Of course, it was also possible that what stirred the forest was indeed a nature's treasure. In this world, nothing was impossible.
Just because she had not seen such a case did not an this had nothing to do with it.
After all, even resources that worked for soone at her current stage had higher-ranked counterparts ant for beings far beyond her. To dismiss the idea outright would be ignorant.
Yet the thought brought the princess no relief.
The kingdom was already facing enough turmoil.
There was the legendary ruin that the old king still guarded, the subtle yet constant pressure from the empire, and the covetous eyes of other kingdoms who wanted a share in its discovery.
These matters alone were heavy enough to occupy her sleepless nights.
And then there was the Everlong forest.
Barely two weeks ago, she had sensed five beings no weaker than herself wandering too close to the kingdom's borders. That alone had unsettled her.
But in the past few days, even greater powers than she had anticipated were appearing inside the forest.
If what lured them was truly a nature's treasure-and one capable of amplifying strength-it was far from good news for the kingdom.
One more powerful opponent rising so close to their borders was never a blessing.
For a ruler, it was a nightmare.
Priscilla's lips moved faintly, her voice almost lost to the silence of her chamber.
"Is this... the tribulation of our kingdom?"
The thought chilled her. With all that was happening-the stirring in Everlong, the looming empire, the unrest among nobles-her heart tightened with weight.
Just then, the air behind her shifted. A ripple of shadow folded into the room, coalescing into the outline of a kneeling figure draped in black. Their presence carried neither malice nor surprise.
Priscilla had sensed them long before they stepped from the dark, so her gaze remained fixed on the horizon as she spoke.
"What is it?"
The figure lowered their head further, voice soft and respectful. "Great One... news from the King."
At that, Priscilla finally turned.
The King here was of course her older brother.
To most, he was called the old king due to his intentions to step down, but until a successor was chosen, he remained the king.
In official matters, especially those tied to him directly, the subjects never dared speak of him otherwise.
"Speak."
The figure's words spilled out carefully.
"The King has succeeded. The legendary ruin... it has been opened."
For a heartbeat, Priscilla's composure cracked and her breath caught before she forced it steady again.
A thrill rose in her chest but the thrill was quickly tempered by the flood of worry that followed.
She paced a step forward, her gown whispering against the marble floor. "At last... yet this is as dangerous as it is fortunate."
Her informant said nothing.
Priscilla's thoughts spun. The empire, ever watchful, had always maintained the stance that kingdoms ruled their own matters, that the empire would not interfere without reason. It was a doctrine crafted to soothe, to make subjects feel autonomous. But she knew better.
For a treasure born of a legendary being? For the ruin of soone who had surpassed even her own stage, soone whose very existence once rivaled the highest beings of the empire itself?
No doctrine would hold.
The empire had rules, yes, but rules could be bent. Loopholes could be exploited. For sothing like this, no emperor, no council of ancestors, no royal court would hesitate to stretch their claws if they slled opportunity.
Priscilla exhaled slowly, eyes narrowing toward the forest once more. "A legendary ruin... a being above . If we are not careful, this kingdom will not ascend-it will shatter."
Priscilla imagined the possibilities.
Should fortune favor them, their kingdom could rise higher than ever before. Treasures of that caliber could propel them to the forefront of power, perhaps even balance the subtle pressure from the empire and the surrounding kingdoms. It could solidify them into a force
unshakable for centuries.
But if misfortune struck, if the empire decided that this treasure was too valuable to leave in the hands of a smaller kingdom... then it could
all end here.
The shadowed figure remained kneeling, their head still bowed. After a pause, they continued, voice carrying a note of hesitation as though the weight of the next ssage pressed heavily upon their tongue.
"Great One... there is more. The King said this ruin is not a common one. It is... a restricted ruin."
Priscilla's brows furrowed. She drew herself upright, her voice steady
but cold. "Restricted?"
