“So, why did you go to the Abyss in the end?”
We, quadruplets, headed to the Abyss to uncover a ‘secret.’
I got swept into it because of that damn promise.
I wondered if it was worth it. Even if I want to be an outcast, once I get involved, I got to be there ’till the end.
“Why do you think we were born as quadruplets?”
In response to the question, I answered with another question. I shrugged my shoulders.
“Because you committed a lot of sins in your past life?”
It was a pointed remark aimed at them, but Melissa, my sister, paid no mind.
“If it was inevitable, there must be a reason. Either this world needs our power or it wants to kill us.”
It was an ominous statement.
Thinking of the worst-case scenarion in advance isn’t a bad idea.
“Kill us… do you think there’s something worth in us enough to become a threat to the world?”
Melissa smirked confidently.
“Not yet.”
She’s clever, isn’t she?
Four years ago, my siblings were just frightening.
But I have to admit it.
Unlike me, they genuinely want to uncover secrets.
Discovering that the red gem is a relic with the power of the Azhibita sect must be a result of their experiences and efforts.
“How do you know about all this, sister?”
Suddenly, Melissa got angry.
“You’re the only lazy one, you idiot.”
She slammed the door and left.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling.
“Lazy? Only I’m lazy.”
It was a perplexing feeling.
Abyss.
If you only look at the results, in the end, we gained nothing.
But I got the relic of the Azhibita Church.
If someone else saw it, they would be surprised.
It’s strange to be indifferent like me.
The power of anti-magic, the power of the Priest… I got it for free.
So.
I felt strange.
“Do I look like a frozen hot pants?” (Staying put and still receiving something good)
I felt that all of this was a plan.
***
Azhibita Church believed in twelve essences that make up everything:
지 (Earth), 화 (Fire), 풍 (Wind), 수 (Water).
고 (Suffering), 낙 (Joy), 생 (Life), 사 (Death).
공 (Void), 득 (Gain), 실 (Loss).
And they also believed in the existence of the Spirit (영혼).
***
In that room, there was always the musty smell of old books and the fragrant scent of flowers.
Unlike the vast flower garden, where various smells could easily mix and become overpowering in the smaller room, strangely, the scent of flowers was always as refreshing as the blossoms of spring.
The room, where the crisp scent of books and the fragrant aroma of flowers coexisted, held the meaning of ‘Cantavia Quilz Rainberg’ for me.
“…And so, the three deities left behind twelve teachings to benefit the world.”
Class was over.
“Today was enjoyable again,” I said with a smile.
“Don’t forget, Cantavia. The gods will always watch over you like the North Star.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Mom affectionately stroked my head, reluctant to part.
“Come back happy. Since you wandered early on, your path will become even more steadfast.”
It was warm. I wanted to stay longer, but I couldn’t violate the scheduled visiting hours.
I kissed Mom’s hand and carefully closed the door as I left.
As soon as the door closed, a blue light enveloped the door.
It was Father’s power.
The power of expelling negativity and uplifting energy, the power of an Spirit User.
Mom had been staying in this special room ever since she gave birth to us.
Princess Demenia Kynakhan, (Empire name derives from Genghis Khan, the author got inspired from the Mongol Empire in order to symbolize big the Empire is.)
Or Duchess Demenia Quilz Rainberg.
Also, my mother.
Mom was like the contradictory scents of flowers and books in this room.
Kynakhanis an empire, and the Kynakhan lineage is also called the Imperial Royal Lineage, but Demenia was called just a Princess, without the Imperial.
Like any discarded child of the royal family, she lived a difficult life from a young age. That is because, from the moment Princess Demenia, my mother, came into the world, she was a cursed child hated by everyone; after all, her birth was the cause of the death of the Imperial Queen.
But she broke free from her fate, surpassed her limits, and carved her own path.
Now she is an unbroken flower or royal daughter of the Empire, the only ‘princess’ admired by the imperial people.
She was an amazing person. The title of an Unbroken flower suited her perfectly.
Her unwavering beliefs even embraced my painful childhood.
Although, my mother, Demenia is now the Duchess of Rainberg, my mother continued to carry on the name of the Imperial Royal family.
It hurts.
Such a person had to be confined because of us.
I heard that Mom’s health deteriorated rapidly after giving birth to us quadruplets.
According to the midwife who delivered the babies, childbirth was a miracle, even for her.
Even the experienced midwife gave up, but the couple did not.
Perhaps the relatively quiet nature of my siblings with demonic-like past lives was due to the memories of ten years.
