IRFVTS 16

IRFVTS

Chapter 16
Elysia Disappeared.

The first to report the news was the maid in charge of Elysia’s room. The problem was that while Elysia had gone to hunt the hellhound, met Jerome, and faced Leonar at the imperial palace, night had already passed and morning had come. As the servants began their daily duties, they discovered Elysia’s bed was empty.

The Duke, who was the first to receive the report, skipped breakfast and sat grimly in his office. His intimidating aura was so intense that none of the servants dared to speak, only watching him anxiously.

“No one knows where she went…?”

The Duke muttered quietly.

“Do you think that makes sense?”

His voice was calm, but the icy fury behind it was unmistakable. Tension hung in the air. Just then, a knight came rushing in, gasping for breath, and delivered a report.

“There’s a witness who saw the young lady entering the imperial palace! I heard it directly from an informant near the palace!”

“The imperial palace?”

“Yes! Someone saw her entering just before dawn.”

“What the— How did she get there on her own?”

“She was seen riding in a carriage… It wasn’t one she summoned. It looked like she was with someone, and the situation seemed serious.”

“…”

Silence filled the office.

Through that silence, a new voice rang out.

“What? What did you just say?!”

Howell came rushing in with messy hair, looking like he had just jumped out of bed. He gaped as he entered the room.

“Why would Elysia go to the palace…?”

His dazed expression and hoarse morning voice echoed hollowly through the corridor.

“She wasn’t… taken, right? Was she… arrested at dawn? Why didn’t anyone stop it?”

“Arrested?”

The Duke raised his head at that word.

“Well, going to the palace that early in the morning probably doesn’t mean anything good…”

Could she really have been taken away?

With that bleak possibility, an even heavier silence fell over the ducal household.

‘So many eyes on me.’

Meanwhile, Elysia was walking toward the training grounds within the imperial palace.

Morning had already broken, and the palace knights were out training. And it wasn’t just the knights. Attendants and maids gathered at the windows in groups, peeking down at the training field. Word traveled fast in the palace, it seemed.

‘I wonder what rumors are going around?’

The part about her defeating the hellhound was likely still classified, but rumors that she was going to duel the crown prince probably had spread. After all, both of them had openly requested training gear and access to the training field.

Elysia perked up her ears. With her enhanced hearing, she began to pick out the hushed whispers more clearly.

“They say Lady Semperion and His Highness are going to spar?”

“The two of them? Why? She’s not even a trained swordswoman!”

“She’s probably trying some new scheme to get attention. So obvious.”

“To go to such extremes for attention… Maybe the rumors about her being crazy are true.”

“Shhh! You shouldn’t say things like that!”

‘…So they think I’m just crazy.’

She felt slightly wronged.

‘It wasn’t me who asked for the duel. The crown prince requested it!’

He even pulled a sword on her, saying he wanted to “evaluate her abilities”!

Reputation really was everything.

‘Right, right. What can I expect with a reputation score of -999?’

No matter what she did, people would assume it was her fault.

But that wasn’t the important thing now. Elysia shook off her thoughts and lifted her head. If the crown prince really was a sword master, she needed to prepare.

She glanced at the sword in her hand.

Item: Burning Momentum
Attack Power: +50
Durability: 700
A famed blade passed down as a treasure of the imperial family.
Well maintained.

Who knew being able to view item descriptions would be so helpful?

‘I picked the one with the highest durability.’

Since these were mostly ornamental swords, she worried one might break during the duel, so she chose the sturdiest one on purpose.

“Are you ready?”

Jerome was already waiting at the training ground and spoke with concern. Elysia took the chance to ask a few things.

“Yes. But this ‘ability evaluation’—is it always done this way?”

“Well, strength tests are sometimes done through sparring. If someone might be hiding their strength, they’re tested by pairing them with someone strong and seeing how they respond.”

“Hm.”

“Of course, usually it’s done in designated test areas, under the supervision of trained instructors. But today, both I and the Captain of the Royal Guard will be watching, so you don’t need to worry about safety. The results will also be officially recognized.”

“I see.”

So even though this wasn’t the usual process, the test would still be accepted. The only difference was the location—the imperial palace—and her opponent—the crown prince.

As Elysia fell silent, thinking things over, Jerome quickly added:

“Don’t worry, my lady! The swordsmanship test might be like this, but the magic test is gentle, simple, and completely safe! When you visit the Mage Tower, just relax! We’re very eager to welcome you!”

“…That’s an amusing comment.”

At that moment, a new voice cut in. Jerome and Elysia turned their heads to see Leonar had already arrived, standing across from them.

“You said the magic test will be ‘gentle’—does that mean I’m being rough right now?”

“Of course, that’s not what I meant.”

