- Let's start right away. - The nobleman said to his class. - I want to see how you are progressing, you will all have a one on one battle with me, your goal is to hit me three times, anywhere on my body. 

All the students seemed excited, except Isabella. And Roy noticed this. 

Then the fights started.

 Everyone seemed to have a very good foundation of sword fighting, and the teacher was holding back, making it easier for the students to fight. 

After a while, it was Isabella's turn, what would be the last fight of the day. 

On a floor above the courtyard, Elsa was watching the battles, when she felt someone approaching, slowly turning around. 

- Lady Dulce. - Elsa bowed in reverence

- Teacher, curious to see your student?

 - I wanted to see if she did well at anything. Well, in my class she hasn't been doing well.

 - I see, I also want to watch someone.  - Dulce said watching Roy, who was yawning.

In the middle of the courtyard, Isabella was standing guard. The nobleman held the sword at his waist. 

- You can come! - he said, signaling that she could attack.

 Isabella ran towards her opponent with great speed. Roy saw that she was not behind the other students. 

She was delivering fast blows, but her opponent seemed to have no difficulty defending her attacks.  On the other hand, she began to attack, in a different way than the others who were fighting him.  Her attacks hit the girl's body directly, injuring her. 

- Come on! Be strong! - The nobleman said as he hit Isabella hard. 

The girl's body was bruised, but she did not intend to give up.

Roy did not want to get involved, because in a real battle she would be subject to an opponent who would want to kill her. But something bothered the butler, the fact that the nobleman was doing this out of spite. The nobleman attacked from above, but Isabella managed to defend, so with great speed she hit him in the shoulder. Roy smiled. She began to counterattack, without stopping. The noble Lombardi was retreating as he defended.

Isabella quickly attacked from all sides, forcing her enemy to retreat.

 However, the man didn't like it much, hitting her in the face, causing her to fall sharply to the ground. Flames covered the nobleman's right hand, the flames going all the way to his wooden sword. He positioned himself to attack.

- You... - Suddenly, his flames went out. And he felt a nostalgic tightness in his wrist. 

- What do you think you are doing? - Roy squeezed even harder. 

- Let me go! - The man tried to hit the boy in the face. 

He let go of the man's wrist, easily deflecting the blow, because the man was shorter than he was, and landed a kick from below on the nobleman's chin.    This made him fall to the ground.

- Answer me, what do you think you are doing? - Roy asked angrily. 

- Stop, it's alright... - Isabella commented getting up. 

- NO! - Roy said even more angrily - He is angry because he didn't want you to reach the level of the others, that's why he was fighting seriously. So that you would be called the worst in the class. How childish! 

- Well, well, well. - The man said with his hand on his chin. - You are very strong, and how did you find that out? Why don't you fight me? And show me that I'm childish. I am the strongest here, you are nothing but a stupid child!

Roy picked up the wooden sword from the floor, symbolizing that he accepted the challenge.

 - If I win, will you leave the princess alone?  - Roy proposed.

- Of course I will. If you defeat me, I will even leave the palace. And if you win... you are out of here. 

- Done. - The boy snapped his fingers. Back to Isabella

- You can stay away from the princess. 

- You don't have to do that. - Isabella tried to stop him. 

- Of course I have to.  - Roy turned away from her.

The two fighters went to the middle of the courtyard and began to stare at each other, adding tension to the situation. 

Upstairs, the two women were intrigued.

- Now it's going to get interesting. - Dulce commented to Elsa. 

- Madam, I have wanted to ask you about Roy for a long time. - Elsa turned her attention to Dulce.

- Go ahead. - Dulce said without taking her concentration off the window.

- Roy is different from other people, both in appearance, with his brown skin and black eyes never seen before. But he has something hidden, even though he has no magic.

- Do you also understand? He really is a box of secrets, fascinating don't you think? - The lady said with a smile and facing Elsa.

- Indeed. I have been researching something similar. And I saw in a book of tales, of a warrior tribe, legendary for making great warriors. I think...

- Don't confuse real life with a fairy tale. But I don't deny the strange resemblance.

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In the middle of the courtyard the man stood with a debauched smile on his face. Everyone was shouting in support of the nobleman, Isabella was silent.

- Very well, you may come, I will take... - The man was interrupted, because of the fright he had been given, for he felt a frightening pressure coming at him, like a predator going after its prey.

He could only see the shadow coming from above. He could have no other reaction but to step back.

- What? - The man asked, startled.

- You said you could start. - Roy said with a red glint in his murderous gaze.

