Storm of Gods

Chapter 38 Estella
In the Kingdom of Moncareta, renowned for its fairness and civilization, a thousand miles away, one of the strongest nations on the eastern continent of Daoyuan, lies a vast and resource-rich land. This kingdom is blessed by the Earth Mother Goddess "Lisannaro," who holds the power to nurture life. King Aura XVIII is a king known for his strictness and fairness. It is said that since becoming king, he has never laughed in public, dedicating himself to the kingdom.

His Majesty the King has two sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Hokel Aura, assisted King Aura XVIII in governing the country with great efficiency. He also led troops in several local wars, demonstrating outstanding military leadership skills. He is mature, steady, virtuous, and talented, and his reputation has spread far and wide.

The second son, Aklis Aura, received the blessing of the Holy Land of Yela six years ago and was able to enter the sanctuary blessed by the Supreme God for spiritual practice, which is also an unparalleled honor.

Yela is a sacred place on the eastern continent of Daoyuan. Legend has it that the will of the supreme god descended upon this place. The supreme god has no church; the god and all things in the world are His children. When the sanctuary in the sacred place recruits disciples, it does not change the original faith and will provide the best guidance. This is the origin of the sacred place. However, only a handful of people can be chosen.

His only daughter, Estella, was also the jewel of the kingdom, a natural-born chosen one. All three siblings were born to Queen Kelly. King Aura XVIII had only one queen, and the two were as loving as ever. The kingdom prospered and flourished, and their faith remained steadfast.

Sunlight streamed into the palace's back garden, where a young girl adorned with a five-colored flower wreath was playing the harp. The melodious music attracted a dozen colorful birds to stop and listen. The girl's long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering softly and highlighting her flawless white skin. Her slender fingers plucked the strings, her exquisite face radiating focus. Her long eyelashes trembled gently with the music, and her clear, captivating sea-blue eyes, combined with her simple white dress, created a beauty that could enchant anyone. Not far away, a snow-white cat lay quietly basking in the sun.

This is Princess Estella of the Kingdom of Montaleta, possessing a stunning beauty that surpasses even that of Queen Kelly, the former most beautiful woman in the kingdom. Her beauty is renowned throughout the kingdom, but unfortunately, very few have ever had the chance to witness her divine countenance.

Bang bang bang~~~
As the song ended, applause erupted, and the surrounding maids bowed their heads in greeting.

A handsome young man bowed and said, "Your Highness, your hymn to spring is now a masterpiece."

Estella put down her harp. "Second brother, do you still remember you have a younger sister?"

Aklis still had a smile on his face. "I just got back, so I need to check the results of these past few years to ensure we can protect our most beautiful little princess."

The two had arrived at the pavilion, which was filled with flowers, fruits, and fine wine. "Even though you said that, I'm still a little angry."

After Aklis returned, he made a brief appearance and then disappeared, wandering around the capital challenging others. If it weren't for a recent battle where he was discovered to be the prince, he probably wouldn't have returned.

There is a rule on the Dao Yuan Continent that kings cannot use divine relics. While divine relics can prolong life, kings who attempt to use them will not only lose their lives but will also be abandoned by the gods and ultimately lose their kingdoms.

Therefore, because the eldest prince Hawkel was to inherit the throne, even though he possessed great spiritual power, he could not contain divine relics. However, Aklis and Estella did not have this concern, and at the same time, they were also providing protection for the royal power. Aklis was said to have been exceptionally talented before going to the Sanctuary, and of course, he couldn't hold back after returning from the Sanctuary.

The bloodline of Aura is deeply favored and blessed by the Earth Mother Goddess, and they are also the most devout believers. If the Lilong United Kingdom is an enclave with weak faith, where royal power and imperial power are constantly vying for power, then the Moncaleta Kingdom is a model of the unity of royal power and imperial power.

Just then, the lazy, round, white cat slowly walked up to Estella and jumped up hard... a bit embarrassing for a cat.

Estella picked up the cat. Seemingly sensing Aklis's gaze, the cat glanced at him with its jewel-like eyes before lying back in Estella's arms, its eyes half-closed.

"Klee, say hello."

In the sunlight, the snow-white Klee radiated a layer of velvety golden light, making her incredibly beautiful. Her bright blue-green eyes looked at Aklis, her front legs bent in a gesture of greeting, and she continued to enjoy Estella's caresses.

"The little guy's got a bit of a smug look," Aklis chuckled. "Where's Chris? Why isn't she with you?"

"Now is Chris's free time."

The Earth Mother Goddess favored the bloodline of Aura, and especially favored Estella. Chris had existed for a long time, and among the three royal members, she chose Estella, which made Aklis and his elder brother jealous for a long time.

“Estella, your piano skills are getting better and better. I haven’t met anyone better than you in the Sanctuary. You can be a teacher now,” Acles said with a smile.

"Second brother, this won't do. There are always people more knowledgeable than you." Estella shook her head. She had been quite confident before, but after yesterday, she realized that there were so many musical instruments she didn't understand and a vast world to explore.

"Oh, is our princess so modest?" Aklis was also a little surprised, not because of her status. Estella, who was deeply favored, did indeed possess extraordinary musical talent. With the training of the best musicians in the court, her level was truly outstanding.

"Second brother, you've traveled for so long and gained so much knowledge. How do you see yourself among young people?" Estella suddenly asked.

