Soulbreaker Crystal

Jessica reclined in her chair, paying no mind to the destruction that surrounded her, nor the ruined table before her.

But In an instant, her attention shifted as she cast her gaze towards the left, where a mysterious silhouette materialized before her.

"Aveline, why are you her?" she inquired, her tone unexpectedly friendly, as her demeanor softened and grew more amiable.

"Of course, to see what is the commotion here."

The silhouette slowly revealed itself as a women with white hair appeared out of nowhere possessing a beautiful face with piercing amethyst eyes. She adorns herself in elegant gown of deep blue silk, which was embroidered with silver lining, her beauty is almost at the level of Jessica.

Her gaze fell on the black coloured stone, suspended in mid-air before Jessica.

"Could that stone be a Soulbreaker Crystal, the very artifact known for shattering enchanted soul contracts, or am I merely witnessing a illusion?" Her voice resonated with a mix of surprise and wonderment.

"It truly is a Soulbreaker Crystal." Jessica replied, her smile widening.

Aveline's face reflected a mix of astonishment and curiosity as she fired a barrage of questions in a single breath. "How is this possible? The tales of the Soulbreaker crystals were nothing more than legends, so it was hard to believe what your saying is truth, than again it was right before my very eyes. Why is it fractured, actually what purpose do you have for it?"

"Aveline, compose yourself for a moment and Sit here." Jessica invited, motioning towards the sole surviving sofa adjacent to her chair. "I had intended to discuss a matter concerning this very artifact with you."

Just as the Duchess was on the verge of speaking, a clamor erupted outside, making both women extend their Mana Senses beyond the confines of the room.

Unfazed by the explosion, the Duchess's personal guards stationed outside maintained their composure, their training evident in their unwavering demeanor.

However, a pair of individuals were engaged in heated dispute, their voices audible above the din.

Despite the Duchies possessing their own personal armies, the empire had imposed strict limitations on the number of troops that could be trained within each domain.

While it was not uncommon for Duchies to secretly train additional soldiers, the ever-watchful empire had a network of spies that would eventually unearth such hidden things.

Nevertheless, every Duchy have a multitude of secrets unbeknownst to the empire, and some were willing to take the gamble of training soldiers in secret, even if it meant defying the Empire itsel.

One of the two people who was making noise was Roderick Blackthorn, the army commander of the black dragon duchy, he was over hundred years old which was really considered young comparing to his achievements, His square-jawed face is chiseled and defined, bearing the signs of both wisdom and experience.

He has piercing eyes of a steely gray color. A well-groomed salt-and-pepper beard frames his jawline. Despite the lines etched on his face from battles he fought, there is a resilience and vigor that emanates from his features.

The second individual engaged in the dispute was a woman named Isabella Shadowblade, recently appointed as the commander by the Duchess following her ascension to power over the duchy.

Commander Isabella possesses a captivating face with high cheekbones, striking emerald-green eyes, and a cascade of Blue hair. She was beautiful yet strong which made her commanding presence more attractive.

She wore a armor, representing her allegiance to the Black Dragon Duchy, it adorned with swirling dragon motifs. The breastplate bears an imposing dragon emblem with a flying clack behind her back and knee-high boots which are etched with dragon scales, she looked formidable.

With an impassive expression, Isabella confronted Commander Roderick. "Commander Roderick, where are you going in such a hurry."

As Roderick's furrowed brows eased upon encountering Isabella, he understood from her composed demeanor that no harm had befallen the Duchess.

He was handpicked by Duke Oliver himself prior to his mysterious vanishing. Roderick had been entrusted with the duty of safeguarding the Western border against the encroaching forces of the Alstrain Duchy by duchess Jessica after she took over the Black Dragon Duchy.

Upon his return from the border, Roderick had arrived at the Duchess's office to deliver a crucial message. However, sensing the explosion of a pure mana wave, he swiftly made his way towards her office in haste.

Considering that Duchess Jessica remained relatively unfamiliar to the people of the duchy, Roderick speculated that her magical prowess could be classified as that of a 5-Star or 6-Star ranked mage.

Hence, he arrived here to protect the duchess. After all, this was not the first instance of a 7-Star mage launching an attack on the central city of the Duchy with the intent to eliminate the Duchess.

Yet, Isabella stood in his path, her duty having been assigned to safeguard the Central City during his absence and, indirectly, to protect the Duchess residing within its walls.

Fixing his gaze upon the doors behind Isabella, Roderick inquired. "What is happening inside, and is the Duchess unharmed?"

Upon hearing his inquiry, Isabella parted her lips to respond. "Rest assured, the Duchess remains unscathed. However, I must request that you retreat, since even a commander may not enter here without a summons or permission." She stated, her tone laced with a frosty edge.

"Ah, sigh, I was merely concerned. Why must you be so cold?" He commented, understanding it was not an enemy attack.

"I am not being cold, and step back this instant or face the attack of my blade."

"Whoa, whoa, I am complying. Just stay calm. However, I must relay an urgent message to the Duchess—"

Just as he uttered those words, Jessica's voice resonated from within the room.

"Commander Roderick, I will summon you at a later time to hear your message. However, for now, I require you to accompany Isabella and assist her in calming the ordinary laborers and maids within the estate since they all seems to be in panic after what happened in my room."

Jessica declared authoritatively. In response to her commanding tone, both individuals promptly knelt and acknowledged her orders before departing on their assigned tasks.

Within the confines of the room, Jessica reclined upon her seat, her gaze naturally drawn to the Soulbreaker stone before shifting towards Aveline.

"This stone was unearthed by my husband within the bloodline illusory array, and now I am harnessing its power and putting it for a good use." Jessica remarked, a smile gracing her lips.

"And what is that use?"

"I am fooling Duke Nicholas about the contract marriage. We had a favorable geographical position for our duchy. Alas, it would be of no avail unless there exists a formidable protector for it like my husband." Jessica commented, retrieving the Soulbreaker crystal and putting it away within her spatial ring.

"With the sudden disappearance of my husband, the beast tribes to the east eagerly awaiting for their opportunity to strike, while the Alstrain duchy in the west gathered its forces."

"Although we already dodged the Alstrain duchy for the time being, their looming presence was a persistent threat to my duchy. It is high time I deliver a resounding blow to their audacity." Jessica declared with determination.