All that remained after the judgment hammer was struck against the big table was stillness. The sound of the hard wood signified the outcome. The next few sentences broke Hera's heart and shook Zeus to his core. Silent murmurs and chatter rippled throughout the room, but then snickers and laughter reverberated throughout the entire building.

The trickster and the goddess of beauty were seated at the two ends of the table, and all the gods were fixated on them. Zeus cast a wary glance at the trickster because she exuded an unsettling aura of avarice and triumph. Was it resentment? Or was there another cause? The powerful lightning deity can only ponder.

Slam...!

The goddess Hera shouted, "WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS TO US!?" She clenched her teeth and slapped her palms down on the table, hiding whatever emotions she was experiencing from view.

The two most prominent families in Orario just came home humiliated and devastated. Zeus and Hera finally found hope in fighting the worst catastrophe in all of Genkai after killing the second great beast of the world. They should proceed and complete their quest before returning to Orario as the heroes of the lower world, even though they are in a vulnerable situation as a result of the damage the leviathan dealt to them and despite their strongest adventurer being incredibly weak and damaged.

How wrong could they be?

Black as pitch, with scarcely a trace of light—like a monster-shaped black hole. The heaviness of its strength choked the seasoned adventurers. The heroes' will was devoured by its blood-red eye. Two of history's greatest families were interred under its right arm.

As the calamities' fangs crushed her, the Empress trembled on her knees in terror. As the dragon slowly tore apart her family, the Silence could only watch in horror.

She was the best; she made the hearts of other adventurers race with fear. She had never imagined in her entire life that this situation would quickly turn on her.

Only a blood-curdling scream would come out of her mouth before she turned around and took off running. What can she do after witnessing what the dragon did to the most experienced adventurer ever?

This was the creature that haunted the lower world long after the gods descended, and the gods feared him.

He was also the exact cause of Hera's fury against Ouranos. Together with Loki and Freya, they betrayed her, him, her children, and her family when he gave them the order to fulfill the mission. Now he is turning his back on them.

Oh, how she badly wants to wipe the smirk off that bitch's face.

She wants to brutally destroy that slut's head.

For the time being, she can only sob uncontrollably on her husband's shoulder as they concede defeat.

...

"Ya done cleaning up yet, old man?" Zeus stopped on his tracks as he looked back and saw Loki in her usual chill and playful demeanor. Beside her was Nine Hells Riveria Ljos Alf, accompanying her goddess.

"You know me too well, Loki, to even bring a lovely lady."

"Shut it, pervert." Zeus and Loki felt their backs shiver from the voice alone. Riveria readied her staff; she knows their new visitor is not in a good mood.

However, before Riveria can respond, a woman with white hair has already pinned her goddess to the wall.

"How dare you show your face here...?"

Riveria's eyes widened in shock at the immense display of speed. Loki's voice startled her, and she immediately started chanting.

"Harbringer of the end, the white sn-"

"Gospel."

A huge shockwave interrupted her chant, sending her falling into multiple buildings. Riveria came to a halt a few blocks away. Almost all of her senses have been ruined or harmed.

So this is how a full-fledged Satanas Verion feels... Her eyes, nose, and ears are all bleeding, as if it had destroyed her from within. She considered herself fortunate not to pass out during the onslaught, let alone survive.

As if the pain wasn't enough, Riveria sensed footsteps approaching her. She took a deep breath and exhaled a sigh of relief.

She's on her tail. Now that Loki is safe, she can call in reinforcements if things continue to escalate. A few lethal hits from the silence are an acceptable sacrifice for her.

However...

"Don't tell me you're done already, Nine Hells; I just sent a soft wave, hey," she said as she approached Riveria calmly.

Riveria grimaced...

"We lost our strongest mage in the last quest; surely Loki won't mind if I bring someone back to be fair, right?" The steps grew closer.

--louder. It resonated throughout the entire building.

Until it came to a halt.

"There you are."

Riveria longed for air. She noticed the woman in front of her when she looked up. Her mismatched eyes didn't show sympathy or hatred; they didn't convey contempt or anger. Instead, it had a chilly, almost pathetic feeling. She regarded her as if she were neither a princess nor a member of the Loki family's executive team. As she peered down on the helpless—the prey—her eyes pierced right through her.

She then grinned.

The woman opened her mouth and ought to deliver her verdict.

"Alfia."

The surroundings were struck by lightning as thunder rumbled. Alfia clicked her tongue. Her playtime is now over. She turned around and faced Riveria before stopping in mid-step and spilling a few vials on the high elf.

