Abyssal Awakening

Chapter 1041: Extalia Royal Family

"Can you tell me everything you know about the Royal Family?" Alice asked as Lab paused for a moment.She stared at the spot Zal-Ka’Rith was standing in a moment ago before turning to Alice.

"As the gentleman had mentioned earlier, information on the Royal Family is difficult to access."

For the first time, it seemed like Lab truly had no way of confidently reassuring Alice regarding the accessibility of information. She doubted that even if Faust were here, he would be able to tell her everything.

"The Underground doesn’t know?" Alice raised an eyebrow.

Lab shook her head.

"It’s not that we don’t know. It’s simply a matter of not knowing enough. The Royal Family of Extalia has always been secretive. Even among the major nobility, very few are permitted to know what lies beneath. I’m sure you are aware of House Varyn and Serathei. The left and right hands of the Royal Family."

Reaching into a pouch, Lab pulled out two emblems that represented the two houses.

"These two are the oldest houses alongside the Royal Family. The reason for their conquest and the shadow that keeps them safe. It was later, with the inclusion of the elven populace, that the houses truly solidified themselves as pillars of the kingdom.

"As you know, the Elves and Royal Family share a rather unusual history.

"Most believe that the Elves were conquered or maybe their relationship was based on an alliance. But with what Miss Renna has told you, you now know the truth. The Elves had to sell themselves into slavery in order to survive.

"Their relationship with the Royal Family is not one built on trust. In fact, the more competent they prove themselves, the more they remain as simply tools for the Royals."

Alice turned towards the horizon and stared at the giant tower piercing the sky.

"You’ve told me about the connection they hold to the three core families. But you’ve yet to tell me about the family itself. Why do they hold power? What makes them Royal? What are their foundations and what must I keep in mind if I’m to make an alliance with them?"

Despite the earlier skirmish with Zal-Ka’Rith, the Royal Family didn’t make a move. Was it because they lacked manpower? Or was it because of something else?

Or maybe... the power she showed was too lacking for them to even care about.

Lab followed Alice’s gaze towards the tower in the distance.

"The Royal Family..." She muttered softly. "Are old. Far older than most realise. But you know what’s weirder?"

Alice raised an eyebrow.

"The fact that this tower predates them. No one knows when it appeared. Not the churches, not the historical records. Not even the Inverted World. It was there before the Royal Family.

"It was even there hundreds of years ago. But after a certain point, it was no longer present. Meaning something must’ve built a tower of this size during that time period. As for its purpose..." Lab smiled bitterly.

"The Royal Family has occupied it since the beginning of the nation. Getting information is near impossible unless we want to offend the family."

Alice folded her arms with a slight frown on her face.

A strange tower, a long history. Unknown connections and the fact that Allura disappeared while approaching them.

Creasing her brows, Alice wanted to avoid fighting another faction while the Zenia family and Nyer were the main dangers, but it might not be avoidable if the Royal Family were enemies of Allura.

"What about the members of the family? Can you tell me about them?"

"The current Royal Family is surprisingly small if you consider the power they wield. Publicly, only four members make themselves known." Lab pulled out four pictures.

"First is the King. Aleric Extalia. The King appears publicly quite often. Military ceremonies, speeches, inspections, gatherings and so on. He plays a rather active role. Yet despite doing so, little is known about his life. Only what he wants to show."

Alice lifted the first picture.

A middle-aged man with a gentle smile yet sharp eyes. The kind that would put anyone on guard despite his friendly appearance. A head of grey hair and a small beard. The most defining feature was his eyes.

Heterochromatic eyes with a halo circling the pupil.

The left was gold in colour while the right was a clear blue.

"Friendly and caring. That’s the public perception of the King while those who know him slightly better describe him as strong. He has six known Sigils though most believe him to have reached Lordship." Lab explained before moving onto the second member.

"Next we have the Queen. Vivian Extalia. Married into the family, she was a distinguished lady from the Varyn family. One of their finest and personally selected by the King’s mother.

"Unlike the King, the Queen is rarely seen in public. Most interactions involving her occur behind closed doors. Meetings, negotiations and so on. Everything involving the internal stability of the nation and she’s there."

Alice raised the second picture.

