............"Is this really true? We were dancing in the palm of someone else's hand? How did I not notice this?" Isolde Moonshroud was shocked by Aarav's words. She forgot her fear, and her body stopped shivering. She looked up at Aarav with disbelief on her face. As she thought back to various situations and pieces of evidence she had overlooked, she began to see a different picture. It dawned on her that the Lord Heir was right—there had indeed been a mastermind controlling them."It seems you've finally realized," Aarav said, noticing the change in her expression. "I also wanted to talk Elowen out of her madness, but she was too far gone. Sparing her wasn't an option. Celestius Starcrest brought about his own downfall. I heard he swallowed his family's forbidden elixir and died as a result. Pope Aurelius only lessened his pain by quickening his death."Aarav looked back at her, seeing the realization settle in her eyes. He spoke about his futile desire to save Elowen from her g
............"Okay, Lady Isolde. Even though we don't see eye to eye, I will offer our assistance in following Lord Heir's orders. Let me know what resources you might need." Thaddeus Lumara looked at Isolde Moonshroud with cold eyes but still offered his help, showing he was ready to cooperate and carry out their Lord Heir's commands."Thank you, Lord Thaddeus. I appreciate your help, and I apologize once again," Isolde Moonshroud expressed her gratitude and offered her apology again, knowing how much Thaddeus Lumara held a grudge against them. Despite this, he still offered to help, showing how tolerant he was."Alright, let's leave. This isn't a good place to talk," Rajendra Chauhan gestured to them, noticing the crowd pointing fingers at them as some recognized their faces."Oh, please...!" Isolde blinked, glancing around before gesturing to Rajendra Chauhan. They quickly walked away from the crowd......Crystalbrook City, After a relaxing flight, Aarav arrived back at the Crys
............"Whoosh...!"As Aarav opened the coffin where Astrid's mother, Liora, was sleeping soundly, a chill spread through the room. Aeliana almost yelped in surprise, feeling shivers run down her spine."What is this coffin... I feel chilly just standing near it!" Aeliana said in a shivering tone, her curiosity piqued."It's a treasure trove for keeping a comatose person's body healthy and intact," Astrid explained as she and Aarav helped her mother lay down on the bed."What kind of strange illness does she have?" Aeliana asked, looking at Liora's peaceful face. She seemed as though she was simply sleeping and might wake up at any moment."It's Eternal Slumber Syndrome, something I wasn't able to cure before," Aarav said as he checked Liora's pulse again, looking at a holographic screen that displayed the same information as the last time he saw it.[Name: Liora Starcrest[Age: 42 (Human)[Title: Mother of Astrid Starcrest[Health: Sleep Inducing Semi Paralysed State[Conditio
............She had indeed woken up from her eternal dream-like state; she wasn't dreaming anymore. She felt her heart swell and tears streamed down her face as she tried to sit up with difficulty."Mother...!" Astrid hugged her mother, helping her sit down properly."Astrid... dear...!" Liora hugged her daughter back, patting her on the back to comfort her, feeling her daughter's happiness.Phia, sitting on the couch, watched the mother-daughter pair comforting each other."Astrid... dear, where are we?" Liora asked as she caressed Astrid's head, letting her go, while observing the unfamiliar room."We are in Crystalbrook City, in our Lord's home!" Astrid replied, sitting beside her, smiling happily."Lord... Crystalbrook City." Liora understood which city she was in but looked confused hearing the word "Lord" from her daughter."Yes... Lord Divine Heir of God Elandor. Phia Lumara, Aeliana Chauhan, and I are serving under him," Astrid explained, seeing her mother's confusion."Ehh.
............"Are... are you rejecting my request?" Liora asked with a tearful expression, looking as though she might cry if he refused."No... no, I never said that!" Aarav quickly said, shaking his head, not wanting to make Astrid's mother sad."Really... then you accept my request? Haha, great... it’s great. Thank you, my Lord. I will serve you alongside my daughter and won't disappoint you." Liora’s expression changed from tearful to happy in an instant. Without giving Aarav a chance to explain, she cheerfully shook his hand, leaving him speechless at her boldness."Sigh... fine... fine!" Aarav let out a sigh and accepted her request. He couldn't make her sad, even if she was exaggerating. Besides, dealing with both her and her daughter would be more troublesome, so he just accepted it.He also knew she didn't have anywhere else to go. It was better for her to stay occupied rather than dwell on what happened with her husband or the Starcrest family. He didn't know how she'd feel
............Bishop Dominic settled back into his chair, his face showing a mix of exhaustion and urgency.Aarav noticed the lines of weariness etched on Dominic’s face, indicating a long and strenuous journey."I arrived late last night, My Lord. The situation in Quartzgate City has improved, but after Father Deniel started investigating those seven strange men, he discovered something that made us worry for our country's future," Dominic began, his voice heavy with concern.Aarav leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Tell me more, Bishop Dominic. What did Archbishop Deniel find out from the investigation?""He discovered that the attacks on Quartzgate City and the capital were carried out by two different foreign forces. He was certain of this, but further details are impossible to get as he can't track them; they have gone into hiding," Bishop Dominic reported."Hmm, this is troublesome. Does he have any clues at all, like symbols, pieces of weapons, or anything left behind by the
............If not for their Lord sharing his knowledge with them, she would still be ignorant of the more powerful foreign organizations in the world, organizations that could make their own cry tears of blood without being able to counterattack."I think you two need to go back to your families and learn everything you can from them. With the knowledge I've provided, I think they would make great progress in their strength, so you can learn a lot there," Aarav suggested, explaining his reasoning so they wouldn't think he was getting rid of them."Hmm, you are right, my Lord. We can't progress much on our own here, and we are not really useful to you, only making you worry. So we will follow your suggestion, my Lord," Phia acknowledged her weakness and nodded in agreement."My Lord, we aren't very helpful now, but we promise not to disappoint you in the future!" Aeliana vowed, her tone determined."Well, I never thought that you ladies ever disappointed me. Don't worry. You two, al
............"Sigh... my dear Astrid, how much you have endured because of your poor mother. I am sorry for all the pain I caused you." Liora became sad after hearing about her daughter's suffering.She hugged Astrid tightly, sobbing lightly as she apologized for all the pain Astrid had to endure."No, Mother. It's fine... you don't have to apologize. I did it because you are the only family I have, and I didn't want to lose you," Astrid patted her mother's back, comforting her and trying to ease her guilt."Thank you for everything, my dear. You really make me proud," Liora stopped sobbing and smiled through her tears."Hmm..." Astrid also smiled and let her mother stay like that until Liora let her go."By the way, I never asked what kind of illness I had," Liora suddenly remembered and asked."It was Eternal Slumber Syndrome, caused by Ebonite Venom. That's what our Lord said," Astrid replied."Hmm, Ebonite Venom... so it was really him. I thought I might be overthinking, but it s