Ophelia walked through the crowd with the poise of a noble as her dark and red dress flowed elegantly behind her. The princess's footsteps were light and almost captivating, capturing the attention of many. People instinctively parted to let her pass, recognizing her presence.
A group of noblewomen whispered among themselves as Ophelia passed by, their eyes wide with admiration. "That's Princess Ophelia... she's a true beauty, but I also heard some people say she's a curse, born yesterday." The group of noblemen widened their eyes at their brethren's comment. "Preposterous! Born yesterday? She's a grown adult. The only person I've heard of with such a skill was the Demon King."
Ophelia's lips curved into a slight smile at their whispers. She continued her search for the heroes as her eyes scanned each face in the crowd.
("Everyone in this Kingdom is corrupt, greedy, and pathetic.")
In Ophelia's field of vision, she could see dark, misty auras lingering around people like parasites, thanks to her nature as a Voidbound. It was their sin; weighing them down like an anchor in the ocean. Most of the noblemen were bound by their sins, such as greed, lust, and envy. She could feel it all, such a disgusting, yet oddly pleasant sight.
"Hey, I'll gladly take one." An unfamiliar voice breached through the crowds as chattering was heard from a group of people from afar. Ophelia widened her eyes, glancing to the side to see those same familiar faces she saw when she was Yuto.
"Aren't they lovely?" Another one in the group asked.
"So… they finally reveal themselves." A dark glimmer flickered in Ophelia's eyes as she studied the heroes' elated faces. Watching them like prey, her lips curled into a predatory smile, revealing her perfect white teeth; this couldn't get any better
Approaching the band of heroes, her movements were graceful, yet menacing, as if it was a calm before the storm. If one were to see the way her dress flowed around her, they would view Ophelia in an almost ethereal appearance—like a dark angel of death.
"My, my... what a lovely collection of rings you have there." She stood before them, speaking in a smooth and melodious tone, but behind her words carried a deep hatred, mostly out of jealousy.
The heroes looked up to face Ophelia, exchanging puzzled glances. They clearly didn't recognize her royal status. One of the girls, the long-haired brunette, Madeline, spoke up with innocent curiosity. "Oh, I'm sorry, but... who are you? You seem important, but we've never met." The girl tilted her head to the side as her eyes widened with genuine curiosity.
Ophelia raised an eyebrow at their question before her lips curved into a gentle, yet sadistic smile. "Oh, I see that you all are unaware of my presence. My name is Ophelia Grovenheart. Daughter of King Jubilius, and new to Grambosia's royal court."
"What?!" Isabel shouted in surprise as the heroes exchanged puzzled looks. Some of them cringed and facepalmed themselves while others bowed awkwardly.
"O-Oh! That's a surprise…" Madeline bowed her head out of respect, almost dropping the display case. "It's an honor to be in your presence!"
A tall blonde girl stepped forward in leather armor, her name Estrilda, Hero of Gratitude. "We didn't know King Jubilius had another daughter. It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess, Ophelia." She bowed gracefully.
Ophelia observed their awkward bows with such satisfaction. A level of respect this high was something she was unused too; being a loser all her previous life as Yuto, this was a brand new feeling. She couldn't put it into words with how she enjoyed their submission. It was far too grand.
"All is well, you won't learn everything in Grambosia in a day. Our Kingdom is quite large, after all." Inside her mind, she reveled in the power dynamics at play.
("Yes, this is the respect I deserve. This is how it should be. You fools may be heroes, but you're still beneath me as royalty. I own all of you… including your lives.")
Ophelia had the urge to laugh at their submissiveness and revel in their respect, but she maintained her composed expression to the best of her ability before addressing the heroes once again. "I trust you're all enjoying the Spirit Festival? It's quite a spectacle, isn't it?"
The group shifted uncomfortably under Ophelia's scrutiny, feeling their confidence fading away. They couldn't help but feel regret for not knowing of Ophelia and her status.
Madeline decided to speak up again as her voice was now tinged with excitement.
"Yes, it's very lively! We were just admiring the rings. They were given to us as a gift."
