Chapter 151: Stop Your Little Games

The warm yellow sunlight of the afternoon stretched across the manor grounds, bathing the garden in a comfortable glow as a frustrated voice finally broke the peaceful atmosphere.

"How long do we have to wait for Lord Elias?" Berman asked, his patience clearly wearing thin.

He and Himber sat beneath the shade of the same tree where Elias had first inspected Natasha’s status screen. In contrast, old butler Benjamin remained standing on the opposite side of the table, waiting beside his master’s chair. Sweat gathered across his forehead and slowly rolled down his temple, yet he maintained his composed expression.

"Not much longer," Benjamin answered, forcing himself to remain calm. "My Lord should have finished his duties by now."

Berman stared at him without saying anything.

It was the fifth time he had heard those exact words.

He and Himber had already been waiting for more than two hours, yet Elias had still not appeared to greet them.

Under normal circumstances, Elias would have come much sooner, but unfortunately for the two knights, he had been occupied with bathing Monica before accompanying her while she examined Stella’s Auracle.

As the minutes passed, Berman’s patience dwindled further.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair and looked toward Benjamin with a dark expression.

"Must I come here with the City Knights Order?" Berman mumbled.

"There is no need for that."

Elias’s voice suddenly spread across the garden.

It was not particularly loud, yet the moment his words reached their ears, both knights instinctively turned their heads toward him. The effect of Storyteller’s Captivating Tongue ensured that his voice naturally drew their attention.

Elias walked toward them with his hands folded behind his back and a calm smile resting on his face.

Berman and Himber stared at him with obvious irritation, their brows knitted together as Elias leisurely approached the table.

Benjamin immediately bowed.

"My Lord."

Elias gave him a firm nod before shifting over to the chair beside him.

"I hope I did not make you wait for long," he said while sitting down.

Berman’s jaw tightened.

He felt as though the young nobleman was deliberately trying to drive him insane.

Before he could say anything, Himber glanced at him beneath raised brows, then forced out a chuckle and answered, "Of course not, Lord Elias."

Elias smiled at him before asking, "I believe this time you have come with the written decree?"

Himber glanced toward Berman.

"Sir Berman."

Berman silently nodded and reached into the pouch at his waist, pulling out a sealed scroll. However, just as he extended his hand to pass it across the table, footsteps approached from behind.

Sara, one of the two maids, appeared carrying a plate with three cups of tea.

Berman stared at the cups.

His eyes slowly closed.

They were really testing his patience.

"Good," Elias praised as Sara placed a cup before each of the three men.

She gave a small smile before turning around and walking back toward the manor.

Elias picked up his cup and calmly suggested, "Let’s drink the tea first."

’Of course!’ Berman screamed inwardly, although he merely forced a smile onto his face.

Unfortunately, the smile did nothing to hide his annoyance.

Nearby, the Sword Spirit watched the entire exchange with sparkling eyes, clearly amused by the situation. Even Elias was enjoying himself, although he remained careful because Berman was an Exalted swordsman, and pushing him too far could create trouble that would be difficult to resolve.

The three men quietly sipped their tea, but after a few moments, Elias’s gaze drifted toward the flowerbeds stretching across the garden.

His smile gradually faded.

"Why can you not let me live in peace?" he asked.

Himber and Berman stopped drinking and slowly lowered their cups, staring at Elias with indescribable expressions.

"What do you mean, Lord Elias?" Himber questioned.

"You must think I am a fool, do you not?" Elias asked, turning his head toward the two knights.

Himber fell silent.

Elias continued before either man could answer.

"From the very first day, Berlic has been trying to get rid of me, and now that he has found such a justifiable method, there is no way in hell that he will simply let it pass."

He leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked between them.

"There is no need for the games and schemes. Tell me, what is it that you want from me?"

"I am finding it difficult to understand you, Lord Elias," Himber replied.

Elias did not look at him.

Instead, his eyes settled on Berman.

That man was an Exalted swordsman, meaning he possessed Aura, which, according to the Sword Spirit, had been born from defiance. Yet Elias couldn’t see any of that defiance in the knight’s demeanor.

"I know the questioning is nothing but a ruse, a scheme designed to accomplish whatever Berlic really intends to do," Elias said, his voice becoming colder. "So why do not we just move on?"

He narrowed his eyes further.

"I have duties and responsibilities that I must tend to, and I am finding it rather difficult to handle them because of your master’s little game, so..." He paused briefly before finishing, "Just get on with it."

The atmosphere around the table immediately became tense.

Even Benjamin could feel anxiety gripping his heart as the silence stretched between them.

For several minutes, none of them spoke.

Only the rustling leaves and distant chirping of birds filled the garden.

Then Berman finally parted his lips.

"Two days from now, you will take part in a duel to prove yourself innocent," he said.

An amused chuckle escaped Elias as he leaned back into his chair.

"Do I?"

"Everyone in the west already knows how weak and unskilled I am with the sword," Elias continued, his eyes narrowing, "while the murderer is an Advanced Swordsman."

He paused before adding, "You were planning to have my opponent lie about my skills, were you not?"

"I was," Berman admitted with a nod. "But not anymore."

Elias’s expression shifted slightly.

Berman continued, "I also wish to stop being part of these schemes, so I will allow you to choose your opponent, Lord Elias."

"The duel would be useless then," Elias said, his brows furrowing.

Berman slowly rose from his chair.

"It may look that way to you."

Himber also stood, and without saying anything further, the two knights turned around and left the manor grounds.

Elias watched them disappear before his gaze shifted to the left, where a woman with a chocolate complexion stood waiting on the other side of the window, and he smiled.