Josten slowly felt his mind return to a semblance of normalcy. He silently cursed that evil bastard Polian for working together with another Mythical Being to attack his empire. Still, despite everything, he was grateful.
His family was alive.
As long as they lived, they could rebuild.
He sighed as he watched the interaction between Jost and Lexa. Jost wore an expression filled with confusion, sympathy, and understanding.
"Do you truly want to go with him? Or are you simply afraid of what he might do to us if you refuse?"
Lexa smiled gently.
"It is true that he would, without a doubt, slaughter us all if we displeased him. You remember what he did to Kai and Lee..."
She paused before continuing.
"But more importantly, I do wish to go with him. I need to see the world and learn how to adapt to it. Things ended terribly this time, but fortunately the perpetrator is, for some reason, unwilling to offend the Young Lord... Master, I suppose now."
She looked toward the sky.
"Moreover, I doubt I could exact revenge on him. If Master has chosen not to act, then the enemy simply isn't worth offending. Master is both incredibly powerful... and undeniably evil. If even he chooses to leave someone alone, then I can either bide my time until I become strong enough to kill that person myself... or simply avoid them."
Her voice softened.
"Either way, it doesn't change the fact that we owe Master a great deal. He healed all of us. He even stabilized Sheva's mental state. That alone is something we can never truly repay. She might never have recovered otherwise. She could have remained nothing more than an empty shell... yet now her will to live still remains."
She smiled faintly.
"He also saved both mine and Lexi's lives last year. If we tally everything we owe him, then refusing him now would only make us ungrateful... perhaps even worthy of his anger."
Jost opened his mouth, intending to argue or offer her another choice. Instead, he quietly closed it again. His daughter had already listed every reason why leaving with Dante was the better decision. Then another realization struck him. One thing Lexa hadn't mentioned was the political advantage. By earning the favor of another Mythical Being—especially one from the opposing side—they might even lessen the pressure their empire faced in the war.
He sighed before looking toward Vivian. She simply smiled and gave him a small nod. There was nothing more to say. What followed were quiet farewells. Lexi visited everyone before making her way to see her sister, who had finally bathed and was resting in her room, then Sheva's.
Something about Sheva had changed.
There was a new determination within her eyes.
It resembled Lexa's... yet it wasn't quite the same.
Lexa's eyes now carried something colder.
Sharper.
It was as though the colorful world she once knew had suddenly gained entirely new shades. A veil had been lifted from her eyes, allowing her to truly witness the cruelty that had always existed beneath the surface.
High above the empire...
Dante stood in midair with both hands tucked into his pockets, quietly staring into the distance. Vexion, whose attention rarely left him, noticed the subtle annoyance on his face. "What's wrong, Master?" Dante looked at her before chuckling.
"Remember how I said we'd put off learning all the boring world information until we reached the academy?"
She nodded.
"It seems I'll have to move that schedule forward." He scratched his cheek thoughtfully.
"I'll ask Father and Mother everything I actually need to know. Major powers, the world's structure, important organizations... only the useful stuff."
He shrugged. "I figured we could survive knowing the bare minimum. I don't particularly care about what's happening in the world. According to what I know, nothing I actually care about should happen until much later."
He sighed. "But things are moving faster than I expected." His gaze slowly drifted toward Vexion.
A grin spread across his face.
"This is making me want you even more. You could probably help me relax"
Vexion's cheeks immediately turned pink as she nervously played with the edge of her robes. She looked exactly like an embarrassed teenage girl confessing to the boy she liked. With a soft giggle she answered,
"Master simply needs to be patient... in time, alright?" Dante burst into laughter while Vexion covered her own mouth, laughing quietly alongside him.
Moments later, she glanced downward. Lexa was still standing below. Without warning, Lexa suddenly felt herself rise into the air. It wasn't as though something had grabbed her. Instead, it felt as though the very air beneath her feet had become solid ground.
The surrounding scenery distorted. In an instant she found herself standing inside a strange, unfamiliar space.
She immediately knelt. "This subordinate greets her Master."
Vexion stepped forward as well before bowing gracefully. "My Lord and Master." Dante looked at the two of them before nodding to himself.
This really is starting to feel like one of those novels.
"Hm."
He shoved both hands deeper into his robe pockets.
"Let's go."
He took a single step. Immediately Lexa felt as though space itself twisted around her body. Distance folded. Lexa turned to look at the empire some parts completely safe others having suffered greatly in rubbles, her heart aching but her eyes, no longer had the naivety or softness, just determination and a underlying darkness. Her heart said a final goodbye, as she turned away.
Her vision warped violently. She fought the overwhelming urge to vomit.
Meanwhile, Vexion remained completely unaffected, calmly walking half a step behind Dante as though nothing unusual had happened. A moment later the sensation vanished.
Lexa blinked. She now stood inside a lavish bedroom. Everything about it radiated nobility. The room looked worthy of a prince. Without hesitation Dante walked over before casually throwing himself backward onto the bed.
He pointed toward the door.
"Vexion, introduce her to Mother first, then Father."
He yawned.
"And tell them not to pull the same stunt they did with you. Otherwise they'll genuinely never see me again."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"I'm fairly sure Father already knows I can manipulate space. Honestly, I suspect he can too. Since neither of us feels like asking, we'll just pretend neither of us knows."
