Chapter 49: New Trick

  Gazing at Colonel Lalanta's gently smiling face. She felt a little confused by what she had heard.

  "No one… at all?" she asked softly.

  "That kid was truly a genius. In just a few years, he discovered so many Words of Power. As I told you, Princess, I have never met anyone as amazing as Nitaan."

  Princess Pailin's eyes widened.

  "But it seems that heaven doesn't bestow talent without a price. Nitaan lost his parents at the age of 12. He has been on his own ever since." Colonel Lalanta smiled sadly.

  Princess Pailin, despite the many burdens she carried on her shoulders, was surrounded by people who loved her. She could not imagine what Nitaan had gone through.

  "It was me. I'm the one who killed them." Colonel Lalanta gazed into Princess Pailin's eyes. They held a sadness that could not be expressed in words or through writing.

  "I cannot bring myself to recount the details of that event. If you want to know, you should ask Nitaan himself."

  "Can you imagine, Princess? A 12-year-old genius, receiving love, expectations, and affection from everyone around him, and then suddenly, everything vanishes."

  Princess Pailin shook her head gently.

  "After that, there were only people who wanted to take advantage of him, approaching him for personal gain, or expecting to take care of him so that they would be comfortable when he succeeded. People like that keep appearing and appearing." Colonel Lalanta laughed sadly.

  “He was only 12 years old, but he had learned how to not trust others. In a very hard way.”

  Princess Pailin couldn't say anything. Although she also had problems trusting those around her because of her status, she still had many people she could rely on.

  But Nitaan isn’t. If it were her, she didn't know how she would survive.

  "At that time, I tried to adopt him, but of course, I was rejected," Colonel Lalanta chuckled softly.

  "I tried very hard, visiting Nitaan often, celebrating with him on important occasions, or even being there with him."

  "But after a while, I understood that letting him alone was what he wanted."

  "The wound from that time was so deep. Even though Nitaan wasn't angry with me, having to see his parent’s killer so often was a great burden on his mind." Colonel Lalanta gazed at the sky. The image of the 12-year-old boy trying to force a smile every time he saw her back then pained her.

  "Then…then how could he manage to live on?" Princess asked softly.

  "Of course he could. Being alive isn't difficult. What you should be wondering is how he got through it." Colonel Lalanta smiled faintly.

  Princess Pailin gasped. Part of it was true, but her different perspective made her think differently. For her, who lacked talent and was born into the royalty, being alive isn’t easy at all.

  "That kid chose to live alone, using the savings left over from his parents to support himself until he graduated. That’s how he ‘lived’."

  "When I visited him one time, his eyes were so dark and gloomy. It was so frightening that I even considered moving to Silalai town just so I could look after him.”

  “I always fear that one day…he will just…vanish…” Colonel Lalanta forced a smile.

  “But it was me who was wrong.”

  “When I went to congratulate him after for graduation. Everything changed. Those eyes are filled with so much love." Colonel Lalanta said.

  "Because...of that dog?" Princess Pailin asked. A scene of the large black dog that always stayed by Nitaan's side pops in her mind. Kiita's importance to Nitaan was undeniable. He even risked attacking Qianbao Yue in front of Enlightened simply because Kiita was insulted.

  "Yes, he lived on all because of Kiita. Kiita fulfilled what he had longed for. Unconditional love, love that needs no reason, love that expects nothing in return," Colonel Lalanta replied.

  Princess suddenly pictured Nitaan's face when she complimented Kiita's cuteness. His smile was so bright and radiant. The way his blue eyes shone reminded her of starlight at night.

  "That's why Kiita is practically everything in his life. He even performed Engraving Ceremony prematurely to save Kiita's life," Colonel Lalanta laughed.

  Princess Pailin couldn't help but be surprised. She always wondered why Nitaan chose to perform Engraving Ceremony prematurely.

  "Nitaan's love for Kiita was that strong. The bond between them is the reason why he was able to crawl out of that bottomless abyss and live on."

  "Isn't he amazing? He's managed to struggle this far on his own," Colonel Lalanta smiled, as if boasting about her son.

  Princess Pailin nodded slightly. She felt a pang of guilt for judging Nitaan without ever having spoken to him.

  "But that child is still broken. Even with Kiita by his side, he hasn't let go of his past. It's like he's devoted his life to those he loves. Currently, it seems to point only at Kiita, not even himself." Colonel Lalanta said softly.

