Meanwhile, far beyond the horizons, a mysterious gate appeared in midair, and a baby silently floated out of it, settling in front of a large house. It was big, surrounded by gardens and trees, with a river flowing not far from it. No one else was around. The closest village was already a few miles away.
A slight knock sounded, and the teleportation gate disappeared. As it did, the door opened and a woman dressed in blue shouted in happiness, "Renald, come out, it's a little baby! Come quickly!" She immediately grabbed the baby in her arms and looked around but saw no one.
The man was eating breakfast when he heard her shout and came out running. When he saw the baby, his eyes softened. "You reckless woman… you just accepted him without question? What if he was a devil in disguise? Hmmm. Anyway, I wonder who left him here?" he asked, but the answer didn't matter much to him. "From the look of his skin he's not well. Let's bring him in first." With that, both closed the door behind them.
A few minutes later, the baby was lying silently in bed, surrounded by a dark vicious aura. The man and the woman looked at each other, unwilling to accept the harsh truth.
"So you're saying this boy was actually stripped of his magical crown? No wonder he looks in bad shape. That's very sad," the woman said. "Isn't there anything we could do to help him?" she asked, full of hope.
The man relaxed his tone. His forehead glowed with a magical mark, a green leaf surrounded by three stars. Then he explained, "Don't be too hasty. I didn't say he has no chance at all. From the look of it, he's not as bad as the other ones I've seen before. This might very well be a miracle we never expected."
The woman suddenly jumped in happiness. "Are you saying we can still take him in? I mean, he's going to live with no issues?"
The man showed a big smile. "Hahaha, now this is the Verena I used to know." Then he continued, "I'm the doctor here, and you may not have noticed, but since a few minutes ago this little one has already gotten better. It's hard to notice, but it's true. Every person who loses their crown, their soul becomes cursed. The curse is impossible to get rid of, and they eventually go crazy. But I'm sensing his curse weakening. He's getting better every minute. In just a few days, we will have our answer."
Verena danced in happiness after hearing the good news. "In this case, I will not waste any time. There are many preparations that need to be made. First I'll go to the nearest village and get everything we need." She didn't waste a moment and headed out for the river. A boat was waiting for her to jump in. She didn't use it in the traditional manner. Instead, she waved her hand with a big smile, and the water beneath the boat immediately started pushing her forward. On her forehead was a faint glowing blue mark of water waves surrounded by three stars, representing the water element.
Renald was happy to see his wife joyful, but deep down he knew whoever brought the little baby to his door was no ordinary person. To come so close to the house without being noticed, given both his and Verena's abilities, was almost impossible.
Every elemental who bears a mark has a sense of their surroundings. There was no way anyone could bypass the covered area without the mark bearer noticing. Unless, of course, they had extraordinary means or strength beyond comprehension.
The difference between elemental masters is determined by the element they control. Each element is unique, with different strengths and weaknesses. But there are still things they all share, for example, elemental sight. Its strength varies depending on how strong the master is and how strong the element's presence is in the area. For Renald and Verena, both three-star elemental masters, the presence of wood and water around the house strengthened their sight.
This plays a very important role in an elemental master's life. Although it's called elemental sight, it's technically a domain of consciousness where one is exceptionally aware of the surroundings.
In the blink of an eye, two weeks passed.
In the palace, there wasn't much change. Perhaps the most worth mentioning was the second queen, who was expected to give birth to twins. This gave her obvious control over the king and the situation in the palace. Her political strength increased rapidly, supported by the possibility of giving birth to a new heir.
The first queen's followers blamed the king for being reckless and losing Prince Killial, the most talented heir the kingdom hoped for. This almost split the palace into two parts, but eventually they were overwhelmed and pushed back from positions of authority.
Under the excuse of fulfilling the first queen's wish to visit her homeland, Marianne left for the south of the kingdom. She was accompanied by a considerable number of soldiers to protect her highness, along with many ministers and followers, intending to stay for a while. It was the only way to ensure her safety and get her away from the political conflict in the palace. Many people considered it a retreat from the political war, but others felt relief knowing the queen would no longer remain in danger. The lowest class especially supported her, knowing their best chance for a decent life was with the first queen.
The library in the capital was now accessible to everyone. There was more lighting, and more people visited day after day. Only the deepest parts remained sealed, without anyone knowing why or when. Everyone in the library returned to their previous positions and continued their normal activities.
Killial, on the other hand, had seen progress since two weeks ago. Every three days he tried to get back to his body, but each time he felt unbearable pain which slowly disappeared until it was gone. Along with it, the mysterious body that had taken shape inside his inner world finally absorbed the last bit of the black malicious liquid. It wasn't hard for Killial to link the two. The malicious liquid was what caused him pain. The moment it was fully absorbed, his baby body returned to healthy skin, breath steady, the dark aura became colorful and subtle, barely moving, yet giving a strong sense of peace.
The other side of the lake now looked normal, though the sky was still filled with countless chaotic storms and lightning. But the water was clear. The mysterious body never blinked, floating there like a statue.
Perhaps Renald and Verena were the happiest ones. Although they were a bit disappointed that Killial showed no affinity toward any element—the magical stone of recognition didn't react either—they loved him as if he were their own. After so many years, even with Renald's extraordinary healing ability and medical skills, he still couldn't solve the issue of not being able to produce offspring. Their problem was fixed the day Killial arrived. They loved him so much that even though they could afford ten maids, they still didn't get any, so they could take care of him themselves.
That didn't mean Killial wasn't freaked out, though. Seeing his new mother's magic tricks just after returning to his baby body was shocking. And the water man she used to make for him would've made him laugh, but his control over his body wasn't great. Not because of reincarnation, but because his body was too young to smile or interact. Most babies at this age still don't know what's going on. Perhaps the only way he could express his satisfaction was by wetting himself.
After the recent events he decided to live happily from then on, and forget the past if possible. He definitely missed the big bubbles and was yet to meet his real mother. But peace was a priceless treasure, so he wished to stay out of trouble until his baby body grew up.
.....
Far in distant lands, several figures knelt before their master, not daring to raise their heads. The crown had already been handed to its new owner. It glowed in his hands, and his eyes burned with ambition. On his forehead shone a lightning mark, the same as the Little Devil once bore. The only difference was the seven stars circling it.
"You have done well," he declared. "You'll be rewarded greatly. With this crown, sweeping the twelve kingdoms will be as easy as crushing an ant. I will unite this world, conquer the Warlord's Island, and sit upon the throne. Hahaha!"
That was when an old voice spoke, and a robed figure entered. "Your Highness, your vision will come true." He set three cards upon the floor, gold for success, red for power, and black for death. With trembling hands he hid the black card.