Chapter 964: Alternate Timeline: Callista’s Anger

For Serestia, Emperor Alexander was not merely a ruler or a simple Father.

He was her hero.

She was her inspiration. The one she loved greatly.

Even if others mocked him for preferring peace over conquest, she always admired him deeply.

And Callista Frost...

The strict mother, constantly punishing and scolding her, still stood like an unshakable pillar in Serestia’s heart.

Yet now, the image she carefully built throughout fifteen years cracked apart in mere moments.

How could someone her age calmly process such truths?

Are they even qualified to discipline her?

Back in the underground chamber, once Serestia finished recounting everything she heard, Callista’s eyes immediately turned murderous.

Even though Serestia never mentioned Ares Frost directly...

Callista already knew.

"Ares Frost."

The name escaped between clenched teeth.

Serestia blinked in surprise.

"Frost?"

Callista slowly closed her eyes.

Several long seconds passed.

When she reopened them, her expression became strangely calm.

Too calm.

"Listen carefully, Sera."

Her voice softened now.

"I will not lie to you this time."

Serestia’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Callista continued. "What you heard was true, but your interpretation was wrong because it is not the complete truth."

The admission made Serestia’s breathing pause momentarily.

Callista added quietly, "You are emotional right now, and you are still too young to fully understand the complexity behind those events."

She slowly stepped closer.

"When people judge the actions of the past using the emotions of the present, they often destroy everything around them without understanding why those choices were made."

Her tone resembled the calm, philosophical speeches often spoken by wise queens in ancient dramas.

"A king carrying a kingdom upon his back cannot always walk the straight road, Sera. Sometimes he walks through mud to stop others from drowning."

Then she gently touched Serestia’s shoulder. "Go to your room. Meditate for some time. Once you calm down, I will come personally and explain everything properly."

After a slight pause, her voice became quieter.

"And please... do not tell your father. At least not yet."

However, Serestia no longer trusted her completely. A mocking scoff escaped her lips. "How can I know you will not lie again? You lied to me for the past 15 years... At this stage, mother... I could say it is in your nature to lie."

Still...

Despite her anger, part of her truly wanted answers.

So eventually she turned away.

"Fine."

Her voice remained cold.

"I want to hear what explanation could possibly change my thoughts."

Soon afterward, Serestia exited the chamber.

But strangely...

Callista did not follow her.

Because the moment Serestia disappeared around the corridor, Callista herself vanished from the underground room through another hidden exit.

Meanwhile...

Far above the outer clamor of the Imperial City...

A pair of winged horses continued flying peacefully through the sky.

The evening wind swept against robes and feathers alike while clouds drifted slowly across the horizon.

Ares Frost appeared satisfied.

His mission had progressed far better than expected.

However, beside him, Eamor remained visibly troubled.

Eventually, Ares glanced sideways.

"What troubles you, Eamor?"

Eamor hesitated briefly before answering honestly. "Master... forgive me for speaking openly."

He sighed.

"But do you not feel we were thoroughly exploited by Lady Kiara?"

The disciple’s lips twitched bitterly.

"Ten thousand gold coins is not some insignificant amount."

Ares Frost simply chuckled. "To us, it is insignificant. "Once you return to the House Frost, you will understand. Those ether crystals are little more than colored stones there."

His voice carried calm confidence.

Then his tone lowered mysteriously.

"In truth, they are formed from the fossils of beasts sent by..."

Suddenly...

NEIGHHH!

Both winged horses cried out sharply.

Their wings stiffened midair.

They abruptly halted.

Ares Frost’s expression changed instantly.

Not far ahead...

A black-robed figure floated silently in the sky.

No wings.

No mount.

No visible aura leakage.

Just floating there calmly while blocking their path.

The large hood concealed the person’s face completely.

Yet the pressure surrounding that figure caused even the winged horses to grow restless.

Then a familiar voice emerged beneath the hood.

"It seems you truly do not understand what is good for you, Ares Frost."

Ares Frost’s pupils contracted immediately. "Callista? You..."

Eamor nearly lost control of his mount. "Queen Consort Callista?! How is that possible?"

The hooded figure ignored him entirely and continued to speak.

"You were already told long ago that you are no longer family."

The voice grew colder.

"And yet you still dared interfere in my family matters."

Before Ares Frost could even respond, the black-robed figure moved.

No warning.

No visible preparation.

One moment, she stood far away.

The next...

She appeared directly before him, as if space itself seemed to fold.

Then a pale hand shot forward instantly and grabbed Ares Frost by the throat.

His eyes widened violently.

Then—

BOOOOM!

The sky exploded with wind pressure as Callista hurled him downward like a meteor.

Ares Frost crashed into the earth like a broken comet descending from the heavens.

The impact shook the remote grassland violently.

Loose stones bounced into the air.

Several tiny wild creatures hiding between the rocks scattered away in terror while dust and crushed grass exploded outward in a circular wave.

For several moments, only silence remained.

Letting out a groan, the old man slowly pushed himself upward from the shallow crater left behind by his body.

*Ugh*

His breathing became ragged. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips and stained his beard slightly. The elegant robes he wore earlier while speaking calmly inside Nexus Store were now covered in dirt and torn grass.

Yet before he could properly stabilize himself... The air distorted again.

A faint ripple appeared, and then Callista Frost materialized before him once more.

And her hand descended across his face with terrifying force.

BAAM!

The slap alone sent Ares Frost smashing sideways against the ground again.

Rocks cracked beneath him.

Fresh blood escaped his mouth once again as his body rolled across the grass before finally stopping.