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  "Perhaps because of his personality, because he grew up alone, because he witnessed his parents' death, or because Kiita is the only one he truly trusts. I don't know"

  "I only hope that one day he can liberate himself from whatever is weighing him down."

  Princess Pailin said nothing. She felt the vast difference between them. Nitaan had no one left, yet was trying to rebuild everything with his own two hands. She, however, had everything. Yet, she kept complaining about inequality.

  Fate Scripting is a who-knows-how-long journey. She’s not even trying to take the first step, yet she’s already engraved herself as talentless.

  “I don’t expect Your Highness to overcome everything quickly, but I do expect that at least Your Highness will love yourself more.” Colonel Lalanta smiled gently.

  “That day will come. The day that Your Highness will liberate whatever is holding Your Highness’s heart. The day that Your Highness will bloom beautifully.”

  “And Your Highness can trust me. No matter what, I would never betray you, because I want a ruler who truly loves their people, not one obsessed with power and war.”

  Colonel Lalanta’s eyes held a hint of pain. As Princess looked into them, it was as if she could see the countless wars Colonel had participated in. It was filled with brutality, corpses, blood, and screams. Those images seemed deeply ingrained in her eyes.

  “From the depth of my soul, I truly believe that person can only be you, Princess." Colonel Lalanta's sparkling brown eyes gazed into Princess Pailin's pink eyes.

  It is not war and blood in Colonel Lalanta’s eyes anymore. Princess Pailin sensed something else in it.

  Sincerity

  Something she had feared for a long time.

  "And Nitaan too. That kid hardly trusts others, but once he does, he's ready to give his whole heart. If Princess supports him well, I guarantee that in just a few years, he'll take down both of your older brothers." Colonel Lalanta laughed.

  Princess Pailin wiped her eyes. Even though they had barely spoken and had only known each other for less than a day, she was beginning to feel a certain closeness. Perhaps it was the shared experience of two shattered kids, one that she and he had gone through.

  Nitaan is trying to mend those cracks, slowly but surely, repairing them, and becoming the most beautiful version of himself.

  She won't let herself be left behind. If someone who had nothing left could do it, why couldn't she?

  Princess Pailin took a cloth to wipe the tears from her face, smoothed her disheveled hair, and looked up, her eyes blazing with a pure, beautiful fire. Her beautiful pink eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

  It was then that she sensed a cracking sound within her mind. The cracking echoed through the dark, ominous depths of her consciousness space. A dark sphere was shattering.

  Princess Pailin widened her eyes in disbelief. Then focusing her concentration into her consciousness space. The sphere instantly shattered, its black outer shell crumbling. Inside, a pale pink star of words appeared. This star of words was fragmented and relentlessly liberated itself. Soon, a new shell sprouted to cover the star of word again. Yet, it quickly shattered. The star of word able to liberate itself again and again, becoming an infinite cycle of liberation.

  Within the radiant pink star, a single Word of Power floated.

  Liberation!

  Princess Pailin opened her eyes in alarm. Her cheeks flushed with tears as she smiled brightly. She trembled with excitement.

  Colonel Lalanta was slightly puzzled. The usually composed Princess Pailin now resembled a small child receiving a new toy. The sky behind Princess Pailin suddenly became slightly turbulent.

  "It's actually this easy..." Princess Pailin grinned. Having finally freed herself from something that had held her back for years, she had discovered a new part of herself.

  "Today is a really good day! Besides gaining a new friend, relieving a burden on my heart, and finding someone I can trust, I've also discovered a Word of Power!" Princess Pailin's smile widened. Since she trusted Colonel Lalanta, she wouldn't hide this joyful news.

  Colonel Lalanta laughs. She had so many things she wanted to say. Maybe congratulations or maybe a word of admiration. But right now, as Princess finally discovered her First Word of Power after 24 years, all that remained in her mind was a short sentence:

  "It's truly a wonderful day," Colonel Lalanta smiled.

  "I truly have to thank Colonel Lalanta. Oh, and also Nitaan, even though he’s not even here." Princess Pailin laughs happily.

  "Does Princess intend to keep this a secret for now?" Colonel Lalanta asked. She understood this Princess quite well.

  “Hmm, I’ll keep it a secret. But of course, I will repay Colonel and Nitaan. I will try to find treasure that can refill Spirit Root’s Great River and give it to him at the appropriate time with a reasonable excuse.”

