Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

After coming out of the room, Irene found Simon standing still in front of a large hall and asked "What do you plan to do with her?".

"Well even if you ask me… I do not have any plans for her. I just helped her without thinking much since I couldn't just leave an injured girl alone. At that time it felt the most plausible action to do."

Simon gave a vague answer as he himself did not know about the exact reason why he saved an unknown girl. At that time, his body moved on its own. While he was quite flustered by his vague reply, he failed to notice Irene's lips which parted into a beautiful smile.

Suddenly as if remembering something, Simon asked "You seem fairly mindful of her, due you perhaps know something about her?" He asked as he felt that Irene was suddenly acting strange. Her usual self would always act distant and aloof to the point where it would be a miracle to even get a word out of her.

Irene closed her eyes and kept silent for a while.

"It's alright if you don't want to say anything" just when Simon thought that he would not get any answer as usual, Irene replied "I do not know about her but I'm aware of her race that she belongs to. The Forest Spring Spirit Clan, one of the rarest and ancient beings living in the universe. It is said that they can harness a mysterious form of energy different from the mana system that you use and can grow the rarest and sacred of plants and trees".

Simon was stunned. He was sceptical that there existed a different form of energy other than mystical energy. Although he had his doubts, he still quietly listened to her.

Irene further added as she crossed her hands on top of her full chest "In some places, they are also called the overseer of the forest and all the plant type monsters such as the treants that we met a few days ago receive many benefits from the forest spring spirits and have a duty to protect them as the Forest Spring Spirits are not a race suited for combat. However, that is not all. The Forest Spring Spirit is hunted all over the world for their spirit orbs, which can help increase the purity of one's bloodline and can even heal a severely injured person on the brink of death".

Listening to her explain about the abilities of the Forest Spring Spirits, Simon was absolutely stupefied. What did it mean to cure a person from the brink of death? Such an ability would be coveted by many people.

Not to mention the absurd ability to raise one's bloodline. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the object would be desired and coveted by the entire world.

The restraints of bloodline placed by the world on the billions of its inhabitants. A chance to break out of that restraints would even induce a massive war. an object like that would be regarded as a treasure no matter where he went.

Irene knitted her crescent bows, looked at Simon, and asked "You should know what it means in this world for one to increase the purity in their bloodline. A person who can get their hands on a spirit orb can break the restraints placed on him by the system and step into a higher realm. The greed brought by such benefits would bring what kind of disasters for the Forest Spring Spirit Clan can you even imagine it?".

Simon knitted his brows, sat on the sofa and pondered for a while. He couldn't imagine the kind of pain and tragedy the little forest spirit girl he just saved might have gone through after listening to the details provided by Irene.

Simon let out a deep sigh and fell into contemplation. He finally understood now why that little girl who appeared to be less than six years old, was so adamant about dying rather than living.

He remembered how terribly wounded she was when he found her unconscious under a tree. Clearly, she was being pursued. Simon felt a violent pain assaulting his heart as he imagined the pain and suffering a little girl like her had gone through until now.

As he was lost in his thoughts, Irene spoke once again "it is even worse for the Forest Spring Royal Spirit, a royalty born in the Forest Spring Spirit Clan. There is one in a hundred million chance for a royal spirit to be born inside a forest spirit clan. It is said that from the moment they are born, they are able to harness the essence of nature and are considered to be sacred spirits".

Speaking till here, Irene's usually indifferent eyes had pain and sympathy flashing in them as she continued "However the heavens are truly unfair towards them. The Royal Spirit Orb of a fully grown Forest Spring Royal Spirit is considered to be one of the heavenly treasures. The benefits brought by an ordinary spirit orb are already incredible, do you know what heaven-defying benefits a Royal Spirit Orb can provide?".

Simon opened and closed his mouth a few times, he had no answer to that. He remembered that his analysis displayed the race of the girls as Forest Spring Royal Spirit and not just Forest Spring Spirit. This meant that the little girl he saved, was a royalty amongst the forest spring spirits.

Inside one of the rooms of the white palace, Cecilia finally stopped sobbing and stared at seemingly nothing for a long while before a light of resolution flashed in her lustreless eyes. The words Simon and Irene said previously continuously rang into her ears and the final words left by her father finally gave her the will to struggle.

She was the final hope of her clan, how can she simply die? No matter what she has to survive if not for her, then for her clan that had put so much trust in her. She got out of her bed and left the room.

Cecilia looked at the beautifully decorated interior of the palace as she tried to find her way to the dining hall. Suddenly she heard the sounds of conversations coming from ahead and hastened her pace but before she could step into the dining hall, her steps suddenly halted.

Cecilia heard the bits of conversation that she never wanted to hear, coming from the room. She felt as if her whole body was frozen and she could no longer take another step forward. Quietly ducking into a corner, she eavesdropped on their conversation as her tiny frame shuddered while fear gripped her whole body.

Irene's eyes stealthily glanced at one corner of the hallway that led to the dining room and her voice increased a notch.

"If one gets their hands on a Royal Spirit Orb, they no longer have to worry about their bloodline being impure as there will no longer be any restraints holding them. Not only that but the orb allows a person to raise their talent to an extraordinary height and gain abilities that can easily manipulate the forces of nature".

"There are many other unknown benefits a Royal Spirit Orb can provide" Irene narrated as she deeply looked into the Crimson eyes of Simon as if trying to see through his very soul. However, even she did not expect that even after listening to all of that, his face would be still as impassive as ever with not even a tinge of greed in his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah I get it. Enough about this spirit orb that... spirit orb this already. I don't know why you are telling me this all of a sudden but it has got nothing to do with me". Simon shrugged, bored of continuously listening to how amazing a treasure the spirit orb was.

She was stunned by this unexpected and flat reply.. "You are telling me that you have no interest whatsoever in the Royal Spirit Orb that delivered itself to your doorstep?! From what I can tell, your bloodline seems fairly impure which will limit your future growth but if you can obtain the Royal Spirit Orb from that girl, your future achievement will be limitless" Irene stared at Simon with a peculiar expression in her eyes.