IN THE EMPRESS PALACE.*KNOCK* *KNOCK*“Your Majesty, Princess Helena has arrived.”One of the empress's maids who escorted Helena into the empress palace announced after arriving at the empress's room.“Come in…”A voice said from inside the empress’s room.*CREAK* *DOOR OPENING*After the door opened, Helena walks into the Empress' room with Grace and Nora following behind her.“I am curious to see what the empress looks like.”Helena thought as she was walking into the empress room, she noticed one maid standing at each corner of the room, and at the center of the room was a table with a tea set ready.While pointing to the tea table, one of the maids said.“Princess, please you may have your seat…”Helena walks to the table and takes a seat with Nora and Grace standing behind her as they wait for the empress.*CREAKING*The sound of a door opening catches Helena’s attention. As she turns her gaze toward the direction of the sound, she noticed another doorway inside the room.And w
“Muhahahaha…”Empress Selene laughed hysterically after calming her anger. She could not believe that she let a child stir up her emotions that easily.“Ha… you are a clever little thing, aren’t you?” Empress Selene said as she chuckled with an astonished expression.“Well… your speculations were correct. I do want to see this empire fall, but I think so do you. As we both share the same pain of losing our family to the empire.”Empress Selene said.“... What is she talking about?”Helena thought in her mind, confused by Empress Selene's words. She could not think of anything they shared in common.“Oh, no. From your expression, it seems that you don’t know.”Empress Selene said in vague words as she stared at Helena with a pitiful gaze.“... Just say what you have to say.”Helena said in an annoyed tone as she glares at Empress Selene.“... As a mother, it pains me to say this, but… your mother is in a coma, after being pushed down off her balcony by her maid. And the people who ord
TWO DAYS LATERVALKARIE PALACE HELENA’S ROOM“My liege, I have prepared your disguise… but are you sure I do not need to prepare a teleportation scroll?”Grace asked Helena in a concerned tone. She could not understand why her liege would not use the teleportation scroll that would allow them to get to the secret base in seconds, but instead wanted to run to the secret base.*CREAK* *DOOR OPENING*“The teleportation scroll would be faster, but I need to check something out.”Helena said as she walks out of her bathroom. After coming out, she sees the disguise Grace prepared. It was a brown-colored cloak with rough patches, and she noticed a magic spell of concealment on it.“Hmm… the disguise is great, but it still needs a little touch.”Helena said as she stretches her hand forward before saying.‘DEN’A portal leading to her universe opens, and she walks into it.“It’s that black hole again. I wonder where it leads to.”Grace said as she walks closer to the portal, observing it. Aft
GIGGADON EMPIRE.OUTER AREA OF THE MISTY MOUNTAINS.*POKE* *POKE*“Hmm… she passed out from the shock,”Helena said, crouched beside Anna, as she poked Anna’s cheeks with a twig. But, after getting no reaction from the unconscious Anna, she throws the twig away and stands.“My liege, I found this on the remains of the boy.”Grace said as she walks towards Helena with a wooden object in hand. After getting close, Grace hands over the object to Helena.“I see, so they were trainee knights. No wonder they were weak. But this has become troublesome.”Helena said. After recognizing the object. It was a wooden badge with the emblem of a wooden sword, which signifies that the holder wasn’t fully a knight yet.“My liege, would you like me to erase their trace?”Grace asked as she placed her hand on her dagger, ready to kill Anna.“No… if two trainee knights go missing here, it would attract the Royal knights’ attention to the Misty Mountains. Which will become a headache.”Helena explained. W
INSIDE MISTY PEAK.THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MAGIC FORMATION.*VROOM*“Huh? So, the magic formation was also a teleportation circle?”Helena thought in her mind after being teleported into a large hall. She glances around the hall and notices something familiar about the architecture. “Unlike the medieval architecture of the Giggadon Empire, this hall’s architecture looks really similar to ancient Rome. How is it possible for two different civilization architectures to exist on the same land?”Helena wondered in her mind. But could not find an answer. As a result, she decided to ask Grace.“Grace, why does this hall's architecture look different from the Giggadon Empire?”Helena asked in a curious tone.“I also don’t know much, My liege. But, from what the former dark knight guild master told me. Before the Murla Kingdom, which later became the Giggadon Empire, was built, there used to be a civilization that occupied this land, thousands of years ago. And they are the ones who built this
IN THE MISTY PEAK COLOSSEUM.*RUMBLE*The Colosseum grounds trembled after the object landed in the Colosseum arena. The children who were in the arena all fell to the ground.“Cough… cough. What the hell was that.?”Walda, who is one of the children being trained in the arena, said while covering his nose and mouth from the dust cloud. He stood up from the ground and walked through the dust cloud toward where the object landed.“!?”After getting closer, Walda is surprised after seeing a crater. But he could not see what was inside it because of the dust cloud. So, he tries going closer to its edge, to take a closer look. but Gunter Appeared in front of him in a flash.*WHOOSH*“... Instructor Gunter!?”Walda said with a surprised tone and expression as he fell to the floor.“Get back brat. You are in the way.”Gunter said in a serious tone while standing in front of Walda, with his weapon drawn and his guard up. Though he sounded harsh, he was just trying to protect the kid.*WHOOSH
