Eleven figures stood on the second floor of the castle.
They were all of varying heights, builds, and features.
Each carried a different expression, reflecting a spectrum of emotions.
Seeing them together explained one thing clearly — this group contained many types of species.
They all looked at me. Well, it wasn't difficult to guess who was behind all this mess.
Let me introduce them — they were the Lords.
The knights, mages, and everyone else retreated as far from me as possible.
They had guessed correctly: staying close to me was a death sentence.
Hmm…
Why is the gardener still gardening?
I could no longer contain my curiosity and asked,
"Is this really a good time to be gardening?"
He smiled and replied,
"I am paid for this. And these pretty things need my help."
Is he okay?
He looks… mentally disturbed.
The other Lords also looked puzzled.
The fifth Lord explained,
"I was pleased with him a long time ago because when I sat there worried, all my stress vanished. I asked him if he wanted anything. He said he wanted to protect his garden."
Ah, that makes sense. The garden is the safest place — a Lord promised it.
But knights can't enter the garden; any disturbance would mean death.
Suddenly, I felt an attack coming.
"Blitz."
I avoided it.
It was a fire arrow, but instead of exploding, it focused on penetrating and went straight into the ground — who knows how deep.
Damn, you're this strong — why a sneak attack?
Well, Blitz is an active ability, but I can keep it active as long as I like. And now that I'm in front of the Lords, better keep it active.
Suddenly, I heard a voice:
"Wow! You are strong."
I didn't sense any hostility.
I turned slowly.
She stood before me — alive, vast, and utterly unreal.
The first thing that struck me was the silence.
The Great Water Spirit — Undine.
I had read about her in a novel: the eternal maiden of the waters, the one who wept oceans into being, who sang storms into silence. But no story, no priest's prayer, or scholar's record could have prepared me for seeing her in person.
Her form was that of a woman, but to call her human would be an insult. Her body was made of movement, a flowing harmony of translucent blues and silvers. Water itself shaped her limbs, her skin gleaming like moonlight rippling across a lake. Every motion caused faint waves to roll across her form, as if she were an ocean given flesh. When she breathed — if that could be called breathing — mist curled from her lips, cool and fresh as early rain.
Her hair flowed endlessly behind her, a waterfall defying gravity, each strand glinting with hues of deep ocean currents and clear glacial springs. Droplets fell from her hair and hovered midair before rising again, rejoining her body in seamless motion.
Then her eyes met mine.
I froze.
They weren't eyes, not in the mortal sense — they were twin whirlpools of depth and light. In them, I saw the mirror of the sky, the silver line of distant rivers, and my own reflection, small and shocked. There was no cruelty in her gaze, no mercy either — just pure, boundless curiosity.
When she spoke, her lips barely parted, yet her voice echoed directly in my mind. It wasn't speech — it was resonance.
The scent of her presence filled the air: rain-soaked earth, the chill of dawn mist, the sweetness of mountain springs. Every breath I took felt heavy with her essence, as if I were inhaling life itself.
And yet, despite her grandeur, there was an unmistakable gentleness — the calm after a storm, the serenity of still waters.
In that moment, I realized — she was not merely of water. She was water. The tide and the current, the lake and the storm, the giver and the destroyer. The beginning of rivers and the end of seas.
And as her gaze lingered on me — soft, yet immeasurable.
The Great Spirit of Water was not a legend.
She was real.
And she was looking directly at me.
I was confused as to what to say.
The fifth Lord said angrily,
"Undine, he is my prisoner. Don't talk to him."
What? Prisoner?
When the hell did you arrest me?
Undine said to the fifth Lord,
"You meanie! Waaaah!"
She sounded like a cute little girl, but it didn't match her… physically.
She had a tall, well-proportioned frame with soft, full curves that spoke of maturity. Her waist tapered gently, emphasizing the roundness of her hips and the generous fullness of her chest. Her neck was long and elegant. Every line of her body seemed balanced — naturally shapely and mature.
Basically… she was a MILF.
And yet here she was, with eyes filled with tears — small drops falling.
Her personality seemed that of a small, petite girl, in stark contrast to her mature figure and appearance. It's not it didn't have excitement of it's own. I for one like it very much.
Ahem...ahem...
We were getting sidetracked.
She suddenly said to me,
"You feel… familiar?"
Where did all those tears go?
Was that water?
I could only tell by taste-testing… but that would make me a certified pervert. So let's not dwell on it.
But… familiar?
"!!!"
Don't tell me it's because of Nature Force.
You see, spirits aren't usually in our physical realm. Only elves or those with special powers can see them. Though their plane somehow overlaps ours, allowing movement, to manifest fully they need the mana of the one who made a contract with them.
Undine, the Great Water Spirit, is no different.
But She had absorbed a Nature Force. I didn't exactly know what it does, but roughly, it projects and solidifies her.
As for those wondering how she offered blood. She didn't, you just need life essence to attract Nature Force. And spirits too have life essence. Though how exactly she did it, I don't know.
Right now, she exists in both the physical realm and the realm of spirits.
And she must be feeling my Nature Force, as it is only her Nature Force keeping her here.
She stared at me deeply, then smiled, and asked,
"Why are you here?"
I replied,
"To become the Twelfth Lord."
You see, while in the cafeteria inside the academy, I heard of a demon attack that prevented students from going home. I had read about it in a novel, though the timing wasn't clear.
It was actually the Twelfth Lord's territory that was attacked.
Until now, the Coalition of Twelve Lords had never been attacked. So it was a surprise.
It's not that they assumed demons would never attack — just that security hadn't been as tight.
The one leading the attack was a demon general, who had sneak-attacked the previous Twelfth Lord, gravely injuring him. However, the Twelfth Lord, even in that state, launched a massive attack that forced the general to retreat. Now, only his army continued the assault.
The Twelfth Lord died after delivering that attack. The other Lords sent their armies, but they couldn't leave their territories — they had too many enemies.
So today, they had gathered to select a new Twelfth Lord.
Undine looked awkward.
"Well, you see…?"
I said,
"Adrian Lewin."
She nodded and continued,
"Well, you see, Adrian Lewin, it's not like we can give the position of Lord to anyone."
I smiled and said,
"Why don't you suggest a method for how I can become the Lord?"
Undine thought for a moment and said,
"How about you qualify two tests?"
I asked, confused,
"Two tests?"
She nodded and explained with a smile,
"Test one: the Test of Strength. Defeat any of the eleven Lords — you can decide whom you want to fight."
I nodded and asked,
"And the second one?"
She said,
"The Test of Favorability."
I frowned in confusion. The Test of Favourability? What does that mean?
I have to go to twelfth lord territory and win an election?
She explained,
"We meaning all eleven lords simply vote, and if most are in favor, you will be selected."
Ah — to showcase my power and involve every Lord.
After all, Undine can't decide for everyone.
Undine looked at the other Lords.
They all nodded.
Undine, one of the founding Lords, asked with a smile,
"So, Adrian, who do you want to fight?"
I smiled widely,
"The Fifth Lord — Vorynthal, the Magic Lord."
Everyone was surprised. He was the strongest Lord.
In fact, choosing the "Invincible Immortal Lord," a vampire, might have been a better option. He was the weakest in one-on-one combat.
But I had a reason for this choice.
For those wondering why he was called "Invincible": in war, he absorbs the attacks of everyone to continuously heal, refill his stamina, and forge weapons of blood. In a war, he attacks from all sides, can't be hurt, and never tires. And no one wants to fight enemy who can't be defeated or atleast defeated easily.