Volume 7, Chapter 41 – Absolute Silence

The time came to the morning of the next day.

A noisy assembly hall.

Even before reaching the hall, Fia could hear the sounds of conversation drifting from the distant room.

Before the morning assembly, nobles were required to wait in the hall in front of the Audience Chamber. This was the prime time for noble socializing. Although the nobles present were often those without their own fiefs—nobles with fiefs usually stayed in their own territories—they still represented a force that could not be underestimated. They managed taxes, coinage, city security, and even interfaced with messengers sent from various fiefs; all of these were their responsibilities.

If a major internal conflict were to break out among them, it would throw the Royal City into chaos. Therefore, for these people, socializing before the morning assembly was vital; it was a way to distinguish friend from foe, share intelligence, and deepen connections.

Naturally, Fia had no interest in this. She knew that after she had purged Prince Schain, the factions under her command had split into new groups due to conflicting interests. However, even if these people argued until they were blue in the face, they still belonged to her faction. Thus, her attitude was that as long as they didn’t hinder Silvar, they could fight amongst themselves as much as they liked. But if they ever interfered with her, they shouldn’t blame her for being heartless.

“It’s exceptionally noisy today. That said, I’ve only accompanied you to the morning assembly for a few days.”

Walking half a step behind Fia, Anastasia, who was cradling a meter-long wooden box in her arms, leaned forward with a wry smile. The two of them strolled through the pristine corridor, where the sunlight streaming through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows was almost blinding.

Fia looked back slightly.

“It’s likely that battle reports have arrived from the front. When you were in that other world, Anastasia, didn’t you also come to the Audience Chamber with the Eldest Princess?”

“I did, but at that time, I didn’t have the status to enter the hall with you as I do now. When you said I could enter the hall earlier, I thought I had misheard. Speaking of which, should I dress up a bit before going out from now on to match your status? After all, I have the responsibility of being your training partner, so I should get into character more.”

“Dress up if you feel it’s necessary, and don’t bother if you don’t. In my eyes, it’s the same whether you dress up or not—I mean, you’re equally beautiful either way.”

In truth, Fia also wanted to say that Anastasia seemed a bit too lively today. However, she saw the statue standing before the entrance to the hall, and her previously natural expression turned solemn, her gait becoming more dignified along with it.

“Aside from that, we’re about to reach the hall. It’s about time to tuck away your usual expression and be more serious.”

“Yes.”

The two arrived before the hall. To the left of the entrance stood a statue of a figure clad in armor, both hands resting on the hilt of a greatsword. This was a statue erected in memory of Greyan. Fia paused briefly, bowing her head in respect before walking straight into the hall.

In an instant, the noisy hall fell silent. Everyone’s gaze fell upon Fia and Anastasia, their eyes filled with flattery. Everyone knew that the Eldest Princess had emerged victorious in her struggle against Prince Schain, yet few knew exactly how she had won. It felt as if an invisible hand had orchestrated everything behind the scenes, giving the nobles a sense of mystery and awe.

In fact, because Fia had never explained her achievements to the court, the nobles didn’t even know what rank of strength she possessed. At most, they knew that the Eldest Princess’s fiancée, the human named Claire, had fought to a draw with Yelido. Thus, some speculated that Prince Schain’s death was because the Eldest Princess had found a quasi-8th rank wife as a backer.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“How rare. Her Highness is attending the morning assembly for two days in a row.”

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“Why is that maid holding a box?”

As soon as Fia approached, nobles both old and young swarmed forward. These were all familiar faces. After a few pleasantries, Fia fixed her gaze on a strange old man not far away. The old man was tall, with hair and a beard that was completely white. His blue eyes, hidden behind layers of wrinkles, were as sharp as a hawk’s. If he were equipped with a withered wood staff and a white magic robe, Fia would have certainly taken him for some old mage who fought in melee with a staff.

Sensing Fia’s confusion, Anastasia whispered an explanation.

“That is Master Mohr. He was the magic teacher who instructed you when you were a child.”

I see.