Everyone watching was startled by the boy's speed. They couldn't even see when he took off.

- You're not going to run away, are you? - The boy asked, mocking his opponent.

- You piece of shit! - he shouted, charging at the butler.

But in the blink of an eye he was gone, the nobleman was confused, looking everywhere. He realized that Roy, who was coming up fast behind him, tried to strike a blow, but again Roy dodged it, going to the left, and began to attack with great speed and strength.

The nobleman was confused by the speed of his blows, as he could see from all sides.

The man began to lose his balance, he didn't seem happy about it. He couldn't lose to a servant, his pride would be hurt.

- I can't lose to you! - His shout was so loud that it could be heard on the other side of the kingdom.

His magic was activated, flames covered both his arms. Roy stepped back, but without showing any concern or surprise.

- Die! - He shot a large amount of flames at the boy.

- Pathetic. - Roy drew in air and let it out, which made some steam come out of his mouth.

The boy went into the flames. Those watching didn't understand the decision. But before they could have a reaction, Roy went through the flames, punching the nobleman very hard, who was thrown to the other side of the courtyard, breaking the wall.

- No, I can't lose to you! Fucking plebeian scum!

The wooden sword was thrown at the man, smashing into the wall on the side, and if it had hit him in the face, death would have been certain.

- What is your name? - Roy asked.

The man turned his face away in ignorance.

- Tell me. WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

- Carl Lombardi...

- Carl, you lose. Will you leave the princess alone?

- Yes. Now get away from me, I don't want to see you anymore, you freak.

- That's all I wanted to hear. - Roy turned around, fixing his tie, and put out the fire in his clothes. But he saw that Isabella was leaving.

Roy went after her, and the other noblemen that were there, moved away from him, out of fear.

- Surely he is a descendant of someone from the tribe. The fierce fighting style is definitely theirs. - Elsa said in amazement.

Dulce looked at the nobles gathering Carl, and his situation was quite ugly.

- Don't be so sure -  Dulce headed for the exit, - There's something different about him.

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- Princess, where are you going? - Roy asked, catching up with her.

She looked very angry.

- Did I ever tell you that I don't need to be protected by someone like you? - she said, pausing to stare at her butler.

- And what have you done that I don't need my protection?

Isabella remained silent, just bowed her head. Roy remembered what Dulce had said, about understanding the princess.  He analyzed the situation, he realized that Isabella got angry when he defended her, Isabella wanted to be able to defend herself by herself, and when someone did that for her, she felt frustrated.

"I AM A GENIUS." He thought to himself, after his conclusion. He went to Isabella, took her hand, looking into her eyes

- Then stay strong so that I don't have to protect you. - Roy said to the princess.

Isabella turned red with embarrassment, then let go.

- IDIOT! - She shouted, trying to kick Roy in the face, but he defended her. 

- This was not the reaction I expected.

- You don't understand! You fucking commoner, you don't know how I feel. How I've suffered.

- Don't I understand? - Roy approached Isabella with an intimidating look - I live my whole life running away from the war, I saw people around me die, I couldn't do anything...

Each time he spoke, the more he increased the volume of his voice, and came closer to the princess, making her recoil.

- I don't know who my parents are, I really wish I did, but I won't let it shake me. I know how it feels to suffer, that's why I'm trying to help you.

Isabella stood against the wall in front of Roy, her eyes filled with tears, starting to slide down the wall until she was on her knees on the floor.

-I'm sorry... - she said, crying.

- It's okay...

- I, I can't be strong, like you or the teacher. I have no talent. - She said, bowing her head again.

- HEY! Raise your head, - Roy said, pointing at her. - You have a lot of talent, just believe in yourself, if you don't succeed, try again, until you do. - He finished his speech by extending his hand to the princess.

Isabella looked at Roy, what he said resonated through all her thoughts, getting up with his help.

Suddenly she landed a punch on his belly.

- Why did you do that? - Roy asked, showing no pain.

- Because you scared me.

- I don't regret it. - Roy said, turning his face to the ceiling.

- Say you're sorry! - She shouted angrily, but then smiled and laughed non-stop.

Roy, seeing this scene, was startled.

-Are you all right? You're smiling... Do you want me to call a doctor?

- Shut up!

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Far away in a place that looked like some kind of prison. Someone opened one of the cells.

And out of the cell came a tall man with red hair, well-defined muscles, having a black murderous look on his face and a smile.

- Finally! Get out of this shit and go back to the palace my brother left me. - He said laughing and grabbing a pink cape.