THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

Noelle didn\'t respond, though the accusation stung. She simply scowled, leaning her rusted great sword against the wall, trying to ignore the noble girl\'s words. She had learned the hard way that nobles only sought to manipulate and use commoners. David and Ashley might have saved her, but that didn\'t mean she would let her guard down. She wouldn\'t be fooled so easily.

"You\'re not gods, you know," Noelle muttered in protest, finding a corner to lean against. Her voice carried a defiance she didn\'t bother to hide.

Ashley raised an eyebrow at Noelle\'s boldness. "Aren\'t you afraid of me?" she asked, her tone shifting, a slight edge of danger creeping into her words. She was genuinely curious. Most commoners would\'ve crumbled under the pressure of talking back to a noble, let alone challenging one.

But Noelle stood firm, gripping her great sword tightly, her crimson eyes never leaving Ashley\'s. "I\'m stronger," she declared confidently, her voice unwavering.

Ashley was momentarily taken aback. She could see the girl had some skills and the tenacity to back it up. Depending on the Aura, Noelle could probably cut her down before she had time to cast a proper spell. But before Ashley could voice her thoughts, Noelle cut her off again.

"But I can\'t win against him," Noelle admitted, nodding toward the cave entrance where David had disappeared moments ago.

Ashley followed Noelle\'s gaze and instantly understood who she was referring to. She let out a small sigh, internally agreeing with the commoner. David was... different. Stronger, faster, more dangerous than anyone she\'d met, even among nobles. His presence alone could shift the atmosphere in a room, and it was clear Noelle had sensed that too.

"Who is he?" Noelle asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Ashley stood up, brushing the dust off her cloak and straightening herself before facing Noelle. "David. David De Gor. Son of the lord of Aethelwarin," she answered casually, not seeing any reason to hide such information.

Noelle blinked, clearly taken aback. "The same David from the rumours?" she asked in disbelief, needing confirmation.

Ashley nodded. "Yes. But mind your tongue," she warned, her voice calm but firm.

Noelle couldn\'t hide her surprise. Everyone from the town had heard the rumours about David De Gor—how he had tarnished the name of his house and was known to be the weakest of his father\'s sons. Yet, standing near him earlier, Noelle had felt something different. His aura was dark, almost predatory, like a wolf baring its fangs in preparation for a hunt. David was not the man the rumours painted him to be.

Ashley slowly approached Noelle, shaking off her internal musings. Noelle, sensing her movement, became alert. To her shock, Ashley stopped just inches away from her and suddenly bowed her head.

"What the hell are you doing?" Noelle blurted out, startled and confused. She couldn\'t comprehend why a noble like Ashley would bow to her.

"You saved my life," Ashley admitted, raising her head after the gesture. "I\'m not ignorant enough to not recognize my savior."

Noelle, scratching her head in disbelief, couldn\'t help but feel an odd sense of satisfaction. A noble had actually bowed to her, a commoner. The sensation was foreign but undeniably gratifying.

Stretching out her hand towards Noelle, Ashley said, "I would greatly appreciate it if you kept this between us. You may address me as Ashley."

Noelle, suddenly feeling self-conscious, didn\'t know how to respond. She wasn\'t used to nobles behaving this way, and certainly not to one offering her such casual familiarity. Ashley, noticing the hesitation in her eyes, gently took Noelle\'s arm and shook it.

"I\'m not one for etiquette," Ashley said with a soft smile. "May I know your name as well?"

"Noelle," she replied, her voice low, unsure of how to handle the strange, but not entirely unwelcome, situation. It felt odd, yet it wasn\'t unpleasant.

Leaning against the wall beside her, Ashley couldn\'t help but ask, "You must have a great teacher to recognize your potential."

Noelle, confused by the compliment, let out a small breath. "I\'m self-taught," she revealed. "I don\'t have a master."

Ashley\'s eyes widened in surprise. No teacher? That revelation hit her like a hammer. Noelle was a prodigy, a rare talent among commoners. If they could survive the dungeon, Ashley would inform her father about Noelle immediately. Bringing her into their family could potentially birth one of the strongest swordsmen they had ever known.

"Is this how the first trial is supposed to be?" Noelle asked, her voice tinged with determination. She was committed to succeeding, no matter the challenge. "It feels much harder compared to the explorations I\'ve done in the Deadlands."

