----------------------------------------

Afterwards, Velle learned a bit more about Betty’s personality and her odd behaviors when it came to violence and pain.

Thanks to an unattended childhood isolated within the walls of her family mansion, Betty had developed a strong interest in both inflicting and feeling pain. Her fascination had started with breaking her own stuffed animals, imagining their reactions, and trying to understand what they might feel by experimenting with pain herself.

In other words, she was both sadistic and masochistic.

The next day, inside the local workshop, Betty explained to Velle how Theodore became part of her life.

“Theodore was a business acquaintance of my father,” she said, sipping tea from her seat at the table. “One day, he just showed up, saying that my father had passed away while away on business.”

After her father’s death, most of the mansion staff left except for Hugo, her remaining butler—a man who appeared only a few years older than Betty, with neatly kept black hair and piercing black eyes. Velle, seated across from Betty with her goggles on her head, crossed her arms and listened, still feeling the bruises and aches from last night’s fight.

“So all those elegant postures were just an act?” Velle asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well…” Betty hesitated. “I wouldn’t say I was faking them. It’s what my father taught me. But it’s not who I really am. When it comes to… tormenting someone, I guess I do go a little overboard.”

Velle’s expression remained unimpressed. “About this ‘moving’ you were talking about last night…”

“Of course,” Betty replied, smiling as she met Velle’s gaze. “I was planning to move in with you if you managed to beat me.”

“Sorry, I already have a roommate back home.” Velle shut down the idea quickly, her expression deadpan.

“Oh, come on! You’ve got to help me find a place. I’m a valuable team member, aren’t I?”

“A ‘valuable’ member who nearly forced me to kill myself?” Velle replied dryly, one eyebrow raised.

“Oh, please! I wasn’t going to make you actually slit your throat… just a tiny cut. Enough for a little blood.”

“That’s still enough to kill me. And Theodore wouldn’t be thrilled about that.”

“True, but he must have a plan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t tell me to do as I please.”

“And what if he doesn’t know you’re a psycho?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Betty said with a smirk. “But I’m sure he knows. He once watched me purposely rip up my toys when I was younger.”

“That was years ago,” Velle added, considering. “He’s also linked to the assassination of Veledot’s royal family fifteen years ago.” She recalled this detail from something Renn had once mentioned.

The two fell into silence, Betty enjoying her tea while Velle was deep in thought. How much is Theodore involved in us descendants’ lives? she wondered.

“Now, should we go?” Betty finally broke the silence, setting down her empty teacup as she rose from her seat. “I’d like to see where you plan on having me stay, as part of your team… as a fellow descendant.”

“I already told you, you can’t stay with me,” Velle replied, standing up as well. “But… you could stay in my old place.”

Hearing that, Betty tilted her head, intrigued.

----------------------------------------

As they made their way to Kaska, Velle brought Betty and Hugo to the local alchemist workshop to meet Aster.

“You want them to stay at our place?” Aster asked, folding his arms skeptically.

“Your house is big enough, unlike my tiny room back in Alma,” Velle replied, sounding casual. “Betty can use my old bedroom.”

“Your bedroom?!” Betty’s face lit up, her eyes sparkling as she looked over at Velle.

“I haven’t stayed there in months, so there shouldn’t be any leftover smell or anything weird, don’t worry.”

“That just makes it better,” Betty replied with a mischievous grin.

“…What?”

“Now, now,” Aster interrupted, cutting through the back-and-forth. “I don’t mind if they stay, especially since she’s a descendant too. And he,” he nodded at Hugo, “seems like he’d be helpful around the house.”

Hugo gave a respectful bow. “I’ll be sure to help maintain the abode, Mr. Aster,” he said, his words precise and polite, clearly accustomed to his role as a butler.

“Oh, I could get used to being called that,” Aster smirked.

“Anyway, they’re all yours,” Velle continued. “If anything’s up, I’ll reach out with the signal device, and we’ll coordinate through the telecommunication device.”

