Chapter 207: Future offer

Clang...! Clang...!

The echoes of clashing blades reverberated through the training ground. Sparks danced in the air, accompanied by swift and elusive movements as two figures engaged in a fierce sparring session.

Swoosh...! Tristan deftly dodged a blade aimed at his neck, his agile form moving gracefully through the battlefield. In response, he countered with a powerful swing, the aura from his sword cutting through the surrounding trees in a dazzling display of skill.

However, his opponent proved to be elusive, disappearing and reappearing with each passing second. Tristan's instincts guided him, and he swiftly struck to the left.

Yet, to his surprise, his blade met only empty air. Confusion clouded his expression just as a powerful punch connected with his face.

Crack...!

The unsettling sound of bone breaking filled the air as Tristan felt the impact on his nose and skull. The force propelled him through a cluster of trees, the momentum carrying him until he rolled to a stop on the ground.

Attempting to reinforce his body, Tristan realized that the sudden brain damage hindered his ability to wield his aura freely.

Struggling to his feet, Tristan frantically attempted to use healing magic to mend his battered face, but a stern voice interrupted his concentration.

"Hey, how dare you look away from a battle...!"

Boom...! A powerful kick sent him airborne.

"Ugackk....!" Tristan expelled the contents of his stomach mid-air, the forceful upheaval causing him to gasp for breath as all the air in his lungs seemed to vanish. The meager morning meal he had consumed was violently ejected from his system.

"Did I train you to be this weak?" The taunting words of his aggressor reverberated through his ears once again. This time, the back of her blade forcefully slammed Tristan back to the ground with a powerful swat. The impact resembled a baseball being sent flying, and Tristan found himself being tossed and pummeled from every conceivable angle. Each attempt to rise was met with an attack too swift for him to react, especially in his weakened state.

"Tsk... you really don't learn, huh, dear disciple of mine. This is why you failed to protect everyone..." Siena's voice cut through the air as she observed the fallen Tristan. It had only been an hour since she commenced the intense training session, yet he persisted in making the same mistakes repeatedly.

Though Tristan was coughing up blood, Siena paid it no mind. After all, Tristan possessed the ability to heal from such wounds, and they had brought a supply of healing potions just in case.

"Master...." Tristan mumbled, struggling to catch his breath.

"What? You want me to go easy on you now?"

"No... please, let's go again..." Tristan said with determination as he slowly stood up, placing his hand on his scabbard. He got into position, the blaze of emotion in his eyes making Siena smile.

"That's more like it!" Siena smirked.

Tristan vowed, at this very moment, to train as hard as he could. He needed to get stronger, he needed to protect everyone, he needed strength and power.

He swore to himself that as long as he could draw breath, he would not allow the same tragedy to unfold again.

If only he had possessed the strength to face that demonic creature at the time, Tristan wondered how many lives he could have saved.

With resolute determination, he faced his master head-on. No amount of pain mattered; all that mattered was getting stronger.

He remembered the haunting words from the monster he had failed to defeat 'Weak...'

'He knows I'm suspicious of him yet he stays quiet... this isn't like him'

Aria harbored no fear about her father's intentions in negotiating with Adrian. What sent shivers down her spine was the sealed letter from the emperor himself, a document that held the weight of imperial authority.

Aria understood that only a handful of things could be of sufficient value to entice someone as significant as Adrian, and chief among them was the prospect of a union with the princess – an idea she whole heartedly despised.

Adrian already has too many women surrounding him adding more would be disastrous and furthermore a marriage with the princess would likely dissolve their already establish harem plan.

Afterall it was a continental law that a man cannot be allowed to marry another who's ranks falls below the first wife and knowing the princess her chances of being the first wife was high, that was how royalty works in the first place.

'The imperial palace wouldn't allow anything else'

Deep in her contemplations, Aria reached out telepathically to her contracted spirit, Meralda, who hovered nearby. "Meralda..."

"Yes, master?"

"Tell Adrian everything you told me," Aria instructed, her tone betraying a mix of concern and determination.

"Of course!" Meralda responded with a gleeful smile before vanishing in an instant.

"....?"

Aria, though momentarily taken aback by the sudden disappearance, couldn't fault Meralda, considering her spirited loyalty and attachment to Adrian.

The atmosphere within the carriage grew heavier, and Aria could sense her father's growing impatience with her scrutinizing gaze.

Unable to contain her curiosity, she broke the silence, "Father, can you tell me about Adrian's mother?"

The question hung in the air, transforming the already tense atmosphere into one charged with an unspoken weight.

Duke Frederick's blood-red eyes bore into Aria intensely, and a subtle release of his aura added a suffocating pressure to the confined space.

Aria, momentarily caught off guard, felt the weight of her father's presence, making it difficult to breathe.

"You do not need to know of such things, Aria..." the duke declared, his words laced with a hint of warning. The aura, though released only slightly, was potent enough to almost render Aria breathless.

"Understood, Father..." Aria said with a heavy breath.

Aria had only seen the duke lose his temper and control a couple of times, but this one was different.

He had never seen such animosity in his gaze before.

Whatever history the duke had with Adrian's mother was bound to be something important, important enough to sway Adrian.

'Although he acts all tough like this, I know just how much he doesn't want to see Adrian. After all, he's afraid of him...'

Aria almost chuckled, looking at her father.