Chapter 4. Scar of Her Past

There are four divisions inside the Dwialyo planet. These divisions are divided according to their elemental sacred swords, which serve to nourish the balance of the world.

"Air Sword", the sword in the sky, is owned by the great lady in Veil, who is known as the rightful heiress and princess of the kingdom of Asle. SQY LE TAMLIERAS's name is already engraved in the sacred stone of the global prophecy.

"Princess Sqy Le Tamlieras is far from what was stated in the past. She quite grows strong now," Amira said. She wiggled her bunny ears and smirked. Amira is a chosen priestess of the temple, and she is also a second judge advocate general between the temple and the knights of the Holy Castle.

Princess Sqy Le is reported to be weak and never deals with difficult battles. She aced her academic subject, but she is beyond her sport skills due to her ailments.

"Since she got cured of her ailment, she is trying hard to go beyond what people don't expect her to do."

She was timid toward her relationship with the nobility. She was soft, but since the outbreak of the [CENTER APOCALYPSE ERA] she has changed unexpectedly fast and is no longer what she was known for.

And the apocalypse was divided into three parts: the Apocalypse Viel, the Center Apocalypse, and the Prophesied Era. These three had been written since the awakening of the first outbreak of the apocalypse.

In each point of the apocalypse, everything that had been pointed out in the Holy Confession of the Temple of Lights changes according to the given accord of the apocalypse. Some were blessed, like Princess Sqy, to be treated for her impossible ailment during the second outbreak, and some were cursed, like having the ailments or turning into a part of a creature like Amira.

"She's one of the candidates for the side throne. Every [veiled] maiden candidate is aiming for the title. But in spite of having a goal to view the outcomes of sitting beside the new king, she chooses to be the luxury of humanity's hope," Dasiyl said with bitterness while gently clearing the dust on her glasses. Dasiyl is the Widow Duchess of the Reo Dukedom, and she has a huge history of heroic acts because of her late Duke husband.

Hailey shook her head, drank her juice, and silently listened to them. Hailey Daih Xael is the next successor of the Sword of Water. She is one of the Phenomenal Observants of the World and one of the Preistess of the Temple of Lights. She is one of the people who strictly tracks the insightful behavior occurring around the world.

“Speaking of humanity's hope, there is still this rumored child of God  wearing the holy armor and saving lives. He or she is the first in line before the princess.“ Amira opened the topic of the rumored child, the well-known savior who is being blessed by the Gods and Goddesses. She then turned her gaze at Hailey, who is only focusing on her juice. “Can this issue steal your attention, Lady Hailey? “

Lady Hailey put her juice above the table and leaned in her seat.

"The Masked Man slaughtered all the Humanoid Wolvens."

Wolvens are another creature or species living on the planet with the same absolute and similar power as the wolf. They have fangs that are only interested in killing flesh alive.

"This unknown man is moving on his own without being traced by his magic element or special ability."

Hailey already knew it. Since she became the owner of the Global Investigatory, she has only found the same result for the slayer repeatedly. There were no changes to him or her.

“I heard this masked man is holding a special sword that allows him to kill the apocalypse monsters in just a snap. Could he be one of the owners of the elemental sword?“

“I have no words to say about it. His identity is still unknown for us. Even if he has one of the Elemental Swords, the temple will already give us a signal about the successor to the sword. However, now only Princess Sqy is officially acknowledged by the elemental sword.“ Once the Elemental Sword is summoned into the world, the Temple will be alerted. They have this special instrument [the Holy Convention] that allows them to know the birth of the sword

The only thing that changes over time is the number of rumored masked men killed.

People began gossiping and spreading rumors like wildfire about this slayer, stripping him of his motivational role as a mysterious hero. Yet she finds it cliche. It seems like the Masked Hero doesn't want to be everyone's hope and savior; the Masked Man only wants to reveal the true nature of humans. Corrupt in greed and power about this era.

"Princess Sqy Le's official acknowledgement will be held for a moment. The temple is still in uproar about this slayer in a mask."

Just like what the Masked Man wanted to unfold, Princess Sqy is also competing with that idea. She could be mistaken for the rumored slayer because of her ideas, but due to the circumstances of the distance between the places that the masked man visited and the princess's place and schedule, she was not the suspected person. But Hailey never likes the idea of having the princess involved in her investigation.

Princess might be good at faking her prosperity and floundering in the eyes of the people, but for Hailey, she is one of the most dangerous people living in the world.

***

She put her book back on her nearest podium, and then she looked in the mirror. She caressed the skin of her face, tracing the faded scars on her face.

Back then, she had a deep scar that caused her to be silent during a difficult time. Having a scar is not 'appropriate' for a Veiled Lady because it is a symbol of destruction and the death of the hope that the world is trying to prosper. She remembered how she begged foolishly in her previous timeline.

She smiled. Even though she had that deep scar on her face, which was the reason she was bullied, she still loves it. It was the last thing that she knew about her late parents in her previous timeline.

