The Ifrit's flames roared, casting fiery lights around him. Momentarily, everyone felt the summon's mana build-up but, before anyone realised what was going on and how big a danger they all were in, the three Guardsmen in the room reacted. Wendel was already by the summon, while the third Guardsman stood in front of the spectators with his aegis activated. His legendary grade shield was spread thinly to protect all the people behind him. Their reaction time was incredible. Islur's eyes widened as he realised that the Ifrit was level 95 and he turned his face towards Captain Xavier and froze in shock. The large Wolfkin was standing firm and calm near the woman he was charged to protect. If not for the powerful barrier covering Dame Hope, one would think he disregarded the threat completely. But it was obvious that the Wolfkin wasn't going to help the Private. Islur looked at the aegis shield spread in front of the spectators and wondered how durable it was. According to legends it was nigh indestructible, but he was sceptical. He hoped it would be strong just enough for everyone to evacuate.

However, his words were stuck in his throat as he felt an immense pressure almost crushing him to the ground. Everyone around seemed influenced by the pressure but, fortunately, no one fell. As expected from such a powerful summon, it was intimidating and, just by looking at it, one could feel despair. Ebrusian Noble Houses still possessed a few of the powerful creatures and monsters captured by their much more powerful ancestors. The summons were one of the reasons they managed to keep their influence within the Kingdom despite an obvious decline in their individual power. He angrily cursed under his breath. To summon something so dangerous was reckless even by Ebrusian standards. He could only hope that the Private would buy them enough time to flee but, before he could issue the order, Wendel moved.

The black and silver armour of the Guardsman ominously reflected the Ifrit's fire and the silence of the room was only interrupted by its crackling flame. Wendel's face was serious as he delivered a punch that flung the summon away from the witnesses. Islur couldn't believe the sudden spike in power the Private emanated. It was like perceiving someone else entirely. But, what happened next, happened so fast it was hard to track. Private Wendel drew his sword and a blinding light of the unleashed skill briefly blinded most of the people watching the battle. But, despite the bright light, Islur watched how the Private delivered dozens of slashes and thrusts at the surprised Fire Elemental. Wendel's attacks were graceful and fluent without flash or wasted motion. There were no boastful shouts of skill names or dramatic pauses between his attacks. It was a brutal and relentless show of proficiency and efficiency. It was the first time in his life Islur watched someone moving like that.

The Ifrit was wounded but far from being defeated. It dashed away, hoping to gain distance between the Guardsman and himself. Conjuring Fireballs one after another, it hurled them at Wendel who blocked with his aegis as it flared into existence out of nowhere. His shield was smaller than the one protecting the awe-struck spectators. The fire spells left a blazing trail in the air but, besides increasing the temperature in the room, they seemed harmless. In growing disbelief, Islur watched as every attack thrown by the Ifrit was blocked by the Private's aegis or absorbed by the magic barriers that appeared around Wendel. Watching their fight was akin to seeing one of the tales of the ancient Heroes unfold before him. In moments, the Ifrit was cornered, deprived of any possibility of movement. While the Guardsman was cautious, he wasn't overly defensive, unleashing comparably staggering skills that kept the Fire Elemental at bay.

The moment the summon's back touched the wall which surprised the Elemental, Wendel nearly vanished from acceleration as he Dashed forward, taking the Ifrit completely off-guard. His sword was covered in blue, steaming-cold ice just before he plunged it into the summon's chest, pinning it to the wall. The summon roared painfully and its flames died as it slowly died. There was a sudden silence as everyone stared at Wendel who examined his blade and quickly sheathed it. Now, with the Ifrit dead, everyone realised that the crushing sensation wasn't caused by a rebellious summon but it must have been a skill used by Wendel. He ended his skill and smiled as if nothing had happened.

"That would be the fifth win, right?" Wendel asked cheerfully as if fighting a 95-level summon was part of his daily training. "It was still one-on-one so I guess it counts."

"Ummm..." Islur wasn't sure what he should say but took hold of himself and straightened. "Not at all, Private Wendel. Kylan Balear violated the rules of the duel. He is, therefore, disqualified. Not that it matters because he lost miserably despite his despicable deceit."

"Prince Islur." Captain Xavier's voice betrayed that he was very quickly running out of patience. "I advise you and your people not to use summons you can't fully control. I would probably be less forgiving if you hadn't had the foresight to choose a place specially strengthened to hold a duel. Thankfully, by doing so, you saved me from a lot of paperwork but I doubt this will end without any repercussions. Still... The Emperor will learn about the duel sooner or later, so I strongly advise you to tell him about it yourself and explain everything."

"Thank you, Captain Xavier." Islur nodded with a grim expression and looked at the disgraced noble. "I will ensure that Kylan Balear remembers this day forever... I'm, once again, sorry for the trouble."

"Oh, don't worry about it..." Xavier waved his hand dismissively. "We were expecting something eventually. On a side note, you met my expectations and, thanks to that, I won a bet. Thanks to Kylan Balear I'm a few gold coins richer."

"A bet...?" Islur felt his ears droop.

