"Finally—nobles against nobles," another added, rolling his eyes.
"Not those pathetic commoners wasting our time."
Beneath the floating crest, the two duelists stepped from the lower archway, walking side by side down the path toward the arena floor. The faint hum of their mana signatures shimmered already, stirring the air between them.
"I heard her house is famous for combat," a girl whispered to her friend, eyes fixed on Tess's graceful stride.
"The Alvane line trains directly under the Knight Command."
"Yeah," her friend replied, lowering her voice. "But Eldric Korr's family is known for fiery frost. That's not a small deal either."
Eldric brushed his thumb across his lips, his grin playful and mocking. "Well, well," he drawled, his tone laced with arrogance. "Isn't it my cutie noble? I must say, you look far too delicate to be standing here. Combat isn't exactly a noblewoman's charm, now is it?"
