Chapter 32: The room she left for you (II).

Chapter 32: The room she left for you (II).

Elizabeth's POV

The elevator's mechanics amazed me, I looked into the metal made wall of the cage we were in.

"There are four floors in total." (Victoria) points at the four buttons each labeled; F1, F2, F3 and then the last F4.

"Does the F mean Floor?" I stare at the button system of the elevator being fascinated on how even the letters would grow.

For all the things I've seen in this world that are medieval, just a little bit of technology would make me feel nostalgic on how convenient things were in my past life.

"Yes, princess and each of those floors signifies a level the empress ranked in danger. The higher the number, the more dangerous it is." she explains, making me relieved that we're only going into the first floor first.

"Have you been to all the floors?"

"Yes… but for the fourth floor, I've only been there a few times and… it was because of my recklessness and curiosity that I almost lost my life in that room." (Victoria) mutters the last part quietly but enough for my ear to hear.

"Wait, why? What did you do that almost got you killed?" I asked Victoria and instead of explaining, she took off her gloves and showed me her finger.

"The room can only answer to the empress or to be exact, her blood and finger pattern." (Victoria) points at the skin as I watch in awe at her explaining things.

"...finger pattern?"

So she was able to make a system for that too?

Where this place can recognize her DNA and identity by her finger.

"Yes, the ridges and valleys of our finger's skin- I asked how she gets in. First she compliments my curiosity on the things she makes and eventually tells me how to get in without adding the dangerous weapons lying inside of it."

"So the fourth floor… is a weapon area."

"I believe so, yes, she had unique things on display." (Victoria) chucked, possibly relieving all the memories of her and the empress being here. The expression on her face was definitely… nostalgia.

"They were on display? Then how did you almost lose your life there?"

Victoria's eyebrow frowned. "I took a green ball with… a small metal steel with a ring on top, I thought of its use- and pulled it."

A green ball… weapon… with a metal steel with a ring in top… one that you can pull-

"..."

Is that what I think it is?!

"Thankfully your mother was there, she threw the green ball away from our direction and told me to take cover." (Victoria) swallowed the lump forming on her throat looking afraid. "It exploded…"

I knew it! So that was a grenade?!

Don't tell me she made a grenade for fun?

Seeing that the grenade hasn't been overlooked by the council on it being a fascinating item that they could use to bomb the demons-

"Um… did the empress show it to anyone else? If she gave it to father then maybe he would have an advantage against them." I asked a pretty good question and even the dutiful and caring teacher answered me almost immediately.

"In terms of the fourth floor, only I."

"The empress has warned me to never touch things inside of the fourth floor- every one of those items can kill humans like us with ease." (Victoria) sighs, shaking her head embarrassed about the memory.

The empress- my biological mother is making grenades- what should I expect next- a nuclear bomb?

Oh… no… from Victoria's stories that invention might be possible.

"As for your question upon the demons, the empress never once wanted her inventions to be used for any war against other races." (Victoria) places a hand on my head smiling softly. "The fourth floor is only for emergencies, if we have no choice… she told me to trust your judgment on what to do with it."

"Trust my judgment?" I asked, feeling confused on why- she would do that? I get that she was my mother but this is another leap of trust-

Was she so certain in the future that I won't go rogue?

"You're her daughter after all. The fourth floor and everything that comes along with it, is yours." (Victoria) tells me and I felt a heavy burden on my shoulders being placed.

The empress, I am thankful for her trust and her decision to leave Victoria with me.

Ding!

…

It actually took a while before we arrived through the first floor, the elevator door opened revealing a dark room with so little light.

"It's quite dark." I turn to Victoria who gets inside with not much fear.

"We'll be needing to open the light switch. It's around here somewhere, for your safety. Why don't you come inside and stay in a corner while I look for it?" (Victoria) motions for me to leave the elevator and so I did. Following her instructions on staying in the corner, I waited for her to find the light switch.

I felt a chilling breeze, hitting my skin. "Brrr… is it just me or did I feel a chill running through my back?"

"It must be the ventilation system… I'll get everything sorted out. The heater switch should also be around here somewhere." (Victoria) went off and I hear her heels clicking in several places before finally-

"Found them."

