34 Elizabeth von Etherion

Knock-! Knock-!

"Princess, wake up. It's almost 7 A.M. now, you're going to be late for class!"

The sound of knocking reverberated in one of the dormitory rooms in the Rigel Building, in the Dormitory Block of the TOP 10 students. A simple, but pretty woman in a maid dress continued to knock on the door, atop it was a golden rectangular plate with Room 02 written on it.

The maid called to Elizabeth von Etherion, the princess of the country, Etheria, situated in the Northernmost Orion. She kept knocking and calling until she heard a sound inside the princess' dormitory room. 

"Arrgghhh! Yawn."

Opening her light green eyes that seemed to contain the depth and serenity of nature itself, she subconsciously checked the time on the small clock that was atop her study desk, situated beside her bed.

– 6:45 A.M.

Elizabeth's light green eyes constricted, seeing that it was 15 minutes left before her first class starts. Even though she was inside the Obelisk Academy premises, considering the land area and her classroom location, including tidying herself up, she would still be late unless an unorthodox solution was to be made.

Yawning once again, feeling like she wanted more sleep, she mustered up her strength to sit on her bed — something she felt harder in doing than fighting mere Goblins.

At that moment, she activated one of her skills.

...

[Activating Skill: Body Purification (S+)]

[Any status ailments of the target will gradually be cleansed for 5 minutes.]

[Physical appearance will be cleansed of any dirt.]

[The aroma of nature pervaded through you.]

Green light enveloped her entire body. The unwanted dirt was instantly cleansed before she even stood up from her bed. It's a practical use of such high-rank skill in her mundane life.

"Elaine, have you prepared for breakfast?"

She asked softly while sitting on her bed in a stupor, seemingly wanted not to attend her first class just to take more sleep as though the serenity of nature manifested itself in her.

Elaine, still standing in front of the princess' dormitory room, facepalmed at her question — there's no time to think about something like breakfast considering she would be late.

"Princess, I apologize, but the food prepared earlier is almost cold."

She replied with a worried tone; before she could speak more words, Elizabeth unintentionally interjected.

"Okay, Don't worry about it. You can go now. I'll be out in 5 minutes."

Elizabeth sighed with relief since she didn't want to trouble her maid. Though Elaine was only a maid, she considered her a nanny because she was there when Elizabeth was born. She also took care of her until today since her mother was busy being a queen.

"Yes, Princess. Good luck in your class. If you need anything later, just call me. I'll be in the lodging."

Even though A-1 students possessed various privileges — one was residing in the Rigel Building, another difference between the aristocratic, wealthy renowned players and players of common birth was the capacity to choose their personal maids and butler — to serve them while they remained as A-1 students.

Considering the status of the individuals such as Samantha, Elizabeth, Anya, Rumia, and Leon, they possessed more than enough resources to bring their own attendants, while the people who became A-1 students whether due to their potential or manifested talent were assigned their personal maids and butler — depending on the player's choice.

Although the privilege of having attendants applied to every A-1 student regardless of social class, those of common birth, for some reason, didn't hire personal maids and butlers that were affiliated with Obelisk Academy, under the Obelisk Staff.

Privileges such as these were given to them, with the premise that they would lead the future of humanity after their predecessors.

...

Arriving inside the classroom, Elizabeth glanced around, greeting some students — either by nodding with a soft smile or verbally speaking.

"Good morning, Rumia... Samantha."

The two renowned people received her greetings. She received a nod from each of them as though these two didn't have any ability to speak a simple morning greeting.

'Ah! I want to sleep more! Knowledge can be learned later, but sleep is eternal!'

Elizabeth inwardly lamented.

Contrary to the common impressions regarding her, and her status as a "Princess", she was a free-spirited woman who one might think that she was not part of the highest nobility at all 

Her parents didn't force their ideals on their child, unlike some aristocrats who were living with a mantra: "Follow the footstep of the head family!" This developed her free-spirited behavior, causing her to be an approachable woman regardless of her social standing. But she's not naive; she knew that not everyone who would approach her only brought good intentions.

Even though she was like a white dove that had been let go of her mother, she was a very rational and powerful woman, befitting her Class Rank: 2 throughout the first years.

...

Presently, in the Monster Anatomy and Evolution (MAE) class.

"The Chaos Miasma resides in every monster found in a Strayed Dungeon or Tower Dungeon. But it's the same case regarding Monster Beasts that are roaming outside the dungeon.

"If any of you have read my book, Encyclopedia of the Emergence, you will see that Chaos Miasma is something vague to be understood yet, rather the player who successfully killed a monster — from inside or outside a dungeon — will be notified that what they have slain contained an amount of Chaos Miasma.

"Question. Do you think that [Monster Evolution] is achieved by the monster by exposing itself to the Chaos Miasma or by consuming another dead monster who happened to possess it?"

Professor Emmanuel, the scholar and researcher of Monster Origin Research (MOR), asked as he glanced around. Without anyone raising a hand as though the students became deaf, he called one of the students — the one who possessed straightened blonde hair and light green eyes.

"Ms. Elizabeth, do you have any thoughts?"

Professor Emmanuel asked. He called her not on a whim, but he has this nagging feeling that this princess has something interesting in her mind.

"Sir Lyncoster, based on the research from previous years until this day, there's not much known regarding the [Chaos Miasma], but if I'm going by my thoughts, I would say that Chaos Miasma acts like a Blood Type that us, humans possessed."

Noticing that Professor Emmanuel just listened to her ideas, she continued.

"It is possible to collect Chaos Miasma using a special tool or artifact. Experimentation such as collecting Chaos Miasma from the dead Goblin, and injecting it into another other monster showed abnormal reactions, but surprisingly, injecting the Goblin's Chaos Miasma into Orcs seemed to produce relatively promising results. 

