"Finally, it is time for the day of trial. But I am bored with the long wait. Why don't they just start the test already?"
Henry said, standing beneath the square where a large crystal ball gleamed at the center atop an ornate pedestal.
He crossed his arms restlessly, clearly annoyed, and stared at the ball, its surface shimmering with an otherworldly glow as if mocking his impatience.
"It should start soon," Carl said from the side, as he was also getting impatient from all the waiting.
But he knew never to question a wizard's decision, unlike Henry, so he didn't complain, as it was only a little wait anyway.
Aurora, on the other hand, stayed silent on the side, ignoring all the sidelong glances she was receiving from the crowd, as if in her own world. However, her calm and serene temperament drew even more attention.
After all, although there were many girls around the square from different Empires, each with their own charm, she stood out at the top with her otherworldly figure and calm temperament.
Although the hype around the Ignisia Trial had been decreasing with the passing years, there were still many people around the square.
Just like they had come from the Mistveil Empire to participate in this trial, there were also other people from the Velmoria Empire, royalty and nobles alike.
And from the Ashford Empire royal family, it was none other than the Third Prince, Dorian Ashford, who seemed to be in a bad mood.
Maybe the wait had really been long, as the crowd whispered among themselves in hushed tones—clearly excited, but also a little irritated by the prolonged delay.
Surprisingly, there was also another person who was irritated by the long wait, just like the crowd, but could do nothing.
It was none other than Ron, a First Ring Wizard and envoy from the Calvora Continent.
In fact, he must have been the most restless person around here—not for any wizard dream, not for any adventure yet to come, but simply to get rid of the Sigil of Subjugation pact he had with Ian.
According to the agreement, he would be free once they arrived at the Calvora Continent, so he was even more eager to leave this barren place than anyone.
He swore he would never come to this place again. All the events here had been so unlucky for him that it felt as if all the bad luck in his life had exploded at once.
Just as the wait was wearing down the patience around the square, a slight commotion from the crowd drew the attention of everyone.
Since the wait was boring, even slight disturbances could draw theirs focus. So, all of them glanced behind to see what the fuss was about.
"He really came."
Just like anyone else noticing the commotion, Carl also looked out of curiosity, but what he saw made him clench his fist unconsciously, murmuring in slight excitement and slight rage.
"Who?"
As Henry was right beside him, he clearly heard Carl's murmur and looked in the direction Carl was focused on, clearly intrigued.
Then, what he saw was a handsome young man with natural, effortless charm, striking features, and a confident yet approachable presence that drew people in.
However, what was more surprising was the girl leaning next to him, with blue eyes, blonde hair, and a tall figure draped in a gorgeous, luxurious long gown. Her figure was so stunning that it exuded an unconscious, seductive charm making everyone restless.
No wonder the crowd had made a commotion; the couple truly looked otherworldly.
"Do you know her?"
Henry asked Carl, clearly referring to Lyra. Although he didn't want to admit it, Lyra was far superior to his sister Aurora in many ways.
"Oh?"
After Henry asked, Carl finally paid attention to Lyra, who looked even more beautiful than when he saw her in the Imperial Academy. However, oddly enough, he didn't feel the same attraction toward her as he did when they first met.
Previously, he had thought of her as his forbidden wife, getting jealous of her being close to Ian. However, now he just wanted to redeem his dignity that had been trampled under Ian's foot and didn't have time to care about girls. Sometimes, his priorities also shifted with situations.
So, he just casually replied to Henry, who was interested in Lyra.
"Yeah, we were acquaintances."
After saying that, Carl ignored him and made his way toward Ian, as if he had something to say.
While the crowd's attention was clearly drawn to the couple that had just arrived, Ian and Lyra didn't care about it and made their way to the front leisurely, while Lancer stood surrounded by knights to clear the way.
However, when Ian was about to arrive near the squire, he felt two piercing gazes from the side, one of which was clearly filled with undisguised murderous intent.
"Hm?"
Feeling such a blatant murderous gaze, Ian couldn't help but be surprised and looked to the side to see who was tired of living when he saw the familiar figure of Third Prince Dorian glaring at him with intense hatred as if he had killed his father.
"Oh? No wonder."
After recognizing the person, Ian smiled in understanding.
"What happened?"
Seeing that Ian stopped, Lyra asked in confusion.
"Nothing. Let's just go." Ian shook his head and ignored Dorian's hateful look, not taking him seriously.
If he didn't know his place and kept trying to provoke him, Ian wouldn't mind sending him to meet his brother.
As for why Dorian hated him so much, it wasn't hard to guess. After the death of Ethos, his father, Eldric, and Duke Alex began to put pressure on the royal family over the issue of secret assassinations.
So, the Ashford royal family wasn't in a good condition. Moreover, with the death of the second prince, Adrian Ashford, the responsibility of entering the Ignisia Trial directly fell on the Third Prince, Dorian, as they couldn't send the Crown Prince, right?
As for his murderous intentions toward Ian, it wasn't difficult to figure out. After all, there was someone with him who clearly didn't have the token but still came. And with his father's fierce offensive, Dorian must have already figured out who killed his second brother causing him to leave the Empire.
'But why didn't Duke Alex let Lyra have the Ignisia token?'
Ian thought about the missing piece when suddenly a strong male voice from the side snapped him out of his stupor.
"We meet again!"