“Sounds good,” Betty said with a nod. “We’ll be downstairs. Come down when you’re ready to show us the place.”

With that, Betty and Hugo made their way to the workshop’s first floor, leaving Velle and Aster on the second floor amid the alchemists at work.

As they watched Betty and Hugo leave, Aster spoke, his gaze lingering on the stairs. “You want me to keep an eye on them, don’t you?”

“Exactly. I’m not sure if they’re joining us sincerely or if it’s a trap, so it’s best to monitor them closely. You probably have some spare time, right?”

“Heh, I may not be as overloaded as some here, but I’ve got my own responsibilities at the palace,” Aster replied with a shrug.

“I’m sure the headquarters will give you a little flexibility to keep an eye on a descendant.”

“Hopefully. So, what’s next for you?”

“I’m heading back to Alma.”

“Already? Not even staying overnight?”

“The headquarters only gave me another month before I’m back to alchemist duties. I need to gather leads on the cults’ whereabouts quickly.”

At the mention of the cults, Aster’s curiosity sparked. “Those cults… they’re bound to be secretive. Tracking them down without some kind of insider connection sounds near impossible.”

“Oh? You got any ‘connections’ with these cults?” Velle asked, eyebrow raised.

He chuckled at her question. “Of course not.” Then he looked at her, more serious this time, with a smirk. “But I may have come across something about the ancient beasts.”

----------------------------------------

After showing Betty and Hugo to his home, Aster led Velle to Kaska’s royal palace, specifically to the royal library.

As they strolled through the palace halls, they encountered Queen Victoria and Ember, who decided to accompany them.

“It’s been a while, Velle. How are things?” Ember asked, glancing her over and widening her eyes slightly. “Actually, you look like you just got out of a fight.”

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“I’m fine,” Velle assured her. “I’m looking for leads on the cults that worship ancient beasts.”

“I heard about that.” Ember gave a small, understanding smile. “It must be rough being a descendant, huh?”

After some small talk, the trio finally reached the entrance of the library, the largest in the north.

As the grand double doors swung open, Velle, Aster, and Ember were greeted by an impressive sight: rows upon rows of bookshelves lined the library, stretching to a second floor packed with even more volumes.

“I remember seeing a book about the ancient beasts here somewhere,” Aster said, already striding ahead to begin his search.

“Let’s split up. I’ll check the upstairs shelves,” Ember offered, heading for the staircase.

As Velle scanned the shelves, a particular title caught her eye: Mana’s Origins. Curious, she slid the book from its place and flipped through the pages, skimming for useful insights.

The book outlined a theory that Mana’s existence might have only emerged during the era of Neona and the legendary heroes, who battled the ancient beasts. This challenged the common belief that Mana had always been present, even if invisible to earlier people. According to the book, once Mana was discovered by alchemists—decades after Neona absorbed the Mana of the ancient beasts and became known as the Goddess of Light—a strange phenomenon began. New species of plants were identified, but when Mana was extracted from them, they stopped bearing fruit. The same held true for monsters, whose strength and stamina depleted when their Mana was taken.

However, an experiment showed that extracting Mana from a tree over a century old had no adverse effects—the tree continued to bear fruit as usual. Despite this anomaly, the theory that Mana was a recent phenomenon was largely dismissed, as everything, including humans, had Mana within them. But the book’s author, an alchemist named Kelly, was undeterred, presenting her ideas in this educational text.

One of her most intriguing points was that, despite lacking Mana-infused tools, people of the distant past seemed to have fewer issues with monsters—a potential hint of some deeper connection.

Noting the publication date was nearly five years ago, Velle returned the book to its place just as she heard Aster call out.

“I found it!”

Gathering around a nearby table, Aster placed the book down and flipped through its pages, revealing essential information to Velle and Ember, who sat beside him.

“This book has details on each of the ancient beasts,” he said, “their names, appearances, and their supposed habitats... roughly.”

The duo listened closely as Aster relayed the book’s contents. Due to their size and strength, these creatures were once revered as the “rulers of the world.”

