"Congratulations on having a new noble, Your Majesty."
"Congratulations."
Everyone started to applaud, congratulating the birth of a new noble. However, that was just a pretense. They all knew that the king was planning to exile Noel.
With the threat coming from both the demons and the Supreme Devil Organization, he might not be able to last long.
However, due to the fight between two Spirit Transcendence Experts, the commander of the army and the strongest Devil Saint, the Supreme Devil Organization probably couldn't do anything to him for the time being.
The moment they recovered, it would be Noel's time to die. And there was no way the Royal Family would just leave Noel alone. They would probably put some pressure to slow down Noel's progress.
"Alright. Since it's a joyous occasion for our kingdom, we'll discuss the rest of the matter at a later date. You're dismissed." The king waved his hands with a serious expression.
They didn't know that the king had already wanted to exile Noel. However, he still couldn't believe that Alexander would personally request it.
Now that Anna had given her statement, it would be clear that Noel and Kevin would become Anna's enemies.
In other words, the king had gained Anna's support and completed his part of the agreement.
Once everyone left, the king's expression darkened. "As expected of the Ardagan Family, I guess… To think that a lion cub, who has never been trained as a lion, would return as not a lion, but a dragon."
No one could predict the fact that Noel had the same talent as Anna. Unlike the latter, Noel didn't have any interest in cultivating his power, so it was always unknown.
That was why he was a bit perplexed on the current matter.
"Either way, I have finished my part. I wonder how long that guy can hold on…" The king clenched his fists.
…
Meanwhile, the other ministers and Arbiters were discussing Noel. The opinions were split. The first side wanted to form a connection with Noel, considering they could learn Rune and gain someone as talented as Anna. But the second side thought it was foolish because it would be better to side with the Royal Family. In the end, the Ardagan Family had been defeated once.
In the midst of their discussion, there was a big conflict brewing… the conflict between a father and a daughter.
Kevin didn't even bother to look at his daughter as he left, showing that their opinion had completely split.
On the other hand, Josephine approached Anna, saying, "You have done a good job, Anna."
"I'm merely finishing the thing I couldn't previously." Anna shook her head calmly. She was indirectly implying that she was supposed to kill Noel in the past, but it appeared that she had failed to do so. Hence, she made him the perfect target for execution.
"That's good then. We have to finish all our businesses." Josephine nodded in approval.
The others could only look at them, not knowing what to say. Anna might be a new Arbiter, but her strength and influence had grown exponentially in just one week. Her suitors increased as they wouldn't find any woman stronger than her in the future.
Surprisingly, Anna bowed her head to Josephine and did the same thing as her father…leaving. Everyone could only see her back, realizing that there would be another battle in the Stargaze's family.
The Sword Arbiter, who watched everything unfolding, could only shake his head. 'It's a shame that such a talent will be buried. The Ardagan Family is an extremely influential family with Dimitri protecting it. But if Noel could survive the ordeal, there might be a new Spirit Transcendence within a decade.
'However, because of Anna's stance, it is most likely that these two will clash. Only one of them will survive. If Anna defeats him, the royal family will gain all the control. They should have been planning to marry her into the royal family.
'But if Noel wins, no one can question the Ardagan Family in the future. It might become not only the wealthiest but also the strongest family in the kingdom, surpassing the Royal Family.'
The Sword Arbiter was lamenting the fact that these two geniuses had to fight each other to death. It would be wonderful for the kingdom if the two actually joined hands. The kingdom would definitely feel safe as the two would dominate the entire battlefield.
Unfortunately, having a power surpassing the Royal Family was something they weren't allowed to do. After all, it would threaten the national security.
The other ministers still continued discussing the ceremony as it would become a big one due to Noel's talent and achievement.
…
Stargaze Family.
Anna had finally arrived at the mansion of the Stargaze Family in the capital city. When she was about to enter, her father was standing right behind the door while crossing his arms.