Fia had heard the name Mohr before. He was the administrator of one of the three Main Towers and one of the few people in the Kingdom capable of using Forbidden Spells. Fia scanned Master Mohr with [Wind of Exploration] ; the results showed that Master Mohr’s mana was between the 7th and 8th ranks.

As if sensing the trace of mana, the moment Fia retracted the [Wind of Exploration] , Master Mohr’s eyes brightened behind his wrinkles. He slowly stepped forward with his apprentices behind him, his voice carrying both sentimentality and a hint of loss.

“Outsiders say you lost your memories in the Battle of the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis. Seeing you now, it is indeed true; you have even forgotten this old man, Dofi. Those damned humans of the Holy Kingdom.”

As he spoke, Master Mohr made a gesture inviting her to speak privately. The young apprentices behind him cooperated by forming a human wall, separating the nobles swarming around Fia, and even Anastasia, from them.

It was said that the status of mages from the Elf Tower was transcendent, such that they even dared to push aside the nobles of the Royal City. The rumors were not wrong at all.

Thinking of this, Fia stopped and turned. She wasn’t sure what Master Mohr wanted, but that didn’t stop her from calling Anastasia over. She patted the young apprentice who was blocking Anastasia behind her, then pulled Anastasia, who was cradling the exquisite wooden box, to her side.

Master Mohr immediately furrowed his brow.

“Though Anastasia is your personal guard, she cannot break the rules.”

“Rules are made by people, Master Mohr. Anastasia has passed my test; she won’t leak our conversation.”

“…Since you insist, very well. I will no longer interfere. I have been in the tower researching new magic for some time and only recently emerged. I didn’t expect to hear from the people in the tower as soon as I came out that Your Highness was wounded by the Unsinkable Moon in the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis. Though you lost your memories, your strength has supposedly improved greatly, and you even brought a witch to Blossom and came up with something called ‘Modern Magic.’ Is all of this true? What is your current strength?”

Though Master Mohr was an old man, he was as tall as Yelido. He looked down at Fia, his blue eyes filled with suspicion.

It wasn’t clear what kind of relationship the previous Eldest Princess had with Master Mohr.

Rather than answering Master Mohr’s question, Fia was more concerned with Master Mohr himself. His reaction, compared to the other people around the Eldest Princess, gave Fia a slight sense of dissonance.

When she first returned to Blossom, both Yelido and her Queen Mother had reacted strongly to the fact that she was “wounded.” Their first words were invariably expressions of concern for her safety. Master Mohr was not like this. His questions were rational, but they gave her a feeling that he cared more about her magic than he did about her as a person.

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It was best not to put him in the “close family” category for the time being.

Her attitude toward others depended on their attitude toward her.

“Those rumors are correct. The Unsinkable Moon caused me to lose my memories, but it also allowed me to gain extraordinary power. As for Modern Magic, if suitable materials can be found for mass production, it is only a matter of time before it becomes a main force in the army. Did Master Mohr come to the Audience Chamber today to report something to my father?”

“The matter… isn’t exactly a major one. It’s just that after this research, I feel I am about to touch the threshold of the 8th rank. I need to go out for some training and seek opportunities.”

Master Mohr smiled and stroked his beard, then showed a curious expression.

“You say the Unsinkable Moon allowed you to gain extraordinary power. Could you please reveal which level your strength has reached? You were previously at the quasi-7th rank; could it be that you have already surpassed this old man and reached the 8th rank first?”

Fia gave a slight smile.

“Master Mohr will understand soon enough.”

Master Mohr was stunned for a moment, then gave a wry smile as he stroked his beard.

“Heh heh heh. The Princess who didn’t like to talk back then has now become someone who likes to keep people in suspense. It’s hard for me to say that losing your memories was a bad thing. Fine, I will wait quietly for the moment you make the answer public. However, peeking at others with detection magic is an impolite taboo among us magic casters. Furthermore, the Audience Chamber is within the range of the ‘Citadel of Silence.’ I am very curious as to how you used magic so stealthily, Your Highness.”

