Chapter 430: Descending From Asgard [Bonus - ]

Chapter 430: Descending From Asgard [Bonus Chapter]

She finished bathing, stepping out of the tub and wrapping herself in a plush linen towel.

"What a wonderful bath..."

Walking over to the polished silver mirror mounted on the wall, Aurelia wiped away the steam from the glass and looked at her own reflection for the first time in centuries.

She blinked in complete astonishment.

The emaciated sickly frame she remembered had already begun to fill out under the restorative effects of the high-tier food and Eluned’s mana.

Her skin, though still marked with silver scars, was porcelain, smooth, and radiant.

Her facial features were breathtakingly noble, her platinum-blonde hair shimmering like liquid starlight, and her body possessed full voluptuous curves that made her look like a true Saintess.

’I... I’m actually hot...’ Aurelia thought, her cheeks flushing pink as she turned to inspect her own reflection. ’Was I always this beautiful? Or did the reset restore my prime form...?’

She shook her head with an embarrassed laugh, running a comb through her damp platinum hair before slipping into the tailored white silk robes.

The enchanted fabric shifted smoothly against her skin, cinching perfectly around her slender waist.

Aurelia stepped back into the main bedroom, walking over to the wide glass window overlooking the central courtyard.

Outside, the Blessed Land was bathed in peaceful silver moonlight.

The falling snow had ceased, leaving the stone buildings dusted in white.

The territory was completely quiet, but Aurelia could feel the vibrant pulse of life humming beneath the stone which was a promise of the lively bustling domain that would wake with the dawn.

’And I want to see it too... I can’t believe I can use my eyes...’

She walked to the large bed, climbed under the heavy plush quilts, and let her head sink into the soft down pillows.

She closed her eyes, pulling the covers up to her chin.

’Lord Graves is an idiot...’ Aurelia mused fondly, a faint smile touching her lips in the dark. ’What kind of Lord bans immortality? Who turns down invincible soldiers just to spare his healer some pain...?’

She resolved to stay awake for a while, keeping her spiritual senses sharp just in case this was all a dream or an elaborate trap.

Yet, surrounded by the warm, clean sheets and the soothing crackle of the hearth, the exhaustion of a thousand years finally caught up to her.

Within five minutes, the Saintess was sound asleep.

CREEEAK!

The bedroom door opened a crack.

Peeking through the gap was Eluned, her emerald eyes glowing softly in the gloom as she observed the sleeping girl.

Leaning over her shoulders from the hallway were Silas and Morwenna.

Seeing Aurelia resting soundly, Eluned pulled back, giving Silas a silent satisfied thumbs-up before gently clicking the door shut.

The three of them began walking down the quiet corridor toward the master quarters.

Eluned immediately wrapped her arms around Silas’s left arm, pressing her chest flush against his bicep as she tilted her chin up with an eager pleading pout.

"Now that our good deed for the night is officially concluded, Hubby... we should celebrate with intense energetic breeding!"

Silas let out a long, exhausted sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, Elu. I am completely exhausted. My mana is drained from the summoning ritual, and I have fifty logistics reports to review at dawn... We’re sleeping."

"What?!" Eluned whined loudly, puffing her cheeks out. "That is completely unfair! You promised me romantic attention!"

Morwenna snickered loudly from Silas’s right, crossing her arms. "Look at the needy weed getting rejected. Go water yourself in the garden, plant-bitch."

"Silence, pirate!" Eluned hissed, planting her bare feet firmly on the carpeted floorboards and crossing her arms in absolute defiance. "If you will not mate with me, Silas, then I am simply not sleeping at all tonight! I shall stand right outside your door and cast wind chimes until dawn!"

Silas stopped, looked at the pouting Goddess for half a second, and shook his head.

Without a word, Silas bent down, hooked his arm behind Eluned’s knees, and hoisted the World-Tree Goddess up into a bridal carry.

"E-Eh?!" Eluned squeaked, her face flushing crimson as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.

"You don’t get a choice," Silas said with a smirk, carrying her down the hallway. "Bed. Now."

Morwenna burst into a loud ringing laugh, and the three of them chuckled together as they disappeared into the master quarters for the night.

