Reincarnated as an Energy with a System

Chapter 1974: Number 1’s Punishment

Ning remained on the island for a while longer, watching as Emma continued working with Jun’Tal on changing the form of the energy he created. The boy was still struggling with sound, but Emma understood the problem well enough that Ning no longer needed to stand nearby and explain every little detail himself.

That was exactly why he had brought her there in the first place.

"You can handle him from here, right?" Ning asked.

Emma looked toward Jun’Tal, who was standing several meters away with one hand raised as he tried to create another burst of sound without producing too much heat. "I’ll be fine. He understands what I’m telling him, so now it’s mostly a matter of making him repeat it until his body stops choosing the easy option."

Jun’Tal looked over at them. "I can hear you talking about me."

"That’s good," Emma said. "At least your hearing still works after everything you’ve been doing."

Jun’Tal gave her an annoyed look before returning to his practice.

Ning smiled faintly and left the two of them to continue. Emma had far more experience controlling different forms of energy than Jun’Tal could gain from simple explanations, and Ning had other matters that had been waiting for his attention.

His first destination was Veronoth.

Princess Elowen had been given some time to think after their last conversation, and Ning was curious to see what she had decided now that Tritus was gone and there was no longer anyone feeding her resentment for his own purposes.

He found her in one of the royal buildings in Cape Mistam, sitting near an open window with several documents spread across the table in front of her. There were more guards around her than before, but before they could move to stop him, Elowen put up her hands to stop them.

Elowen looked up from the papers.

"Could you please give me more of a heads-up before suddenly appearing out of nowhere? I didn’t even have the time to warn my guards."

"I’ll be more careful next time," Ning said. He glanced toward the documents before taking a seat across from her. "So, what are you doing now?"

The princess leaned back slightly and was quiet for a moment before answering. "I don’t have many choices left, and I’ve had enough time to realize that continuing the way I was going would only destroy whatever is left of my life."

Ning waited.

Elowen looked down at the papers again. "I’m going to use the anger instead. If the law is the reason I lost everything I was raised to expect, then I should be fighting the law rather than my brother."

Ning smiled slightly. "That sounds like progress."

"I intend to start a movement," Elowen continued. "A proper women’s rights movement, not simply something centered around me becoming Queen. I want the succession law changed so that the firstborn child of the ruling monarch inherits the throne regardless of whether that child is a son or daughter."

Ning looked at her with a little more interest.

"So the firstborn would become King or Queen, depending on who they are."

"Yes," Elowen said. "If that law had existed before Tarian was born, none of this would have happened to me. More importantly, it wouldn’t happen to another daughter in the future simply because a younger brother happened to be born."

There was still frustration in her voice, but it no longer sounded like the same resentment Ning had heard before. This time, the anger was directed toward something that had actually caused the problem.

"That’s a much better choice," Ning said. "Changing something that hurt you is more useful than becoming another person who benefits from it."

Elowen gave him a faint look of annoyance. "I have no other choice now anyway."

Ning chuckled lightly. "Well, looks like I don’t need to keep an eye on things here. I hope you’ll find success in whatever you’re doing."

Elowen sighed and returned her attention to the documents.

Ning stood soon afterward. He had already heard what he came to hear, and there was nothing more he needed to push her toward. Whether the movement succeeded would depend on Elowen, the people of Veronoth, and how much resistance the old succession laws created.

For now, Ning was satisfied that she had chosen to try.

His next destination was a city in Donvar, a small nation situated between Conjora and Bronveria. It was the country where Number 1 resided.

Ning had learned more about the angel since their first meeting, and the man turned out to be far more prominent than his quiet behavior suggested. He was a noble of considerable standing in the country, known among wealthy families and government officials alike, while his fortune was large enough that he owned several estates and investments across the region.

His clairvoyance had made becoming wealthy considerably easier.

Knowing which businesses were about to succeed, which investments would collapse, or when certain opportunities would appear gave him an advantage that ordinary people could never hope to match. Number 1 had spent years quietly using that ability to build a comfortable life for himself while serving Tritus from the shadows.

Ning found him inside one of his estates, where the angel was seated in a bright office overlooking a large garden.

Number 1 looked toward Ning before he had even fully appeared.

"You’re here earlier than I expected."

"That sounds disappointing for someone who can see the future."

"I don’t see everything," the angel replied. "And lately, anything involving you has become increasingly inconvenient to predict."

Ning smiled at that and sat across from him.

"I have your punishment ready."

Number 1’s expression immediately became less relaxed. "I assumed you would eventually come up with something."

"I want you to establish a school."

The angel paused.

"A school?"

"For newly awakened children whose powers are difficult to control," Ning said. "Children who are dangerous to themselves or the people around them simply because nobody knows how to teach them properly."