"Y-Young Master!" The knight immediately rushed to the unconscious Pier who was lying beside the beast's corpse.

"H-Hold on, I'll carry you back to the clearing!" The knight rushed, panicking as he picked Pier up and carried the blood-soaked young master on his back.

---

Asher was checking the condition of the carriage and the horses along with his men. For others, it would be weird to see the prince of a kingdom do the chores with them but that's what made the citizens of the Taron Kingdom admire their current Crown Prince.

They see Asher Lumiere as a kind, compassionate, and upright prince.

"Your Highness, please leave the work to us and rest for the time being." A knight said as they inspected the carriage.

"It would be fine to lend a helping hand to the people I will rule in the future." He said and everyone who heard the statement felt their hearts warm up. Truly, Asher is fitting for the position of a prince.

"Your highness-" a priest tried to approach Asher but was cut off by the sound of a sweet voice.

"Your Highness!" Asher's eyes widened when he heard the voice and turned his head in the direction where it came from.

"Lady Elena!" Elena gracefully walked toward the Crown Prince's direction and bowed when he reached him.

"Why is my lady here?" He was surprised at Elena showing up in the middle of the clearing along with many servants behind her.

"I came to accompany his highness in the Boundary!" She replied joyfully. Her silky-smooth hair and her elegant dress made her stand out from the rest of the people who were present in the clearing.

"I'm glad you're here, my lady but -"

"Please do not worry, your highness, I have already asked for my father's permission and he said yes if it is for the betterment of our kingdom." Elena softly said and the knights around her turned their heads away as if they would get beheaded from staring at the beautiful lady of the Scotch Household.

"I see. It's my greatest pleasure to be accompanied by my Lady in my journey." Asher said as he lifted Elena's gloved hand and kissed the back of it. He was still baffled by the sudden appearance of Elena but he decided to not think about it too much.

"It's also my honor to be with his highness' company." the priests, clerks, and knights who saw the scenario smiled at how the future of the kingdom will definitely look bright with the two leading them.

Elena scanned her eyes around the people present and there are those that met her gaze shied away in embarrassment for meeting the beautiful lady's eyes.

"Is there something you are worried about, Lady Elena?" Asher asked and Elena smiled.

"Ah, it is my first time to venture into these kinds of places, your highness. I am curious about the environment and different flowers I can see here!" She said as she cutely talked about flowers and the environment.

Asher chuckled at Elena's action and offered his hand to the lady.

"Then may I accompany the lady to look around the place? Some areas around the clearing have beautiful flowers and sights that the lady might like" Elena beamed widely and nodded her head in response.

"Please do, your highness-" But before she could grab Asher's hand, a shout echoed around the clearing.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" Everyone's eyes turned to the voice's source and when Asher saw who it was, his eyes widened in even greater surprise.

It was the knight he had ordered to protect Pier.

And on top of his back was the young master himself. Pier's clothes were covered in blood and he was unconscious too.

Asher's hands trembled as he watched the seemingly lifeless body of the bloodied young master. His heartbeat increased multiple times at the sight.

Elena who had also seen the scenario gasped in shock at the gruesome state Pier was in.

"W-WHAT HAPPENED?!" Asher's panicked voice was heard by everyone and immediately, people started to make way for the knight carrying the young master's body.

"The...the young master...!" The knight said with his eyes wide open as if he was having a hard time processing everything that he had seen.

Asher did not wait for the knight's response and immediately went to carefully lift the young master from the knight's back. A knight rushed to get a new set of cloth and laid it on the ground.

Asher's arms shook as he placed Pier's body down on the clothes laid by the knight.

A healer and a priest immediately went to work and checked Pier's condition.

"How is he?!" Asher asked. Fear and panic were evident in his voice as he was seemingly shaking from the sight of Pier covered with blood.

After a few more minutes of inspection, both the healer and the priest sighed in relief.

"The young master is simply unconscious, your highness." Asher felt his nervousness slightly lessen at the words.

"Then why- why is Pier covered with blood?" He asked with a shaky voice.

"The young master has no wounds, your highness. The blood covering him is not his own but from another creature." The prince gave off a huge sigh of relief after hearing the priest's words.

"It seems the young master has passed out from using most of his magic and mana to the limit." The healer explained and Asher was once more bewildered.

