Chapter 2

My face darkened as I looked at Rowan. I snapped, "What are you waiting for? Kill Oswin!"

Rowan didn't hesitate any longer. He drew his sword and swung it at Oswin, who was standing in front of me.

The other guards closed in around me.

Oswin scrambled to raise his sword in defense.

Then, a blast of force erupted, flipping every table in sight.

Dishes and broth went flying in every direction.

The weaker guests were hurled backward, tumbling across the floor with cries of agony.

The whole hall was thrown into utter chaos.

Oswin, an eighth-ranked fighter, didn't move an inch.

But Rowan, a ninth-ranked warrior, staggered back a dozen steps before stopping, his face twisted in shock.

I couldn't help but sigh. Oswin really was the chosen one. Even when fighting someone a rank above, he was still holding the upper hand.

Good thing he hadn't grown into his power yet. This was the perfect chance to snuff him out while he was still weak.

The two resident Grandmasters of the Martel Manor appeared at once, positioning themselves protectively in front of me.

They bowed low and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Seeing the Martel Manor's Grandmasters show up, Eleanor's father, Geoffrey Ashford, instantly moved to shield Oswin and Eleanor.

Geoffrey said, "Your Highness, please don't get mad. Let's not mess up the peace between our families.

"But like Eleanor said, she's already got her heart set on Oswin. You know how it is. Love's gotta go both ways. You can't just force it, right?"

The Ashfords were clearly pissed off as the guards pinned them down, and they kept struggling and fighting back.

"What... what are you doing? Let us go!" one of them shouted.

"Prince Lucien is just a simp for Eleanor! Don't think I won't have him take you out!" Another sneered.

"You stupid lackeys, let go of me!" a third yelled.

The guards showed zero mercy to anyone who didn't fall in line, cutting down four or five people without a second thought.

Only then did the rest realize just how deadly serious things were. Screams filled the air. No one dared fight back anymore.

Eleanor shouted, "Lucien, how dare you order people to kill my cousins? Kneel and apologize to me right now, or I'm never going to forgive you!"

I gave her a look like she was out of her mind.

I laughed. "Eleanor, you really don't have a single brain cell. After all this, you actually think I'm going to let you off the hook today?"

I shot a glance at the two Grandmasters standing in front of me.

"Go now. Kill those two pieces of trash. Don't hold back. Make it ruthless. Don't give them any chance to fight back," I ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness," they replied in unison.

Just then, a booming voice thundered through the hall. "I like to see who dares to make a move!"

A terrifying aura swept through the room, making everyone's hearts pound. The air exploded with a deafening bang.

In an instant, an old man dressed in black appeared.

The crushing force of his presence made it hard for anyone to breathe.

Oswin's eyes sparkled as he called out in delight, "Master, you're here!"

The newcomer was none other than Aldric Thornwood, Oswin's master and the deputy leader of the Paragon Order. He was a Demi-Ascendant.

Meanwhile, all the elite troops and the 500,000-strong army of the Martel Manor had been mobilized by Henry Martel, the King of Spalor.

At the moment, they were busy holding off an invasion from the demonic forces up north.

The strongest fighters left in the manor were just Grandmasters at best. They were absolutely no match for a Demi-Ascendant like Aldric.

I shot Aldric a frosty glare.

"Aldric, are you really going to let the Paragon Order stick its nose into the Martel Manor's business?" I sneered.

Aldric replied, "Your Highness, Oswin might've been a bit hot-headed, but this isn't something he should die for. I hope you can be generous and cut him some slack."

I shot him a mocking look.

I laughed. "Aldric, your disciple just crashed the wedding in front of everyone and publicly humiliated the Martel Manor, and now you expect me to just let it slide?"

Aldric bowed again. "You're right, Oswin and Eleanor were in the wrong. Allow me to offer an apology on their behalf.

"Let's put an end to this matter here and now. Would that be acceptable to you?"

I refused him flat out. "Absolutely not. No one gets to disrespect the Martel family on our own turf. Doesn't matter who you are!"

Aldric was clearly pissed, gritting his teeth as he spoke. "Your Highness, how about you give me and the Paragon Order some face and let this go? Think of it as me owing you one."

Knowing the Paragon Order was instrumental in the Martel Manor's eventual destruction, there was no way I'd show him any respect now.

"Who the hell do you think you are, Aldric? Is the Paragon Order looking to make an enemy of the Martel Manor?" I spat.

I was dead certain Aldric wouldn't dare mess with me. The Martel Manor was riding high right now.

Not to mention, we had a 500,000-strong Spalor army, two Ascendant-rank heavy hitters, and Philippe Gilpin, the one and only Sword Sage in the whole Ruscar realm.

After that brutal fight with the last Demon Lord, Philippe was still nursing his wounds, only running at about thirty percent of his former power.