*Bam!*

On the roof of the royal palace, sounds of collision could be heard over and over again. On it, Amelia was clashing against the the first prince with her newly gifted saber.

*Bam!*

She was forced back by James, who chased after her thrusting his sword at her neck. Amelia dodged it with a sidestep, and slashed at James exposed side.

James lifted his arm up and blocked the slashed, with his skin that turned into iron. He then slashed at Amelia, who jumped back to avoid it.

“You’re not getting away.”

However, at that moment James accelerated and appeared in front of her in a flash. She was caught off guard and forcibly parried his sword thrust with the flat side of her blade.

She then kicked him in the stomach to force him back. James took a couple steps back with a smile on his face.

“Not bad. You’re pretty skilled for someone your age.”

James praised.

“Rubbish. You’re not that older than me, but you’re just playing around with me.”

Amelia responded.

“No, I mean it. I was trained by some of the best warriors in the kingdom, but you’re able to keep up with me. I’m honestly shocked. Were you really self-taught?”

James replied.

“I’ll take your compliment, but only after I’ve lost.”

Amelia lifted her sword to the side and started channeling her power through our entire body and sword.

“I’m going to attack you with strongest sword strike I have. I appreciate it if you block or counter it, so that I can see what I’m lacking.”

She said as she eyed the prince.

Seeing the look in her eyes, the prince couldn’t help but feel a chill.

‘Such an intense glare….’

He tightened the grip on his sword.

“So this is how it feels to face a Lodon.”

He showed a broad smile.

“Come!”

He shouted with a challenging tone. Amelia rushed towards him with an incredible speed. Her sword started overflowing with anima the closer she got to James.

The prince clenched his sword and watched as she came into range. Once they were only a few meters apart, the two of them swung their swords at the same time.

*Bam!*

The blades collided and a shockwave spread away from them and caused small cracks to appear all over the roof.

“Ugh!”

Amelia groaned as she poured all of her strength into her sword. The prince on the other hand was calmer, even though he was feeling pressured.

His anima erupted and his sword started producing a repelling force, which slowly pushed away Amelia and her sword.

“Wha?!”

Amelia was shocked to be overwhelmed in such a way.

Once there was enough distance between them, James flipped his sword and slashed Amelia across the chest, in a swift and deadly strike.

*Bam!*

Amelia was sent flying back with her chest burning with pain. She fell on her back a couple meters away from the prince.

“Ahh!”

She screamed out in pain and held her chest. She started wiggling in pain.

“Crap, did I overdo it?”

Said the prince, when he saw how much pain Amelia was in.

“I did use the back of my sword though.”

He sheathed his sword and rushed towards Amelia. He was scared that he had injured her. If he did, it might cause Rory to snap, which wasn’t good for the country in the least.

Once he got close to her, he stretched his hand out towards her.

“?!”

At that moment, he felt something pressed against his throat. He looked down and saw that it was Amelia’s blade.

“Y-You shouldn’t drop your guard so easily. Y-Your majesty.”

He saw Amelia smiling at him with a pained expression.

“I could’ve easily taken your head just now, if I was aligned with one of the other princes.”

Her words shocked James.

He could see from the bruise on her chest as well as the anguished expression that she was in immense pain, but she was still able to point out his mistake, and even had his life in her hands.

‘T-This girl….She’s the best!’

James thought.

He admitted that he had greatly underestimated her. She took advantage of the fact that he would be worried about hurting her, to draw him into a trap. To do that while suffering from immense pain was praiseworthy.

‘Her ability to stay levelheaded even in intense situations was displayed in the tournament, and now here. Also, from our exchange earlier it’s obvious that she has monstrous potential. Her personality is one that always seek improvement, and never feels arrogant and overconfident.’

He smiled as wide as he could.

‘I want her!’

That was what echoed in his mind and heart.

‘I must obtain this woman for myself!’

“Hm?”

“What’s wrong?”

Asked King Xavier, after seeing Rory suddenly looked tense. They were taking a walking around the palace yard with Sir Allen accompanying them.

“My Elia senses are tingling.”

Rory said with a straight face.

“Your what?”

Xavier asked.

“It feels like someone is making a move on Elia…”

Rory muttered.

“Feels like? Are sure you didn’t just pick it up with your sonar or ajna?”

Asked Xavier.

“Nope. I’ve stopped using those since it would ruin the fun that’s about to occur in the kingdom. I’m currently relying on instinct alone.”

Rory replied.

“And your instincts are telling you that someone is hitting on your woman?”

“How?”

Xavier and Allen asked respectively.

“You know how mothers can sometime sense when their kids are about to do something stupid or something they’re not supposed to do, so they check on them? It’s like that.”

Rory replied.

“So….You’re her mom?”