"Mana and magic?" His shaking voice asked the healer and he had his heart pounding at the words.

"Yes, your highness. The young master reached the exhaustion point of his abilities."

Asher turned to look at the knight who was kneeling beside Pier's unconscious body.

His face was blank and empty as if he had seen something otherworldly for the first time.

"Explain what happened," Asher commanded and the knight who seems to have calmed down slightly gulped.

"When his h-highness ordered me to follow the young master..." He breathed multiple times before continuing his explanation.

"I went deeper and deeper inside the forest to look for Young Master Pier but I could not find him. Instead, I was able to encounter an adult m-magic beast..." Gasps resonated around the clearing.

"An adult magic beast?"

"Impossible! We have checked the surroundings but we found none!"

"Silence!" Asher commanded everyone who was shocked to hear about the appearance of a magic beast.

Magic beasts are creatures of the forest that are able to grow and evolve into an entirely new form by slowly intaking the condensed mana in the deeper parts of the forest.

Seeing one directly would be an unfortunate encounter because magic beasts are known to be ruthless and monstrous enough to kill someone with only their pure strength.

An adult magic beast is even way more dangerous than the average one because they have reached the final stage of their growth and they are able to fully reign in an area of the forest because no other creatures could rival them.

"Continue." The knight gulped and held his shaking arm.

"When I was about to get attacked by the magical beast, the...the young master showed up and..."

"You killed the magic beast and protected the young master, am I right?" Elena said as her body shook with fear.

"N-No, I was unable to protect the young master..." The knight bowed his head in shame for not being able to protect Pier.

"Instead, the young master was the one who protected me and killed the magical beast." Another set of gasps echoed around the clearing after hearing the knight explain what happened.

"The young master... he had used wind magic and... and he also produced a sword made out of fire to defeat the magical beast!" The memory of Pier battling the magical beast was one of the things that the knight would never forget in his entire life.

Asher, who was listening to the knight's explanation gripped the sheath of his sword.

"You're telling me, the young master killed the adult magical beast all alone?" The captain of the knights who accompanied the Crown Prince with their inspections asked with a surprised expression.

The knight nodded his head and pointed in the direction they came from.

"Walk for twenty minutes to the north and you will find the corpse of the beast the young master has slain." The knight said as he slowly regained composure.

"Retrieve the corpse immediately!" Asher ordered and a group of knights followed his command. They followed the direction that the knight Pier had protected had told them.

Asher turned to look at Pier with a disbelieving gaze.

"Pier..." He kneeled beside Pier's unconscious body and his hand touched Pier's shoulders.

'He used magic... and was able to slay an adult magic beast?' Asher's thoughts ran wild. He was now fully convinced that the Pier lying unconscious in the wrinkled clothes was a new person.

He never knew what happened to Pier after he had publicly shamed Pier but when they met again, the Pier he knew had new profound confidence emanating from him, as if he was indeed a truly new Pier.

"Immediately bring a new set of clothes for the young master!" He ordered and soon, fresh new clothes for Pier to wear were brought.

The servants who accompanied Elena were the ones tasked to change the young master's upper clothes but his lower ones remained as they were not soaked with blood.

After a few more minutes, the knights who went into the forest to retrieve the magical beast's corpse returned. Much to everyone's surprise, they were also dragging with them an extremely large magical beast.

The corpse of the beast had multiple wounds around it yet the most evident was the stab wounds that also showed signs of getting burned.

"Did the young master really defeat this monstrous beast alone...?" A knight subconsciously asked and everyone got their minds running.

If truly Pier defeated the magical beast all alone then that means he was powerful enough to even defeat ten royal soldiers by himself.

Their spines shivered and they were filled with amazement. The sight of the dead magic beast was scary enough that some priests and clerks who were not used to seeing bloody and gruesome scenarios started to cower in fear.

'Pier, you killed this alone?' Asher thought as he stared at the corpse.

He turned his head to look at Pier's figure once more.

Asher was feeling a new set of emotions deep within him. He was amazed at how Pier was able to battle the beast alone and he was also blaming himself for letting the young master wander alone in the forest with only a single knight to accompany him.

