The morning sun had barely risen over the capital of Erzel when a sharp knock echoed through Rias's bedroom door.
*Knock* *Knock*
Rias was already awake, sitting on the floor and running through his daily push-ups. He quickly grabbed a towel, wiped the sweat from his face, and opened the door.
A royal guard stood in the hallway, looking at Rias with barely hidden disgust.
"Lord Leonhart," the guard barked.
"Her Highness, Princess Amyra, demands your presence at the southern palace gates. Immediately."
Rias raised an eyebrow.
'The Princess wants to see me?' Rias thought, tossing the towel onto a chair. 'After our little chat in her bedroom, I figured she would avoid me until the tournament. What is she planning now?'
"Tell her I will be down in ten minutes," Rias replied calmly. He shut the door in the guard's face before the man could complain.
Rias quickly washed up and put on a simple, dark grey tunic and trousers. He didn't bother dressing up in his heavy noble attire. If she was summoning him to the gates, they were likely going outside.
Ten minutes later, Rias walked out into the bright morning sun of the southern courtyard.
Amyra was waiting by the massive iron gates.
She wasn't wearing her usual extravagant silk dresses. Instead, she wore a pair of fitted black trousers, a white blouse, and a heavy, dark red cloak with a deep hood. She looked like a common adventurer, though her flawless face and sharp golden eyes completely ruined the disguise.
"You are late," Amyra snapped the moment he walked up to her.
"I was told to come immediately. I didn't know 'immediately' meant running through the halls without my shoes," Rias smiled politely.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, Princess?"
Amyra scowled and tossed a heavy black cloak directly at his chest. Rias caught it easily.
"Put that on and cover your hair," she ordered.
"We are going into the city. If the commoners see your blonde hair and realize you are a Leonhart, they will riot. I do not want to deal with a mob today."
Rias pulled the heavy black cloak over his shoulders and pulled the hood up, casting his face in shadow.
"A date?" Rias asked innocently.
"I am flattered. I didn't know we were moving so fast."
Amyra's eyes flashed with pure annoyance.
"Do not flatter yourself, trash. The Emperor ordered me to show you the capital. He wants you to see exactly what you are up against before the tournament begins."
She turned on her heel and walked out of the gates. Rias followed closely behind, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips.
'She is lying,' Rias thought cheerfully. 'The Emperor didn't order this. She just wants to drag me through the wealthy streets of Velmer to mock my kingdom. She wants to show off her superior empire to make me feel small.'
They walked through the bustling streets of Erzel. The capital was entirely awake now.
Floating magical trains glided silently overhead. Merchants shouted from stalls, selling glowing potions, enchanted swords, and rare beast cores. The streets were paved with flawless white stone, and magical fountains sprayed sparkling water into the air at every corner.
Amyra walked slightly ahead of him, her head held high.
"Look around you, Leonhart," Amyra said, gesturing to a massive, floating crystal tower in the distance.
"This is the pinnacle of human achievement. In your barbaric Solaria Empire, people still live in mud and stone. You rely on brute force and swords. Here, we command the very elements."
She looked back at him, waiting for him to look jealous, angry, or ashamed.
Rias just nodded and looked at the tower.
"It is very pretty. The architecture is fantastic."
Amyra frowned.
"Pretty? It is a marvel of magical engineering! Your entire royal vault couldn't afford to build a single floor of that tower."
"You are probably right," Rias agreed smoothly.
Amyra ground her teeth together. She spent the next hour dragging him through the richest districts of the city. She pointed out the grand magical academies, the massive merchant banks, and the luxurious parks filled with exotic, glowing plants.
With every stop, she threw an insult at his homeland. She called Solaria a wasteland. She called his father a brute. She mocked their roads, their food, and their culture.
But Rias didn't feel a single ounce of anger.
'She is trying so hard,' Rias thought, watching her angrily point at a glowing fountain.
'But I am just a transmigrator. I don't care about Solaria. I didn't build it. I just wrote it on a keyboard. Honestly, watching her get so frustrated because I won't get angry is actually incredibly cute.'
She looked like an angry cat trying to intimidate a brick wall.
Eventually, Amyra realized her insults were completely bouncing off his calm smile. She let out an annoyed huff and stopped in front of a small, brightly colored food stall.
"I am getting a dessert," Amyra declared. "You are paying."
"I don't have any Velmer currency on me," Rias pointed out.
Amyra glared at him, pulled a gold coin from her pocket, and slapped it on the counter. The stall owner quickly handed them two large cones of glowing, icy blue cream.
Rias took a bite. It was freezing cold, but it tasted like sweet vanilla and blueberries. It was delicious.
They continued walking down the street, eating their cold desserts in silence. The tension between them started to fade just a little bit. For a brief moment, hidden beneath their heavy cloaks, they didn't look like enemies. They just looked like two teenagers walking through a market.
"Over there," Amyra suddenly said, pointing her icy treat down a side street. "The festival stalls."
Rias looked. The street was packed with people playing carnival games. There were stalls for throwing rings, bursting balloons with darts, and shooting targets with wooden crossbows.
"Let's go," Amyra said, a competitive, dangerous gleam returning to her golden eyes.
"I want to see if the 'genius' envoy of Solaria actually has any hand-eye coordination."