Footsteps approached, a casual and unhurried one.Mira walked over, her flame spear resting casually on her shoulder.She looked down at the Commander, then at the pile of ash that used to be the high-ranking beast."Sorry we're late."Her tone was almost apologetic but carrying a hint of satisfaction.The Commander just stared at her.Completely dumbfounded.His mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.No words came out.At the barricade, the warriors were reacting.Murmurs spreading through their ranks."Who is that lady?""Where did she come from?!""Did she just... did she just kill a high-ranking beast with one attack?""That's impossible!""I just saw it happen! It's not impossible!""Who is she?!"A whoosh of air announced another arrival.Roderick and Jabber descended from above.Jabber's flying flame shield,a disc of compressed fire that he was standing on,touched down gently.Both of them stepped off, the shield dissipating.Asta landed a moment later, having jumped from a nearby

Everyone in the hospital was still completely dumbfounded.Frozen in place.Staring at Elara as she continued speaking the ancient healing words.Her voice echoing strangely in the room, carrying harmonics that shouldn't be possible from a human throat.The snow was still falling.Gentle and beautiful.White flakes drifting down slowly, touching the wounded, making them glow.Elara's hands remained together, her eyes still closed, her concentration absolute."”...By The Grace Of Frostbite, May All Pain Cease.”"Her voice rose slightly, becoming more powerful."”May All Wounds Close. May All Broken Things Be Made Whole.”"The glow around the wounded intensified.Brighter. **Brighter**."”Ancient Ice, I Release You. Return To Rest.”"The snow began to slow.Falling less frequently now. The flakes becoming smaller, more translucent."”This I Command. This I Will.”"The final words.And suddenly, the healing was complete.The warrior with burns,his skin was now completely smooth. Pink and

Roderick's voice cut through their bickering."Come on. Let's go check how Flora and the ladies are handling the wounded."He started walking toward the village gates.Mira immediately leaned toward Jabber, her voice dropping to a sarcastic whisper."I bet Roderick was the one who killed all the flame beasts on your side."Her tone was thick with knowing amusement.Jabber's response came out equally sarcastic."Nah. I was the one who did all the work with my sharp shield flame technique. He just provided moral support.""Moral support? Is that what we're calling it now?""Yes. Very important moral support. Essential, even.""You're delusional.""I'm realistic. There's a difference."They kept arguing as they walked.Their voices are getting louder, more animated.Finally arrived at the front gate.The warriors stationed there immediately opened it.Stepped aside to let them walk through.Every warrior they passed stared at them.Eyes wide. Expressions awed.Whispers following in their

"There are factions. Noble families all vying for power, for influence, for the chance to get close to the throne. And they use anything to gain advantage. Blackmail. Assassination. Arranged marriages. Manipulation."Roderick listened quietly, letting her speak."When I was fifteen, there was an... incident. A plot. Some nobles who wanted to use me as a pawn. They tried to arrange a marriage that would have given them control over the empire through me."Her voice became bitter."My mother,the Queen,she stopped it. Barely. But it made her realize that I wasn't safe in the palace. Not as long as people knew who I was. Not as long as I was accessible."She took a breath."So she sent me to the academy. Under a disguise. As a commoner. With a different name. Flora instead of Seraphina. No titles. No guards. No special treatment.""The idea was that I could learn, train, grow stronger away from the palace intrigue. That I could have some semblance of a normal life before I had to take the

"You were protecting yourself. Trying to have a normal life in a situation that's anything but normal. That's not something you need to apologize for."He took another step."Yeah, I'm hurt that you didn't tell me. Yeah, it feels weird finding out like this. But I'm not angry at you, Flora."His expression softened."I'm angry at the situation. At the fact that you had to lie just to be treated like a person. At the fact that being yourself,your real self,is so dangerous that you need to hide."Another step. He was close now."But I'm not angry at you."Flora's eyes widened, fresh tears forming."Really?""Really."Asta's voice was firm, certain."You're still the same person who helped me when I first arrived at the academy. Who healed my injuries after training. Who stayed up late talking with me about nothing and everything."He reached out, gently taking her hand."Princess or not, you're still Flora to me. That doesn't change."Flora let out a sob,half relief, half overwhelming e