Chapter 17

Lady Biona raised her teacup and brought it slightly to her lips. Watching the fine porcelain touch her wrinkled lips, she tried to gather her courage. 

“Lady Evelyn, I have a favor to ask. It’s about my fiancé. But the Priestess of the Lion has never looked kindly upon me.” 

Shouldn’t people at least think before laughing at someone’s words? Biona, throwing away all dignity, burst into laughter, not even noticing that tea spilled from her mouth. That was certainly mockery. 

“Pfft, hahaha. Oh, my goodness, tears are coming out. Lady Jenna, do you really not know why Evelyn doesn’t look kindly upon you? Haven’t you heard anything from Morgan Herbon?” 

Shaking her head vigorously, Jenna knew this was improper etiquette for a lady. However, given that her opponent had just sprayed tea everywhere, this much should be acceptable. 

“Not at all.” 

“Sigh. Listen, Lady Jenna. Evelyn will never grant your request. Now, pay attention to what I’m about to say. Do you know that there’s someone among the Fleur family who must never be spoken of?” 

Jenna shook her head once again. Biona clicked her tongue disapprovingly but seemed eager to share the story, as she quickly gulped down her tea and continued. 

“No one would guess it now, seeing Evelyn Fischer’s grandeur, but Evelyn Fleur came from a humble family. Even though her mother was a Fleur, she married a rural Viscount. They lived in the countryside, where Evelyn Fleur was born.” 

“…….” 

“She lived quietly until she came of age. Evelyn first came to Helibet, the capital, only after receiving her Stone Killer. She was a complete novice. But the gods are fair. Evelyn Fleur, who had nothing, was born with an extraordinary Stone Killer ability. Do you know what weapon she created the first time she used her Stone Killer?” 

“Not at all.” 

Clicking her tongue again, Biona looked at Jenna with a hint of pity. 

“A longsword. Do you understand how extraordinary that is? There’s a progression to crafting weapons. You can’t just imagine something big and make it come to life right away.” 

Well, I wouldn’t know. After all, I can’t create anything at all! 

Jenna thought to herself but didn’t say it aloud. 

“Usually, it starts with a dagger. That’s very small. Then comes a short sword, and then a longsword. But Evelyn Fleur created an enormous, sharp longsword on her first attempt! The Priestess of the Lion at the time adored her so much.” 

Biona’s gaze turned wistful as if she were reminiscing about those days from decades ago. 

“But the rumors of Evelyn being a brilliant Stone Killer and the Priestess’s affection for her faded quickly.” 

“Why? Did she behave arrogantly? Was she greedy?” 

Jenna was fully absorbed in the story, her curiosity piqued. 

“No. It was because a more remarkable Fleur woman appeared. Your aunt, Estelle Fleur… she was the reason.” 

“What?!” 

The unfamiliar word “aunt” shocked Jenna so much that a sound resembling a squawk escaped her lips. Fortunately, Biona merely raised an eyebrow and didn’t scold her. 

“I still remember her. Estelle… her jet-black hair, porcelain-white skin, and crimson lips were so beautiful. Wherever she went, whether on the streets or in the palace, men gathered just to catch a glimpse of her.” 

“…….” 

“She was a twin, but she was entirely different from Olivia. If Olivia was quiet and petite—just like you—then Estelle was tall and confident. She was truly stunning.” 

Lady Biona, now completely lost in her memories, held Jenna’s hand tightly and excitedly continued. 

“Her abilities as a Stone Killer were outstanding too. Like Evelyn, the first weapon she crafted was a longsword. But while Evelyn couldn’t progress beyond the longsword, Estelle went on to create a trident. And before she even turned twenty, she managed to…”  

The elderly lady placed one hand on her chest, catching her breath. 

Even Jenna, who wasn’t well-versed in the system of the Stone Killer abilities, clearly remembered the enormous trident that Lady Evelyn had summoned before. The long spearhead had risen above Lady Evelyn’s head, and its realism was so vivid that it was hard to believe it was a mystical weapon. 

“She created a bow. Until then, no one—none of us—had ever thought it was possible to create a bow with Stone Killer abilities. But she, Estelle, succeeded! The Priestess of the Lion adored her so much for it.” 

