Foreboding Storm - Chapter 116

Back in the Sealand Academy, Aarya Quime sat in the midst of a sea of magical books, desperately weaving one magical spell after another to awaken her Marikeen ability and raise her elemental level.

As the day of the mid-term evaluation drew near, her anxiety and frustration rose. This slowed her elemental energy absorption progress and delayed her rise into the Second Level of the First Elemental Drawing Stage. Anxious and flustered, Aarya Quime strived day and night to find a way to surpass Princess Qamari’s brilliance.

‘I must become a Marikeen! I will not be reduced into a supporting role for that woman. I won’t be her stepping stone!’ Tightly clenching her teeth to the point of producing gritting sounds, Aarya Quime threw the magical book in her hand before picking up a new one.

In the past half a year, the girl they had entered the academy with had not only gained fame, but she also got the academy elders’ undivided attention. Her shocking healing abilities garnered her the support of the Great Magician and Medical Director.

With time, her influence in the academy would only grow stronger!

In the dull, cramped room, faint echoes of clanking wood continuously rang out as the white-robed female doggedly pushed herself for the spell she believed could change her status.

At this time, hurried footsteps rushed towards the room and banged the door open, startling the tense girl.

“Aarya Quime, Aarya Quime! I have urgent news!”

“Marui Osklain, what is the matter with you? Can’t you see that I am trying to concentrate?” Aarya Quime raised to her feet in rage.

“Forget about me! If you hear what I am about to tell you, you will lose your senses to such an extent that concentrating will become a laborious task for you.” Entering the room, Marui Osklain banged the door shut and roughly slammed into a chair with a despondent gaze.

“Oh? What is this great news that will make concentration a laborious task for me? And did you accomplish the task I entrusted you with?” She asked with a slight irritation.

“More important than that task is the news I heard. Aarya Quime, did you know that Princess Qamari is married? She is married to a new admit in the Mistland Academy that is a descendant of the Founder and a purple level talent!”

“What did you say? Princess Qamari is married?”

“That’s exactly what I said. Moreover, her husband is a purple-level talent in the Mistland Academy. He has the distinguished status of being the Founder’s descendant. Tell me, with such realm-shattering news, how can I possibly come up with a plan to kill her?”

“Hold on, hold on…you said she is married to the Mistland Academy’s purple level talent? How did you come by such information? Are you sure that someone isn’t playing a joke on you?” Aarya Quime looked at the girl in disbelief. She felt Marui Osklain had probably misheard something or someone was playing a joke on her.

Princess Qamari, married? It was the first time she heard it.

“Sigh…I wish it was only a joke. Aarya Quime, after hearing a matter like this, do you know what I feel? I feel like, right from the start, we were never qualified to compete with Princess Qamari. Neither in fortune, talent, looks, and or status. We have nothing.”

“Shut up! Repeat your words again. Princess Qamari is married, okay. But how did you come across such news? The people that were talking about her, how do they know her? Tell me everything from beginning to end!” Aarya Quime’s face turned serious when she heard Marui Osklain repeat the same words again. All her nonchalance and suspicions vanished as she sat on a chair opposite from the girl and intently stared at her, expectantly waiting to hear the tale.

Marui Osklain dropped her act and seriously began retelling everything that she heard in the rundown shop.

A while later, the cramped room fell in dead silence as the two girls sat facing each other with lost, bleak, and unwilling expressions.

A great storm raged in Aarya Quime’s heart as her violet eyes flickered with flames of jealousy and deep hatred.

‘Why? Just why does everything good fall to her? She is already hailed as a genius healer, is believed to be the prospective Marikeen, and every elder cares about her. Why does she still get more without making any effort? Why are the heavens so biased!?’

Aarya Quime was close to losing her sanity from intense jealousy. She could not understand.

Why were the heavens so biased? Why did they give one person everything and another person, nothing? Why!?

Her mind replayed Marui Osklain’s words. A purple-level, Founder’s descendant, charmingly handsome, loyal and faithful man. This was the kind of man she wanted to marry. A man admired and adored by every woman in the realms but who would only have eyes for.

But this man, the man of her dreams, was the husband of that wen**!

“You are shocked too, aren’t you? That Princess Qamari secured herself with the most honorable magician in the entire seven realms. But the most unbelievable part of this whole affair is the fact that her husband hasn’t even seen her face! Can you believe that? An outstanding man like him is insanely devoted to a woman whose appearance he hasn’t even seen yet!”

Aarya Quime, who was wallowing in despair at the injustice of the heavens, felt like a hammer had smashed onto her head. Anxiously grabbing Marui Osklain’s arms with a fierce glare, she asked in a hoarse voice.

“What did you just say? Say it again. Does this Brother Lail of the Mistland Academy not know what Princess Qamari looks like? Does he really not know!?” Her desperate tone was like that of a drowning man seeing a glimmer of light.

“You…you…what’s wrong with you?” Marui Osklain was frightened by her fierce glare and stutteringly asked.

“Does he really not know what she looks like!?” She shrieked.

