21st Century Necromancer
Chapter 820 - 816: Hidden but Not Used

When Chen Yu, Inomata Naoki, and Kohinata Kaori went to eat hot pot together, Jounouchi Hiromi was also enjoying a meal.

It wasn't that she was just starting dinner now—rather, a feast she had been enjoying earlier still hadn't ended. In front of her now was the final course: dessert.

Since Chen Yu had said he needed to work overtime and refused to accompany her for dinner, Jounouchi Hiromi went home feeling slightly moody. To cheer herself up, she had the butler prepare a lavish feast, determined to indulge herself with a good meal.

However, eating a feast alone felt a bit dull, so Jounouchi Hiromi invited all the ship-girls and guests from her Necromantic Space to join her, turning the solitary feast into a lively banquet.

"So this is what you humans call a banquet? What an excellent way of dining," said the Water Elemental Lord, Ni Nasu, who had a contract with Jounouchi Hiromi. Holding a bowl of ice cream, she came over to Hiromi's side and offered her praise. It was clear that she enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the banquet.

In response to Ni Nasu's compliment, Jounouchi Hiromi merely smiled without offering any comment.

However, when she saw the ice cream in Ni Nasu's hands, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "As a water elemental, Miss Ni Nasu, do you actually taste anything when you eat ice cream? Isn't it all just water to you?"

"Not at all. As an Elemental Lord, I can certainly sense its flavor and the cool sensation as well," Ni Nasu replied. She scooped a big spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and made her body transparent again so Hiromi could see how the ice cream melted after entering her body.

Although water elementals didn't particularly mind such things, Jounouchi Hiromi found it quite disturbing to watch. Seeing a transparent humanoid with her face swallowing and digesting food was a rather unsettling experience, even if the act itself wasn't inherently horrifying.

Perhaps noticing Jounouchi Hiromi's expression, Ni Nasu hesitated for a moment before reverting her body back to its original appearance.

Seeing Ni Nasu return to her usual form eased Jounouchi Hiromi's discomfort significantly. She then asked, "Miss Ni Nasu, are you adjusting well here? I promised to show you around this world, but due to certain issues, I've had to let you stay in this small space for now. I am truly sorry for that."

"It's alright. I can understand your reasoning, and besides, waiting is also a kind of experience," Ni Nasu said, her face as expressionless as ever, as though she were discussing something entirely unrelated to herself.

Despite her words, Ni Nasu reminded Hiromi, "While time may be meaningless to both your Giant Dragon Clan and us elemental beings, I do hope we can begin exploring this world sooner rather than later."

Jounouchi Hiromi nodded earnestly at Ni Nasu's reminder. "Of course. However, Miss Ni Nasu, to journey through our world, you'll need to learn its rules as much as possible. After all, failing to follow the rules could easily lead to trouble."

Ni Nasu inclined her head slightly in agreement. "Naturally. Every world has its own rules. I'm just curious about what kind of world yours is. Why is it that you and your husband possess power that could make the entire world bow before you, power that could change the rules, yet still choose to abide by the rules set by mortals?"

The question left Jounouchi Hiromi momentarily stunned. It seemed she had never considered that before.

In the past, she was just an ordinary person living an ordinary life. Falling for Chen Yu had also felt like a perfectly ordinary thing. However, upon truly getting to know him, she realized he was far from ordinary—and he made her extraordinary as well.

Yet, just as Chen Yu didn't wish to disrupt the lives of ordinary people, Jounouchi Hiromi saw no issue with living as an ordinary person.

Though she became a Dragon-descent under Chen Yu's arrangements, ascended to become a Legendary Warrior, and took up the mantle of the Crimson Empress, Jounouchi Hiromi didn't feel the need to live a life fitting of the title "Empress."

Sure, the influence of her Dragon Bloodline and the transformation of her Life Level after assuming the role of Crimson Empress had subtly altered her disposition, but she didn't believe that reaching this point meant she needed to change her way of life.

Ordinary life held nothing inherently wrong, and besides, her life with Chen Yu hardly resembled that of ordinary people anyway.

"Power merely grants us the right to choose. Whether or not we wield that power or what choice we make with it is a matter of personal will and freedom," Jounouchi Hiromi contemplated for a moment before finally responding to Ni Nasu's question. "Having power means I can choose to use it and showcase it, but I can just as easily choose to restrain it and leave it unused. That is the true meaning of possessing power."

Ni Nasu appeared genuinely surprised by Hiromi's response. For the first time, Jounouchi Hiromi caught an expression on the Water Elemental Lord's face.

"It's the first time I've seen you show any expression, Miss Ni Nasu!" Jounouchi Hiromi remarked with a laugh, hoping to lighten the mood after the seriousness of their discussion.

However, Ni Nasu gently shook her head and said, "Elemental beings may not excel at conveying emotions, but that doesn't mean we lack feelings or expressions. Even the stone golems of the Earth Element show surprise at times, so why wouldn't we water elementals? That said, Madam Jounouchi, you indeed possess the true wisdom of a strong individual, something that many others likely cannot achieve."

To possess strength does not necessarily mean one must use it.

If someone burns with the desire to unleash all their power simply because they possess it, such a person cannot be said to truly master their strength—they are merely slaves to it.

As the Water Elemental Lord, Ni Nasu's life was long. Although she had not interacted with many people, her connection with other water elementals had taught her countless cautionary tales of those who pursued power only to lose themselves in it.

She deeply understood that true mastery of power did not lie in its use but in the ability to forgo its use.

Those who can refrain from using power when they could are naturally also the ones capable of wielding it wisely when necessary.

In contrast, those who insist on using their power at every opportunity are driven by it, not in control of it.

With this realization, Ni Nasu couldn't help but bow slightly toward Jounouchi Hiromi to show her respect. "You and your husband are truly exceptional individuals of great strength."