Xavier asked with a confused expression.

“…..I might’ve worded that wrongly.”

Rory said.

“Anyway, it seems that one of the princes wants to recruit Amelia, which isn’t odd.”

“Aren’t you afraid one of my sons take her from you?”

Xavier asked with a grin.

“Hahahaha!”

Rory replied with a laugh.

“No offense, king. But your sons can’t court her. They aren’t up to the task.”

He wrapped his hands around Xavier.

“Besides, there are only a few people who can take her away from me, and only one who I would give to with no hesitation whatsoever. Everybody else will have to kill me to get her.”

“So you have no problem with my sons trying, since you’re that confident?”

Xavier asked back.

“Oh, you got balls ill give you that.”

Rory smiled.

“Fine. If they want to try, I won’t stop them. Even if Elia does one day want to leave my side, I won’t stop her. She isn’t my slave or anything after all.”

“I’ll take you up on your offer.”

Xavier replied.

“Speaking of women, don’t you have any place where we can enjoy ourselves?”

Rory whispered in Xavier’s ear.

“How rude! I’m the prestigious king of this fine kingdom!”

Xavier answered with a frown.

He then took out a card and handed it to Rory. It read Pleasure Garden.

“I’m their #1 customer.”

Xavier said with a grin.

“You know, Xavier. I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”

The two started laughing as they made their way to the palace gate. Allen who was following behind them, could only sigh.

After a while, the three of arrived at a building in the center of the city. It was heavily guarded and looked intimidating like it was a base of some kind of criminal organization.

“Oh? This place sure looks fancy.”

Rory said while looking around. He saw that those that entered all wore expensive suits and other luxurious clothing.

“I see. This place is where the nobles come to have secret talks while enjoying themselves.”

He said.

“As sharp as always.”

Xavier said behind.

“The Pleasure Garden definitely isn’t an ordinary brothel. It’s the playground of this kingdom’s aristocrats.”

He explained.

“And you’re the owner of such an establishment?”

Rory asked.

“No, but the one behind it has immense power.”

Xavier said.

“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t longer feel like messing around.”

Rory suddenly said, which shocked the king.

“Why?”

“Because if I go inside, I might see somethings I prefer not to see.”

Rory replied.

“You know, those with high status tend to have weird fetishes. I have normal fetishes, so I’m sure that I’ll just spoil the mood inside.”

After saying that, he turned around.

“No need to worry about that, Devil King. This place is more tamed than you’ll expect.”

He heard a voice and turned around to see someone standing at the entrance of the building. It was the second prince, Liam.

“Come in, promise you that you won’t regret it.”

Liam said with a smile.

“So you’re the owner….”

Rory looked at Xavier, it seemed that he expected to see his son. He might’ve brought Rory here for the purpose of meeting Liam in the first place.

“Come on in, Lord Rory.”

Liam repeated.

“If you wanted to invited me in, you should’ve brought the most beautiful women you got.”

Rory said.

“If I did, you’ll feel like I’m looking down on you. You’ll think that I only see you as a stupid person who can’t resist his desires and can easily be bought over with some cheap women.”

Liam replied.

“Wouldn’t that only sour your mood?”

He said.

Rory eyes brightened for a bit when he heard that.

“You’re wise for your age, and quite observant too.”

Rory smiled.

“Very well. I’ll listen to what you have say.”

After saying that, Rory entered the building with Xavier and Allen behind him. When he entered he was greeted with a luxurious interior matching a place used by the high class.

He saw beautiful women lined off on the sides of the wall. They were all dressed elegantly, contrary to what you would think a brothel worker would look like.

“This isn’t half bad.”

Rory said after looking around.

“Thank you for your praise.”

Said Liam.

He looked at the girls again, and his eyes stopped on a particular woman. She had long brown hair, glassy pink eyes, and had a modest figure. Her face was quite beautiful as well. However, Rory wasn’t looking at the woman with lustful eyes.

His eyes lacked any obvious emotions. It was like he was simply observing her.

“Do you like this woman?”

A man dressed in a suit approached Rory. It seemed that he worked here.

“This girl is new here, and hasn’t had a single customer. If you like, you can be her first.”

Said the man.

Rory ignored him and continued to stare at the woman. Despite being literally examined by Rory, the woman kept a bright smile on her face.

“Um… My lord?”

The man called out to Rory again.

“Ah, don’t mind it.”

Rory smiled at him.

“She was so beautiful that I had to stare.”

After said that, he smiled at the woman and walked to the dining section of the building. Rather than a brothel, the place looked like a high class restaurant that happens to offer sexual services on the side.

He took a seat at the table where the prince and the king were sitting. Sir Allen was standing behind the king with a straight face.

“If you liked that woman, you can have her you know.”