His expression was cold as though he treated her not as his daughter anymore.
Anna remained expressionless, asking, "May I know if you have a business with me, Father?"
"Follow me." Kevin's tone was strict, not allowing Anna to reject it.
When the servants looked at their gestures and expressions, they were horrified. It felt like Anna and Kevin were going to kill each other.
Kevin led her to his office. Before saying anything, Kevin waved his hand once as Spiritual Energy covered the entire room. He then said, "You've put a great act there…"
His expression instantly mellowed. Anna did the same and let out a long sigh. "It feels suffocating. But I have done my part. This way, I don't owe him anymore."
Kevin already knew that Anna was on Noel's side. Although he didn't know the reason why she chose that place, there should be a good reason. On the other hand, Anna believed that her father could see through her act, so she applied even more pressure to make it more real.
Now that they didn't have to act anymore, Kevin asked, "Do you know that Noel will be returning soon? I've just received a message from him."
"Is it from Dimitri? Noel is supposed to remain in the Greenwood Kingdom for a bit more, right?"
"No. It's from Noel. He wants me to pass this letter to you."
Anna grabbed the letter hurriedly, surprising her father with that swift action.
'I have become a Spirit Grandmaster and forged the Spirit Link as well as taking the Awakening Pills. Although it's a shame that I couldn't use my True Spirit Body, I am not the same anymore.
'If there is a chance, I do want to fight you seriously to settle who is better among us. But that's for later since I'm going to be busy.
'After all, I have to build everything from scratch and teach runes to my disciples. That's right. I have two disciples. They are called Tristan and Livia. Tristan is an extremely smart boy, so I'm proud of him. Livia has some circumstances, but she might become the reason for the territory's fast growth due to her background.'
When a woman's name was mentioned, Anna couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. After all, this woman's background seemed to be quite exceptional for Noel to praise it that way.
Anna asked, "Father… Do you know any Livia in the Greenwood Kingdom? She must be someone famous."
"Huh?" Kevin was perplexed but tried to recall the name Livia. He continued, "I'm not sure about this, but the only famous Livia in the Greenwood Kingdom… is probably that person. Why do you ask?"
"Who?" Anna frowned.
"The second princess, Livia. She has a lot of achievements under her belt such as being a captain of a division in the Royal Magicians or completing a lot of research. While she has stated that she has no desire to hold the throne, she is probably the most brilliant candidate. It could be said that she is the apple in the royal family's eyes."
"Is she beautiful?" Anna asked.
"Huh?" Kevin became even more confused before chuckling as though he realized what was going on. "Yeah. She is extremely beautiful, bright, and intelligent. You two are actually similar but in a different field. What's wrong? Is she helping Noel?"
"No. She has become his disciple." Anna looked a bit annoyed when she said it.
"Disciple…" Kevin thought for a moment. "Are you sure she has become his student? I don't think the royal family will be settled with just that."
Anna took a deep breath. Even without him mentioning it, Anna knew that the Greenwood Kingdom's royal family wouldn't be satisfied with just that. She was sure that Livia would make a move when Noel lowered his guard down.
On the one hand, she had been traveling and cooperating with Noel the whole time. While observing him, Noel didn't seem to have any interest in women, including her. On the other hand, Noel was about to become a noble.
While it was true that the noble's duty was to govern their territory, they also required a successor to lead the house in the future. And Livia must be aiming for it.
There was a weird feeling in Anna's heart. Because they had traveled together for a long time, she never put a lot of thought into it. But her heart felt unease about this Livia. It was different from Rose since this one had the achievement to stand by Noel's side. It appeared that she was about to be replaced.
'Is it because she is similar to me? Or is it because… she might replace me?' Anna didn't know how to describe her feelings.
"What's wrong? You look pale." Her father asked.
"I… am probably tired of putting that act. Please excuse me, Father." Anna bowed to him before leaving the room.
Kevin only smiled mysteriously as if understanding what his daughter was thinking.
