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Morning rays slipped gently through the tall arched windows of House Valette's dining hall. The air was calm, filled with the faint clinking of silver against porcelain. The long table, covered in fine silk cloth, bore an elegant spread fit for a duchy family. The family of five sat gracefully—except one.
Elara, the youngest daughter of the Duke of Valette, sat at the edge of her seat, lazily poking her fork into the fruits on her plate, pushing a grape back and forth like it was some great battle she was destined to win.
"Respect your food, Elara," came the firm voice of her father, Duke Valette, his gaze sharp beneath his silver-rimmed monocle. "By Virellia's grace, it is a blessing to even have a feast each morning."
Elara blinked at him, then tilted her head. "Father, I'm prettier than that Damien guy, right?"
The Duke choked.
A violent cough erupted from him, followed by a servant quickly pouring water into his goblet. His eldest son tried not to laugh.
"You—!" the Duke slammed his goblet gently onto the table, eyes narrowing. "The one whom you so carelessly call 'that Damien' is the Oracle of this century! Mind your tongue! If you dare speak in such a manner outside this household, it will be the end of your reputation. Do you understand?"
Elara looked unimpressed. "Okay... geez."
The Duke scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Tsk. If only you were gifted in the same way as your siblings. All you seem to care about is that foolish water elemental power. Why do you not focus on becoming more like a noble lady? You shall never become a Water Elementalist with such little mana. It is—"
"He doesn't have elementalist powers though, right?" she interrupted suddenly, spoon falling from her hand.
The Duke paused. "No. He is the Oracle. He possesses a different kind of divine power."
Elara's eyes lit up. "Then that's it! I just have to be better than him in what I have!"
The entire table froze.
Instead of being discouraged, she was... excited?
Her elder sister chuckled behind her teacup. "Honestly, I think she's just jealous."
The rest of the day passed with little to no interest for Elara. The world could teach her arithmetic or history or noble etiquette, but her mind was already deep within her Elementalist lessons. She'd been attending them for three years, even when her mana reserves disappointed every tutor and mage who ever tested her.
Today was no different—except that she was.
As the door to the estate's study room opened, in came Lady Serenne, her Water Elementalist instructor, dressed in cerulean robes and a sunny smile. "Young Lady Elara, good afternoon."
"Miss Serenne!" Elara practically bounced from her seat.
Serenne blinked. "…Oh?"
She'd grown so used to the girl's half-hearted nods, her hopeless eyes, her distant murmurs of "I'll try…" Today, however, Elara's gaze was clear and determined, like a droplet of water refusing to evaporate.
"Well, someone's in a bright mood," Serenne grinned, and for the first time in years, she felt hope bloom again too.
After a few hours of disappointment.
Elara's shoulders sank.
Serenne crouched beside her. "It will take time. You've worked hard today, don't be sad already."
"It's been three years," Elara mumbled.
Serenne had no words for that.
When I started adapting to this world, I did miss all the technological advancements I had back in the old world. But I was just happy being rich and being loved. Then I got to know that there's a possibility of me being a Water Elementalist. It filled my boring noble kid life with thrill that wasn't in that old boring world of mine... I became greedy...
A knock interrupted the silence. A maid entered, expressionless as always. "The duchy family is preparing for the once-a-month temple visitation. The young lady is asked to accompany them this time."
"I'm not going," Elara said flatly.
The maid gave her a long, deadpan look.
Five seconds later, Elara was being dragged by the hand like a stubborn cat, trailing behind her with an exasperated sigh. "You didn't even argue," she muttered.
The maid didn't respond. She probably knew.
Inside the Valette carriage, which levitated gracefully above cobbled streets, the siblings conversed in idle chatter, voices laced with elegance.
"So… she's coming with us to the temple?" Selene asked, glancing at the young girl.
Father nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. I believe introducing her to society this way—swiftly, but gracefully—will serve her well."
"She looks disappointed," said Leonce, glancing at Elara slumped beside the window. "It must've been the Elementalist class again."
Selene chuckled, reminiscing about the past. "I remember how Father was so happy when the news reached his ears. After all, to be an Elementalist is so rare."
"Yes. Only to be crushed weeks later when they realized her mana reserves were—how did the Mage say it—'like droplets in an ocean'?"
"I recall Father trying to cancel her lessons altogether," Leonce added. "Called them a waste of time."
"And yet she never quit."
"She is stubborn, after all. She is a Valette..."
---
They arrived at the Temple of Seraphina, a divine structure built from pale stone that glowed softly in the sun. It had a wide, rounded roof and tall, open arches that let the wind pass through. Vines grew along the walls, and gentle light filtered in through thin glass windows. In the center, there was a small fountain, and the whole place felt calm—like even time slowed down inside.
There was a strange pillar right in the center of the courtyard—it's hollow, with threads of light swirling inside like trapped mist. It didn't touch the ground or the roof, just floated there, humming softly.
The temple's outer walls shimmered with mana-wards etched into every stone. The air was heavy with sacred energy, like a storm held at bay. Guards stood in layered formation—steel on the outer ring, white-robed mages on the inner, their staves glowing faintly.
To enter, one had to pass a purification field—a magical scan that read your mana signature for curses or hostile intent.
The High Priest stood at the top of the temple steps, robes flowing like mist, his silver hair tied back with a band that shimmered in the light. He looked old—ancient, even—but there was something powerful in the way he held himself, like the kind of man who didn't need to raise his voice to be obeyed.
In the temple's hierarchy, he was second only to the Oracle. That alone made him untouchable to most. Most people would never even see him, let alone speak to him. But today, as House Valette approached, he descended the marble steps himself—a gesture reserved only for those the temple deemed truly significant.
"Duke Valette," he greeted. "A pleasure."
They exchanged courteous pleasantries. The High Priest then let his gaze wander, stopping at Elara, still quietly sulking in her corner.
"And who is this?"
"My youngest daughter. I thought she was old enough now to visit the temple and know this place. She just turned ten this year," the Duke replied with a slight bow of the head.
The High Priest smiled. "A fine age. It so happens that we were seeking someone of the Oracle's age, from a good enough family, to keep him company. A casual bond of friendship, nothing more. If you don't mind, I would like to extend this role to your daughter."
The Duke's eyes gleamed. To be known as the friend of the Oracle—respected by nations—was an honor few could dream of. "It would be our privilege."
But Elara, who had been trailing behind the group the entire time, hadn't heard a word. She was too busy mumbling under her breath.
If I can't make a stupid bubble float after three years, what's even the point…
She wasn't listening...