Chapter 22: The Appraisal [Part-2]

The carriage rattled on steadily down the long, winding road, the morning sun casting warm streaks of light through the enchanted glass. Neo, still riding high off the sheer shock of appraising his own father, could barely contain the excitement bubbling in his tiny chest.

’Alright, alright. Dad’s out of the way. Now it’s Mom’s turn.’

He glanced sideways at Sylvia, who was currently in the middle of pinching Cassian’s cheek in mock retaliation for teasing her about the wedding anniversary incident. She looked every bit like a doting, graceful noblewoman, all soft smiles and gentle laughter.

’Heh. Little do you know, dear mother, your own son is about to peek into your secrets.’

[Ding!]

[Do you want to Appraise Sylvia Draven?]

[Y/N]

’Y,’ Neo thought instantly, practically vibrating with anticipation.

[Appraising begins...]

[Ding!]

-----

[STATUS WINDOW]

>Name: Sylvia Celestia

>Titles: Frost Empress, Winter’s Grace

>Talent: Sovereign

>Race: human

>Core: 7th Circle

>Rank: Saint (I)

>Bloodline: Celestia Bloodline

>Affinity: Ice, Wind, Starlight

[ATTRIBUTES]

[STR: 500/1000] [AGI: 780/1000]

[DEF: 620/1000] [STA: 690/1000]

[INT: 850/1000]

[HP: 1700/1700] [MP: 5500/5500]

[TECHNIQUES]

>Celestia Cultivation Scripture

>Absolute Zero Domain

>Winter’s Embrace Formation

[SKILLS & ABILITIES]

>Grandmaster Mage

>Ice Manipulation

>Wind Manipulation

>Spatial Sense

>Silent Casting

>Political Mastery

-----

Neo’s jaw drop down for the second time that morning.

’She’s a Saint rank too?! And her MP pool is even bigger than Dad’s?! What in the world kind of household did I get born into?!’

He stared at the numbers, comparing them to his own pathetic stats, feeling smaller by the second.

’Silent Casting. Spatial Sense. Absolute Zero Domain. What even is that last one? Some kind of area-wide freezing technique?’

His eyes drifted to her Titles.

’Frost Empress, Winter’s Grace... I’ve genuinely never heard either of these in the anime. She was barely even a side character back then, just Cassian’s grieving widow who got executed halfway through the story. But here? She’s apparently strong enough to rival him.’

Neo swallowed hard, a strange mixture of pride and quiet unease settling in his chest.

’The anime really did steal her of an entire arc’s worth of screentime. If she’s actually this strong, why did the original story just let her die so pathetically?’

He glanced back at her, watching her flick Cassian’s forehead lightly in retaliation, both of them dissolving into quiet, easy laughter like a pair of newlyweds instead of two of the strongest people in the Empire.

’...Right. Because in the original story, Father died first, and losing him probably broke something inside her. Strength doesn’t matter much when your entire will to fight has already been shattered.’

A small, fierce resolve flickered behind his eyes.

’Well, too bad for the plot. I’m not letting either of them die this time. Not Father, not Mother, not anyone.’

He was still busy soaking in his newfound respect for his mother’s monstrous hidden power when the carriage suddenly jolted, the wheels grinding hard against the road as the driver yanked the reins with a sharp, panicked shout.

"Devils! DEVILS FROM THE FOREST!"

Neo’s head snapped toward the window instantly. Cassian and Sylvia were already moving, their playful, lazy expressions vanishing in the blink of an eye, replaced by something far sharper and more alert.

Outside, the tree line bordering the edge of the Desolate Land had erupted into chaos. A flood of grotesque, twisted figures came pouring out from between the trees like a broken dam, their numbers easily stretching into the hundreds.

Neo pressed his face against the glass, his stomach twisting at the sight.

Dreadlings, low, hunched creatures with too many joints in their limbs, dragged themselves forward on all fours, thick strings of saliva dripping from jagged, uneven teeth. Fiends loped alongside them, taller and leaner, their skin split open in places to reveal something dark and pulsing underneath, blood smeared across their claws from whatever unfortunate creature they’d torn apart just moments before.

’That’s... a lot of devils. Way more than a random patrol should ever run into this close to the main road.’

The knights outside immediately formed a defensive ring around the carriage, weapons drawn, expressions grim. But even Neo, with his admittedly limited combat experience, could tell the sheer number pouring out of that forest was going to overwhelm them in minutes if nothing changed.

Cassian was already halfway out of his seat, his hand instinctively reaching for the massive sword strapped along the side of the carriage, his easygoing expression replaced by the same terrifying calm that had once made entire armies turn and run.

"I’ll handle this. Stay inside with Neo."

But before he could take another step, Sylvia’s hand shot out, gripping his wrist firmly.

"Cassian, let me handle this," she said, a playful little glint sparking in her eyes despite the chaos unfolding right outside their window. "It’s been quite a while since I’ve actually stepped onto a battlefield. Let me have a little fun too."

