Silence covered the entire arena after Rudolf’s sword flew across the stone floor.
Even the cold wind seemed to stop.
Rudolf stood frozen in disbelief while John calmly pointed his blade toward his throat.
The duel was over.
Above the arena, General Viktor slowly crossed his arms.
“He was controlling the fight from the beginning,” he muttered quietly.
King Magnus continued staring at John with narrowed eyes.
Not once during the duel had the young man panicked.
Not once had he wasted movement.
That was not how ordinary young knights fought.
Inside the arena, John slowly lowered his sword and stepped back respectfully.
The referee knight finally regained his senses.
“Victory goes to-”
King Magnus suddenly raised his hand.
The entire arena immediately fell silent again.
The king slowly stood from his throne before walking toward the edge of the royal platform.
His sharp gaze remained fixed on John.
“Young man,” Magnus said deeply, “give us your introduction.”
Dozens of nobles and knights turned toward John curiously.
John calmly placed his sword back at his waist before speaking.
“I am John…”
He paused briefly.
“…the Prince of Aerith Kingdom.”
The arena instantly erupted into shocked whispers.
“Prince?”
“He’s royalty?”
“We called a prince a mere knight?”
Even Rudolf’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Above the arena, several Wilhelm nobles immediately lowered their heads respectfully.
Nick quietly sighed.
So Sir Carol had intentionally hidden John’s identity until now.
King Magnus himself looked mildly surprised before letting out a deep laugh.
“Hah! So that’s why Sir Carol remained so calm.”
Sir Carol gave a respectful bow.
“I believed it was unnecessary to announce his title before Your Majesty personally asked.”
General Viktor looked toward John with even greater interest now.
“A prince who fights personally in the arena…” Viktor muttered.
“Interesting.”
King Magnus nodded slowly.
“Very interesting.”
Then his eyes sharpened again.
“And your age?”
“Twenty-two.”
The whispers throughout the arena only grew louder.
Too young.
Far too young.
Not only was he royalty-
But a prince skilled enough to defeat one of Wilhelm’s strongest young knights at that age.
King Magnus stared at John silently for several moments before speaking again.
“In Wilhelm Kingdom, titles mean little without strength.”
“But today… you earned both respect and recognition.”
The surrounding knights immediately straightened themselves.
Even Rudolf lowered his head reluctantly toward John.
“I underestimated you, Prince John.”
John answered calmly.
“That happens often.”
Some nearby knights accidentally laughed before quickly stopping themselves.
For the first time since entering Wilhelm Kingdom-
The atmosphere around John had completely changed.
He was no longer viewed as merely a foreign knight.
Now-
Everyone inside the arena saw him as something far more dangerous.
And to formally welcome the Prince of Aerith Kingdom after his victory, King Magnus ordered a grand royal celebration that very evening.
That evening, Wilhelm Palace looked completely different from its usual cold and military atmosphere.
Massive chandeliers illuminated the grand celebration hall while musicians played elegant melodies across the room.
Long tables filled with expensive food and wine stretched across the hall as nobles, knights, and royal guests gathered to celebrate the unexpected duel.
At the center of it all-
Prince John of Aerith Kingdom had become the main topic of the entire palace.
“You defeated Rudolf so calmly…”
“I still can’t believe you’re only twenty-two.”
“Prince John, would you honor us with a dance?”
Beautiful noblewomen surrounded him from nearly every direction while curious nobles attempted starting conversations one after another.
Some admired his skill.
Others wanted political connections.
And some were simply fascinated by the mysterious prince who appeared from nowhere and defeated Wilhelm’s rising knight.
John maintained a calm expression while politely answering them, though internally he already found the entire situation exhausting.
Across the hall, Nick watched silently with crossed arms.
“…Unbelievable,” he muttered.
One of the Wilhelm knights laughed beside him.
“Looks like your prince became popular very quickly.”
Nick sighed heavily before suddenly walking straight into the crowd surrounding John.
“Excuse us.”
Before anyone could protest, Nick grabbed John’s arm and pulled him away from the noblewomen.
Several disappointed voices immediately followed behind them.
“Hey!”
“We were still speaking with him!”
Nick ignored all of them completely.
Only after leaving the noisy hall and entering one of the quieter palace balconies did he finally release John’s arm.
Cold night air greeted them instantly.
For a few moments, silence remained between them.
Then Nick finally spoke.
“When did you learn those attacks?”
John already expected this question eventually.
Nick stared directly into his eyes.
“That wasn’t normal swordsmanship.”
John calmly leaned against the stone balcony.
“I trained.”
Nick frowned immediately.
His voice grew more serious.
“I’ve fought beside you for years.”
John remained silent.
Nick stepped closer.
Nick continued staring at John seriously.
“You moved like someone who spent years on actual battlefields.”
For a brief moment, silence remained between them.
Then John finally answered calmly.
“From you.”
Nick blinked slightly.
John looked toward him.
“You trained yourself harder than anyone else back in Aerith Kingdom.”
Nick frowned in confusion.
“I tried copying your fighting style.”
That answer sounded believable.
But somehow-
Nick still felt something was wrong.
Because the way John fought today was not truly his style.
Nick’s swordsmanship focused on strength and pressure.
John’s movements during the duel had been colder…
sharper…
more efficient.
Like someone who fought only to survive.
Nick slowly opened his mouth to ask another question-
But sudden footsteps interrupted him.
Both of them turned toward the balcony entrance.
A royal servant stood there respectfully.
“Prince John,” the servant said while bowing, “His Majesty King Magnus requests a private conversation with you.”
Nick immediately looked toward John.
Even he understood how unusual that request was.
Kings did not personally summon foreign princes alone without reason.
John remained calm.
“I understand.”
The servant stepped aside respectfully.
As John walked past him, Nick quietly spoke one last time.
“…Be careful.”
John gave a small nod before following the servant through the palace corridors.
The deeper they moved into the palace, the quieter everything became.
The sounds of music and celebration slowly faded away until only silence remained.
Eventually, the servant stopped before a massive wooden door guarded by two elite Wilhelm knights.
“The king is waiting inside.”
John entered alone.
Inside, a large fireplace illuminated the dark chamber with orange light.
Maps, military reports, and battle plans covered a long table near the center of the room.
King Magnus stood near the window overlooking the snowy capital city below.
Without turning around, the king spoke calmly.
“You fight like a man much older than twenty-two.”
John’s eyes narrowed slightly.
King Magnus slowly turned toward him.
“And that interests me.”