"All that so-called 'nobility' is just empty talk—utter bullshit."
Once, she had uttered such crude words in public, but now… she seemed somewhat more easygoing.
Yet her core beliefs had never changed.
"True strength is the foundation for earning respect."
"If your fists aren't strong enough, no matter how much good you do, people will only laugh at you."
"Conversely, if you're strong enough that no one dares provoke you, even the smallest kindness you show will be endlessly praised."
Years ago, when the young noble first encountered the fearsome noble Rivira, her worldview, forged in her homeland, almost collapsed entirely.
She wanted to argue.
But she simply couldn't win… even though the other barely moved a pinky, with a teasing smirk, not even using magic.
Playing with a child?
Perhaps.
In any case, from that moment, Riveria gained a goal to pursue—and over the years, became exceptionally learned.
Yet the gap between them remained a chasm.
"At your age, you're still no better than a human girl."
"At least she can 'play' with me; you don't even deserve to watch."
Back then, during the play sessions between the Empress and Silence, the Lv.5 Riveria risked death simply by standing too close.
And today…
"Is reaching Lv.7 really that hard?"
The first words upon their reunion, years later, were as sarcastic as ever.
"Seven years stuck at Lv.6? Impressive… this joke is too amusing."
"You said you'd surpass me someday, but you meant after I'm dead, casting a spell on my grave… Oh wait, your 'Grand Elf Staff' makes a decent shovel—several hundred million worth, even more efficient than the spell long enough to bore me to yawning."
That familiar feeling returned.
Only at times like this did Riveria fully realize how far she was from ever calling this person Mom.
And yet, hearing such scolding…
She glanced at the injured beside her and felt reassured.
She still couldn't refute the Empress' philosophy:
Because you are strong, you fear nothing.
Because you are not strong enough, you flee before stronger beings.
Riveria knew the Empress' character.
Though she resented the might-makes-right ideology, some of her own habits and tastes had clearly been shaped by the other over time.
Though she was reluctant to admit it.
Now…
"No matter what, I have to thank you for saving—"
BOOM~
A sudden, violent muffled roar cut her off.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads…
A golden and a purple streak collided in the distance, creating a tremendous disturbance.
The distance was too great—even the Empress couldn't discern their forms.
And their speed… was terrifyingly fast.
TUT-TUT-TUT-TUT~
In that instant, the streaks collided countless times midair, tracing a strange, beautiful pattern across the night sky.
Because of the distance, the sound reached them delayed, out of sync with reality.
A full, awkward sense of latency.
At that moment, under the Empress' gaze…
The purple streak sent shivers down her spine.
A sensation even the Leviathan had never provoked.
Only the One-Eyed Black Dragon had.
The hooded elf noble instinctively covered her mouth, as if she might vomit.
It took her a long while to suppress the reaction, finally turning her gaze to the horizon again…
Burning eyes.
"There it is."
The so-called worthless, self-labeled failures spoke with excitement:
"The 'hero' we've been waiting for."