The morning sun crested the eastern crags of the Umbral Basin, casting long golden rays of light across the Blessed Land.

Aurelia woke up slowly, the soft warm sunlight filtering through the curtains of her bedchamber.

"Wooh... It’s not a dream."

She stretched her arms, feeling an incredible light sensation in her limbs as her vitality was fully replenished, her core was stable, and the phantom aches that had haunted her for centuries were completely gone.

She slipped out of bed, walking over to the window and pulling the velvet drapes aside.

The sight that greeted her stole her breath.

The central courtyard below was packed with lively bustling activity. Dozens of female Shieldmaidens in gleaming armor were running formation drills across the sand pits, their synchronized war cries echoing through the crisp morning air.

Dwarven blacksmiths carrying heavy iron ingots bustled between the Barracks and the foundry, while several people carried ledger scrolls and seemed to be leaving.

’Are they scouts perhaps?’

The territory was vibrant and a small flutter of anxious apprehension tightened in Aurelia’s chest.

’So many people...’

KNOCK-KNOCK!

The bedroom door opened, and Kadi stepped inside carrying a small tray of morning tea.

"Good morning, Lady Aurelia," Kadi greeted with a bright professional smile. "Did you sleep comfortably?"

Aurelia turned from the window, her expression shifting into sharp focused determination.

"Kadi... where is Lord Silas’s office?" Aurelia asked urgently.

Kadi blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden question. "Lord Silas’s office is located on the top floor of the Keep, at the end of the central hall. But if you wish to speak with him, I can inform—"

Before Kadi could finish her sentence, Aurelia had already darted past her, her white silk robes billowing as she practically sprinted out of the room.

Aurelia rushed up the winding stone stairs, taking two steps at a time as her thoughts raced with urgent calculation.

’We need to negotiate properly,’ Aurelia thought, her fists clenching at her sides as she reached the top-floor landing. ’He was being emotional and soft-hearted last night because of my tears but a ruler cannot afford to be sentimental. In this brutal world, power is everything. If I do not provide him with an overwhelming advantage, my position in this territory will eventually erode... I must convince him to accept the Argent Flame’s link!’

She reached the massive double mahogany doors at the end of the hall, took a deep breath, and pushed them open.

"Lord Silas, we need to—"

Aurelia froze mid-sentence, the words catching in her throat.

Sitting behind a massive, polished dark-oak desk covered in territorial maps, resource ledgers, and glowing communication crystals was Silas.

He was dressed in a crisp dark-charcoal tunic, his golden ringed blue eyes calm and focused as he reviewed a scroll.

Standing beside his desk was Aeliana.

The Archon of the Stars was gracefully pouring a cold cup of purple drink from a porcelain kettle.

She wore flowing midnight-blue silk robes that shimmered with cosmic starlight and her long blond hair was pinned with a crystal hairpin.

Aeliana paused mid-pour, her sharp elegant eyes turning toward the door as she looked at Aurelia with quiet serene grace.

"Good morning, Lady Aurelia," Aeliana greeted softly with a polite nod.

Aurelia stood frozen in the doorway, suddenly feeling completely out of place before the majestic elf.

Silas looked up from his paperwork with a warm welcoming smile breaking across his face as he reached for a crystal glass filled with royal-purple spirit juice, finishing it off in a single smooth gulp before setting the empty glass on a silver tray.

"Morning, Aurelia," Silas chuckled, noticing her wide-eyed, stiff posture. "Don’t mind Aeliana, she doesn’t bite... Aurelia is just a bit shy this morning, Aeli."

Aeliana offered an elegant smile, picking up the silver tray.

POP!

With a soft whisper of spatial mana, the Archon of the Stars vanished into thin air, leaving the office completely private.

Silas gestured toward the plush leather armchair positioned directly in front of his desk.

"Come on in, Aurelia. Close the door and take a seat."

Aurelia swallowed hard, stepping into the grand office and clicking the heavy mahogany door shut behind her.

She walked over, sitting gracefully on the edge of the leather chair with her posture turning rigid and formal.

She could not allow herself to be swayed a second time.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Silas asked, setting his quill down and leaning back comfortably. "Did you sleep well?"