Eamor, who remained hovering high above on the winged horse, felt his scalp turn numb.

That was not a fight.

That was complete suppression.

His master was an 8-star Rank Expert, someone who could contend against a Supreme Realm. How come he was getting beaten up into such a state by a plainfolk? What artifact was she using to attain such strength?

Eamor’s blind went blank.

Meanwhile, on the ground, this time, Ares Frost no longer attempted to rise immediately. Instead, he simply lay there silently upon the earth while breathing heavily.

The black-robed figure stood several feet away from him. The evening wind caused the edges of her robe to flutter softly.

Then her cold voice descended.

"This is merely a warning, Ares Frost."

Each word carried enough pressure to make the surrounding air feel heavy.

"If you dare approach my Kyra again, I will forget that you were once the younger brother of my father."

After saying those words, she slowly turned around.

The conversation should have ended there.

Any sensible person would have remained silent after being completely overpowered.

Yet while staring at the sky above him, Ares Frost suddenly spoke. "What if she comes searching for me herself?"

Callista halted mid-step. The hood slowly tilted sideways. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Ares Frost slowly coughed before speaking. "Kyra Phoenix... I mean, what if I told you that your daughter already knew the truth before meeting me?"

The old man’s voice sounded tired now as a bitter smile appeared on his face, "Even after hearing everything, I saw no change in her determination to continue walking her own path. I visited her, hoping to take her back to her ancestral home. And she even agreed to return to the House Frost one day because she has no intention of returning to the mother who abandoned her."

Those words struck sharply.

The wind itself seemed to grow colder.

"It has already been twenty long years, Callista," Ares Frost continued quietly while staring toward the fading sunlight above. "A child abandoned beside a river does not remain beside the river forever waiting for the mother who left him there. Eventually, he learns to build his own road."

Then he softly added, "You are too late to reclaim your elder daughter."

"Let her go."

For several silent seconds, Callista said nothing.

Then, thick killing intent slowly leaked from beneath the hood.

"No."

Her answer arrived instantly.

Firmly.

And Sharply.

"I will never allow my daughter to enter that dangerous world simply to satisfy your ambitions."

The surrounding grass slowly frosted over beneath her feet.

"She only wishes to go because she grew up alone, thinking that she has no one here."

Her voice gradually gained emotion.

"That ungrateful bitch poisoned his thoughts even after I raised her child as my own."

Her breathing slightly trembled.

"What didn’t I do for Kaelan? I gave Kaelan everything. Princely Status. Protection. Even love that I couldn’t give my own daughter."

A trace of genuine pain escaped beneath her anger now.

"Even after I get Kyra back in my life, I will still see Kaelan as my beloved son."

For the first time since arriving here, the terrifying Queen Consort sounded less like an untouchable ruler and more like a conflicted mother trapped between two children.

"The past cannot be rewritten, Ares," she said quietly. "But I will bring her home."

Then her tone hardened once more.

"Afterward, whether she chooses to stay or leave will become her decision. But until then..."

She slowly raised one hand.

Dense fog began leaking from her sleeves.

The fog carried frightening coldness.

Grass froze instantly wherever it touched.

"You will never attempt to take her away again or even initiate any conversation or meeting."

The fog thickened further around her.

"And if you do..."

Her voice became deathly calm.

"Remember my words carefully. There will be no mercy."

Within moments, the fog completely swallowed her figure.

Then she vanished and the grassland returned to silence again.

For a long while, Ares Frost simply remained lying there.

Eventually, he slowly sat upright and circulated ether through his body to heal the internal injuries.

Fortunately, as an 8-star Spirit Warrior, such wounds were not fatal.

Nearby, Eamor and the two winged horses cautiously descended onto the field.

"Master!"

Eamor hurried over anxiously. "Are you alright?"

Ares Frost stared toward the darkening blue sky above and sighed. "Yes."

Then he smiled bitterly.

"Though it appears our return home may be delayed far longer than a week or two."

Eamor still looked shaken. "Why did you not resist earlier?" he finally asked. "Was it because she is your niece?"

Instead of answering directly, Ares Frost calmly asked another question. "Tell me, Eamor."

His eyes slowly narrowed.

"How was she even flying in the first place?"

Eamor blinked. "Hm?"

After thinking briefly, he answered uncertainly. "She uses the wind attribute ether?"

Ares Frost shook his head. "No."

"Then..." Eamor frowned while thinking harder. "The robe she wore must be a flying treasure?"

"No."

"A hidden divine weapon?"

Again, Ares Frost shook his head.

"No."

Eamor gradually became confused.

"If not wind attribute... not a treasure robe... not a divine weapon... then how can someone fly?"

Then suddenly...

His face lost color.

The realization struck him like lightning.

His lips trembled. "Supreme realm?"

Ares then countered, "Can a supreme realm force me to such a state?"

"De... Demi... Demigod?" Eamor’s voice quavered, his entire body trembling as he spoke those words...

Ares Frost slowly nodded. "And now you understand why I did not resist."

Eamor instinctively swallowed hard. Cold sweat covered his back instantly. "But how is that possible?"

His voice almost cracked.

"You told me she lost her ether core in the great dungeon break."

His mind struggled to accept the truth.

"Even if she had used some forbidden rituals of the long-lost Arcana Empire, she shouldn’t be able to cultivate to such a realm in mere 25 years."

"You are correct," Ares Frost replied calmly. "It should have been impossible if she were a human."

"What?" Eamor shouts aloud, taking a step back in surprise.

Ares’ eyes turned distant as memories surfaced. "this is something not many people knew."