Chapter 4

The heroine possessed an extraordinary affinity for the Holy element, an ability that earned her the title of saintess and the support of the church. The Holy element is a rare and coveted ability, with only a select few individuals across the globe, of any race, possessing it. Those who possess it are held in high esteem and considered apostles of the god of light.

In addition to the Holy element, there are other elemental abilities such as fire, water, wind, earth, ice, lightning, and several others. However, there is one element that stands in opposition to the Holy element, the Dark element. This ability is met with disdain and persecution by followers of the church. However, not all religious institutions share this sentiment, and some academies welcome individuals with any elemental affinity.

I was to be assessed for my own elemental affinity during the awakening ceremony, in order to plan my training accordingly. However, an unexpected revelation came to light during the ceremony: I possess not one, but three elemental abilities. This was an extraordinary and unprecedented occurrence, as it is extremely rare for an individual to possess more than one elemental ability. This information was known only to me, and I deemed it wise to keep it confidential, particularly from the astute Duchess. The revelation was so unexpected, it caught me off guard and left me wondering about the implications of my newfound abilities.

I cleared my mind of any negative thoughts and concentrated on my abilities. One of them was the Dark element.

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I was at a loss for words, as the revelation that I possessed an extremely rare element, one that is nearly as difficult to obtain as the Holy element, left me in a state of shock. The element in question, was just as powerful as the Holy element, and some might even argue that it was more offensive in nature, as the Holy element tends to focus more on defense and healing.

The other element that I possessed was Ice, a versatile element that is useful both offensively and defensively. My thoughts turned to my third element, but I couldn't bring myself to reveal it, not even to myself.

It was a great and rare opportunity for me to have the three elements, but I knew that it also had its own consequences. I had to keep it secret, especially from the duchess as I knew she would use it for her own gain. I had to be careful and plan my next steps wisely."

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No one in the world had more than one element in their aura, and there was no recorded history of such an occurrence. Ellis was the only known individual to possess more than one elemental aura. Scholars believed that having more than one aura was impossible, as the presence of two auras in the same body would prevent either from manifesting. However, they didn't anticipate an anomaly like Ellis.

I decided to reveal my Ice element to them, as it was the most normal of my abilities. This caused quite an uproar, as Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth are the most common elements in the world, while Ice and Lightning are rare among people, and few are lucky enough to possess them. Even among nobles, these elements are rare, and for someone like me to possess the Ice element was a significant achievement. However, I knew it wouldn't cause as much of a commotion as my other abilities.

It was then, when I reached the ground to train, that I was informed that the instructor had been changed due to the unexpected talent I had displayed. The Duchess had greater expectations for me and wanted me to be of more use. The instructor was none other than the Knight Captain in charge of protecting the mansion. There were many Knight Squads and each squad had a captain, although all these squads were patrolling all around the dukedom to maintain order. Only the squad in charge of maintaining the safety of the household was at the mansion at all times.

The Knight Captain's name was Cecil. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a petite frame. She was a Fire aura user, and I remember she had a scene in the novel where she fought with the heroine in the later parts on the orders of the villainess. She was a loyal subordinate of the Duchess and followed her orders efficiently."

She was already informed about me, and my hellish days returned once more, but this time, they were even worse. Just after practicing with her, I was expected to do house training with the head maid. That infuriating woman didn't take into account my schedule and kept it the same, even though she knew that I had morning training as well. It was a complete disregard for my well-being and it added to my already mounting frustration.

During my etiquette and cooking training, I would frequently experience episodes of fainting in the midst of the work.

In my opinion, the demands placed upon me were excessive and my body was unable to cope with the level of exhaustion that resulted from it.

This led to increased brutalization by the maid. The fear of fainting and the subsequent severe beatings loomed over me constantly. The constant fear and dread of the beatings delivered upon me when I fainted, left me living in a state of constant terror.

It was annoying and painful sometimes as the malicious head maid seemed to take pleasure in beating me, as I observed during my years of training under her. Not a day passed in the following year when I was not adorned with bandages, scratches or bruises on my face. Though, to her credit, she refrained from fracturing my wrists or legs, as it would have hindered my aura training. Despite her cruel nature, the head maid knew her limits, and ultimately, couldn't go against the Duchess' orders, who herself had ordered the knight training.

For me to consider her as 'kind' enough is a testament to the level of fear I have for her. In fact, if I had to choose, I feared the head maid more than the Duchess. The Duchess was rarely present in the mansion as she was always occupied with her duties. As a result, the head maid was the one with the highest authority within the household, excluding the Knight Captain.

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