Alfia turned back and walked down the hole Riveria went through. "I should not hear any bad things about Orario and our familias, or else I will send both your goddess and Freya back to Tenkai."

Riveria felt a wave of comfort come over her as the effects of the vial began to wear off. Riveria's body began to feel a new wave of pain as the wounds fully manifested themselves. Eventually, Riveria got to her feet and followed Alfia, not far behind, to fetch her goddess.

...

"You...bastards!" Loki hissed, clutching her neck.

"Alfia is not my adventurer; I can't control her," Zeus declared flatly. He couldn't care less if Alfia murdered her; she deserved it.

She stared daggers at Zeus.

"No one can really express Alfia's anger for both of you," he said, turning to face the oncoming mayhem. "Not even me, Ouranos, nor the dungeon."

Loki elevated her body as her knees bowed from exhaustion. She shook her elbows on the ground, attempting to regain her power so she could eventually push herself up.

She stumbled and eventually surrendered.

Zeus looked at her with amusement. The gods can sometimes offer him entertainment. He returned his gaze and resolved to humor the fatigued goddess.

"I have ruled Orario for hundreds of years; I know how it feels to be on top; later you'll feel it too, not just the pleasure but also the inconveniences. Though I will not question the reason for your actions, I do hope this is a worthy investment for the city."

"This city—you—will be visited by someone one day, and they will be the ones to determine whether you have surpassed us or not." Zeus cracked a smile as Loki lay flat on the ground listening to him.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Zeus took a paper out of his pocket and gave it to Loki.

"What's this?"

"Consider it a gift, she—it might help you in the future. If you're going to consider taking on the dragon anytime soon," Loki eyed the paper. It's a guild permit, specifically for the Zeus familia's vault.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Only time will tell; for now, just hand it to the guild; they'll handle it for you," Zeus responded as he began going towards the city gate. Alfia quickly followed as she emerged from the ruins.

"Go get your child, Loki, and focus on saving her rather than what Zeus told you right now."

"Wai--"

"Just go," Alfia said, interrupting her. Riveria eventually exited the building, badly injured. Loki could only cover her mouth as she approached her.

Riveria fainted in her arms immediately. She hugged her and patted her on the back.

"You've done well. We're going to be fine...for now."

....

"Just what the hell did you leave me, Zeus?" Loki pondered. Sitting in front of her was a seven-year-old girl. Golden hair and eyes, perfectly preserved in a solid crystal. And what's even worse? She can't even understand them! If Loki was not a deity, nor does she have divine protection around her, she would've ascended by the amount of time she has scratched her scalp over the last hour or so. She's literally translating every word this kid was saying so that her subordinates can understand the situation, because why not make her a thousand-year-old child who can only speak through ancient pictures for Gaia's sake?

"So you're telling me that your father's name is Albert and your mother's is Aria?"

The girl nodded.

"And the last thing you remember is your mom and dad fighting a black dragon in order to save you?"

This time, the girl's eyes darkened as she clenched her fists. It looks like a rebel is in the making.

Loki sighed,

"Riveria, you take care of this kid," she demanded, her neck stretched backwards, facing the high elf over the sofa. She had to make sure this difficult child would not be a burden to her while also watching Riveria become a mother figure for her.

"H-huh!? Why would I adopt—I mean, take care of this kid? She's unironically the reason I got beat up by Alfia back then." Riveria pinched the bridge of her nose. This goddess, really...

"Are you really sure this is fine, Loki?" It was Finn's time to express his thoughts. "We are the same reason the Zeus familia was exiled, I'm pretty sure there'll be major consequences to it."

"Well, it's an order! Besides, we really don't have a choice. We should focus on Evilus, who indeed poses a great threat to us; they could take this opportunity to attack. Who the fuck cares about the dragon at a time like this?" Loki grumbled "Plus, if what Zeus said is true about this kid, then I'm going to take that gamble as well."

"AAAARGH, THIS IS RUINING MY HEAD!" Loki exclaimed for the tenth(?) time this morning. Does she appear tired? Yes. Is she truly exhausted? Absolutely.

"I need some booze..."

The door slammed shut in front of the three chief executives and their orphaned child. Because of their goddess's behavior, Riveria furrowed her brows, Finn could only smirk wryly, and Gareth let out a hearty laugh.

...

Needless to say, the girl was intimidated. After all, they were talking in front of her in languages she couldn't understand. Heck, they don't even know her completely yet. She let out a startled sound as the elf picked her up to her chest; it was soft but not as comfy as her mother's heavenly bosom.