Vulferos, the ruler of the land, was a massive, four-legged creature with horns and a tail, commanding all land-dwelling beasts.

Zephyrax, the ruler of the sky, ruled over aerial beasts. Despite being the smallest, this multicolored bird-like creature was the fastest.

Cryonethys, the ruler of the sea, was the largest creature to have ever existed, a serpent-like beast that controlled all aquatic life.

“Together, they symbolized the pinnacle of beastly power—endurance, agility, and sheer strength,” Aster added, eyes glued to the page.

As he turned to a new page, they saw an illustrated map of the Mainland with a triangle drawn over it.

“The book says each of the three beasts were in different locations around the Mainland, forming a triangle,” Aster explained, pointing to each tip. “Supposedly, the beasts’ resting places line up in this triangular shape.”

“Howl found a hideout of Vulferos’ cultists down south a few days ago.” Velle added, glancing at the map.

“Really? That means this triangle might be accurate,” Aster said, pointing to the southern tip. “So, if Vulferos’ cult is here, then that would put the other two cults… here and here.” He traced his fingers along the triangle’s other points.

“So, you think the ancient beasts themselves are at each tip?” Ember asked, intrigued.

“Not the beasts, but their cults,” Aster corrected. “They’re probably knee-deep in ancient lore about the beasts, given their obsession.”

“Can I borrow this book?” Velle asked, looking over at Ember.

“Of course. I’ll let my mother know you’ve got it.”

“We already have Garland’s descendant to the west, so maybe you should go east,” Aster suggested.

Velle shook her head. “Renn went east a few days ago to find the remaining descendants.”

“Oh, really?” Aster looked surprised.

“I’ll update her later. For now, I’m headed west to Veledot. There’s something else I want to investigate there too.” She tucked the book under her arm and stood up, signaling it was time to go.

Aster and Ember followed her as they left the library, bidding farewell to Ember before exiting the palace. Outside, the evening sky was painted a soft orange, casting a warm glow over the snow.

“Perfect timing for dinner, don’t you think?” Aster said, glancing at the sky.

Velle sighed. She was in a hurry, but given how much of the day they’d spent at the library, staying the night here was better than chancing an inn elsewhere.

“Fine, just one night,” she relented, and Aster’s face lit up. Together, they returned to their lodging, where they expected to find Betty and Hugo.

But the house was empty—no lights, no sign of either Betty or Hugo.

“Where did they go?” Aster muttered, stepping inside with a frown.

“Tch. Didn’t think they’d show their true colors this soon,” Velle muttered, fists clenched. Was the fight last night for nothing?

“Whose ‘true colors’ are we talking about, I wonder?” came a voice from behind. Velle spun around to see Betty and Hugo at the door, holding bags of groceries and bundled in winter coats.

“I noticed the fridge was nearly empty, so we went to buy some ingredients for dinner,” Hugo explained, glancing at Betty. “Miss Betty insisted on coming along to get familiar with the kingdom.”

“Oh.” Aster scratched his head, sheepish. “Yeah, I didn’t stock much since I usually live alone.”

Betty smiled, stretching her hand out as snowflakes gathered in her palm. “The snow here is marvelous! I didn’t expect it to be this chilly—my dress was practically useless against it!”

Velle observed them warily. Despite their apparent innocence, she still wasn’t ready to trust them entirely.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that, Velle,” Betty teased. “We’re on the same team, right? Since you’re staying tonight, maybe we can even share a bed!”

“Pass, thanks.”

“Aww!”

“Can we at least get inside before we all freeze?” Aster suggested, noticing the snow gathering on Betty and Hugo’s coats.

Once inside, Hugo immediately set to work in the kitchen, with Aster joining to help. Meanwhile, Velle headed toward the bath, only for Betty to pop up beside her, cheerfully insisting on joining her.

“Please! We’re both girls, after all!” Betty pleaded, putting on her best pout.

“I’m perfectly capable of taking a bath alone,” Velle replied, firmly closing the door.

