Hello guys, I had to stop updating because my exams were coming. I was supposed to pass them the 13, but it was delayed for yesterday.

The quality of the chapter probably dropped because I didn't write for a pretty long time, but I hope that it'll go back up in the nexts release.

Enjoy and don't hesitate to leave a comment !

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“That’s it, just hold the arrow like this and slow down your breathing in order to make your body more stable… Don’t look at the arrow, but at the target… When you’re ready, just hold your breath and release your hand.”

*Huff…Huff...Huff…*

A wooden arrow suddenly flew out of the bow, flying with all its might toward a tree and embedding itself right in the center of the target… Or so she had hoped…

“Mumumu… That’s hard…”

“*Fufufu* Of course it is, but with a bit of practice, I am sure you’ll manage to do it.”

Four years had passed since Shinael rejoined her parents. Ever since that fateful day, she had been living happily with her parents in the middle of some woods. Although they were living alone in the middle of nowhere, she wasn’t the very least unhappy about this situation.

Every day was very peaceful, her parents would often fight on who play with her while the loser would look at them, gnawing his teeth. At some point, the ruthless fight turned into a rock-paper-scissor challenge, when Shinael asked them why they simply replied simultaneously:

“ “ Because we are wasting the time we could spend with you! “ “

During those few years, her body had grown up to look almost like how she had been in her previous life, but with a few differences. Due to being well nourished, her previous skinny body was now flourishing with energy.

Her skin seemed to be shining as the sun warmed her body, she looked exactly like a normal child, if it wasn’t for her small horns growing on her forehead and the tiny jewel-like purple scale stuck on her forearm and legs.

Every time she looked at them, she couldn’t hold back herself and started scratching them. But despite how much strength she used, not a single scrape could be seen.

It was like having a very light metal plate embedded in her skin. It wasn’t painful at all, but it was extremely itchy.

Mystel who had gained today’s game continued to teach her how to use a bow laughed as she observed her daughter scratch her little scales with a dissatisfied expression.

“It's so annoying!” Shinael mumbled as she continued to scratch her newborn scales.

On the other hand, this scene brought tears to Mystel’s eyes while she warmly smiled, those scales are the proof that her daughter is healthily growing. Which parents’ heart wouldn’t be smitten by such a scene?

“Just ignore it, they’ll disappear soon enough as long as you don’t mess with them.”

For Shinael who had once grown up as a normal human being, seeing those scales always filled her up with curiosity, they first just spout out of nowhere colored in black and then slowly turn purple. After a certain point when they feel like it, they simply disappear, only leaving behind a purple stain on her skin which slowly vanish as time passes by.

It looked like she had caught the chicken pox, but instead of having red blisters, she had purple jewels.

“Humu” Nodding, Shinael stopped scratching her scales and took out the last arrow she had in her quiver and aimed at the target on the tree. Out of thirty arrows, only two actually attained their goal.

Remembering her mother’s instructions, her eyes were intensely staring at the target. Her aim was the center of the circle, she ignored everything else and concentrated on her objective. There were only her, her arrow and the target.

Her breathing slowly slowed down until it became unperceivable, the bow string was strained to the maximum, but her body didn’t shake. After a few seconds, the arrow flew in a straight line toward the target.

Shinael was excited by her performance, the arrow was perfectly fired and was going to reach its target.

“You ALMOST did it.” Mystel said with a little smirk.

At the last few moments, a large gust of wind made the arrow diverge from its original course and making it pass by the target, flying further away in the forest.

“Huuuu~ That’s not fair, it was going right in the center!” Shinael complained while stamping her foot in frustration while puffing her cheeks out.

“When you use an arrow, depending on the distance you might need to take into account the wind’s strength and its direction. Otherwise like here, you’ll completely miss your target.” Mystel said, but she was very satisfied regarding the progress Shinael made in archery.

“Well your performance can still be considered good, if it wasn’t for the wind you would have definitely hit the mark. What are two meters when the target is six hundred meters away?”

From their position, the small target not even half a meter wide would be a point on the horizon for a normal human being. Even elite archer would be unable to clearly see the target… Let alone hit it with an arrow. Just the strength needed to give the arrow enough momentum to reach the target is be something only a monster would possess.

Shinael sighed and suddenly began to think very intensely about something, seeing her daughter radiate with an aura of seriousness made her somehow perplex. It was like this daughter of her had made an incredible discovery.

Lifting her eyes and staring at her mother with a very serious expression, this made Mystel slightly smile as she wondered what kind of enlightenment her daughter had.

“Mom… I am hungry…” She said as she pulled her mother’s sleeve.

“...Let’s go see what that stupid father of yours is doing.”

