Those who had been focused on their own experiments gradually paused when they heard the child’s loud cry.

One by one, they turned in worry, only to realize that she had actually succeeded.

"!"

But there she was, on the ground, sobbing with her entire body as she stared at the bucket where snow continued to fall.

I did it.

I actually did it!

The child practically screeched in her mind as she clenched her hands into fists.

Then, through the pounding of her heart and the rush of her own emotions, Nina slowly became aware of something else. She lifted her head, blinking through her tears, and saw that people had gathered around her.

They were clapping.

For her.

Hup!

They really were!

Cheers and congratulations came pouring in from all sides, and the little Princess didn’t even know where to look.

Her Big Brother actually stood there with a gentle smile and her Brother Chipmunk looked positively radiant as he cheered for her. Upon seeing them, the overwhelming joy in her chest only grew stronger.

But before she could react further, she was suddenly lifted from the ground by strong arms.

"Ack!"

Mwah! Mwah!

"You did so great, Nina! Congratulations, my dear!"

Recognizing the familiar voice and touch, the little Princess burst into giggles, her earlier tears forgotten as the Emperor and Empress showered her with affection.

Her face beamed with pride as she declared, "I can make it snow! Snow! And it’s all because my brothers helped me!"

The Emperor chuckled and began to tickle her, and Nina wiggled in delight before adding proudly, "And today, I even figured it out before Father!"

"!"

Ouch.

Those who heard her tried their absolute best to hold back their laughter.

It was an innocent statement, and true to an extent. But laughing at the Emperor’s expense was a quick way to shorten one’s lifespan. So everyone had to rely on their own methods, even if it meant scrunching up their faces just to keep it all in.

Emperor Xavian, however, simply flicked his daughter’s forehead jokingly before tickling her again.

Nina, amidst all her laughter, tried to squirm away, insisting on being put down so she could run back to her brothers.

Sure enough, the moment her feet touched the ground, she hurried toward Xavier and Luca and threw an arm around each of their necks in excitement.

Ooof!

"Are you—" The little chipmunk was about to ask but ended up stopped by her sudden gesture.

The excitable child planted loud, enthusiastic kisses on both their cheeks before declaring with absolute conviction, "Because of your help, the first snowman I make shall be dedicated to you!"

The surprised married couple exchanged a brief look before inclining their heads slightly, answering in unison with regal solemnity, "Thank you, Your Imperial Highness. That would be the greatest honor."

__

Now, that was a beautiful moment.

The kind they could have prayed to see again throughout the day, or at least for the rest of the week.

But reality was not always that kind.

Because not all awakenings were easy. Many came with their own struggles.

In this case, no one expected Jax to have such a difficult time figuring out his bloodline ability. Especially not when his mother had been the first to succeed. By all accounts, he should have had a much easier time.

But apparently, he was being stubborn.

Extremely stubborn, in fact.

Which, for Jax, was unusual.

Luca turned toward Elder Pao Xi for an explanation, because Jax looked far too busy doing whatever it was he was doing.

"Jax," the Elder said, watching the redhead with a knowing look. "This kid is still trying to convince the plants and the beasts to listen to him."

"...Sorry, what?"

"Exactly that," Elder Pao Xi replied. "He’s convinced that, like his mother, the plants will understand his will. And when that didn’t work, he started trying to talk to the beasts instead."

Luca blinked.

That... umm... for some reason, that explained the "caw" sounds from earlier.

"But Elder Pao Xi," Luca asked, still processing, "what do you mean by ’understanding his will’? Is that the Countess’s ability?"

"That’s right," the Elder confirmed.

"After a few tests, it is not quite two-way communication just yet. It is more like the plants responding to her intent. At her current spiritual rank, she can only succeed with conveying simple tasks. Although in the future, she could possibly do more and expand on her ability."

"But even so, we have already advised her to reinforce her mental barriers unless she wants every plant around her constantly responding to her thoughts."

He paused briefly.

"Not only will she tire and be drained more quickly, but worse, the flora around her might even interpret something she didn’t intend to be acted on."

"Oh my!" Luca covered his mouth in surprise.

Thinking about it that way, it did sound rather risky. It was a good thing they caught it early. Luca could still remember how he almost burned the dungeon forest when he awakened, and he could only be glad that people were being supervised this time.

But then, what about Jax?

Luca turned to look at his friend, who had now moved on to hugging and begging a tree.

"...?"

"He wants that ability badly," Elder Pao Xi continued while making that severe understatement. "And he believes it is possible."

"Ehhh? But Elder... is it?"

"Well, the short answer would be yes," the Elder said. "In a way, it is. But right now, he is just too excited. Too worked up to properly focus on the flow of spiritual energy."

"Moreover, there is always the possibility that his ability, at this stage, would manifest differently."

"You can compare it with the number of things you and the Prince can do with your respective abilities. If he wills it, he could make it snow as well, could he not? But at this stage, the little Princess may still have difficulty producing those massive ice crystals that your husband can form with ease."

"And in your case, instead of using your fire in just one way, you can freely shift it into different forms."

"That’s the advantage of wielding your abilities at a higher rank. But much like how the Prince managed to awaken early in life, doing this allows others to gain a head start toward even greater mastery."

"And as their abilities grow alongside their rank, they’ll be able to discover new and, ideally, more interesting ways to manifest their affinity."

He gestured slightly.

"Ah and with affinities similar to ours, there are really many possible expressions, especially in the early stages. Just look at the differences between us elders? Similar affinities, but even we have different concentrations."

"But if he cultivates properly, he could eventually integrate them the same way that we do. We may not specialize in one field but we could generally harness it."

"The problem is that he is trying to force a specific outcome too soon. If he stopped doing that, he would have a much easier time starting his path." Elder Pao Xi practically sighed as he looked at the rather desperate Jax.

At this rate, he could understand why the tree would refuse to respond.

Wasn’t this too undignified for the proud tree?