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n“You did well today. If you keep it up then you’ll be ready to go into the abyss soon enough. The tower leader said that he has personally selected your team members. You should be honored and make us proud.”

n“You’ll get to be in the same team as the tower leader’s son and Lady Clove. How lucky for you to be chosen. I think we did a good job raising her.”

n“Of course. After all, Lady Rita is a genius summoner and the best one in her generation. But for now, she needs more practice. But of course, we will make sure she does”

nThe eight years old Rita looked up at the faces of her caretakers. The ladies were busy talking among themselves, ignoring the eight years old.

nThe young girl was bitter but not surprised at the turn of events.

nFrom a third person’s perspective, it looked like these ladies were praising Rita. But all they were doing was stroking their ego.

nThey were not even looking at Rita when they were talking to her. And they’ll ignore her if she talked back to them.

nThis was a rule Rita had come to understand early on in her life.

nAfter all, even her mother chose to ignore her existence unless Rita was needed for her talent. If Rita could not win her father’s favor with her abilities, then she was useless.

nBut her father was a minor god and did not care about her mother. It had been a political marriage that produced Rita with minor divine powers.

nNot nearly enough to make her a god or goddess but enough to make her stand above regular humanity. That small traces of divinity were also the reason Rita was able to summon the divine beast and contract them.

nShe was a goldmine for her family.

nShe endured it for years. She did all that was asked of her and did not look at the consequences of what she was doing. All she had wanted was to be loved.

nIt all lasted until the day she heard someone go against the tower master’s wishes when she was sixteen.

nThe figure inside the room was so dazzling and shining that Rita had been unable to look away.

nWhen that dazzling figure had left, Rita had wanted to follow after her. But her caretakers had not allowed Rita to do so.

nSo Rita had taken the first big risk of her life and decided to run away.

nAnd then she had seen her ‘hero’ trying to make sense of their magic in the park. Curiosity had led to longing and Rita had gathered enough courage to finally talk with that dazzling being.

nShe had expected to be turned away and be rejected. She had been ready to run away but the creature had smiled at her and taken Rita’s hand.

nRita had so many experiences since that day but the most memorable was the night she spent together with Aurora and that unforgivable trail she had gone through.

nThe joy of seeing Aurora inside that trail room had faded away to form a dream when Rita had seen that golden-blond hair near Aurora’s face.

nCould Aurora not see what kind of devil her ‘lover’ was? Was she blinded by love? Or had Aurora been enchanted by the devil?

nEveryone seemed to be happy with Clove and Aurora being a couple in that trial but Rita could feel a sense of uneasiness. Looking at Clove gave Rita goosebumps.

nThere was something not right about her and her soul. There was darkness and corruption all over it.

nBut Aurora seemed not to see it. She looked happy and content.

nAnd that was when Rita found herself jealous and longing for power. She wanted, no, she needed that scene not to come true.

nIt would end in Aurora’s unhappiness. And that was something Rita could not allow.

nThat’s what lead Rita to gather more power.

nThat’s why she had come as far as she had. And that’s why she had formed a divine contract and aged herself.

nIt was all for that one person who had shown Rita the light.

nEven if the divining lightning burned her now, Rita would not stand back and allow Aurora to destroy herself.

n“You damn machine. Don’t you dare stand in my way any longer. You should just die now.”

nRita’s right side was bleeding from the scratch she had received from dodging the metallic claw.

nIt did not hurt but the blood was making her side messy.

nBut the blood had also gotten into the Mecha’s joints and interfered with its seals. It would no longer be able to use its magic properly.

n“Good night.”

nRita brought her sword down. The black metal drenched in her blood caused her to crack with lightning and pierced the Mecha.

nThere should not have been a need for Rita to go so overboard. She could have dealt with that Mecha more gently. But it would have taken her precious time she could be using to look for Aurora.

nThe machine finally went quiet and the traces of other life forms were gone from the chambers.

n“It looks like Natasha and Alexander managed to get out of here safely. I should get going as well.”

nRita’s body did not feel tired even after going through such an ordeal. The special constitution of her divine form made Rita’s senses go numb.

nShe would be feeling it all once this problem was over.

nThe core of the Mecha exploded and the head rolled hear Rita’s feet. The head had something white and transparent shining inside it so she decided to pick it up.

n“Huh? What’s this? An absorbing crystal? Whatever, I should take it with me as well.”

nRita did not know then that her small and careless action of picking up the absorption crystal would become the cornerstone of the northern empire.

nFor now, all that was on her mind was to reach Aurora and get her out of this mess.

nAs soon as Rita exited the chamber, she felt the magic on the seals start acting up. The chamber vibrated before finally disappearing from behind Rita.

nThe so-called ’emergency evacuation’ had finally been activated. And the chamber of research had gone toward a safer destination.

nAnd just as that happened, a huge blast of fire cracked open the secret passage’s top. The mixture of blue and green enveloped the icy castle and it began melting.

nThe Palace of Northern Republic, the cornerstone of the nobility was burning away without anything left behind to spare.

nIt was a tragic event that would be remembered in everyone’s memories.

nBut all Rita could think of was one thing.

n‘How beautiful. It looks like a dream.’

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