“Who are you calling stupid, stupid woman.” A man’s voice resonated from the direction in from which is located the target.

Arsal, clad in a stylish gray robe was leisurely walking in their direction. His face looked imperturbable, but the look in his eyes which seemed to be sparkling with thunder showed that he was in a bad mood.

“Dinner is ready, hurry and come eat.” He yelled as he coldly turned back, depressed as he remembered how he lost in the morning and was forced to prepare the meal. If it was only for his daughter, he wouldn’t mind… But thinking about how he was also forced to prepare Mystel’s one, made him lament the fact that no poison was powerful enough to even cause her stomach ache.

Walking a few minutes, the three people soon reached a small cottage with a table and three seats. A few very simple dishes were presented on the table, the main dish was scrambled egg with a large chicken wing.

It would have been a very normal scene… If it wasn’t for the mountain of eggs and the remnant of the bird abandoned not far from the cottage.

Mystel couldn’t help but gulp as she eyed the dishes, the wonderful odor of cooked meat assailed her nostril. Inhaling this irresistible scent, it didn’t take her long before she recognized the ingredient used.

Looking at the broken eggs, they must all have been at the very least half a meter tall before they were used. Even broken, they looked like pieces of arts, painted in a beautiful deep red and covered with goldens symbol; the egg irradiated with elegance and power.

Yet, the cook who used it didn’t care at all about its appearance and mercilessly broke it before throwing it aside without giving it another glance.

As for the ‘chicken’, apart from his beautiful red and golden feather which symbolized its arrogance and power, only bones remained.

“Humu~ Is that Falleon's body? That poor bird can only lay down an egg every ten of thousand years, yet you preferred to cook together with his children to feed it to your daughter? Look at him Shina~ Look at how cruel and evil your father is~”

Shina was a surname she earned when she first learned how to talk, the name ‘Shinael’ was too difficult to articulate for a young child, no matter how much she tried her mouth couldn’t pronounce it entirely. After giving up, she started calling herself Shina which was supported by her parents who found it cute as a surname.

“Hmph, say the woman who hunted her own subordinate because she was bored.” Arsal replied with a sarcastic smirk.

“Fufufu, at least I assume being evil and openly show it. Unlike you mister, the so-called ‘Righteous Ruler’ who's known for being impartial and loath evildoer. Yet here you are hunting this pure and virtuous chicken.” Mystel replied with a mocking smile.

Arsal shrugged as if he was confronted with nonsense. “Who care how virtuous or majestic some food can be… In the end, food is food. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Shina on the other side didn’t care the slightest about their argument. Ever since she was reborn, she saw them confronting each other, she had since long grown used to it and treated it as a daily occurrence. For her, the food in front of her was far more interesting.

While she had eaten a variety of dishes made with strange ingredients, she couldn’t help but gulp in front of those dishes. The chicken was perfectly roasted and its flesh was shining, the eggs, on the other hand, looked like it had been mixed with gold.

Once she started eating, she couldn’t stop herself. The meat warmed her insides and seemed to be giving her plenty of strength, she felt her whole body become energized while the eggs, on the other hand, made her feel refreshed.

Very soon, she found her plate empty. It was so clean that she could perfectly see her reflection in the plate. Only after finishing eating did she realize that she was sated.

As she finished eating, she noticed that her parents had finally stopped their lovers' quarrel and were ready to eat. But a shocked expression quickly showed on Shina’s face as her eyes kept looking at the dishes and the cottage.

“By the way Arsal, where is my share of meat?” Mystel said as she looked at her plate, only filled with scrambled eggs. Missing the main ingredient of the meal, she couldn’t help but glare at Arsal.

A little smirk formed on Arsal’s face as he glanced at Shina.

“Fufufu…” Resonated in the air as Shina sneakily left her seat.

Arsal kept on eating, only casting a side glance at Mystel. “Why don’t you look at the cottage…” He replied with a smile.

An arrow was embedded in the cottage, together with a chicken wing.

“...”

“I am sorry for you… Missing such a good phoenix.” Arsal laughed as he looked at Mystel dark expression.

Mystel didn’t say a word, she only walked toward the phoenix’s carcass sitting next to it.

“Hurry and revive shitty chicken… Wasting my meal like this!”

She didn’t know whether she should be happy with her daughter progress or sad because her meal was wasted. But after a few seconds, she decided to reject the fault on the phoenix.

The phoenix whose conscience remained even after his death couldn’t help but curse this couple in his mind.

‘Fu**, who are you calling a chicken? And why is it my fault if your daughter trashed your meal?! Just take it out with her, not me!’

Of course, no matter what happened, there was no way he would have ever said it openly.