's now being carved up by the other three lords.
We should go and get our share."
The head steward thought for a moment and accepted this as the best possible outcome.
After all, with Duke Alice behind Alan, she was someone they absolutely could not afford to provoke.
She wouldn't even need to lift a finger; just one word from her, and House Blackwood would be annihilated by the forces surrounding Snowguard City.
They simply couldn't afford to provoke her!
"Let's go, to the Northern District!" the head steward growled, wrapped head to toe in bandages. He had to vent this frustration!
…
In the Northern District, House Roan.
Under the growing pressure from the three noble families, House Roan was weakening day by day. If it weren't for Shuster's strength and reputation as lord, House Roan would have already fractured.
At this moment, Shuster's face was grim as he gazed at the bloodied seneschal, bound and whipped repeatedly.
The seneschal's defiant eyes locked with Shuster's.
"Everything I did was for House Roan! I am not wrong! I did nothing wrong!"
"You still refuse to admit your guilt?" Shuster snapped coldly, fuming.
"And what about Alan's mother?"
"Her? Didn't she mysteriously disappear? What's she got to do with this? Even if she hadn't disappeared, she's just an ordinary person."
The seneschal spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You're wrong!" A trace of reminiscence flickered in Shuster's eyes.
"The reason I nurtured Alan as my heir, apart from his outstanding talent, was largely because of his mother!"
"It was a snowy day—do you know what I saw?"
"Alan's mother, Isabella, tore open the void with a mere wave of her hand and left."
The seneschal froze, then scoffed, "Tear open the void? That's something only the most powerful mages in existence can do. How could Alan's mother possibly manage that?!"
"If she were truly that powerful, why would she abandon her two children?"
Shuster fell silent, troubled. He'd tolerated the seneschal's attempt to cripple Alan for the same reason.
After all, it had been over ten years, and Alan's mother hadn't shown up once. They must have been abandoned.
But he could never have imagined that even after Alan's mana core was shattered, he would still become a magus!
Had he stuck to his original plan, House Roan could have risen again, even without Alan's mother, rather than descending into this mess.
"Since you still refuse to admit your mistake, you'll stay here. If Alan's mother returns, she could change House Roan's fate in an instant!"
Upon hearing this, the seneschal broke into wild laughter. After all, if Alan and his sibling's mother were truly extraordinary, and learned of the grievances they'd suffered, she would raze House Roan to the ground!
If she never returned, then this was merely Shuster's wishful thinking. House Roan would never be the same again!
…
In White Steed City
Having just returned to the inn from the Merchant Guild, Alan was about to lead his sister into their room when he noticed a neat stack of gifts at the door.
There were all sorts of rare treasures to aid breakthroughs, plenty of gold coins, women's jewelry, and other practical, exquisite items.
At a glance, their value was easily over a thousand gold coins! A lavish gift indeed!
But Alan couldn't recall knowing any wealthy patrons in White Steed City.
"Could these have been delivered to the wrong room?"
He frowned, puzzled.
Just then, a hotel attendant approached and said quietly, "Sir Alan, these gifts are not misplaced. A distinguished young lord wishes to meet you and sent these as his introduction."
Alan exchanged a look with Isabella, both equally confused.
"Forget it; I have no reason to meet him. I'm just a nobody. Please return the gifts." Alan shook his head, declining.
Accepting a gift was tantamount to an obligation, and he didn't want to owe anything to an unknown patron.
"Alan, you're too modest. Even Duke Alice could only draw with you."
A voice, slightly lazy yet dignified, came from nearby.
A young man in a royal lion-emblazoned robe approached, escorted by several royal guards. His air was one of quiet nobility.
The moment Alan saw him, his expression grew serious. He didn't know the young man personally, but he recognized the royal attire and insignia on his chest.
The 13th Prince of the Plantagenet Kingdom, Kenrito!
"Does Your Highness need something from me?" Alan asked calmly.
There were many members of the Plantagenet royal family, and a prince wasn't particularly notable among them, usually keeping a low profile—this was what Alan knew.
"Not at all. I simply wished to befriend you," Kenrito replied with a hearty smile, seemingly pleased by Alan's composed attitude.
Other young mages would have fawned over him by now, he thought. After all, while he wasn't among the most prominent princes, he still commanded respect and resources.
"I don't think I'm worthy to befriend a prince, and as for Duke Alice, we only had a single fight, not even a friendship," Alan said, suspecting the prince was more interested in his magus talent—and his connection to Duke Alice.
It was well-known that King Charles XXVI of Plantagenet held Alice in high regard, to the point of reverence. Naturally, she had become a prized ally among the royal contenders.
But Alice was indifferent, living as she pleased.
"To be frank, yes, I do hope to connect with Duke Alice, but my interest in you is genuine. After all, you're someone Duke Alice recognizes," Kenrito admitted sincerely.
Alan found himself liking the prince a bit more. He seemed genuine in his words.
"If Your Highness intends to use these items to make friends, I must say that while they are valuable and beneficial, I cannot accept them without merit."
Alan declined politely.
Since ancient times, the struggle for the throne has always been fraught with bloodshed and peril. He was just a small figure, and even the ripples of this power struggle could spell his death.
"Direct as always, Alan. Then, how about a duel instead? Just a friendly spar," Kenrito suggested with a slight smile. "Regardless of the outcome, the items are yours, a token for accepting my challenge."
"Agreed."
After a moment's thought, Alan nodded. He needed these items to reach tier-bronze, and they were indeed valuable to him.