…

Click!

The lights from the ceiling turned on, the darkness around the room has left revealing to me the treasures and legacy the former empress has left.

"Whoah!"

The empress left me… her laboratory?

"I can't believe it."

The former empress had Inventions of blueprints, more than a dozen! Boxes full of mechanical parts, wires, and many mana stones ranging from different sizes.

I quickly ran to the boxes in the back excitedly.

"She even has minerals and steel you can only get from the rarest bidding auctions in the kingdom?!" I yelled to the top of my lungs holding the said minerals in my hands.

My lips formed into a curved smile seeing all the expensive resources in here.

I sat on the ground inspecting everything I could get my hands on.

"The empress is a mad woman, a genius one." (Victoria) sat next to me and I happily showed her what I found.

"This is rubeus stone!" I held up the shiny red rock that felt so light in my hand. "Did you know the red color of it was because of its harsh environment being scalded by lava in the land of the sun?! This would be worth all of my dresses combined!"

"Oh I'm quite familiar with that little fella." She takes the stone from me and shakes her head. "I helped steal this thing from a wealthy noble who did a lot of bad things."

I stared at the red stone knowing it's heat resistance abilities, it would be one of the rare stones in the world. "You helped the empress steal it?" I asked.

My maid chuckles, patting my head.

"It's more that I helped her to steal it, our first meeting wasn't really great." (Victoria) gave me back the stone and I wondered what else had her eventful memories engraved here.

My mother and her… must have a lot of adventures together.

This was one of the rare moments where I could freely ask about her history and adventures. She would actually tell me instead of instructing me to go to bed, for tomorrow will come and there will be another time.

"What else did you two do together? Any nice memories with the empress?"

She takes her time to think before replying, "Well… the fondest memory of your mother and I was that she made me a weapon for my birthday."

A weapon- Don't tell me the empress was the one that designed and crafted the long spear that I don't know the name of! It would make sense but how could she have the time to do that with royal duties by her shoulders?!

"Really?! Is it that one long weapon I saw you holding back then in the council room?" It was a long spear with a curved blade tip at the top. Gold in color but I know the materials used would be more hard.

"Indeed it's a modern design of a long spear weapon of our kingdom, one of a kind and it meant a lot to me because originally I didn't have a birthday." (Victoria) told me, and I blink in surprise.

"Oh… you didn't have a birthday?"

Then the one we always celebrate just months after mine-?

"Yes, princess. I don't remember celebrating anything when I was young, only when I found myself on the right path- other people started celebrating the day of my birth." (Victoria) stands up, walking over to the front of the laboratory where a huge long table presented so many things out of order and a messy state.

A board was hanging on the wall, full of papers with detailed notes and pretty messy chicken scratches of handwriting which I assumed belonged to the empress.

It was all about notes of her research, things she needed to get done, monsters she needed to kill and materials she needed to gain or buy.

"The day that she found me.. That… was the day your mother decided it was my day of birth, she gave me one out of fun." (Victoria) continued, looking over to the side where a magnet pin was holding a photo of an orphanage with several young people smiling.

There were a few more but I was too short to reach the other few photos.

"Those are-" I pulled onto Victoria's sleeve, she smiled and took the photo out of the board before giving it to me.

I held it gently in my hand, eyeing the nun holding Victoria's arm like she doesn't want to let go. Young Victoria seemed so happy and particularly I don't believe how she's gotten even more handsome in this present time.

The empress smiled so widely in the photo doing a thumbs up pose, being so out of place with her clothes.

The empress wore pants, a brown leather jacket and had safety goggles laying on top of her chestnut brown hair.

She looked… so much like me.

"It is called a 'photo', princess. Made from a device called the camera that your mother has lying around here." She told me and I became fascinated with everything this place had to offer.

The empress, I was one hundred percent sure she might be a reincarnated person just like me.

"Welcome to your private space, princess. I hope you like your early birthday present." (Victoria) tells me and I nod happily holding the photo.

From inventions of convenience, entertainment and weapons- anything could be in here.

"This may be just one of the best early birthday presents ever."