บท 65: Star Constellations
Red marks appeared on Lilith's forehead as her irritation boiled over. Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest object, a ruby stone, and hurled it at Lortell with all her strength.
"Stop masturbating in front of me!" she shouted, her voice high-pitched with frustration.
Lortell blinked and slowly turned around, her expression grim. "I was your personal teacher! For heaven's sake, show me some respect!" Lilith yelled, her tiny body trembling with rage.
Lortell's expression darkened. "So what? You didn't do me any great charity by that," she snapped. "My father gave you a ton of resources in return. Don't act like I owe you anything," she added with a dismissive snort, her voice dripping with contempt as she strode toward Lilith.
Lortell loomed over Lilith, her tall figure casting a shadow over the small girl. Lilith looked up, her frustration momentarily replaced by a tiny flicker of apprehension. Lortell leaned in closer, bending down slightly so their faces were only inches apart. Lortell's piercing red eyes locked onto Lilith's silver ones, the tension thick between them.
"Ten days," Lortell whispered, her voice low and menacing. "I'm giving you ten fucking days to find her, or on the eleventh day, I'll kill you… and burn this entire academy to the ground."
Without waiting for a reply, Lortell straightened up and stormed out of the room, her footsteps echoing ominously as she disappeared from sight.
Lilith stood there in stunned silence, watching Lortell's retreating figure. The room felt heavy with the weight of her threat. The moment the door slammed shut, Lilith's anger flared up again. She kicked the table with all her might, yelling into the empty room, "Ten days, or I'll kill you! Blah blah blah!" Lilith shouted, her little legs kicking the table again for good measure.
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"Phew, so where are we going again?" Maruti asked, squinting up at the sun as it blazed overhead.
The two girls were walking through the outskirts of the bustling city, heading into nowhere. Esdeath was dressed casually, a hoodie covering most of her face, and she wore a pair of vercity shorts that barely reached halfway down her thighs. The shorts were so short that the thin straps of the thong she was wearing, bought during her shopping trip with Luna, peeked out from the sides, leaving little to the imagination.
Maruti, on the other hand, was in a loose white T-shirt, clearly still in her night clothes. The top of her bra was visible beneath the shirt, and it was obvious that her large breasts strained against the fabric, as if they might tear through at any moment.
Esdeath glanced around at the busy marketplace before turning to Maruti. "What are you going to do with that information?" she asked, her voice calm and slightly teasing.
Maruti groaned, rolling her eyes in frustration. "Ugh! Come on, don't be like that! We ran from the academy early in the morning, and you won't even tell me why? I mean, look at me! I'm still in my night clothes!" She gestured down at her outfit dramatically.
Unable to bear Maruti's constant whining, Esdeath sighed and finally answered, "We're going to Seven King's Mountain."
At the mention of Seven King's Mountain, Maruti's eyes widened in shock. "Seven King's Mountain?" she exclaimed, recognizing the name. Even though she hadn't played *Free Life Fantasy* for long, she knew enough to understand the danger.
The Seven King's Mountain was infamous, situated just before the entrance to the demon realm. The mountains formed a half-circle, each peak linked to the next, creating a formidable natural barrier. For most people, the Seven King's Mountain was just as dangerous as the demon realm itself. The area was ruled by seven powerful demons, with the strongest, a female demon, controlling the others. Setting foot there was practically a death sentence.
"Why would you want to go there? Are you trying to sneak into the demon realm illegally?" Maruti asked, her voice filled with concern.
The only legal way into the demon realm was through the heavily guarded borders, where adventurers and travelers needed special permission to pass. Using Seven King's Mountain as a shortcut was a dangerous and illegal alternative.
But Esdeath's next words only deepened Maruti's confusion.
"No," Esdeath said, shaking her head as they continued to walk. "I said we're going to the Seven King's Mountain."
Maruti hurried ahead, blocking Esdeath's path. "But it'll take about three months to get there by foot Or carriage! You left a letter saying we'd be back before the competition. How is that even possible?"
