[Vol. 7] Chapter 256: An End and a Beginning
It seemed like she already knew something. Sethlin turned to look at her close friend. Her gentle and otherworldly face showed a bit of worry, an emotion that didn’t quite belong to a goddess.
“Violet, do you really have to do this? I know you’re strong, even now that I’ve regained the position of the God, I still can’t fully understand how deep your power goes. But you’ve felt the strength of that thing yourself. It’s not something that can be handled just by being powerful. Even just fighting it, if you’re affected too much, even you might not…”
For some reason, the priestess didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked off into the distance, toward somewhere outside the city. She stood quietly for a moment, then smiled as if it was no big deal and shook her head.
“Haha, don’t worry~ We’ve known each other for so long, have you ever seen me do something I wasn’t sure about? I promise I’ve got it all under control. Besides, I’ve still got a hidden trump card.”
Even though she was smiling and joking like usual, Sethlin, who knew her very well, wasn't fooled. She didn’t say anything, but looked at the black-haired girl with a serious gaze that couldn’t be ignored.
“......”
Feeling a bit uncomfortable under that look, Violet paused, then turned her head slightly with a helpless sigh.
“Alright, alright… I admit it. This time really is a little risky. When it comes to something we know so little about, acting on impulse probably isn’t very smart. Maybe ever since that incident, I really have become a bit more emotional. That troublesome fox…”
She muttered to herself, but soon turned back. Her beautiful silver-blue eyes met Sethlin’s gaze directly. For once, she spoke in a rare serious tone.
“Even so, even if it’s a bit reckless from a logical point of view, I still want to do it. Sethlin, you know ever since all this began, especially after I learned certain secrets from the past, I’ve been haunted by two words I just can’t escape…”
“The past of mine, Dawn’s, and even someone else’s, someone I still don’t know who they are, our fates are all twisted together. Past, present, and future, all tangled like a ball of yarn that can’t be unraveled. They slapped labels on me that don’t even belong to me. Honestly, I really hate that feeling.”
“There are still many unsolved mysteries about Carinvega. She holds unknown powers that can’t be controlled. But her appearance… has also given me a key, a way to touch and understand that thing. So I have to try. Of course, being careful is important. But if everything we do is always bound by logic and rules, and we never act freely…”
Under the soft and moved gaze of the goddess, the girl smiled brightly. Her smile was pure and flawless, like the gentle morning sunlight shining through the window onto your cheek. Clear, warm, and full of peace.
“Isn’t living like that… just way too tiring~?”
…………………………………………
Some time earlier, at the main venue of the First District’s World Academy Joint Exchange Conference.
A girl named Lenka Dorgon, one of the representative team members from Sainz Academy, stepped onto the award stage.
Just a moment ago, the first-ever World Academy Joint Exchange Conference had officially come to an end amid cheers and applause. The top three winners and overall team rankings had been announced one by one to the public. Now, with just this final award ceremony left, the event could be officially declared a complete success.
Although the Sainz team, representing the host city’s academy, only ended up placing third, just a little short of their goal and behind Frederick Royal Academy and Holy Academy, who came in first and second, the difference in scores was actually very small. Aside from the prize differences, their result wasn’t seen as a failure and didn’t bring shame to their name.
These top teams came from the world’s most elite nations and academies. Honestly, their members were already seen as standing at the peak for their age group. Some of them had even reached levels close to the so-called legendary-level warriors, thought by many to be the limit of human potential.
If anything, it was the Frederick Royal Academy team that seemed on the surface to have the weakest individual power, with their strongest member only being at the high level of the Sky-level. So how did they defeat so many stronger teams? While effort and a bit of luck played a part, the world generally agreed that the main reason for their victory was the brilliant leadership of the Imperial Princess.
She, a normal person with no fighting power, personally joined the matches, led her teammates, and helped the Empire win this great honor. This amazing, miracle-like achievement once again proved the legendary wisdom and foresight of the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus]. It added yet another shining accomplishment to the princess’s already impressive record.
Unfortunately, due to a sudden illness, the princess wouldn’t be attending the final award ceremony on behalf of the Austre Empire. Even someone as carefree and cheerful as Lenka couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed when she heard the news.
“Hey, hey... by the way, don’t you guys feel like something’s a bit off with the atmosphere here? Ever since the competition ended, there’s been this weird feeling…”
Among the teams stepping onto the stage to receive awards, a purple-haired girl from the [Experimental Class], who had small bat-like wings on her back and strange magical markings on her skin, turned her head slightly. She looked out over the still-lively and noisy audience with a careful glance, her expression a little strange, as if something was bothering her.
“Pfft~ Not to be rude, but you really need to fix that bad habit of yours, always acting suspicious, ha ha ha!”
“Yeah, Zi, come on, we’re in Sainz City right now, and there are so many important people around. What could possibly go wrong?”
The boy speaking, a rocky-skinned [Magic Rock] race student named Yogg Hardstone, laughed carelessly. Even Qiqi, the snow-deer tribe girl who usually argued with him non-stop, didn’t tease him this time. Instead, she turned to look at the purple-haired girl with a bit of confusion, as if she also felt the girl was just overthinking.
It’s not like they were completely careless. But as people who had grown up in Sainz, they knew better than outsiders just how safe the academy city was. Setting aside the hundreds of teachers, professors, and guardians, including the Seven Tower Masters. Just the [Eternal Day] Barrier that surrounded the city was already like a nearly unbreakable shield that no enemy could easily get through.
And that was only the power people knew about. Sainz had stood strong for over a thousand years, and its hidden strength was far beyond what most people could imagine. This was clear even from the rewards: the top three teams in the tournament had each received one powerful item, at least at the purple-tier, something only the very wealthy and strong could offer.
For a city-state that stood independent within the powerful Austre Empire, its survival clearly wasn’t due to some vague contract or good public image, it was backed by absolute strength.
From both logic and emotion, no one in their right mind would choose this moment to stir up trouble. And while “Zi” had always been a bit of a worried person… still—
“Well, even so,” someone suddenly said, “it’s better to be careful than sorry. Yogg, keep an eye on Instructor Priscilla. She’s a mage and standing out in the open. If there really is an enemy, she’d probably be the first target.”
“…Huh?”
By the time they realized what was said, the words had already come naturally from Lenka’s mouth. The way she spoke, calm, mature, and with a natural air of authority, didn’t match her usual cheerful and childish personality at all.
Her teammates who heard it were all caught off guard and looked at her in surprise. Even Lenka herself seemed a little shocked, instinctively covering her mouth with an embarrassed and confused look.