Chapter 98
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Date Operation (4)
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"……."
Walking into the densely wooded forest, Astridje suddenly paused, lost in thought as she watched the back of Imperial Princess Lia heading toward the three Belverk sisters.
"Haha, Astridje."
"……?"
"It's been a while since you've seen the imperial family's power, hasn't it?"
Astridje, who had stopped in her tracks and turned her head, saw someone slinking out from the shadows.
"What on earth are you doing here?"
"Why would I miss out on the empire's youngest imperial princess coming to the Belverks to ask for permission to date?"
No, calling it 'someone' was a bit of a misnomer.
What had approached Astridje in the forest was another cat, with golden fur that clashed against its heavy dark circles.
"What about your backlog of work?"
"That can wait until later. Pile it up and knock it out all at once."
Astridje shot a pitiful glance at the emperor, who had predictably ditched the palace today in pursuit of dopamine, then sighed and turned her head aside.
"Haa…."
Undeterred by her reaction, the emperor hopped into Astridje's arms.
"The Shinehart imperial house was originally something like a natural predator to the Belverks."
"……."
"But over long ages, that power has nearly faded."
Settling comfortably into her arms and curling up, she murmured while watching the distant scene with interest.
"Even I, who inherited the blood most purely, have a record against you of 4 to 6."
"That was from the academy days in the first place…. No, just think of it that way."
Astridje frowned as if to add something, but cut herself off with a weary expression.
- Kuguuguugwang…!
At that exact moment, a massive shockwave erupted from beyond.
"Frankly speaking, unless that child awakens here today, there's no chance of victory."
"…Probably."
"You knew that full well and still gave her this heavy trial?"
The emperor glanced toward the ongoing battle, then looked up at Astridje from her arms and posed the question.
"What's the reason?"
"……."
"If you simply didn't want to give her Kairen, there were other ways."
Astridje fell silent for a moment, gazing up at the sky.
"Ten years ago, on that day. I lost the one I loved more than anything right here."
"…No way, your husband?"
"No, not that."
The emperor's eyes widened in surprise at her response, but Astridje quietly shook her head.
"It was the younger sister I had—the only one."
"……."
"Even though I was right there beside her, I couldn't protect her."
And then, a brief silence followed.
"Weren't you the youngest?"
"…Didn't I tell you?"
"Well, damn. You never bring up that past, so now I'm the one flustered."
The emperor broke the silence, muttering with an uncharacteristically flustered expression.
"You know, Justina."
"Hm?"
"Lately, fear has been keeping me from sleeping properly."
Astridje gazed down at her steadily, then spoke in a low voice.
"You have something you're afraid of?"
"……."
"In this world right now, there's no one who can beat you."
Astridje gave a wry smile at the emperor's incredulous tone.
"…That was true even on the day I lost my sister."
The emperor stared at Astridje for a moment, then quietly closed her mouth.
"The fear of losing another loved one. That's my one and only dread."
Astridje's trembling voice, something the emperor hadn't heard in ages, echoed through the wooded forest.
"…That's why I originally tried not to make any more loved ones."
"……."
"Because of that, the girls I contracted with for succession of power…."
By now, a complex mix of emotions had surfaced on Astridje's face.
"…No, to my daughters, I've committed an unforgivable sin."
Among those tangled feelings, the strongest was undoubtedly regret.
"You know, Justina."
"Haa, what now?"
"A situation strikingly similar to what I went through is unfolding right before our eyes."
The emperor, pretending annoyance but listening fully, tilted her head and asked.
"…So, unlike with you, you're betting on that girl succeeding?"
Astridje finally lifted the corners of her mouth slightly.
"Let me tell you one interesting fact."
"……?"
"For some reason, Kairen…."
She murmured in a low voice, staring at Kairen in the distance as he washed his face like a cat.
"Seems to possess the power of the First Demon King."
The emperor fell speechless once more.
"And when a Demon King appears in the world, a Hero must follow."
The emperor's gaze shifted to Imperial Princess Lia, who stood facing the three sisters with her back to them.
"If that child has the power of the First Hero…."
"……."
"Today will be the greatest chance to awaken it."
And a brief silence passed between them.
"…If she becomes the Hero, won't Kairen be in danger?"
The emperor broke the silence, glancing at Astridje's reaction before asking.
"Have you forgotten how the Founding War ended?"
"…Ah."
Astridje's curt reply drew a nod of understanding from the emperor, who turned her attention back to the battle unfolding beyond.
"Haa, haa…."
How much time had passed since then?
"For a first-time aura burst, it's pretty weak."
"Sorry, but I can't hand over the cat?"
Unlike Imperial Princess Lia, who panted heavily with one knee on the ground, Lilien and Uriel wore utterly relaxed expressions, flashing cold smiles as they murmured.
"Kuh…."
