Back to the present on the white rose mansion gardens.

"Rosaline, we invited you to discuss the future of your daughter Iris, Alfred and I have a tradition that goes through the white rose family, it consists of giving swordsmanship lessons towards the five candidates who receive the white ring, and then in the future, one or more will be chosen."

As soon as Sylvia finished talking Alfred continued," exactly love, as you must know Rosaline, I'm a swordmaster and the swordsmanship we pass in this house since ancient times is the best in the kingdom, this it would certainly be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for a peasant, furthermore I'm very interested in Aurora, I'd love to allow her to also receive a ring based on what I was told."

Upon hearing that, Robert who was listening silently reported everything he heard from Iris whispering it to them.

"As the mother, I'm grateful that you're even spending time evaluating them or perhaps giving them a chance to prove themselves, however, the path that my daughters will walk, I decided to leave that up to them the day I lost to Iris in a duel, which she later joined the guild."

"As for Aurora in specific, she has absolutely no interest in swordsmanship, she took the father side in what comes to magic."

"In that case, we only need to get Iris's approval."

"Yes, Lord Alfred, if my daughter decides on accepting your offer, I'll support it any way I can."

"In that case, if you'll excuse me," He gets up from the table and heads towards where the girls went.

"I didn't know you were the woman that defeated Alfred, doesn't that make you the strongest swordsman in the kingdom lady Sylvia?"

"You can drop the honorifics Rosaline, and it'd make me the second strongest swordsman, the other monster is still alive."

"Our teacher Ray is?"

"Yes, but since he doesn't care about nobility, I'm currently holding the number one title and the head of the royal knight's seat."

"You've sure come a long way."

"We're both 43 now, so I'm looking forward to seeing what the next generation can do, if it wasn't your kid I wouldn't even have invited you."

"Figured as much."

They laugh.

"Come, my husband will test your daughter soon."

"Alright!"

Moments later they all reach the dojo.

"This place feels comfortable Alicia, I'm assuming you spent most of your time training the sword here?" I question her while taking a good look at it.

"Yes, practically every day either being taught by father, mother or Robert."

Finishing looking at it I find it perfectly clean, with the absence of dust, furthermore, a large enough wooden floor made of many squares glued to each other, the walls and the ceiling have strips of wood giving it a different appearance, and further at the end of the room, there's a wooden table with what looks like weapons on it. On the walls, one can find closed black windows, like squares that don't open either side, probably there to allow the light to enter. "No freedom..." I think as I too once shared the path of a noble being locked all my life to something.

"Don't look at me with sad eyes Iris, it's for my own good as the head successor."

"Even if that's true it is still sad that you can't leave this place." I give her a tight hug while patting her short hair that is a bit longer compared to the last time I saw her in an attempt to give some comfort.

"If you keep your hair growing like that, one day it'll hit the floor, Iris," she laughs lightly finding it amusing.

"Mother the one who cuts it from time to time, she loves seeing it long, so that's certainly a possibility."

The dojo door opens and four people walk in.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything," Alfred said with a serious face as they saw us hugging each other.

We let each other go and I reply," not at all," the two of us smile embarrassed.

"Good," he walks towards a table filled with weapons on top of it mostly filled with swords.

He unsheathes one of them and throws it at me then he unsheathes another and takes a sort of stance by lowering his back and knees slightly while Alicia walks to the side close to to the entrance.

"So my butler Robert said you declined his offer saying that my swordsmanship wasn't enough for you."

'I start losing my senses,' and then I say," so? Did I hurt your pride?"

Everyone around me made a surprised expression including Alfred.

"I'll show you what you could've learned, and make you regret that attitude."

He dashed at me fast mana coating his sword, I freeze the floor beneath his next step making him slip creating an icicle under him so that he falls on it which he destroys with his sword while putting extra strength on his other leg falling to the side.

Notice: 100 mana has been deducted.

'Iris is incredible,' Alicia thought excitedly as she saw what unfolded.

He quickly got up and took a serious stance walking forward.

I mana coat the sword he sent my way with 400 mana making it shine brighter than his and then I slash the air creating a horizontal mana wave towards him.