Liam said after Rory took a seat.

“Nah, that’s fine. I prefer to be with women who are willing, not those who are ordered to.”

Rory replied.

He took a glass of champagne from a waiter and drank it.

“It’s the same when I go to brothels and bars. I pick a woman and get to know her and slowly tear down the wall of worker and client that is between us. After that we’ll return back to being a mere man and woman.”

He smiled.

“That way the woman will truly enjoy herself, thus allowing me to enjoy myself as well.”

“Really? You’re strange.”

Said Xavier.

“I’m just a gentleman.”

Rory placed his hand on his chest and said.

“Hahaha. You’re really an interesting person, Rory.”

Said Liam.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I would be really grateful if you can support me in my mission to become king.”

He said.

“Support you or work for you?”

Rory asked.

“Don’t joke like that. There’s no way I can have someone of your power and status work for me. I know my limits quite well.”

Liam replied.

“I merely want you to publicly endorse me for the position of king. I won’t even attempt to order you around, and I won’t ask you for rude favors either.”

“You mean like killing your father and brothers?”

“Pssh!”

Xavier spat out the champagne he was drinking when he heard that. The father that Rory mentioned was obviously him.

“Liam! You little shits really are planning on assassinating me?!”

Xavier shouted while choking the prince who was beside him.

“Your majesty! He was kidding! He meant hypothetically!”

Allen shouted while trying to pry the king off Liam.

“He was? Oh.”

Xavier released his son and sat back down.

“My bad. You may continue.”

He said.

“A-Anyway..”

Liam cough a bit after being released.

“Yes, I won’t ask you for such favors. Just saying that I deserve to be king is enough. With someone like you endorsing me, people will believe it to be true.”

He said.

“Why are you three even competing to be king in the first place? Normally, wouldn’t the first prince be the heir?”

Rory asked.

“It’s my fault.”

Xavier spoke up.

“My genes were just too superior. I ended up conceiving three talented sons.”

Xavier then whispered, “ Curse my godly rod”, with a pained expression.

“Because we were all so talented from a young age, we all drew supporters towards us who wanted to make us king. And the result is our current competition.”

Liam said.

“So having too many gifted children can be troublesome as well.”

Rory muttered with an amused expression.

“The problem is that all three of us believe that we can make the kingdom a prosperous one, but can’t agree on the ways on how we should go about it.”

Liam added.

“This battle has been going on since we were kids.”

“But my appearance creates the opportunity to end it once and for all?”

Rory said.

Liam nodded.

“If it’s you who once saved this country before, this competition can end with your words.”

He said.

“You can convince my idiot of a father…Ow!”

“Hey, I’m right here. Don’t talk like I’m not.”

Xavier said after hitting his son for insulting him.

“You can convince my father and those around him that I’m the true heir.”

Liam said.

“Hmph. No matter what anyone says, you’re all too immature to become my heirs.”

Xavier said while putting a piece of cake that was on his fork into his mouth.

“Besides, none of the three of you have brought a woman you want to be your queen for me to see. Just so you know, you can’t be a king without a queen.”

“I can get a queen whenever. I showed you plans that can make this country prosper! A queen shouldn’t matter!”

“How can you make a country prosper, when you can’t even make your love life prosper!”

Xavier pointed his fork at his son.

“Find a queen and love her with all of your heart, stupid son!”

“I don’t want to hear that from a king who comes to brothel while his queen is in the palace, stupid old man!”

“I’m just taking a tour to see if my people are happy.”

“You tour this place three times a week!”

“You bastard, stop shouting out your father’s business!”

The father and son pair started butting heads.

“Oh, the prince surprisingly has this part of him as well.”

Rory said while watching them argue, and smiled.

“Hm?”

He suddenly felt movement behind him and turned around to look at the girls. When he looked, he saw that one of the women were missing.

It was the woman who he was staring at intensely for a while.

“Hahaha.”

He gave a low laugh and pretended like he didn’t see anything.

At the same time, the woman that Rory noticed had gone missing was moving out of the Pleasure Garden’s area.

She quickly arrived outside of the defensive net, and blended in the crowd after somehow ridding herself of her fancy clothing.

Not only her clothing, but she even got rid of her face, hair, and eyes, in other words makeup, wig and contact lens.

The current woman looked like someone completely different. She had an androgynous look which made her look handsome and beautiful, feminine and masculine at the same time. She had white hair that turned red near the ends, and bloody red eyes to match.

While walking through the crowd, she took out a phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, it’s me. Tell the prince that Liam and James have made contact with Rory and Amelia Rosa. Also, that bastard Rory is too sharp, so I had to leave my post sooner than expected.”

She frowned and then said-

“Tell him to be careful. There’s no telling where the country is going.”