CHAPTER 165: CONFLICT AND DEBATE (2)

"What’s going on here?"

At the sound of the voice, everyone instinctively turned their heads and saw a man in white armor approaching.

He had a stern face, a thin beard beneath his chin, and sharp eyes. His red hair was cut short.

As soon as he appeared, the thin guard with buck teeth grinned and greeted him respectfully.

"Welcome, Captain Gerald."

Gerald gave a small nod, then turned his eyes to Elina, Nolan, and Luvistar—still seated on their horses—with a look of displeasure.

"So, can you explain what happened here?" he asked flatly.

The thin man gave a brief nod and replied, "Princess Elina’s entourage arrived just now and requested entry into the city. But according to the laws of Ostravia, no one is allowed to enter without a written permit. They came with a thousand troops, so I asked for the required document—but they didn’t have it and insisted on entering anyway."

He shrugged and slowly shook his head, as if overwhelmed by the situation.

"Don’t talk nonsense!" Luvistar snapped. "We came at the command of His Majesty. That means we don’t need any permit to enter. The Duke of Austin should already be aware of this."

While the dukes ruled their respective territories, they were still under the authority of the emperor and the palace.

Therefore, if a member of the Imperial family or a palace envoy arrived, no written permission was required.

Unfortunately, Gerald seemed to side with his subordinates. He looked at Luvistar with a calm gaze and said, "Sorry, General Luvistar. Rules are rules, and we can’t bend them. If you wish to enter, please provide the written permit."

Luvistar was dumbfounded. He had expected Gerald to be different from the others—after all, he was their superior and clearly held a higher rank.

But instead, this man was backing his subordinate’s behavior, causing Luvistar’s anger to flare up again.

Before he could speak, Elina cut in.

"Your name is Gerald, isn’t it?" she asked coldly, pulling a badge from the pocket of her armor and holding it up. "This is my identification as the Sixth Princess of the Great Velmora Empire. By my authority, open the gate."

Badges belonging to imperial princes and princesses carried real power.

They had the right to issue orders to anyone beneath them, so long as those orders were not malicious or harmful to the Empire’s interests.

Of course, there were strict limitations in place to prevent abuse of that authority.

However, ordering the city gates to be opened was well within a princess’s rights—and entirely reasonable under the circumstances.

Elina fully expected Gerald and his men to comply without hesitation.

Instead, they responded with faint smirks and mocking smiles.

"Forgive me, Your Highness Elina," Gerald replied calmly. He gave a slight shake of his head before refusing. "Unfortunately, I can’t do that. The city of Ostravia is under the jurisdiction of Count Tharvis, and these rules were established directly by the Tharvis family. So, even as a princess, you’re still expected to follow them."

Gerald’s tone—calm yet laced with arrogance and pride—made Elina’s chest tighten in frustration.

A blue vein throbbed on her forehead as she clenched her fists and asked coldly, "Are you sure about that decision? If Duke Austin finds out, you could face serious punishment."

But Gerald remained unfazed, completely calm in the face of her threat. He shook his head again and said, "Why would I be punished? I’m simply fulfilling my duty as the head of Ostravia’s city guard. There’s no reason I should be considered at fault, is there?"

Of course, Gerald’s boldness didn’t come without backing. He was acting under direct orders from Count Tharvis.

He and his men had been tasked with delaying Elina’s entourage for as long as possible—even to the point of humiliating them if necessary.

Without the Count’s assurance, Gerald would never have dared to go this far. After all, the statuses of Elina, Nolan, and Luvistar were far above his own.

Besides, Gerald had already received numerous rewards and gifts from Count Tharvis. With all that in hand, how could he possibly refuse?

"Damn you easterners," Luvistar spat, his fury boiling over. "You think you’re untouchable, huh? If the polite way doesn’t work, don’t blame me for turning to force!"

He drew his sword from its scabbard, ready to dismount and attack, but Nolan quickly held him back.

"Wait, General Luvistar. Don’t lose your temper—it’ll only play into their hands."

Those words brought Luvistar back to his senses, though his anger still simmered.

"But, Prince, they’ve shown great disrespect to Princess Elina... and to you as well," he said bitterly.

"It’s fine," Nolan replied, shaking his head with casual indifference, as if the insult didn’t bother him in the slightest.

Elina, seeing her brother step forward, said nothing. She simply pulled her horse back a couple of steps, curious to see how he would handle things.

Nolan stared coldly at Gerald and his five subordinates.

While it seemed like a casual glance, the six of them could feel a faint pressure emanating from the prince’s purple eyes—a pressure that seemed to pierce into their very souls.

"So, you’re really not going to let us in?" he asked lightly.

Gerald fought back the fear rising in his chest and gave a firm nod.

"That’s right. We can’t let you enter."

After responding, he scanned Nolan from head to toe with a scrutinizing gaze.

So this is him—the lazy, useless prince everyone talks about, he muttered under his breath.

As the head of Ostravia’s city guard, Gerald naturally knew a lot about Nolan—especially the many negative rumors that surrounded him.

His expression slowly shifted into one of disdain and contempt. In his eyes, Nolan was just a spoiled royal who happened to be born into power.

Had he been born a commoner, with the attitude and lifestyle described in those rumors, he would’ve been dead long ago.

Moreover, he harbored deep envy and resentment toward people like Nolan.

To reach his current position, Gerald had poured in time, effort, and careful calculation—and he took great pride in that.

Meanwhile, Nolan was just an arrogant brat who relied solely on his family name.

It was infuriating... and utterly disgusting.

The subordinates around Gerald wore similar expressions of disdain toward Nolan. Still, none of them said a word—they only smiled mockingly.

Nolan was well aware of what they were thinking, but he didn’t care.

With calm composure, he shook his head, turned his horse around, and said casually, "If our entourage isn’t welcome, that’s fine. We’ll return to the capital and report directly to the Emperor. And if any chaos breaks out, then..."

He paused, glancing coldly over his shoulder at Gerald and his men.

"...it will be your responsibility."