Yes, spirit or not.

The elf took her to the 'castle,' as she called it. The elf also managed to ask her name, which she responded with 'Ais'. They then went to her room, grabbed her some new clothes, and forced her to take a bath. She had an odor of old wood in an old cabin.

Afterwards, they went to the library. It was bigger than the main lobby. Filled with books ranging from new to a hundred years old, Ais sat on the big sofa as Riveria went out to get some books. Everything's going too well, hence Aiz's bad feeling. She thought of it as nothing until...

The high elf went back with a large stack of thick books towering over her head. Though her eyes could not see it, she felt the evil glint in the woman's eyes.

Yup, this is bad.

Riveria dropped the books on the table, leaving the uneased girl startled. Aiz felt a shiver run down her spine as Riveria's face was unveiled before her. She wore an evil smirk that Aiz never knew the elf possessed. One thing's for sure:

The real fun starts now.

For the next several years, Aiz will continue to pave her way to strength and power in order to avenge her father Albert and rescue her mother Alfia from the black dragon, all while gaining support from her familia in an effort to pull her out of the black flames. On the other side of the coin was a blonde elf whose justice had been devoured by anguish and revenge, slowly sliding into the depths of rage, all before a gray-haired lady rescued her from her agony in an attempt to help her forget her past and start a new life away from blood and the dungeon.

...

--Present time--

A gust of swift wind passed the scared adventurers; soon followed was the Loki coming back from their expedition. Two elves, a pallum, a dwarf, the twin amazoness, and a gray-haired beast-human

"Follow Aiz!" A green-haired elf exclaimed.

As the main force followed their members, a few of the backline members treated the injured adventurers along the way. After all, they are responsible for the current havoc happening on the lower floors right now.

"Our deepest apologies for this inconvenience." An animal girl bowed to the injured adventurers.

Meanwhile, Aiz was nearing the 6th floor until she noticed something strange.

"The Minotaur has been quiet. And why is it cold?" As soon as she entered the 6th floor, her floor widened in shock. The entire terrain of the floor up until the entrance of the fifth floor changed. It was covered in solid ice.

"What happened here?"

"Why did you stop, Aiz? What the hell is this?" The gray-haired wolf exclaimed.

"This is...cool!" One of the twin Amazoness; the smaller side added with excitement.

"There's no sign of the minotaur here. Maybe it's on the next floor."

"Whatever, let's go there! Hurry!"

"Hey, wait, Tiona. Let's wait for the captain's orders first. Too late." Tiona dashed off to the 5th floor with Aiz, both intrigued and interested in what happened.

What donned them was a man with white hair and crimson eyes wearing a black and white robe and carrying two swords on his hip—one unsheathed and one on his back. The unsheathed sword was long struck on the ground. Not far from him was the escaping minotaur that they were chasing earlier—completely frozen in chunks of ice. Due to the coldness of his surroundings, the breath he exhaled turned to mist. Aiz and her comrades' sweat from all the battle is long gone; no adventurer in the area will deny how dense the atmosphere is now, like breathing underwater or thousands of meters below the ground.

"Forgotten Magic..." The high elf uttered.

"Riveria?" Everyone was confused. They looked at Riveria, who was staring at the man with intensity, another sweat from her eyebrow failing to fall down her face as it disappeared from the cold wind. The unknown man lifted her head from the crowd. Riveria's eyes were flooded with concern and wariness. His crimson eyes barely fail to leave their sight as he slowly pulls out his sword from the ground.

"Retreat, Camellia." The ice quickly retreated back to his sword as he sheathed the sword back to its scabbard before his body lost all its strength as he started to collapse to the ground.

"Aiz, catch him!"

"Understood." Aiz took a step and dashed off just in time to catch the boy in her arms.

...

"What are we going to do with him, Riveria?" The blonde pallum inquired.

"Let's bring him to the manor."

"Why not to Amid? We don't know which familia he belongs to; heck, it's possible he doesn't even have one."

"Then we will have to recruit him." Riveria looked at him dead serious; it was quite intimidating, to say the least.

"He used an interesting magic, Finn. I don't remember where it came from, but it feels familiar to me somehow," the pallum said. Finn nodded in understanding.

"Okay, it's settled then. Everyone! Mama's kidnapping a man!" Finn exclaimed, earning a hearty laugh from Gareth.

