The World Is Mine For The Taking

"Now, who might you be?" the Sword Saint asked, his sharp gaze fixed on me as soon as the guard departed.

"I'm Leon, Sir," I replied, bowing modestly. It wasn't a grand gesture, just the kind of bow any capable man could muster. "Just Leon. I don't have a surname."

"Really?" His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied me. "It's rather unusual for someone without a family name to bow like that. Most of your station wouldn't even know the faintest hint of etiquette, yet you do."

Apparently, my modest bow carried enough grace to make him wonder if I was the son of some noble.

"I just learned from the academy, Sir," I said evenly.

"The Academy does teach etiquette. Seems you're taking your lessons well enough," he mused before his tone shifted slightly. "What's your class? Since you're a friend of Johanne's, I'd imagine you'd at least be in the Gold Class."

"No, Sir," I answered honestly. "I'm actually in the Bronze Class. I'm skillless, you see."

His eyes widened ever so slightly at my admission, a reaction that didn't escape my notice. The others who had been listening in were visibly shocked. A Bronze Class student with no unique abilities—just a worthless nobody in their eyes.

"My son has a keen eye for strength," the Sword Saint remarked. "So I assume that even without a skill, you must possess some talent with the sword."

"I can use a sword well enough, Sir," I admitted. Denying it would serve no purpose.

"I see..."

Before the conversation could continue, a voice rang out.

"Leon!"

A man, about my age, emerged from the crowd, his face lighting up when he saw me. Though he presented as male, I knew the truth. She was a woman—changed by the very man in front of me, the Sword Saint, likely to fulfill his desire for a male heir. Even Johanne, unaware of her true gender, believed herself to have been born this way.

"You're finally here! I'm glad you made it," Johanne said, her smile genuine.

"Yes, thank you for inviting me, Johanne," I replied warmly.

Johanne's gaze shifted to her father, still smiling. "Father, this is—"

"We've already introduced ourselves," the Sword Saint interrupted. "Though I haven't introduced myself yet. I assume you already know who I am, but for formality's sake, I'm Duke Carl Fior Whitlock. I am the Duke of Whitlock Duchy and, as many call me, the Sword Saint."

"Ah, thank you for introducing yourself, Sir," I said with a polite nod.

Duke Carl turned his attention back to Johanne, his expression sharp. "Your friend here mentioned he's a Bronze Class student—and skillless at that. Care to explain why you invited him to your wedding?"

"There's nothing to explain, Father," Johanne replied firmly. "Leon is my friend. I simply wanted a friend at my wedding."

The Duke's eyes narrowed, hawk-like and probing. "I don't think that's the only reason," he said, his tone carrying an unmistakable edge.

It was painfully clear the Duke didn't like the idea of someone weak being friends with his son—or, well, daughter, in this case.

"Tell me exactly what you've seen in this young man to warrant an invitation to your wedding," the Duke demanded, his narrowed eyes brimming with suspicion.

Johanne had already told him I was just a friend, so why was he still acting so distrustful? Maybe it was because Johanne was originally female, and he suspected there was something deeper—like Johanne secretly being in love with me. The Duke looked like he was doing everything he could to avoid drawing attention to the fact that Johanne was biologically a woman.

"I've told you already, Father. Leon is a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Can't I invite one of my friends to my own wedding?" Johanne's tone was firm, but there was an undertone of exasperation.

The Duke's hawk-like gaze remained fixed on Johanne, his expression unchanging, until someone else entered the scene. That someone was accompanied by a guard. That guard stopped in her tracks, her eyes locking on me in surprise. Though we'd only met briefly, her expression made it clear she recognized me.

"If I may interrupt you three gentlemen for a moment," said Princess Myrcella, her voice cutting cleanly through the tension. "I'm also acquainted with Leon. That alone should dispel the need for further questioning, Duke Whitlock."

The Duke shifted his focus to the Princess, then back to me. "I never would've guessed that someone of his station is acquainted with the Princess," he said, his voice laced with skepticism. "Are you certain he's not manipulating you to climb the social ladder? After all, it's a viable tactic for someone in his position, considering both you and my son hold titles of the highest degree. Johanne is my heir, the son of a Duke and the next Sword Saint, while you are a Princess. Naturally, I'm inclined to doubt his intentions. However, I'll extend him the benefit of the doubt—for now—assuming his friendship with you is genuine."

The Duke's words made it clear he had serious trust issues, but at least he was willing to let it slide for the moment. Not that I had any complaints about that.

"If you'll excuse me, Princess, I have other guests to attend to," the Duke said, his tone curt as he turned and walked away. His exit was just as intense as his presence—like a hurricane sweeping out of the room.

The tension immediately eased once he was gone.

"I'm sorry about that, Leon," Johanne said with a sheepish smile. "My father can be… stiff at times."

"It's fine," I replied, shrugging it off. "I wasn't offended. Though, I do wish I'd worn something more suitable. Maybe then I wouldn't have seemed so out of place in his eyes." Of course, I'd deliberately dressed modestly to avoid unnecessary attention—not that it had worked.

"Your clothes are perfectly fine," Johanne reassured me with a warm smile.

As we spoke, Princess Myrcella approached us.

"I never expected to see you here, Leon," she said, her voice carrying a lightness that matched her graceful demeanor. "I assume Johanne invited you? I didn't know he planned on having you here."

"Well, I wanted a trusted friend to attend my special day," Johanne said, glancing at me with a smile.

"Fufufu," the Princess chuckled softly. "I never would've thought the two of you had grown so close. It seems your friendship blossomed without my knowing."

Johanne nodded, his smile widening. "We've been talking a lot lately, and after the King's Game, I can confidently say Leon is my best friend now."

It was honestly sweet of Johanne to say that. I'd never thought he'd consider me a friend, let alone his best friend.

"Now then, I shall check on the bride. If you'll excuse me, Johanne and Leon," Myrcella said with a polite bow before walking away.

Angelica stood off to the side, her wary gaze fixed on me. Of course, she was suspicious. She knew me as the one who not only defeated her in combat but also brought down the Eclipse. If that wasn't enough, she might have seen me take down the dragon summoned by Sesillian. Even so, she wasn't making a move to fight me. She knew it'd be pointless, and judging by the exchange I'd just had with the Princess, Angelica likely realized I wasn't here to harm anyone. That didn't mean she'd let go of her suspicion.

"I'm really thankful you came, Leon," Johanne said, his tone genuinely warm.

"Well, my best friend invited me. How could I not come?" I replied, giving him a grin.

Johanne smiled back, his expression so infectious it pulled a smile from me too.

***

Angelica's POV

I wasn't wrong.

That man... He was the owner of Leonamon. The one who destroyed the Eclipse—a powerful cult I'd once been brainwashed and forced to serve. It was him. The man who utterly defeated me, making me taste the bitter humiliation of true defeat for the first time. He brought me to my knees without breaking a sweat and made me eat dirt like it was my place.

And now, Her Highness the Princess was speaking with that same man.

I couldn't feel any malice radiating from him earlier, and though it was clear he recognized me, he didn't seem inclined to attack. Still, it was impossible for someone like him to be entirely without malice, wasn't it? I couldn't be certain he wouldn't harm the Princess.

I had to warn her. Find exclusive stories on My Virtual Library Empire

"Princess," I said, my voice low but firm. "I don't think you should trust that man so easily."

"And why is that, Angelica?"

"I know him," I said, keeping my tone steady. "He's the one who took down the Eclipse. I refuse to believe he's some meager, skillless nobody. I know he's a powerful man—and also the owner of Leonamon. He's dangerous. I strongly advise you to keep your distance from him as much as possible."