“…”
Sylvia was stunned by the queen’s news. She wasn’t able to find such information inside the temple’s library.
“T-then… does that make Shen, the one who called out your name… your husband?” → Sylvia
“Yes.” → Queen
The queen said with a smile, making Sylvia pale in the face, then she continued with a serious voice.
“But he was only in the spirit form, he might not be aware of that when he wakes up. But I’ll have to tell you, in case he remembers that part, I’ll have no choice but to be his wife.” → Queen
Elisabete said with a small smile, she found Shen really interesting and the idea of being his wife was quite to her liking.
Sylvia was dumbfounded, with a wary smile she rose her hand and showed the ring.
“W-what do I do? He already proposed to me…” → Sylvia
She understood the elves tradition and how strict they are about it. She loved Shen and she would wish for the best for him, even so, she would never try to force herself on him. This was a decision he needed to make on his own.
“Oh my. I’m really sorry, I didn’t know you two were already married.” → Queen
The queen looked with a guilty face, she saw Sylvia having a good relation with Shen but never did she think of them being married.
“Not married yet… for now, he’s my fiancé. I’ll beg her highness to ask Shen himself when he wakes up. And I wish for both of us to accept whatever decision he’ll end up making. Is her majesty alright with this?” → Sylvia
Sylvia asked with a serious face. Whatever decision Shen will make, she will be alright with it and continue following him for her entire life.
“He already asked for your hand, Miss Sylvia. At best, I might become his second wife.” → Queen
Elisabetta smiled with a wry smile.
“Even so, if he remembers my name then I’ll become his wife, even if I’m the second.” → Queen
She then continued with a serious face. She had to respect the tradition, that’s how it was for more than a few millions of years and she didn’t wish to be the first one to break it.
“Sigh understood.” → Sylvia
Sylvia said helplessly while shaking her head. She could only accept it, understanding how stubborn an elf could be.
“Now, for the real reason of asking you to come.” → Queen
The queen then continued
“I heard from Shen’s disciples that he and his friend wish to build a Kingdom in which all races can coexist. That’s a beautiful dream but can he be sure of its success? I heard about the conflicts on the two continents and I can’t see this movement to go unnoticed by the Demon Lord either. He’s a scheming and shrewd old man, he’ll do whatever it takes to be in control, even if that means to sacrifice his own men or family.” → Queen
Queen Elisabetta said with a dark face, she seemed to know the Demon Lord pretty well already.
“Please don’t worry about these two. If they wished, they could take control over the entire world and maybe even more.” → Sylvia
Sylvia said with a knowing smile while pointing at her own eyes.
“!”
The queen was shocked by the ridiculous words Sylvia just said and even more of her confident face.
Sylvia’s [Soul Eyes] are stronger than a normal Soul Seer’s and she also has a connection with a true Goddess. Her intuition is the strongest while her ability to read a person has increased to incredible a level that might surpass Shen’s with ease. She was able to understand just what kind of spirits Shen and Ryu are, being able to understand that, once they made a goal, nothing could stay in their way, not even gods.
“It is hard to believe what you said, but seeing your confident face and knowing the fact that you’re a seer, only makes me believe you… And this makes me wish he’ll remember my name until the end.” → Queen
The queen said with a brilliant smile, making Sylvia smile bitterly.
“If the two of them are like so, then I’ll ask for a permanent alliance and wish to build a transporting portal from your Kingdom to Alfheim. Will you accept this?” → Queen
“Y-your majesty. I think you’re asking the wrong person. Wouldn’t be better to ask Shen himself when he wakes up?” → Sylvia
Sylvia was shocked by the news and shook her head in a hurry.
“If Shen is one of the founders of the Kingdom then that makes him one of the rulers. even though the real title was placed on his friend’s shoulders, Shen has the same authority, right? You, being his future wife, doesn’t that make you a future Queen as well? Who else is more worthy to talk with me when the King is bedridden if not the Queen herself?” → Queen
Elisabetta smiled sweetly.
Sylvia was looking with shining eyes at the queen, unable to understand the words she just spoke.
