The marble hall echoed with the sound of heavy boots moving restlessly.

The air, thick with tension, grew heavier with each passing second.

In the center of the grand hall, under an enormous crystal chandelier that seemed to mock those present with its opulent light, Duke Drakenfell paced back and forth, throwing furious glares at the soldiers who had failed to carry out his order.

“How is it possible that you haven’t brought me the damn bastard who hit my son?!” roared the duke, his voice reverberating off the walls adorned with tapestries of ancient battles.

His face, reddened with fury, looked ready to explode as he fixed his eyes on the captain of his guard, who stood firm but visibly nervous.

“My lord…” the captain began, his voice trembling as he searched for the right words to calm the storm brewing in front of him. “The servants at the mansion told us that… to take Nolan Rook… we would need royal authorization. We couldn’t proceed without it.”

The duke stopped abruptly, spinning on his heels.

His gaze was a mix of disbelief and rage.

“Royal authorization?” he repeated, his tone dripping with disdain. “This is my territory! I am the authority here! I don’t need any royal permission to arrest a wretched bastard who dared to hurt my son!”

One of the soldiers, unable to bear the silence, stepped forward and, with a tense voice, dared to speak.

“My lord… the man who hit your son is Nolan Rook.”

The name seemed to mean nothing to the duke.

With a quick flick of his hand, he dismissed the information as irrelevant.

“I don’t give a damn who this Nolan Rook is!” he bellowed, each word cutting through the air like a sharp blade. “What I want is for that bastard to be here, in this very hall, as quickly as possible. I won’t tolerate him getting away after humiliating my family.”

The captain of the guard, more nervous than before, decided to intervene before the situation escalated further.

“My lord, I understand your anger, but if we arrest him without authorization, we could face serious problems with the royal family. Nolan Rook… has connections. The risk of acting without the proper permission could bring us more trouble than we already have.”

The duke clenched his teeth, his rage barely contained by the thin layer of self-control he had left.

He balled his fists and looked at his men with a mix of disgust and frustration.

He knew that, no matter how powerful his family was in his own territory, directly confronting the royal family was not a smart option.

At least, not yet.

Finally, after a long and tense silence, the duke nodded brusquely, though his eyes still burned with the promise of revenge.

“Fine,” he said, his tone laced with disdain. “If we need that damned authorization, then go get it. Take a carriage and go to the capital right now. Get whatever is necessary, but I want that permission in my hands as soon as possible.”

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The soldiers quickly nodded, bowing respectfully, relieved that the duke hadn’t completely lost control.

“And listen to me carefully,” the duke added, with an icy coldness that pierced the room. “If you don’t get that authorization, you can forget about returning here. I’ll make sure to hire more competent personnel, people who know how to carry out a simple order.”

“Understood, my lord,” they responded in unison, bowing once more before turning and quickly leaving the hall.

The sound of the doors closing echoed through the hall, leaving the duke alone, still seething with fury.

With a low growl, he walked over to a nearby table and grabbed a glass of wine, drinking it in one gulp as if the alcohol could quench the fire burning inside him.

“Nolan Rook…” he muttered, his eyes narrowing and his jaw clenched. “I will make you pay for what you did. No one, absolutely no one, crosses a Drakenfell and gets away with it.”

◇◆◇

Nolan was walking with Emily along the cobblestone streets leading to the church.

As they approached, something was different this time.

There were more people gathered outside, and though most were trying not to draw attention, Nolan could feel several eyes on him.

He could hear murmurs around him, and though no one dared to speak to him directly, his name floated in the air among whispers.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a young woman who seemed about to approach him, but before she could, a hand pulled her back.

The gesture was subtle, but the warning was clear.

“Don’t bother him…” someone whispered.

Nolan frowned but said nothing.

Emily, for her part, also noticed the change in the atmosphere.

The people watching them now were not ordinary commoners; they were young nobles, many of whom wore robes indicating their connection to magic.

Their eyes shone with curiosity and respect, though none approached.

Emily shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling that something strange was happening.

Just as they were about to enter the church, the healer came out to greet them with a warm smile.

“I’m so glad to see you again, Nolan,” she said with the same kindness as before. “And I see you’ve brought company again.”

“It’s good to be back,” Nolan replied with a slight nod. “I have a special request to make.”

The healer raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but her smile didn’t waver.

“Of course. I’d be happy to hear it, but I think it would be better to talk in a more private place. Please, follow me.”

Guiding them to a more secluded part of the church, they entered a room larger than the one from their previous visit.

This time, Emily noticed a guard stationed at the door, something that hadn’t been there before.

The healer turned to them, her smile as serene as ever.

“We’ve increased security since last time. There will be no surprises today,” she said confidently.

Once they were settled, the healer addressed Nolan directly.

“So, what do you need?”

Nolan looked at her seriously before speaking.

“I would like you to check Emily. I want to know if she has a magic core.”

The healer didn’t hesitate to respond.

“That’s not a problem,” she said with a reassuring smile. She turned to Emily, asking for permission before approaching. “May I?”

Emily nodded nervously, and the healer gently placed her hands on Emily’s chest, closing her eyes as she focused her magic.

After a few moments of silence, the healer spoke, with a slight expression of surprise.

“She doesn’t have a magic core yet. But…” she added with a more contemplative tone, “her heart is clean. She has the ideal conditions to form one in the future.”

Nolan raised an eyebrow, surprised, as he clearly remembered how Emily had used magic the day before, but decided not to say anything for the moment.

It was better to investigate further before drawing conclusions.

‘More books like that one from the library should give me some answers,’ he thought, though the librarian’s absence frustrated him a bit.

He knew he would have to wait a few more days before he could continue his research.

The healer, meanwhile, watched him with interest.

“And who is this young lady, Nolan?” she asked casually. “This is the second time I’ve seen her with you.”

Nolan took a moment to respond as he began to remove the upper part of his clothing, something that made Emily blush instantly.

“She’s my companion,” Nolan replied without further details, allowing the healer to begin treating him.

The healer, with skilled hands and a calm demeanor, began examining the cracks and small wounds that still remained.

Emily watched in silence, still surprised by the closeness between them.

“You’ve improved a lot since last time, Nolan. But don’t let your guard down,” she warned as her hands applied healing magic to the weakest points of his body.

Nolan laughed, though it was clear he was gritting his teeth to endure the pain of the treatment.

“Don’t worry, I won’t…” Nolan responded, despite the doubts he had about that…