The walk was not long and soon, Isabella was directing Hal into a study that was not that far from the Dining Hall.

No surprise, it was her study and a large one with incredible grandeur to boot.

Directing Hal to the seat in front of her desk, she took hers behind it and placed her hand on said desk as she regarded him for a while before asking,

"Who are you?"

Hal looked mildly confused,

"I already said..." He began but she interrupted.

"I have no interest in the description you've given already. I just want to know who you really are. Even now I can almost detect darkness behind your eyes.

Darkness that does not put me at ease." She said.

'Okay, it's official. This woman is frightening' Hal thought.

Grimoire snorted,

'Of course, she's frightening. She's a saint.'

Hal's eyes widened,

'What?'

'You heard me. Your future grandmother-in-law is a saint which is no wonder she is comprehending Ordinances' Grimoire told him.

There it was again. Ordinances were coming up once again and just like before, now was not the time to discuss them.

"What darkness would that be?" Hal asked with the clearing of his throat.

"I don't know exactly but that is also not the real issue here.

I never liked or supported the decision to have Melinda banished and I am quite certain, had that not being done, you two would not have met which makes me regret it happening even more.

Clearly, being forced to live in that place caused her to make poor decisions, one of those decisions including you."

Hal frowned but said nothing so far because, by default, his cultivation was usually hidden until he let it show and he had not done so yet but he saw no reason to hide it anymore and let it out.

Isabella was still going on with her disparaging words when she felt the pressure coming off Hal's body which with her strong cultivation, she could sense clearly no matter how mild.

There was a clear widening of her eyes as she felt that pressure which proved that this young man who she was quite sure personally had not yet crossed the twenty-year-old mark was at the Early stage of the Cosmic Phenomenon realm.

Melinda's advancement while surprising was understandable as she was a Dane and innately possessed a good constitution and while she still wondered how she could have gone so far within five years, she could still possibly see it happen.

Hal's was a different matter altogether. Clearly, he had a good constitution but what resources did he use to grow that strong...

*Booomm!!!!!*

*Bang!*

Without getting up from her seat or even changing her posture in any way, Isabella let out a hint of her pressure and with it blasted Hal out of the chair he was in and right against the large study door.

"Ack" Hal groaned as he fell to the ground and managed to sit up.

He was no idiot and knew what just happened to him barely counted as Isabella making use of one percent of her prowess.

What shocked/annoyed him the most was how impossible it was for him to avoid it.

The thought of running out right now and saving himself did not come to mind because he knew with certainty that as long as Isabella's attention was still trained in him, there was no way he could really escape.

"You know, I was already searching for the perfect candidate to wed Melinda as soon as she returned so I dislike you already for ruining that plan."

Hal sighed with his back against the study door,

"That's a bummer"

Isabella could easily detect the sarcasm in those words but prioritized what was more important, in her opinion, at that moment which was to find out who Hal really was,

"There is no way you can be this strong when you are only from that city. Why don't you just tell me who you really are" she said and placed her chin on her joined hands.

Hal looked at her for a long while before taking a deep breath,

"You know what I hate the most? When I tell people the truth and they don't believe me. If you don't trust what I say now, what is the possibility anything else I say will be the truth?"

After all, Hal could not very well tell how he got this strong and was quite ready to take the secret of his success, the Primordial Cosmic Grimoire to the grave.

He also had to admit that he might have said too much when he mentioned his age.

Although to be fair, a sane person no matter how pompous would have seen that as a plus and a sign of talent instead of trying to sniff out conspiracies. Especially in places they did not exist.

Isabella's eyes narrowed and she seemed to find sense in Hal's words. There was no point grilling him and risk Melinda throwing her into the list of those she disliked.

A list that was quite long already.

She would order investigations and find out where the lies were and which part of it all was true. Investigations that would also entail the ladies that had come with him.

In the meantime, she would act supportive.

"Get up" she told Hal and directed him to take his seat once again.

Hal did so with a light frown and hoped to the gods that Isabella was not about to act as though all that just happened never happened.

"I will tell you that while you are young and possess potential that is all you have. Potential. It has the capacity of being endless but you have admitted to not coming from a well-off family that can fund your growth so you are muchh more likely to quickly reach your limit.

There are many in the capital who not only have potential, they have superior strength and they have families to fund them.

They have already received news that I wish to get Melinda married and the fact that the two of you are 'engaged' is not going to deter most of them even if they were told.

And they will not.

We are going to make sure the news does not go past the Dane residence and keep the image that Melinda is unattached."

Hal secretly sneered.

He could see the tactic and the logic behind said tactic and it made him chuckle because, in his opinion, the Patroness was naive.

The more powerful and more important suitors getting mentioned were to intimidate him and scare Melinda straight.

So to speak.

The plan was most likely that once Melinda saw 'Better' candidates, she would come to her senses and those mediocre thoughts of engagement to Hal would be scrubbed off her mind.

If this was not naïveté, Hal did not know what was.

"I see.

Well, I guess we'll just have to see what happens won't we?"

...

Back at the Dining Hall...

"Fuck no!" Melinda said.

The hall had emptied out and only the most immediate and most important Dane family members were still seated. As well as Marla and Rita.

Melinda had just been told of her grandmother's plans and her reactions were not surprising in the slightest.

"You all have no fucking right to tell me who I can and can not marry" Melinda said.

"Actually we can. I still remain your patriarch" Damien said with authority but Melinda eyed him like dirt which was quite disrespectful but clearly she did not care.

Hugh cleared his throat,

"It's not all bad. I am sure we can reach a compromise" he said.

"And what compromise would that be?" She asked with a sneer.

"Simple, Hal proves that he is capable to be part of those considered to be your suitors.

He survives a duel with me."