At that moment Anita stepped forward.
"What's the talk about?"
"We're discussing the Knight Tournament," Andras replied.
"I can hardly wait!" Anita said enthusiastically. "I won't stop until I reach the finals!"
"One thing's certain," Andras said. "It will be an entertaining tournament. The Hero, Christina, Andrea, Anita… the strongest knights of the Kingdom facing each other."
"What about Ironclaw?" Christina asked.
"Ironclaw can't hold herself back," Andras answered. "She'd tear apart all her opponents before even meeting the Hero. Besides, this is a Knight Tournament, not a gladiator fight to the death."
"Yeah," Anita nodded. "I'd rather face the Hero than Ironclaw in a duel."
"That beast‑girl doesn't even understand what a duel means," Arpad remarked.
"I'll just set her loose on the capital's bandits," Andras said with a smile. "That way she won't get bored."
"Hahaha!" Christina laughed. "By the time the Knight Tournament is over, Ironclaw will have cleaned out the entire capital."
"We still have a month to prepare for the tournament," Andras noted.
"I'll visit Carla first, then tomorrow I'll head back to get ready for the event," Christina said.
"Then we'll meet there in a month," Andras replied.
The Royal Knight Tournament began a month later. During that time, the Young Wolf and his companions prepared thoroughly, determined to represent the House of Wolfwood and the Wolf Knights with honor. The month passed swiftly, and at last the great day arrived when they set out for the Royal Capital.
The Wolfwoods traveled in a luxurious carriage, escorted by a hundred Wolf Knights. Inside the carriage sat four: Lord Bandorn Wolfwood, beside him Master Florian; opposite them Lady Carla Wolfwood, with her loyal maid Marta at her side.
The Young Wolf, Noelle, Ironclaw, Anita, and Andrea followed on horseback. The five often strayed from the procession whenever something along the roadside caught their interest—their curiosity and cheer brought color to the long journey.
The Wolf Knights were led at the front by Arpad and Janos, with the hundred knights marching in disciplined order behind them, moving at a steady pace. The speed of the procession was set to match the carriage, so that the entire escort advanced in rhythm toward the capital.
The horses' hooves beat evenly upon the road, banners fluttered in the wind, and all could feel it: the Royal Knight Tournament would not be merely a celebration, but a turning point—an event that could decide the future of the Kingdom.
Royal Whitefort, Site of the Royal Knight Tournament
Royal Whitefort, the capital of the Riel Kingdom, lay four days' ride from Wolfwood. Thus it took the Wolf Knights four long days to reach the venue of the Royal Knight Tournament.
The organizers of the tournament provided four separate lodgings for the delegations of the four great noble houses. The accommodations were deliberately placed far apart, to prevent clashes between rival knights. The Wolf Knights were assigned quarters in the southeastern part of the capital: a vast building, one of the Royal Knights' barracks, was given over to them. The Royal Knights vacated the barracks temporarily so that the Wolf Knights could settle comfortably for the duration of the tournament.
For the hundred Wolf Knights, lodging posed no problem—each had his own bed. The building also included a spacious stable, where the hundred horses could rest safely and in good conditions throughout the tournament.
Naturally, the noble horses were given a separate stable. Thus the five mounts of the Young Wolf's company, along with the steeds of the Captain and the Lieutenant, plus the four horses that drew the carriage—eleven in total—were kept apart and treated with special care. Local grooms tended them with utmost attention, for they were the pride of the noble house.
In the capital, everything was ready: the Knight Tournament was about to begin, and the greatest warriors of the Kingdom would soon test their strength in honor of the Hero.
Beside the knights' barracks stood a fine three‑story house with twenty rooms. This building was reserved for the House of Wolfwood during their stay in the capital. Lord Bandorn Wolfwood naturally chose the largest room for himself, which was his alone. Lady Carla Wolfwood shared a room with her maid Marta. Master Florian was given his own chamber, while Arpad and his son Janos shared another.
The greatest dispute arose over the Young Wolf's room. Each room held at most four beds, yet there were five of them. None of the girls wished to move to another room, so they decided that Ironclaw would sleep on the floor. In exchange, she was given three pillows—or as many as she wanted—to lie upon. Ironclaw, of course, was not bothered in the least, for beast‑girls preferred sleeping on the ground rather than in beds.