A bow was more impressive than a monstrous trident? Why? How could that be? 

“Um, Lady Biona, why is a bow stronger than a trident? Doesn’t a bow have less impact?” 

“Oh, dear. Lady Jenna, of course, no one would have taught you even the basics since Evelyn is so wary of you. Listen here, the hierarchy of Stone Killer weapons goes like this: dagger, short sword, longsword, spear, trident. And if you’re a genius, the next step would be a bow or a crossbow. Why is a bow such a good weapon, you ask? Because you can use it without getting close to your target, and the arrows we shoot are endless. Have you ever seen a large beast, lured by a mystical artifact, attacking people?” 

The story was growing more and more overwhelming. 

“No, I haven’t. Even when I went down to the estate, I didn’t see anything like that…” 

“Hmm, well, such things will start appearing occasionally. The Stone Killer you’re wearing is a mystical artifact, and it’s not just humans who are enamored by mystical artifacts. Animals, too, are sometimes drawn to them, especially sensitive predators that can smell the blood from mystical artifacts.” 

What a completely useless thing to have. The Stone Killer. 

Jenna tried to steer the conversation back to her Aunt Estelle’s story, calming Lady Biona. 

“What happened to Estelle, who was so extraordinary?” 

“Ah! Yes, Estelle. She was a genius who created a crossbow at the age of eighteen. But Estelle faced a trial. It was… well, how should I put it? Love. It was a twisted fate!” 

“What?” 

“It happened when Estelle went on an expedition to Lucus. Lucus had very few Stone Killers. Even those they had were frail ladies who couldn’t properly use their abilities. But one spring, a few ferocious bears, lured by mystical artifacts, descended upon the capital city and wreaked havoc.” 

Jenna widened her eyes in surprise, and Lady Biona, now even more excited, continued her story. 

“As you know, Lucus has the Red Stone. At first, they killed and killed again, but the attacks didn’t stop. So the young king of Lucus sent a request to our Emperor, asking him to send some Stone Killers. Back then, the aging Emperor, who didn’t yet possess the Lion’s Stone, wanted to curry favor with Lucus. So he sent Estelle Fleur and a few other Stone Killers to Lucus.” 

“……” 

“They were so brave that the bear problem was resolved quickly. But that’s when the trouble began. The King of Lucus held a banquet to honor the Stone Killers for their efforts, and when he saw Estelle Fleur at the banquet, he completely fell for her. But at the time, the Queen was still alive. Estelle, too, found the handsome king charming, but what could she do? He was a married man, and not just any man, but the king of a rival nation.” 

“You mean that mad King Issachar? Isn’t he infamous for being a ruthless warmonger? There’s even a rumor that he strangled his own Queen to death.” 

The King of Lucus, Issachar, was currently unmarried. He had married his sister-in-law to secure the throne for his young nephew. But not long after the marriage, rumors spread that he had strangled the Queen to death in their bed. 

“That’s a false rumor spread in our Ingénes Empire. It’s likely baseless gossip orchestrated by Evelyn. Estelle returned to Ingénes despite the King’s persistent courtship.” 

The thought of the King of Lucus pursuing her sent shivers down Jenna’s spine. 

“She was the eldest daughter of the Belbard family, the wealthiest in Ingénes—no, on the entire continent. She could have easily deposed the Queen of Lucus and taken her place if she wanted to. But she didn’t. She refused to meet him, even when he disguised himself and came to see her.”  

The maternal family of Lady Jenna, the Belbard family, is still the wealthiest family on the continent. Their trade business was so prosperous that, at one point, they owned over 800 merchant ships, and the number of trade wagons traveling across various nations reached 1,000 per day. They gradually grew into a massive external political force based on their wealth. 

The current Emperor’s late Empress was also a daughter of the Belbard family. 

“And not long after that, the incident happened. The incident that completely sent Estelle Fleur into hell. If it weren’t for that, Estelle would probably be the Priestess of the Lion today, and perhaps the current Emperor wouldn’t have defied the will of the gods and would have died peacefully. Then there might not have been this ongoing war with Lucus. My son, my precious son, might still be alive.” 

It was said that Biona’s son had died at the age of twenty while participating in a border war with the Kingdom of Mazarna. 

“What happened to Estelle, Lady Biona?”