Aos Empire, Crimson Forest, Temporary Encampment of the Rose Knights.
“This is your first monster hunt, and to have done this well, I’m quite satisfied.”
The black skirt swayed as Isavel passed among the Rose Knights resting on the ground like a queen inspecting her domain, her hands folded gently over her abdomen.
Her black hair and eyes, austere and captivating, paired with a single translucent teardrop earring that caught the faintest glimmer of light, and a black ribbon tied delicately around her pale neck, every movement she made exuded an indescribable mystery and allure.
Many of the knights stole a glance at her, and countless feelings quietly bloomed in their hearts.
But those feelings soon burst like bubbles, pierced by her own hand.
Stopping before a young female knight, Isavel half-squatted and extended her index finger to lift the girl’s chin, tenderly wiping the dirt from her cheek as she spoke with a hint of pity:
“Your name is… Aelia, isn’t it? You look utterly exhausted; your face is flushed. Make sure to rest well once we return.”
“But before that, can you tell me why your sword isn’t stained with blood?”
At her words, a flicker of fear instantly appeared in the girl’s youthful eyes. She lowered her head and clutched her sword tightly, her slight frame trembling from the question.
“Is it that you lack the courage to strike the monsters, or do you think it cruel to kill them? Aelia, can you tell me why?”
Isavel’s smile was radiant, and in her presence, it seemed as if any reason would be forgiven.
However… the reality was entirely different.
Though smiling, the temperature around them strangely dropped several degrees. Many knights turned to look at the girl with worry in their eyes.
Seeing the girl tremble even more violently, Isavel’s expression remained unchanged while her mind raced.
She had originally been a boy on Blue Star, who died from illness brought on by excessive competition. Upon opening his eyes again, he had become a baby girl in this other world.
Like the protagonist of a previous life’s novel, she possessed extraordinary magical talent. At only twenty years old, her power had reached the pinnacle of this world—LV99.
It was thanks to this strength that she had easily gained the Goddess’s favor, becoming the Saintess of the Aos Empire, wielding influence rivaling even the Empress.
At this point, she had no further ambitions.
Yet just as she prepared to relax and enjoy her new life, the Goddess issued an Oracle: within six years, the Abyssal Seal would completely break, and the Evil Dragon would emerge from the Abyss to destroy the world.
The only way to save the world was to gather those blessed by the Goddess and train them into LV90+ Demigods, strong enough to slay the Evil Dragon upon its emergence.
Following the Goddess’s Oracle, she joined forces with the Empress to assemble those blessed individuals, forming the forty-strong Rose Knights.
Then a new problem arose.
Those blessed were currently powerless ordinary people. How could they all be trained into Demigods within six years?
Their talents were decent but compared to her, it was like fireflies to the bright sun—utterly incomparable.
Training them successfully within six years was nearly a fantasy.
The Goddess offered two possible methods.
One was Life-and-Death Training.
The only way for a person to rapidly increase their power was to experience life-threatening crises.
If every training was a race against the Death God, their strength could surge dramatically, potentially reaching dragon-slaying levels within six years.
The downside was that prolonged high pressure could twist their minds, and she would likely be repaid with vengeance after six years.
The other method was to give them love and care.
Just as she believed in the Goddess, she could believe in the knights’ efforts to become Demigods and defeat the Evil Dragon.
For that, Isavel would become a caring older sister figure, providing as much support as possible to clear obstacles from their path.
Ideally, she would let them experience the world’s beauty, inspiring them to throw themselves into it wholeheartedly.
Of course, this method had its flaws—it was essentially a gamble, betting that love could bring about an almost impossible miracle.
Both methods had pros and cons. Choosing Life-and-Death Training risked her being targeted later; choosing love and care left everything to fate.
Anyone else would be trapped in this dilemma.
Except Isavel.
Her choice was—she wanted both.
So now, standing before a young female knight who dared not strike down monsters on her first hunt, Isavel needed to play the true villain and let them understand what Life-and-Death Training meant.
The girl chose to spare the monsters, and for that, death awaited her.
“A soul that has never tasted bloodshed is this naive and fragile. Unfortunately, the Rose Knights are no greenhouse. If you want to stay here, you must transcend your soul.”
Isavel stood up, smiling as she raised her right hand like a goddess scattering sunlight, her tone tinged with fervor:
“Now, I grant you the grace of soul transcendence.”
“The first floor of the Hecate Monster Dungeon is filled with many monsters as weak and pitiful as you. They have been hungry for days and desperately want to survive.”
“You will be teleported to the deepest part of the first floor to stay with them. Whether you fight your way out or become their food, the choice is yours.”
The moment she finished speaking, a blonde-haired girl among the knights suddenly stood up.
“Saintess, if you do this, Aelia—Aelia will die!”
“Hm? So sure about that?”
Tilting her head, Isavel blinked innocently.
“Saintess! Aelia just hasn’t adapted yet. She’ll definitely be able to—”
“If she dies, then she dies.”
Isavel’s words caused the blonde girl’s breath to catch. She looked at her in disbelief, unable to understand why the Saintess was so cold-hearted.
“Saintess…”
“I’m doing this for your sake. How can a knight who doesn’t dare to kill monsters even be called a knight? The Rose Knights don’t need such useless trash.”
Isavel smiled again:
“Or do you want her to stay and drag you all down on the battlefield, getting you killed?”
“…Saintess, please give her another chance!”
“The Monster Dungeon is her chance. She just needs to come out of it alive and still be a Rose Knight. But if she can’t—hmpf, a useless knight has no right to exist.”
After speaking, Isavel reached out her hand toward Aelia. A golden Transfer Array appeared beneath the girl’s feet, and in the next moment, she vanished from everyone’s sight.
“Oh, before I leave, a reminder: anyone who dares to secretly aid her—”
“Will share her guilt.”
Her gaze swept over all the knights present. She parted her red lips, her voice soft and sweet, yet the meaning behind her words was like the Abyss’s demon, chilling to the bone.
Having done all this, she no longer looked at the knights. Instead, she turned and left, the black hem of her skirt drawing a resolute arc, leaving the entire Adventurer Party trembling in dreadful silence.