"I am doing very well, my Lord," Aurelia replied crisply, cutting straight to the point. "The room was magnificent, and my vitality is fully restored which is why... I have come here to properly negotiate the terms of my service."

Silas raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Before she could launch into her prepared speech about the strategic benefits of proxy-immortality, Silas smoothly leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk.

"Before we get into any heavy negotiations," Silas interrupted smoothly, "the scouts reported some unusual mana-beast migration patterns along the outer perimeter crags. In about an hour, I’m leading a small forward scouting unit outside the territory walls to investigate the terrain. Why don’t you come along? It’ll be a great opportunity for you to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, and get used to the geography of the Umbral Basin..."

Aurelia blinked, nodding instinctively. "I would be honored to accompany you, Lord Silas and if we encounter powerful beasts, I can activate the Argent Flame’s soul-link to ensure your safety—"

"No," Silas cut in instantly, pointing a teasing, yet completely uncompromising finger at her. "I told you last night: the immortality link is permanently banned. You are not absorbing anyone’s damage."

Aurelia’s brow furrowed, a sudden burst of exasperated genuine frustration leaking through her formal facade.

"Why do you care so much?!" Aurelia blurted out, leaning forward in her chair. "Every ruler in existence would kill to have an immortal vanguard... It costs you nothing! Why are you so stubbornly refusing the greatest defensive weapon in this world?!"

Silas didn’t get angry at her outburst.

Instead, he reached across the polished oak desk, gently taking hold of her small delicate hand.

"Hm?"

He slowly threaded his fingers through hers as his warm calloused palm rested snugly against her pale skin.

Aurelia froze, her breath catching as an intense burning blush exploded across her porcelain cheeks.

"I care," Silas said softly, his eyes locking onto hers with unwavering sincerity, "because I care about my people. Every single one of them and that includes you, Aurelia. Your life is not a consumable shield."

Aurelia swallowed hard, her heart pounding wildly against her ribs like a trapped bird as she desperately tried to maintain her composure, looking down at their joined hands.

"I... If I didn’t know any better, my Lord..." Aurelia stammered, her voice trembling slightly, "...I would think you were flirting with me."

Silas chuckled softly, a playful charming glint flashing in his eyes.

"Who knows?" Silas replied with a smooth teasing smirk. "I just might be."

Aurelia’s mind went into overload.

’No... no, no, no,’ Aurelia screamed internally, her face burning hotter than a blast furnace as she fought to pull her gaze away from his devastatingly handsome smile. ’This is a trick! It won’t work on me! I already have experience with charming Heroes! Cassian whispered sweet promises under the stars too, and look where that led—’

THUMP!

Her heart skipped a violent traitorous beat.

A wave of fluster washed over her, making her toes curl inside her slippers.

’Why... why is my heart racing like this?!’ she panicked, biting her lower lip. ’Why am I already coming to like him so much?! Am I really that easy?! I’ve only known this man for less than twelve hours!’

Before Silas could tease the hopelessly blushing Saintess any further—

VUUUUUUUUUM!

A massive ear-splitting cosmic vibration tore through the atmosphere above the Blessed Land.

The ambient mana in the room violently fluctuated, causing the communication crystals on Silas’s desk to flare with unstable light.

Silas’s playful expression instantly vanished, replaced by cold razor-sharp focus.

He released Aurelia’s hand, shooting up from his chair in a single fluid motion and striding swiftly toward the panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the territory.

Aurelia bolted to her feet, rushing up beside him.

Outside, the morning sky above the Umbral Basin had completely transformed.

The clear blue heavens had turned a brilliant incandescent shade of liquid gold.

The light was so intense it completely vaporized the morning clouds, clearing away the lingering snow across the entire basin in a matter of seconds.

High above the territory, the golden sky fractured.

A colossal swirling spatial vortex tore open in the upper atmosphere... a majestic blinding rift that radiated an overwhelming suffocating pressure of ancient divine thunder.

Silas leaned forward, his golden ringed eyes narrowing to fine points as he stared into the swirling golden rift.

"Something..." Silas murmured, his voice dead serious as the air in the room crackled with static electricity. "...Something is coming from Asgard."