Southern Region, Hillip Highlands—
A muscular man with messy black hair stood overlooking the highlands, his brow furrowed as he took in the devastation left behind by his advancement to the Golden Core Realm. He was the slowest of the five heroes', but unlike Petra's self-destruction, Elena's tricks, and Arthur's calculations, he was simply a natural disaster!
The land before him had been completely flattened!
Entire hills had vanished, crushed into nothing. The land was sheared bare, with grass and soil stripped away, and stone ground down into slag. Rock had flowed and melted into volcanic stone, still venting steam into the cold southern air.
The man's ears twitched, and Kilemin turned his head.
A small hummingbird, multicolored and radiant, hovered beside him, its wings a blur as it floated effortlessly in place.
"Did you find out?" Kilemin asked in a deep voice.
The hummingbird spoke, its voice sharp and high-pitched, like that of a young child. "No, something definitely happened, but it should be an internal affair! I couldn't dig too deep…"
Kilemin frowned.
The hummingbird circled him in a streak of light. "You, on the other hand, are looking quite good! It almost makes me jealous. Maybe I should try it too. Hmmmmmmm!" The small bird's voice was strange. It seemed to shift between male and female, young and old, timid and brave.
Kilemin scoffed. "If you were going to recultivate, you would've done it a long time ago."
"True!" the hummingbird laughed, flickering back and forth.
Silence followed—
It was a bit awkward…
The way it spoke was very jarring, leaving unnatural gaps in the conversation.
"So," the hummingbird continued, "you've seen her, right? The green-haired one. Petra, was it? The daughter of those two… Hmmmmm, what do you think of her?"
Kilemin's frown deepened. He walked over and retrieved the clothes he had set aside.
"What do I think of her?" he muttered.
"Don't you already know? I may be weaker now, but I'm no less perceptive than I was."
He paused, looking at the small bird that landed on his shirt with a heavy gaze. "Those weren't artifacts, they were your real feathers, weren't they?"
The hummingbird froze.
"…Hmmmmmm, yes," it admitted after a moment of thought. "If I hadn't acted when I did, there was a real chance he would've died! I just didn't expect the 'restrictions' to be so cruel!" The bird revealed a very human-like expression, displaying its very insincere regrets.
"I knew it," Kilemin said. "I felt it too. That girl is exceptionally good at concealing her emotions. Even when she's angry, she restrains herself to an abnormal degree. It's honestly terrifying. I can't imagine what would happen if she truly lost control."
Kilemin pulled on his clothes, conveniently hiding the 'black rune' located just above his dantian…
"When I look at her, I feel like I'm looking at a quarter of a person, no, perhaps even less. It's like a dam, a dam holding back a violent storm." He frowned, shooing the glowing bird away from his face. "It's like she literally limits her emotions, only ever displaying a small amount of them at any given time, which is already terrifying, but when she first appeared back in Imai, she messed up and let it slip for a fraction of a second after she saw what we did with Dorthy."
Thinking about what he felt back then, Kilemin felt a surge of emotions.
The hummingbird darted through the air.
"She's a bit like you when you were younger, a volcano just waiting to erupt! All it takes is a trigger, then everything explodes!"
Kilemin sneered. "She's nothing like me. We've only met a few times, but the 'weight' in her eyes is different from a normal person. I don't think she sees ordinary people as people at all, no… I don't think she even views those stronger than herself the proper way!"
"Then why don't you deal with her?" the hummingbird asked, half-jokingly, landing on his head.
Kilemin shook his head. "That's impossible. If she really is who we think she is, acting rashly would only create a disaster we can't control. Especially with that idiot behaving the way he is."
The hummingbird slowed down. "Speaking of Hailith, I still can't figure out what's going on with the northern region's hero."
"She definitely bears the mark," Kilemin said.
"Yes," the hummingbird agreed, "but it's broken. I don't know how she severed the connection, but there must have been recoil on his end, right? That lines up with when he stopped hiding his 'abnormality'."
"Putting aside his problems, do you think she's even the correct one?" Kilemin asked as he got dressed.
The hummingbird shook its tiny beak. "I suspect a mistake was made from the beginning. Hero summoning is unreliable, especially when karma is deeply entangled between two souls."