Aklis paused for a moment, "There is no first place in literature, but there is no second place in martial arts. There are many experts in the various secret sects and the five holy lands, but I am definitely one of the strongest. I have a few competitors, and we have had our ups and downs. We will only know who is stronger after the competition."

"My elder brother said you have the most talent in our kingdom. As long as you persevere, your minimum potential is that of an angel."

Aklis smiled wryly, "Don't say that. I used to think so too, until... never mind. You're right, there are always people better than you. It's a pity. I once met someone who, if he could have entered the Holy Land, I can't even imagine what would have happened."

"Oh, there's such a person? What's his name?" Estella was also very curious. She was just saying it casually, that he was a bloodline favored by the Earth Mother Goddess and had the most outstanding talent in the Dao Yuan Continent.

Aklis sighed. "He has no name, only a code name. Perhaps he's already dead." "Second brother, everyone has their own destiny. Who knows when we'll meet again?" Estella clenched her fist. Perhaps because her hand had left Klee, the cat meowed in protest. When that fair little hand disappeared back into Klee's snow-white fur, Klee immediately squinted her eyes and became lazy again.

Aklis nodded. "Haha, that was a long time ago. So many years have passed, even if he were still alive, he wouldn't be my match anymore. A high starting point isn't necessarily a high one; the children of our Mother Earth Goddess just have high growth potential."

Estella smiled sweetly, and in an instant, all the flowers in the garden lost their color. "Second brother, this is the first time I've heard you compare your potential with someone else's. It must be that person to be very outstanding. I'm curious."

"Ahem, what are you saying? Your second brother is the best, followed by the eldest brother. To win your favor, you'll have to get past the two of us first!"

"Second brother, what are you saying!"

“Oh, are you shy? I’ve heard that my mother has been inquiring among the nobles about eligible young talents recently…” Aklis laughed.

"If we're talking about being anxious, you're definitely the one who's anxious, right, Your Highness Prince Aklis, the dream lover of countless young ladies in the kingdom, the dashing and charming prince who's a ladies' man..."

“Who said that? This is blatant slander. I’ve been training and fighting all day long, staying indoors. They must have seen my brother,” Aklis said, his face hardening. “Don’t tell Mother.”

"Second brother, the Holy Land seems like a lot of fun." Estella winked mischievously.

Aklis looked at Estella, his expression troubled. "You wouldn't...?"

“Actually, I don’t know anything. Second brother, don’t you want to show me your mighty side?” Estella said.

Aklis sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're pushing your own brother into a fire pit. You should ask your older brother about this kind of thing; he's thick-skinned."

“We found him. Big brother couldn’t take it anymore. You just got back, so Father and Mother shouldn’t be so cruel.” Estella stuck out her little tongue.

Containing divine relics serves to prevent harm from supernatural powers and to extend lifespan. The Aura royal family has an extraordinary understanding of divine relics. The divine relics that the royal family and the Earth Mother Goddess Church selected for Estella were carefully chosen, emphasizing nobility and safety, and rarely using potions.

The King and Queen forbade Estella from entering the sacred land.

Unable to resist Estella's request, Hawkel took her there once, but afterwards he suffered terribly, to the point that Hawkel now avoids Estella whenever he sees her.

He couldn't resist Estella's pleas, nor could he withstand his father's whip.

We can't count on the eldest brother anymore; now we can only rely on the second brother.

"How about we just give up and change the terms?" Aklis was in a bind. He was a problematic person himself and had just been reprimanded by his mother. If he were to take his sister to the sacred place again, he felt like he would be grounded.

"Take me out of the palace?" Estella changed her request.

"What? The sacred ground, huh? Just once? My life can only withstand one!" Aklis said with a wry smile; he didn't want to die yet.

Estella smiled sweetly, her captivating eyes sparkling with excitement. "Just once, is your sacred place terrifying or exciting?"

Aklis was a little flustered, wondering what this little girl was up to. He prayed to Mother Earth that she wouldn't cause any trouble.

If it were a normal place to contain divine relics, they should have entered the sacred land long ago. But the Aura royal family will not. The Earth Mother Goddess has a very deep favor on this bloodline. The side effects of the Earth Mother Goddess's divine relics entering the body are very small. They are not even in a hurry to activate their life star, so as to avoid relying too much on the power of divine relics. They have enough time to accumulate their understanding of spiritual energy. The concept of the Sanctuary is the same. In fact, most royal families and the top echelons of the church have this understanding.

Time has been kind to them.

The Aura bloodline is as calm and composed as the Earth Mother Goddess, while Princess Estella is even more special. She doesn't need to venture into the sacred land to activate her destiny star; the royal family and the church have already paved the way.

Although she lacked nothing, she was like a caged canary, without adventure or freedom. Once, she prayed to Mother Earth for the opportunity to experience a different life, and later she sensed the zodiac sign and thanked Mother Earth for her blessing.

With the zodiac compass, although the body still cannot leave the palace, the soul can be freed, allowing one to learn about the outside world on one's own, rather than from what others have told one, and to meet new and interesting people.

Estella couldn't help but laugh at the thought. The Cancer man, more arrogant than any girl; the Taurus man, experienced and composed; and the seemingly ordinary yet incredibly knowledgeable Gemini man—who else could possibly be next…?

(End of this chapter)