“Welcome to my humble home, Ambassador Natalia,” Duchess Everon bowed. Natalia didn’t know Vera became the Duchess at an early age but was glad to see a familiar face. The Everon estate was exactly like she remembered but it was still very grand. She responded to her greeting. “Since you have concluded many deals over the years with her majesty, she says there’s nothing to worry about in you buying land in the North. We will be joined by her highness later on but for now, I will be entertaining you.”“Then I will thank you in advance. You call your home humble but it is really grand. I have always admired the women of Polivia who have the freedom to do what they want with their lives.”“You’re the first person I have seem from another kingdom to have this kind of views. Most people tell me a woman should never conduct business or rule a nation but my kingdom has existed for a long time because of a woman and has outlived several kingdoms, including the original Berden Empire we used
“I ran into her in the garden and was finally able to have a normal conversation with her. It turns out we have so much in common. Isn’t that wonderful, Natalia?”“Real wonderful. You didn’t need a push after all. I’m happy for you.”“You don’t look or sound very happy. Is something the matter?”“It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”“Well, you have been working yourself sore these days. It’s like there’s something you want to accomplish in a hurry. It’s worrying to see you like this. If there’s something you want, maybe I can…”“Thank you for your help, Fredrich but the only way you can help me is if you find what I ask you to. Have you found it?”“Well, I’ve found a few locations and ordered for them to be searched but I haven’t found what you asked me to. If you can tell me why…”“Until I find it, I won’t be disclosing everything. Since you have been able to have a proper conversation with her, shouldn’t you be sending a letter?”“This back and forth isn’t going to help us, Natal
They appeared in another cave which wasn't much different from the one they just left at first. But as they went deeper, it felt like their magic was being sucked away. They stopped halfway and started to investigate their surroundings. "I didn't find any magic circle or symbols etched in the walls." "I didn't find any either. There's nothing pointing to the existence of a man draining pattern.""That means whatever is draining our magic is deeper in the cave. Whatever it is, we have to be prepared to face it," Amaika said, starting to seal their magic. Marvis shook his head vigorously. "You're thinking of going further in?! No way! We're finding a way out of here and going back to Natalia. There is no way I am going deeper into the heart of a mysterious cave that drains even fairies of their magic.""Whatever is in there is drawing me. I cannot contain my curiosity. You can find the exit with Cheese if you wish.""There is no way we are separating from each other. What if somethin
In an abandoned and broken temple, there was a dead magic circle with strange symbols surrounded by nine candles. A woman dressed like a nun knelt beside the candles, her hands clasped in prayer while her lips moved furiously. One by one, the candles began to go out and she cried out in pain and sorrow. The last candle went out and she sobbed quietly, holding it to her chest. Behind her, a small group of men and women, eight of them, hung their head solemnly, as if they were mourning the loss of people. "This was the most powerful group we have sent out yet not one of them returned alive. Even the ones that have returned died in just a few days. She's a monster," a woman's voice rang out. They nodded in agreement. "For her to defeat several semi-transcendentals, just how powerful is she? It terrifies me to think about. How could we possibly defeat her?" This time, a man spoke. "We cannot give up. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. According to her prophecy, if she succe
Waking up the next morning, the three started looking around again for any trace of awry mana that would lead them to the center of the formation. Finding none, they proceeded, having no more time to waste. They covered a significant distance and seemingly reached the end by noon. There was another cave there. In fact, there was just a collection of caves where they were. It made Amaika finally realize something. “It’s a magical formation, yes, but the reason why we haven’t been able to find our way out of it is because we are most likely in a subdimension.”“So, we’re stuck in another dimension? Isn’t that just perfect?!”“Calm down, Marvis. If there is a way in, there is definitely a way out. If we keep moving forward, I am sure we will find the exit if we keep going in the direction we’re going.”“You have been saying that the ENTIRE time!”“Would you rather stay and be stuck here?”Marvis growled, baring his teeth at Amaika. The werephoenix was unmoved but it wasn’t because he co
The location of the highly anticipated auction was the very first theater built in Polivia’s capital. It was structured to hold as many dignitaries, making it convenient to have guests hide their faces and make anonymous bids. That was the first attraction of the auction and it sold well with the guests.“Did Berinda have a Princess named Denitra? She has quite the entourage too,” Alana exclaimed, reading the guest list. Natalia placed the last pin in her hair and looked at it in the mirror. Satisfied that it suited her, she turned to Alana and took the guest list from her hand, glaring at her.“It’s not our business to care about our guests. You’ll be hosting the auction so go get your mask ready.” “Oh come on. I want to be able to do my job well. I want to see how crazy they will go over the items we have here today. We have quite the haul.”“I don't care. Go get ready, your highness. We begin at exactly noon and I don’t want a single thing to go wrong.”“Yes, ma’am.”They left the
“You can’t seriously be trying to revive Egerth, Natalia.”“I don’t see what the issue is here. Resurrecting the original gods was always a part of my plan. Revivin Egerth would come last. I have to first revive Nataroth so she could bring them all to life.”“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. All the original gods died with grudes. They have been dead for a long time and have become abstract concepts. If by chance, they were ever revived, the world would be in grave danger.”“I’m leaving it to the Queen to handle her people. It sounds like a terrible idea but when have I ever made a bad decision?”“I’m just worried about the repercussions. What if the world gets destroyed or worse, rewritten?”“If it gets rewritten, there is no way you would know,” Natalia smiled. Madaline was terrified because according to Natalia, it had happened two times already. Using her magic, she sent the sarcophagus back to where she kept it. “As it stands, all I need is a little more magic to be able to a
Because of Natalia, they gained access to the backroom. They sat across each other, sizing each other up. Natalia could very easily see that Denitra’s magic level was hidden and Denitra found that she couldn’t gauge the depth of Natalia’s strength, even after using her technique. “I’m curious. If your excellency didn’t wish to sell the sarcophagus, why did you put it up at the auction?”“I was looking for…like minded people. When I saw your highness betting so fervently for the item, it made me overjoyed. I’m a collector of antiques like this so it pained me to put it up for sale. But they say you have to sacrifice some things to get what you want.”“I see. How much do you want to offer for the sarcophagus?”“2,000 high quality mana stones and 50 supreme quality mana stones.”Princess Denitra found it hard to hide her surprise. Mana stones were rare and expensive. Low quality mana stones could be purchased for 5 gold coins a piece. Mid quality mana stones could go for 50 gold coins a