Lorenz's - Aftermath

One whole month had passed since wild beasts attacked the royal capital.

It was one of the most extreme catastrophes in decades. Vast sections of the city were torn asunder, scarred with immense fissures and grievous wreckage. Still, it stood, battered but alive. Reports stated that casualties and other losses were minimal, disproportionate to infrastructure damage.

Not for the first time, the Theovaleo Kingdom had been spared from complete devastation with the help of its valorous defenders.

Knights and mages had protected the city throughout the entire ordeal. The elite military unit of the Hunter Order had been dispatched together with the Court Magicians, a group of first-rate magecraft practitioners. Nobles and palace officials had also provided aid to the citizens.

Incidentally, the person most remembered after the disaster was not among them. People spoke of a girl on a beast, of her heroic act that brought about salvation.

Some said she fell from the sky bearing the gods' blessings. Others said she possessed the might of a warrior who tamed beasts in bygone eras. Accounts varied, with several more claiming that she's a genius, a saint, a guardian, or even a real living deity—basically, exaggerated testimonies stemming from the lack of factual information.

In reality, she was an ordinary child from a rural, seaside town who happened to have just become a Divine Vessel on that very same day.

Few knew about her true identity, given the circumstances. It was a convoluted case concerning a soon-to-be princess, a commoner who defied the king, and a savior of thousands of lives. To say the least, she was an enigma, and at this moment, a point of contention among the royal family.

“An offense of this magnitude warrants a more stringent punishment."

Lorenz and the others present in the Royal Chamber turned to Yusuf, the former Divine Vessel of Fire and current chief ruler of the Ignatius Isle. He was a burly man with tousled black hair and striking crimson-red eyes. He had a grim expression on his face, made more forbidding by the scar above his brow.

“The disappearance of a Divine Vessel can trigger a national emergency. She was aware of the king's directives, yet she still hid and escaped. That is insubordination. She must learn the repercussions of her actions should she be educated as royalty.”

“Rah Ignatius, I understand that what she did was reprehensible. However, His Majesty has already imposed punitive measures that should suffice as deterrence,” Lorenz told Yusuf. “She was placed under house arrest, banned from using the invisibility spell, and prohibited from returning home. Any more might result in a reaction opposite to what we are aiming for.”

“I suppose Rah Aerowenlore would know, having been in rebellious phases of his own in his youth,” remarked a lean man with well-groomed orange hair, keen brown eyes framed by glasses, and a pristine appearance. He was Iorwerth, the former Divine Vessel of Earth and current chief ruler of the Vonwerstein Isle.

“I'm afraid I don’t see the connection.”

“Hearing about Young Miss Aya the first time immediately made me think of you—daring, clever, ingenious…”

“I assure you we’re nothing alike. She is…indeed as you described, though”

“Why, Rah Vonwerstein. Do you mean to say we have ourselves a new problem child?” a serene-looking woman quipped, her sheeny red reminiscent of corals, and her luminous green eyes of ocean waves. She was Fonseca, the former Divine Vessel of Water and current chief ruler of the Delmaresch Isle.

“It is unbecoming of us who are entrusted with guiding the future generation to inconsiderately portray them as an affliction, Rah Delmaresch.” Lorenz gave Fonseca a look of reproach.

“I do not wish to condemn. However, to fulfill our role as predecessors, we must first acknowledge those that need to be addressed—those being behavioral difficulties, more often than not. We cannot resolve what we are unwilling to recognize, can we?”

Lorenz sighed inwardly.

He hadn't anticipated that his past would reflect on the present like this. While now a teacher, his track record of disorderly conduct as a student was still far from forgotten. In fact, these strict standards and rigid control that they sought to reinforce were attributed to him to a certain extent. He wasn't ashamed of who he used to be, but he wasn't proud either.

No matter what, being associated with a notorious delinquent who’d chased away other students with a knife was unfair to Aya. She's not even an official member yet. She’s just a normal girl not long ago. Passing judgment on a child who received neither guidance nor support was unjust.

