[AN: For anyone who chose to skip the Empire's Age Exploration chapters, please read this one as it will be important to the story's major plot.]
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Fatima held the crying Rana in her hands. Although she was gifted and mature, no eight-year-old can easily accept the sudden death of her father. Although it pained Fatima, especially when Rana asked if they could revive her Baba, she gritted her teeth and allowed her daughter.
"Rana, do you want ice cream?" Fatima asked, and Rana barely nodded.
"Come, let's make ice cream like we used to." Fatima did not use some powerful spells or summon the ice cream from the Food Dimension. Instead, the two got the ingredients and made it from scratch, using basic spells to combine and make strange flavors.
While Rana was mixing fever dream flavor with ice volcano flavor, Fatima scooped a bit of her scream and wiped it on her nose. "Mama," Rana complained before throwing her milk. Fatima dodged, but that only encouraged little Rana even more. A food fight erupted in the kitchen, with food particles everywhere.
The two had fun, and Fatima took them to a bath. Once again, no spells and everything was done the old-fashioned way. After the bath, Fatima cooked Rana's favorite meal (lightning rabbit stew) and her favorite cartoon. It was a cartoon about an anthropomorphic bunny traveling through different dimensions and having countless adventures. In hindsight, Fatima realized the Empire had been preparing the people for the Age of Exploration for many years through the use of the media.
Rana fell asleep while watching the show, and Fatima slowly put her to bed. She suddenly remembered something: "Khadija, why is it taking so long for the government to arrive?"
"Madam, I have done my best to buy you as much time as possible. They should be arriving soon."
"...Thank you."
"I'm always at your service."
Khadija's prediction was correct, as less than ten minutes later, the tower sensed spatial energy in this plane. Less than thirty seconds afterward, a colossal floating city hung over the tower. The floating city immediately encased the tower in a protective field, isolating it further than the previous protocol.
Fatima waited before the teleportation gate, and a few seconds afterward, two people materialized. "Your majesty," she immediately saluted.
"Be at ease," Tsunade said, and Wiz smiled politely.
"I understand the patient is your daughter?" Tsunade asked.
"That's right."
"She's lucky to have a mother like yourself," Tsunade nodded. "And don't worry, we will do everything in her best interest." Fatima smiled wryly. Rana's best interest may not be the best interest of the Empire. She understood that and nodded politely. Tsunade did not say another word as she followed Fatima to check Rana.
As soon as they met, Tsunade made a hand sign and her eyes turned into this strange blue color with a red cross. Wiz cast a spell that conjured an eyeball that scanned Rana's body.
"I can't believe you've succeeded," Tsunade commented. She had read Rana's case during her study and concluded that the poor girl was a lost cause. But now, she was a witness to a medical miracle.
"You're truly a one-of-a-kind Soul Healer," she praised.
"Thank you, your majesty," Fatima nodded quietly.
"Look, a golden soul flame," Wiz uttered, and Tsunade immediately checked.
" So Edward's theory about Soul Divinity was correct," she uttered.
"Not only her soul flame, but it's the same for her soul and dimension. I just checked the stability of this golden soul dimension, and it's unlike anything we've ever seen," Wiz added.
"Not only did this operation save her, but it seemed to have turned her into a genius."
"After using so much divine energy, it should be expected," Wiz added.
"Besides her unbalanced affinity for Shadow Magic, her talent has broken our scale, and a strong argument can be made that it has reached the same level as Edward," Tsunade muttered.
"Yes, the Akashic Record would probably label her magic talent as [Extreme]," Wiz nodded.
"But have you found the source of her Eldritch ability?"
"Unfortunately," Wiz shook her head. Her dual nature of undead and living has given Wiz great resistance to the power of the Eldritch Monsters, so Edward put her in charge of the entire project.
"Show us the recording of her using the power," Wiz asked, and under Fatima's authority, Khadja manifested a screen of the event. "The data indicates the eldritch power, but we need more verification."
"What do you suggest?"
Wiz looked at the little girl before looking at Fatima. She saw the worry and sadness and sighed, "Let's use a Time Spell to recreate the event. We can get the data directly from the source."
"Alright." Everyone soon walked to Rana's previous healing room and recreated the event when she lost control. With a perfect recreation of the event, Tsunade and Wiz were able to gather raw data of the event.
"It's indeed the [Whisper]," Wiz confirmed.
