Chapter 57

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Cradle of Patriots
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* * *

The long-awaited day of admission.

“Lilis, Chessier. I'll write to you. Make sure you eat well.”

“Kiddo! If anyone bullies you, write to your big brother right away. I'll just…!”

“Eat well, sleep well, and take care of yourselves.”

“Work hard and come back safely.”

Chessier and I left for the training center after our family saw us off.

The training center was located in the Valkyrie territory in the north-central region, owned by the imperial family, and could only be reached via a warp gate within the imperial palace.

When we arrived, I saw that Valkyrie was a very nature-friendly, remote place.

I thought it would be like a kindergarten, but no.

It was definitely… a military boot camp!

How could it be so similar, down to the details of a training camp?

I read the four words, ‘Cradle of Patriots,’ hanging over the entrance of the training center, my jaw dropping in disbelief.

The author… must have faithfully incorporated every aspect of the K-military into the Ability User Training Center!

“My daughter…”

“Oh, yeah. Dad.”

I turned around at the sound of a faint voice and was startled.

Dad, who was kneeling beside me, was trembling with his hands covering his eyes.

“W-What's wrong? Are you crying?”

“Haaah.”

He’d been gloomy since this morning…

I quickly patted Dad's shoulder.

“Why are you crying? I'm not going off to die. I'll work hard and be back in a month, okay?”

“How am I supposed to be away from my princess for a month…”

That’s true.

It was the first time since I was born. To be separated from Dad for this long.

“My daughter. Even if the food is bad, you have to eat, okay?”

“Okay.”

My twin brothers, who were seniors at the training center, had given me the same warning before I left home.

‘The food at the training center must be terrible.’

They told me not to skip meals even if the food was bad.

“Get along with your friends?”

“Of course.”

“Don't cry even if you miss Dad?”

“Okay.”

“Don't get hurt. If you get a boo-boo, tell your teachers right away?”

“Got it.”

After a long series of reminders, Dad finally calmed down and gave Chessier and me a tight hug.

“Right. Chessier, you haven't forgotten what I told you, have you? You must keep it in mind.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Take care of yourself.”

After exchanging meaningful words with Dad, Chessier glanced at me nervously.

He seemed worried I might press him about what they were talking about…

‘Yeah, don't worry. I won't ask. I already know everything.’

Dad must have recognized Chessier's special nature while teaching him.

Chessier's special nature was,

that he was an ability user with 100% mana.

Chessier was different from ordinary ability users, who had a mix of holy power and mana.

That meant he was the only one who couldn't be controlled by the final villain, the Emperor—the ‘Primera’.

The Primera's power was based on ‘holy power’…

The Primera could brainwash any ability user who possessed even a little bit of holy power.

‘But not Chessier!’

That's why, in the original story's finale.

Chessier was able to cut off my head and the Emperor's.

‘He probably told Chessier to hide it well, since it would be a huge problem if he were discovered.’

I nodded, guessing at what Dad's warning was about.

After waiting for a while.

“Special admissions for the 1026th class, please enter.”

Finally, the training center administrator called for us.

“Princess, Dad will be waiting, so be brave and come back safe, okay?”

“Okay, Dad. I'll be back!”

I gave my teary-eyed dad a final goodbye kiss and took Chessier's hand.

It was finally time for admission!

* * *

The training center's main auditorium.

Chessier and I changed into our admission uniforms and headed to the main auditorium for the entrance ceremony.

The admission uniform was a comfortable, white tracksuit.

“Wow! There are so many friends.”

The kids my age filling the auditorium seats were staring at us like we were monkeys in a zoo.

These were the children who had already entered during the regular admission day in March.

“Special admissions for the 1026th class, please prepare. The great Primera will be arriving shortly.”

A stern-looking researcher in a white coat lined us up.

Special admission was for ability users who missed the regular admission day and entered separately.

Mostly commoners who had lived without knowing they were ability users…

In other words, illegitimate children of nobles discovered through checkpoints, or third or fourth-generation descendants with the blood of an ability user.

I glanced at the other new entrants standing beside me.

There were eleven special admissions this time, including me and Chessier.

Everyone except me was a commoner.

‘Hmm.’

I looked down at the golden name tag on my chest.

[Lilis Rubinstein]

My family name was written on it.

[Chessier]

Chessier's wasn't.

His name tag was also a different color from mine—white.

‘Incredible.’

