I feel a bit ridiculous for not being able to reach him. It’s quite frustrating to see how I can’t even graze him or deal any damage. Damn it! I can’t even break through his defenses. I relax my mind a little to avoid thinking about unnecessary things—I already knew this from before. It’s impossible to hit Ruddo. This man is as strong as Julio, maybe even stronger, because he’s had more time to train.

  His Imra is oppressive. I can tell he’s keeping it suppressed as much as possible, only letting certain bursts slip out at times when I do something out of the ordinary. His smile keeps growing; I’m afraid at some point the corners of his lips will tear.

  In the middle of a powerful exchange, something feels different. By the time I identify the source of that strange sensation, it’s already too late. His Jurisdiction grabs hold of me, leaving me unable to move—I’m as still as a statue. The pressure of his Jurisdiction isn’t something I can overcome simply by exerting my abilities.

  Wait… is he holding back? I can tell easily once I calm down. Training so much with Lucio for several weeks is finally paying off—I can now tell when someone is coming at full force or only partially. I couldn’t identify it before, nor can I counter it at the moment it catches me; I don’t have enough training yet.

  My mind knows a way to free myself from such power, and my body feels ready to put into practice what I trained with Lucio. I charge my energy cube until it’s on the verge of cracking. I could push it further past its limit if necessary, but I don’t—doing so would cause serious damage, and I’m not in danger right now.

  Once I’m filled with energy, I use my Banner as the conduit for the power burst. My body has to release all the accumulated power in my cube through every pore of my skin—that’s the only way to attempt to break a Jurisdiction at this moment. According to Lucio, once I reach Ruby rank and improve my Banner, I won’t have so many problems.

  Using my Banner as a conduit makes the energy strike more effective. After all, a Jurisdiction is formed using a Rank 3 Banner as its base—you have to meet more requirements, but the Banner is the foundation upon which this monstrous power is built. I assist that power with a bit of ice mana, electricity, and to a greater extent, my gravity.

  The Laws are also an important part of forming a Jurisdiction. Currently, my Law of gravity stands at the top alongside the Yin-Yang Law. I use the former as my base for two reasons: it’s linked to a dragon, and it has very strong compatibility with my Banner, as they share the same trait.

  All the expelled power becomes more potent thanks to my gravity; my affinity keeps pushing it in all directions—it’s an exquisite amplifier. On the first attempt, I feel Ruddo’s Jurisdiction tremble. On the second, it begins to crack, and finally, on the third strike, it shatters completely, freeing me from its restraint.

  When I break free, I feel joy and sadness at the same time. Happiness at having escaped such a powerful Jurisdiction, possibly within the top ten percent of all Diamond and Obsidian ranks. Sadness at needing three attempts to free myself, knowing Ruddo is only using part of his power. If he had decided to trap me with his full strength, it would’ve taken me ten or more attempts to escape—enough time for him to kill me at least ten times.

  I can sense Ruddo’s surprise and delight. He’s standing there with his mouth open, smiling at the same time. I charge an attack with all my power, leaving not a single fiber of my body unused. I’m ready to execute a thrust regardless of the consequences.

  I shoot forward like an overcharged arrow. Gravity boosts every part of my body, pushing me to the limit, even tearing some muscles and bones. Electricity drives my brain so I can keep up with my movements without losing coordination. Ice does its job of increasing power, and the affinity of death wants to destroy everything in my path.

  My mood crashes when my attack—enhanced by Laws, Banner, and everything in my arsenal—is stopped by the Diamond rank with his hand. No, he didn’t just use his hand; I can feel several Laws, along with his Banner, within his defensive skill. I even manage to sense a faint mark on his face, though it disappears as quickly as it formed, without letting any blood show.

  Ruddo surprises me by pulling me into a tight hug. “Welcome to the family, Maki!” The prince can’t stop laughing. “You’re a little monster—I can’t find the words to describe you.” He keeps laughing as he releases me, and Brendu rushes in from the side.

  She doesn’t greet me—her first priority is hitting her brother. “Why did you use your Jurisdiction? Maki is a Sapphire rank.” She doesn’t look as angry as she sounds; she just wants to scold her brother. That habit of hitting must’ve formed from beating Ruddo so often for his actions. It only seems strange to me that she uses it with him and with me… am I like this lunatic?

  “Don’t get mad—I didn’t do anything beyond what’s tolerable.” Ruddo raises his hands, showing innocence. “I didn’t cause any damage to his cube; I only used about a quarter of my power.” Brendu keeps judging him with her gaze. Ruddo looks to me for help; I ignore him—I don’t want to get involved.

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  “You owe us dinner at the best restaurant in the capital and to pull your contacts so we can eat there tonight.” Brendu’s response isn’t a question—she’s stating the price. I won’t complain if that’s his punishment; I’d even let myself get hurt a bit more if it meant something like this. Brendu can pull strings to get a table tonight—she just doesn’t like owing favors to others.

  According to her, the restaurant is exquisite—a delicacy among delicacies. It has two sections: the larger one for non-nobles, with fairly accessible prices. People often save for months to go on special occasions, which is why it’s always crowded and hard to get a reservation, even for a princess.