Notice: 400 mana has been deducted.

A surprised face appears in his eyes as the mana flies at him.

Alfred starts moving away from it and when he attempt realizes something weird looking down.

'Ice bind,' I had frozen his feet to the wooden floor.

Notice: 100 mana has been deducted.

'It's been a while since the last time I was injured in some way.'

Understanding the situation with ice all the way to the knees, he charges the sword with more mana throwing a mana wave back at mine, meanwhile, I summon two icicles attacking him from behind.

Notice: 100 mana has been deducted.

"Behind!" Alicia shouted warning the father noticing the danger of such a sneak attack.

He turns the torso making the icicles graze as the mana waves explode upon hitting each other vibrating the entirety of the room.

Blood starts dripping from the sides of his hip.

'This combat style is truly creative, not once but twice I was injured, if I taught her swordsmanship on top of it, she'd reach new heights and be extremely useful to Alicia.'

While he slashes the ice in the feet freeing himself while mana coating the sword, I make a big icicle on top of him letting it smash him.

Notice: 300 mana has been deducted.

He jumps backward dodging it barely.

'My daughter truly is incredible, so this must be the reason why Aurora said ice would fit her, to think she foresaw this much, they're both outstanding my girls,' Rosaline thought while her eyes shone with happiness.

'Is she really 8 years old? I'm giving 20% of myself, so I don't hurt her, but she's making it pretty hard, guess I'll have to go a bit harder,' suddenly Alfred dashes twice as fast towards me compared to other times he attempted it, where I'm forced to freeze the floor between us while making four icicles around him closing the exits.

Notice: 300 mana has been deducted.

'Seems like I'll have to train Alicia harder after this,' he smiled faintly noticing my tricks, skillfully slipping on the ice while slashing at them.

As he surfed the ice towards me, I use my leftover mana and half of my health to summon 20 icicles from everywhere around.

Notice: 410 mana and 300 health have been deducted.

I faint on the floor due to mana exhaustion while the icicles go towards him, meanwhile, noticing that he's in a pinch, he pushes the body to 50% and opens a way to the side destroying 2 icicles rolling through the floor while a few of the leftover icicles still graze him.

After a moment he gets up and turns to me finding my body on the floor where I fainted.

'That was an amazing effort, Iris, I'm glad that you weren't all talk, so I get to save your face and honor,' a happy expression fills the face.

He mana coats the blade then mana slashes it skillfully in a curve crushing all the ice shards on the floor making beautifully sparkling dust that gets penetrated by the light from the door they left open.

Alfred then goes back to the weapon table sheathing the sword and placing it there.

Mother walks up to me and checks on me," seems like she used too much mana on that final one."

"Let her rest in one of our rooms," Alfred leaves the training room after saying that.

"You're welcome to stay the night and eat with us Rosaline, take care of your friend meanwhile Alicia," Sylvia followed Alfred smiling with a mix of happiness and enthusiasm.

"I will mother," she walked closer to Iris worried while Robert picked the body up and led them to one of the rooms in the mansion.

After they placed Iris in one of the beds, Alicia spoke to Rosaline, "I didn't know Iris was that amazing."

"Honestly I didn't either, I'm as surprised as you are," Rosaline replied while smiling proudly at her daughter.

"I believe Lord Alfred hasn't been damaged since he last dueled with Sylvia, even if those attacks were just grazing him they meant a lot," Robert added delicately some words praising Iris's efforts.

"Dad wasn't being serious, he's a lot more amazing than that, most likely was testing her, nevertheless that was truly amazing, I doubt I'd have survived that last one."

"Yes, had he gone all out from the beginning it would've been a different outcome, but even then I believe there would be one or two grazes since it's very hard to dodge all those ice spells Iris made."

"The most amazing thing is the control necessary to do so, she must've been well taught and worked very hard," Robert said praising Iris and her parents.

'Still, I don't think she'd use mana without using a combination of swordsmanship as I taught her, that wasn't like her at all... Iris relied too much on ice spells. When she wakes up I'll ask her what happened.'