The conversations over at the water section continued, growing louder by the second as one blonde eagerly screeched, "Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law!" while practically glowing with excitement.

The Emperor took a deep breath. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

And another.

Because really, there was only so much one could process at a time.

Now, obviously, this was a good thing. He might be shell-shocked, but he was genuinely happy for everyone.

As someone who had long since wielded his bloodline ability, it made him feel connected to his ancestors in an odd but comforting way. Moreover, it didn’t hurt that it gave him an edge in combat, especially back when spiritual energy had limited use due to glaring constraints and followed predictable patterns.

So really, he couldn’t have been more proud of his people, who were about to discover this part for themselves. That much was unquestionable.

However, as the Imperial Monarch, his thoughts didn’t stay there.

They never did.

His mind immediately shifted to a much larger scale, and as expected, he wasn’t the only one thinking that way.

The Marshal and the Minister approached him soon after, both wearing expressions that clearly showed they had arrived at the same terrifying conclusion.

"Your Majesty," Marshal Julian spoke first. He had been trying to find his own ability earlier, but any hope of concentration had long been abandoned. His thoughts were in complete disarray.

"Does this mean the soldiers could also have latent abilities like these?"

"Marshal," Minister Kordell added, his tone strained, "I think it’s safe to assume that even the children sleeping in their homes right now could have something like this..."

They were probably not ready to activate anytime soon, but the fact that more people now had the potential was already something to consider.

Especially when that potential carried an equivalent level of risk.

The Emperor closed his eyes briefly and pressed a hand to the bridge of his nose.

Because yes, he already knew what was coming next.

"How are we supposed to explain this to the people?"

"And if we ever have to test everyone for safety, how are we even going to do it?"

Kordell looked like he had seen a ghost.

Which, to be fair, was understandable.

He had just witnessed a hammer nearly crater the ground and a human-height tidal wave casually knock his son over.

If others were to awaken in the middle of the road or while doing the most mundane thing in public, then how were they supposed to prepare for it?

The three of them fell into silence, exchanging looks that carried the same unspoken thought.

This might just be the beginning of a very delicate issue.

They stood there, looking like men preparing for their deathbeds.

But suddenly, a hand landed on the Emperor’s shoulder.

"You know," a voice said lightly, "the three of you could start worrying about that after you’ve actually shown results."

The Empress.

Of course it was her.

"You don’t even know how it works yet, and you’re already thinking that far ahead?" she continued, clearly unimpressed.

She didn’t stop there.

"You, Julian," she said, turning sharply. "You already have an idea of what your family can do, so stop wilting and figure it out. You can think about guiding other soldiers after you’ve actually managed to guide yourself."

"At this rate, how are you even going to be of help to others?!"

Then she shifted her attention.

"And Kordell, with Killian succeeding like that, you should be figuring yours out soon. That’s the only way you’ll be able to explain any of this to anyone else."

Finally, her gaze landed on the Emperor.

"And you, my dear husband," she said sweetly, though the warning was clear, "look over there."

She gestured toward the training grounds.

"At your children."

A brief pause followed.

"If you miss the chance to see our little hard-working dumpling, that’s on you."

Another pause.

"And don’t you dare ask me for photos later."

That was enough.

The three men moved at once, dispersing under the Empress’s quiet but unmistakable threat.

Thankfully, he had been redirected in time.

Because if he had missed it, if he had missed the moment his daughter manifested her ability for the very first time, he would never have forgiven himself.

It was enough that Xavier, that willful son of his who had always done as he pleased, had kept quiet about his abilities manifesting early in life.

Now that he was being given the opportunity of a lifetime, his wife was right. He had to prioritize properly.

And how perfect her timing really was, for in a beat, the Emperor of Solaris ended up exclaiming in delight.

"!!!"

"Nina!"

__

A bit before the long-awaited moment, the strangest sounds could be heard.

And no, that wasn’t even counting the questionable bird-call sounds coming from a certain red-haired cadet.

"Huuuummmmm..."

"Hummmmm..."

For this one, the source was a short but extremely determined Princess.