Jerome retreated quickly, stepping aside to avoid the conversation. Now Elysia was left face-to-face with Leonar. He asked as he looked her over:

“You’re not wearing any protective gear. Did no one prepare it for you?”

“No, I chose not to wear it. It gets in the way.”

“What?”

Leonar blinked in disbelief.

“You could get hurt, you know? Swordplay isn’t child’s play.”

He sighed, sounding genuinely concerned.

“Eli, take this seriously. I really care about you, but I won’t go easy on you today.”

‘Care, my ass.’

If you care, try acting like it. Maybe even wet your lips before you lie.

Elysia carefully avoided making a disrespectful face as she studied Leonar. For someone who claimed to be worried, his sword movements were sharp and focused. He looked more like a soldier preparing for war.

‘Why is he so serious?’

What part of this situation had made him so obsessed? Could someone act this intense toward a person they supposedly don’t care about? Was he mad? Or just genuinely interested in testing her skills?

Either way, the two took their places at opposite ends of the training ground. The Captain of the Royal Guard stood between them and raised his hand.

“Now, we will begin the duel between His Highness Leonar and Lady Semperion.”

His declaration rang solemnly.

And then—

Clang!

“…!”

The swords clashed violently.

‘Wow, seriously?’

Elysia narrowed her eyes, staring at the blade pressed close to her face. This was Leonar’s doing. Before she could even take a full step, he had launched a rapid opening strike.

‘How cruel. To a beginner! No shame at all?’

In a situation like this, most would at least say something polite like, “Since you’re a novice, I’ll let you have the first move.” But Leonar had gone in without mercy. If Elysia didn’t have high agility and strength, she could’ve been injured.

‘Is that why he told me to wear armor? So he could beat me up without holding back?’

Maybe he asked for this duel just to release some pent-up frustration?

“Don’t lose focus.”

“…!”

Clang!

He wasn’t joking. There was no pause. As soon as she blocked the first strike, a relentless flurry of attacks followed.

Claaang!
Screeech!
Ka-ka-kang!

If she were an ordinary person, she wouldn’t have even seen them coming. The blows came from left, right, above, and all directions at blinding speed.

From a distance, gasps escaped the spectators.

“N-No, Your Highness…”

“Lady Semperion…!”

Jerome and the Captain could be heard murmuring in concern. They seemed unsure whether to stop the duel. But the reason they hadn’t stepped in yet—

“You blocked them all? Impressive.”

“….”

—was because Elysia had blocked every strike.

“What? Of course I blocked them. You think I’d just stand there and get hit?”

What kind of idiot would just take it?

Elysia snapped back, frowning at Leonar’s ridiculous comment.

“Heh,”

Leonar let out a breath that sounded like both a laugh and a sigh and stepped back, eyebrows raised.

“No one said you’d trained in swordsmanship. How did you block all that?”

He twirled his sword, loosening his wrist, eyes fixed on her feet.

To the others, it looked like an intense fight, but in truth—

…Her feet had barely moved since the duel began.

She had deflected all those attacks with just her sword, no large movements, no evasive techniques.

Seeing her so composed, Leonar’s lips twisted.

‘…How?’

And he wasn’t the only one surprised. The knights training nearby had stopped and turned to watch. Even the Captain had raised a hand to his mouth in shock.

‘That technique just now—it’s part of the imperial family’s secret sword style. How did she block it?’

Leonar’s sword technique was a near-secret art passed down to protect the royal family. Without knowing the countermeasures, it should’ve been impossible to block.

Yet she did.

While everyone stared at Elysia in stunned silence—

“Huh? That’s it? Is the test over?”

Elysia tilted her head and spoke, interpreting the silence as the end of the duel. She muttered nonchalantly, as if the reactions around her meant nothing.

“Come to think of it, I skipped breakfast. If we’re done, I’d like to eat.”

“….”

Leonar’s face contorted. Her response was far too casual for someone who had just endured a fierce assault. Rather than looking tired, she seemed… bored.

Seeing her expression, Leonar finally reached his limit.

That face he didn’t know. That strength he didn’t know.

He couldn’t believe she’d hidden it all for so long without flinching. It made more sense to believe she’d been replaced by someone else.

And the fact that he’d known nothing about it—was the most infuriating.

“…Eli. This isn’t a joke. I’m completely serious about this duel.”

He adjusted his grip on his sword. The amused smile and earlier stiffness were gone.

“So you should be serious too.”

His sharp gaze pierced her.

“Otherwise, this time, it really will be dangerous.”

‘Yikes.’

Elysia raised her brows, sensing the killing intent suddenly flooding the arena.

The air felt wrong. Like the oxygen was being sucked away, her skin prickled.