Ashley shook her head slowly. "This isn\'t the trial anymore," she admitted with a grave tone. Noelle\'s brows furrowed in confusion.

She had been preparing for these trials for over a year. Everyone had been assured that, while challenging, no one was meant to die in them. But something was terribly wrong. Ashley had sensed it when they first encountered the crowned monsters. It didn\'t match anything she had read about or prepared for. Everything about the dungeon was different—more dangerous, more chaotic.

The boss. That was the biggest clue. The dungeon boss had been an anomaly from the beginning. Its power, its form—it didn\'t align with the carefully studied patterns of other territorial monsters in the Deadlands. This was no ordinary trial. Something—someone—had tampered with the dungeon\'s structure, introducing a danger far beyond the expected difficulty.

"Wait," Noelle said, her voice laced with unease. "So… are you saying the others are really dead?" Her hand unconsciously tightened around the hilt of her sword.

Ashley glanced at her, considering the best way to respond. She didn\'t want to crush the girl\'s spirit, but she also couldn\'t sugarcoat the reality. "Not everyone," she replied after a pause. "David saved many of them—he got the rest out before the monster reached them."

Noelle\'s grip eased slightly, her expression softening at the mention of David. She owed him her life as well, even though she didn\'t understand why he had saved her. But one thing was clear now: this was no mere trial. Something had gone horribly wrong, and they were caught in the middle of it. Ashley felt it deep in her bones—this dungeon had been sabotaged.

And the question lingered in her mind, growing darker with each passing moment: Who would want to do such a thing?

"How are we going to stop that thing?" Noelle asked, her voice steady and full of conviction. She wasn\'t asking out of fear but with determination, her crimson eyes fierce. Ashley couldn\'t help but admire the girl\'s courage. Despite the dire situation, Noelle wasn\'t thinking about running away or giving in to despair. Instead, she was considering how to fight the monster that could easily crush them with a single swing of its massive arm.

"I\'m not entirely sure," Ashley admitted, her frustration evident in her tone. She hated the idea of relying on David—the very person she had once dismissed as weak and unworthy. But the truth was undeniable: David had saved them all, and in this moment, he was their best chance at survival. "But the best course of action would be to stay with David."

Noelle nodded in agreement. "Then we should call him back into the cave and plan our next move," she suggested, her mind already working on strategies, her determination unwavering.

Before Ashley could respond, a rustling sound at the cave entrance caught their attention. David appeared, stepping inside with his usual cold, unbothered expression. Luna followed closely behind him, her eyes glowing slightly as she wiped dirt from her hands, having tracked him down through the dense dungeon using her keen sense of smell.

"There is no plan," David said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. His gaze flickered between Noelle and Ashley, and he spoke with the kind of finality that left no room for argument. "I\'m getting you out of this dungeon."

Noelle tensed, gripping her sword tighter, her eyes narrowing as she processed his words. "What do you mean? We can\'t just run. That monster—"

David interrupted her, his tone colder than before. "That monster is mine to deal with," he stated plainly, his eyes glowing with an intense resolve. "You can either stay here and get yourselves killed or leave. But if you want to live, you\'ll do as I say. This isn\'t up for debate."

Noelle felt her heart pound in her chest, a mixture of anger and confusion rising within her. David\'s arrogance was infuriating, but there was something else—something in the way he carried himself, in the certainty of his voice, that made her pause. For the first time, she sensed the weight of his experience, the hidden power lurking beneath his calm exterior.

Ashley watched silently, feeling the tension in the air grow. David had always been an enigma to her—he had defied every expectation she had ever placed on him. And now, standing in the cave, his presence was undeniable, commanding. He wasn\'t just the weak noble she had once believed him to be. He was something far more dangerous.

Noelle clenched her jaw, refusing to back down. "I\'m not afraid of death," she said, her voice hard. "But I\'m not about to throw my life away without a fight."

David raised a brow, a predatory smirk tugging at his lips. "Then don\'t get in my way." Without another word, he turned and stepped outside, leaving the cave\'s tense atmosphere behind.

****

A/N: I hope you\'re all enjoying the first trial! With the start of a new month, I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to those who have shown the most support.

Sil3nt_1

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I also appreciate the shadow readers too, I see yah crew lol.

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