"I warned you," Kilemin muttered. "Playing with the Soul Sea again isn't worth it. Even for us, it's far beyond our understanding. Just because Zoe can do it doesn't mean we can..."
"But the summoning worked in the end, for both of them!" the hummingbird countered.
Kilemin lowered his head. "I think it did… but Petra was likely a stowaway. Hailith's hero probably had a strong connection to her, enough for their fates to tangle like a knotted fishing line. She was probably pulled along."
"That shouldn't be possible," the hummingbird said. "She has the ability to disturb fate. An accident like that shouldn't happen, right?"
Kilemin's eyes darkened, his voice turning cold. "That's only true if she already had that ability. If she awakened it while crossing through the Soul Sea, or after arriving, no, even if it was during her initial death, it explains everything! This whole 'accident' could even be a trick by those guys!"
The hummingbird fell silent.
After a moment, it asked, "I don't think so… She seems to be doing more damage to 'them' than us… Also! Do you know who the real hero is? Could it be someone else? The one the cultists are interested in, no, maybe it's a failed summon?"
Kilemin shook his head. "Impossible. I know who you're thinking of... I met him once. He's talented, but naïve, too easily twisted. If Hailith was choosing a champion, it wouldn't be him."
He paused.
"My guess is that Hailith chose the strongest person with the closest affinity to himself..."
Silence returned to the hills.
"You think the real Heaven's Chosen has already been taken by the Church?" the hummingbird asked.
Kilemin nodded.
"I'll look into it again," the hummingbird said sharply.
"If that's true, there may still be hope to fend off what's coming."
Swoosh! The bird shot into the sky, vanishing into the horizon like a beam of light.
Kilemin watched it go—
But a deep unease lingered in his mind…
He wasn't normally like this, but since meeting Petra in Imai, he had started to feel like things were out of control. Soon, soon they would find out just how heavy their responsibilities truly were. If that person came from the same place as Petra… No. That wasn't the real problem. If they carried the same distorted beliefs as that little green-haired monster, then joining the Church of Light would only make things worse.
"Hailith," Kilemin muttered, "I hope you know what you're doing…"
The sun was slowly setting in the south...
-
One Week later...
* * *
One Week later...
-
Royal Palace, Dressing Room—
Rotell stood before a massive mirror, stark naked, with her arms crossed to cover her chest.
She had a dark expression…
No, to say it was 'dark' was an enormous understatement!
In fact, her face was so black that it nearly scared the artifact spirit in the mirror…
Around her—
A group of lively maids ran in circles…
First, a tall girl with sharp eyes methodically wiped her naked body with a warm cloth, while another, a chubby girl, brushed through her long blond hair with such a powerful aggression that Rotell's head rocked back and forth uncontrollably. A third, a small child, appeared with a bottle of perfume, vanished, then reappeared on the other side of her like a little spirit, spraying constantly and humming to herself as she worked her magic.
Rotell grumbled the entire time…
She absolutely hated the feeling of being 'dolled up'!
The loss of control, the touchy girls, and the insufferable period of waiting. For a woman who loved to fight, it all felt just so… restrictive! By the time they were done with the 'basics', Rotell had been completely drowned in cosmetics, with powder here and there, and a bit of color everywhere~
Something cold dabbed above her eyes, while something warm brushed across her cheeks, all the while, an insufferably gentle 'tap-tap' made her twitching ears redden.
Looking in the mirror, she barely recognized herself.
Her lips twitched.
Damn it…
Who should she beat up…!
Swoosh!
Before she could complain, one of the maids did a sliding drop to one knee and pulled on her undergarments before tying them with a swift and practiced snap, while another slid in from the opposite side and began a very serious, 'very professional', cough cough cough, 'battle with her chest'...
Then—
The over-excited maid arrived!
Swoosh! The girdle snaked around Rotell's waist before she could even react, then, in the same breath, the over-excited maid planted her foot squarely on Rotell's back and used the First Princess of the Hellion Empire as a springboard.
"Hup!"
The pink-haired maid, the psycho, no, sorry, 'the crazy one', the one with fanatical eyes, pulled the strings hard—!