"But why can't we discover any energy or mutation of the soul or body that is the source of the power?" Tsunade asked. The Eldritch Monster had its own power and unique body and soul, but by all measures, Rana looked human.
"Let's take her to the city for a more comprehensive scan," Wiz suggested.
"Can I come?" Fatima immediately asked.
"Of course." The sleeping Rana was taken to the ship for more advanced diagnosis methods, which included divination or even direct access to the power of fate. Unfortunately, the result was the same, a fact that placed a frown on both Tsunade and Wiz.
Fatima sensed the heavy atmosphere and asked: "What now? What will happen to my daughter?"
"The mere fact that her soul has undergone a divinization process means her existence will become the highest secrets and must be closely protected and monitored," Tsunade revealed.
"The problem is the Eldritch Power. We cannot find the source of her power, meaning we cannot determine whether she's a safety risk or not," Wiz commented.
"She's just a little girl," Fatima said.
"You know well enough that is no longer true. More importantly, Edward won't see it that way," Tsunade sighed.
"With his paranoia, his greatest fear is the unknown," Wiz added.
"So, there is no hope for my daughter?" Fatima asked with a pale face.
"Don't worry about it. With us here, the worst that will happen is your exile," Tsunade said. Things have not reached this point since they had other options, like asking for help from a higher power. However, if all that fails, they'll convince Edward to send Fatima and Rana to another universe and keep tabs on them.
"Fascinating."
"Who?" All three yelled as they summoned their staff, preparing for battle. Tsunade and Wiz were Tier 9, and Fatima was Tier 8, but someone had entered their presence without noticing. Such a thought was horrifying.
"Lord Merlin?" Tsunade asked. However, Old Merlin did not answer her but looked at Rana.
"We've tried our best to study and replicate their power to no success, but this little girl has it naturally woven through her very essence. This must be a miracle. No, there is no such thing as a coincidence or a miracle, so why did this happen all of a sudden?
"Is this our Chaos Universe's last desperate counterattack to save itself? This is both good and bad news," Old Man Merlin sighed before focusing on the group.
"The child is too important. I must take her away."
Fatima's face turned pale, but she did not immediately act aggressively. She saw how terrifying this man was and how respectful the Empresses of the Empire acted before him. So, she glanced at them, hoping they would do something.
"You're her mother, right?" Old Man Merlin asked.
"I am."
"Believe me when I say I don't want to do this, but her existence is more important than you can fathom."
"But she's just a little girl."
"One, sadly burdened with a great destiny," Old Man Merlin sighed. Fatima immediately realized her daughter's departure was inevitable, so she changed tactics: "Then, can I come with you?"
"Even if you don't, you wouldn't be able to see her. Your current self is too weak and a liability to her survival."
"How strong do I need to be to see her?"
"If you can reach Tier 12, I promise you short visitations," Old Man Merlin said, but these words made Fatima pale. She knew the highest level in the world was Tier 11, and only the Magus race achieved that level.
"What? Not confident?"
"I am not, but I'll do the impossible if it means seeing her again," Fatima said with gritted teeth.
"That's the spirit," Old Man Merlin smiled. "I do feel bad, so I'll give you some options. You can stay and develop with the Arcane Empire. Edward is my disciple, and he'll provide you with all the support you need. Or, I can take you to a teacher. She's Tier 14 and also a master of the Soul."
"What are the benefits of each choice?" Fatima immediately asked.
"Your teacher has more knowledge and resources, but if you serve under her, you'll be forced into a war unlike anything you could imagine. You'll grow fast, but the chances of you dying young are also high.
"If you stay in the Empire, your growth will be slow and steady, and the danger will be exponentially less."
Fatima hesitated. She wanted to see her daughter as soon as possible, but it would be useless if she died during the process. However, what would happen if she met her daughter after thousands of years? She gritted her teeth and responded: "Take me with you."
"Are you sure?"
"I want to see my daughter, and I want to watch her grow. I'll do everything I can to make that happen."
"I think Marie will like you," Old Man Merlin smiled. "Alright, one last thing before we leave." He glanced at Tsunade and Wiz and released a light into their foreheads. "I need to protect you so this news will not be revealed."
"We understand," they nodded.
"Good. You guys need to work hard, or you won't be able to follow Edward to the end of his journey," Merlin said before disappearing with Fatima.