"You shut it, Finn." Riveria pinched the bridge of her nose, a habit she had seemingly developed while taking care of Aiz. Was the girl really so demanding?

"Aiz, can you carry him back to the manor?"

"Nope, I'll do that." Gareth picked up the white-haired boy from Aiz's arms and carried him up his shoulder, essentially giving him a piggyback ride.

...

"Era of the Fool...Here." Riveria picked a book entitled 'The History of Magic IV: The Fool'. All 450 volumes of the said book have been read and viewed by Riveria, except for the last four. Over the past two hours, Riveria has been scanning all the books related to magic, which, frankly speaking, is about 90% of the entire family's library. This is her 52nd shelf. Right now, she's holding the fourth, and hopefully her last.

"Oof, I finally found it. Let's see, hm?" Riveria frowned. She turned the book to the exact page mentioned in the index. There she found a page titled 'Romance of the Winter and the Swan.'

For him to know such an old spell...

"Strange, the Sage of Winter wasn't supposed to appear until the years of Albert. I'll investigate that later. I'll start reading this first."

From then on, Riveria starts her hours-worth of reading, trying to unravel the mystery between that young man and the world revolved around him.

...

"I need to see Lefiya," Riveria demanded. Her eyes are droopy, with dark bags surrounding them. Her back arched forward while she used the door frame to keep her body from collapsing. Everyone in the lobby looked at her quite concernedly. They haven't seen the high elf this exhausted inside the manor before.

"She went out with Aiz and Tiona earlier. Also, what the hell happened to you? Don't you want to get some sleep or something?" It was Finn's turn to inquire. The last time she had seen her this exhausted was when she was taking care of Aiz. Even during expeditions, she never let herself be worn down this badly.

"Was this related to the man you housed, hmm?" Finn followed with a teasing smirk. Everybody in the room except for the main group had their mouths open. The elves spit their drinks; some even passed out.

Riveria groaned,

"You'll know later. For now, I'll just wait for them." The moment her body touched the couch, all her muscles relaxed. Her eyes became heavier until they were fully shut. The high elf—although she was extremely against it—finally had her first nap since yesterday.

...

"Miss Riveria."

"Just a few more minutes..."

"Miss Riveria, it's me, Lefiya."

"..."

Riveria opened her eyes, seeing the already-risen sun at the window. Normally, people would be blinded temporarily by this sudden change, but adventurers have their senses scaled up to the point where even a point-blank explosion wouldn't hinder their vision. After a few seconds, green met blue. Riveria found herself face-to-face with an orange-haired elf.

"Oh, Lefiya, it's just you. What time is it?"

"It's just past ten, Miss Riveria. The others said you wanted to see me?" Lefiya bobbed her head sideward. It looked somewhat innocent and cute.

"Oh, you're right, I just want to give this to you." Riveria handed Lefiya a piece of paper.

"These are just spells, Miss Riveria. Oh, these are really old."

"Exactly. I want you to try and perform them. Well, if you're hesitant to do so, then it's fine."

"No, no, no! I will be happy to do so. In reality, I'm grateful that you chose me, Miss Riveria!" Lefiya bowed her head repeatedly. Riveria just smiled gently; the Loki family will be in great hands after all.

"Well then, let's get started, shall we?"

"Yes ma'am!"

...

"I need you to perform these spells in order."

"Yes."

Riveria and Lefiya stood on the training yard, just beside Riveria's room. Lefiya had her staff ready as she chanted the first spell.

"Awaken, Camellia!" Frost formed over Lefiya's feet as her staff started to get covered in flakes of ice as well. Despite being a few meters away, Riveria felt the change in temperature around them.

That was quite the range...

Lefiya took a deep breath before proceeding to the next spell.

"Encircle me, Swan; the night is long. May the whispers of my flute attain the melody of the frost. Capture her thoughts with the breeze of this song. Dear Camellia, I offer you my heart."

"Adfectatio Hiemalis!"

Four ice swans appeared, surrounding Lefiya. The temperature dropped slightly even more. However, aside from that, no signs of attack were unleashed by Lefiya's chant.

"Strange. I thought it was an attack spell. Maybe it's a support series? Then what the hell was that?" Riveria scratched her chin. This turn of events has been really unusual.

"Lefiya, try using the arc's ray. Let's see if there's any difference in power."

"Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree. You are an expert of the bow. Shoot, sniper of the fairies. Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy."

"Arcs Ray! Waaah!"