Of course, I don’t remember our newborn days, but the sacrifice of our parents surely connected the bond between us family.
We couldn’t meet often, only once a week under the pretext of education.
For four years, there was one thing I regretted the most. I wasn’t able to meet Mother.
“Sister.”
I met Wooshas in the corridor.
My sibling led much busier lives than I did.
But according to Mom’s letters, for the past four years, they had visited her at least once a week.
“Mom’s condition…”
“Do I look like a fool?”
Wooshas cut off any further response with a single question.
If it could have been healed, she would have healed our mother long ago.
The unfilial one was me.
***
“Already the hunting season, huh?”
The knights were bustling in preparation for the sacred festival of Rainberg, the Artemis Ritual. The personnel of the Quilz Castle were busy getting ready to welcome guests, and the Vassals of the territory sent their knights ahead to prepare for the hunting festival.
While everyone was busy moving around, I, alone, idled without doing anything.
Is this what they call being a bystander?
After four years, it seemed unlikely that Father’s dream for me to inherit the Duchy would come true.
The knights were practicing their formal training on the training grounds.
I didn’t want to go out because there were too many eyes watching.
It was one of the habits that persisted pointlessly after recalling my past life.
I dislike crowded places.
I was in my room, reading the book ‘Priest of Azhibita Church’ that my mother gave me, when a knight came to find me.
“Master Ranista has summoned you.”
One knight came to my room. It seems like Ranista called for me.
Summoned me, huh?
It’s a word that accurately conveys his location in the Rainberg Duchy.
I’m the kind of lazy person who only moves when someone calls for me.
But of all days, Ranista called me to the training ground on the day when there was formal training.
I pondered.
Things that happen when I don’t go,
Things that happen when I go.
Which consequences are better?
I closed the book and got up from my seat.
* * *
There were many eyes.
The Blue Wolf knights did not feel awkward since they were used to seeing Ranista and me spar. However, there were many unfamiliar faces on the training ground.
Ranista didn’t hesitate to teach me as usual.
Learning martial arts was still difficult.
Damn qi.
I wondered if there were other knights here with a similar type of qi.
Although my physical abilities had greatly increased through the training/experiment I receive from siblings, my qi had not accumulated at all.
The prejudices from my past life’s memories might be the problem.
If I look closely, the people here are not Homo sapiens.
Even though they look the same on the surface, genetically, they would surely come out as extraterrestrials.
Of course, if I start looking at it that way, I am also an extraterrestrial, so I should be able to learn about this mysterious power.
However, possessing Qi wasn’t something everyone could learn just because they wanted to.
In that regard, Cantavia Quilz Rainberg didn’t have talent.
According to Ranista’s educational philosophy, the session ended with a real fight.
The confrontation between the first son and the lazy son, who had been hiding for four years, attracted the attention of the people.
No one expected me to win, but I felt a strange confidence.
Just one strike.
Just one strike.
The sparring began.
I unleashed all the power in my body.
And stared fiercely at Ranista, enough to emit rays from my eyes, like a common expression.
My head throbbed.
Nausea struck me suddenly, more unsettling than a hangover.
I would suffer all day without taking a headache pill, but this time, I wanted to endure the pain.
My eyes sometimes take thousands of pictures.
And among the countless photos, I can choose a few.
The movement of moments is changing from static to dynamic.
The distinct contraction of blood vessels, the subtle contraction of muscles.
ranista was especially confusing.
If there are only a few pictures of the movements of an ordinary person, Ranista takes tens of thousands of pictures at the same time.
It would be impossible to tell the difference unless I looked closely.
But if I could react to that difference.
Ranista moved.
In an instant, my head throbbed so much that I almost closed my eyes.
The stick he swung casually looked like the dynamic march of thousands of armies surrounding me. However, I endured the pain, waiting for the moment to strike back.
One frame.
Just one frame of leisure.
Look, look, look.
Just before Ranista’s stick mercilessly struck my abdomen.
One scene appeared.
I tensed the muscles that were usually relaxed and exerted force on my lower abdomen.
“Stop!”
I closed my eyes in the face of the pain that exceeded my limits and swung the stick with all my strength.
Even if it succeeded, I would be hit ten times as hard.
I chuckled, anticipating the satisfying sensation that would be conveyed to my palm.
Pak!
The feeling of the stick piercing my belly.
It didn’t hurt. It was just a slight push.
But I felt deep disappointment.
I looked at Ranista, who was grinning while turning his back.
He didn’t send me to the medical ward as usual. Instead, he left me with just one word.
“Well done.”
It was the first praise I had received from him.