Isabel stepped in with a smile, attempting to smooth over the situation. "Yeah! Everyone in this city is so nice, they're offering us plentiful gifts, especially this kind man." She gestured at the merchant who gave them the rings.
He bowed at Ophelia, showing his utmost respect.
"Hoh? Did you make these yourself?" Asked the princess, glancing at him with curious eyes.
The merchant shook his head with disappointment, "I'm afraid not, Lady Ophelia, I've only come across them the other day, and I decided to save them for the festival and heroes of virtue that I heard so much about."
A familiar feeling of jealousy brewed within her chest. She was aware that she was born yesterday, so not many knew of her existence, but still; seeing the group of people she thought she would save the world besides, getting gifts, made the princess harbor feelings of envy.
"I see…" Her voice became low and disenchanting as she averted her gaze from the merchant, facing the heroes of virtue. "If I may ask, Great Heroes, where is the rest of your group? There are only six of you here." Ophelia's gaze swept over the small group of six heroes, noting their diminished numbers.
She mainly looked for Tanimoto among their crowd, but he was nowhere to be found. How disappointing.
Isabel maintained her composed demeanor, though there was a hint of tension in her shoulders. "Some of our companions like Jin, Daiki, and Araki are out in search of Tanimoto since he's late."
Ophelia lifted her brows, quite baffled by her comment.
("How truly despicable! Even as a Hero, Tanimoto still acts rebellious and is always late to important events. And to think that the Sisters of Fate bestowed him the title of a Hero? How laughable! I was deserving of such a title, not that pig.")
"Ah, I see…" Ophelia falsely sighed, pretending as if she was worried. "I do hope they can return in time before the Heroic Spirits arrive. It would be quite disappointing to see them miss their opportunity to shine."
The blonde-haired woman, Estrilda, spoke up. "Even if they miss the arrival of Spirits, they'll be just fine without any Holy Vessels. We all have Heroic Skills, and that should be enough to aid us in battle."
Skills—everyone in the world of Algunita had them—they were a natural thing to acquire, as long as you had enough magical power. All skills are known to be ranked in a hierarchy. At the lowest, you had Common Skills, which were the skills used in everyday life by your average person. In the middle, you had Rare Skills, which could be awakened by leveling up and strengthening one's soul by intense training. At the highest, there were Special Skills; these are only acquired through certain circumstances. Near-death experiences, emotional distress, or being pushed to one's limit. At this stage, Special Skill users were practically unbeatable unless it was by another Special Skill user.
But there were also other known skills which were regarded as the highest in the world—even above that of Special Skills. It was known as Heroic Skills. Every Hero of Algunita had one, and it was by far the strongest.
"Mm, that may be true, but the fate of the world lies in your hands. We want our heroes at their strongest for the sake of Algunita." Proclaimed Ophelia, gifting them the realization of how important their roles were.
Estrilda bowed at her statement, understanding her position. "Yes… you're right, Princess Ophelia. We can only hope that they make it back soon, and if not, I'll gladly be the one to search for Tanimoto."
"Hoh?" Ophelia lifted her brows at the hero's sudden determination, now placing a hand on their shoulder. "That won't be necessary, I'll gladly search for Tanimoto if he's not found within due time, alright?" A gentle smile spread across her cheek. "Just sit tight, he'll be here under control and ready to receive his promised weapon!"
Estrilda, eager to help, nodded her head and let royalty deal with it.
"Very well, thank you for your help, Princess."
She took her hand off Estrilda's shoulder, nodding her head.
"Of course, I'll do anything in my power to help the mighty heroes of Algunita! We need you, just as much as you need us." Ophelia bowed.
("I'm going to make that pig suffer.")
Turning around, the princess extracted herself from the group and headed down the streets of the city.
("Filthy swine… disgusting womanizer! Impudent Ape! You don't deserve this life, Tanimoto! Everything is given to you for free while you trample over all of it without a care in the world.")
Ophelia's gentle demeanor changed as she ambled through the city, frowning with rage.
("Today is the day where you'll become my victim instead. Karma has finally caught up to you. Prepare for a fate worse than hell.")