"I don't know why that was the case, but maybe because they belonged to the Green Family, as far as we know."

Elizabeth completed her answer with a straight face as if she studied such things for a long time. Other students — including Freya, Amery, and Amelie — who were listening to her ideas gawked at her. Imaginary smoke seemed to come out of their heads. They didn't understand, apart from a few others, what she had just talked about.

"I'm impressed, Ms. Elizabeth."

Professor Emmanuel made a gesture for Elizabeth to sit, which she casually obliged before he continued.

"Everyone, listen. Based on Ms. Elizabeth's answer, it was proven — until further research — that Chaos Miasma acts similarly to Blood Type with different signatures that affect different kinds of monsters in various ways, considering some factors. In the same way, Holy or Divine Mana cannot possibly co-exists with Unholy or Evil Mana.

"Okay, now. If you are wondering about the difference between [Chaos Miasma and Chaos Aura], it's simple. The former refers to the amount of Chaos surrounding the environment, acting like air, while the latter refers to Chaos within one's body.

"Although Chaos itself is unknown. This term is coined from the term Chaos Miasma itself, while the Chaos Aura was coined, deriving it from how a person manifested Mana in one's body.

"And remember, no human could ever possess Chaos Aura inside his or her body."

Elizabeth's curiosity was piqued. She raised her right hand, taking the opportunity to ask a question to professor that's well-known for being a scholar and researcher.

Professor Emmanuel stopped, he then nodded at Elizabeth who seemed to plan to elicit something from him.

"Sir, according to what you said just now... That no human could ever possess Chaos Aura... Does it mean it's not possible for someone to possess it in the future? How could you claim such a conjecture? Or maybe... You mean that there were human experimentations, and a crazy scientist forcefully injected Chaos inside their bodies, thus you arriving with the inference of [no human could ever possess Chaos Aura]?

Rumia — Elizabeth's bestfriend — sitting beside her, elbowed her side, whispering to her with a tone of full concern.

"Hey! Elizabeth, what do you think you are doing...?!"

Half-turning her head, Elizabeth looked at Rumia, she then replied with a monotonous tone.

"I'm asking the right questions."

Rumia face-palmed with the stubbornness of Elizabeth, suddenly thinking about their differences and similarities.

'We're both princesses, you know! And your tone of asking is condescending enough!'

Rumia sighed in resignation, looking at the other process who continued to tell the points she wanted to make — like a woman bubbling to her lover just to be appeared right. Professor Emmanuel just listened professionally.

...

'This princess will certainly attract more danger in the future. For a different reason than being a noble herself.

Professor Emmanuel thought, listening to the ideas and thorough questions that seemed to complete the missing puzzles of incomplete research.

"Since all of you here are A-1 students, let me have the opportunity to answer one of your questions, Ms. Elizabeth.

"Yes, there are failed human experimentations that focused on absorbing Chaos through their bodies. That is all the answer I can give you; regarding the name of the organization or group that did those kinds of horrible things, I can not divulge such information at my own discretion."

The students didn't expect to receive an answer that was certainly confidential. Myriads of expressions and reactions were painted on the students' faces; gasped, shocked, concerned, dazed, along with unimaginable emotions that seeped into their hearts by knowing something monstrous.

Even Elizabeth's mouth was slightly agape, she didn't expect such information to be publicly said.

"I am telling you all about such things because, in the future, you will certainly encounter far more dangerous, and witness more malicious, terrible things. You all should start to learn to be responsible for your actions, so you won't have regrets along the way.

Drriiinnnnggggg!

A bell sounded just at the right time as though it was telling them that it's forbidden to know more at this moment in time.

"See you tomorrow."

Professor bid goodbye, and he then left the classroom with an expression befitting of a true professional in his field as if nothing happened.

...

"Hey, Elizabeth! Want to grab some breakfast? I haven't eaten earlier, you see."

Rumia asked her bestfriend, who was writing something in her notebook, looking at it with a serious expression on her face.

"I guess it's a no, okay never mind. Hey, Leon! Samantha! I'm hungry, I need company!"

Getting neglected, a thought surfaced in her mind:

'Why does no one wants to accompany me? The mood turned sour because of the previous class, it's not even a Philosophy subject!'

Rumia lampooned inwardly due to the treatment she received as if she was not a princess.

She then looked around the classroom, hoping for someone to accompany her while lamenting within herself — felt like an abandoned child. She then saw a woman, waiting for the other two women tidying their belongings. Without a second thought, she hurriedly approached them.

...

"Hi...? Can I join you guys?"

A woman exuding a noble aura in a pigtail of blonde hair, with sapphire eyes and a stature of at least 165 cm asked Freya, Amelie, and Amery all of a sudden, prompting the trio to be momentarily stupefied.

'What's going on?'

'What's going on?'

'What's going on?'

The trio, in a hivemind, thought of the same thing without speaking with each other. The five to six seconds of silence resulted in the awkwardness of the situation. Rumia, who asked something out of place, added:

"Uhmm... Are you guys going to the cafeteria?"

'I asked them if I could join them without even knowing first where they'd go! What an embarrassment!'

"Yes, why?"

Said Freya, the presumed leader of the trio. Freya didn't show cautiousness in her tone.

"That...Uhhh... Haha... Hahaha."

With a cringeworthy laugh, Rumia felt like she lost her nobility, unable to properly express herself.

"You can come along. We're going to the cafeteria."

Freya replied, showing consideration for the poor noble that's thrown into a sudden predicament. The four of them then took their strides toward the nearest cafeteria.

'What a weirdo.'

'What a weirdo.'

'What a weirdo.'

With a single brain cell, the trio thought.