  Ruddo looks at me, then back at his sister, then at me again, and finally lets his shoulders drop in defeat. “Fine… promise to bring me a couple of dishes when you come back.” His response made Brendu jump on one foot; I controlled my reactions as much as possible.

  “Maki.” I turn when Ruddo calls me. Brendu and I are heading for the carriage; he’s been calling many people along the way. “That technique you used to break free is very interesting—I hope you can show it to me properly later.” He looks like a kid who just got a new toy.

  “Yes—when we have time, I promise I will.” My answer makes him grin from ear to ear. I don’t refuse—now we’re family, and he’s doing us a big favor by getting us a table at the restaurant.

  Ruddo walked us to the carriage door, made us promise not to forget to bring him some dishes, and then let us go. The restaurant is very close to the castle area; we don’t need an escort because the whole place is surrounded by guards, and somehow they’ve already been alerted about us.

  We arrive at the grand restaurant; the line is enormous. Brendu told me on the way how one of her father’s aides had to move the restaurant to this area—there used to be many disturbances due to the long queues. Now they have more space and it’s manageable. Another reason is that, even if everyone is a commoner, they all understand they must wear their best clothes to come here, which in turn boosts the economy a bit.

  There’s a hotel next door, with very affordable rooms—almost at the price of the best commoner districts. Many people decide to pay for at least one night when they visit. They take the opportunity to walk around and get to know the area; this restaurant can be considered a tourist zone.

  We skip the line by entering the second floor, which is much smaller and reserved for the very wealthy, nobles, and royalty. The entire restaurant gives off a luxurious vibe while still feeling like home—it’s magnificent.

  Brendu orders several dishes; everything looks delicious. I almost start drooling when they bring the food—just the smell is enough to make you fall in love. I can say only one thing: the best food I’ve ever had in my life. There’s no other way to describe it. All the ingredients are fresh, the spices perfectly balanced, the combination of flavors impeccable—I truly enjoyed every bite.

  When we finish eating, we sit on a bench in the small plaza in front of the restaurant. Someone enters my Personal World at full speed—it’s very fast. I feel worried for an instant, then detect the Imra signature and calm down. Tiani appears in front of us; Brendu is surprised to see her former nanny arrive without warning.

  “Princess Brendu, Young Maki… something has happened. You must return to the palace as soon as possible.” She’s looking me straight in the eyes; I have a bad feeling. “A massive monster horde has been discovered near Young Maki’s territory. Marquis Timal has just contacted the crown prince to send you a message—we must return immediately.” Her words hit me like a bucket of cold water, and my mind goes blank for a moment.

  My body reacts. I stand up; Brendu takes my hand. “Let’s go.” I nod at her words. “This is embarrassing… could you carry me? I can’t keep up with your speed, and this is the fastest way back.” Tiani doesn’t respond—she lifts her like a princess, and we take off at full speed.

  Tiani is much faster than I am; she matches my pace so as not to leave me behind. I can’t even surpass her using my Dimensional Step—she keeps appearing at my side the whole time. After a couple of minutes, we arrive in front of the crown prince’s office. Fortunately, the restaurant is nearby, and we returned at top speed.

  “Come in.” Before we can knock, we hear Mike’s voice. We all enter without hesitation. The prince is already standing, leaning against his desk, waiting for us. “I imagine Tiani already informed you of the situation. Julio called to report a Grade 3 dungeon, nearly Level 4, that’s gone out of control. It’s far enough away that it wasn’t discovered earlier, and it seems there were certain natural factors that kept it hidden.” Mike finishes speaking and looks at me.

  Is it only a Rank 3 dungeon? Well, according to his words, there must already be many Grade 4 monsters. It’s not something my territory can handle without leaving openings for a sneak attack or neglecting local security—there aren’t many fighters who can deal with Grade 4 monsters.

  “The distress signal was sent just a few hours ago today; no one else knows about the situation. The marquis only notified us because he knows you’re staying in our territory.” Mike brings a finger to his mouth, thinking. “Julio said this: The Vichag territory could be in danger. I’m not in a position to send much support; I will if you can’t return. If you decide to go back, I’ll entrust the territory’s safety to you— a few Grade 4 monsters shouldn’t be much of a problem for you, nephew.” The crown prince’s smile, along with the letter, calms me a bit. It doesn’t seem severe enough to mean extinction.

  “Julio is making it sound less serious. Still, it shouldn’t be dangerous enough to wipe out your entire territory. From your look, I’m sure you’ve already decided to return. I’ll send the response to Julio—we already have the teleport prepared to Marril City, just as the marquis requested.”

  “Thank you, Crown Prince.” I bow slightly to Mike. I don’t know how dangerous it will be, and I don’t care—I’m going to defend my family’s land. I have to go, no matter what.

  “Don’t worry—now we’re family.” His smile makes me smile back. “Tiani, you’ll go with Brendu. The princess’s safety is your priority, and help Maki in any way you can.” We’re all surprised by his words. It never crossed my mind to take Brendu to such a dangerous place or to ask the kingdom for help—there are many political considerations involved.

  “My sister is stubborn—she’ll want to go regardless of our wishes. It’s better if she goes with someone she trusts, and I’m sure Tiani will be of help if something unexpected happens.” Brendu blushes slightly. Tiani looks very serious; she understands her role. I linger on the last part of his words… if something unexpected happens.