Let’s look at the scrolls now if that’s all, okay?

They nodded, and Lian Zhong carefully handed them the scroll he had been hugging, marked with the number one.

Seo-Jun took it and tried to open it, but it was sealed shut. He tried again, but the cover didn’t even budge as if it was just a prank and there wasn’t any scroll to read.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Jason, confused.

‘It won’t open…’, complained Seo-Jun, helplessly.

‘Give it here’, instructed Jason, wanting to give it a try.

However, it was no use. No matter how much he twisted, pulled or pushed, it wouldn’t open.

He shook his head, and handed it to Daiki who also failed as well as Zhiren. ‘It’s sealed shut’, she said.

‘No…that’s impossible,’ mumbled Lian Zhong, panicking as he tried to open the scroll, but he remained unsuccessful..

He crouched down, hugging his head in confusion, unsure of what to do.

‘If we can’t open read what’s in these scrolls, how will you be able to become the prophesized heroes?’ said Chief Lian in concern.

Alice had been watching this whole ordeal in silence while examining the chair of her supposed predecessor, and she had a thought.

‘Let me try’, she said flatly.

‘It’s no use; we all tried and couldn’t open it,’, said Zhiren hopelessly.

‘I can…if it’s like what I think, I’m probably the only one who can. So let me give it a shot’, said Alice confidently.

Everyone looked at her in confusion but Seo-Jun seemed to understand what she was trying to say and agreed with her assumption.

‘Give it to her’, he instructed.

‘Are you sure she can?’ asked Lian Zhong expectantly, though still unsure.

‘Yes…you said she has the sword of the goddess who lived here, right? That she’s the successor?’ asked Seo-Jun.

‘Yes…’, replied Lian Zhong, his eyes brightening as he understood their meaning now.

‘So it’s possible that she’s the only one who can open it. And even if that’s not the case it doesn’t hurt to let her try it since we all have.’, he stated.

The others excitedly looked on as Lian Zhong handed her the scroll.

‘How did you know it’s her writing if you couldn’t even open it?’ asked Alice with a smirk.

‘Martial Aunt had a unique style of writing… one she claimed to have invented herself and was the only one here who used it. She called it Roman numerals. So while we used a horizontal line for 1, she used a vertical line,’ Lian Zhong answering proudly, puffing out his chest.

The group stared at him, dumbfounded.

‘You consider roman numerals something she invented?’ asked Alice, raising her eyebrows.

‘It’s a fact, since she said so herself’, he said, looking prouder by the moment.

‘Seems like a fraudster to me’, mumbled Alice, looking down at the scroll.

‘Huh?’ asked Chief Lian.

‘Nothing! I was just wondering whether there’s a food store close by’, explained Alice quickly.

‘Oh…yes. Just a street away from my pavilion, you’ll find a restaurant. But what does that have to do with this?’ wondered Chief Lian.

‘Nothing…I was just hungry. But never mind that for now, I’ll try opening the scroll.’

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She immediately twisted the top and it opened easily, without any hindrance.

She looked up with a wide smile, and proceeded unrolling it. She read out loud.

‘Firstly, this information is top secret, only to be revealed to the chosen one’s once they have all gathered together. I would like the guide to leave. I understand you would want to know about the words, I’ve left behind however, I apologize…’, Alice looked up in concern at Chief Lian’s face which had lost its color.

She continued, ‘…this information isn’t for your ears. I thank you for completing the task I assigned to you. You are now relieved from your duty.’

Lian Zhong looked devastated at the text. He took a deep breath and bowed his head, ‘Lian Zhong has heard your intentions, and will follow your wishes. Thank You.’

He walked quietly to the door, turned around and gave them a smile, ‘I shall wait in my room, please continue.’

Before they could say anything, he disappeared.

They looked at each other, feeling awkward at this turn of events. The person who waited the longest and looked forward to it the most wasn’t allowed to know anything.

‘That’s really cruel’, said Alice with knitted eyebrows.

‘Perhaps the information is something they can’t know…let’s continue’, said Seo-Jun while sighing.