INSIDE MISTY PEAK.COLOSSEUM.“Who are you? And what business do you have attacking the Dark Knight Guild? Did someone send you? Or are you here for some sort of revenge?”Gunter asked a series of questions in a serious tone while glaring at the hooded enemy.“...”Helena stood silently in front of the four of them, ignoring Gunter’s questions. She turns her gaze towards Vlad and sees that he was recovering quickly after taking her attack.“Hmm… Alpha, what grade of armor is he wearing?”Helena asked.[DING!][NORMAL GRADE: LOW TIERTYPE: MAGIC ARMOR.+20 DEFENSE]Apart from Knights/sword masters and wizards/mages. There are other paths in which mana can be used. One of the other ways is the path of alchemy. It is a sub-branch of wizards, but instead of only focusing on transforming mana into natural elements, they use mana to create magical potions, weapons, formations, and elixirs. But an alchemist is a very rare existence on the continent. That’s why it is not a well-known practice
INSIDE MISTY PEAK.COLOSSEUM ARENA.“... But this should be enough.”Helena said. Even though she would like to see the speed of Gunter’s summons, this was already enough for a test.“Huh? What does that mean?”Gunter and Vlad thought in their minds after hearing Helena’s words.“Grace. You can come out now.”Helena said to Grace, who was still waiting in the crater.*WHOOSH*In a flash, Grace appeared behind Helena with her hood off. After arriving, she glances around and noticed the old gentleman and Blaze lying unconscious on the ground. And Vlad lying against the destroyed arena walls, bleeding from his mouth.“Woah, I knew my liege was the strongest in the world, but to beat four third-class Grandmasters in less than a minute is so cool!”Grace thought as she smiled inwardly.“!?”Gunter and Vlad noticed a gust of wind pass by, and by the time their gaze came back to Helena, they saw Grace standing behind Helena. They thought Grace got captured and forced to expose the hideout by
-----------------------------------------------------------------RAINBRIDGE ESTATE- CENTER OF THE BALLROOM.*SWISH**TAP*"I am still quite surprised you asked me for a dance, even though you have the option of picking many more beautiful noble-born ladies, who are dying to dance with you. My lord."Cyra said, locking eyes with Lord Phames. Their hands clasped, fingers intertwined as they twirled and waltzed in the heart of the ballroom, surrounded by the elegance of the moment."You are mistaken…"Lord Phames said, pausing momentarily as he skillfully guided the dance. With a graceful movement, he gently pushed Lady Cyra away.*WHOOSH*"What is he doing?!..."Cyra thought in her mind with a surprised expression after she was pushed. She realized her balance was thrown off by the sudden push and she was going to fall. Strangely, she wasn't scared, as she could still feel Phames's touch, through her gloves.Just As Cyra's fingers were about to slip from his palm, Lord Phames, with imp
—-------------------------------------------------------------------MISTY PEAK ROYAL PALACE - THRONE HALL"It's been ten days since I neutralized the empire's most powerful weapons from play. I expected the capital to descend into chaos and panic without the Emperor at its head. However, after locking down the capital, they are handling the situation better than I imagined. But I wonder how they will react to the present I have, prepared for them." Helena thought as she leaned back on the throne with a plotting smile.*BAM**CREAK*"…?"Hearing the loud sound of the Throne Hall's heavy stone doors opening, Helena turned her gaze to the hall entrance, to see Grace walking in."Grace?... It seems all her injuries have healed." Helena thought with a slight smile as she watched Grace walk towards her.*****************************************A FEW MOMENTS LATER.After a while, Grace arrived at the end of the throne steps and fell to her knees immediately, bowing her head.*THUD**WHOO
CH 76--------------------------------------------------------IN THE BALLROOM, SOMEWHERE AMONG THE GUESTS."Oh my, did you see that? Lord Phames actually kissed her on the hand!"Lady Fiora of House Merewind exclaimed in astonishment, while surrounded by a group of other noble ladies."How could that commoner's daughter simply stand there while he did that? She ought to be on her knees, showing gratitude for such an opportunity." Lady Justina of House Quickfire remarked, her tone dripping with disdain and disgust."It appears this commoner's daughter, needs to be taught her place." Lady Annelore of House Merewind added, glaring at Cyra with a malicious expression."I heard from my mother that when a nobleman gets close to a commoner woman, he becomes bewitched. They supposedly sprinkle love potions on their clothing, so that when the nobleman inhales it, he falls in love with them."Lady Thessaly of House Starfrost said."I heard the same from my elder sister. She said her husband
