Vanna's muscles tensed, her hand instinctively moving toward the hilt of her sword. "Your Highness, if I may—I'd like to test this man's capabilities myself. A proper evaluation requires—"
"No need, Vanna." Princess Lyra's voice carried quiet authority that brooked no argument. "I'll handle the assessment personally."
Vanna's protest died in her throat. She knew that tone well—the princess had already made her decision, and nothing short of a royal decree would change her mind. Instead, she simply nodded, stepping back with practiced deference.
"Mira," the princess called to her personal maid, who had been quietly arranging documents at a nearby desk. "Please retrieve my school project from my chambers. The one I completed last week."
The young maid curtsied. "At once, Your Highness."
"Follow me," Lyra commanded, already moving toward the corridor. "Both of you."
As they walked through the castle's marble hallways, Kael found his attention drawn to the princess despite his efforts to maintain professional detachment. She was tall—almost matching his own height, which was unusual for nobility. Where storybooks and court gossip painted princesses as delicate flowers requiring constant protection, Lyra moved with the confident stride of someone who had never doubted her place in the world.
Her beauty was undeniable, but it was a cool, sharp-edged beauty—like winter moonlight on steel. Auburn hair caught the afternoon light streaming through tall windows, and her posture spoke of someone who had never learned to make herself smaller for others' comfort. There was an elegance to her movements that suggested both royal training and something more practical underneath.
*She doesn't look like she needs protecting,* Kael mused. *She looks like she could do the protecting herself.*
"Stop staring." Vanna's quiet warning snapped him back to reality.
Kael cleared his throat. "Can the princess actually fight?" he asked, keeping his voice low.
Vanna glanced ahead to ensure they weren't overheard. "She maintains excellent scores at the Magic Academy. Top of her class in both theoretical and practical applications. Her grades in combat magic are... impressive."
"Combat magic?"
"The princess isn't like other nobles who rely purely on birthright power. She actually trains." There was a note of respect in Vanna's voice. "I've seen her spar."
They arrived at a reinforced door marked with protective runes. The princess produced a key and unlocked it, revealing a private training chamber roughly ten meters square. The walls were reinforced with steel plates and magical barriers—clearly designed to contain serious magical combat. Weapon racks lined one wall, displaying both practice wooden swords and genuine steel. Shelves held an assortment of healing potions, their contents glowing softly in various colors.
"A private training ground," Kael observed, impressed despite himself.
"Privacy has its advantages," the princess replied cryptically.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Mira appeared carrying a wooden case. She presented it to the princess with another curtsy. "Your project, Your Highness."
Lyra opened the case, revealing its contents. Kael's breath caught—three modified elemental stones and one ornate water-aspected magic staff. His stones. The ones he'd sold just days ago.
"I recognize those," he said carefully.
"I thought you might." The princess lifted one of the fire stones, examining its modified runes. "Interesting craftsmanship. Very... practical modifications."
She gestured toward the weapon rack. "Choose your weapon. Wooden practice sword should suffice."
Kael selected a well-balanced wooden blade, testing its weight. "What exactly are we doing here?"
"This isn't a contest," Lyra clarified, securing the staff to her belt and allowing the three elemental stones to float freely around her. "Win or lose is irrelevant. I simply want to observe your capabilities in action."
As they moved toward the center of the room, Mira approached Vanna near the wall.
"Are you not worried?" the maid whispered, glancing toward the princess.
Vanna shook her head. "Her Highness sometimes spars with soldiers at the training grounds to test magical equipment. I've watched her defeat seasoned warriors." She paused, studying the princess's relaxed stance. "And I suspect she wasn't using her full power even then."
In the center of the chamber, Princess Lyra raised her hand. The three elemental stones—fire, earth, and wind—began orbiting behind her in a slow, controlled pattern. The casual display of triple-element manipulation confirmed her royal heritage, but the precision spoke of extensive training.
Kael felt a strange tingling sensation as the princess focused intently on him, her eyes briefly glowing with concentrated mana. She was trying to identify his elemental affinity through magical sight—a standard technique taught at the Academy.
Fire element... no reaction.
Earth element... nothing.
Wind element... still nothing.
The princess frowned slightly. By process of elimination, that left water, but since she lacked water aptitude herself, she couldn't confirm it directly.
"Vanna," she called without taking her eyes off Kael. "Scan him."
Vanna stepped forward, channeling fire magic through her perception. Kael's body showed no resonance. Then she switched to water magic—a secondary element she'd developed through years of training.
Instantly, Kael's form glowed with a faint blue aura.
"Water element," Vanna confirmed. "Definitely water."
Mira made a disapproving sound. "So he was lying about something. Anyone can claim they've been to the Dark Continent."
Vanna nodded grimly. "Which is exactly why Her Highness wants to test his combat ability. If he's telling the truth about his experience, it should show."
The princess smiled—a sharp expression that didn't reach her eyes. "Indeed. The question now is: what else has this guy been hiding?"