Esdeath smirked, a confident glint in her eyes. "Oh, I know that. We're using portal crystals. They're expensive, but I have enough money saved up."
Her tone grew more serious as she continued. "And just because we left a letter doesn't mean the academy won't send people to find us. They'll think we've been kidnapped or something. There are a lot of possibilities, which is why we need to move fast." Esdeath's eyes narrowed as she laid out her plan, her mind racing with calculations.
The path to Seven King's Mountain was straightforward but long. Esdeath and Maruti were currently in the farthest corner of Anastasia Kingdom, a remote area that housed the Awakened Academy's main branch. Usually, the primary academies were built in the heart of kingdoms, near the capital. However, the Anastasia Kingdom's academy was unique, located near the edge of the kingdom for one important reason: the Great Forest.
The Great Forest, which bordered the academy, also led to the demon realm. It was invaluable for practical training, where students could test their skills in a real-world environment, and many ventured there to discover hidden demon inheritances. However, since Esdeath and Maruti were only first-year students, they hadn't yet been given the opportunity to enter the forest.
Now, back to their current mission. Seven King's Mountain was located in the exact opposite corner of the kingdom, miles away from the academy. Their first step was to reach the capital of Anastasia Kingdom. Once there, they could use a teleportation portal to instantly travel to the Seven King's Mountain, saving them months of travel time.
Esdeath had other plans for the capital too. Knowing that the marketplace in the capital was filled with rare essence stones, she was already thinking of which ones to buy, hoping to stock up on valuable materials for their journey.
But first, they needed to get to the capital, which meant taking a train. In this world, trains existed but were reserved for long-distance travel. These trains resembled the old-world steam engines but ran on mana stones instead of coal. Powerful and fast, they would be Esdeath and Maruti's best bet to reach the capital.
As Esdeath and Maruti continued their walk, they soon passed by a large church. The building itself was grand, with tall spires and beautifully crafted stonework. Outside, there was a peaceful garden, and standing at the heart of it was a magnificent statue of Goddess Seraphine. Though carved from stone, the statue captured the ethereal beauty of the goddess, with flowing robes and delicate features that seemed almost alive.
Even Esdeath, with her usual calm demeanor, couldn't help but appreciate the craftsmanship. But Maruti, ever playful, couldn't resist making a cheeky comment.
"Is that Goddess Seraphine's statue? Look at her, she's got huge melons!" she snickered.
Esdeath shot her a sharp look, clearly irritated. "Aren't yours bigger too?" she snapped, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Maruti either didn't hear or simply chose to ignore the retort. She skipped ahead before falling back in step with Esdeath. Her curiosity soon shifted to another topic. "You still haven't told me how the star constellations were born! We have plenty of time now, so how about telling me?" Her wide, puppy-like eyes made it impossible to say no.
Esdeath sighed heavily, giving Maruti a sideways glance, but eventually relented. "It's simple, really," she said, her lips curling into an almost mischievous smile. "The birth of constellations is like the beauty of nature, woven with magic."
Maruti raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued and eager for more.
Esdeath continued, her tone growing more serious. "All creatures need someone to follow. No one can survive without putting their trust in another. We all need someone stronger, someone we see as more worthy than ourselves, to rely on."
"And when those worthy individuals shoulder too many responsibilities,
They seek someone even more superior beings and those superior do the same, looking for even stronger individuals,They can belive in.
And that is how all kings are created and it is also how gods are born.. "
"Through the desire to find something greater. It's a never-ending search for power and protection,In other words, "Worshiping", When everyone starts thinking that person as God, A day comes when, That person leaves his mortal body and becomes a star constellation"
Maruti blinked, processing Esdeath's explanation with a thoughtful frown, but then her eyes lit up with a playful idea. "So, that means Goddess Seraphine was like an idol? Like Michael Jackson or BTS or Blackpink or..or..Critiano ronaldo with a massive fan following?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity and amusement.
Esdeath immediately slapped her forehead, clearly exasperated by the comparison. "No! Ugh.... I guess I'll have to tell you the legend of Goddess of humanity ",
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