“Yes! Yes! That’s what I heard the Mistland apprentice say. He doesn’t know what his wife looks like because she wears a veil! She wore a veil even on their wedding day when they got separated after exchanging vows. Now…can you let me go…?”

“She wore a veil…of course, she wore a veil! She wears a veil even in the academy. So, she must have been wearing it back then as well.” Aarya Quime muttered to herself as she loosened her grip on the trembling Marui Osklain.

Her violet eyes took on a radiant glow as a broad smile spread across her face.

‘Hehe…even if the heavens are biased to the point of showering every good thing in the world on one certain individual, it doesn’t mean that the others are hopeless. Where there is a will, there is a way!’

With an ecstatic smirk, she turned to the displeased Marui Osklain and, for the first time since the day they joined hands, she found the girl pleasing to her eyes.

“Marui, you did very well this time. By deciding to return to the academy and immediately inform me of this news, you have paved the path towards a glorious future for us. Now, listen to my instructions very carefully. This is very important, Marui, so we cannot afford to make a single mistake. Do you understand?”

“Huh? Oh, of course! If it concerns our great future, then I will definitely put in a hundred and ten percent of my efforts! So, what’s the plan?” Marui Osklain was caught slightly off guard by the genuine smile of Aarya Quime, however, she quickly returned to her senses and excitedly asked.

As long as the plan could secure a glorious future for them, Marui Osklain was willing to follow Aarya Quime’s every order.

“Heh…here is the plan…”

*

Back in the Northwest, in a secluded mountain region of the East Minions Factions, was a hidden settlement comprised of female leaders. The residents of the settlement lived in the center of a cluster of giant rocks that created a natural barrier of defense against wild beasts and uninvited intruders.

Living in caves, the females wore umbrella skirts of giant leaf clusters and protective leaf bends on their chests. Blood carvings of lines and swirls ran across their faces and exposed shoulders and legs.

Combined with the bow and arrows slung over their back, they seemed like ferocious warriors ready for battle.

At this moment, inside the largest cave of the settlement, a group of men and women surrounded a stone table with pensive expressions. Torches stuck on various corners kept the cave bright as a faint fragrance of mint drifted in the air.

Male servants, carrying clay trays of snacks, cautiously approached the people gathered around the stone table and set down the refreshments on the side. Keeping his head lowered and sight on the floor, the male deferentially went out of the cave.

“How is this possible?” A man with sword-like eyebrows asked with a frown as he looked down.

On the table was spread out a map of the East Minions Faction, with various markings on villages near the Laining City.

“So, did you find out where she went?” At this moment, an authoritative, commanding voice sounded out from a corner of the cave, attracting the entire group’s attention. From the shadows of the corner stepped out a tall female with high cheekbones and sharp eyes.

Her black hair, braided back and tied at the top of her head, flowed behind her as she oppressively approached the group.

“Tribe Leader!”

The men and women stepped forth and clasped their fists in a respectful bow.

“No need to be so formal. Just tell me what I want to know. Well, do you know where she is?” She clasped her hands behind her and swept her gaze over the motionless group.

“That…Tribe Leader, the thing is…we are unable to trace her.” The man in the center of the group, who had more carvings on his face and arms than the others, hesitantly said.

From his manners, it was apparent that he was the head of the group.

“You can’t find her, huh?” The Tribe Leader remarked with an expressionless face that made it more difficult for the group to guess her mood.

“You can’t find her…”

Trembling in trepidation, they lowered their heads even further.

“Tribe Leader, it is not that we can’t find her, but that she is nowhere to be found. In fact, after entering a certain village, she disappeared. It is almost as if she has vanished into thin air!”

“Yes, Tribe Leader. We were tight on her tail, but she suddenly disappeared without a trace.”

“We sent out batches of scouts and tracers and had them retrace her path in a hundred different directions. However, her scent isn’t in the air.”

The men and women, finally getting the chance to speak, rushed to explain themselves and redeem their worth.

“So, did you all gather here to give me excuses for your failure? Is that it?” The woman was unmoved by their anxious expressions and desperate explanations.

“I thought I had already made myself clear. Unless you find her or trace her whereabouts, I do not wish to see your faces. Unless you know where she is and are coming to report, do not enter this cave again. Now, scram!” Waving her hand as if she was waving a fly away, the woman turned and went back into the shadows.

“Sigh, I told you we shouldn’t be here. Just look now, the Tribe Leader is angrier today than she was yesterday.” A young female said with a sigh.

“Yes, I am sorry. I just thought that if we kept the Tribe Leader in the open about the situation, then the atmosphere wouldn’t be so suffocating.” Another female with blue eyes replied.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Everyone in the tribe knows the significance of that person’s appearance. The fact that you saw her and still lost her is more agonizing than the tense atmosphere.”

“Okay, I was wrong. But how was I supposed to know that she was going to disappear?”

“Everyone, calm down. This is not the time to be arguing. We need to find her as soon as possible. Otherwise, you know how the Tribe Leader’s temper is.”

“Yes…” With a depressed sigh, the group went out of the cave.

*

On the other hand, exactly at the moment the blazing sun sunk into the depths of the horizon, Crown Prince Lail and Princess Qamari arrived in the Bansi Village.