‘How unfortunate it is that Rah Morverelith has gone into another long slumber right after her successor appeared.’ The chief ruler of the Morverelith Isle was the former Divine Vessel of Darkness, and also, the last Divine Vessel of their generation. ‘As Miss Aya's predecessor, she is in charge of helping her transition until she's formally inducted, and right now, she should be the one mediating to keep any more concessions from being made, but alas…’

Lorenz was the only one on Aya's side.

He had found her and brought her to the palace, so he was responsible for her. But as Iorwerth and Fonseca pointed out, it's true there were similarities between them that made him empathize with the girl—similarities even he couldn't deny.

Like her, he was once a commoner.

Aside from being a problem child, that’s his biggest flaw, or so that’s what the adults back then said. But he didn't see it as a blemish. It's not a defect he’s insecure about. If given a chance, he hoped to instill the same mindset in her.

‘Yes, it's not a fault, but…’ Lorenz eyed the country's highest-ranked nobles seated at the table, dismay hidden behind an impassive expression. ‘...It’s a weakness.’

High society was cruel.

Nobles were covetous, obsessed not only with wealth and power, but also lineage and connections. Lack of prestigious ancestry was a disadvantage, and a newly ennobled person could face social discrimination. Regrettably, Aya lacked in many aspects, from political security to understanding of customs. She didn’t have the resources or the knowledge to protect herself with.

‘Perhaps, she fled because she sensed it would turn out that way,’ Lorenz thought wryly.

Had she been born a noble, she wouldn’t have been punished at all. Instead, she’d be lauded for passing the Calling, for becoming the new Divine Vessel, and for helping save the kingdom. But because she’s a commoner, she’s regarded as a nonconformist. Even when she’s yet to commit a transgression, she’s an easy target, having already been harassed with bids for adoption from rapacious noble houses shortly after finishing the trial, and that continued to this day.

“I just wanna go home and be with Dad.”

That’s what Aya had said when she regained consciousness.

She had slept for three long weeks due to severe fatigue and injuries that were left untreated for a considerable period of time but were otherwise minor. Despite her state, she kept worrying about her stepfather, Roniel. It’s heartwrenching, and the harshest part was that all her efforts had been for naught. After Lorenz told her of her punishment, she cried so much that she ended up falling back to sleep.

Aya could no longer see Roniel.

“Has she somehow adapted to her new life in the Diamond Palace?” Fonseca asked, peering at him over the rim of her teacup as she gracefully took a sip.

Lorenz lowered his gaze. “She is still recovering.”

Yusuf crossed his arms and exhaled loudly, a scowl on his face. “I heard she had been doing the Magic Scratch all these years. It must have finally caught up with her.”

“How exceptional!” Iorwerth placed his clasped hands on the table, his lips curling into a thin smile. “She learned magic by herself at a young age! Is she not a prodigy?!”

‘I can’t tell if that’s sincere, but… I’ve known him long enough not to trust his every word.’

“She even has her Divine Insignia now. After just a single attempt? Outstanding! I am confident she will perform on par with the other Divine Vessels.” Iorwerth was a skilled diplomat capable of disarming even the most obstinate and skeptical with his tactful eloquence, which was why Lorenz felt on guard. ‘Where is he going with this?’

“On that note, I believe we should hold Young Miss Aya’s crowning ceremony a month from now.”

“Impossible,” Lorenz opposed at once, “Apologies, but Miss Aya still has a lot to learn. Not to mention, she remains without an appointed noble guardian.”

“There’s bound to be one soon, what with the sheer volume of adoption offers she receives on a daily basis.”

“Lord Iorwerth, one month is unreasonable.”

“Do you think she’s as incompetent as everyone else believes?”

He furrowed a brow. “That’s not the point. Where's this coming from?”

“The whole country is already aware of her existence. It wouldn't be ideal to continue hiding her."

“And what of her well-being?”

“She’ll be fine. You, of all people, ought to know how one must surpass expectations in this world and not only succeed, Lord Lorenz.”

Hearing those words, Lorenz could all but hope that Aya would find the will and motivation in a world that expected everything of her while giving little to nothing in return. ‘If this is how it'll be, I have no choice but to tell her the truth about her stepfather.’