Lucy didn't answer. She was lost in her own thoughts, the feel of the letter in her hands more important than their voices. She moved past them, her steps quick but not rushed—just enough to hide the way her heart was pounding.
The hero straightened, his jaw tightening. "I see… So he made her cry." His voice carried a practiced note of righteousness. "Don't worry, Lucy! I'll talk to him and—"
But she didn't slow down. She didn't even hear him.
Catherine frowned at her retreating back, exchanging a glance with the hero. "So he's treating her like that too…"
Meanwhile, Lucy walked on without pause, her head bowed, eyes fixed on the academy seal. Her mind wasn't on them, or on Ace's cold words, but on the significance of the moment—her first step in carrying out official duties. And the fact that he'd trusted her with it, however casually, was enough to make her chest feel light.
Pete clenched his fist saying, "Ace will pay for this... I will make sure he do. "
Pete and Catherine then walked up to Ace's room with eyes that screamed justice.
Outside Ace's room, two guards stood before the double doors guarding the room.
Pete stepped forward first, his tone sharp but controlled. "We want to speak to Ace Thornevale. Let us through."
The guards didn't even move. Their expressions stayed stone cold, their spears angled to block the way.
"This is Princess Catherine of the Solarian Empire," Pete added, voice hardening, "and I am the appointed Hero. You have no right to bar our way."
One of the guards finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with authority."We serve only the Thornevale Duchy. Our orders are absolute. Even if the Emperor himself came to knock on this door, we would not open it without the young master's permission."
Catherine's eyes flashed with fury. "Do you realize what you're saying? That's treason against the crown! Refusing to obey the royal family, threatening to defy the emperor himself… your heads could roll for this!"
The other guard's gaze didn't even flicker."We will follow our lord's orders — even if our heads roll."
Pete stepped forward again, his jaw tight."I don't care what orders you follow. Ace made Lucy cry. And I will not stand by while he hides in this room, thinking he can hurt people without consequence. Move."
The guards remained unmoved.
Pete's voice rose, heated and righteous."A man who treats others like that doesn't deserve to be called a noble. If he won't answer to reason, then I'll make him answer to me."
He reached for the door — but in a blur, one of the guards moved. A steel-plated boot slammed into Pete's chest with bone-jarring force, launching him backward into the corridor wall. The impact shook the frame, and a sharp gasp escaped Catherine as Pete crumpled, coughing blood onto the polished floor.
Catherine instantly dropped to her knees beside him, her hands glowing with soft light as she cast healing magic."You dare attack the hero of the empire?!" she snapped, glaring up at the guards. "You think your precious duchy will protect you after this? Both of you will be punished for this insolence!"
The guards, unmoved, simply returned to their positions before the door, silent as statues.
Supporting Pete with one arm, Catherine turned sharply, her face pale but burning with anger."This isn't over," she hissed. Then, with the wounded hero leaning against her shoulder, she stalked away down the hall, the guards watching in silence.
Outside the dormitory, Pete walked with a hand pressed to his ribs, Catherine at his side supporting him, her healing magic already mending the bruised bones but unable to erase the humiliation from his face.
"That bastard…" Pete's voice was low, but his eyes burned. "He made Lucy cry and then hides behind his guards like a coward."
Catherine's jaw tightened, her usually composed demeanor giving way to quiet anger. "And those guards… acting as if the royal family's authority means nothing. Do they really think the Thornevale Duchy stands above the crown?"
Pete clenched his fists, his breath uneven. "They're strong, I'll admit that. First-rate warriors, maybe even higher. But strength doesn't give them the right to trample over the dignity of the princess or anyone else."
Catherine's tone softened slightly as she glanced at him. "You're hurt more than you let on."
Pete gave a small, humorless laugh. "I've been hit harder. But I won't forget this. Next time, I'll make sure he has nowhere to hide."
Her gaze sharpened. "I will report this to the father. Let's see if Ace's arrogance stands when the emperor himself takes offense."
Pete's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. "Good. Let him enjoy his pride for now. It won't last."
Later that evening, Ace finally stepped out of his room. He found his two guards standing silently near the door, their posture as disciplined as ever — but this time, there was a subtle tension in their expressions.
They both straightened immediately when they saw him.
Ace glanced at them once, reading their unease instantly."You're worried about earlier," he said simply.
The guards exchanged a brief glance, then one of them spoke, his voice lower than usual."Your Highness… the princess and the hero. They didn't take the refusal well. We may have… acted too forcefully."
Ace stepped closer, his tone calm but unwavering. "You followed my orders. And you followed them perfectly."