"Indeed. 'How long would it take an Ebrusian to challenge any Arcadian to a duel?', and I was correct, it was three days." Xavier grinned but his cheerful expression was replaced by a deep frown. "My problems started with that summon... That complicated things."

"I will make sure that no one will have their summoning crystals..." Islur closed his eyes and swallowed some shame. To think an Arcadian Guardsmen would make bets on such a thing was humiliating. It was also sad that Ebrusians were so predictable...

When the Arcadians left the Embassy, Islur and his group were still in the training hall. Kylan was sitting on the ground and stared at the floor with an empty gaze.

"That's why you do not piss off Arcadians." Islur shrugged as he looked at the remaining young people. Fortunately, they were mostly Scholars and Crafters, so the possibility that they would challenge anyone to a duel was minuscule. But still sitting there... "Kylan, I have to inform your father what you have done. Expect to be punished accordingly for your monstrous stupidity. As for myself, I will decide a course of action once I speak with the Emperor."

"I'm sorry for my transgression, my Prince." Kylan lowered his head in an unexpected humility. After a few moments of absolute silence, he clenched his fists and asked in an empty voice. "Was that man a Hero?"

"A Hero?!" Islur laughed, honestly amused. "That man was a Guardsman. One of thousands in service to the Emperor! He was as common as they get in Arcadia!"

Kylan looked at his Prince with dread. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest but Islur wasn't done.

"That Wolfkin, Captain Xavier, was several times more powerful than Private Wendel. I'm not sure how much stronger but he could probably kill that Ifrit in one strike. For them, we are children playing warriors." Islur was secretly happy it turned out this way. "We can't match them... Not if we won't learn and allow our hubris to get the better of us. So tell me, Kylan, what did you learn?!"

"I..." Kylan swallowed and lowered his head. Prince Islur's words about Kylan being a disgrace to his House still rang in his ears. "That I'm not as strong as I thought and... And... I'm not sure..."

"Good! Good!" Islur smiled unexpectedly, turning his gaze to others. "I brought you with me because I had high hopes for you all. I knew you wanted to train as a warrior, Kylan! But instead of trusting me, you did something stupid. You know why I'm not angry at you?"

"No, my Lord..." Kylan stood up and straightened before his prince.

"Because you didn't do anything irrevocable, just stupid." Islur smiled. "And because I was exactly the same not so long ago..."

The Ebrusians murmured among themselves while Kylan looked at his Prince in disbelief.

Stolen story; please report.

"Now... I think I should go explain everything to the Emperor as Captain Xavier suggested..."

•••

At first, Hope was terrified that someone had issued a challenge to a duel. But Xavier had not disagreed. However, when they, seemingly, briefly discussed the terms, she felt more and more confused. The actual fight, it wasn't like the Vespids' duels she had witnessed. It was fascinating to watch... Well, until that young noble summoned an Ifrit. However, she didn't have time to realize her fear before Private Wendel skillfully dispatched the Fire Elemental. She was left speechless. Hope knew the Arcadian soldiers were the pinnacle of what a warrior should be but she didn't expect them to be so overwhelmingly powerful. She was more than sure that no Vespid could dream of matching them in battle and that single thought made her happy beyond all imagination. To know that one such formidable warrior was always protecting her gave her a peace of mind she never expected to have. Sometimes, she had nightmares that the Vespids stole her away from Avalon and returned her to their hive. She wondered if she would continue to have those nightmares now...

"I'm sorry you were dragged into that ridiculous situation, Miss Hope." Captain Xavier apologised to her. It nearly sounded like an angry sigh with guilty undertones.

"It's fine... I didn't mind it." She said and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear as she realised that he was looking at her. He rarely did that.

"And yet, you look like you have many questions." He said with a hard-to-read expression she had learnt to ignore.

However, this time, his expression was slightly different in a way she couldn't exactly explain. Hope studied his face for a moment before she resumed their march towards the grocery store. He walked at her side for a change instead of falling behind, making her grateful because it was easier to talk this way. As rarely as they talked, it was awkward to address someone behind her while paying attention to things in front of her

"Yes, I do. In fact, I have more than a few questions." She finally admitted. "Are all of the Arcadian Guardsmen as powerful as Private Wendel?"

"Well..." The Wolfkin awkwardly cleared his throat. "Wendel is still a kid who just graduated from the Academy with flying colours and exceptionally good opinions from his teachers. However, he is still far from what old monsters are capable of."

"Old monsters?" She almost tripped and looked at him in shock.

He gently caught her and helped to regain her balance. She felt her cheeks burn in shame at her own clumsiness but he said nothing at that. They resumed their walk but slowed the pace a little bit.

"Oh, it's just a figure of speech..." She nearly gasped upon seeing his genuine smile. "We, the old guard, call ourselves old monsters."

Hope knew that he was handsome, but not THAT handsome...

"So they are not monsters?" She asked, knowing that she was blushing. She wasn't sure if she blushed just because she almost tripped... "And you're one of them?"

