The guard sagged to the floor, his knees buckling as he struggled to regain his balance.
He swallowed deep gulps of air, trying to steady himself after the earlier shock.
With his head bowed in both fear and respect, he managed to speak, his voice wavering: "The Duke has requested to see you... Lord Gon."
"Okay, I’ll be there soon," Gon said, his voice calm but firm.
Without another word, he turned away, dismissing the guard as if the conversation had already ended in his mind.
The guard hesitated for a fraction of a second before scrambling to his feet, nearly tripping in his haste.
His heart still pounded from the encounter, but he dared not linger.
With a hurried bow, he spun on his heel and rushed out of the room, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
The reason why Gon had acted that way was simple.
For too long, he had been disrespected in subtle ways by the staff of the castle.
It was never outright defiance,no one dared to challenge him directly.
But it was the little things. The hesitant glances.
The whispers behind his back. The way so guards hesitated before following his orders, as if questioning his authority in their minds.
That guard barging in without knocking was just another reminder of it. Another subtle disregard, intentional or not. And Gon had decided he was done tolerating it.
When entering the room of a noble, a knock was necessary to announce one’s presence and give them ti to prepare.
It was a sign of respect, an unspoken rule followed without question.
However, for Gon, that respect was often overlooked.
The reason was simple, he had no mana.
In a world where strength was asured by magical ability, those without it were seen as lesser, no matter their skill or accomplishnts.
And so, they disregarded the formalities when it ca to him. They failed to knock.
They hesitated to bow.
They followed orders, but without the sa urgency they showed to those with mana. It was subtle, but Gon noticed.
And Gon had tolerated it for a long ti, swallowing his pride, pretending not to care.
Deep down, he felt the sha of being mana-less, of being seen as lesser.
But that was then.
Now, everything had changed.
Now, he had mana.
The very thing they had used to asure his worth, the thing they believed separated the weak from the strong, it was now his.
And with it ca a new truth: he would not tolerate disrespect from anyone ever again.
The days of looking down on him were over.
The next ti soone thought of disregarding him, they would rember this mont.
The next ti a guard considered stepping out of line, they would hesitate.
Because Gon wasn’t just so noble without power anymore.
Gon was sure that the first guard he had warned about knocking had spread the ssage to the others.
But they had probably laughed it off, dismissing it like a aningless demand from a powerless noble.
They assud he was the sa Gon from before, the one who endured their subtle slights, who gritted his teeth and let their disrespect slide.
They saw no reason to fear him, no reason to respect him.
Well, now they would.
Now, they would understand that he was willing to use violence to enforce his requests.
The days of ignoring his authority were over. If respect wouldn’t co through words, then it would co through force.
So, he made an example of him. Not out of cruelty, not out of anger, but as a statent.
A reminder to everyone in the castle that he was not soone to be taken lightly.
Now, as he prepared to et the Duke, he knew one thing for certain, his authority would not be questioned again.
They would act right now, they would knock before entering.
The story would spread like wildfire through the castle. The guard who had been pinned to the wall, sword at his throat, would tell the others.
And when they heard, they would stop laughing.
The servants, the knights, the staff who had once exchanged knowing glances and subtle smirks behind his back would think twice before showing even the slightest disrespect.
Because now, they understood.
This was not the sa Gon from before.
He demanded respect.
And he was willing to enforce it.
Gon sighed, the weight of the mont settling over him.
With a slow, deliberate motion, he returned his sword to the drawer, the quiet clink of tal against wood breaking the silence.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling as he sat back onto the bed.
Ana and Elsa still stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide as they replayed what had just happened.
The speed he had moved with, the way he vanished from one spot and reappeared in another, how effortlessly he had pinned the guard to the wall, it was almost inhuman.
Neither of them had even seen him draw his sword.
One mont, he was standing there, calm as ever, and the next, the guard was gasping for air, completely at his rcy.
They had seen him fight before. From a distance, amidst the chaos of the arena. But this... this was different.
Here, in the quiet of the room, the distance between them and him had shrunk, and they could finally comprehend the sheer intensity of his power.
It was no longer a spectacle, a blur of motion in a far-off arena.
This was up close, personal. And they realized it was scarier than they imagined.
When Gon saw the shocked looks on their faces, a small, almost imperceptible chuckle escaped him.
"Elsa, Ana," he called, his voice calm, steady, almost casual, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just happened.
His words sliced through the thick silence in the room, breaking their trances.
Elsa and Ana both looked up at him, their expressions frozen in a mixture of disbelief and awe.
Bring the food and leave it here, I will eat it when I get back from my father," Gon said, his voice carrying an air of finality.
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