Cassian opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue, but one look at the stubborn set of her jaw and the familiar sparkle in her eyes told him exactly how this was going to go. He let out a defeated sigh, slumping back into his seat.

"...Fine. Try not to overdo it."

Sylvia smiled sweetly, patted his cheek once, and stepped gracefully out of the carriage without a single hint of fear on her face.

Neo, glued to the window, felt none of the panic the knights outside were clearly radiating. He’d already seen her status window less than ten minutes ago. He knew exactly what she was capable of.

He wasn’t scared for her. He just really, really want to see how she is going to fight.

He’d watched her fight in the anime once, briefly, during a flashback drenched in grief and desperation, protecting her remaining child with trembling hands and tear-streaked cheeks. But this? This was different. No looming tragedy hanging over her shoulders. No desperation. Just his mother, walking calmly into a horde of monsters with the same relaxed energy she used while tending her garden.

’Let’s see how cool is my mother is...’

Sylvia stepped forward, her silver hair catching the light as a soft chill immediately swept through the air around her. The approaching devils, sensing the sudden shift in mana, let out guttural shrieks and surged forward faster, drawn straight toward her like moths throwing themselves into a fire.

She raised one hand, almost lazily, and a swirl of frost gathered instantly around her fingertips.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of sharpened ice shards materialized in the air above her, hovering for the briefest moment before raining down in a merciless storm.

The devils in front didn’t even get the chance to scream. The shards tore through them with brutal precision, one after another dropping lifelessly to the ground in the span of mere seconds. Sylvia’s expression never once shifted, calm and almost bored, like she was simply flicking dust off her sleeve.

Just as the last of the shards finished clearing the initial wave, something shifted deeper within the horde. A larger figure emerged from the back, towering above the smaller Dreadlings and Fiends, its crimson eyes glowing with a faint, malicious expression that the lesser devils clearly lacked.

A Demonkin.

Sylvia’s eyes narrowed slightly, the first real sign of interest crossing her face the entire fight. Ice began swirling gently around her palm again, this time condensing into a completely different shape, curving elegantly into the form of a crystalline bow, glinting sharply under the sunlight.

There was no string. There didn’t need to be one.

She lifted her hand toward the bow, and thin strands of ice spiraled out from her fingertips, weaving themselves into a single, perfect arrow that settled neatly against the frame. She drew it back, and the air around her seemed to bend and warp slightly, an invisible tension building as if the world itself was lending her its pull.

She released.

The arrow shot forward, a streak of ice arrow cutting straight through the battlefield, tearing effortlessly through the piled corpses of lesser devils in its path without losing a shred of momentum. It vanished into the distant tree line where the Demonkin had been lurking, completely out of Neo’s own sight.

A single, distant scream echoed out from somewhere deep within the forest, before cutting off abruptly into silence.

Sylvia lowered her hand, the ice bow dissolving into a faint mist around her fingers. She turned and calmly walked back toward the carriage as if she’d just finished watering her flowers instead of single-handedly slaughtering an entire horde of devils.

The knights, who had barely even needed to lift their weapons, simply bowed their heads respectfully as she passed.

She climbed back into the carriage, smoothing down her dress with a small huff, and dropped into her seat beside Cassian with a distinctly unimpressed pout on her face.

"Ughh, they were so weak. I didn’t even get to have much fun."

Cassian chuckled lightly, reaching over to pinch the tip of her nose.

"There, there. Maybe next time you’ll find something a little more entertaining to play with."

Sylvia swatted his hand away with a huff, though the corner of her lips twitched upward regardless.

Neo sat frozen in his seat, staring at his mother with wide, sparkling eyes.

’...Okay. Okay, wow. She’s actually so much cooler than I gave her credit for.’

He’d saw her status and skills. But watching her calmly annihilate an entire wave of devils with the same energy someone might use to swat away a fly? That hit completely different.

Sylvia caught his shining expression and blinked, tilting her head curiously.

"What’s wrong, Neo? You’re staring at me funny."

Neo quickly shook his head, cheeks warming slightly as he scrambled to compose himself.

"Nothing! Nothing at all. You were just... really cool, Mama."

Sylvia’s entire face lit up instantly, a bright, delighted laugh bubbling out of her as she reached over and pulled him straight into her lap, peppering the top of his head with a flurry of kisses.

"Aww, my little Neo thinks his Mama is cool! Did you hear that, Cassian? Our son thinks I’m cool!"

Cassian rolled his eyes, though the fond smile never left his face.

"Yes, dear, I heard. I also think the same."

Neo squirmed slightly under the sudden onslaught of affection, though secretly, buried somewhere beneath the embarrassment, he couldn’t help the small, warm smile tugging at his own lips.

The carriage rolled forward once again, leaving the scattered remains of the devil horde behind as it continued steadily down the long road toward the Celestia estate, carrying the small, chaotic, and undeniably overpowered Draven family further into whatever waited for them next.