"Oh, in a sense we are monsters, Miss Hope and yes, I'm one of them..." He smiled with a very hard-to-read smile that had not stretched to his eyes. "You can think of us as the smarter remnants of the old kingdom... We have done unspeakable things and committed many crimes. We thought we were only murderers bound to the will of a wicked queen until the gates of Avalon opened and its armies were sent to conquer Cridia. Our sins were forgiven but never forgotten when we bowed before the Emperor and it was he who restored our names and dignity. After that, we marched alongside the Immortal Legions and brought the light of Arcadia everywhere we went. We bled and died only for survivors to become stronger."

His eyes shone dangerously and she realised she was holding her breath, enamoured by his voice full of pride and sorrow.

"You are not a monster, Captain Xavier..." She said with a trembling voice he misunderstood.

"You don't have to be afraid." He said with a slightly artificial smile. "I live only to follow the Emperor's will-"

"No!" She clipped with passion, surprising herself and making him look at her in surprise. "You are much more than that."

He looked at her in a silent moment before he lowered his head.

"I'm not worthy of your pity, Miss Hope." He said in a lowered voice and clenched his fists.

"It's not pity." She objected, with her voice matching his. "I'm grateful that someone as powerful as you protects me."

He laughed bitterly and resumed walking. "Power means nothing if you can't protect those you care about..."

It was her turn to lower her head and clench her fists. It was unfair that he blamed himself for something he couldn't stop.

"You weren't even there..." She whispered, making him stop and tremble.

"How do you know?" He asked quietly.

"Lord Theon told me... He said that you still have not forgiven yourself..." She explained with a guilt in her voice. She wasn't sure if she should have been told something so private and painful.

"I should have been..." He whispered back with closed eyes but his expression softened. "I should have died so she could live instead..."

"Do you think that she would have wanted that?" Hope moved ahead slowly without looking but, surprisingly, she still hadn't bumped into anything. "When Vespids took my sister, I was scared and lonely... It was then that I decided it was better to run and die trying to be free instead of waiting like cattle to be butchered. We promised each other that, no matter who survived, we wouldn't have any regrets. Well..." Her eyes dimmed and she felt the tears welling in her eyes. "Only now, I would like her to have survived, but not back then... Not when I lived in that cursed forest..."

He looked at her with shock but said nothing. They continued to walk in silence but it wasn't an awkward silence like before the unexpected duel...

•••

Idna let out a tired breath as she noticed that, despite her hard work, the mountain of papers and reports requesting her attention only grew. It was, fundamentally, not fair since she had wasted the entire day dealing with the pile. It wasn't like she was alone with the paperwork, either, because nearly fifty people were fighting this losing battle with her.

"Maybe our bureaucracy is too extensive?"

The Nekomi mumbled to herself and stretched her aching back. When something painfully clicked where it shouldn't and she yelped, surprised, she decided the things had gone too far.

"Adelle, Toren, Jake, Wendy!" She raised her voice and summoned the heads of the departments.

"Yes, Guild Master?" Toren, who worked closest, raised his head. His skin was grey from exhaustion, and his red eyes indicated that he had already forgotten what his own bed looked like.

"We must immediately sort through the procedures and, at least, thin down the amount of reports we receive. This is ridiculous!" She ordered.

"Fully agree, Lady Idna." Jake, a huge and muscular Lizardman jawned. For someone of his posture, it was surprising to discover that he was the Guild's accountant.

"Most of these things should have been dealt with by the Guild's branches! It's impossible to remember every single local limitation!" Wendy's voice came from behind a particularly tall stack of papers. The Dwarfess sounded depressed.

"All right!" Idna clapped her hands. Well, it worked for the first clap, but the second one missed miserably, which only underlined how exhausted she was. "Let's start by going to sleep. Let those papers be damned and tomorrow, closer to lunch than morning, we will think about a solution..."

"Hello, Idna! Everyone." A cheerful voice of the most important person in Arcadia broke their festive moods. "Why in the world are you all so exhausted?!"

Everyone, except for Idna who bowed, dropped to their knees. More from their exhaustion and shock than any real need to do so. They all knew the Emperor didn't demand such gestures. Nonetheless, it was still something natural, almost a default for them to do in the presence of nobility, so most of the common people followed their instincts.

"The workload got out of hand before I realised it, my Lord. I was going to do something about that tomorrow..." Idna smiled awkwardly.

"I hope so..." Theon Avalon sighed. "Anyway, before you leave, I wanted to give you a heads up that, tomorrow, the Ebrusians will, most likely, drop by to register. I hadn't spoken with them yet but, knowing their tempers, it's better to give them a way to let off some steam before they do anything reckless. Don't cut them any slack. If they mess up, give them an earful. If you need, call Tuul'kara to your aid and, most probably, Arletta will show up in tow."

"Okay..." Idna decided to simply follow with a very dumb facial expression. She looked at the note she had made just in case and stifled a yawn.

"Excellent!" The Emperor waved his hand goodbye and vanished.

When Idna was about to confirm her order that everyone should go home and rest, she realised that she was standing in the courtyard of her house. She smiled gratefully towards the Palace.

"Thank you, my Lord..." She yawned as she heard her husband's voice. She felt dizzy as she turned around and felt that she was falling. Tulir caught her before she fainted. "I was more tired than I thought..."

It was the last thing Idna remembered doing that day...

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