Arthur was a well-built and handsome man. He had dashing silver hair and brown eyes. So, it was very odd for him to hold such a thin, needle-like weapon. Those who didn’t know him would ugh at him. Those who did would tremble in front of him, for he was known as the Reaper of Credoa, the strongest sword master in the Empire. He had fully mastered the art of mana control, and his skills were refined to the highest grade. A red hue slowly covered his rapier. Melora unleashed her purple fire, then concentrated it on her sword. The silver longsword turned bck with purple streaks throughout its spine. She waved her sword around, and it seemingly cut through the air.

  Melora was first to strike, and the two swords cshed, leaving behind sparks. The knights and guards all gathered as they witnessed the spar. Arthur twisted the rapier, then released more of his red mana, causing her sword to bounce off. Melora swung her sword once more, applying more pressure, but Arthur skillfully made her sword bounce off his. Melora paced herself, knowing his goal.

  “I suppose my little tricks won’t work on Your Highness.”

  “I am still not as good as you.”

  “You ftter me.”

  His red rapier glowed a darker shade. This time, he was the one to attack. Melora blocked the attack, then a second ter, she felt an extreme force pressing down on her. The light sword felt as heavy as a stone pilr pressing down on her. She deflected the sword to the ground, and a huge thud could be heard.

  Melora backed away, creating space as she unleashed more of her purple fire. The fight had gotten serious. Arthur slightly stretched his neck as he walked in a circle, staring at her. Unexpectedly, he momentarily disappeared from her vision as he nded another heavy attack, which she blocked at the st second. The ground beneath her shattered like gss, leaving behind his lingering mana. Seeing the opportunity, she swung her fiery sword towards him but was able to block. Arthur felt the heat on his face as he pushed back.

  Rows of red, chain-like formations appeared around him. Melora braced herself as the chains shot towards her. Using her flexibility, she deflected the chains and maneuvered around them. Arthur joined the fray as he unleashed a series of attacks. Melora pnted her sword in the ground, then released a wave of fire spreading outwards. The chains instantly coiled around Arthur, protecting him.

  “It is my first time seeing someone’s mana manifesting into fire, but you are limiting yourself.”

  “Limiting myself?”

  “To sustain a fire, you need wood. To make it hotter, you need to add more. The wood in this case is your emotions. To fully wield your power, you need to control them.”

  “What if I lose control again?”

  “That is what training is for. Just start slowly and work your way up. I will be more than happy to continue sparring with you.”

  “I would appreciate that.”

  “For now, try and go all out, but in a controlled fashion.”

  Melora nodded as her purple fires slowly engulfed her. The heat she produced was unbearable to some, as the guards and knights stepped back.

  “Control your breathing. Steady your heart.”

  The purple fmes stopped spreading, but the heat intensified even more. Her longsword was fully abze, but to Arthur’s surprise, it slowly drew in the fmes, almost acting like a wizard’s magical staff. Arthur, too, released his red mana as it coated his body and sword, coupled with his chains. He suddenly attacked Melora and broke her concentration. Her wild fmes fluctuated.

  “You need to hold your concentration while still paying attention to things around you.”

  His attacks were relentless but not threatening. Melora used most of her energy concentrating and bancing her emotions. Her body was on autopilot as she blocked and dodged. After some time, her purple fmes finally flickered out, leaving her exhausted. The training ground was completely decrepit. Melora sweated heavily as she calmed her mind.

  “This is enough for today.”

  The maids quickly approached her and wiped some of her sweat, then led her away to her quarters to freshen up. When she was done, she donned her royal garments and went to her office. They had fixed the office, changing most of the things as they removed all traces of Lucius. She sat down on the comfortable chair and let out a sigh. In front of her were various papers and documents. She sifted through the different reports. Someone knocked, then let themselves in. It was Stephen and the elves, who looked happier. He held a sizable crystal ball, which he pced on the table.

  “I have tuned it as requested. It is ready for use.”

  “Thank you. Establish a connection.”

  He spoke a short incantation as the crystal ball glowed, then a face appeared. It was indeed Gena.

  “I greet you, the Queen of all elves and the mother of the forest.”

  “I greet you, our benefactor and daughter of the Grand Duke.”

  “A lot has happened, but I am the Grand Duchess of Credoa now.”

  “Oh, congratutions. The world tree also sensed your ascension. Father was quite excited.”

  “Thank you very much. As promised, I looked into the situation, and I have freed the elves.”

  Melora called over the elves to her side, and they all excitedly started to wave at her. A wide smile appeared on her face as she returned the greeting.

  “I would have sent them back, but I fear that is too dangerous at the moment, so they will remain in my care. I am also working on recovering as many as I can in my domain.”

  “That fills my heart with great happiness. Thank you, Grand Duchess.”

  Gena suddenly started to sing a beautiful song in a nguage she could not understand. The elves in her office also joined in. It was a very soothing song. Suddenly, a green light started to descend in the office as vines grew around the office and started to spread across the entire castle. A knock could be heard as Arthur entered the room and was greeted with beautiful flowers and vines adorning the office walls and ceiling. Stephen watched keenly as his eyes traced the glowing green particles.

  “Elven magic, so beautiful.”

  They sang for a long time as the castle continued to change, now having thick roots, vines, and flowers. The castle was now more beautiful than before, reminding her of the elven pace. The elves talked for a bit, then Stephen led them out of the office.

  “I would like to talk to you regarding our future.”