"GREKO, are you sure that this is the right place?" Juri asked the child while looking at the thick and sketchy forest at the foot of Mount Kimbro. "Is the Death Camp really in that forest?"

"I-It is, S-Sister Juri," Greko said while nodding. "P-Please trust me. This is where my master used to bring me every time we enter the camp before. But he used to cover my eyes so I don't know how exactly the forest leads to the Death Camp."

It wasn't that he didn't trust Greko.historical

She just couldn't believe that the owners of the Death Camp would dare to use Mount Kimbro– the mountain located in Oxspring, a territory owned by His Majesty.

The tower that they were in a while ago was located in the border of the Unholy Land. It could be argued that the part where the tower stood didn't belong to the emperor anymore. But the fact that they built Death Camp in the land of Oxspring..

"I believe you, Greko," she said to the child. "I'm just shocked that those bastards really dared to use His Majesty's land for their illegal activities."

Jeno Dankworth, standing on the other side of Greko, nodded in agreement. "But I have to say that it's smart. The Unholy Land is poorly-maintained because we thought this isn't an inhabitable land. But here they are, thriving under the nose of His Majesty."

"Those bastards have balls of steels."

She noticed that both Greko and Jeno blushed when she said those vulgar words.

Well, she would understand why the child would get flustered. But Jeno? She was only a year older than the young lord.

"What are you blushing for0?" she asked Jeno. "Is this the first you hear someone say balls– mmf!"

The brat covered her mouth with his cold, big hand.

"Watch your words," Jeno scolded her. "The child can hear you. Do you want to taint his innocence, huh?"

She wanted to argue that there was nothing wrong with mentioning a body part even in the presence of a child. In fact, they should openly talk about it as long as the context wasn't sexual. It was better to educate children as young as Greko about his own body parts so the kid would know that he owned his body and no one else was allowed to touch it without his permission.

But all the lecture in her head disappeared when they heard a loud booming sound coming from the sky.

[A Skyquake?]

When she, Jeno, and Greko looked up at the night sky, the three of them were surprised to see how dark it was. Of course, it was dark since it was still nighttime. But now, the sky was completely black.

Then, all of a sudden, lightning bolts flashed in the sky.

[It doesn't look like it's going to rain though.]

The night sky looked cool and electric with lightning, but it sure was eerie to watch it light up the sky silently. If it was a thunderstorm, shouldn't a roll of thunder follow the lightning bolt?

[Well, it doesn't look like a thunderstorm.]

The lightning bolts looked pretty though.

"This is the first time I saw purple lightning bolts," she commented, amazed by the pretty sight. "Even the night sky has turned violet."

"Juri Wisteria, it's not the right time to admire the lightning bolts," Jeno Dankworth scolded her. "Look ahead of you."

The young lord sounded serious that she didn't argue with him anymore.

Juri tore her gaze away from the beautiful night sky. Then, much to her surprise, she realized that the forest in front of them earlier had been replaced by a huge wall. "A fortress?"

"It's the Death Camp," Greko said, then he swallowed hard and pointed at something in the sky. "But what is that?"

She followed the direction the child pointed and was surprised when she saw a strange and huge bird flying in the sky.

Was it a bird covered with purple lightning bolts?

Or was it lightning bolts shaped like a bird?

She was sure with one thing though.

"A Thunderbird?" Juri asked while staring at the giant bird. "It looks like a Thunderbird made from lightning bolts."

***

["I WANT to eat steak and other scrumptious meals every single day of my next life."]

["Why do you sound like you've been deprived of scrumptious meals when you were born a princess?"]

["When I was still living in the palace, I wasn't as well-fed as my twin brother. And when I was living with my adoptive mother, I didn't have the freedom to choose what to eat. She didn't like it when I eat "too much" meat."]

["Should I cook delicious food for you from now on?"]

["Can you cook?"]

["I can learn for you."]

["Forget it. How can I ask the Commander of the biggest Order in the empire to cook for someone like me?"]

["In my next life, I won't be the Commander. I'll be a chef instead and cook for you every day."]

["Then, I'll just be a scrounger that depends on your everyday alms."]

["That doesn't sound like a bad idea."]

["I hope you wouldn't be as powerful and as significant as you are right now in our next life. I will feel bad if I monopolized an amazing person like you."]

["I will just be a weak, average chef the next time we meet."]

["Is that a promise?"]

["Yes, it's a promise."]

***

"THUG PRINCE!"

Neoma gasped and opened his eyes when she felt her body getting lifted. She calmed down as soon as she realized that it was Tteokbokki who lifted her up using his flame. Of course, she wasn't burned by it. "What happened to me?"

"I should be the one asking you that," Tteokbokki said in a confused voice. "You suddenly passed out when lightning bolts began hitting the little crows."

Lightning bolts?

When she turned around, she was surprised when she saw Curtis Smit and his five subordinates lying unconscious on the ground– burnt and obviously electrocuted. The clones that two of the subordinates created a while had all disappeared as well.

Surprisingly, it seemed like the lightning bolts only hit her enemies. After all, aside from the roof, the room wasn't damaged.

[Tteokbokki and I weren't hurt as well.]

"The lightning bolts didn't only fry those little birds," her Soul Beast said, then he looked up at the night sky that they could now view because the roof had collapsed. "That thing also destroyed the strong illusion that hides the Death Camp from even a person on your level."

She looked up at the night sky and was surprised to see a beautiful "lightning" bird flying above them.

[That shade of purple looks pretty..]

