A couple of weeks had passed since Sofia had become part of the Rinty household, and on this day, it was a festival to show her to the world.
Today she was dressed by maids who followed Rin choices.
'Wow this dress is so beautiful' Sofia thought to herself.
'A red princess dress, where each layer goes downwards like a sea wave through the whole dress like an infinite spiral.'
"The dress suits you perfectly daughter, and you can still use your sword as an ornament." Said Rin, with a prideful expression.
The maids nodded in approval.
"It's... so beautiful mom," Said Sofia with an embarrassed expression.
"I did tell your dad that girls do look better on dresses instead of dirty training uniforms and their wooden swords, not like he listened though." Rin crossed her arms while shaking her head in denial.
At Rin's behavior, Sofia and the maids started laughing in unison.
Loud sounds could be heard outside the mansion, carriages entering the gates for the party held in the huge gardens.
*knock knock*
"Who's it? Asked Rin.
"Me the butler, milady, I'm here to inform that the royal family has arrived."
"So they've come to see if this child can be useful to Exodus." A cold expression surfaced on Rin's face. "Let's get going."
Outside the mansion, there was a majestic scene one filled with white chairs white tables ornamented with vases and flowers, of course, it all stood above a beautiful grass surrounded by small gardens of many types carefully cultivated by the family butlers, with it people from all standards and caliber could be seen with their best attires.
Beyond the party only tall fences and even taller trees could be seen which separated the mansion from the forest around like a wall around a castle, the gate separated the mansion from the main road that led to the southern part of the kingdom.
Exodus kingdom was simply huge yet it was covered by big thick stone walls.
To the south of the kingdom there laid limitless forests that after a long distance of traveling one could reach the elf's territory which humans have explored.
They hadn't been able to go further south due to the interference of elves, thus they gave up on it, in order to not start a war with their race.
There was a small stage prepared for Johan's speech towards those who had decided to come to the party, everyone was sitting and waiting for him.
The mansion doors were opened by the servants and the family came out.
Johan and Rin came first through the door, a sound of surprise could be heard from the guests, due to their expensive attire, followed thoroughly by Rod and Sofia whose looks didn't fall behind their parents.
Johan raised his hand as a greeting to the guests and bowed towards the royal family.
"So that's the daughter, what do you think your highness?"
"She looks fragile, my dear."
A conversation between the king and the queen quietly continued.
"I suppose you're more interested in their second son then?
"Well that is likely, since Ryner the eldest brother, has done a splendid job so far, I have high expectations of Rod."
A third voice joined the conversation.
"That girl..."
The third voice murmured in a soft voice of wonder.
"What's wrong, priestess of Exodus?" Asked the king.
"Does your highness remembers when the goddess light descended into a man a few years back?"
"Yes, of course, it was a memorable event."
"The goddess light after descending disappeared and in its place appeared 3 swords and without a doubt that white sword was there in that day."
"So you are saying that the mercenary had contact with the Rinty family?
"It is highly possible that is so, however, I'd understand if he had gifted his sword to the head of the house or even to his son, I don't get why the girl is the one that is carrying it, but well since my powers have yet to awaken I'm afraid that I won't know the reason."
"The prophecy of the goddess was it?" Asked the queen.
"Yes, when the hero awakens so will the priestess." Replied promptly to the Priestess.
"Think it will take long for that man, Keru to awaken, priestess Micaela?" Asked the king.
"The prophecy of the goddess said it would happen when the hero managed to unsheathe one of the three legendary swords she gifted him." The priestess did a brief pause. "It would then mean that he had achieved enough power to at least face a low-tier demon and then one day he'd lead us to defeat the demon race."
"One day for sure we'll expand our kingdom towards the northern lands and retake the territories that we lost in the wars."
A voice resounded through the gardens
"Greetings everyone, I'm very happy and grateful for your visit today to the Rinty household."
The head did a brief bow.
"Today as promised, I will show you my daughter Sofia, the youngest of the family."
Sofia walked confidently to the stage next to Johan, looked into the people, and did a bow.
"This is Sofia, Sofia Rinty my first daughter, just like her siblings she will be taking the path of the sword."
"Oh-oh..." The king said in a low voice far away in the seats.
"She's pretty beautiful, that black hair, black eyes, and pale white skin, a contrast that seems unreal, and that red dress that forces her being to stand out." Muttered the queen.
"Still I don't feel a presence from her like I do from Keru, Johan, and even the young Rod, even when Rod was younger he already had quite the strong will as a fighter." Said the priestess with a disappointed expression.
"In terms of strength, I do not understand, but to me, I'd say she has an impact in her own way." Said the king confident.
"I think so too, even if not by the sword, once she grows up she could very well marry someone of importance to help her family raise her household name further."
A very old man around his 80, who was silent and couldn't see much anymore due to his bad eyesight and age, spoke after hearing the comments of the people around him.
"Sometimes people are more than tools to be used in order to rise in the rankings of a country..."
The king's vassals turned their faces towards the voice who disrespected the king and with aggressive eyes full of threats they aimed their swords at the man.
Guests had surprised and confusing faces, some even fearful ones.
But the senile old man didn't move an inch and progressed with his speech.
"People have more value than what they appear to have, at first sight, especially young child, their potential, possible growth, everything that they could become, no one knows, I always look forward to seeing what kind of person will the younglings become."
The soldier who was tired of the disrespect towards the person he served, slashed in the direction of the man as the code of the conduct of a knight dictates.
The sword piercing the light of the sun approached the man's neck, and a head fell.
The soldier sheathed his sword and went back to his seat.
The butlers from Rinty took the body away, and the maids help to calm the noble ladies who felt distressed towards what they saw, but they knew, everyone knew, that the king is not someone one can disrespect without consequence, even if the man didn't know whom he was talking towards to.
A blind old man died due to a simple comment without harm or sarcasm in his voice.
Such reality, such sad reality...
The white sword was being gripped with rage, a rage that was temporarily concealed ever since she had been part of a new family.
The sword didn't unsheathe, Sofia's sword wouldn't unsheathe, if it had, she would most likely have killed that soldier.
Johan was smiling at his daughter's expression, at the bloodlust that was coming out of her.
He stretched his hand towards her and patted her shoulder so that no one would notice it so that she would realize she was letting out killing intent.
Upon the touch, Sofia said "Ah," and she looked at Johan, and calmed down, from rage to sadness to tears...
Rin moved towards her daughter and took her with her.
The king stood up and said, "Ah fool, you didn't have to kill the man, but well, now that it happened it can't be solved," the king let out a small laugh", forgive us, Johan, please proceed."
Johan smiled at the king and continued his speech.
The speech went on for a while, where Johan discussed the family plans, of his children's future, of the upcoming tournament that everyone can participate in, be it magic users, sword users, and so on, but it had an age limit.
Johan told them that he'd have his son Rod's first appearance at the tournament.
The party went through without any problems, after all, keeping all the social classes in the same place, is a hassle, Johan thought.
Behind the mansion, Rin Sofia and the priestess were together, together with the corpse.
In this world people designated by Saint's adorers of the goddess, and the priestess one who receives small dreams, prophecies from the goddess have an ability which allows the soul of one who died to pass on, otherwise, it could be mishandled, like those who control corpses, those who play with souls...
"By the will of the goddess, I ask thy soul to abandon this flesh and return to where it belongs."
The praying ended, and a light could be seen rising.
Micaela stood up apologized again towards Rin and Sofia, and went back to the people she was escorting the king and the queen of the Exodus kingdom, King Aldaran, and Queen Miriam.
