NOVPUB
Chapter 149: Testing The Princess’s Abilities (II)
"Oh, you would," Tobias muttered, summoning a long, single-edged blade from his inventory with a burst of shimmering light. "Alright. Let’s see what you’ve got, Princess."
Celeste didn’t waste time.
A blue shimmer ran across her hand as she reached into her storage ring, summoning two twin swords — thin, curved like crescent moons, with wind runes etched into their blades.
Tobias raised a brow. "Wind affinity?"
"Mid-tier mastery," she replied confidently.
They stood a few paces apart.
Then the wind stilled for a moment, just a breath before the match began.
Celeste moved first.
She lunged forward with a dancer’s grace, her blades moving in a whirling rhythm as she slashed toward Tobias’s side.
He parried with one hand, easily knocking her away, but she flowed into a spinning motion and came at him from the opposite side.
Their blades clashed — once, twice, again. Sparks flew as steel kissed steel, and the sound echoed across the field.
Celeste’s movements were crisp, precise, like she had trained to dance with swords since she could walk.
Tobias kept up effortlessly, but he wasn’t countering with aggression — he was testing her, letting her push forward, measuring the power within each strike.
This was not a battle but rather a test, and as the proctor of this test, he had to know her limits to integrate her seamlessly into the party.
"Wind Shear!" Celeste called out, slashing her blade in a wide arc.
A burst of compressed air shot toward Tobias like a blade of its own. He stepped aside, letting it slice into the grass behind him.
He raised a brow. "Not bad."
Celeste spun again, summoning another wind burst to launch herself upward, flipping above Tobias and striking down.
He blocked her twin blades with his own sword, the force pushing him slightly back.
Tobias looked up at her, eyes calm. "You’re aiming to impress."
"I have to impress," she replied, landing behind him and striking with another slash.
He deflected, then stepped in closer, forcing her to retreat with a flurry of defensive moves.
She chanted a bit and summoned a small wind vortex in one hand and threw it like a bomb— I t exploded against the ground near Tobias, forcing a dusty haze between them.
Tobias emerged, brushing dust off his cloak. "Cute trick."
Celeste smiled, panting slightly. "You’re not even breaking a sweat."
"Because I’m not trying yet," he replied honestly.
Then he stepped forward — and the pressure shifted.
He didn’t swing wildly or charge at her like some brute.
He simply moved faster. Cleaner. His blade flicked out, and Celeste barely had time to block.
She stumbled backward, blocking two more strikes in quick succession. It felt like dancing with someone who knew all your steps before you made them.
’So this is how it feels... to be an enemy of the Hero Of Knowledge.’
"Your form’s excellent," Tobias said as he ducked under a strike and tapped the hilt of his blade against her wrist. "Your spells, too. You’ve clearly trained hard."
Celeste gritted her teeth, pushing him back with a blast of wind from her palm. "Then accept me already."
Tobias stepped back, holding his blade loosely now. "Almost."
Celeste narrowed her eyes. "Almost?"
He sheathed his blade and looked at her. "I needed to see how you handled pressure. You did well. You’re precise, quick, and you don’t hesitate. That’s good. But..."
She tilted her head.
"Joining my party isn’t just about strength," he said. "It’s about trusting your life to the people around you. And being trusted in return."
Celeste slowly relaxed, lowering her blades. "You don’t think I can be trusted?"
"I think trust is earned. You’re not just a fighter, you’re the king’s daughter. That comes with strings, politics, expectations." Tobias gave her a thoughtful look. "Are you really ready to leave all of that behind?"
The wind rustled the grass. For a long moment, Celeste was silent.
Then she nodded. "Yes."
Tobias gave a small smile. "Then welcome aboard, Princess."
She blinked. "That’s it?"
He turned, walking back toward the palace. "That’s it. But you’ll be pulling your weight."
Celeste stared after him for a moment — then smiled, clutching the hilts of her twin swords. "I wouldn’t expect anything less."
From the balconies above, Cedric groaned and leaned against the rail. "Why does the nerd get the princess?"
Ragnar shrugged. "Because the nerd’s probably smarter than the rest of us combined."
...
The sun had barely crested the rooftops when the castle gates creaked open.
The princess of the Kingdom, Celeste, was flanked by two butlers carrying an obnoxiously tall stack of travel bags.
Another pair trailed behind, each with even more luggage balanced precariously in their arms.
Tobias stood by the carriage with one hand resting against the wooden frame, staring at the slowly approaching mound of silk, leather, and gold-trimmed cloth.
"That’s... a lot," he said flatly.
Celeste beamed, clearly unaffected by the practicality of travel. "Only the essentials!"
"You’re going to break the axle."
"They’re not staying in the carriage." She flicked her wrist with practiced elegance, and the storage ring on her finger gleamed in the sun.
With a flash of silver light, every single piece of luggage vanished.
Tobias blinked. "...How wide is the storage capacity on that thing?"
"Eighty thousand cubic meters," she said with pride, tapping the ring. "I can pull anything out with just a thought. Weapons, armor, bath oils, tea sets — "
"Of course you have a tea set," he muttered, stepping into the carriage.
She followed with a little pout, folding her arms as she sat opposite him. "You’re not going to compliment me on my preparation?"
He gave her a long look. "I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that you brought six trunks just for hair products."
Celeste grinned, clearly pleased.
As the wheels began to roll, Tobias allowed himself a sigh.
He cast a glance back through the window, where Cedric stood near the castle gates.
The Hero of Light’s expression was unreadable, but the tightness in his jaw said enough.