Nina looked incredibly focused, her brows furrowed and her small face scrunched up in concentration. To the adults around her, however, she looked mildly constipated and two hundred percent adorable.

She was trying. Really trying.

It wasn’t as if she’d be punished if she failed. No one was going to lock her in a musty room with nothing but hard bread and no coloring books, unlike what Marin had once dramatically described about her own life.

But in her heart, she truly wanted this.

Because it would be the best thing ever.

She had seen it before. Her brother. Her parents.

The way they used their abilities so naturally, so effortlessly. Not only did they look extremely cool (literally), but there was also something about them when they did it. A kind of quiet poise that made everything feel majestic.

If she could do that too, then when she stood beside them, she could stand a little taller.

Not to mention how her Big Brother and even Brother Chipmunk had taken time from their own search just to help her.

So despite everything, why wasn’t it working?

Nina let out a small huff, her breath escaping as her shoulders drooped, her expression turning visibly dejected.

"Little Nina," Luca’s gentle voice called, pulling her out of her thoughts. "What do you say we take a bit of a break to assess a few things first?"

He smiled at her, warm and reassuring.

Nina fiddled with her fingers, unsure. But when she looked up and saw the familiar faces around her, she realized something important.

They didn’t look disappointed.

They weren’t upset.

They weren’t even impatient.

In truth, Luca and Xavier could never feel that way toward someone so young. If anything, the golden-eyed brother-in-law was beginning to worry that she was pushing herself too hard, so he wanted her to relax, even just a little.

"Umm... but I can still go on," Nina said quickly. "I’m not that tired!"

"Oh, I know," Luca replied with a soft laugh. "Little Nina is very strong and capable. But what do you think about listening to a few techniques I noted when I was learning how to control my ability?"

Nina’s eyes widened immediately.

"Wha... really?!"

She straightened, rising slightly onto her toes, her earlier frustration replaced by anticipation.

"Of course," Luca said. "It’s not exactly the same ability, but I think it might help."

That was enough.

The little girl sat down right away, attentive and eager.

"Have you identified a path for that new feeling to travel toward your fingertips?" Luca asked.

Nina blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"Remember? You even wrote it down."

"!"

Oh.

Right!

After Countess Jenna’s success, all her careful notes had completely slipped her mind. She had gotten too excited and ended up running around trying things like everyone else.

"I forgot!"

"That’s alright," Luca said gently as he patted her head. "Now that you remember, we can simply try again. But before that, I think you need a bit of visualization."

"Visualization?"

"Yes," Luca nodded. "If you’re trying to produce ice, it helps to imagine water in a different form so it has something to follow when it materializes."

At that, Xavier, who had been quietly observing, raised his hand.

In his palm, ice began to form.

Different shapes.

Crystals.

Delicate and precise.

Nina’s eyes widened at once.

"Wow! Like that? Do I have to do it like that?!" she asked, completely taken aback. It looked so beautiful that it almost felt impossible to recreate.

"Not exactly," Xavier replied calmly. "But if I don’t have a shape in mind, it becomes harder to control. It uses more energy, and the result may not be as useful."

He paused before continuing, "If that feels too complicated, try freezing a bucket of water instead."

"A bucket?"

"Mn. It already has a defined shape. You only need to focus on a smaller space. It might work better that way."

"!!!"

Nina nodded quickly, her uncertainty replaced by renewed determination.

Just like that, the two had prepared a bucket for her, and all she had to do was step in front of it before taking a steady breath.

Then, she remembered what they had said. Focus on the surface. Freeze only the top. Maybe create a thin layer of frost.

She closed her eyes briefly and pictured it.

Just like she had written in her notebook.

She guided that unfamiliar sensation inside her, tracing it from that strange knot down toward her fingertips.

At first, nothing happened.

Then when she opened her eyes—

Tiny white particles began to fall onto the surface of the water.

Soft.

Light.

Nina’s eyes widened.

Oh my goodness.

Snow?

Was that snow?

Princess Gianina Theron Solaris stared at the bucket as the delicate white flakes settled gently over the water.

And just like that, she burst into tears.

"WAAAAH!"