With their lodging successfully settled, the Wolf Knights could begin their adventures in the capital.
The Royal Knight Tournament was structured in three parts. The first was the preliminaries: in this round, any swordsman of the Kingdom could participate—ordinary soldiers or wandering knights without noble patronage. The second stage was the qualifiers, when knights and warriors backed by noble houses entered the contest for glory. Finally, after triumphing in the qualifiers came the third and final stage: the decisive group round.
Here, the thirty‑two strongest knights, swordsmen, or warriors would test their strength and skill against one another in the knightly duels. The battles were fought one‑on‑one, as was the tradition of the Kingdom's chivalric tournaments.
It was already evening by the time the Young Wolf's company settled into their room and explored the noble quarters reserved for them. Sightseeing would wait until the next day. Yet that night, Master Florian came to Andras's room and told the Young Wolf and Noelle that he had important matters to discuss with them regarding magic. The three mages moved to Florian's chamber to deliberate on the secret plan.
"Now that we've arrived in the capital, it's time we discuss our little secret plan," Florian began seriously.
"You mean the secret Magic Book?" Andras asked.
"As you know, the Royal Archmage, Master Albert, is my old rival," Florian continued. "We are the same age—fifty‑five—and both Fire Mages. We've been rivals since childhood. In the final trial of the Mages, he won our last duel, and so he became the Royal Archmage, while I became the Wolf Mage of Wolfwood."
"Yes, you've told us that a thousand times already, Master Florian," Andras remarked.
"Anyway," Florian went on, "the Royal Archmage possesses a secret Magic Book that no one has ever managed to open. All my life I tried to awaken my second element, but I never succeeded. Nor did Albert! I believe you could open that book, Young Wolf. You have two elements, and your second is a rare one: lightning."
"I understand your reasoning, Master Florian," Andras replied. "I could probably open the book—not immediately, but after a few trials and experiments, one of my ideas would surely work."
"That's exactly it!" Florian exclaimed with excitement. "You are far more creative than Albert and I combined. If anyone can open that book, it's you, Young Wolf! I have no doubt."
"How old is this Magic Book, that no one has ever opened it?" Noelle asked.
"No one knows," Florian answered. "It's a Magic Book—time does not affect it. One thing is certain: even in the days of the previous Hero's Company, it was already in the possession of the Royal Archmage."
"So at least five hundred, maybe even a thousand years old," Andras noted.
"If it's that old, perhaps the elves wrote it," Noelle suggested.
"Perhaps," Florian nodded. "In five hundred years, no mage has been born in the Kingdom who could open it. Just imagine what ancient spells it might contain! The thought alone gives me chills."
"Couldn't you simply ask Master Albert politely to let us try to open the book?" Noelle asked.
"That's not the point!" Florian shook his head. "Even if he allowed us to try, and even if we succeeded, Albert would keep those ancient spells for himself in the King's name."
"I understand," Andras nodded grimly. "So we must secretly obtain that book and open it without Master Albert's knowledge, so that those ancient spells will belong to us."
"Exactly! That's precisely it!" Florian confirmed, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"Where does Master Albert keep this secret book?" Andras asked.
"If things are as they were before, he hides it in his own chamber," Florian explained. "Behind his main bookshelf, in the wall, there is a secret cavity concealed with earth element magic so it cannot be seen. If you move the shelf, you can use your water element to dissolve the camouflage layer, and then simply take the book from the hollow."
"I see," Andras replied. "Well, between the qualifiers of the Knight Tournament and the main group battles, there will be a ball in the King's castle, meant to present the Hero to the four great Noble Houses. At that time we'll be inside the castle, and I'll have the opportunity to seize the magic book."
"It sounds simple, but it won't be," Florian warned. "The Archmage's chamber is not guarded by soldiers, but it is sealed with a magical lock and protected by a few traps inside."
"That's no problem," Andras smiled confidently. "Magical traps are my specialty. If anyone can disable them unnoticed, it's me—no matter what kind they are."
"I believe it!" Florian laughed. "Then the only thing we need to arrange…"