Four rays of blue light struck the trees beside Riveria, with each target freezing the moment they made contact with the rays. Lefiya stood still, baffled, holding her staff to her chest. Riveria watched in fascination as the four swans surrounding her apprentice slowly faded away.

"I get it now..."

"The what, Miss Riveria?"

"If the romances are for support and enchantments, then the ballads are probably the attack spells. If that's the case, then what about the ultimatum?" Riveria pondered for a moment. The situation was making her stressed yet intrigued at the same time. The idea of utilizing these spells excites her to the very core, but the mystery and the possible consequences worry her, especially for Lefiya.

"Shall we switch for the ballads, then?" 

"I-I'm fine with that." Lefiya fidgeted. 

"Okay, then. Try chanting this first." 

Riveria gave her a small piece of paper. The spell was relatively short, What Riveria is wary about is how much mind it will consume. 

Lefiya again took a deep breath. 

"Baton of the host, those who court, perform the ballad's first whisper. Turn her tears into thorns of grief, pierce my hands, and crave blood—brighten the red melody into the chilly night...!" 

Lefiya's chant was cut short as her knees dropped to the ground.

"Lefiya!" Riveria acted quick and tried to intervene, but a strong gush of freezing wind stormed over her, keeping her away from the girl. Amidst the sudden outburst, she caught a glimpse of her apprentice's body. Icy thorns climbed her legs and her arms, tightening as seconds passed, threatening to pierce her skin.

It had started to consume her. Riveria readied her staff in order to chant, but a voice behind her prevented her.

"Camellia is trying to take over her. That girl is not strong enough; if this keeps on going, she'll have an ignis fatuus."

"Then what am I supposed to do? Stand here!" Riveria replied, frustration and anger filling her voice.

"Let her finish the spell."

"But--"

"That's the only possible way." Riveria clenched her staff. She just hopes Lefiya will be able to pull her way out of this.

"Make them harsh and enter the cold, pierce their hearts with the icy rain, and make them feel alone. Keep their tears in your bereaved rose."

"THORNS OF SORROW!"

The ground shrieks; sharp ice rained down the manor. Icicles emerged from the walls and floor rapidly. In no time, the whole manor was filled with spikes.

"What the hell's happening!?" The familia members inside shouted, surprised by the sudden attack. 

"It's still going..." Riveria exclaimed, shielding herself in the process.

"This is why you don't mess with old spells..." the white-haired boy beside her replied.

"Purify this land of sin—HEAVENLY BLAZE!"

The boy clapped his hands, and his body released a surge of white flame that enveloped the whole area. In a matter of seconds, the ice melted and vaporized.

Now all that's left is the Twilight Manor, filled with cracks and holes.

and Lefiya.

...

It's cold...

A pair of eyes stared down at her staff. One was blue, and the other was shaded with icy white. Her orange hair is barely visible under the crystal snow that surrounds her entire body. Her skin lost its lively color and adapted those of the pale white snow, like the hair of the person in front of her. Her lips trembled, barely able to move. Her body was screaming in pain, yearning for freedom and for heat.

"Undo it." The white-haired man spoke in front of her. "Call her. Retreat, Camellia."

"Retreat, Camellia." Ice faded away from her staff; color has gone back to her skin and hair. The body that was held up by the solid ice collapsed on her companion's shoulders.

...

"I thank you; at the same time, I deeply apologize as well." Riveria broke the silence between them, caressing Lefiya on her shoulders.

"No need for that. Besides, I will always know when someone tries to awaken Camellia." The white-haired boy chuckled. This gave Riveria peace of mind, knowing he's not going to be an enemy to them...for now, as she hears the quick footsteps of her comrades who're going directly at them.

"I assume it's my right to receive an explanation about what happened here." The small pallum Finn spoke up, holding his spear in his right hand. The other members of the main force surrounded him with hostility.

Gareth, Bete, Tiona, Tione, and Aiz All ready to fulfill whatever Finn will order.

"My apologies; I forgot to introduce myself. Immediately after I woke up, I went ahead and searched for Camellia," the white-haired man replied, followed by a dry laugh.

"My name is Bell Cranel, and I would like to apply to your familia."

End of Chapter.

Hello! Thank you for reading up to here. I know it's kinda boring. It's my first time after all^^. I was wondering if I would make Lefiya do two attack spells in here since it's kinda lackluster at best, I know I'm kinda rushing it.

I would try to publish chapter once a week(hopefully). It's probably gonna be around 2000-4000 words, I'm just writing this out of fun and I'm still busy doing school activities so.... that's all I look forward to your support!