The girdle tightened, and Rotell grunted.
"Fuck—!"
Her face turned pale.
Something inside her shifted, probably her organs, and she lurched forward in pain.
Why didn't she remember this being so extreme!?
What the fuck!?
She shot a fierce glare toward the pink-haired maid, but unfortunately, the maid was already gone, skipping off to retrieve a box of jewelry from the side.
Next, it was time for the adornments!
A necklace, then another, then—Rotell slapped a hand away as it reached towards her with seven more.
Swoosh!
Earrings appeared before she even noticed a hand near her face, and at the same time, a ring slid onto her finger, then another, each one earning a quick, satisfied nod from the chubby girl.
Next, it was time for the dress!
Swoosh!
Rotell was stuffed into a long blue gown that matched her eyes. Her arms lifted, her body turned, and she was tugged, spun, and adjusted until the fabric finally settled over her well-toned body. A few lighter layers followed, each adding a more 'fantasy feel', to her body, moving away from a purely 'medieval princess' aesthetic.
White gloves were pulled on, the dark boots were secured and tied beneath the hem of her dress.
At last, her 'ceremonial outfit' was complete!
After the fierce struggle, Rotell was finally released from the terrifying team of servants and staggered out of the room.
When the door closed—
Dong!
She stood there, breathing hard, fists clenched, and already plotting for her revenge!
-
Leaving the room, Rotell stomped through the palace halls.
She didn't like wearing a dress, so she had never bothered to learn the 'proper way' to walk in one! At least, not a long gown like the one she was wearing now. The fabric dragged and swayed with every step, refusing to cooperate with her natural stride.
She really regretted bribing her tutor and skipping her lessons!
Her whole face was dark, and she looked like she was about to kill someone via ripping up their spine!
It was quite the contrast to her beautiful face.
Not only was she uncomfortable, but her entire body ached. It felt like she had just gone through an entire training session, only much—much worse! Each of her muscles complained as they were compressed and constrained by the layers of fabric, bindings, and adornments that felt more like prison shackles than real clothing.
She couldn't understand how her sisters dealt with this kind of thing on a daily basis…
She held up the front of the dress with both hands to prevent herself from tripping, moving in long, irritated steps.
The motion was awkward and ungraceful.
She really had no idea how to walk.
When she was younger, she would just wear short dresses. The practical ones, dresses she could move in, run in, and even fight in if she really needed to…
Looking at her now, this dress didn't suit her at all.
This only served to worsen her mood!
Despite her clear anger, she was actually a bit embarrassed, although she would never admit it! If Rolilly were here, Rotell might really have attacked her.
The aura radiating off her body scared away the surrounding servants. They either pressed themselves against the walls to reduce their presence or suddenly became very busy with tasks that 'absolutely' could not wait! No one wanted to be the one she noticed.
For the 'normal servants', many of them were either in awe or confused by the previous team of servants who had taken it upon themselves to dress the first princess, not understanding why they had been so 'enthusiastic' earlier.
Perhaps they just liked dressing the princess—
After all, Rotell usually refused to wear what she should to match her status, so this had been a rare opportunity. The dress was a special ceremonial outfit, meant to be worn when visiting outsiders on a 'diplomatic mission'. The moment Rotell saw the dress, she understood that her father wasn't treating her like a daughter. Instead, he was treating her like a political piece.
It was frustrating, but still, she understood. This was her duty as the First Princess, after all…
The instant she left the dressing room, Theo, one of the twelve Royal Guards, began to shadow her, already acting as her escort.
He cleared his throat and reassured her, telling her that she looked beautiful.
Rotell grumbled in response, entirely unconvinced.
Although this man was her father's guard, he had spent quite a large amount of time with her.
Theo was basically her personal guard…
At least, she liked to think so.
She didn't want to imagine the true reason her father allowed them to get so close.
She couldn't wait for the day when she would be truly free…
When she could leave the continent—
And explore the vast world!
She lowered her eyes.
They moved through the palace together, footsteps echoing through long corridors and decorative arches, and soon enough, she was escorted outside, where a royal carriage was already waiting.
With the door already open, Rotell quickly entered…