Me? A failed experiment, becoming a queen? Am I even allowed? → Sylvia
Sylvia’s eyes started to tear. When she was a child she was abandoned and poorly raised inside the orphanage. After that, she was bought with money by some people in black, together with 10 more children, everyone used for grotesque experiments. Five of them died from the first week of experiments, three became horrible monsters, one became a biological weapon which died later in a fight with the demonic waves while she became a failed product, becoming more useless than the monsters that were still used as biological weapons. The other two were moved from the laboratory she was in, leaving her with no answer as to what happened to them.
After that, she was raised by a clerk who wouldn’t show her any love while everyone else didn’t dare get too familiar with her, being the “adopted daughter of the high-clerk”. In the end, until she met Ryu and the others, all her life was just sufferings, loneliness and books from inside the temple. The world she knows comes from books and nothing more. All her knowledge and information comes from books she read inside the library; not because she found it fun, but because it was the only way for her to escape from loneliness and sorrows.
“Oh my~ but why the tears? You never thought of this? Or you’re thinking you’re not worth the title of Queen? Such thoughts are useless, my little Sylvia. As a queen, you must become stronger and with a prouder air around you. Such tears are useless, only covering the shine in your eyes, little seer.” → Queen
The queen smiled with affection then got up and lightly caressed her head. She met a lot of people, but never such a naïve and pure queen. She couldn’t hold a giggle and continued.
“So? Future queen, are you accepting my alliance with the future Kingdom and let me build a portal inside it?” → Queen
“Yes.” → Sylvia
Sylvia calmed down and said with a composed face and smile, she was full of confidence now, she had to be a proper queen. Even though Ryu is the king and Bonny the queen, she and Shen have the same authority as them, making it for two kings and queens ruling together.
“Very well, I’ll make the preparation for a carriage and a group of guards to send you all back to your ship. I heard it was in the Eastern part of the continent, besides the demon city Ferra, right? I’ll make two of the high-elves go with you to make the portal.” → Queen
’Ferra’ was the city in which Charl Haineken was the lord of, the exact same place where they disguised as demons and freed the slaves that weren’t elves.
“Yes. Thank you very much, Queen of Alfheim.” → Sylvia
“The pleasure is mine, heroic queen Sylvia.” → Queen
Sylvia left the palace and went back to her place. Outside the house, Theo and Melinda were meditating while absorbing natural chi emanated by the World Tree. Green light was coming toward them, while Ashura was training Freia in martial arts, saying that her weak point is the weak body.
Sylvia got beside the two disciples and started to do the same. The mana around the World Tree was hundreds of times richer and full of vitality, making a martial artist grow tens of times faster while making a mage understand and control the energies around just as fast.
Late at night, they got back inside their rooms, falling asleep and waiting for the day Shen will wake up.
At that moment, Shen was lying on his bed with the light from the blue moon hitting his face. Suddenly, his eyelashes started to tremble, slowly opening his eyelids.
“Ugh…” → Shen
Shen got up slowly, feeling dizzy with his head throbbing.
“… The carnal body is truly like a prison, the things I experimented through the spiritual realm seem like nothing but a dream… even so, most of the things are still clear in my mind… Ugh, somehow…” → Shen
Shen got out from his room to outside, being welcomed by a fresh smell of grass and cool blowing wind.
“Woah…” → Shen
Shen looked around and felt his heart flutter from the magical sight, because of the rich mana, everywhere around was a moist mist, making the World Tree in the distance and other leaves around look like shadowy silhouettes. From inside the leaves, green dots of lights like fireflies flew around, making the view more mystical. The blue moon shone its blue light, making the silhouettes more visible and full of mystery.
“This place is the embodiment of a magical world…” → Shen
Shen admired the view, being so flabbergasted that he gazed around for half an hour.
After he admired the view, he sat down and entered a deep meditation. Even though he was crippled, not being able to circulate chi or mana, he could still feel it and circulate other forms of energies like soul or mental waves. While meditating, the mist of mana around him swirled slowly around him, forming a little whirlwind.
“[One with the Universe: First Chapter]” → Shen
Shen entered then in a state of selfless, letting the elements and the essence of the universe enter his body, nurturing his ravaged meridians and chakras. The aura was full of vitality, making all the livings attracted to him.
“cirp~ cirp~ chi~ qi~.”