  “I thank you on behalf of Nitaan. I swear he will be the one to help Your Highness ascend to the position of the Throne Holder.” Colonel Lalanta immediately bowed. She understood how valuable this promise was, especially to Nitaan, who had no backing aside from herself.

  “Then I guess I have to find a way to make my two brothers speak ill of Kiita in front of him,” Princess Pailin laughed.

  Colonel Lalanta smiles warmly as she looks at the little girl before her. Even though this little girl in front of her still had many heavy chains binding her small body, today was an excellent first step.

  It was truly the right decision to bring these two together, Colonel Lalanta thought, smiling. The results today were far better than she had anticipated.

  “Don’t forget to prepare a lot of apology treats.” Both of them laughed heartily. Bright laughter echoed amidst the deep purple flowers adorned with the soft moonlight.

  ——————————————————————————————————————————————————

  In the banquet hall, Nitaan and Kiita followed Nil to greet the supporters of Princess Pailin. Many elderly people greeted him as he stood beside Nil.

  He clearly sensed the change in demeanor of those around him. Nitaan couldn't help but sigh. He suddenly regretted drawing attention to himself, but he couldn't help it. Who told that bastard to speak ill of Kiita?

  He is always a patient man, except when it relates to Kiita.

  Nitaan forced a smile to mask the exhaustion from his depleted spiritual energy. What he had just done had consumed a great deal of his energy, far more than repeatedly using the Falling Vajra. Right now Kiita has to share his own spiritual energy to keep Nitaan's composure.

  The secret to the power that could suppress even First Word Engraver and evade the eyes of countless Enlightened was Kiita's Word of Power, ‘Chase’.

  Word of Power ‘Chase’ had the ability to select a target and enhance one's own power to almost match that target.

  A question arose in his mind. If he could select anyone as his target, depending on how well he understood them, what if he selected someone far stronger than himself? Could he possibly enhance his power to match theirs?

  The answer is no. The power limit at the Learner level is still too low. At some point, it will reach its limit.

  The person Nitaan selected as his target earlier wasn't Qianbao Yue, but Colonel Lalanta!

  Colonel Lalanta should at least be at the level of an Enlightened, and since Nitaan knew her well, he chose her as his target.

  The result was an incredible surge in Nitaan's power, almost reaching the level of a weak Enlightened. However, this came at the cost of a devastating drain on spiritual energy, difficult power control, a heavy burden on his mind, and limited range. Nitaan could select Colonel Lalanta as his target because of how close they were standing and how well he knew her.

  Kiita was able to select Emerald-fur Bear as his target despite being far away. Perhaps it was due to the limitation that Colonel Lalanta's power was immense while Emerald-fur Bear was only a Learner.

  At least now he learned that he himself using ‘Chase’ is insufficient. Letting Kiita select the target and then providing him with power would be more stable.

  With all of the spiritual energy he gained from selecting Colonel. Nitaan didn’t use it to attack, but he used it to conceal. Nitaan chose to concentrate almost all of his power into Word of Power ‘Fade’.

  With Word of Power ‘Fade’ at the Enlightened level, he concealed all of his actions, all movement, and all the auras he emitted.

  Therefore, outwardly, he appeared only to be standing still, while in reality, he was unleashing power wildly.

  Select Enlightened as a target and temporarily use power that is far stronger than his own at the cost of almost being worn out. It was a new form of power manipulation and a trick he had never used before.

  Right now, Nitaan is able to use it for only 3 seconds, and his spiritual power will be frighteningly depleted. He is only able to stand because of spiritual power that Kiita is sharing with him.

  Even though his inner leg is shaking like crazy, he is still content with it. He finally has his new trump card.

  3 Seconds Enlightenment!

  Outwardly, he remained just an ordinary Learner, but inwardly, he could wield Enlightened-level power for 3 seconds!

  Even with many limitations, it's still worth it!

  If Nitaan chose Colonel Lalanta as his target when she wasn't nearby, the time limit would be even less, perhaps leaving only a second. But even that second was enough for him to attack once.

  Even just once, a sudden powerful attack can be deadly! Especially in a fierce battle, if used wisely, this double-edged sword strategy could easily yield excellent results.

  “Ruff…”

  Lame name…

  Nitaan ignored Kiita’s retort. He kept acting nice and engaging in friendly conversation with the young lords and ladies who were trying to start a conversation.

  With all his spiritual energy almost depleted and mental strain from all that happened, Nitaan only wants one thing.

  I want to go home…