No longer answering with words, Fia merely pursed her lips and smiled. As if in coordination with her, accompanied by the heavy sound of chains being pulled, the bronze doors separating the Audience Chamber and the hall slowly rose, and the vast and magnificent Audience Chamber appeared before everyone.

Fia was the first to enter the hall, with Master Mohr and the nobles behind him following closely. Not long after, Yelido also stepped onto the throne from the side of the Audience Chamber.

Notably, people’s gazes were not on Yelido, but were all fixed on the long box Anastasia was cradling. A wooden box of that length easily brought to mind a weapon. Had Anastasia not been Fia’s guard, and had Fia not been so deeply favored by Yelido, the nobles present would have long since broken out in an uproar.

It should also be emphasized that Fia wasn’t doing this out of stubbornness, but because she simply hadn’t expected the box to be suspected of containing a weapon. After all, her strength was such that she could level the Royal City in an instant; if she truly wanted to do something, there was no need for such trouble.

Seeing Anastasia holding a box suspected of being a weapon, the corners of Yelido’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. He raised his hand, letting the scribe read out the various reports already collected from the nobles. These included the war with the Kingdom of Alfreig and the report on taking over the Holy Kingdom of Milcandis; most were negotiations with other countries. Following a series of discussions, it was mostly good news. Combined with Master Mohr reporting his upcoming breakthrough to the 8th rank, the entire morning assembly was filled with a warm atmosphere, and countless nobles offered their congratulations to Master Mohr.

A full hour passed before Yelido finally called upon Fia. Fia’s presence here was an accident, so she hadn’t submitted a report in advance like the other nobles. He looked down at her from high above, his expression still carrying the joy of hearing so much good news.

“Dofi, I haven’t seen you attend the morning assembly for two days in a row. Weren’t you off collecting Chaos?”

“Yes, I’ve already finished collecting it.”

“Finished collecting it?”

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Yelido raised an eyebrow, his vermilion eyes showing surprise. Since letting go of Veronica, Yelido’s expressions had become much more varied, no longer always wearing a stiff face as before, which had significantly reduced the pressure on the nobles and ministers.

“Yes. Please step back a bit, everyone. Anastasia, bring out the Chaos.”

Hearing Fia’s words, the lively hall gradually fell silent. The nobles backed away from Anastasia, who had walked to the center of the hall, and curiously craned their necks to watch as she opened the wooden box on the floor.

Accompanied by a flash of white light symbolizing space magic, a massive rock as tall as two people appeared in the center of the hall. Fia waved her hand, using [Telekinesis] to open the stone plug sealing the rock. Immediately afterward, the Chaos sealed within the rock geysered out. Had Fia not used [Telekinesis] in advance to form a transparent box sealing the rock inside, the Chaos would have already splashed onto the faces of the nobles behind her.

“Eeeek!”

“What on earth is that!”

Seeing the Chaos blocked by an invisible wall, the startled nobles finally regained their senses. They shuffled their feet little by little, approaching cautiously. The sight of the writhing Chaos and the constant hissing sounds made fear rise in their hearts. Not all nobles could use magic; compared to improving their own strength, most officials and nobles focused more on how to handle government affairs and act smoothly, and thus lacked experience in facing monsters.

The erupting Chaos quickly filled half the box, swirling like water within the container that was a full three meters long and wide. Sometimes, the Chaos would group together and slam heavily against the box with a muffled “thud,” making the nobles turn pale and scramble backward.

“This is the Chaos I spoke of. Below the World Tree Continent, such things are everywhere.”

The box in Anastasia’s hands was a storage tool. In truth, storage tools could be used to hold living things by expending a large amount of mana, but because there was no oxygen inside, creatures would quickly die after entering. Since Chaos could survive without breathing, Fia had put it into the storage tool.

Though she had also thought that if she could make a container with infinite capacity for Chaos, she would only need to take it in when facing it in the future. Unfortunately, that was just a nice dream. Storage tools would also be corroded by Chaos; over time, the tool would be destroyed. This was the result of Colita’s experiment last night. If not sealed with a large rock, the storage tool would be declared scrapped in just two hours.

