Chapter 118: Chapter 118 Stone Confirms Truth

Elara’s POV

They were right about one thing. The former version of me had been pathetic, trampled on, and a source of shame for far too long.

But that weak girl was dead and buried. Now I inhabited the same flesh, determined to reclaim every single thing that rightfully belonged to me.

Worthless? Perhaps I had been.

But I was different now—a transformed Elara was here. And everything that was mine would return to me.

——

Helena and the remaining members of the Sterling family had just shown up, positioned on an elevated terrace that gave them a clear view of everything below. She caught every single comment from the masses beneath.

Elara?

That powerless, unremarkable girl without any spiritual abilities had brought nothing but disgrace to the Sterling name.

If the woman mounted on that unicorn truly was Elara, Helena, as the family matriarch, would never have simply observed from the sidelines.

That child was nothing more than a worthless failure.

Beatrix positioned herself close by, her features contorted with fury.

Elara! She had returned!

Unlike the others, Beatrix had encountered Elara recently. And much as she despised acknowledging it, Elara had transformed into something stunningly gorgeous. The truth was undeniable.

"Aunt Helena—"

"Silence," Helena hissed icily, shutting her down instantly.

Her gaze drifted back to the silhouette on the white mount. The girl maintained herself with natural, elegant poise.

A female of this caliber... what a shame she doesn’t belong to the Sterling bloodline.

Beatrix went quiet, seething internally.

"All I wanted to mention was that the girl is Elara!" she thought bitterly.

Meanwhile, Rosalind had made her appearance. The instant she spotted the banners from Frostpeak World, she understood precisely who today’s centerpiece would be.

Flanked by the royal escort, Rosalind took her position next to the Vowrock, staff gripped firmly.

Anyone daring enough to utilize the Vowrock for their bonding ritual was certainly no weak female.

The Vowrock held its own mythology. It was a holy stone installed by the system at the very core of the imperial capital.

When a male beastman wished to demonstrate his absolute loyalty to his partner, he would employ it to inscribe his promise to shield her and her alone. Their destinies would intertwine, their bond unbreakable.

However, it imposed one rigid requirement on the female: her spiritual strength must not fall below SS-class. If it did, the stone would remain dark.

After the connection was established, should the male ever deceive her, divorce would be unnecessary. The system would eliminate him completely.

Their Elara had suffered betrayal previously. This represented the first, most genuine offering they could present to her.

The elaborate ceremony had concluded, which explained Rosalind’s presence here.

She glanced upward and observed Helena’s resentful expression on the raised platform. A subtle, pleased smile crossed Rosalind’s face. She was relishing this moment entirely.

"Helena, this is merely the opening act," she thought.

"The proceedings haven’t even begun and you’re already frowning? Do you honestly believe every influential figure in the Valerion Empire must be a Sterling?"

Rosalind’s brow creased slightly, then she mentally revised her thoughts.

"Actually, Elara carries the Sterling surname. But she’s not aligned with them. And she’s bonded to two of my sons. As their mother, I couldn’t feel more pride!"

"As long as she opposes them, I wouldn’t mind if she claimed Novareach Floating Island, or even the crown. Hell, if she desired to demolish my palace, I’d find it endearing."

The Sterling family, with their dominance over the salt lakes, repeatedly undermined Rosalind’s royal authority. On multiple occasions, she’d fantasized about subduing them, simply to vent her anger.

And finally, her opportunity had arrived.

The primary boulevard leading to the Vowrock had been secured by Dorian’s elite guards. A crimson runner extended beyond sight.

Dorian intended for everyone to understand: he might lack wealth, but he possessed power. Despite being relocated to the sanatorium in the Voidferal Feral Territory before maturity, as a prince of the Valerion Empire, he retained his privileges and honor. He simply lacked the absurd riches the others flaunted.

His reason for appearing impoverished was straightforward: any modest presents he could manage were too humiliating to display. He wasn’t like Kaelen, who enjoyed flaunting his possessions. He truly had nothing spectacular to offer.

Dorian advanced confidently, shoulders back and chest forward. The legendary beast wasn’t merely decorative. His transformed state had expanded further, imposing and regal, radiating an ancient, enigmatic presence from his ancestral heritage.

The moment he arrived at the Vowrock, he spotted Rosalind. His cheeks reddened. He longed to approach his mother, but the unicorn’s reins remained clenched in his jaws. He couldn’t abandon his responsibility.

"Mother, I succeeded," he thought.

"Elara is incredible and flawless. I’m going to enjoy the perfect existence!"

Dorian narrowed his eyes and displayed a proud, joyful smile.

During his childhood, he couldn’t consume solid foods—they would leave him ill for extended periods. His father consistently claimed he was simply too frail, and at that time, Dorian would protest.

No longer. His father had been correct. He was indeed too delicate. He was meant to be cherished by someone extraordinary.

Dorian remained absorbed in his satisfied reflections when the unicorn halted gracefully before the Vowrock.

——

Elara’s POV

Before I could even dismount, the stone at the platform’s heart seemed to detect my presence—and started radiating a gentle, brilliant glow.

"Incredible!"

"I’m growing more curious about this girl’s identity! She simply appears, and the Vowrock illuminates? What level is her spiritual power? No surprise Prince Dorian and the others healed. This is unbelievable!"

"I’ve never encountered her previously, but she’s absolutely stunning."