Rose and Aurora

"Rose... are you sure about it?"

"Yes... Aurora, we must go to the Village of Nevery..."

Somewhere in the city of Inflamed Chalice, two young women were planning their next actions.

One was a bit unsure if it was the right choice, but she still decided to follow and help her friend.

"What about your father? He will be mad if you disappear again..."

"Oh... don't worry about that. After the Nevery, we will visit his old friend in the south. For what he will know, we will be in one of the safest places on the Continent."

The golden-haired young woman looked at her friend in embarrassment: "Poor Uncle... Rose, you became such a good liar."

"Aurora... Sometimes, a little lie is necessary." Rose smiled, "Think about the results... He would be the happiest man in the world when we brought back the second fruit."

Rose's words make sense, but she underestimated the dangers that awaited them.

"Idiot, have you already forgotten your last trip? We still need to find out how you survived for so long... It's surely the work of someone mighty, but why in the first place had this being set his eyes on you?"

Aurora's words make sense, and Rose knows that, too. However, she felt that all this matter was connected to Atlas. It was just a feeling, but strong enough to trust her instinct.

"We will find the truth somehow... even though I ended up in a dangerous place, he saved me and brought me back alive. Don't you find all of this so strange?"

"It's strange indeed." Aurora nodded: "Look at Uncle Val and Aunt Elisabeth. I couldn't help them much in the last years, yet his simple actions had benefited them and helped them change their lives."

"Indeed, it all started with Atlas's apparition." Rose confirmed and then stood up, showing her resolution: "... He is not a normal person, and I want to know why. Furthermore, he knew something about these fruits."

"Fine... but we should inform them."

Aurora knew how stubborn her best friend could be sometimes, so she dragged her into the kitchen, where Elisabeth was cooking some warm soup.

"Aunty..."

"You two little devils..." Elisabeth didn't turn around and kept moving the long spoon inside the cauldron: "... Are you ready?"

The duo looked at each other in confusion, and then Aurora asked: "Mom... what are you talking about?"

Even if Val and Elisabeth weren't her real father and mother, Aurora still called them this way since they had treated her like their daughter for her entire life.

"Hehehe... I'm a bit older than you two, but I'm not deaf."

This time, Elisabeth turned around, and her smile was a bit dangerous: "... I know what you are planning. Especially you, little Rose."

Feeling her piercing gaze, Rose hid behind Aurora as if scared to show her face, and only then did she answer: "Aunty Elisabeth... we are not planning anything dangerous. We will visit that fellow home..."

"Oh?!" Elisabeth stepped forward and stopped just a few steps away: "So... this was your plan from the beginning. Well... I want to visit that little boy, too. He still needs to give me some explanations."

Rose and Aurora were left speechless by her words. It was clear as day that she tricked them like two idiots.

"Aunty... you tricked us!"

"So what? You can't just go around and make us worry." She said calmly: "If you want to go there, we will take even some guards from your father... or he will put you under house arrest next time."

"Geez... I'm just taking a stroll to another village..." Rose lamented.

"Sure... the same words you told Aurora last time... and look at the results." Elisabeth retorted, holding Rose's tiny nose with her finger.

"Hmmm... Fine."

Aurora stood still, not wanting to meddle in this mess, but Elisabeth didn't spare her: "... And you, little girl. You are the most reasonable of you two. But look at you, you even helped this crazy girl..."

Feeling a bit embarrassed by her words, Aurora lowered her head and muttered: "Mom... we wanted to explain everything this time..."

"As if I believe your words... Hmph..." Elisabeth snorted with an angry expression: "You have just turned twenty. What do you want to know about the real dangers of this world?"

Her voice was a bit trembling, but she continued: "I was so worried when I heard about Rose's calamity... What about your father? You can't be so selfish. Especially after what Tanwen is going through. Rose, your father has reached his limit and needs you by his side."

Rose knew that well. Indeed, she remembered his face a few days ago. He was thinner and weak, a clear sign that he had suffered a lot of worries during this period.

She blamed herself for this, but she was willing to do anything as long as there was even a sliver of hope.

"Aunty... I'm doing this for Mother. I found a way to save her..." Rose was planning to keep this matter a secret, but she trusted Elisabeth and spoke sincerely.

Sigh...

Elisabeth sighed at her response and said, feeling sadness and grief all over her body: "Rose... I know how much you love your mother, but... you should just accept the fact."

"No..." Rose shouted: "I truly found a possible way... look at this."

Rose showed her the Celestial Scarlet Peach.

Elisabeth was momentarily surprised at the fruit, yet soon found some similarities with a well-known peach: "Rose... Someone tricked you... this is a simple Burning Heart Peach. Damn, these bastards!"

"No... aunty, this is a legendary fruit... the Celestial Scarlet Peach. It can heal a Chaotical Core and do more... It's truly a marvel." Rose retorted confidently.

Seeing that Elisabeth was still doubting Rose's words, Aurora helped out: "Mom... she is telling the truth. Look at its peel. The Burning Heart Peach is completely different."

Finally, she noticed the differences, but the doubt about its efficiency still remained.

"Maybe you are right... but how can you be so sure about its effects? Do you have any proof or only some ancient legends to back up your plan?"

"Well..." Rose thought for a moment, but in the end, she gave her a response: "... Most of the information came from legends..."

"Sure enough... Silly girl, you can't trust legends completely." Elisabeth interrupted her.

"Mom... I found some records in the Divine Sect... we can trust this information." Aurora added, confirming Rose's words again.

Reaching this point, Elisabeth also found some expectancy: "Well... if you say so... then maybe you are right, but we must tell your father about this story. With his power and resources, he can complete this task better and faster than you."

"Aunty... I told my father about it a year ago, but he found nothing except the information we already know."

"Since that's the case... How did you find this fruit? What are you hiding from me?"

"Well... it's a bit complicated..." Rose said with a strange smile.

"Hmm... Complicated my ass!" Elisabeth shouted.

She wasn't stupid and had an idea about what she did.

She probably followed a ridiculous map to the Ocean of the Fallen Legends and ended up amid a disaster.

Her anger arose again, thinking about this mess, but she kept calm and spoke what was in her mind: "I don't care how you obtained the information... You probably robbed them somewhere or purchased them from the Black Market. What I am curious about is what you are hiding... Is it related to Atlas? You are keeping this a secret for him?"

Rose's lips twitched a little, betraying her attempt to hide the truth.

"Sure enough... it's about that little fellow."

Elisabeth was entirely sure about her assumption now but had no bad intentions. Actually, her following words surprised the two young women deeply.

"Well... since it's about him, you don't need to tell me anything because he is someone blessed by luck."