Attainment.

Noises could be heard in the courtyard, indicating that the competition being held was almost over. And most Princes and Princesses have gathered in the prey animal collection tents.

But the Emperor, who was sitting on his throne, felt something strange about some of the catches that had been collected by the other princes and princesses.

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘴. Carlex thought.

The man's bloodshot eyes scanned every face of the assembled Prince and Princess, but he didn't find what he was looking for in the crowd.

"Where is she?" Mumbling.

There is only 1 minute 25 seconds left for the competition to end, and the person he is waiting for doesn't come.

"Was she trapped or entered a trap?" Carlex thought all over the place.

Seeing a bunch of Princes who had just come out of the forest, Carlex's eyes narrowed.

"Those who were following Elie and Zavei, right?" He asked himself.

While he was looking around the yard, suddenly from the side, a guard approached him.

"Excuse me, Emperor. It seems all the representatives have returned."

The adult man's head shook. "No, not all of it." He replied while watching carefully.

"But, Your Highness-"

Carlex glared at the bodyguard standing beside him.

"Did you hear me?"

The bodyguard bowed. "My mistakes, Your Highness."

After that, the bodyguard returned to his position after informing the Emperor. While Carlex's eyes were looking around the yard, suddenly a growling sound came from the forest that made the ground shake.

From within the forest, the surrounding trees parted as something walked through them. Carlex's bloodshot eyes watched carefully what would come out of the forest.

"Isn't that??" Carlex saw two horses coming out of the forest with one of them being ridden by Zavei.

Unexpectedly, something enormous came out of the forest with someone riding on it.

"Princess Elie?" He muttered while getting up from the throne.

Elsewhere there is Elie who has just managed to get through every obstacle from the forest by riding a Paracer that she has tamed.

"Finally I'm out of this dense forest." Elie sighed in relief.

But it didn't stop there, Elie had to face every gaze directed at her. Terrified stares as they saw the huge beast she was riding on.

"There are monsters!"

"Monster!"

"There's a beast!"

That's about what was heard from the guests who came. Even so, Elie remained relaxed and got off the Paracer's shoulders with the help of the beast's neck.

Elie smiled as she saw Paracer's face, her hand went to the animal's long neck and patted it gently in thanks.

"You are really nice, thank you." She said.

"Princess Elie!"

A man's voice shouted her name, making the girl's face turn towards the source of the sound.

"Emperor Carlex." Elie lowered her head in a respectful greeting.

When his body was in front of the girl who was much shorter than him, Carlex slightly lowered his body so he could see Elie's face more clearly.

"What happened with your face?" He asked while wiping off Elie's blood which was starting to dry.

Elie felt nervous. "Aah, this is nothing, on the way here I was hit by a tree branch and injured my face." Her reply was a slight glance at the culprit who caused the wound on her face.

"It's better to be treated as soon as possible, I'll send a healer here."

Elie shook her head quickly, causing her hands to wave too. "I'm fine, Your Highness. It's just a little wound, nothing to worry about." She refused.

𝘐𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥. Elie thought while smiling at the Emperor.

After covering Elie's wound with his handkerchief, Carlex turned to the animal that Elie had previously been riding.

"Where did you find it, Elie?" The Emperor asked while checking Paracer's neck.

Elie held the Emperor's handkerchief covering her wound. Then the girl's fingers gently touched the neck of the Paracer she was riding it.

"I found it in the western woods, Your Highness." She replied.

Carlex noticed several cut marks on the skin of the animal's legs.

"Looks like it's been through a lot of hurdles through the thick forests." The Emperor said while stroking the scar on Paracer's leg.

"You're cool to tame such a big animal, Princess Elie." The Emperor's praise.

Elie smiled clumsily. "Thank you, Your Highness."

While they were talking, suddenly Elie felt an aura from the manna she had felt before.

"He is here?" Elie was looking around at the crowd.

But the girl did not find the stature of the person she was looking for. Instead, she caught the attention of the Emperor who looked at her with a confused face.

"Why, Princess Elie? Is there something you are looking for?" Carlex asked while following the gaze of the girl in front of him.

She shook her head. "No, Your Highness." She replied, occasionally stealing glances around the yard.

"Alright then, now we should gather at the gathering point." Emperor Carlex adjusted the collar of his robes.

Elie lowered her head. "Yes, Your Highness."

𝓥𝓲𝓮𝓓𝓻𝓪

Following the directions of the Imperial guards, the Princes, and Princesses of each Kingdom started to gather at the designated points. Many saw each other as rivals, and some even openly looked down on catches from other Kingdoms.

"Of course, Crown Princess Anette will win judging by her catch." Princess Eletha adores Anette with pride.

But on the other hand, there were lots of looks of disapproval towards the three girls.

"Wouldn't Crown Princess Qavec be the victor? Even she brought a rare beast."

"Yes, I agree seeing how Crown Princess Qavec rides the beast." Said one princess.

Hearing praise directed at Elie made Anette's face bend, hearing another compliment that didn't carry her name made the girl harbor her frustration.

𝘈 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩. Anette thought.

"All right Prince and Princess, we have all gathered with our catch."

"By the regulations, every winner who manages to bring more than 4 animals with manna, and 3 wild animals will be given a special stamp from the Empire that can be used to transact with the Empire."