But Betty slipped her hands into the doorframe before it shut completely. “I can give you back rubs!”

“I don’t need back rubs!” Velle shot back, trying to nudge the door closed.

“Are you girls okay over there?” Aster called from the kitchen, hands busy with dinner prep.

“Velle won’t take a bath with meee!” Betty shouted, sounding like a kid tattling.

“Velle, play nice!” Aster called back.

“Who’s your kid, me or her?!” Velle demanded, peeking out through the narrow opening of the door.

In the end, Betty couldn’t talk her way into the bath, but she wasn’t deterred. As silly as it seemed, she swore to herself that one day she’d manage to get Velle to share a bath with her. That, she decided, was now one of her life goals.

At the dining table, the four gathered, sharing a hearty meal that felt unusually cozy, like a family gathering. Aster showered Hugo with praise for his cooking, while Betty remained thoroughly engrossed in Velle, eyes never straying far from her.

Since Betty had little to share from her own childhood, the conversation turned into Aster’s tales of Kaska. He animatedly described the vibrant kingdom, then brought up Wendale’s bakery and its famed pastries, which made regular appearances in Kaska. The mention of the pastries seemed to intrigue Betty, sparking an idea.

After dinner, Betty decided to check out the local bakery, scheming to bring back a selection for Velle and Aster—but mostly for Velle. Hugo offered to go along, leaving Velle and Aster to clean up.

That night, sleeping arrangements were set: Hugo and Aster would share his room, while Velle and Betty would sleep in the same bedroom—though not the same bed. Despite Betty’s various attempts to persuade her, Velle insisted on the spare mattress on the floor.

In the dimly lit room, Velle sat on the floor by her mattress, absorbed in her book about the ancient beasts. Betty lounged on the bed, nibbling on pastries and watching Velle with her usual mischievous interest.

“Say, Betty,” Velle said, still looking at her book, “has Theodore mentioned anything about the cults?”

Betty smirked, taking another bite. “What if I tell a lie?”

“I’ll decide that after hearing your answer.”

“Hehe, fair enough.” Betty took her time, as if relishing the mystery. “Well… lately, he’s been focused on my training. But I do recall him mentioning something about sending Axel’s descendant somewhere.”

“Where?”

Betty shrugged, feigning disinterest. “No idea. That’s all he told me. I wonder if he expected me to join you from the start.”

She leaned in with a sly grin. “So, do you think that was a lie?”

“You would’ve come up with something better if it was a lie,” Velle replied, unimpressed. She glanced back at her book, dismissing the vague answer. Betty gave a disappointed pout and resumed her pastry.

In truth, Velle’s mind was racing with questions. Theodore’s intentions were still shrouded in ambiguity, but she couldn’t afford to get sidetracked. The cults, and the unknown spy in Veledot, had to take priority.

The next morning, Velle prepared swiftly, determined to reach Veledot without delay. She boarded the mana train heading west, her thoughts inevitably drifting to the east, where Renn was. Despite the many hunters safeguarding the region, Balehorn alone was a threat that could bring about catastrophic destruction. A reunion between Coby and Balehorn would be a nightmare scenario.

She could only hope that Renn was holding her ground.

----------------------------------------

In a small city northeast of Pelladia, Renn and Arthur finished restocking supplies. Arthur tucked the last ration into his pack, satisfied. “That should hold us until the next city,” he muttered. “Ready to go?”

Renn didn’t answer. Her gaze was fixed on the rugged mountains ahead, her expression distant.

“You alright?” Arthur asked, following her line of sight.

“I found it.”

“Huh?” Arthur squinted at the distant mountain range, seeing only a cluster of ordinary peaks against the sky.

But Renn’s gaze went beyond what was visible. To her, a faint Mana signature pulsed through the mountains, just barely visible but unmistakably there—like a distant beacon radiating through solid stone. The sheer force of it, detectable even from here, sent a chill down her spine.

“Balehorn’s in there.”

----------------------------------------