Pawn or Descendant

After resolving the trouble caused by her rebellious daughter’s restored memories, Empress Karina dismissed her guards and headed alone to the elven sacred grounds.
Pushing open the solemn, heavy stone door, a divine light—not of the sun—illuminated the secluded space.

A gentle breeze rustled the tender, emerald fairy grass, swaying delicately.
The air was thick with vibrant life, and under the soft glow, everything seemed frozen in its most perfect moment, transcending time.

At the center of the meadow stood a towering statue, the grand and majestic figure of the Elven Ancestor God eternally presiding.
This was the elves’ sacred ground, the anchor for the Ancestor God’s divine soul to descend.

Karina approached the statue with reverent steps, kneeling on both knees.
As the supreme Empress of the elves, only the elven god warranted such a gesture.

“Ancestor God, your devout follower and pure descendant, Karina, comes to pray.
May you descend with your divine soul to guide our confusion.”

Her gentle, melodious voice echoed softly in the vast space.
The breeze stirred her golden hair as she closed her eyes, clasping her hands at her chest in a prayerful pose.

At last, a stronger beam of light pierced the spatial barrier, descending upon the statue and igniting its once-lifeless eyes.

The breeze flowed again, the stubborn fairy grass bowing low, as if welcoming the great presence about to manifest.
Divine light gradually coalesced around the cold statue, cloaking it in a veil-like silhouette.

“Raise your head, Karina.
Your prayer has been heard…”

The ethereal, indifferent voice, though soft, reverberated through the entire space.
As the god’s presence emerged, all living things seemed to rejoice.
Elves were nature’s favored children, and their god was nature’s deity.

“Great Ancestor God, your descendant Selina has, as you foresaw, regained her memories today, five years later.
Everything has unfolded exactly as you prophesied, without error.”

Karina raised her right hand, her slender thumb resting lightly on her chest, expressing unspoken loyalty and reverence.

“Seals cannot halt the passage of time, nor can they lock away the obsessions in her memories.
You know the outcome, so what troubles you that you seek my counsel?”

The Ancestor God’s existence was extraordinary, and summoning her descent required stringent conditions.
Only those with pure Ancestor God blood—elven royalty—could enter this space.
Among each generation of royalty, only the Empress had the power to summon the god.

Such strict conditions meant the summons were never for trivial matters.
Typically, an Empress summoned the Ancestor God to seek an oracle guiding the elves’ path or to beseech protection in times of existential crisis.

“Selina’s identity is unique, and I dare not decide her future alone.”

Karina shook her head gently, voicing her concerns.

Selina was personally inserted by the Ancestor God, an anomaly outside the elven royalty’s birth cycle—a backdoor exception.
Such an irregular existence couldn’t be raised as an ordinary heir.
Seeking the Ancestor God’s guidance was the safest course.

“Five years have allowed her to integrate into the elven race.
Though memory restoration may affect this pure bond, once emotions are forged, they cannot be easily severed…”

“Once bonds and blood are established, she can never escape her identity as an elf princess in this life.”

The Ancestor God’s voice was calm, but her meaning was clear.
Five years had forged both emotional and blood ties.
As long as Selina lived, she was irrevocably bound to the elven race.

Though this approach clashed with human notions of morality, morality wasn’t meant to constrain gods.
Ultimately, this was a transaction.
Though the Ancestor God had altered some terms, the core agreement between her and Kant had been set from the start.

One side offered rebirth and the mending of his Deficiency, while the other would use their Descender identity to counter threats from other races’ Descenders.

“Please, Ancestor God, provide the next steps of the plan.
Your descendant will heed your teachings.”

Karina lowered her head, her words earnest and humble, like a junior respectfully accepting an elder’s guidance.

“…Karina, as the Elven Empress, you know well that elves despise hypocrisy and lies among kin…”

After a brief silence, the Ancestor God’s voice returned, her statue’s shadowy gaze fixed on the devout figure kneeling on the grass.

A god’s eyes could pierce all worldly illusions, and the Empress’s words carried a hint of pretense.

“Great Ancestor God, I have no intent to offend your divine majesty.
On this matter, I, as the Elven Empress, feel I have no right to defy your will.”

Her tone was flat, devoid of ripples, like a puppet executing its master’s orders.
Karina’s emerald eyes showed no trace of emotion.

“No intent to defy my will?
Karina, you’ve been the Elven Empress for 1,500 years.
In all that time, you’ve never acted improperly.
I’ve always trusted your loyalty.
But do you believe the words you just spoke?”

“You appear to seek my oracle to guide your path, but even without my guidance, Karina, your wisdom already knows my intentions.
Yet you haven’t acted on them…
You see her as true kin, granting her elven recognition and familial love, which contradicts my original plan…”

Though her words carried reproach, the Ancestor God’s voice held no emotion.
She was a being calmly conveying meaning, untouched by mortal feelings.

“Please, Great Ancestor God, pass your judgment.”

Karina offered no defense, her expression neither panicked nor pale.
As always, she raised her head, bowing deeply to the statue in a gesture of contrition.

The space fell silent, the air itself seeming to freeze.

In the end, a divine sigh broke the stillness.

“Elves value rules, but they are also free spirits unbound by constraints.
As both a god and an elf, I will not overly interfere with your thoughts and decisions, so long as they do not harm the elves’ interests.”

“Step back.
I believe you’ve found the answer you sought.”

As her words fell, the Ancestor God’s emotionless voice carried a rare, faint trace of weariness.

But the Elven Empress didn’t rise to leave.
She slowly lifted her head, her gaze locking onto the statue’s shadowy figure, her voice resolute.

“No, not yet.
I have one more question…”

“Raising Selina as my own daughter is my will.
If I were the Ancestor God, I would keep her with the elves forever, teaching her to let go of past memories and embrace a new life as an elf…”

“But that’s not the truth.
I am not a god, and she is not an ordinary person.
The Ancestor God’s will cannot be swayed by my personal desires.
Since you’ve allowed my deviation from the original plan, I need this answer even more…”

“In my eyes, Selina is my daughter, and I wish to nurture her growth.
Great Ancestor God, you initially saw her as a weapon.
Now, you’ve permitted my actions.
So, in your eyes, is she a pawn in your hand or a descendant?”

Light ceased to spread through the space, and the wind halted its flow through time.
A god, all-knowing and all-seeing, faced with this question, fell silent.