The Sword Arbiter was an elderly man. His face looked aged and his hair was already white. However, due to his continuous training, his eyes remained sharp and his posture remained gallant. From the aura excluded by his body, it was clear that he was still enough to crush anyone that tried to attack him.
The Lightning Arbiter was actually Anna's teacher. Anna had a Lightning Element Spirit, so it was obvious that she would become her teacher.
When they met the Third Prince's group, she gently bowed her head and greeted him. "I greet the Third Prince."
The Third Prince, backed by multiple experts, frowned. "It seems that the royal family is planning to get involved in my matter."
The Lightning Arbiter shook her head. "I apologize, Third Prince. We are only following orders, so we don't have anything to tell you. Our job here is to keep the marquis alive."
The Third Prince clicked his tongue before shouting in anger. "Do you seriously not know? The marquis ambushed my people. Do you think I will let him off?!"
The Lightning Arbiter remained calm and explained, "I have long heard about the Third Prince's care for his people. Unfortunately, we couldn't do anything about it since we have our own order. So, I have to ask the Third Prince to leave."
"Are you sure you want to be my opponent?" The Third Prince narrowed his eyes.
The Sword Arbiter couldn't help but slam the ground with his sword. "Third Prince…"
The Third Prince's expression turned grim when the Sword Arbiter made his move. "Old man…"
"I apologize, Third Prince. This old man might know you personally, but my loyalty lies in the royal family. I have received my order, so I have to carry it out even if I have to fight you." The Sword Arbiter started releasing his Spiritual Energy as if trying to scare him and his group.
"…" The Third Prince fell silent for a moment. His Spiritual Energy was gushing out from his body as well, telling the Sword Arbiter that he wasn't scared. Even the Spirit Grandmasters behind him had released their Spiritual Energy as if planning to step in.
The Third Prince gritted his teeth. His energy continued to erupt. The pressure from that energy increased to the point the ground started to crack.
The Lightning Arbiter thought, 'I heard that the Third Prince joined the military in the past. His strength might not be a Spirit Grandmaster, but that record was twelve years ago. I don't think his current strength is less than a Spirit Grandmaster…'
The Lightning Arbiter believed that the Third Prince was going to unleash his strength. Even though they had two Arbiters, the opponent had two Spirit Grandmasters and the Third Prince himself. Even with their power, they might not be able to win.
So, the Lightning Arbiters chose to make the first move. The lightning spark on her fingertip as she waved it toward the Third Prince, releasing a quick and precise lightning strike.
The Third Prince simply opened his eyes wide as the pressure surrounding him changed its direction and hit the lightning, neutralizing it.
The two Spirit Grandmasters saw the attacks and immediately moved forward, so the Lightning Arbiters had no choice but to release her full power.
But before she could make any move, she felt a sharp pain in her neck.
"Eh?" The Lightning Arbiter was shocked as she felt her body lose all strength. She tried to reach out her neck, thinking someone had just slashed it.
"It's still intact…" The Lightning Arbiter coughed a few times before turning to the side, looking at the Sword Arbiter. She noticed something amiss from the Sword Arbiter. His sword was actually not completely unsheathed as if he had just used it. "You…"
"Spirit Sword, Greater Shock." The Sword Arbiter muttered the technique's name as if telling her that he was the one making her move. At the same time, the Spirit Grandmasters that were about to move suddenly stopped because the Third Prince had used pressure to stop them.
In the end, the Sword Arbiter and the Third Prince were staring at each other.
The Third Prince said, "I don't want to fight you, old man."
"The feeling is mutual."
The Sword Arbiter was one of the strongest Arbiters. Even if they outnumbered him, they wouldn't escape unscathed.
The Third Prince knew this fact and tried to reach an agreement. "That's why I'm going to propose something. I won't kill the marquis. In exchange, you allow me to extract information from the marquis first."
The Lightning Arbiter gritted her teeth. She never thought that the Sword Arbiter would move against her. But she realized another thing. It seemed that the Third Prince was exceptionally strong to the point even the Sword Arbiter didn't want to fight him. Although it looked like they were considering their previous relationship, she could feel that both of them were judging each other's strength and chose not to fight.
'The Third Prince has this much power?' The Lightning Arbiter fell silent, thinking something.
The Sword Arbiter actually agreed without hesitation. "Our mission is to keep him alive. Since we can keep his life, then I can agree to this agreement. It's just… I hope that the Third Prince will be a bit lenient since this old man will be in trouble if you cripple him or something."
"Don't worry. I can promise you that."
"In that case, we have a deal."
Both of them reached an agreement. The Third Prince prioritized the books, while the Sword Arbiter only focused on his mission.
So, they instantly dropped their weapons. The Third Prince waved his hand, telling them that they were going to cooperate with each other.
The Sword Arbiter also said, "Lightning… I know that you are one of the Arbiters, but I hope that you don't forget that the Third Prince was a member of the royal family. I wouldn't tolerate such rudeness."
