Whether or not it was truly the Goddess's blessing, the Kingdom of Taros had given birth to two extraordinarily gifted jewels during its darkest years. Princess Veronica, the eldest princess, had already become the finest swordswoman in the royal family before reaching adulthood, and she possessed a Battlefield Command Talent that even General Groen had been forced to praise. Second Princess Anya, meanwhile, was famous for her intelligence. Although she was not skilled in swordsmanship or military strategy, she had read every treasured volume in the royal library before turning fourteen, and her magical talent was exceptionally high. Compared with these two jewels of Taros, the kingdom's only prince, Andrew, seemed utterly lackluster. The unremarkable Little Prince was practically nonexistent in the public eye.
Yet Rudolf III felt that his two daughters, whom he had every reason to be proud of, were the greatest sorrow of this country. Such unparalleled talents would have shone brilliantly in any era, but they had been forced to face Kolo's Chaos Tide far too early. Before this disaster, which treated all living beings equally, even the kingdom's jewels might not last long. Exceptionally gifted young people were often swallowed by the darkness before they had time to grow.
Veronica had already become the first victim. Whenever he saw Anya, he could not help thinking of that.
"Tell me one thing at a time, my daughter." Rudolf III pressed a hand to his forehead, his voice somewhat weary. "Even rumors that have merely caught your attention are probably not so simple if you noticed them."
"Yes, Father King." Princess Anya gave a slight bow. "First, regarding the observations of the Chaos Boundary—the astrologers of the Tower of Mysteries gazed toward the Dark Boundary during the last Starless Night. They observed a massive shadow vortex gradually