Little birds and squirrels swarmed on top of him, resting on his shoulders, head and lap, looking like the Buddha from legends. Shen was deeply meditating, not minding the little animals on top of him. He tried to repair his meridians, strengthen them and cleanse his body. Everything worked way too slow. From the strings of energy entering inside him, only 0.1% remained in him to repair the meridians. The meditation was a profound one, making possible for even that 0.1% possible to be circulated through the ravaged meridians and chakras. He stood like this for 2 hours, when he finally opened his eyes which shone with a grass-like green.
My body might be in a worse state than the one from Earth. But my mind and soul are hundreds of times stronger, making possible controlling the mana around and even more energies under a much stronger form. Heh, experiencing death really strengthens one’s mind and spirit. → Shen
[Haha~]
Shen laughed in his [One with the Universe] form, making the mana around vibrate and swirl.
Even though my level right now is 1, I’m much stronger than before. I only need to free my soul when in danger and I’ll be comparable to a Spiritual Ranked warrior from this world. Hmm~ like this I’ll be able to help in the construction of the Kingdom. But first, I need to understand some more of the spiritual control. Ah, even though I can take out God-like powers, I’m only a “Fake God” right now, unable to even control or understand my own powers yet. → Shen
Shen thought while scratching his head in distress.
What’s worse, fully activating [One with the Universe] and reaching Spiritual rank for more than 20 minutes would really bring the end of me. Any more than that and my mind won’t be able to handle it. → Shen
After meditating, he slowly got up, making all the birds fly away while scaring the squirrels in running.
“Hm?” → Shen
Shen then looked on his shoulder and saw a black squirrel with red eyes looking at him and sitting there as if reluctant to leave.
“Feel free to stay if you wish, I won’t shoo you away.” → Shen
Shen smiled calmly at the squirrel, making it sit on his shoulder and bring the tail around his neck as if to warm it up. Shen smiled then walked like a ghost toward the house in which everyone else resided. His steps were incredibly light, not even touching the leaf. The mist around covered him like a cloak, literally looking like a ghost in the night, his body almost see-through. He got close to one of the windows and whispered.
“Open.” → Shen
The window opened gently and he entered inside while taking the form of the mist. On top of the bed which was beside the opposite wall from the window, Sylvia rested, looking like a sleeping goddess of a white moon with her white skin, silver hair and white sleeping dress. Some blue rays of light shone on her from the reflection of the opened window, covering her appearance with a slight shade of blue. While he got closer, he deactivated the skill, his eyes returning to normal and his concealment adulated. Together with his deactivated ability, the squirrel disappeared from his shoulder without a trace.
“Mmm~” → Sylvia
Sylvia slowly woke up from the sudden change in the atmosphere around her. Being blind once, she was extremely sensitive to the changes around her.
“Shen…?” → Sylvia
Not even waking up completely, she already guessed who was beside her from the warm and familiar aura. Seeing her still half-asleep, Shen gently caressed her sleepy face, making her open her eyes wide in shock.
“Yes, it’s me. Sorry for waking you up, Sylvia. I just wished to see you again and so I couldn’t sleep.” → Shen
Shen smiled calmly while caressing her face with affection. Tears started to form in Sylvia’s clean eyes, making her silver eyes shine under the reflected light. She touched his hand from her cheek and said in a stuttering voice.
“Shen… It has been only 2 days… but it felt like 2 months or even more. Please, promise me you’ll never do something so dangerous ever again…” → Sylvia
She got up and embraced him tightly, feeling his warmth and mild smell. Hearing his beating heart made Sylvia feel at ease once again.
“I will try to never do such things again. I’ll be sure that from now on, we’ll stay together forever, Sylvia.” → Shen
He then raised her chin and surprised her with a light kiss on her lips.
“Uh~…” → Sylvia
Sylvia reddened then while hugging him, she laid back down on the bed while dragging him atop of her, still hugging him tightly.
“Eh? Oy.” → Shen
Shen was surprised, feeling a little bit embarrassed by the sudden move.
“…Tonight I want to sleep together. I won’t take a “no” as an answer.” → Sylvia
Sylvia said while hugging Shen, positioning herself to make more space for him to lie down beside her.