“This is what made even the gods and the Darkborn helpless? It doesn’t look that strong. Didn’t Her Highness’s magic successfully lock it up?”

“Everywhere… Does ‘everywhere’ mean as many as the slimes in the forest? If that’s the case, the soldiers on the Kingdom’s southern line alone could make them regret coming.”

“Why are even the gods no match for it?”

I knew this would be the reaction.

Looking at the relaxed expressions of the nobles who didn’t take the Chaos seriously, Fia sighed inwardly. Even with imagination, a person cannot imagine something beyond their cognition. Fortunately, she had a backup plan prepared.

“If it were only the number of slimes in a forest, I wouldn’t consider them a threat. The real problem is that they are as broad and deep as the ocean. Anastasia, bring out the recording crystal.”

“Yes. This is the footage Her Highness recorded yesterday after going deep into the Abyss. The footage shows the place where we lived ten thousand years ago.”

Ignoring the Chaos that was thumping against the [Telekinesis] barrier, Anastasia held the recording crystal high with her right hand. When mana was injected into it, something like a screen appeared before everyone.

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First, there was a purple-haired devil at the side of the screen, then the camera shifted to the pitch-black plains below. Just as the nobles were wondering—the Primordial Continent was very peaceful and even looked like a fertile land—the moment the sun-like radiance in Fia’s hand lit up the “earth,” the nobles finally saw the true form of the plains.

It was an endless, boundless black Chaos. When the camera moved to Fia’s feet, the Chaos that had looked like stagnant water suddenly surged, taking the shapes of spikes and tentacles and heading straight for Fia, who was a thousand meters in the sky. The whistling sound of it cutting through the air left no doubt as to its power.

As if to let the recording crystal see more clearly, Fia, who had been hovering at the edge of the cliff, actively flew into the depths of the sea of Chaos. Even as mere spectators, the nobles felt a sense of suffocation at such a suicidal act, until Fia’s first magic, [Flame Wheel], appeared.

“This distance is over two hundred meters! 6th rank? Or 7th rank?!”

“Isn’t the point the instant casting?!”

“A no-chanting 7th rank spell! To think Her Highness’s strength has reached such a level; which country will Silvar fear in the future?!”

“I’m afraid even the Frost Dragons that conquered the Far North are no match for her. There will be no more threat from the north from now on.”

“With such a massive spell, even if this Chaos is powerful, it definitely won’t be able to take it!”

Though the screen was covered by towering flames and the nobles couldn’t see the Chaos, the mere sight of the earth being swallowed by fire filled them with confidence. They made no attempt to hide their praise for Fia, their expressions filled only with joy.

Until the flames went from strong to weak, and the mana gradually dissipated.

They could see a shallow depression blasted into the sea’s surface by the [Flame Wheel], yet in just two or three seconds, this depression was filled by the surrounding surge of Chaos. Then, countless more Chaos surged toward Fia, their speed even faster than before.

The footage continued.

Lightning strikes, Holy magic, flames, and even spatial tears. Every spell used could be called a destructive existence, yet they hit the Chaos like an itch being scratched through a boot. The Chaos was indeed torn apart by the magic, but for their volume, such a loss wasn’t even worth a drop of rain. No matter how many times Fia used massive spells, they would return to racing toward her after disappearing briefly.

As the footage continued, the previously lively hall gradually became as silent as death. The expressions of the elven nobles turned from terror to a numb tightness of the lips. Even swallowing saliva became difficult. The only sound left in the hall was the eerie thudding of the Chaos pounding against the [Telekinesis] barrier, a sound the nobles felt was thumping against their very hearts.

Five minutes quickly passed. After a flash of white light filled the screen, the footage came to an abrupt end. Anastasia lowered her aching right hand, and Fia spoke in a timely, deep voice.

“Having seen this, you should believe that the enemy I spoke of truly exists. If we do not act soon, our end will be the same as these spells, swallowed by black monsters whose end cannot be seen. I hope you will take this seriously.”

The hall was instantly filled with absolute silence.