As I thought this, I also looked at the children sitting in the auditorium.

The colors of the name tags on their chests were all different.

Red, blue, green, white…

I couldn't see any that were the same color as mine.

‘Truly incredible.’

It was so absurd I couldn't even laugh.

The training center where all ability users in the empire were required to enroll at the age of nine.

You could think of this place as the kindergarten or elementary school where children would first develop their social skills.

And, surprisingly, the training center was a small society that perfectly replicated the class system of this corrupt empire.

The reason for distinguishing children by the color of their name tags?

It was to ingrain the power of their families and the differences in class from the very beginning.

‘Yep, once the revolution succeeds, I'll have to tell Dad to blow up this crazy training center first.’

Having learned this way from a young age, it's no wonder everyone lives brainwashed by the class system.

“His Majesty the Emperor arrives!”

Just then, a knight's booming voice announced the Emperor's arrival.

The noisy auditorium fell silent as a tomb.

‘I'm finally meeting him.’

I swallowed nervously.

The front doors opened, and the Emperor walked in, his red cape fluttering.

A young, beautiful man with hair the color of ivory-gold and mysterious emerald eyes…

The Emperor, the final boss of this novel.

Nicholas von Pavilion.

‘…?’

For some reason, the Emperor didn't go up to the prepared stage but walked straight toward us.

No, to be precise, toward me.

As he got closer, the Emperor's face became clearer.

‘As expected of the Primera.’

His lifespan was double that of a normal ability user. He must be quite old, yet he looked as young as my dad.

“Gasp!”

“W-What?”

Gasps of surprise came from all around.

I was surprised too.

The Emperor, with his beautiful face, gave a bright smile and then knelt in front of me, meeting my eyes tenderly.

“I-I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

I greeted him as calmly as I could.

“I finally get to see you, little one.”

“…”

Acting all friendly.

I was keeping my head down, intentionally avoiding eye contact, when the Emperor's hand suddenly reached out.

And then, just like a father holding his daughter, he lifted me onto one arm and stood up.

“Hah.”

“Oh my goodness…”

The Emperor's face, so close to mine.

My heart was pounding.

The tremendous villain who imprisoned me and exploited my power for a lifetime in the original story.

Now, the final target I had to destroy.

It was my first meeting with him.

“I have been waiting for you for a very long time.”

His smiling face was endlessly gentle, but to me, his expression felt like that of a cunning snake.

“…It's an honor, Your Majesty!”

I clung to the Emperor with a bright smile, showing no signs of wariness.

Behind him, all the children wore various expressions.

Surprise, confusion, envy…

The Emperor's action was clearly drawing a line between me and the other children.

The family favored by the absolute ruler, the Primera Emperor.

It was a roundabout way of saying, ‘Don't you dare think of challenging them.’

“The bloodline of Rubinstein, which I cherish and love above all else. The only daughter of my loyal subject, Sir Enoch, Captain of the Holy Knights.”

He’s even revealing my personal details…

“May the infinite love of the Primera and the glory of this empire be with you.”

The Emperor smiled, closed his eyes, and pressed his forehead against mine.

At the same time, a cold, foreign sensation seeped in from where our heads touched.

‘…!’

A strange sensation spreading through every corner of my body, through my veins.

“Hah.”

My heart rang with a sharp pang.

‘It's done.’

I realized it immediately.

The ‘core’ of ability users, which can only be awakened by the Primera's power, had been opened.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

the Emperor asked gently.

I shook my head with a bright smile.

“No. Thank you.”

“Good.”

The Emperor half-turned his head and spoke to the researchers behind him.

“Pay special attention to the young lady during the training period.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“We will follow your command.”

While still holding me, the Emperor extended his palm toward the other new entrants beside us.

In that moment.

Perhaps because my core was now open, I could feel the flow of mana very clearly.

“Ugh.”

“Whoa…”

A few of the children, feeling the same strange sensation as I had, clutched their chests and let out gasps.

It seemed their cores had been opened as well.

‘Wait, this was an area-of-effect skill?’

He could have gathered everyone and opened their cores all at once.

To show me special treatment, the Emperor had purposely made a performance out of holding me separately.

‘Haaah.’

I sighed inwardly as I looked at the children, their eyes full of envy.

They were all staring at the Emperor and at me, held so preciously in his arms.

‘Tsk, tsk. So much for making friends easily…’