The figure inclined his head lower. "As we know, restricted ruins are those that impose conditions upon those who enter. Limitations placed by the will of the ruin itself. So forbid the weak. Others demand certain bloodlines or talents. But this one..." His words slowed, careful. "...this one restricts by age. Only those under forty, or
at the very limit of forty, may enter."
A hush filled the space.
Priscilla's frown deepened.
"Age restricted..." she muttered.
Such ruins were rare. Usually, ruins like this suggested it was an
inheritance type.
Priscilla's gaze sharpened, and her heart sank.
If this was truly an inheritance-type ruin... then the value was no longer simply resources or treasures. It was legacy. It was the knowledge, strength, and perhaps even the path of a being who had already reached the legendary rank.
A rank that stood above even her.
Her lips thinned. "An inheritance..."
Her pulse quickened. She was strong-one of the strongest within
their kingdom, but even she had not reached the legendary rank. She
knew the gulf between her current strength and that step was like the distance between earth and sky.
She wondered if this ruin was an opportunity. Or maybe it was a
calamity.
Perhaps both.
The shadowed figure did not lift their head as they continued, voice steady despite the weight of the ssage they carried.
"The King said... in the past, we could attempt to monopolize such a
place. Perhaps, if luck favored us, we might succeed. But now," They paused, drawing in a slow breath. "-now it is no longer possible. Too many eyes have already turned toward the ruin. Too many powers are aware. To struggle for it alone is no longer rely difficult, it is...
impossible."
Priscilla's jaw tightened. She could hear the weight in those words. She could imagine her brother's voice behind them.
The figure continued.
"The King has chosen a different path. He has decided to let others...
take a piece. The ruin has fifty slots, but each activation devours an
ocean of resources. To open it again once closed would drain even more. Thus, to reopen, to secure it fully, would bleed the kingdom dry. He will not risk calamity for greed. Instead, he has decreed that
we share."
Their words seed to dim the room further.
Share? To give away what was once theirs alone?
Yet Priscilla listened.
"The division has already been settled. The Empire is granted seven
slots, a concession our King himself made. To deny them would have
invited war, not simply pressure. Our kingdom will retain ten. The surrounding kingdoms, each, three apiece. That leaves the rest, slots that may be... sold."
Priscilla's brow furrowed. "Sold?"
The figure inclined their head. "Yes. To secure benefits. Perhaps even
to purchase ti. His Majesty believes that by offering these remaining slots, we may draw strength rather than enemies."
A heavy silence filled the chamber. The logic was sound, yet Priscilla's
pride rebelled.
For centuries, their kingdom had held guardianship over this land,
and now, because of circumstance, they were reduced to bargaining
away what was rightfully theirs.
She exhaled slowly, forcing the frustration down. "And his command
for ?"
The black-coated figure finally raised their eyes. In them glinted sothing faint, almost reverent. "The King advises that you prepare. These fifty slots-ours must be filled with the strongest youths we possess. He wishes you to oversee the selection personally. His words: 'Gather our brightest, our fiercest, our most unyielding. If the ruin is to be shared, then let the kingdom's portion shine brighter than all
the rest!" Priscilla closed her eyes briefly. Her brother's intent was clear. Even if they could not have the ruin wholly, they would ensure their kingdom carved the largest slice from its heart. And if fortune favored them,
those ten chosen youths could bring back enough legacy to alter the kingdom's destiny.
Priscilla closed her eyes briefly. Her breath steadied, and when she
opened them again the light in her gaze had cooled to sothing
precise.
"Do we know the owner of the ruin?" she asked.
The black-coated figure shifted, then bowed more deeply. "Fragnts only, Great One. The ruin appears to belong to a mage. More precisely, a mage who also practiced the art of binding and partnering
with beasts."
"Beast taming?"
"Yes," the figure replied.
*****
A/N: Happy New Month in advance everyone!
So of you don't have access to discord and seem to have not yet
seen Lucky's Art that has been out days ago. It's in the comnt
section now.
Please continue to support the novel! It's the last day of the month and we're ending it with a bang thanks to you all. Also for the next art, what evolution form do you want to see next?
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