Naviga walked to the window in the room and opened it. A cool breeze flowed in, carrying the crispness of the night. The silver-white half-moon shone brightly in the sky, accompanied by stars that seemed to pulse, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.
The silver-white moon signified the arrival of the winter season in this Galaxy. In this Galaxy, each of the four seasons was marked by the ascension of a unique moon. A light blue moon signified spring, an orange moon heralded summer, a yellow moon marked autumn, and a silver-white moon symbolized winter. The half-moon indicated that winter had only just begun.
Minerva sat gracefully in the chair as Naviga approached from behind. With practiced hands, Naviga gently gathered Minerva's long, fiery red hair into an elegant updo hairstyle, securing it with a red hairpin. The hairpin, a delicate creation of silver and ruby, matched Minerva's striking red dress, a fine satin gown that shimmered with every movement. To complete the look, Naviga added a pair of matching red earrings—sapphire-studded hoops that shimmered in the light, enhancing Minerva's natural beauty.
Naviga then draped a stunning red gemstone necklace around Minerva's neck, the pendant shaped like a delicate flame, glowing softly with a warm, almost ethereal light. The necklace accentuated Minerva's graceful neckline and added an air of sophistication. On Minerva's wrist, Naviga placed a matching red bracelet adorned with intricate silver filigree, its design resembling flowing flames. The bracelet glittered subtly, complementing both the necklace and the earrings, completing the ensemble.
The red hairpin, the jewelry, and the elegant updo gave Minerva a dignified yet seductive appearance, the perfect blend of power and grace.
At that moment, Minasa appeared in the room. She stood in front of Minerva, saluted her respectfully, and said, "Young Lady, I've brought your food. You can eat here." She handed a packed meal to Naviga, who opened it and arranged the food on the table in the room. The meal consisted of fragrant chicken curry, roasted rabbit, and freshly baked wheat pita bread.
Naviga retrieved a plate from her storage ring, served Minerva a portion, and handed it to her. Minerva began eating, her movements elegant and deliberate, while Naviga stepped back to her side, joined by Minasa. As the heir of a prominent family, Minerva was accustomed to formal dining etiquette, which dictated that her attendants stand by her side rather than dine with her, even when away from home.
However, Minerva didn't appreciate eating alone, especially in such a casual setting. She glanced at them and said, "Naviga, Aunt Minasa, sit and eat with me. Haven't I always told you not to stand on ceremony when it's just the three of us?"
Minasa responded calmly, "Miss, we can't. I know it might feel awkward for you to eat alone, but the rules are clear. As your maid and protector, we cannot sit beside you."
Naviga nodded in agreement, adding softly, "It's not appropriate, Miss."
Minerva frowned slightly at their refusal. Her tone shifted to one of authority, "Naviga, Minasa—sit and eat with me. This is an order, or I won't eat at all."
When the two saw Minerva putting her plate back on the table and heard the determination in her voice, Naviga quickly stepped forward and said, "Alright, Miss. We'll eat with you. Please don't put your food aside." Minasa also nodded, finally conceding. Both sat down with her, sharing the meal as Minerva's mood visibly lightened.
While eating, Minerva looked at Minasa and asked, "Aunt Minasa, do you know who did it?"
Minasa met Minerva's gaze calmly and replied, "Yes, I might have a clue, but I can't tell you, Miss."
Minerva nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. It's for my growth, my learning, and my responsibilities as the heir. You're not supposed to tell me—I was just asking casually. But I think I've pieced together some clues myself."
Minasa gave an approving look, appreciating the maturity and insight of her young lady.
Naviga, observing the exchange, also understood the clues Minerva was referring to. She, too, knew this wasn't the time to reveal anything. After all, she was once an assassin—how could she not grasp the intricacies of such matters?
Minerva looked thoughtful as she spoke. "The fight with the assassin yesterday—they were using daggers infused with dark element. That points to the Phantom Cult. Most likely, they were involved. But I suspect there's another player behind them, perhaps the Redit family, who are enemies of the Medure family in this Galaxy or."
She paused, her expression growing sharper. "It's also likely that someone from above gave to order Phantom Cult. If I had to guess, it could be the Zevilar family or the Akartha family. But we can't rule out other powerhouses who might have orchestrated this. They're aware that Aunt Minasa is here with me, so they didn't send anyone too powerful. If they had sent someone stronger than Aunt Minasa, my mother would have sent a powerful figure to confronted that figure ."