"But—" the second guard began, only for Ace to cut him off with a raised hand.
"You're under my command, not theirs. You serve the Thornevale Duchy, and through it, you serve me. As long as you are acting under my orders, I will handle everything. If anyone dares to question what you did, they'll have to deal with me first."
The tension in the guards' shoulders eased slightly, though they still wore the faint look of men who knew they might face political backlash.
Ace allowed the faintest smirk to tug at his lips. "Besides… if they can't handle being turned away at a door, they're not ready for the real world. Now, stand at ease. I have no intention of letting this matter get out of hand."
The guards bowed deeply. "Yes, young master."
The next day, Ace followed his usual routine — second-year training grounds in the morning.Today was uneventful; no monsters, no staged danger. Just drills, footwork, and a few pointers from the instructor about yesterday's mock battles. By the time the sun was nearing its zenith, he returned to the first-year classrooms.
Inside, Sarena stood at the front, her calm voice explaining magical theory to the students. But the moment Ace stepped through the door, the air shifted.
Pete and Catherine stood immediately, their chairs scraping loudly against the floor.
Pete's eyes burned with indignation as he pointed toward Ace."You can't treat your own blood like that — let alone a girl! You call yourself a noble?!"
A few students gasped; others leaned forward, eager to witness the confrontation.
Catherine's voice cut in, sharp and cold."Your guards disrespected me — me, the princess — and by extension, the emperor himself. Do you understand what that means? That is treason, Ace Thornevale. I demand you apologize immediately."
Ace didn't even stop walking until he reached his seat. Then looked at the two of them with a slow, measured sigh."Shut up."
The words hit the room like a stone thrown into still water.
"If you want an apology," Ace continued in that calm, almost bored tone, "go through the official channels. You'll find it's… still up to me in the end. But you can try."
Pete stepped forward, his voice rising. "We will—"
"Sit down," Ace cut him off without even looking his way.
Catherine's fists clenched. "You think you can keep disrespecting the royal family without consequence? You will be punished for this."
Ace finally glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching upward in something that wasn't quite a smile. "Quiet down. You're interrupting the lesson."
Sarena, who had been silently observing, simply resumed her teaching as though nothing had happened. The rest of the class followed her lead, but the air buzzed with tension, every student acutely aware that the hostility between these three was far from over.
The next class began with Professor Eldrin striding in, a wide grin plastered across his face. He clapped his hands together, the sound echoing through the room.
"Good news, everyone! The expedition request has been accepted — and it will begin next week!"
A ripple of chatter ran through the students, and Eldrin's grin widened."Now, to make the most of our time, we won't waste days traveling on foot or by carriage. Instead, we'll be going directly to each city… on flying mounts."
The room exploded with excitement. Even the most composed students couldn't hide their wide eyes and whispers.
Every one of them is noble so they have ridden the flying mounts before and most of them own couple.
But For most of them, this was an impossible dream — flying mounts were rarely used to transport nobles.
The risks were too great, the protection detail too costly. For many, the chance to soar through the skies was as exhilarating as the journey itself.
It was like unlocking the cage of a long-confined animal and watching it leap into the wild.
"Now, listen carefully," Eldrin said, raising his voice over the din. "We will be visiting four cities: Brixton, Linton, Marlowe, and Kelworth. Each of them is ruled by a count. Brixton, as some of you may know, falls under the control of the Thornevale duchy."
The name alone shifted the room's atmosphere. Several nobles exchanged quick glances, and low murmurs began to circulate.
"Brixton? They're including that in a hero's tour?" one whispered.
"Isn't there a dungeon near that place? A high-ranked one, if I recall."
"Exactly. Monster attacks aren't rare there. On the way or inside the city, you're never truly safe."
"In comparison, the other three cities are considered the most stable and virtuous territories in the kingdom. But Brixton? … It's a different story."
"Seems deliberate," another said under their breath. "If the hero sees Brixton in its roughest form, it could tarnish the Thornevale name."
Lucy, seated among them, caught every bit of it. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her desk. She knew exactly what they were implying — that Brixton's dangers and instability would paint the Thornevale duchy in a poor light before the hero. Her instincts told her to speak up, to push for including another city under Thornevale control, one that would showcase its strength and order.
Her eyes flicked toward Ace.He sat motionless, his expression as steady as stone, not a single reaction crossing his face. No rebuttal, no counterpoint — nothing.
Lucy's lips parted, ready to defend the duchy herself. But then she stopped.If Ace didn't move, perhaps he had his reasons. Slowly, she let the tension in her hands ease and kept her voice quiet, her gaze drifting back to the front.