"The carriage has arrived," Sorderic reported.

Rising from my seat, I prepared myself. Today marked the long-delayed conferment ceremony for the Flame Jewel Medal of Honor. The event, repeatedly postponed due to the spread of the Blackface Plague, was finally taking place, and the royal carriage had arrived to escort me.

"You look splendid, Master," Pal said.

"You've been saying that all morning, Pal," I replied.

"I'll keep saying it, too! We need to show that fool his place!"

The "fool" she referred to was my former father. Pal had disliked him for as long as I could remember, and her disdain had only grown stronger.

"Shall we go, then?"

The ceremony would take place in the castle's grand hall, with the king himself bestowing the honor upon me. It was a high-profile event attended by many nobles, including my former father. Among the six ducal families, all heads were required to reside in the capital and attend such events.

"I am Jonathan, and I will escort you to the castle. May I confirm you are Lord Sai?"

Jonathan, a relatively young butler in his early forties, greeted me with a respectful bow.

"I am Sai. Nice to meet you. This is Palmyris, my maid," I introduced.

Pal returned his bow gracefully and stood quietly behind me.

"Please, step inside," Jonathan said, opening the carriage door.

Pal and I entered the carriage, while Jonathan took a seat next to the driver.

This was my second time visiting the castle. My previous visit had been purely for aristocratic obligations and was painfully dull. Hopefully, this trip would be more eventful—though I knew better than to expect simplicity in the noble world.

"Are you nervous, Master?" Pal asked.

"Nervous? Perhaps," I admitted.

"There's no need to be. The ceremony hasn't even started yet, so relax. Hehe," she chuckled.

"You're right. It’s too early to be nervous. If Mother saw me like this, she'd laugh," I said with a smile.

The carriage ride was smooth—until we reached the outskirts of the noble district. There, an overturned cart blocked the road. An elderly man lay collapsed nearby, with bystanders attempting to help him and clear the scattered goods.

"Please wait here, Lord Sai," Jonathan said, stepping out to assess the situation. Moments later, he was thrown to the ground by a violent force.

"It's an ambush," Pal said calmly.

"It would seem so," I sighed, shaking my head. I could almost picture the smug face of whoever orchestrated this, trying to prevent me from reaching the castle.

An arrow struck the driver, killing him instantly.

"I'll handle this," Pal said, stepping out of the carriage.

"Need a hand?" I offered.

"Not at all, Master. This is hardly worth troubling you," she replied confidently before leaping into action.

I attended to Jonathan, healing his wounds. Thankfully, he was only unconscious. The driver, however, was beyond saving. I bowed my head and offered a silent prayer for his soul.

The sounds of battle quickly subsided. Pal, as always, had effortlessly neutralized the dozen or so attackers.

The commotion drew the attention of the guards stationed at the noble district's gate. They rushed over but, to my dismay, immediately brandished their swords at us.

"Hold it right there, you suspicious scum!" one guard barked.

"I was the one who got attacked, actually," I said flatly.

"Silence! We won't listen to the words of a troublemaker who caused so many casualties!"

"Do you realize I was on my way to the castle at the king’s invitation?" I asked.

"A commoner like you, invited by His Majesty? Don’t make me laugh!"

Ah, I see how this is. These guards were in on the plan from the start. They never intended to investigate—they were here to ensure the ambush's success.

"Master, shall I eliminate them?" Pal asked.

"Hmm… they're still official guards," I mused. "We’d be branded criminals if we retaliated."

"Very well, Master. I’ll leave this to you," Pal said, stepping back.

Resigned, I extended my hands.

"Fine, I'll cooperate. Take me in," I said.

"Seize him!" the guard commanded.

They roughly bound my hands with ropes, showing no regard for my status or the significance of my invitation. Did they truly believe their patron’s influence would shield them from the consequences of mistreating someone personally summoned by the king?

The guards dragged me to the dank, oppressive dungeon beneath the noble district's garrison.

"So much for my best attire," I muttered, glancing at my dirtied clothes.

The cell was one of three in the small dungeon, and I was its sole occupant. Heavy manacles bound my wrists, while my ankles were chained to the floor with weighted shackles. It was an excessive measure, clearly meant to humiliate.

Still, I couldn’t help but smirk. These fools had no idea what they'd just unleashed.