Grand Return System-Chapter 55: A Path Chosen by Herself

A Path Chosen by Herself

"Teacher... I understand."

Her voice was soft, but there was steel beneath it.

Truth sat heavy on Rias. Palace life taught her early: a smile could hide a blade, care could be currency. In those halls, loyalty shifted like sand - sealed with toast one night, undone by rumor the next. That realm of calculated unions and quiet betrayals now seemed far more twisted than the silent climb toward immortality.

Cruel, perhaps.

Dangerous, certainly.

But honest.

Her eyes rose to meet his, red like dried blood. Stillness held her stare.

"I would rather endure a thousand hardships in cultivation than live as a bargaining chip," she added quietly, not contradicting her earlier words, but reinforcing them. "I want to stand on my own... not be handed to someone I have never even met."

Faint light trembled along the edge, setting the stitched dragon on her red garment into quiet motion. Just a hint of breeze from the river caught stray cloth, sliding between fibers that nearly hummed with heat.

Inside her, a change took place just then.

That old anger, held tight for so long because they used her like a pawn in some game, finally began to lose its heat. Quiet now, it turned into something steady instead.

Her every move stayed under Leon’s gaze.

A glimmer flickered in his violet gaze under the pale light. There - he noticed it again - something different about how she seemed to glow. Not loud, just there, like air shifting after stillness. Her energy moved easier now, calmer than before, almost like her soul had stopped turning corners.

"Yeah... good."

One quick nod showed he was pleased.

He truly was.

This second student of his possessed more than just talent. She had determination. And that mattered far more.

"Alright," Leon continued calmly, folding his hands behind his back as he shifted slightly closer to the fire. "You just need to understand these common sense questions. There’s no need to think too much."

Rias nodded obediently, though her gaze lingered on him a second longer than necessary.

Selena and Akeno still hadn’t returned from their hunt. The night stretched deep and quiet around them. In the distance, insects chirped softly, and the surface of the lake shimmered under the silver glow of the moon.

Leon considered for a moment whether to begin teaching her Sacred Arts immediately.

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

She had just stepped into the Onyx Realm — first star. Her foundation had changed dramatically after absorbing the Inferno Kong’s precious bone. The fiery divine bone within her spiritual core was still stabilizing.

Too fast would be reckless.

He exhaled slowly.

No need to rush.

Then he spoke again.

"This precious bone has already perfectly fused with you. From today onwards, you just need to follow the method I taught you and absorb it. We’ll talk about the immortal techniques after you’ve stabilized your state of mind. There’s no need to be anxious."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"This precious bone is the precious bone of an Ancient descendant at the King Realm Five Realms. It’s blessed by the heavens and earth with extremely dense spiritual energy. It can effectively help you raise your cultivation level."

"Yes, Teacher, I understand."

Rias nodded solemnly.

But inside her body, she could feel it.

The power.

The divine bone nestled deep within her spiritual core pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat. Every breath she took drew threads of Mana inward, guiding it into that core, where the fire attribute energy refined and strengthened her.

Heat spread from her abdomen outward, not painful — but alive.

If she focused, she could almost see it.

Flames coiling like a crimson serpent around her core, tempering her bloodline.

So this is cultivation...

A faint smile curved her lips.

If I continue absorbing like this... I might reach the Astral Realm soon.

Her father — the ruler of a great empire — would never casually hand her something like this.

Not because he lacked resources.

But because she had never been seen as worth such investment.

And yet Leon had given it to her without hesitation.

No calculation.

No condition.

A quiet warmth rose inside her when it finally made sense.

Flickering light caught her gaze as it rose once more, tracing his shape through the glow of flames.

A faint breeze tugged at the edges of his robe, its threads catching moonlight along delicate lines of purple. Loosely draped, the fabric moved like breath. He sat without effort, yet every line of his body spoke of balance. Not stiff, not rigid - just certain. Up here, among shadows and open sky, he fit as naturally as frost on stone.

Steady... capable... handsome...

Her gaze softened.

He was not only strong.

He did not hide things from his students.

He did not measure worth through status.

He simply gave.

He really is the best Teacher in this world...

A strange warmth rose inside her.

Not the fierce heat of the divine bone.

Something gentler.

More dangerous.

Her vision blurred slightly as she continued looking at him.

If I had chosen someone else...

The thought made her chest tighten.

She might have ended up bound to some arrogant elder obsessed with talent and background. Or worse — returned to the palace.

She had almost made that choice.

But fate had intervened.

And she had chosen him.

She inhaled slowly, steadying herself.

Leon noticed the subtle change in her breathing.

"You’re overthinking again," he said mildly, though his tone carried no reprimand. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Rias blinked, startled.

"I—I’m not," she protested softly, though her cheeks warmed faintly.

He raised an eyebrow.

Her reaction was almost identical to a guilty child caught daydreaming.

A faint, nearly imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.

He stood and walked a few steps toward the lake’s edge, looking up at the sky.

"Alright," he said, voice calm once more. "Take this opportunity to consolidate your cultivation and stabilize your state of mind. Your senior sister should be back soon."

Rias nodded obediently.

She adjusted her posture, sitting cross-legged properly this time. The red silk of her robe pooled around her narrow waist and long legs as she closed her eyes.

Mana gathered.

Breath slowed.

The divine bone within her glowed faintly, drawing in threads of fire-attribute energy from the surrounding air.

Leon remained nearby, silent.

Watching.

Not with suspicion.

But with responsibility.

And perhaps... something else.

The fire crackled softly between them.

The night deepened.

And under the quiet sky of the Forsaken Domain, a new cultivator began truly walking her chosen path.