Misunderstanding???

His voice turned cold, all the previous worry disappearing from his being.

"Or die!!"

Finally, the barrier around my neck broke. His sword was fast-paced and-

Splash!

His sword made contact with my neck, but at that moment, another barrier appeared like a layer on my skin.

I snapped my fingers, seemingly manifesting an illusionary sword that looked hollow from the inside. The sword moved with every inch It crose emitting a bluish hue that became another source of light inside the carriage.

It collided with the prince's head, momentarily making him lose his balance. He moved his sword from my neck to block the incoming sword, but the collision he was waiting for didn't happen. Instead, the sword passed through the illusionary phantom.

I jumped from my seat, trying to catch him off guard and possibly grab his neck. He, who was still in a scramble from the phantom, quickly gained his foothold and slashed toward my incoming figure.

I tried to imagine a protective layer of barrier in the place where his sword was about to collide. There was a spark as our little fight intensified. He slashed at me, each attack more powerful than the previous one.

I blocked his attacks, not ready to back down. I jabbed him and punched him, but most of my punches were deflected by his sword. Each movement was refined and calculated. He was thinking two steps ahead, planning his next attack before the current one collided.

If I hadn't developed battle senses through my battle with the skeletons, I wonder if I would have been able to dodge his attacks. He attacked, but I blocked it with my barrier.

There was a slash, and I punched him. My hand moved aside a spark of lightning that was generated through our clash. Boom! My fist made contact with his chest, and there was a crash.

Gustin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I sensed that he was trying to activate some kind of skill. When he opened his eyes, they were glowing with a red hue. Is that aura? Before I could think of anything, I saw danger in my very being, if I didn't move from my place, it would be my end. I attempted to move away, leaping in the carriage, but I crashed into the wall.

A red arc made by his sword was in the air, closing the distance between him and me. I tried to move away from the place, but I was unable to. My left leg was split apart. The aura slash moved and split the carriage wall in two.

At that moment, I knew I couldn't possibly fight the prince. I jumped outside the carriage, crashing onto the ground. The princess who was just behind us stared outside her carriage. She saw my figure outside, and both of our eyes met.

All the army that was marching stopped, and some of them ran to become vigilant, taking defensive stances, assuming they had been attacked,

a group of people who were wearing black outfits from head to toe. They appeared, making defensive formations around the prince's carriage and the princess.

Gustin also appeared outside and attacked me, smashing his sword downwards. "Stop!" A dominating enchanted female voice echoed. It was calm and collected but carried a tone of authority as nobody could rebel against her order. And then she came out from her carriage, wearing a white military uniform and a white hat atop her head. Her pale skin glowed like moonlight in this dim and gloomy atmosphere. Her enchanted hazel green eyes carried a hint of curiosity, and her wavy blue hair waved in the air, their movement similar to small snakes.

Her military attire was exposed from her neck to the upper region of her chest region, slightly revealing her big breasts. Her white coat was long she was wearing a black shirt inside, With each step she took, her attributes flourished in the air. There were even small ice particles inside the carriage from time to time coming out. Wait, why am I noticing minor details?

She stood before me and the prince. "What's the problem, Prince Gustin?" she asked.

"Cara, he is a variable that can throw our plan off track," Gustin replied.

But instead of answering, the princess asked, "Did Prince of Fireborn think he could use my name without consequence?"

Instantly, Gustin's expression changed. "Forgive me, Princess Cara Swoyart, Water-born."

Seeing them bickering over a small matter like a name, I wondered what was wrong with them. Does a name matter that much? Doesn't she trust this Prince Gustin or whatever?

Cara looked at Gustin, her expression serious. "What's the matter?" she asked, her voice echoing with authority.

Gustin took a deep breath before explaining, "I had arranged for someone to educate him about the power structure and the three different types of magic. However, I specifically instructed that he should only be taught surface-level knowledge."

Cara raised an eyebrow in response to Gustin's words. "And what happened?" she inquired, her voice laced with curiosity.

Gustin continued, "Well, I provided him with low-rank beast cores to refine and absorb, to help him create a core within his body. I expected that he would become a low-level mage through this process. However, within just one day, he managed to bypass the general progression of power ranks. Instead of climbing from E to D, then to C, and so on, he somehow ascended to the ranks of a powerful A-rank magician, comparable to myself and other influential figures."

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flickered in Gustin's eyes, leading him to suspect that I had been concealing my true power. He accused me of being an imposter, planted by the opposing empire faction to carry out their secret assassination plans. To be honest, I couldn't help but let out a silent chuckle at such an accusation, hidden from everyone's ears.

At this point, I understood their concerns. They had provided me with opportunities and assistance to climb the ranks, acting out of goodwill, or so it seemed. However, I disagreed with hm assumptions. The prince had intended for me to become his subordinate in the future, a trusted slave who would unquestioningly follow his orders behind the facade of assistance.

A brief pause followed my realisation, and a bout of laughter escaped my lips. 'Hahaha, did he think he could control me?'I muttered, pride and amusement evident in my voice. 'Me, THE GLORIOUS…'