"Reporting to Your Majesty, the maidservants around us were interrogated that day, but nothing suspicious was found."
"It seems those lurking in the shadows are hiding quite well." The emperor's expression darkened at the thought of the treasures that were nearly stolen from the palace. "Even though the Sanctum Arcanum now protects her, you should still assign additional guards to watch over your daughter. Once word gets out, the other empires won't sit back and allow us to raise a magician stronger than a Dual Element user."
"Ressa is my daughter. I will protect her, no matter what," Earl Reginald said firmly, his gaze steady. If he ever found out who was responsible for harming his daughter, he would make them pay dearly.
The Emperor nodded, though his brows remained furrowed. "The power within her has yet to fully awaken. It may seem calm now, but once it does, I'm afraid it will draw even more attention from the shadows. She can't defend herself yet, and it'll take time for her to grow. Even though Cedric has agreed to become her teacher, he can't stop those who are truly determined."
Earl Reginald froze. "His Excellency Cedric is willing to become Ressa's teacher?"
"Though that boy seems carefree and uninhibited," the Emperor said, "no one is more devoted to the Empire's safety than he is."
Cedric Ravenshade was, in truth, the Emperor's nephew—the son of the late Princess Virelith of the Empire. Yet to most, he was known simply as the Archmage of the Crown.
At that very moment, a guard hurried into the hall and knelt before the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, a secret report has arrived from the western border—a dark mage has been spotted speaking closely with foreign forces. He is suspected of plotting an infiltration."
The Emperor's eyes turned icy.
"Dark mages... " he said grimly. "Their little maneuvers have been growing more frequent by the day."
Earl Reginald's gaze sharpened slightly. "Shall we send Heinrich to the western border to investigate?"
"No," the Emperor replied firmly, waving a hand to dismiss the idea. "Heinrich only just returned from Devon today. If he's sent out too often, those keeping an eye on him will grow suspicious."
Unbeknownst to them, even as they spoke, a surge of potent magic stirred deep beneath the palace—where the sealed magical beast lay dormant. It shifted in its slumber, whispering in an ancient tongue, as though murmuring a prophecy the world was not yet ready to hear.
___________________________________
Ressa was enjoying her dessert in the small garden when she suddenly heard a noise. She looked around, her expression alert.
"What's wrong, Ressa?" The system asked, noticing how she kept glancing around. It was growing nervous—recent events had put it on high alert. If it could be seen physically, there would be a swarm of data swirling into a shape, the system holding a fork, ready to charge at any approaching enemy.
"Nothing," Ressa said quickly. "I might have misheard. By the way, how many points do we have now?"
"We have 1,000 points now. Ressa, do you have anything you'd like to redeem?"
The system added with a hint of caution, "Just a gentle reminder: you're currently at Level 1. You'll only be able to access the Intermediate Store once you reach Level 10."
"What's in the Intermediate Store?" Ressa asked, curiosity piqued.
"The Intermediate Store offers Elemental Essence Bottles, which can increase your weapon's damage by 10%, Life Extension Pills that boost your life value by 20%, and a variety of weapons, among other things."
Ressa couldn't help but feel tempted. "Isn't it true that the higher the level, the better the items in the shop? We just need to keep collecting Emotions, right?"
"Yes," the system confirmed.
"Alright then, I'm going to show off at the banquet in a few days!" Ressa declared, rolling up her sleeves with determination. For the sake of the shop, she was ready to take action.
"Ressa, you're here? Come quickly! The seamstress is here!" Her mother's voice called out, full of joy and excitement. "Our Ressa is so beautiful; of course, you deserve a gown worthy of you!"
"Coming!" Ressa replied with a smile, walking swiftly toward her. The hem of her dress swayed gently with each step, catching the light as she moved.
In the dressing room, three hours had passed. Ressa, who had been watching her mother argue with the seamstress about which gown looked better, was already feeling exhausted and didn't want to move. She had already tried on more than 20 gowns, each time either the seamstress or her mother found something wrong—too tight here, too loose there. Just as Ressa began to drift off into her thoughts, she heard the butler's voice from outside the door.
"My Lady, Lady Ressa, my lord and young master Heinrich are back."
Hearing this, Ressa immediately stood up and pulled the Countess along. "Mother, let's go. As for my gown, I'll leave it to you, seamstress. Thank you."
As she glanced at her father and older brother stepping down from the carriage, she whispered to the system, "System, why didn't you tell me that my father and older brother are so good-looking?!"
Hearing Ressa's voice, Earl Reginald smiled at the praise from his precious daughter. But before he could fully bask in the compliment, another voice chimed in.
"Of course, your big brother is the sixth most handsome in the empire. You don't even know how many young ladies adore him. As for your father, when he married your late mother, one was the most renowned handsome man in the empire, and the other was the empire's first beauty. They had the hearts of almost every young master and young lady in the empire. Their wedding was a grand event, with the emperor and other nobles in attendance."
"No wonder I'm so beautiful."
Heinrich heard his father's gossip and initially wanted to tease him, but then realized that if they hadn't heard wrong, those words had come from Ressa's heart. Earl Reginald had wanted to check if the others had heard, but when he saw the Countess glance at him and give a subtle nod, he was instantly enlightened. Just as he was about to speak, Gabriel's voice called out from a distance.
"Father, big brother! You've finally returned!"
Theodore followed closely behind. "Welcome back, father, big brother."
Earl Reginald looked at them. "Back? How was school?"
"Everything's fine, Father. You don't know how amazing Ressa is. She's a multi-elemental wizard, the first in the entire empire! She..." Gabriel began enthusiastically.
Seeing Gabriel's excitement, it was clear that they might be standing there until evening before he finished speaking.
"Well, Gabriel, your father and big brother just got back. Let them rest first. Let's go inside and talk," the Countess said, prompting Gabriel to reluctantly follow her inside to share his joy.
"I have some things to discuss with your father and big brother. Theo, you and the others can go play for now. We'll have dinner together later this evening." Meanwhile, the Countess intended to speak with the Earl about the recent events she had encountered and Ressa's inner voice.
"Yes, mother."
"Theo, aren't you going to show me your magic? You said you would, just now." With a bright smile, Ressa grabbed Theo's hand and pulled him toward the training room.
"And me! I'm coming too!" Gabriel chimed in, quickly following after them.
Watching the children disappear down the corridor,Earl Reginald turned to his wife. "So that voice we heard earlier... that was Ressa's inner voice?"
The Countess gave a quiet nod, her expression thoughtful. Without another word, she turned and walked toward the study, ready to recount all that had transpired over the past few days.
In the training room, Ressa looked around at the vast open space, her eyes lighting up.
"Wow, System, this place is huge!"
She wandered toward a side chamber and stepped into the armory. Rows upon rows of weapons lined the walls—swords, spears, daggers, and even a few firearms.
"What's this knife used for? Is this… a gun? There are actually guns here! And this one—"
The System replied matter-of-factly,
"Naturally. The Earl's soldiers train here daily. Your big brother, Theo, and the others as well. As for these weapons, your father is a Earl—he once led troops into battle in his youth. Many of these are rare items from his campaigns."
Just then, Theo's voice called out from behind her.
"Ressa—catch!"