"You stopped the second death of your parents in this timeline. You should be happy without seeing those scars," Khiko suddenly said.

Do angels have no idea what the bathroom is?

They always appeared in surprise when she was in the bathroom and annoyed her. If it is not Clyde, it will be Khiko, who always annoys her in her bathing.

He leaned into his favorite place in her bathroom (the fourth block near the door of the room). His patrol doesn't go according to her rights. Even in her private bath, he is always present. Though he is her senior guardian angel, she can't let her guard down. Can she sue him?

She has this second life, and it is thanks to them for giving her that kind of training to reach her current level and this second life. She respects them (the angels and demons from the Rebirth's Lair), but she doesn't do it easily. She strived for it to happen. She gained this second life because she made it happen.

"I do miss that scar in my previous life." He looked at her in the reflection of the mirror from his direction.

“But it resembles how your parents ended up being killed in front of you.“ She sketchy smiled.

"I know it is the leftover of the bad past, but it is one of the reasons why I became me in this life. I did lose my parent, resulting in having that scar, but it helped me to be reminded that every second that I wasted mourning my parent's death is also the second that they want me to live for my life's sake,“ she said with her sincere tone.

Khiko then smiled, pleased with her answer.

"You should.“

“Handling souls is not easy, like you, and worse if they have the potential to access the stage of life in which they can be reborn."

Before she came back from this timeline, she was chosen to be reborn (or known as graduated souls of the lair) with her previous life's memories of this world intact. Along with her memories is the hatred that has consumed her entire life. She has the memories of 20 years before she was born, and those memories became her goal to live again in her second life, and that is killing the false gods living in the hidden world, which is the reason for this apocalypse.

She heard Saphena's footsteps approaching the door of her bathroom.

"You should go; Saph is coming." He nodded and looked at the door with his deep blue eyes before exiting himself. Then Saph opened the door.

Saph narrowed her eyes at her and at the book on her podium.

"I somehow expected you in your robe, not with your book. It is not the time for your study; you should manage your time for cultivating your learning of culture," Saph nagged and led herself to her.

“It's time for your bath, not time for your reading,“ Saphena said in a strict tone.

She just then nodded, and a naughty idea came to her mind: she suddenly jumped in her tub, causing the water to be splattered around the room and earning her a death glare from Saphena. Saphena got her clothes wet.

“Damn, you're naughty!“

"The test of the veil is approaching," she said, unbothered by Saphena's death glare.

"It is your own fault for not keeping the time check. You have plenty of time to have the world of knowledge come to you, but you chose the blooded stink stick down on your nose." Well, Saph already knows what she's doing when she's gone in her room. Saphena is the one who's making excuses to the people who are paying her a visit. She is a good and reliable lady in waiting.

"Physical training is good for the body, Saph; you should try it too." Saph rolled her eyes and opened the rain faucet of her tub.

"I may be skinny, but I'm strong enough to defend myself. Now, you're the one who needs to try hard to manage your time. May blood stink everywhere, but you'll never know; soon, it will be your blood. THEY already have plenty of tools to track who you are; you should be careful." She's talking about the royalties and holy person who is interested in the Mask Man's real identity.

"Why Saph? Is the Four Sword successor already involved?" She asked out of curiosity. But Saphena only gave her a silent reply, and it is a signal for her that she already knows the answer.

"Princess Sqy will be furious if she challenges a mere unknown Veiled Lady of the castle." Though it was just a joke, Saphena is still silent. The princess still has an impact on her lady in waiting.

***

The Duke was in his office while his knights were removing the bodies of his manor staff. He was just sitting in his chair, having these deep thoughts in mind. He never expected to see his attendants mercilessly killed before he could do it himself.

Then a knock came in his door, and his knight on guard said “A message from the temple, your grace.“

“Come in.“ The door opened, and a messenger of the Temple of Lights entered his office, along with its silver sun, which crossed in the center of the sun logo in the messenger's cape.

The messenger knelt. “What brought the messenger of the temple of lights here to my manor?“ He threw serious dart glares at him.

The news about his dead staff had already reached the temple's ears. The temple really shows their direct power. News from the North can travel in a flash in the main capital. And this messenger in front of him is just one of the examples showing how they controlled the world with this hellish situation.

“The Highest Honorable and the Minister are giving you an order.“ He stood in his chair and signaled the messenger to stand.

“He is saying his condolences by sending me on his behalf.“ He faked a smile at the messenger and walked towards him.

“I received.“

“So then I have also given this duty to pass this important order to you.“ The messenger showed the scroll in his own purse and gave it to him.

The Duke accepted and opened it. He gritted his teeth before he could read the whole message of the order. Damn, who fixed this whole order?

“As the order says on the scroll, you need to follow it.“

His smile almost got lost in the anger when he read the message. But he took it back and put the scroll on his chest, with a usual fake smile planted on his lips. “As the Duke of the North, I hereby accept the order."