"What… what happened?" Elizabeth stared in dumb shock. "Is this for real?"
(That's the power of a peak Rank 3 combatant,) the spirit seemed to sigh in a telepathic connection. (I don't know why someone like that is here in the human world, but…)
They trailed off in silence, leaving Elizabeth to reel in her shock. Peak Rank 3! Fundamental Realm and Gaseous Fog were Rank 1. Perception Realm and Condensed Drop were Rank 2. Roughly speaking, Instinct Realm and Blue Depth were Rank 3! Although Elizabeth had no knowledge on the other Rank 3 combatants, namely the Sword King or Protector Avin, she never could have imagined the massive disparity between ranks. The strongest person she knew, Sir Winstin, looked as fragile as an ant against that godly power. It was… simply ridiculous, but then Elizabeth shivered.
Rena mentioned once that there were five ranks in total and every subsequent rank increased one's power by an insurmountable amount! Previously, Elizabeth and her friends could jump the gap and defeat the Perception Realm Emperor Lianghu. The difference between Rank 1 and Rank 2 was large, but not impossible. That begins to change from that point onwards though. Both the Sword King and Protector Avin could annihilate the First and Third Hand respectively. Keeping in mind that the First and Third Hand were fearsome forces, they were still destroyed singlehandedly! It was no wonder the Rank 3s were respectfully called Kings! They could rule like a king!
But what about above that? Rank 4 Emperors or Rank 5 Gods? If a Peak Rank 3 attack could already accomplish this much… then the higher ranks must be unfathomable! They could probably destroy humanity with a single finger… no, maybe a single thought. By comparison, the struggles of humanity and their endless wars seemed insignificant. Everything could be swept away on a mere whim! For once, Elizabeth realized how feeble and small humanity really was. It was no wonder they were ignored on the global stage!
"…Are there any other survivors?" Elizabeth said after a long silence. "I rescued some children back then. Did they make it out alive?"
"Besides you, there are no exceptions," Prince Dannark said.
Elizabeth's mood plummeted heavily hearing this. "What about Aunt Christina or Sir Lorenzo? They were near the explosion, right?"
"Both Lady Christina Kalmar and Sir Lorenzo Hawken are safe, Your Highness," Sir Winstin reported. "They were transported into Castle Reinhard shortly before the Lannisail explosion. They are recovering and are already awake."
"Thank goodness…" Elizabeth felt relieved. Moreover, the Lannisail Household and Whispering Shadow paid the ultimate price for their crimes. She hoped those children would be happy in the afterlife.
"Moving back to the main point, you'll have to offer us an explanation," Prince Dannark said with a fierce look. "You might be the heir apparent, but that status can be revoked at any time. Until you become the queen, remember this very well: You are not untouchable. If we gain evidence that you're harboring hostile intentions against the Alzar Kingdom, then we will remove you."
Queen Bethnal remained silent which meant her approval. In the face of national interests, there was no room for familial bonds. They were not her uncle or grandmother. They were the cold and calculative Prince Dannark and Queen Bethnal! That was why Elizabeth exposed a wry smile. She knew there was no getting out of this now. Even she could not come up with a reasonable explanation how she survived being at the epicenter of the Lannisail explosion. Left with no choice, she decided to expose Rena's existence here.
I hope you won't blame me for this, Elizabeth thought, holding the Whiteangel Bow tighter.
"Can I talk to you alone… Your Majesty?"
Prince Dannark and Lord Illion reflexively raised an eyebrow. In terms of standing, they were close to the top in the kingdom. Prince Dannark was the Second-In-Command of the Quinvoren Army, and the eldest child of Queen Bethnal. He was the next-in-line for the throne until he abdicated, showing how highly everyone thought of his abilities. On the other hand was Lord Illion, once the Third-In-Command, now the Leader of the Royal Assembly and Master of Strategy! The two of them knew everything about the kingdom, even down to its deepest darkest secrets that should never see the light of day. So, they were slightly taken aback to be excluded from this conversation.
"You cannot speak about this with the others?" the queen wondered.
"If possible, I would like that," Elizabeth grew awkward.
"…Very well."
"Your Majesty, are you sure about this?" Prince Dannark immediately interjected with a faint sense of distrust emerging.
"It's fine since I said so. Everyone besides Elizabeth can leave this room now." Her tone left no room for negotiation. As soon as everyone left, she faced the girl and asked, "Are you satisfied?"
Elizabeth nodded sheepishly. However, the bow in her hands was unsatisfied. Under their disbelieving eyes, the crystal began glowing bright white! Elizabeth sensed her Magic Energy depleting rapidly out of her control! Before she could stop it, a magical circle materialized. She did not recognize it and panic grew. Queen Bethnal was equally startled, having zero understanding of what was happening. The magic casting speed was too fast though, completing before either of the two could do anything. An instant later, a strange field enveloped the room, isolating it from the outside world. It was a high power perception blocking barrier!
Outside, Sir Winstin stood with Sir Sebastian and Lady Valentina. Prince Dannark and Lord Illion stood nearby, talking about other matters. The three knights were idling around when Sir Winstin frowned. He had the strongest senses amongst everyone, standing at the peak of Perception Realm. Although he restrained himself and the walls were thick, it was easy to hear any conversation inside. Therefore, he consciously ignored the contents of every conversation and focused on the presence instead. That way, if something happened inside, he would be able to intervene in time. But when the perception barrier was erected, it felt like he was sensing a void. There was nothing there! Sir Sebastian and Lady Valentina were a second behind, coming to the same conclusion. They exchanged an uneasy expression.
Sir Winstin immediately knocked on the door and asked, "Your Highness, Your Majesty… Is there anything wrong? Did something happen?"
Upon hearing no response, his heart dropped. He was not so disloyal to think that Elizabeth had done something untoward. Rather, he remembered how the Second Hand kidnapped Elizabeth from right under their noses. Thinking that, the man tried opening the door, but it was sealed shut! Sir Winstin grimaced and decisively decided to draw his sword. The act drew everyone's attention over. He moved at blinding speed, hacking the door! Well… that was what should have happened except the sword skidded across the wood harmlessly. There was zero damage!
"Sir Winstin, what are you doing?" Prince Dannark asked confusedly.
"Your Highness, we felt something was wrong inside," Lady Valentina responded as his Protector.
"And you can't get in using force?" Lord Illion interjected incredulously. This was a simple wooden door. Sir Winstin should have been able to slice clean through the door, even if it was locked.
"Please stand back, Your Highness, Lord Illion… Sir Sebastian, Lady Valentina, we're going to attack together. We need to confirm their safety," Sir Winstin ordered.
If one was not enough, then use three! By combining the power of the three strongest knights, there was few capable of stopping them. They were able to defeat Captain Julian and Vice-captain Julie of the Second Hand so easily precisely because they were strong! Prince Dannark and Lord Illion stepped back as the three unsheathed their weapons. Sir Winstin with his glaive, Sir Sebastian with his claymore, and Lady Valentina with her rapier. An immense explosive surge of their Martial Aura churned the air as they pushed their physical condition to the peak. Although they lacked Martial Energy, they were still three Perception Realm Masters! They were some of the strongest individuals in the human world. The three of them attacked simultaneously, unleashing their strongest attack! Boom!