Another yawn escaped him.
"Help Lexa settle in. Find her a room."
His expression became slightly more serious.
"I'll train both of you in two weeks after I talk with Father and Mother. For now, help her settle then take care of the training until I join you"
Stretching lazily, he continued,
"And don't be too harsh on her... outside of training." A grin appeared as he added, "Inside training, be absolutely brutal. I've got a few things I need to prepare."
His eyes shifted toward Vexion.
"And stop worrying."
"I've already told you enough times. You have your own place beside me. So don't concern yourself with someone replacing you. Whether it's as my woman... or as my right hand..."
He shrugged.
"In the end it'll depend on how much effort each of you puts in."
Then he looked toward Lexa.
"And Lexa..."
"You can call her Vexion. but make sure you show her the respect she deserves."
Vexion, who had been listening attentively the entire time, suddenly blushed all over again. She tightly clutched her robes before bowing to hide her crimson face. Her heart had returned to the same frantic pace it had reached when she first confessed her feelings. In a shaky yet happy voice she answered,
"Understood, Master."
Lexa nodded as well.
A faint pang of jealousy surfaced within her chest.
Somehow...
This half-elf had earned the trust... and even the affection... of an existence as terrifying as Dante.
Dante lazily waved one hand before closing his eyes.
The conversation was over.
Vexion and Lexa quietly left the room.
As Lexa walked behind her, she couldn't stop thinking about everything she had just witnessed.
Her cheeks carried a faint blush she didn't understand.
Before today...
She would never have considered Dante as a potential lover.
His complete disregard for life, his brutality, and the horrifying methods he employed were enough to frighten anyone. Yet now...
She found herself slowly accepting that perhaps not every life truly deserved equal value. Scum like humans existed. People worthy of death escaped punishment simply because they possessed enough strength.
Perhaps...
Perhaps Master wasn't wrong about everything.
Vexion calmly led the way through the palace. Lexa looked around in amazement. The palace was easily twice the size of her own. Servants moved throughout countless corridors while guards silently stood watch , all were pure elves but, none even batted an eye to her a dark elf.
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, Lexa quietly asked,
"Vexion... this place is..."
Pride filled Vexion's smile. Without even turning around she answered, "Master's home."
"...The Royal Palace."
She paused for dramatic effect.
"Master is the Fifth Son of the Sandrian Royal Family."
"The son of a Mythical Being...and a Sovereign."
Plop.
Thud.
Behind her...
Lexa collapsed onto the floor. Vexion simply covered her mouth to hide her laughter.
Honestly...
She had reacted almost the exact same way. She still remembered standing before Sovereign Justin for the very first time. The pressure alone had nearly crushed her. Only after arriving here had she truly understood who her Master was.
His father was terrifying.
His mother was terrifying.
His aunts were monsters.
His siblings...Were even worse.
She had met them all, though she had spent the most time with the youngest princess. Even now, thinking about the Crown Prince sent chills down her spine.
A Mythical Being.
Level Four.
Effort that normally required fifty to one hundred years of hard gruelling leveling up...
He had achieved before reaching in a mere ten years. No one knew how. Even imagining the amount of effort required to advance a Mythical skill by a single level was difficult.
Vexion finally turned around.
"Calm yourself. Master is already a Mythical Being and he'll become a Sovereign one day. So don't fear them or idolize them."
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Master once told me something."
.
"'Mythical Beings and Sovereigns can die.'"
"He promised me..."
"...that one day he'd prove it."
Lexa took several deep breaths. Her trembling hands slowly steadied as she climbed back onto her feet. Looking toward Vexion, she found no arrogance within her expression.
Only authority...And surprisingly camaraderie.
Vexion gently clenched one hand. Vexion paused her voice became sincere, instead of speaking in one fluid motion her words came out in adoration, slow and burning with passion
"Master gave me a life."
"He gave me authority."
"He even gave me power."
She looked down at her hand. Her Epic skill had merged into her Legendary skill. Even now Master insisted it had barely begun reaching its true potential and she believed him. He did this so he knew better. Two skills merging into one was something she had never heard of before. There had to be far more hidden within it.
"Master gave me a future."
"He accepted me as his subordinate."
"He entrusted me with standing beside him."
"As Master's first subordinate, it's my duty to help him reach his dream."
She looked directly into Lexa's eyes.
"As his subordinate... in fact yours should be the same. Since Master desires we will keep in mind his words and respect one another. If we can't establish proper hierarchy among ourselves...Master will do it for us. I don't want to be that incompetent. He specifically told you to respect me and he told me not to treat you badly."
"That alone should tell you what kind of person Master is." A smile slowly formed I want to witness the world he'll create. I want to see the place he'll carve out among the strongest and I want to watch him destroy those I once believed untouchable. I want to witness the despair... the triumph..."
"...the wrongs he'll make right..."
"...and even the rights he'll turn into wrongs."
She turned completely toward Lexa. "Master has given us the chance to reshape this world alongside him. I won't allow either of us to disappoint him. Never."
She paused.
Her cheeks gradually turned pink despite the composed expression she tried so hard to maintain.
"Neither as his first subordinate..."
"...nor..."
She coughed lightly.
"...as his woman."