Minerva leaned forward, her voice firm. "First, we need to investigate if the Redit family is involved in this. The Phantom Cult will also know their operatives failed, so they'll be on high alert."
Naviga and Minasa both nodded in agreement.
Minerva continued, her tone thoughtful. "We also can't rule out the possibility of a traitor within the family. That makes it even more important to visit the ancestral home first. Once we're there, we can decide on our next course of action."
Minasa remained silent, her face impassive, while Naviga nodded again, signaling her agreement.
The three finished their meal in the soft, flickering light of candles, the room quiet but heavy with unspoken determination.
****************
Meanwhile, in a 144-square-foot room, a window was covered with black curtains, and an orange magic bulb dimly illuminated the space. A double-sized bed sat in the corner, a bookshelf stood against the wall, and a table with a chair was placed near the window.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. As the door swung inward, the magic bulb brightened, casting a warm glow that made the room more visible. A man entered hurriedly, his height about 5 feet 9 inches. He had slightly handsome features, black hair, and dark eyes, and wore a black outfit. His expression was anxious as he quickly approached the magic bulb.
The bulb was a small spherical artifact etched with glowing orange runes. Inside, a tiny orb of energy flickered like a flame. It rested on an ornate metal stand with flowing vine-like patterns and was mounted securely to the wall.
He placed his hand on the magic bulb, feeling it slightly warm. He twisted it to the right and returned it to its original position. Then, he twisted it to the right again and back before twisting it to the left. As he let go of the bulb, a sudden click sounded.
The wall beneath the bulb shifted back, revealing a hidden passage. A ladder leading down appeared, but the area below was completely dark, and even the bulb's light couldn't reach it.
He placed his foot on the first rung of the ladder, and as he did, the passage lit up with the glow of eight magic bulbs lining the walls. Slowly, he descended, his full body on the ladder now. Carefully, he made his way down about ten steps before reaching a narrow pathway, barely six feet high.As he stepped onto the narrow path, the magic bulbs along the way lit up one by one with each of his steps, casting a soft glow that illuminated the passage ahead.
Walking cautiously, he followed the path for over three minutes until he reached a door. The door shimmered with a silver hue, its handle round with a small hole in its center. The man pulled out a coin-like object. The coin was brown and engraved with visible runes.
He bit his thumb, drawing blood, and pressed his bleeding thumb onto the coin. Then, he placed the coin into the hole on the door handle, aligning the blood-stained side downward.
Then the sound "Verified" echoed through the passage, and the door opened automatically. The man stepped through into a pitch-black room, devoid of any magic bulbs. Inside, there was only a table and a chair.
He cast a small flame in his hand to light the room faintly, then walked to the chair and sat down. Pulling open the table's drawer, he retrieved a black case. Opening it, he took out an object resembling a mobile phone.
Extinguishing the flame, he tapped the device three times and waited. After more than five minutes, a projection appeared with through the mobile phone like object, it illuminating the dark room with its light.
On the other side of the projection screen, the darkness remained, but then a deep voice echoed from it, asking, "Is it done?"
The man in the room replied with fear, "No, she escaped." A heavy silence filled the room, making the man tremble even more. Then, the deep voice sounded again, cold and menacing, "Next time, don't miss it. Also, that will be your last chance." The man trembled, barely able to speak, "Y-yes..." With that, the projection ended, leaving the room in darkness once again.
Fuck.....The man cursed under his breath, his face pale but his eyes void of fear. His mind raced as he thought, "Who the hell is that woman? Why is the master sending such powerful figures to kill her? Is it because she's from the Medure family? They must have significant backing from another galaxy. But here, in this galaxy, there's no need for the master to intervene unless... unless this girl is from above." His eyes widened in horror as the realization struck him. "I think that girl from above" fuck my life....."
Fear gripped his heart as his thoughts spiraled out of control. "Damn it, I'm going up against a powerful family from an upper galaxy!" He quickly considered his options. "I need to move out of the cult area, or they'll come for me sooner or later. Also I've to sent two 2nd Essence core assassins after her.
When he thought about the two assassins he had sent again,Frustration and fear gripped him,but knew better than to speak out against the figure in the projection. With his mind still swirling in panic, the man left the room, the door closing behind him, once again plunging the room into silence.
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