"It's a Thunderbird," Tteokbokki said while looking at the bird. "But that one is quiet. I thought Thunderbirds create thunders when they flap their wings. Hence, the name."

"It's prettier than you, Tteokbokki," she said, teasing her Soul Beast once again. "Thunderbird also sounds more badass than 'Red Dragon.'"

Her Soul Beast looked at her as if he'd strangle her if he could. "Brat."

She was distracted when she noticed that the Thunderbird was looking at her. To be honest, she couldn't see its eyes because the bird was made of lightning bolts. But she could tell that it was staring intently at her.

Then, she remembered the words that Ruto made her memorize.

[Are you, perhaps, 'Veton?']

The Thunderbird, much to her surprise, began to fly towards her.

And the nearer it got to her, the smaller it became. So when the Thunderbird approached her, it had been reduced to the size of a sparrow.

"You're so cute," she said, then she opened her hands. "Are you really Veton?"

For some reason, even though the Thunderbird didn't speak in any way, she understood that it said yes.

Then, the bird landed on her hands.

Despite being made out of lightning bolts, the Thunderbird didn't hurt her. It felt warm, and it kind of tickled her skin. Still, the overall feeling of holding a bird made from lightning in her bare hands wasn't bad.

She could tell that Veton was being careful not to hurt her.

[For Ruto to have this kind of power..]

She didn't know why she was disappointed.

The first time she saw Ruto at the plaza during the Moon Festival, she honestly thought that he was weak. To be precise, for some reason that she didn't understand, she wanted to strongly deny that the chef could be strong. She was desperate for him to be average.

But that changed when she learned from Sir Glenn that it was Ruto who saved her when William tried to kill her a year ago. When she asked Lewis if it was true, her son confirmed that Ruto walked past William casually to pick her up and take her away from the Grand Spirit.

Still, even after hearing that, she remained stubborn and pretended to be ignorant of Ruto's possible real power.

She couldn't understand why she was being adamant about it.

[Does it have something to do with the voices that I heard in my head a while ago?]

She had a dream earlier, but everything was black in her mind.

Plus, she only heard voices without any kind of image. One of those voices was hers. The other belonged to a man with a deep and soothing voice.

[It's Ruto, isn't it?]

Her head ached thinking about the memories that she couldn't remember. If she and Ruto were already both adults in that "memory," then it must have happened during her first life.

But she couldn't remember it.

Her thoughts were cut off when Veton gently pecked her palm with its beak.

She didn't know how but she instantly understood that the Thunderbird wanted to know what else it could do for her. Apparently, Veton had still energy to do one last task before it returned to its master.

[To return to Ruto, right?]

"Veton, your boss has some explaining to do later," Neoma said softly to the baby Thunderbird in her hands. "But for now, please lead me to where Lewis and Jasper Oppa are."

***

[RUSTON Stroganoff?]

Nikolai was shocked to see Ruston Stroganoff's Elemental Guardian shining brightly in the sky that had turned violet.

[Veton.]

Veton was one of the rarest Elemental Guardians in the world. It was summoned by Ruston Stroganoff when he was only three years old. Thus, the child was hailed as one of the geniuses of the new era.

As a testament to Veton's strength, the Thunderbird nullified the presence of his Azure Dragon and Gavin Quinzel's Shadow Dragon as soon as it appeared.

It wasn't that his Soul Beast and the former commander's Shadow Beast were inferior to the Thunderbird. Both he and Gavin Quinzel weren't using their full strength to conserve their energy to save Neoma later. Thus, their beasts were weaker than normal.

[It's rare for Ruston Stroganoff to summon Veton in its original form. And the fact that he did only means one thing– Neoma is in danger.]

If Ruston Stroganoff went there without informing him in advance, then it was safe to assume that the child was already done pretending that he didn't know "Miss Ramsay" and the "Crown Prince" were the same person.

"Is that Ruston Stroganoff's Elemental Guardian, Your Majesty?"

He turned to Gavin Quinzel.

Fortunately, the former commander was also distracted by the appearance of Ruston Stroganoff's Elemental Guardian.

Nikolai raised a brow at the former commander. "So, you still remember Ruston Stroganoff."

Gavin Quinzel smiled. "How could I forget the child that Lady Roseheart took care of in her palace before?"

He glared at the former commander for bringing that up.

Then, all of a sudden, both of them were once distracted when they felt another presence arrive.

"Wow, I can't believe your priorities are messed up."

He and Gavin both looked up and saw Trevor, the insolent demon boy, coming out of a Blackhole that appeared out of nowhere.

[That ruffian left my palace when I clearly told him to stay!]

"I'm disappointed, Your Majesty," Trevor said while shaking his head. "Why the hell are you fighting a zombie when I entrusted you to stop my Moon Princess from going crazy?"

Nikolai felt a vein in his forehead pop, annoyed at Trevor's arrogance that reminded him of his daughter's conceited behavior. But he couldn't tell the demon boy off because he was correct. [I've wasted my time here..]

Seeing Ruston Stroganoff's Elemental Guardian brought him back to reality.

He lost it for a moment because of his desperation to know whether Mona was still alive or not. Because of that, he let other people find his daughter first.

[Neoma...]

Gavin Quinzel, on the other hand, looked offended by what Trevor said. But whatever the former commander was about to say was thrown out of the window when he realized that the demon boy didn't come alone. The insulted look on his face earlier was now replaced with shock. "Rufus.."

Rufus, who looked as shocked as Gavin, suddenly broke down in tears. "Brother.."

***

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***

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