The elegant procession of the Great Kingdom Winston's envoy had departed the Windless Kingdom, but its aftershocks still rippled through the capital. For David William, the echoes of Princess Elisa Winston's words were the loudest of all. Her public dismissal, her casual verdict of his path as a "dead end," had been a sharper, more painful blow than any he had ever received. It was a humiliation that transcended his family's honor; it struck at the very core of his new identity. And now, he found himself a target not of scorn, but of an even more unsettling form of attention.
In the wake of their brief, sharp meeting in the Aethelburg market, David's life took on a new, perplexing rhythm. He would be in the bustling heart of the city, bargaining with a Pill Guild master for a rare herb, and a carriage bearing the crest of the Great Kingdom Winston would roll by, its curtains drawn back just enough for him to catch a glimpse of a flash of golden hair and a pair of sparkling emerald eyes. He would be deep in the Fortress Hall's training grounds, practicing his advanced earth formations, and a scout from the Winston retinue would be spotted watching from the shadows, their presence as subtle as a bull in a china shop. It was clear. The princess was following him.
Elisa Winston was not a woman who took no for an answer, nor was she one to let a puzzle remain unsolved. The young man she had met two years prior was a ghost of a memory; the one she had just encountered was a living enigma. His aura was an unprecedented fusion of power, a chaotic but harmonious blend of all four elite paths. It defied every law of mana she had ever learned. How had he done it? Who was his mentor? And most of all, why did he treat her, a princess of a Great Kingdom, with such icy, palpable contempt? Her pride, bruised by his public rebuke, demanded answers. Her curiosity, a burning fire within her, demanded more.
One afternoon, as David was examining a mana-infused geode in a quiet alchemist's shop, a figure stepped into the small building, a jingle of bells announcing her presence. It was Elisa, but this time she was not in her elegant travel robes. She wore a simple, yet exquisitely tailored, dark green tunic and pants, her golden hair tied back in a neat ponytail. She looked like a powerful adventurer, not a princess. Her brother, Arion, was not with her, nor was her mentor. She was alone, save for a single, unassuming bodyguard who stood watch outside.
David, his back to the door, felt her approach. He did not turn. His cold facade was a fortress he had built over years of ridicule, and he had no intention of letting it crumble for a flighty noble.
"You're surprisingly difficult to find, Master David," Elisa said, her voice a mix of amusement and a hint of frustration. "One would think a man so focused on his craft would be easy to track down."
David's fingers continued to trace the intricate patterns on the geode. He was a master of ignoring those who were not relevant to his goals. "I am not a spectacle to be observed, Your Highness. I have told you before, I have business to attend to."
"Yes, I know," she replied, stepping closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You are searching for Celestite and aether-infused reagents. The Windless Kingdom is a beautiful place, but its resources are… limited."
David's hand froze. His face remained impassive, but a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. He had mentioned Celestite only in passing to a guild master, and had kept his list of needed reagents a closely guarded secret. How could she possibly know?
Elisa saw the subtle shift in his demeanor and a triumphant smile touched her lips. "I have my ways," she said, her voice still low. "A great kingdom has great resources. And great intelligence networks. I find it fascinating that a young elite from a minor kingdom is seeking out materials that are a challenge even for our most experienced Pill Masters and Mages."
"What do you want, Princess?" David said, finally turning to face her, his obsidian eyes like two chips of ice. "If you have come to gloat about your intelligence network, you have succeeded. Now leave."
Elisa's smile faded, replaced by an earnestness that was surprisingly sincere. "I came to apologize. What I said two years ago… it was a reflection of my own arrogance, not of your worth. My mentor, Master Vex, told me after our last meeting that he had never seen such a chaotic but powerful mana signature. He believes your path, while unheard of, holds unimaginable potential. I am… curious. I want to understand. I want to know how a boy who was once a laughingstock could become a phenomenon."
David's stoic mask wavered for a moment. He had expected contempt, condescension, perhaps even an attempt to humiliate him again. He had not expected a genuine apology. But years of pain had made him cynical. "Curiosity is a fleeting emotion, Your Highness. It will fade once you realize I am just a man who cobbled a few broken pieces of knowledge together. My path is my own. I have no master, no guild, and no reason to share my secrets."
