Chapter 1622: Qualifications [1]

August was now out in the wider world, but while he did have a decent amount of general knowledge from Damien's teaching, he was still relatively clueless about the more nuanced happenings and relationships between forces.

There was a lot going on in Arulion. It was a massive kingdom, after all. It was hard to notice its scale when discussing it since a majority of its land was filled with similar people doing similar things, but it wasn't the same everywhere.

Take the Aureat Clan of Golden Dragons as an example.

The original Golden Dragon was quite the promiscuous fellow, so it wasn't rare for there to be several Golden Dragon lineages throughout the world.

Every once in a while, people from these lineages would appear in Arulion, and the Aureat Clan accepted them in stride.

It was always good to have more people, at least, from their perspective, Because of their ancestor's nature, they were far more accepting of common people than their fellows of other Holy Clans.

Still, there was a strict process by which these people could enter the clan, and their bloodline needed to be properly proven. The Aureat Clan still needed to make sure they didn't let just anyone in.

It wasn't rare for Holy Clans to fight each other. They ruled this place together, sure, but they were also each other's greatest enemies and biggest contenders. Aside from the few who had alliances with each other, they were all on relatively bad terms.

The Aureat Clan had never experienced a traitor because their treatment of their own people was great. They made sure that anyone who passed their inspection was given the treatment of any other legitimate member of the clan, so they were particularly liked by their people.

And, nobody had slipped past the their defenses yet. Every single member of the Aureat Clan was a true member of the Golden Dragon Lineage.

Until now.

An individual had snuck into their clan, and that person wasn't a dragon at all!

Golden Dragons, known for their ability to handle fate, were a rare breed in this world. The Golden Dragon Clan of the lower universe was one of their last remaining branches in the outside world.

As such, they didn't get many new people anymore. When someone finally appeared, and their bloodline was proven as part of their clan, they were extremely happy.

They welcomed that person with open arms.

Except, the entire time, that person had only arrived at their clan for a single goal.

Rose Adelaire.

Originally, she came to Arulion to follow a lead about a treasure that could awaken Dante Void.

For that purpose, she'd done extensive research on dragons and had managed to perfectly replicate their bloodline with her illusions.

Getting into Arulion wasn't difficult at all. Once she was there, she hunted for leads until she found a trail leading back to the Aureat Clan.

It was more difficult to mimic a Golden Dragon's bloodline. At first, Rose couldn't find any way to perfectly mimic the way their blood felt and flowed.

She got a lot of help from the Golden Dragon Clan in the Sanctuary, which she could still access, unlike Damien.

And after forming a rudimentary version of the bloodline, she managed to get in close contact with a few members of the main clan and used them to complete it.

It was a tenuous process, but it really wasn't all that hard, especially since it dealt with Rose's specialties.

She made it into the Aureat Clan, and she'd spent the rest of her time here, perfectly melding into their society.

"Fate" really was a big thing here. It wasn't an incomprehensible force like it was to the rest of the world. It was an energy, a law, another form of mana just like everything else.

The entire hidden world was filled with the aura of fate, and it enhanced each and every Golden Dragon within, providing them with the luck to gain opportunities and chances far more often than the average person.

Rose, despite not being a real member of their clan, also happened to get this boost. Perhaps that was why she had such an easy time maneuvering and fitting in, even though she made sure not to establish relationships with anyone.

The Aureat Clan managed the finances of the entire kingdom. They were just as good with money as they were with fate.

They also possessed the storage vault with the most treasures among all of the Holy Clans.

If it was about things that the Aureat Clan could teach her, there weren't many, but Rose put aside her personal quest for a moment so that she could prioritize the treasure.

Of course, that treasure wasn't entirely necessary anymore, since Dante was awake, but that didn't mean it couldn't be helpful.

After all, he was still in a weakened state, and not just because Damien was in possession of his Divinity.

A treasure like the one Rose was looking for would be perfect for stabilizing his mind.

That was its entire purpose.

The Golden Medallion was one of the Aureat Clan's crowning treasures. It could not only stabilize the mind but also provide absolute protection from outside forces.

It was a treasure that even Supreme Gods would die to get their hands on, and if it could provide the same protection for the Unrecorded, then Dante would be free of his suffering.

There was still a question about if it worked, and Rose wasn't sure if it was actually in the vault or if it was being used by one of the higher tier members of the clan.

If the Patriarch was in possession of it, she'd have an incredibly hard time stealing it away.

But, when it came to the vault...

'I'm almost in.'

Rose had created an elaborate plan that would allow her to take what she needed from the vault and disappear from Arulion without a trace.

For it to work, she had practiced creating dozens upon dozens of illusions that were indistinguishable from reality.

With weeks and months of practice, she reached a new height in her training, ascending even further through the ranks of Demigodhood.

'The time to strike...I should probably wait until the heir wars begin.'

That was when their defenses would be at their lowest. All attention would be focused on those young geniuses in their competition.

'Plus, the Ancient Dragons will all be gone.'

They, who represented the highest level of power under the 6 Holy Dragons and the Dragon Emperor, would be too busy facilitating the event to pay attention to their own territories.

But regardless of how many people she has to actually face, this would be the true test of her skill.

The illusions she made...

Could they really replace reality?

Could they fool even Supreme Gods?

Rose wasn't a fan of danger, but she was truly eager to find out.

And, if she could find a new lead that would take her somewhere magical, somewhere she could find her true purpose in life...

Well, the Aureat Clan specialized in fate, didn't they?

It was about time to see if that power could influence her too.