Published at 13th of October 2026 11:40 am

Chapter 2098: Fortune Favors the Bold

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Genevieve watched in horror as her aunt’s shadow stirred.

Then, a towering figure slowly rose from it, standing protectively behind Valentina.

It was completely black and seemed to be made entirely of shadows. Its figure was humanoid, but it looked more like a monster. Sharp claws extended from its hands, while its body was covered in what appeared to be natural armor. It radiated pure aggression and malice.

An aura of power so overwhelming that Genevieve found it difficult to breathe.

"Oy!" Valentina reprimanded her Shadow. "That’s my niece there. You’re scaring her."

In the blink of an eye, the suffocating aura vanished. Genevieve exhaled heavily. She hadn’t even realized she was holding her breath. Her back was drenched in cold sweat. And her fingers were trembling.

Now that she stared at the shadowy monster behind her aunt, it looked so... docile.

"What is that?!" She couldn’t help but blurt out, her hands gripping the armrest tightly.

"Forgive his manners," Valentina said with a chuckle. "He is my Shadow."

"Shadow?" Genevieve was stunned. "You mean those creatures from Shadowmuir?"

"Yes, but our Shadows are superior," Valentina said. "The best of their race."

"Our?" Genevieve frowned.

"Every member of House Fortuna is accompanied by a Shadow," Valentina explained.

"No one truly knows when this tradition began. Probably from the time of the Angel of Miracle or one of His descendants. Anyway, the children of House Fortuna grow up along with their Shadows. A Shadow is integrated into the babe’s shadow while they’re still in the cradle.

"But since you have spent all your life on Myrrandor. Ah, you have to thank Oliver for that, by the by. He was adamant about raising you. We respected his wishes. Anyway, since you did not grow up in our ancestral home, we couldn’t integrate a Shadow into your shadow. So we’ll do it now."

Genevieve’s gaze turned toward the box on the table. "You mean... there’s a Shadow inside that?"

"In a matter of speaking." Valentina nodded. "It’s an egg. It will be integrated into your shadow, where it will grow. You have to take care of its development, however. It will become a part of you. It will be your protector. Your warlord. Your scout. Your friend. Your familiar. Anything you need it to be."

Genevieve gulped, her gaze shifting to the shadowy monster standing behind Valentina.

"You grew up with... that?" She couldn’t help but ask.

"Of course!" Valentina grinned. "He was my playmate when we were children. Now he’s my guardian. Isn’t he just lovely?"

Genevieve gulped again, suddenly intrigued by the fact that she would have something similar. She had gotten too many surprises tonight.

It took a couple of hours to integrate the Shadow egg into her own shadow. Valentina’s Shadow helped in the process.

Once it was done, Genevieve could feel a faint connection to something... no, someone slumbering inside her shadow. It was surreal.

"When will it hatch?" she couldn’t help but ask. "And how do I help it develop?"

"Like magical beasts, they grow stronger with time," Valentina said. "Alternatively, you could let it out into the wilds and feast upon the shadows of other creatures."

"Shadows of other creatures?" Genevieve was surprised.

"Yes, they consume shadows to evolve." Valentina nodded.

"I see." Genevieve would be lying if she claimed she wasn’t excited about her new Shadow.

"That, my darling, is the physical protection you asked for." Valentina winked.

Genevieve was suddenly overwhelmed by warmth. "I... I don’t know how to thank you."

"And you will never have to," Valentina said tenderly. "You are my family. I did not get to spoil you when you were a child. So let me spoil you now."

Genevieve smiled. She didn’t have the words to describe how she felt at the moment.

But she didn’t need to. Valentina already knew how she was feeling. It was obvious. In that moment, she wished that her little brother would be here and look at the splendid woman his daughter had grown up to be.

She shook her head and quietly sighed. She knew he was somewhere out there in some distant world, engaging in brutal carnage and slaying the enemies of the Imperium.

Her hands blurred into seals. The next moment, she slammed her hand onto the table. The space above her distorted, and a bird appeared, perching gracefully on her shoulder.

"Summoning magic?" Genevieve was taken aback. "How?"

It wasn’t the magic that stunned her as much as the fact that her aunt had somehow bypassed the defenses of the Tower and summoned the creature from the spirit world.

"Don’t worry about it." Valentina waved her hand dismissively.

She turned to the crane on her shoulder and said, "She needs to form a contract."

The crane blinked. It had stark-white plumage and a patch of bright red skin on its crown.

"Form a contract?" The crane blinked again, its eyes gleaming with intelligence.

It turned to Genevieve and scrutinized her. "Where did this one pop out from?"

"That’s my niece."

"Ah." The crane nodded in understanding, its gaze sweeping over Genevieve’s auburn hair and cerulean eyes.

It turned back to Valentina and said, "She has to take the tests first! You know the rules!"

"I know. I know." Valentina rolled her eyes. "Just get her mana signature for the moment. She can visit Mount Enark later."

The crane eyed her suspiciously. "And what if she fails the test? Valentina, are you trying to get me in trouble?"

Valentina’s annoyance was visible on her face. The crane kept telling her about all the times it had helped her in the past, and how signing the scroll without first taking the tests was a mistake, and how the elders would be against the idea. It went on and on and on.

"Has any Fortuna in history ever failed your tests?" She said, irritated.

"Well... no." The crane shrank back.

Valentina glared. "Then give her the bloody scroll!"

Genevieve could have sworn she saw the crane pout.

"You could have asked nicely," the crane murmured before opening its beak wide.

From its depths, a scroll too big to fit inside the crane’s body shot out and landed on the table. The crane tapped the scroll with its wing and it unfurled. On the scroll were the names of many summoners. All of them belonged to children of House Fortuna.

"Go ahead, darling," Valentina said sweetly.

"Write your name with your mana and form the sacred bond with Mount Enark. After you pass the tests, you will be able to summon the Longevity Cranes."

"The Longevity Cranes..." Genevieve muttered thoughtfully.

She had read about them, but information about this magical species was scarce.

As its name suggested, these magical creatures symbolised longevity. But they also symbolized prosperity and good fortune.

Genevieve’s fingers traced the crane pendant around her neck.

Valentina smiled as if she had read her niece’s thoughts.

"The crane is the coat of arms of House Fortuna. All of its members have made a lifelong summoning contract with the Longevity Cranes. And these are our House words..."

She paused briefly to fully capture Genevieve’s attention.

"Fortune Favors the Bold."

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