INNER CAPITAL WESTERN WING – RAINBRIDGE ESTATE*CLIP-CLOP**CREAKING* (sound of carriage)The loud sounds of horses’ hooves, striking a cobblestone path and carriage creaking wheels, resounded in the air as multiple horse-driven carriages, drove towards a grand building in the distance. And in one of those carriages, two sisters are in an anxious state, as it is their first time attending a high society party.“… it's been almost thirty minutes since we entered the Estate, and we still haven’t arrived at the ballroom yet…”Lily said in an anxious tone as she opens the blinds and gazed out the carriage window. What she saw left her in awe—an expansive landscape adorned with grand buildings and structures.“Wow... This is a duke's estate... it's so huge! It must be larger than two districts in the outer capital... I wonder just how much larger their estate in the Western territory is. if the one in the capital is already this massive!”Lily said with an excited tone and expression as sh
INNER CAPITAL CITY - SOMWHERE.“Be careful of your own shadow; for it might hide more than you realize.”Emperor Maximus said, as he emerged from behind Helena, stepping out of her shadow. His sword's blade, deeply embedded in her back, piercing through her chest.*THUD*“COUGH!!... How did you”Helena exclaimed, after coughing out blood. As she turned to Emperor Maximus, her face twisted in shock and agony.“Did you truly believe I could be defeated with such a meager display of power? That was nothing more than a mere shadow double.”Emperor Maximus said with a condescending tone and expression.“Even with an energy more powerful than mana and Aura, this is all your strength amounts to. What a waste… Don’t worry; I will be using your power to its full potential, after extracting it from your corpse… Any last words before you die?”Emperor Maximus asked.“Cough…Ha…haha… Did you think you’ve won!? HA-HAHAHAHA!”Helena exclaimed, erupting into maniacal laughter before her body dissolve
OUTSIDE CHAMBERLAIN EADULF’S DOMAIN. *CRACK*"Huh?!... It appears the battle's outcome is clear. Your Majesty, who do you think emerged victorious?"Master Zurrick asked Emperor Maximus after noticing Chamberlian Eadulf’s Domain began to dissipate.“From the pressure he released it would be difficult for Eadulf to win, but since he got into Eadulf’s Aura domain… well, we’ll just wait and see.”Emperor Maximus replied.****************************************************************A MINUTE LATER.Once Chamberlain Eadulf's Aura Domain had fully dissipated, Emperor Maximus and Master Zurrick were met with a startling sight. The hooded figure, previously ensnared by Eadulf's Domain, now stood unharmed, casually dragging an object with a single hand as they strolled forward.*SCRAPE! * [Sound effect of dragging an object]“I must say… he had a strong determination and will. But what use are those if you are weak!”Helena said as she tossed the object she'd been dragging, like trash, rig
SILVERWOOD MANOR’S COMPOUND.*SHOOSH**SHOOSH**SLASH*The air whirled into a frenzy, stirred by the astonishing speed at which Helena and Chamberlin Eadulf moved. Their forms could only be glimpsed as blurs, locked in a fierce exchange that painted a trail of destruction across the Manor's Estate.*SWOOSH**CLANG**BANG**WHOOSH*"How does his speed continue to outpace mine, even as I pushed my speed to the limit? Among the ‘Ten Aura Masters’ on the continent, I hold the title of the 'Lightning Sword' due to the unique characteristics of my abilities. Yet, here I am unable to match the speed of this unknown Hooded Figure. How frustrating… But, it’s not solely my speed that has earned me the Title of Lightning Sword!”Chamberlin Eadulf thought in his mind as he abruptly ceased his movements, coming to a complete standstill.*WHOOSH**HALT*“Huh!? Why did you stop? Are you gassed out already...?”Helena asked, her tone carrying a tinge of surprise. as she slowed down before coming to a
OUTSIDE, THE IMPERIAL PALACE’S GATES.As the post-celebration of the prince’s naming persisted within the grand halls of the imperial palace, a scene unfolded outside its monumental gates. Assembled was a segment of the imperial army, specifically the Silver Dragon Knight squad. Comprising of five hundred knights, each meticulously chosen by the emperor himself, the squad boasted a spectrum of prowess ranging from a fourth-class Grandmaster as the least powerful, to an eighth-class Grandmaster as the most formidable. The knights stood in disciplined formation outside the palace gate, organized into five distinct lines, with each group encompassing a hundred knights.*CREAK*A loud creaking sound of metal filled the air as the palace gates opens, revealing Emperor Maximus. He walks out with the air of a conqueror exuding from his body. With each stride he took, the surrounding air became heavy, affected by his Aura. Causing the knights guarding the palace gates, to fall to their knees
“AAAAAHHH!!”Tristen and Percival yelled in pain, covering their eyes as the intense light temporarily blinded them. The sudden and overwhelming brightness disoriented them, leaving them vulnerable and unable to see their surroundings.*WHOOSH*“Did you not know that in a fight, you should not take your eyes off your opponent? Kekekeke.”Cobra said in a mocking tone as he appears behind Tristan and Percival.“!!!”Tristan and Percival’s hearts pounded in fear as they heard the unknown voice behind them. Panic took over, and they instinctively turned around, blindly swinging their swords toward the source of the sound, hoping to hit their unseen assailant. Their actions were fueled by a mix of adrenaline and fear, but the lack of visibility made their attacks wild and unguided.*SWISH**SLASH**SLASH*“Whoops… Kekeke, how do you expect to hit your target if you don’t look at it?”Cobra jeered, his mocking laughter resonating through the hall. As he displays remarkable ease and agility,