Elisa took another step forward, her expression resolute. "I don't want your secrets. I want to understand you. What drives you? That… that cold fire in your eyes. I've never seen anything like it. Everyone in my life has had a clear path, a grand destiny. But you… you built your own. From nothing. And you did it while everyone was laughing at you." Her voice was filled with a mix of awe and admiration. "You are not a boy who cobbled things together. You are a genius."
David's jaw tightened. The compliments felt like a foreign language. He had been so used to insults that praise felt like a trap. "Geniuses don't get ridiculed. Geniuses are born with a clear talent. I was born with nothing. And if you'll excuse me, I have to go. My purpose here is not to entertain a curious princess."
He turned to leave, but as he reached the door, another figure blocked his way. Lord Kael, a handsome young noble from the Snowess Kingdom and a devoted suitor of Elisa's. His face was a mask of cold fury, his eyes fixed on David.
"Well, well," Kael sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "If it isn't the 'Scourge of the William family,' trying to worm his way into the Princess's company. Do you not have any shame?"
Elisa's eyes flashed with anger. "Kael, step aside. I am speaking with Master David."
Kael ignored her, his attention focused entirely on David. "I heard about your little parlor trick at your birthday party. A fluke. Everyone knows your path is a dead end. You have no right to speak to a princess of the Great Kingdom Winston. She is a woman of destiny, not a charity case for a talentless wastrel."
David's face was utterly impassive, but his mana, which he had been keeping carefully contained, suddenly pulsed, a brief but powerful shockwave that made Kael involuntarily take a step back. The air around David seemed to thicken, a palpable pressure that was a fusion of all four paths—the raw, unyielding force of a Knight, the volatile energy of a Mage, the immovable will of a Fortress Master, and the subtle, corrosive properties of a Pill Master's concoctions.
"It would be wise for you to reconsider your words, Lord Kael," David said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "You are a child who was born with a silver spoon in your mouth, a boy who learned to fight because it was a hobby. I fought for my life, for my pride, for my very existence. And if you do not step aside, I will show you the difference between a child and a man."
Kael, for all his arrogance, was a trained elite, and he could feel the immense, controlled power radiating from David. It was a power that felt more dangerous than a full-fledged duel; it felt like a force of nature, unrefined but terrifying. He gulped, his bravado crumbling.
Elisa, seeing the tension escalate, stepped between them. "Kael, leave. Now," she commanded, her voice carrying the unmistakable authority of royalty. "And David… I have an offer for you."
David looked at her, his eyes still burning with cold fire.
"I know where you can find the materials you need. All of them. Celestite, aether-infused reagents, and even the rare materials for your Transformation Three breakthrough
David stared at her, an expression of disbelief on his face. This was her plan? To trade information for his time? The audacity was breathtaking.
"I will give you the location," she continued, a flicker of genuine hope in her eyes. "In exchange for your time. For your company. For a chance to simply talk to you, to understand the man behind the legend. My offer is non-negotiable."
David stood there for a long moment, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. His pride told him to walk away. His practicality, however, told him this was a chance he couldn't pass up. The resources she spoke of were nearly impossible to acquire, and his path, his one chance at a second life, depended on them. The humiliation he would suffer by having to endure her company was a small price to pay for the power he craved.
He looked at her, really looked at her. Her face, once a source of pain, was now a mirror of her own determination. He saw not a pampered princess, but a woman with a will as strong as his own. A spark of grudging respect, a tiny flicker of something he hadn't felt in years, ignited in his heart.
He took a deep breath, the cold rage in his eyes softening just a fraction. "Fine," he said, his voice a low sigh. "Give me the information. I will meet you at the royal palace gates tomorrow at noon. And do not bring your entourage."
Elisa's face lit up with a brilliant smile, the kind that could make a thousand flowers bloom. "Thank you, Master David. I won't disappoint you. I look forward to our… adventure."
David said nothing more. He simply walked past the flustered Kael and out of the shop, the scent of jasmine and the weight of a new, complicated burden trailing behind him. His path had just become a lot more interesting, and a lot more dangerous.