Chapter 1000 Meet Expectations
'My name is Rosie, the first daughter of the Reinhard Duke Family in the Cuttexus Kingdom. In my fifth year studying at the Deterry Academy of Magic, a terrible situation occurred at the end of my duties as student council president.
'My uncle and aunt died in Avrora Forest, and my adorable little sister was killed by a demonic beast. It was devastating for my young heart to accept, but let the nature and time take its course to heal the grief.'
'It has now been almost five months since that day, but a situation of catastrophe has spread across the globe ever since the sealed areas collapsed and the attacks of accursed creatures began.'
'The girl I once thought of as my missing little sister was the Goddess of Light's precious disciple. But, her twin sister is also strangely similar to my Lil Lisha.'
'Ai represented Elysia and the divine group to give me a top-tier heaven-grade longsword at that banquet. Dawnbreaker, Champion of the Undying.'
'It has been more than a week since I wield this sword to actively eliminate the evil, corrupted monsters in the south. However, my achievements still feel lacking compared to the divine group who are always saving the day everywhere. It's not that I want to compare with them, but I just don't want to let them down.'
Rosie Reinhardt stared at the sunset while holding her longsword, lost in thought.
"Rosie, the battlefield has been cleared. Now it's time for us to march back to the capital city." The prince-charming knight with obsidian black hair jumped from a holy golem's shoulder.
His walnut-colored eyes glinted in the setting sun, exuding an undeniable authority. His face was looking rather cold, almost devoid of all emotion. It was natural because they fought on the battlefield for a week. However, it was easy to tell that this prince of the southern kingdom looked happy and relieved.
"Yeah, soldiers need time to rest too. We can go back now, Prince Ronan." Rosie looked at the soldier's camp behind her and felt it would be fine if they left now.
"Five elemental knights have made a name of themselves recently. I heard they recently reclaimed a city in the west from the hands of hundreds of accursed creatures and thousands of undead monsters." Ronan looked to the west as if he was hinting at something.
"What do you want to say by mentioning them, prince?" Rosie squinted her eyes, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She felt the prince was comparing her to those elemental knights, but she was one person while they were a team of five.
"It didn't mean anything. You've been hanging out with Theo lately, and I think you're quite concerned about him. Wait here a minute. I'll tell someone, and we can get going." Ronan returned to the camp to report their departure to the troop general.
"..." Rosie went silent as she did not want to comment. She was aware of Prince Theor's approach, and it was a public secret that the prince of the central kingdom was looking for his consort.
It didn't take a genius to realize that Theo was already eyeing Rosie as a candidate, but that didn't mean Rosie was obligated to respond to that sentiment with a satisfactory answer.
'I better stay in the south region, my hometown. It is unfavorable for my family if I am bound in the central kingdom. Rather than choosing the Royal Family, I prefer a formidable knight as a life partner. But, hey! I'm still young, and my career is just starting. It is very unprofitable to be tied down. Ely, Ai, just you wait... I will become a formidable knight myself!' Rosie sheathed her longsword and clenched her fist. She looked up at the evening sky as she was determined to live up to the high expectations placed on her.
"Ach-choo." Elysia covered her mouth and nose with both hands when she sneezed. She glanced towards the south because she felt someone was thinking intensely about her.
"Are you feeling cold, master?" Yuuki wrapped her fluffy fox tails around Elysia.
"The anti-cold blessing is still in effect, but thank you." Elysia cuddled one of Yuuki's fluffy tails.
They were in the northern mountains of the Beastkin Continent, the everwinter region with no mercy for the cold intolerance.
"Yeah, it's so cold here, and I'm miserable." Yuuki wore a pitiful expression and hugged Elysia from the side.
"Sigh, this snow fox... This is the first time I've seen someone with extreme ice cold ability who can rival me but have no resistance to cold. You may die because of your own ability one day." Lixue sighed and shook his head. That discovery still surprised him very much.
"That's not going to happen because I have a home to go to." Yuuki faintly smiled.