Alice nodded and continued, ‘I trust that now only the five are left, so I’ll begin. If you’re reading this…it means we’re all dead. We thought we had ascended, but it turns out that was not the case at all. I lied to the village people about the reason of my possible disappearance, and considering you’re reading this, it means what I feared has happened. We lost the Civil War…well I say that but it was more of a rebellion.’

She stopped and mumbled, ‘I get why she didn’t want anyone in the village hearing this.’

Then continued, ‘This is the first of ten scroll which you need to read, I’ve left some in our other bases as well however, kept most of it here. Since, it’s the only one hidden and easily accessible. The Forbidden Forest is at the most risk, so I only kept the swords there, which now that I think about it are the most important. But oh well, I’m sure it’ll all work out somehow.’

‘She seems pretty carefree for someone writing a will’, chuckled Alice.

‘Who knows what goes on in the heads of all-powerful people like her’, said Daiki.

Alice smiled and shrugged.

She continued, ‘To achieve what is needed, you first need to know my story and ours, I’ve kept the other’s histories at other bases since, well you’ll probably find out about them at some point but how can you not know about someone as amazing as me first, right?’

(Author: Yeah, I definitely see the resemblance.

Alice: -_-)

‘That’s it’, she stated, closing the scroll.

‘Look for the second one’, said Jason scanning the contents of the table.

Alice picked up a few scrolls but they didn’t have any number on them, until she found it, number II.

‘Here it is!’ she exclaimed, quickly unrolling it.

She read, ‘Sorry about the mess, I was in a hurry but you found it so all’s well the ends well, right?’

Alice took a deep breath, to keep herself from ripping the scroll up.

Then continued, ‘Though I guess if you’re my successor, this must really be getting on your nerves, right? It’s making you angry, right? I’m sure you want to just rip it apart, eh?’

She closed the scroll looked at them helplessly, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She shook her head and continued, ‘Okay sorry…I’ll get to the point. I’ll start by explaining my origins. Don’t think its unnecessary, trust me one day you’ll realize it’s importance since they’re also where our powers originate from.’

She knitted her eyebrows and continued, ‘For starters, I am the daughter of a human man and a goddess who fell in love.’

They all looked at each other in surprise, she continued on wide-eyed, ‘No one knows of this and they all believe that my mother died in childbirth, when in reality she handed me to my father after naming me and left us.’

‘Does it say whose daughter?’ asked Seo-Jun.

‘Let’s see’, said Alice continuing.

‘So, let me properly introduce myself. I am Yuki Niflhel, known as the the immortal sword master in my later years. Born as the daughter of Hel, the goddess of one of the underworld realms. I was named Niflhel by my mother, reflecting the deep connection to the icy, shadowy realm of Niflheim, as she had immediately noticed my spirit root. To the villagers, my ice spirit root was a rare and powerful gift. To me, it simply identified me as a child of the cold…and my name, which was the only gift I’ve ever received from my mother.’

Alice paused, feeling a bit sad as she read the next part, ‘My father told me that before leaving, she explained that the world she ruled was no place for a child to grow, nor for a human to live, so she entrusted me to my mortal father, a skilled warrior. My father always treated me carefully, as he knew what it felt like to be different, and raised me to have confidence in myself and the strength to protect myself, being of mixed heritage, as my grandparents were from different villages.’

Alice felt pained reading this story, as if it were her own. Perhaps the connection as a successor was stronger than she thought.

She read, ‘He named me Yuki, also due to his knowledge of my abilities and the snow I would command with ease, as told by my mother. My father trained me in the arts of the sword, blending the disciplines and techniques of both his heritages, shaping me into an unparalleled sword master.’

They made a knowing expression, as they understood the reason for her strange name, ‘My dual lineage granted not only the mastery of ice but also a unique resilience and longevity, characteristics of my immortal heritage. My very presence often heralded by a sudden drop in temperature and the gentle fall of snowflakes, even in the height of summer, though I learned to control it.’

Alice stopped, ‘That’s all. Let’s look for the next scroll now.’

To be continued…

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Yuki while writing: Heh, I’m sure this’ll drive her crazy.

Alice’s thoughts in the future as she’s barely holding back: (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

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