Even as a woman, Alice had to admit that she was charmed for a moment.

Vivian Extalia possessed a kind of elegance that felt almost unreal. Bright crimson hair flowed from her head, framing her figure against a backdrop of scarlet. Its dazzling colour stood in contrast to her composure and almost emotionless disposition.

Yet despite the beauty of her appearance, none of it managed to draw attention away from her eyes.

Pitch black irises that seemed to swallow the light around them.

Dark jewels reflecting the world itself within their surface. Calm and impossible to read.

The longer Alice stared, the more it felt like her gaze was being pulled inward forcefully.

Such beauty, yet there wasn’t the slightest trace of warmth on Vivian’s face.

Not a single smile.

It was as though she was a treasure forever out of reach and could only be admired.

One that captivated the audience and made them yearn for her attention. A beautiful painting placed behind layers of glass.

She didn’t look like a woman who had given birth before. In fact, it was as though her beauty had been frozen in time.

"She would only show up for the important public meetings. Otherwise, each appearance could be hailed as a stroke of luck for the citizens who live in the capital. As for her personality traits... I’ve got nothing. Even though she joins in on the meetings, she rarely speaks." Lab sighed helplessly.

"That’s fine. Just putting names to faces is good enough. Who’s next?" Alice reassured before looking at the third picture.

Compared to the King and Queen, the young man captured in this picture looked... strangely approachable.

Long crimson hair, much like the Queen’s, was tied loosely behind his head while several strands framed his face. A casual smile rested on his lips like the kind you’d see on a long-time friend.

And like the King, he had heterochromatic eyes marked with the same halo surrounding the pupil.

Unlike the King however, his gaze lacked the demand for respect and authority. There was a laziness to his eyes with a hint of sharpness that few would notice.

"Damien Extalia. The Prince of the nation. As you can see, he inherited his mother’s hair but kept his father’s eyes. A lazy prince who... shows up at irregular intervals. Sometimes he’ll be present at important events, sometimes he’ll be missing. His whereabouts are subject only to his whims.

"Publicly, he’s viewed as lazy and unmotivated. However, no one can deny that he’s a genius. He’s simply one who refuses to put his talents to use."

Alice raised an eyebrow. A genius who didn’t want to use his powers?

"He’s the type that disappears halfway through training yet masters everything he’s seen. Complete domination in sparring matches, even against known knights of the Empire. A monster in disguise." Lab shrugged.

"And his Sigils?" Alice squinted.

"Unknown. He’s only ever displayed two abilities. Yet with just those two, he’s completely overwhelmed opponents far above his expected level."

Alice rubbed her chin while observing Damien’s picture.

It was clear that he was probably someone who possessed incredibly strong fundamentals. Even if he may be perceived as lazy, genius alone wouldn’t allow him to achieve such performances. Either the Royal Family didn’t care, which she doubted, or this was part of his plan.

To appear lazy in order to make others lower their guard.

Though... it hadn’t exactly succeeded if he’d already proven his strength with just two abilities.

As for his abilities... that could wait. Alice wanted to know the identity of the fourth member. Though considering the pattern, she could already guess she was probably the princess.

Those eyes were a dead giveaway.

Like her brother and father, she had heterochromatic eyes with halos. Yet she didn’t inherit the crimson hair. Instead, she had pure white hair that flowed past her shoulders. Soft golden undertones could be seen hidden beneath the outer layers.

Even in the picture, Alice could imagine how they would shimmer beneath the light, giving her an almost radiant appearance.

There was a wide grin on her face, the same kind of smile Alice herself wore whenever she wanted to stir trouble.

Bright and carefree. That was the impression Alice had of the girl.

"She’s the odd one out." Lab sighed.

"Energetic, reckless and almost impossible to control. Most public appearances involving the Princess usually end with half the guards panicking because she managed to sneak out. And..." She hesitated for a moment.

"In the events where she sat through the whole thing, that’s only because she was physically restrained to a chair. Even then, she would be seen rocking from side to side, trying her best to break free."

Alice was speechless.

The other three members of the family seemed refined and dignified, even if Damien looked lazy.

There was still a hint of sharpness that couldn’t be hidden.

But the daughter?

Just based on what Lab was saying...

She was an absolute chaos machine!