A sense of justice

As soon as Helena turns her head to the direction of the voice, she was surprised to see the crown prince heading towards their spot.

No one could have recognized Helena immediately since she used concealing magic and a mask to conceal her presence. But it was different for the crown prince, as the owner of the holy sword, he could instantly tell that it was the archmage just by how the holy sword reacted to her. .

"how rare for a royal prince to visit the willow village." Helena scoffs through her mask.

"You shouldn't have done that, He was naturally destined to destroy his whole village."

Helena couldn't believe what was going out of his mouth, he actually wanted William to annihilate his whole village. She couldn't contain her anger and retaliated using her magic while William stayed asleep in her shoulder. "You're no different from your father!"

The crown prince immediately repels the attack using the holy sword.

"How could you just let all of those innocent people die? even more, you let your first knight experience this hell again!"

"Shut up." He says in a blank expression. "This incident was the one that paved his way as the first knight."

He was right, she thought.

As her frustration grows, she uses earth magic to grow a tree and entrap William in it, making sure that her magic continues to calm the cursed magic inside of William.

"I can't just sit by and let those people die." She shot back.

"Are you even aware of what you did?" he slowly approaches her. "Now that he didn't do what the emperor expected him to do, he'll be probably hunted down, worse he'll never be able to join knighthood."

Helena have considered that fact before she went and saved the willow village. She knew that her sense of justice would result in a big change that could alter the William's destiny.

"Hunted down?" i chuckled. "Now that i saved him, who dares to touch him?"

The crown prince couldn't understand the sudden change of behavior of the archmage. He never knew that she had such a sense of justice for the people of the empire.

"Your ridiculous sense of justice will one day kill you."

"I already died once." She replies. "Since i was given this chance to atone for my mistakes, i won't waste it."

Somehow, the crown prince didn't like how she made him remember when his holy sword pierced through her body. "Do what you want." he says before leaving.

She sighed, feeling tired just by talking with the cold-blooded first prince of the empire. She shifted her attention again to the first knight and saw him sleeping soundly.

She smiles.

Even if she doesn't know what was the consequences for changing his destiny, she was relieved that William didn't have to relieve this nightmare once again.

"Red magician! thank you for saving our village!" a voice emerges from her side.

Suddenly she was surprised when numerous villagers came back to their village, despite its wrecked state. As she looked at the numerous people that praised her, she realized that she needed to place a protective barrier to the village since the emperor would not take this incident lightly.

She teleports mid-air, leaving William on the ground for a while.

"A level 3 barrier would do it." She said as she inspected the area approximately. She uses both of her hand and raised it, forming a spherical shape into her hands, she slowly enlarges the barrier from her hands to the whole village.

She returns to where William was. "Tighten the security in your village, the barrier would be only able to withstand a certain physical and magical damage." she warns the villagers before vanishing into thin air with the first knight.

Just as promised, Helena comes back to the coachman that awaited her orders. Before she could appear to him, she takes off her disguise and unbinds William from her magic, making it look like that she was carrying a person she got from the williw village

"Miss!" The coachmen hastily approach her to assist her. "Who is this? it hasn't been an hour yet you were able to save someone from the Willow village?" he asks confused.

"No time for talking, get this man off my back." She acts impatiently, as her small body frame wouldn't be able to carry such a big body.

'Well it's not like i can't handle his weight, but i'm still a child so i should atleast look his weak.' she thought.

As the coachman carries William into the carriage, they quickly set off to the Imperial palace.

The journey was no longer disturbed as they were able to get to the palace in due time. She stares in awe as she looks at the imperial palace, she knew that it was extravagant but she never thought that the palace would stretch its parameters through the mountains nearby. She was also able to sense various mana energy from the people in it.

The carriage stops, and she got off.

"Please do guard this person until i come back." She orders the coachman, and he nodded in obedience.

She took one last look to William, then secretly put tracking magic in case something happens.

In the past, she had never set foot into the palace as she was seen as a great threat that terrorized the empire. Walking up to show her presence to the emperor was the least that she expected after going back in time. The young boy that assisted her was stern, he never looked back and only saw his objective to escort Helena to the emperor.

As they arrived at the entrance, the boy leaves.

The door opens and an attendant introduces her presence. She bows in respect, before walking towards where the emperor quietly seated.

"Young child, i have heard of your great contribution to the assassination that took place in the tower of Goharith. The empire would be forever grateful for your bravery. It seems that the Archmage raised you well." The emperor says in a cautious tone.

She shook her head. "Your majesty, it is only natural that the house of Enilde is loyal to you, we would never forget our duty." she emphasizes.

"Is that so?" The emperor says in a monotone voice. "The tower of Goharith's influence is just next to the empire, saying that the house of Enilde is loyal, then does that mean what i think it is?"

She furrowed her eyebrow. She disliked the fact that the emperor was still being cautious to the tower even when she saved the royal prince. She knew that there were some suspicious points as to why the emperor looks at the tower with uncertainty.

but she couldn't deny the fact that the tower's people did cause her suspicions especially the time when she became the archmage in the past.

"Please forgive me for causing a misunderstanding." She replies. "I merely meant that the house of Enilde is loyal to your majesty, as of the tower's objectives, this lady doesn't know. My father may be an archmage but not everything is under his control, just like your majesty and the officials that serves below you."

The emperor's eyes widened as she understood what Helena was trying to make him perceive. "How rare, i'm hearing an interesting insight from a young lady." He chuckles. "Now then, i shall not waste more time. Tell me young lady, what gift is befitting for the savior of the 3rd prince?"

Helena closes her eyes, feeling a bit nervous, she opens them once again and looked straight to the emperor. "Please bestow the title of Duke, to the archmage."

The emperor angrily stood up.