The goddesses attempted to gain my salvation.

As for the sisters, they never received any love or care from their father.

Bebian is the most qualified to speak on this point.

She and Alvin both fell seriously ill on the same day, to the point that their lives were almost threatened.

However, Glendon only visited Alvin, and as for Bebian... Glendon never showed up from the time she fell ill until she was finally cured.

Now, this father, who places such importance on male offspring, calls Tracy aside just as everyone is leaving...

Bebian glanced at Onsas, then at Tracy, and shrugged.

"Sister, for someone like Father to call you over alone... I don't think he has any good intentions."

"I guess all you want is for you to take out some of the staple food from Irkutsk and share it with your other brothers."

"That man is capable of doing something like this."

Tracy, however, didn't think so.

"The election of a king is a tradition that has been passed down in the empire since ancient times. Once the ceremony begins, the current king is not allowed to interfere in any way."

“I don’t think my father would do such a thing.”

"I'll go take a look. You can wait for me, or you can go ahead on your own."

Bebian sighed.

"I'll wait for you outside."

"After all, there are some things I want to say to you. Once we leave the capital, who knows when we'll meet again? And if either of us dies during the ritual... we might never see each other again in this lifetime."

"Alright then, you wait here for a bit, I'll be right back."

After saying this, he returned to the palace under Onsas's guidance.

------

"Minister, what does my father want with me?"

After entering the palace, Onsas walked ahead without saying a word.

After the two walked through the main hall and along the long corridor for more than ten minutes, Tracy finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked.

However, Onsas merely gave Tracy a meaningful look, then put his index finger to his lips, making an elegant shushing gesture.

"Please allow me to call you Miss Tracy..."

"The king will be waiting for you in the deepest part of the palace. And all the questions in your heart will be answered at that moment."

However, the more Onsas said this, the more intense Tracy's curiosity and unease became.

After that, no matter what Tracy asked, Onsas always brushed her off with that business-like smile.

Finally, half an hour later, the two arrived at the deepest part of the palace, in front of a huge stone gate.

On the two stone doors on the left and right, there are two bas-reliefs with very strange postures.

With a human body and a fish tail, its facial features and appearance are not those of a normal human, but rather more like some kind of humanoid creature, exuding an indescribable eeriness.

The two human-bodied, fish-tailed figures, whose genders are indistinguishable, hold a trident in one hand and together support a giant water bottle in the other.

Seemingly sensing Tracy and Onsas, the stone door slowly opened, and the water bottle split open from the middle. Two fish-tailed figures, like guardians or gatekeepers, slowly moved to either side, clearing the way.

When they were children, Tracy and Bebian often played hide-and-seek in the palace, exploring almost every secret passage.

But the passageway and the strange stone door they were looking at were things they had never seen before.

I've never even heard of it.

"Go, King Gulanden, he is waiting for you inside."

“Dear...Ms. Thiel van Tracy.”

Eh?

he......

What did you just call me?

范？

Does this surname exist in the Empire?

Tracy tried to read something from Onsas's eyes, but the other man kept his head down and avoided eye contact.

As the crack in the stone door widened, everything inside was reflected in Tracy's eyes.

"What's this!"

Tracy couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Because... that was completely beyond her comprehension!

An unnamed sense of fear instantly swept over her, and Tracy even uncontrollably shed tears.

At that moment, an old but deep voice came from inside.

That was King Quranden.

"My child, Tracy..."

"Have you ever had strange dreams...? Have you ever noticed anything unusual about your body...? Have you ever questioned the world...? Have you ever displayed abilities different from ordinary people...?"

King Gulandon turned around, his rugged face bearing an indescribable weariness.

His eyes were unusually cold, devoid of any emotion.

It's as if Tracy before me is an object...

"Originally, I wanted to keep this secret until my grave."

"And you will therefore have a carefree life."

“But now a crisis has befallen the Empire, and the Empire’s sword is about to be drawn... We need this power... and you are the key to unlock it.”

"I'm sorry, my child..."

"It's time to tell you everything."

"Thière van Tracy".

"who are you."

Tracy kept shaking her head, trembling with extreme fear.

She can sense when people lie, and since quitting drinking, her breasts have become different from other people's.

As for dreams... although they are not very obvious yet, there are already signs.

She knew that what King Gulanden was about to say would change her life.

She doesn't want to hear it!

But King Gulandon's words still reached her ears.

"Perhaps one day you will hate me, hate me for telling you these things. It would be better to die in the king-selection ceremony than to know these things, and to die carefree."

"But this is your destiny."

"my child."

"You... have nowhere to escape."

------

outside the palace.

Bebian leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

Her slender figure, wrapped in a long dress, was on full display.

As the glistening snowflakes fell, Bebian remembered what Tracy had told her earlier, and unconsciously reached out her right hand to catch a snowflake that had been shaved off her head.

"Sigh...it's been over an hour since they went in, why aren't they out yet?"

"That bastard Dad, I wonder what nonsense he'll be saying to Sister Tracy again."

"If Irkutsk really has to contribute its staple food, then I'll really look down on it."

Just then, Onsas appeared in front of her.

"Your Excellency Lord Bebian, are you still waiting for Lord Tracy?"

Bebian rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "None of your business."

"Speak your mind, or get lost!"

Onsas had a smile on his face.

"Perhaps it's just a well-intentioned reminder... Lord Tracy, it seems he won't be able to get out anytime soon."

"The black mist is now encroaching on the empire's lands, and you are in the process of choosing a king."

"I advise you to cherish the time you have now and avoid missing out..."

"Damn it! Aren't you annoying?!" Bebian snapped irritably. "Just get lost! I don't need anyone to tell me what to do!"

"I'm not a child anymore!"

Onsas didn't say anything more, a faint, polite but cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Then please make yourself at home."

After watching Onsas leave, Bebian grew increasingly anxious.

Time ticked by, and Bebian fidgeted, shaking her feet and pacing back and forth.

Finally, she couldn't wait any longer.

He bit his nails, his eyes filled with anger.

"That old geezer..."

"No, I have to go in and check!"

Bebian's drive remains as strong as ever.

From a young age, she was the most mischievous and spoiled of all her children. Now that she's grown up, that spoiled personality hasn't changed.