The inquisitor and Summer locked eyes for several tense minutes before he finally broke, snorting in frustration.
Summer quirked her lips, a faint smile playing at the corners, which only deepened his anger.
"If you are blinded by the evilness of your talent and refuse to abandon it willingly," the inquisitor said, his voice trembling with fury, "then I have no choice but to use force."
Light began to pulse from his hands.
"Old man, that's cheating!" Summer shouted, panic rising in her chest. Her talent hadn't been finalized yet; it would only solidify once she bonded with the system.
If he managed to destroy her talent core now, she would lose everything.
Without thinking, she turned toward Sylv. The calmness that usually colored his expression was gone, replaced by unease.
Summer ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and hiding behind his back.
"Sylv! Look, they're going to hurt your crown princess! They're jealous of my talent!" she cried, her voice trembling as she forced out a few fake tears.
Sylv instinctively spread his arms, standing between her and the inquisitor like a living shield.
"I dare anyone to try," he said firmly. "No one will touch her."
At his words, shadows flickered into existence around them—silent figures bearing the emblems of the imperial family.
The crowd gasped as the inquisitor's face twisted with outrage.
"Prince, what is the meaning of this? Do you truly intend to let your crown princess keep such a bloodthirsty talent?"
"Of course, old man," Summer replied from behind Sylv, peeking out with a smirk. "If my husband has no problem, then why should you? Hmph."
"You…" the inquisitor's voice broke off, his rage barely restrained.
"Sylv, I'm tired. Let's go home." Summer tugged on his sleeve, impatient to leave.
What she really wanted was to reach the System Tower and finalize her bond before anyone could intervene.
She knew that if they delayed, the elders might truly force her to abandon her talent. In all of Eldoria, only Sylv ever stood by her.
Even her parents barely tolerated her presence, and only because of the arranged marriage.
If they learned about this talent, they would likely rejoice at the chance to cast her aside.
And the emperor—her future father-in-law—was a stingy man, one who valued image above all. He would not hesitate to annul the engagement if he thought her unworthy.
That thought made her stomach twist. If the engagement was broken, she would be as good as dead.
So she tightened her hold on Sylv's arm and pulled him insistently toward the exit.
Sylv caught her look and gave a brief command to the imperial guards with his eyes. They withdrew, and he allowed her to lead him down from the podium.
He called for his horse. His heart raced, the closeness between them leaving his mind scattered. It was the first time she had ever clung to him like this.
Summer climbed onto the horse and settled in front of him. Sylv took the reins and urged the horse forward.
"Where are we going?" he asked quietly, though he already suspected the answer.
"To the System Tower," she replied without hesitation.
He nodded once and directed the horse toward the distant spire rising above the city.
After a moment, Summer tilted her head toward him. "Are you really fine with your crown princess having a talent like this? If you say otherwise, I'll obey you."
Sylv said nothing for a while. Then, in a quiet voice, he answered, "There is no one worthy to decide your fate except you."
"Then why did you agree to our betrothal?" she asked.
"Except for that," he admitted.
"Hmph." Summer gave a small snort but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.
"But what if your father is disappointed in me and annuls our marriage?"
"Summer," Sylv said, cutting her off gently. "As I told you before—there's no one worthy to decide my fate either."
"Oh, so that's why you agreed to our betrothal without asking me?"
Sylv sighed, helpless against her teasing.
The corners of her lips curved upward again, and despite the chaos of the ceremony behind them, the air between them felt oddly calm.
They reached the tower within minutes. Summer leapt off the horse before it even stopped and sprinted toward the entrance.
The shimmering barrier surrounding the System Tower rippled at her touch, then parted with a pulse of light, allowing her inside.
Behind her, the heavy sound of hooves filled the air as the imperial army encircled the tower.
Sylv turned to face them, his gaze settling on the man leading the formation.
The moment their eyes met, he understood everything. His father already knew about Summer's awakening.
And knowing the emperor, his reaction would be as rigid and outdated as always.
"Captain Ladagas," Sylv said with a thin smile, "I never expected you to personally come to greet my princess. But it seems you're a little late. She's already inside the System Tower."
A faint curve lifted the corner of his lips, his tone laced with mockery. No one other than those who hadn't bonded with the system could enter the system tower.
Once Summer's bond was finalized, not even the emperor himself could alter her fate.
Ladagas was a middle-aged human, broad-shouldered and heavily scarred. A jagged claw mark ran across his cheek, left by a Tier 2 boss during a dungeon break.
He had never healed it, wearing the wound like a medal of pride.
Though elves lacked combat prowess, their mastery over healing was renowned across the world.
Among the six dominant races, they stood as the neutral mediators—bound neither by war nor alliance.
Every year, a few chosen elves were sent to serve in the other race's domains, trading their talents for protection against demonic invasions and dungeon outbreaks.
Ladagas was a Master Binder with a Tank system, one of the few humans permitted within elven borders. More importantly, he was the emperor's most trusted general.
He said nothing, his eyes fixed on the tower's glowing gates. Sylv frowned. Around him, soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, the air thick with restrained hostility.
The unease in his chest deepened. He turned sharply toward the captain, his voice cold. "What are you planning, Ladagas?"
A muscle twitched in the man's jaw. His reply came like steel scraping stone.
"Erase…"
Sylv's expression hardened. "You dare? That is the future crown princess of this kingdom!"
Ladagas met his glare without flinching. "Ex crown princess now."
"I will never allow that."
"I will follow your command," Ladagas said, his tone unwavering, "after you take the throne."
For a heartbeat, silence settled between them—thick and heavy as the storm clouds above.
"You…" Sylv's voice trembled with restrained fury, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.