Chapter 54: The Fiery Knight

The grand ballroom of the royal palace glittered beneath enormous crystal chandeliers, their light catching against polished marble floors and the shimmering gowns and suits of countless nobles gathered in small, chattering clusters. Servants moved gracefully between groups, offering trays of refreshments, while a live orchestra played softly from an elevated platform near the far end of the hall.

Neo and Nora entered together, drawing more than a few curious glances the moment they stepped through the grand entrance. Whispers rippled quietly through the nearest clusters of nobility, though neither of them paid much attention to it.

"There’s so many people," Neo muttered, scanning the crowded room. Groups of young nobles his own age stood scattered throughout the hall, some engaged in polite conversation, others openly sizing each other up with the careful, calculating eyes only nobility seemed capable of.

Nora, beside him, remained perfectly composed, her lavender eyes sweeping the room with quiet, methodical attention, cataloging faces and family crests with practiced efficiency.

They found a relatively quiet corner near one of the tall windows, far enough from the main crowd to avoid immediate attention, though not so far as to seem outright rude.

After nearly an hour of standing there, occasionally exchanging small comments with Nora, a sudden hush fell over the ballroom as the grand doors at the far end swung open.

"Announcing Her Highness, the Second Princess, Elaine Velkrath!"

The princess stepped through the doors, dressed in a stunning gown of pale gold, her dark hair swept up elegantly, adorned with a delicate tiara that caught the light beautifully. She moved through the room with practiced grace, offering polite smiles and brief greetings as she made her way toward the raised dais at the head of the hall. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Neo watched with mild curiosity, remembering vaguely the tense confrontation from years ago at his own birthday ball, back when her mother had tried so hard to push a political marriage forward. The princess herself looked far more composed and confident now, though there remained something carefully guarded behind her polite smile.

As the ball officially began, conversation resumed throughout the hall, and Neo caught snippets of gossip drifting from nearby clusters of nobles.

"Have you noticed the Second Prince isn’t in attendance tonight?" one noblewoman murmured behind her fan.

"I heard he’s been crippled for years now."

"Some kind of accident, though the details are always a bit murky. Fell from his carriage, or perhaps beneath it, depending on who you ask."

"Either way, it’s put him entirely out of contention for the throne. Such a shame, really."

"Speaking of contention, have you heard about the Third Prince? Apparently, he’s awakened Light magic recently, and quite a powerful affinity for it too. Some scholars are even whispering he might eventually awaken divinity itself."

Neo’s brow furrowed slightly at that particular piece of gossip, filing it away quietly in the back of his mind.

’Divinity? That’s not something to take lightly. There weren’t many details about the royal family in the anime, either.’ He hadn’t remembered anything like that from the anime, though given how much the story had already deviated from what he remembered, he supposed it wasn’t entirely surprising anymore.

He glanced sideways toward Nora, wondering if she’d caught any of the conversation, though of course, she hadn’t heard a single word of it.

For the most part, Neo remained quietly stationed near their corner of the ballroom, content simply to observe rather than actively participate in any of the swirling social dynamics happening around him. It wasn’t that he had no interest in mingling, but this was, technically, only his second real ball, if his own fifth birthday celebration even counted, and he genuinely knew almost no one in attendance beyond a handful of distant acquaintances.

Nora stood quietly beside him throughout, occasionally intercepting the curious stares of passing noble daughters with a sharp, pointed look of her own, though Neo remained largely oblivious to her silent, watchful vigilance.

It was nearly an hour into the ball when Neo noticed a figure approaching them from across the room.

The young man walked with deliberate, unhurried confidence, his deep red hair swept back neatly, his lean, athletic frame moving with practiced ease through the crowd. His sharp, fiery eyes locked directly onto Neo the moment their gazes met, carrying none of the polite, guarded neutrality most other nobles displayed. If anything, his expression looked closer to someone preparing for battle rather than a casual social introduction.

Neo recognized him almost immediately from the striking crimson hair alone.

’Helios Mordain. Son of Duke Nathan Mordain.’

The Mordain family ruled over the northern territories, their strength and influence rivaling the Draven dukedom in nearly every measurable way. For generations, an unspoken rivalry had simmered quietly between the two families, each one wary of the other’s growing power, the tension only deepening further with every passing generation.

Helios, famously known throughout the empire as, the ’Fiery Knight’, stopped directly in front of Neo, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he looked him over.

"So, you’re the famous Draven heir everyone keeps talking about." Helios said, his voice carrying an edge of clear, deliberate challenge.

Neo merely shrugged, his expression completely indifferent.

"Nah, bro. You’ve got the wrong guy. You should probably look somewhere else."

He casually looked away, as if Helios wasn’t even worth his attention.

Helios’s lips twitched with annoyance. His gaze then shifted toward Nora, who stood quietly beside Neo.

"Hello. I am Helios Mordain, the second son of Duke Mordain."

He greeted Nora first while deliberately ignoring Neo.

It was a blatant display of disrespect toward Neo, who stood at the same social rank as him.

Unfortunately for him, Nora didn’t react. She didn’t even look in his direction. Her blank eyes remained fixed on the distant scenery, as though Helios wasn’t even worth acknowledging.

Helios stared at her in surprise. His expression slowly hardened as her complete indifference became impossible to ignore.

Then, he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I apologize. I forgot that you’re deaf."

A small, mocking smirk appeared on his lips.

"It’s a pity. We could’ve had a normal conversation otherwise..."

The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere changed. A sharp killing intent suddenly erupted beside him.

Helios’s expression stiffened as he turned toward Neo.

The casual young man who had been ignoring him moments ago was now staring directly at him.

His eyes were cold—utterly devoid of the amusement from before.

Neo took a step forward, meeting Helios’s gaze without the slightest hint of fear.

"You’re crossing the line."