Lia glared at the towering pair, struggling to rise, but her body refused to obey.
'Even forcing it, my body won't move anymore….'
She tried several more times to stand, but her legs gave out completely, and she collapsed face-first onto the ground.
'All that big talk, and now this embarrassment….'
Her body trembled with gritted teeth in that state.
"Kairen…."
"Meow?"
Then, as Lia lifted her head and called out in a fading voice to Kairen nestled in Uriel's arms.
- Hop…!
Kairen suddenly leaped from Uriel's arms and landed lightly in front of Lia.
"Ah…?"
As Lia blankly pulled him into her embrace, rubbing against her cheek.
"Hand over the cat."
"……!"
"Then we'll at least spare your life."
Uriel, her eyes glowing red, drew her black tongue and spoke with a cold smile.
"If you can't protect it, you shouldn't have it."
The next instant, Uriel's black tongue shot forward mercilessly, wrapping around Lia's body and flicking its tip.
"Meow…."
Kairen looked up at Lia with a worried expression.
- Flutter….
At that moment, something from Kairen's discarded clothes pile in the distance caught the wind and flew.
"……."
Realizing it was the handkerchief she had gifted him for his birthday, Lia quietly bowed her head.
"I was originally just a shell of a being."
Suddenly, her eyes began to glow golden.
"You gave me a reason to live."
As the golden eyes reflected the red ones in Kairen's gaze.
"You shaped the true essence of me that I never knew."
An abrupt change began emanating from the princess.
"In other words, losing you means losing myself too."
"……."
"I can't allow that."
Shockingly, Lia—who could barely stand—rose effortlessly, causing Uriel, who had been watching silently with her tongue coiled around her, to furrow her brow slightly.
"Well, if you're so insistent…."
And the next instant.
- Kwudududuk….
Her black tongue began constricting around Lia's body viciously.
"I don't want to make your sacrifice meaningless."
But as Lia looked down at Kairen in her arms and ended her quiet monologue.
- Pajijjing…!
A monstrous flash erupted from her body, instantly filling the Mist Forest.
"Eut?"
"Ack."
Lilien and Uriel squinted and shielded their eyes momentarily, noticing another anomaly just seconds later.
"The black tongue… disappeared?"
Uriel's black tongue, which never missed once it locked on a target, had vanished entirely, its connection severed.
"…It's not just the black tongue that disappeared."
As Lilien frantically scanned the surroundings in panic, Uriel murmured lowly while looking up at the sky.
"Wh-where did it go?"
"Up there."
Lilien instinctively looked up, her mouth falling open.
"Wh-what…."
Lia hadn't vanished from their sight.
"……Right."
For some reason, she floated in the air, emitting a bright glow, now looking down at the three Belverk sisters from above.
"The world is vast."
In her hand was the handkerchief that had just been swept into the sky by the wind.
"Thank you for showing me, Kairen."
"Meow?"
As Lia gently caressed the handkerchief and tied it around Kairen's neck, a faint smile on her lips.
Skill has been updated!
Imperial Princess Lia: Dawn of the Imperial House - Essence Succession (EX)
The system message floating slightly above Kairen happened to appear right in front of Lia's eyes, though she couldn't see it.
"…Now I think I can protect you."
Nevertheless, Lia's eyes, holding Kairen, burned with renewed resolve.
Meanwhile, at that moment.
"She finally reached it."
Watching the battle from the forest alongside Astridje, the emperor murmured with an intrigued expression at the sight.
"The Hero's power inherited by the imperial family isn't just turning into animals."
"……."
"It's the ability to manifest the essential concepts of any living being—like attributes, ecological habits, even powers known only from myths."
Visibly fascinated, she continued enthusiastically despite no response, then addressed Astridje's bored expression.
"For example, I use the lion's power to dominate whenever my subjects get cheeky."
"…That explains why no rebellions have happened yet with someone like you on the throne."
Astridje's cold voice came in reply.
"Birds symbolize freedom and peace, so did she neutralize their abilities?"
"……."
"Fascinating. Good call keeping her alive."
Undeterred, the emperor's eyes sparkled as she continued, then muttered with a hint of regret.
"But she still hasn't mastered transforming into various animals…."
"……."
"Still, she might get through this crisis…."
At that very moment, Astridje spoke lowly.
"You're mistaken."
"Huh?"
The emperor looked up in confusion.
"If it's ability neutralization she's using, there's a perfect counter."
"…Who?"
"Simple enough."
And right after.
- Kuguang…!
A short, sharp explosion roared from beyond.
"If they were just strong in raw power, neutralization wouldn't mean much."
Astridje finished her low explanation as the shockwave hit fully.
"There."
Before the airborne Lia, an utterly unexpected sight unfolded.
"Are we finally playing for real?"
The eldest daughter had rocketed up to her height with a single push off the ground, wearing the chilling smile known far and wide.