He had been reckless and negligent. Asher clenched his fist as he was mad. He blamed himself as the reason why Pier was currently unconscious again. He had been patiently waiting to see Pier wake up after almost two days of sleeping but only after a few hours of being awake, Pier was now back in his unconscious and defenseless self.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Did the young master really kill the magical beast alone? Maybe he had someone who helped him?" Elena suddenly asked and a few gazes from the surroundings were directed at her.

Elena stiffened at the gazes and she composed herself quickly.

"I-I mean, it is dreadful enough for me to imagine the young master going up against such monster! I am utterly worried for the young master's safety and had hoped someone might have helped him slay the beast!" Elena then proceeded to show a face full of worry and fear.

"T-That's right... the young master couldn't have done it by himself. We never saw him show his magic and battle others..."

"I agree...."

Those who could not believe the knight's explanation that Pier had slain the beast by himself started to surface one by one. They shared their thoughts about how it was impossible for the young master who never even once showed his capabilities could defeat such a monstrosity.

"Step forward to the individuals who might have helped the young master, you shall be awarded greatly for your assistance in keeping the young master in a good condition!" Elena said as she shed tears showing worry for Pier.

The knight who heard the whispers and the chatters of people gritted his teeth.

How could he let the person who saved his life be talked about like that? He especially hated the lady who started the surfacing of questions about the young master's capabilities.

"You shall be granted with new titles and even land-"

"The young master had slain the beast by himself!" the knight shouted. He clenched his fist as everyone went silent and attention was focused on him.

"I- I was frozen with fear after I saw the beast but the young master had stood up against it and did not cower!" People started to whisper as they saw the knight angrily stand up from his position.

"The wounds as I have said were due to the young master's elemental powers! Does anyone here have the fire and wind elements at their disposal?!" He angrily screamed and those that spoke about Pier's capabilities closed their mouths.

Why? It was because wind and fire elements were two of the rare elements that people could wield. Only upper-middle and high-ranking magicians can control the two elements up to an extent and currently, there are no high-ranking magicians with them now.

"Some of the wounds were cleanly cut as if the wind had pierced through them and stab wounds were accompanied by burns in higher degrees! now tell me, who among you here could wield both elements?!" He was mad. He was furious that people were doubting his savior's capabilities as if they were looking down on the young master.

Nobody dared to speak and everyone kept silent. Elena was stiff in her place after hearing the knight scream and look at her with eyes that contained animosity and anger.

"H-How dare you-!"

"I, Gideon Woodlock, a knight of the fourth battalion swears in the title I possess that the young master of the Belmiunde household had slain the beast by himself!"

No one dared to speak and no one even retaliated. The knight had sworn on his name and his title that the things he said were true.

A knight's name and his title as a knight itself is the greatest pride they could ever have. Swearing upon a knight's own name and his position means that they are willing to lose everything they have just to stand by what they believe in.

Elena could not speak out. A knight of small importance was swearing upon his name and his title.

Another unspoken concept about a knight swearing upon his name and his title was that it also meant that the knight was willing to die with the side they have chosen to stand on.

The knight named Gideon was willing to die just to prove Pier's capabilities.

"Enough," Asher commanded and Gideon stood still. He had decided to never cower in front of others again, even if it held more power and importance than him.

"You are a knight worthy of your name and title," Asher said as he patted the knight's shoulder.

"We can see the young master's true abilities when he heals and will be in excellent condition once more. Enough with the doubts and words, the young master himself had protected most of us in here" Asher explained as he proceeded to gaze at Pier's resting body.

"What would happen in the adult magical beast was to suddenly attack unexpectedly in our clearing? A few casualties would be undoubtedly made." Everyone silently agreed.

If the magic beast who reached adulthood were to attack them in surprise, a few people in the clearing would have definitely died instantly before they can subdue it.

"Everyone, rest for now. We will depart towards the boundary when the sun rises in the morning." The Knights held their fists on their chests as they bowed and proceeded to follow the Crown Prince's commands.

"Knight Gideon of House Woodlock," Asher called and Gideon stood without a hint of fear in his face.

"You have sworn upon your name and title to prove the young master's capabilities." Gideon nodded his head at Asher's words.

"Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, your highness!"

The final thing a knight's promise upon his name and title means was that;

"I am willing to become a knight of allegiance to the young master from the Belmiunde Household!"