A shrill scream destroyed the peaceful environment. Elizabeth and her friends stood up, exchanging glances, before running over. They pushed their way through the crowds and arrived at the front. There, they saw an elderly couple on the ground, the man apparently having been struck on the face given his ugly bruises and bleeding. Standing on the opposite side was an affluent nobleman with more than twenty guards. His expensive clothes were wetted by a nasty spill, making the source of conflict obvious. The young man was livid.
"My clothes have been ruined because of you two. Do you have any idea how much they're worth?" The veins on his forehead bulged.
"Please forgive us. We didn't mean to…" the old woman begged.
The nobleman snorted and gestured to his guard. "Beat them again!"
The guard nodded, cracked his knuckles, and strode forward. This time, he would not hold back. He pulled his leg back and delivered a heavy kick. It was strong enough to shatter a person's ribs and push them to the brink of death, doubly-so if they were old. It was equivalent to a death sentence! Originally, people in the surrounding crowds were content with spectating, since they did not want to involve themselves in the situation. The nobleman did not look simple, so sticking their necks out might put them in trouble instead. However, when they saw the guard's actions, they paled. They realized it was too late to stop him! Just as the guard was about to hit the man though, his leg collided with a solid iron bar. His momentum shattered his leg bones and caused him to curse wildly. The pain made him furious and confused. What did he hit? He looked up to see a frigid beauty's cold face. The thing he hit was unexpected the girl's sheathed sword. Who was she? The guard was dumbfounded.
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. She did not expect to see this person here. Her long snow-white hair was complimented by her sharp and stern beauty. It seemed to freeze the world around her, purging the world of its impurities. Only she stood at the center of this pure land! The Solitary Wind, Lady Kalasena Dewshard, a Grand Lady and one of the most famous youths of her generation! Back in the Grand Nobility's party in Algard, Elizabeth clashed with her, Lord Fredrick, and Lord Archibon. It left a deep impression on her, so she remembered their faces. Elizabeth cupped her chin and wondered curiously. What was this famous young Grand Lady doing here in Firecast? As for her safety? Elizabeth did not need to worry. Aside from being a Grand Lady, Lady Kalasena was a Perception Realm and an excellent swordswoman! She could absolutely protect herself.
"Who are you?" the nobleman snapped.
"…" Unfortunately for him, Lady Kalasena was a girl of very few words. It was unknown whether she believed it was beneath her to reply, or whether she was simply too lazy to. Either way, her silence made the man more annoyed.
"You broke my guard's leg, and you don't have anything to say? I can see all the nutrients went to your body, but not your head. Beat her to death!"
Five more guards charged at her with a bloodthirsty look. They had obviously killed people before and were not afraid to do it again. Freon and Nassandra turned to Elizabeth with questions. Why was she intent on watching? This was not her usual behavior. However, Elizabeth and Benedict knew this girl's identity, whereas Shirley could sense Lady Kalasena's strength. They were not worried.
As expected, the girl's eyes narrowed viciously. Keeping her sword sheathed, she dashed forward using a very mysterious and elusive footwork. Her sheathed sword seemed to turn into afterimages, as she swung it. Bang! She straightforwardly shattered the leg of one guard, kicked him down and using his body as a shield, she turned around to block another hit. Twisting her sword, she pulled the man's arm down and slammed her sword hilt into the man's chin then his nose. Blood spewed, yet the girl was not deterred. Her Martial Perception spread out, allowing her to see Elizabeth and Benedict nearby. Although she was surprised, she did not let it show on her face or slow down her actions. Her offense continued, despite being outnumbered. Like a fish in water, the five guards could not touch her and were beaten badly. In less than fifteen seconds, they were all sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain. The unknown nobleman's face was especially ugly. He did not expect this result.
Elizabeth, Shirley, and Freon were dazzled by her deadliness and speed, but Benedict was a fellow swordsman. He was also the Sword King's disciple and had Major Sword Form attainment, hence he could see much deeper than other people. That was why he could tell Lady Kalasena lacked significant combat experience. Her forms were a little rigid, and her transitions were a little awkward. She was probably thinking before acting, which resulted in her diminished speed. Otherwise, a Perception Realm like herself should have been able to clean up the five guards in less than ten seconds. Benedict was still impressed though. A Grand Lady who was a Perception Realm Novice and had Minor Sword Form attainment was a rarity. She deserved her reputation was one of the rising stars of her generation!
"Do you have any idea who I am? I'm the young lord of a Great Nobility Household!" the nobleman yelled. "I can have you executed for what you did!"
Lady Kalasena did not spare him a glance. She walked over to Elizabeth and thought briefly before saying, "Your Highness, sorry for the show."
"You recognize me?" Elizabeth was startled, since she was wearing a hood that covered her vibrant red hair. It should be hard to spot her from the crowd. But then, she quickly remembered the girl was a Perception Realm. She smiled. "Forget I asked. Why are you here in Firecast, Lady Kalasena?"
"I…"
"I didn't say you could ignore me, woman!" the man interrupted. He shouted to his guards, "I'll give anyone who brings her corpse an entire year's pay!"
Greed shined in the remaining fourteen guards' eyes. Gaining a year's pay by killing a girl? Was there anything easier than that? Of course, they were apprehensive about Lady Kalasena's strength, seeing how she defeated five guards. That was why they directly unsheathed their weapons. Swords, axes, spears, clubs, maces… All kinds of weapons were revealed in an instant, as their killing intent surged. They would butcher her with overwhelming force! The surrounding crowds stepped back, ready to run away on a moment's notice, and thoroughly distanced themselves from Elizabeth, her friends, and Lady Kalasena. They did not want to be implicated together.
Lady Kalasena hesitated. She had no intention of dragging Elizabeth and her friends into her fight, but she similarly realized that she could not win against fourteen armed opponents. At the very least, she would have to fight with the intent to kill. However, she had never killed anyone before. Should she do it? While the lady debated, Elizabeth walked over to the elderly couple and addressed their wounds.
"Are you okay? Can you stand?"
"Who are you?" They were confused by how nonchalant she was.
She pulled down her hood, showing her iconic red hair, and gave a big smile. "The new Royal Ambassador. Rest assured, you're safe now. We'll handle everything."
"You…" The pupils of the couple narrowed in shock. Their savior turned out to be Princess Elizabeth! They could not believe it!
Her warm gaze disappeared when she saw the nobleman and his guards. "You might have guessed my identity already, but I am Princess Elizabeth Etuvel Reindel. Stop immediately and surrender yourselves to the city guard."
The guards came with murderous momentum yet froze in their tracks upon hearing her words. Fear crept up on their faces. Elizabeth's reputation as a princess, the former heir apparent, and the Royal Army General, and a powerful Arcanist was too terrifying! Nobody had the courage to resist. Strangely though, there was a mysterious excitement in the nobleman's eyes, almost like he hoped this would happen.
He snapped, "Who are you fooling? Why would Princess Elizabeth appear here? Don't listen to her nonsense! I'll personally pay five years' salary to anyone who detains her!"
This seemed to reignite the motivation of the guards. That was right! It was awfully convenient for a princess to appear here of all places. So, what if she had red hair? That was the only thing similar between her and the fabled Princess Elizabeth. They were incensed for being fooled. What they did not realize was that the nobleman's mouth curled up into a smile. Meanwhile, Elizabeth grimaced. To come to this marketplace, she had deliberately changed into more modest clothes, removed her crown, and dismissed her guards, aside from Benedict and Shirley. Now that she needed to prove her identity, she could not! She did not know whether to laugh or cry. It was a vexing situation.