[: Daniel POV :]
“By the way, isn’t this training ground belonging to Serza…?”
For some reason, I couldn’t help but notice that Elia’s eyes were filled with an unmistakable hatred.
It was a reaction that caught my attention, and even Bella seemed taken aback by it.
“Yeah, this is the training ground that belonged to the Perpetual Ruler, Serza,”
I responded, my voice steady and thoughtful.
After hearing my answer, Elia gritted her teeth in a way that made me wonder what had caused such intense animosity.
“So that bitch is still alive, huh?”
I observed the deep well of hatred in Elia’s expression.
It left me pondering why she reacted this way, and I couldn’t help but notice Bella’s questioning gaze as she looked at her mother.
In that tense moment, Elia took a deep breath, trying to compose herself.
“Sorry,” Elia began, her voice tinged with regret and a hint of sorrow, “you might be wondering why I reacted the way I did, but Serza isn’t the nice, pure lady she appears to be.”
”I realized this unfortunate truth too late after she had betrayed me.”
Elia’s revelation sent shockwaves through the room.
Ah…so it was her after all.
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of vindication. 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝙚𝙖𝙙.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Well, in the alternate future, it was said that the Ice Saint was betrayed, but until now, no one had discovered the true identity of the one who had betrayed her.
So, it was all along Serza.
At the start,? I had somehow suspected Serza’s true personality, and now, Elia’s confession seemed to confirm my suspicions.
“I know it sounds hard to believe,” Elia continued, her voice quivering with suppressed emotions, “but, my dear Bella, do you know how I died?”
I watched as Bella’s eyes widened with a mix of astonishment and disbelief, fully aware of the confusion she must be experiencing.
It must have been too much for her.
After all, she considered Serza as her aunt, and yet, it was a shock for her to discover that she had betrayed her mother.
“I-It was widely believed that you perished during the clash with the ‘Dark Continent’ invasion,”
Bella stammered, her memory recalling the key event not long after her birth.
It was a dark and haunting chapter in the continent’s history, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of grim satisfaction that the truth was finally coming to light and the truth that would play a major part in future missions.
“Well,” Elia began with a heavy sigh, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and frustration, “the clash against the Dark Continent did indeed happen, but I didn’t meet my end during that battle.”
She continued, her emotions pouring into her words, “The battle against the invasion from the Dark Continent was a gruesome one”
”Many hunters fought valiantly, and we suffered unimaginable losses”
”When it seemed like we had finally defeated the Boss of the invasion and he was on the brink of death, Serza seized the opportunity to backstab me” She revealed a cold truth.
”It happened in a moment when I let my guard down, and she covered her treacherous deeds by using the Boss Monster as an excuse.”
Bella’s confusion and disbelief were palpable as she stuttered, “B-But weren’t their others around? How could no one have seen Serza betray you? And where was father during all of this?”
Her questions hung in the air, a testament to her inner turmoil and the complex web of emotions she was experiencing.
“The others were occupied with defending and protecting the people, and your father was solely focused on ensuring your safety,”
Elia explained with a sense of pride in her voice.
“I told your father that, no matter what happened to me, nothing could happen to you, and he kept his promise, as I can see now.”
Elia couldn’t help but smile proudly as she looked at her daughter, a deep sense of maternal love and satisfaction washing over her.
In turn, Bella felt a warm rush of happiness at her mother’s compliment.
“Still, it seems like that treacherous Serza has managed to escape,”
Elia remarked, her eyes scanning the surroundings and realizing that Serza’s presence had vanished.
I, who had been listening intently to Elia’s stories, chimed in.
“Honestly, she made her escape the moment Bella defeated your clone,”
I revealed, shedding light on Serza’s cunning and the timing of her disappearance.
“I see. She must think that my daughter would lose and in return backstab her when she finds the perfect chance, and now that it’s all ruined, she could only run” Elia smirked.
Bella’s concern about the throne weighed heavily on her mind as she spoke, “But mother, what’s going to happen to the throne now?”
”If Serza somehow sided with Uncle Jake, then, the throne would be his.”
Worries about the succession and the potential shift in power clearly troubled Bella, but Elia, ever the composed figure, sought to ease her daughter’s anxiety.
She replied with a reassuring tone, “Don’t worry, my child. Instead, let me ask you a question.”
Elia’s calm demeanour suggested that she might have a plan or a solution in mind, giving Bella a glimmer of hope that the situation could be managed.
“What would happen if the Emperor or an Empress fell into a sickness that caused his death or coma, where would the next authority be? Is it his children, the perpetual rulers, or the noble families?”
Bella’s eyes lit up with understanding as she recalled a rule within the Imperial Family’s tradition.
“It would be the wife!” she answered, her voice tinged with a newfound sense of hope and certainty.
“Exactly,” Elia affirmed. “In this case, I, Elia Hugh, have been resurrected, and according to our traditions, the next authority in line would be me”
”The war for the throne or any disputes over the successor would be temporarily ceased until I deem it necessary to make a decision.”
It felt like Elia wasn’t talking to Bella or me, but rather a ‘certain’ something that had heard her voice.
[: Scanning the data of Authority has been confirmed. Identification: Elia Hugh has been recognized :]
[: Authority has been recognized and the war between candidates shall be stopped temporarily till it is lifted, and descent to the throne will be temporarily unavailable :]
“Do you know why, despite our continent being the weakest among all the continents, including the dark continent, we still managed to stand tall?”
Elia asked, her voice carrying a weight of wisdom and authority.
For a long time, I had wondered about this very question.
In the alternate future where Jake had ascended to the throne, the thriving continent had started to unravel, descending into chaos.
It was a disastrous era where every day, the continent was tearing itself apart.
It became increasingly clear that Jake was never meant to be an Emperor.
He lacked the most crucial characteristic required for leadership.
Hence, because of that, I couldn’t help but wonder how the previous rulers of the human continent managed to stand strong despite some records of history showing how weak they were.
The current king of the human continent was the strongest king that had ever lived, hence, it was a question that I wondered.
Moreover, the absence of the ability to lead his people was a critical factor that Jake sorely lacked, and it played a significant role in the continent’s descent into chaos.
As I contemplated this, Bella shook her head in disbelief.
She, like many others, was uncertain about how the continent had managed to survive despite its tumultuous history, filled with moments when it could have easily been destroyed.
Elia then explained.
“It’s due to the perks of being the Emperor, and as the wife of the Emperor,” she elucidated, “my husband’s authority was shared with me only in situations like the one we find ourselves in now.”
“However, just being the Emperor isn’t enough to inherit the full authority”
”Once the Emperor or Empress ascends to the throne, they undergo a process of inheriting the traits and authority from the previous Ruler,”
Elia explained further, delving into the intricacies of the Imperial role.
“So, do you think, Jake could still be the Emperor after all this?”
Oh, I see now and I could finally understand why.
Bella, although still struggling to grasp the full complexity of the situation, shook her head in denial.
She had come to understand that the right ruler was crucial for the well-being of the continent, even if she couldn’t quite comprehend the specifics of the Imperial authority.
“So, what should we do for now, mother?”
Bella inquired, seeking guidance.
Elia smiled warmly, her hand gently caressing her daughter’s hair as she replied, “What more? We should return to our home.”
“Yeah, we should,”
Bella smiled, her face lighting up with a rare brightness that hadn’t been seen in a long time, except when she was with me.
“We could return to the Main District using my authority, but for this gentleman,”
Elia revealed, her gaze turning to me, “I can’t bring you along.”
Bella, ever protective and assertive, couldn’t help but retort, a hint of shock in her voice.