"Unless you are cold and merciless inside and out, you will not be able to fully grasp the extreme cold true power. A warm person with cold ice ability is truly against fate." Lixue sighed once again. He felt that Elysia ruined this kind of talent with warmth and care.
"You have been proven wrong in understanding the meaning of innate abilities, ice dragon." Rhea rolled her eyes as she felt that this ancient ice dragon was still too new to understand natural laws.
"What do you mean by that?" Lixue frowned, feeling unconvinced.
"The key to comprehend one's true power is to embrace the desire within your heart, your original self. One has to be fiery if it's fire innate ability, cold if it's ice, agile if it's wind, and so on? It's nothing more than an after effect just to reach one's spirit and soul. They can be anything they want if they can reach that point if they can surpass that tribulation." Rhea gave a few lectures and insights for all to hear.
"Then, what happens to someone who has gone through the tribulation of all her life alone? Yuuki craved warmth, and she got it here. She reached Saint-level without the help of anyone other than herself. Yet, she only needed several months to ascend to Emperor-level without unnecessary thunder tribulation. She is only about four hundred years old." Rhea raised her finger, emphasizing the last two sentences.
"!!!" Lixue was surprised when he found out Yuuki's age. It was still a budding number, but this kind of celestial snow fox was unheard of.
"..." Yuuki felt a bit embarrassed when her age was clearly mentioned. She felt old if it was compared to her master and junior sisters.
"So young?" Sylvia gulped her saliva. She knew the average age for Emperor-level being was like an old monster. Yuuki was a lot younger than her, but she was still weaker in comparison.
"Woah..." Ella and Evelyn were at a loss for words. The tremendous struggle started from Spirit level and beyond since the gap was massive beyond normal. They reached Spirit level under twenty years old. Perhaps, they would need decades to ascend in rank again.
"Yes, true strength isn't measured by how strong you are, but how you understand yourself and what you have become. It's the same as the strongest person failing to understand himself. That would still be called a weakness and a flaw. Once you fail to understand it and make amend with your inner self, it will become your heart demon that will kill you from within." Elysia petted Yuuki affectionately.
The girls nodded in understanding. They stared at Elysia and the Goddesses in deep reverence. If everything was as described, how could one transcend Emperor-level and grasp godhood? It would take more than tremendous effort and massive understanding to interpret one's true power. No wonder no new God has appeared since the ancient era.
"Hmm, Luna, have we arrived at that historic site you spoke of? We might be able to find another God-tier legacy there. The Ice God was a loner, but I'm sure he would have at least left something like the Sky God. They were best old buddy, after all." Nell surveyed the snowy region below.
She wanted to know her old friends' last will and hoped to fulfil that. That was how she convinced Elysia and Elena to start an expedition to search for God's relics from the ancient era, focusing on inheritance and legacy. The world's situation was still under control. Thus they could leave with peace of mind.
"Err... I'm not sure of the exact location since we can't predict or find it unless we arrive at that hidden site. But, it's somewhere in the valley between the twin mountains over there." Luna pointed to a place ahead.
"All right, we go straight there now." Nell gave an order to the spaceship's interface, then sped off to the designated destination.
Once they arrived at the vicinity, the spaceship landed, and everyone went to look for the secret realm entrance on foot.
*Yip* *Yip*
Several fluffy little ones emerged from behind a pile of snow. They looked like snow hares but were only half-palm in size.
"How cute. What creatures are they?" Yuuki got the urge to catch one and pet them.
"No, please don't approach them. They are sensitive to fragrance and will-" Luna was about to warn, but she was too late.
"Kyah!" Yuuki was assaulted by a bunch of little snow hares. Some got into her jacket and clothes, and others groped her body.
"Well... Yuuki just hugged Master Ely, and she has our master's signature scent. Master, please stay away from those pervert rabbit." Vanessa stood in front of her master because she was aware that Elysia's body fragrance was the best and would be targeted by those rabbits in heat.
"..." For some reason, Yusagi felt slightly offended by that remark. Those pervert indirectly rabbit sullied her name.