The Emperor's voice reached the back row. All attention was focused on him, but there was one girl who was busy playing with a springy and soft object in her hands.

"How can there be such a cute rabbit." This voice is none other than Princess Elie playing with the rabbit she caught.

Elie glanced at Zavei who was seriously listening to the words spoken by the Emperor.

"Zavei, Zavei, look at this rabbit has a manna stone on the forehead." Elie nudged the arm of the boy beside her.

While Zavei was silent with his eyes focused on watching, and also his ears focused on hearing.

"Focus, Elie. The rabbit is nothing." Zavei sighed.

Elie grumbled after getting the reply from her Brother. "It's funny though."

Elie was playing with the rabbit in her hands, and Zavei was focused on the Emperor's words.

"And I don't think I saw anyone getting a rare animal with a green stone on its forehead."

Hearing what came out of the Emperor's lips, Zavei deftly turned his head to his side where Elie was playing with a rabbit.

"Greenstone?" Zavei muttered while watching the rabbit being teased by Elie.

Zavei's blue eyes turned to Elie who was only focused on her toys. "Elie, the rabbit."

Elie turned her face, then said. "What's wrong with the rabbit?"

But he didn't have time to tell her, suddenly the rabbit in Elie's hand let out a green smoke that surrounded the girl.

"That rabbit is the descendant of a god." Zavei ended up lowering his voice.

Meanwhile, Elie, who was trying to clear her eyes, couldn't see what was around her, especially Zavei who was beside her.

"Zavei?" Elie waved her left hand.

Elie kept trying to reach for something that was near her, but suddenly a voice came from within the green smoke.

"𝚆𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗, 𝙰𝚕𝚎𝚢𝚢𝚊."

Hearing that faint voice made Elie gasp, she didn't know how to respond when she heard her name being called.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦? Elie thought while tightly holding the rabbit in her hands.

For a long time, Elie was surrounded by the green smoke, even though she was no longer strong enough to accept the manna that was scattered in large quantities.

The pain slowly pressed against her heart as the manna she was receiving could no longer be controlled, ending up hitting her heart's core.

𝘐𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘴. Elie thought while feeling the pain running through her body.

Her consciousness slowly dissipated as the green mist that blocked her view dispersed. The gray haired girl's body staggered, slowly her face was full of black veins that spread from her neck to her stomach.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗽...

Someone's arm reached behind the girl's body, catching her body that almost fell to the ground. Quickly he pulled Elie's body closer to his chest, allowing the girl to rest her head on his chest.

"Elie!" It's always Zavei who becomes a spectator if something happens to his Sister.

All eyes turned towards Elie as well as someone in a black robe who was foreign to their eyes. But not with 4 people who realized who the person who was holding Elie's body.

"Why do you always get into trouble, Elie?" Zavei squatted down to check Elie's pulse.

But his attention was distracted when he saw Elie's neck print black veins that looked so painful.

"What happened?" Zavei asked as he glanced at the man's hood holding Elie's body.

The man sighed. "It seems the rabbit has made its mark on its master." He said as he saw the rabbit's small body in Elie's arms also limp.

Zavei's attention shifted to the rabbit whose fur had completely turned black.

"Is it true that this rabbit is a descendant of God?" Zavei asked while poking the rabbit's stomach.

The man in front of him nodded. "Every God's bloodline always has a colored stone on their forehead," he replied.

There was the sound of footsteps that met with the grass of the yard. Getting closer to the 3 people who are trying to find a solution.

"Princess Elie!"

The Princes and Princesses cleared the way for the Emperor who came running up to the three people. Carlex's gaze went directly to Elie who was panting and breaking out in cold sweat.

"Quickly call the healer!" He shouted as he gave orders to his guards.

"Not now."

The voice from the robed man made Carlex's lips freeze, a familiar sound entered his ears. The Emperor's face, which was facing the guards, immediately turned towards the robed man.

Carefully, the Emperor watched the robed man lift his hood, a feeling of uneasiness creeping up on Carlex.

"Clovis?" Carlex muttered as he watched the man's black mane.

Meanwhile, the man in question, named Clovis, raised his face, staring at the Emperor's red bead with a flat gaze.

"I'm back, Emperor Carlex."

All the guests were stunned when they saw Clovis's red eyes which were exactly the same as the Emperor's.

"Didn't the Emperor have a Son?"

"That's right, I remember very well that the Emperor once announced about his Son."

Attention focused on Clovis who was already feeling uncomfortable in his current position.

"Better finish the competition, and bring this girl inside," Clovis said as he covered his face again with the hood.

Zavei who heard it immediately offered both hands. "Let me carry my Sister." He bargained for.

However, Clovis only considered his offer a breeze, because the man immediately stood up carrying Elie's body in his arms.

"I will take her to the healing room first." He said without paying any attention.

Meanwhile, Zavei, who was thought to be nonexistent, was annoyed. "I am coming along." He said, getting up from his squat.

Clovis' red eyes glared at Zavei's blue eyes, which were shorter than his.

"You here, represent her." Clovis took a step back from the courtyard.

After the man's back entered the east gate to enter the castle, a whispering voice suddenly sounded. Even so, as Emperor, Carlex continued the program to end the competition that had been going on.

But on the other hand, there was a girl who was furious after seeing Elie's face that felt comfortable in Clovis's arms.

"I must get him." She muttered while clenching her fists.