On the opposite side of Dominan Valley, Cullinan Valley.
The attendant stood by Ither, who was gazing into the distance.
The 1st Princess was, as always, fearless, but there was a hint of curiosity in her expression.
“Is there something uncomfortable?”
Ither’s gaze shifted to the attendant.
With the imposing height of 2 meters and radiant golden eyes shining beneath her snowy hair, the attendant struggled to stay upright under her _overwhelming presence_.
Not daring to meet her eyes, he asked, “Are you concerned about the match? The 1st Princess is sure to win. What worries could there be?”
“Victory is a given for me, of course,” Ither replied, inspecting the armband positioned on her left arm.
This match was about taking the opponent’s armband.
However, it was very different from an ordinary armband snatching game; they were positioned very far apart.
“Though it seems my opponent doesn’t fear me at all.”
“…Huh? How can that be?”
Ither silently nodded.
From now on, they would unleash long-range attacks from Cullinan Valley and Dominan Valley.
The victory conditions were simple.
Destroy the opponent’s armband or force them to surrender.
Yet, each location had its own characteristics.
“This place, Cullinan Valley, is a high elevation. Do you understand?”
“Yes. It’s much higher than Dominan Valley.”
“But Dominan Valley is shrouded in fog.”
Just as Ither held the advantage of high elevation in Cullinan Valley, Dominan Valley had the benefit of being thickly veiled in fog, making it easy to dodge.
“However, the fog can be a double-edged sword.”
Ither was irritated by that point.
Hiding within the fog would disguise oneself, but conversely, it also obstructs one’s own vision. It couldn’t be viewed as entirely advantageous.
Was this match favoring Ither instead?
Much like letting a novice go first in chess, giving Ither the impression of consent due to her being the weaker party.
“It’s obvious he knows everything, but it’s intriguing.”
“What?”
“Knowing that his opponent is me, and that he is starting off disadvantaged. Yet he still crawls into the match…”
“Is he just that brave?”
The attendant squinted in disbelief.
The achievements of the 1st Princess Ither regarding campaigns were already overwhelming. To challenge her, while her titles continued to multiply daily?
“Desiring the imperial family’s elixir. It’s obvious that this will lead to wanting my elixirs as well…”
The attendant grimaced in disgust.
“Either he doesn’t know his place, or he desperately wants that elixir…”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Huh?”
“As I said earlier, my victory is guaranteed.”
Ither readied herself.
Though she had nothing in her hands, a tremendous energy gathered and took the form of a bow.
The attendant stared in awe. The power surrounding her resonated to such an extent that it was unbelievable to think she was merely human.
Slowly, Ither rested the bowstring.
“I’ll finish this quickly with a single strike.”
Hiiiiiissss—
The thick cigarette clamped in Ither’s mouth ignited.
“I’m a busy woman. I’ve received an important letter.”
In Dominan Valley, a mat was laid out.
Hedera and Solana remained beside Jechiel, and an apple was still floating in the air. The Emperor seemed to be looking over here intently.
Jechiel found the situation awkward.
On his left, Solana had no idea about his discomfort and just gently patted his arm.
“Teacher, you weren’t thinking of eating it without peeling, were you? I’ll peel it all for you. Just eat!”
Solana’s skill in peeling apples was remarkable. With just a few strokes of the knife in her hand, the apple presented its shiny, naked self.
Hedera clicked her tongue.
“Showing off with such trivial skills.”
“Showing off? I just thought you might want to enjoy it better. You seem a bit overly anxious… Ah, I think I know why.”
Solana beamed.
“Uneaten fruit with peels, undercooked meat, and bread not properly baked… The 2nd Princess used to eat whatever was put in front of her, right? Is she a dragon or a pig?”
“…When was that? I don’t do that anymore.”
Jechiel quietly turned his head to the right.
The apple in the air hadn’t been peeled. At least, it seemed the Emperor preferred eating them whole.
Crunch…
The apple’s peel started to peel away little by little. It seemed to be having a hard time deciding whether to remove it or not.
“…”
Jechiel quickly took action. He snatched the apple from Solana’s hand in one swift move.
“I just find it easier to eat this way.”
“Oh, really? I’ll definitely respect your opinion. Then I’ll just cut it into bite-sized pieces for you.”
Chomp— Chomp—
Only then did the apple floating on his right disappear.
‘This is more difficult than the match.’
Would he be able to win over the Emperor’s favor?
It would be nice if he could. A drop of Sun Elixir could turn into two drops. But at the same time, he should be grateful if he didn’t get on the Emperor’s bad side.
He sensed it would be best to send the princesses back. Staying too long would only bring about loads of unnecessary discomfort.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, has the match already begun?”
“It has begun. Each party has five chances to attack, and if you don’t decide within that time, it will be considered a draw and no elixir will be awarded to either side.”
Jechiel nodded.
“Then it would be wise for the princesses to withdraw. I intend to use the entirety of the valley as a battlefield.”
At that, the movements of the princesses eating their apples suddenly halted.
‘Don’t send us away? What do you want?’
Jechiel hastily added something at the end of his sentence.
“…Just distancing yourselves a bit will suffice. The same distance as me and the Emperor would be perfect.”
A subtle suggestion to go closer to the Emperor.
Crunch— Crunch—
The apple’s disappearance accelerated.
That was fine, but soon after, everything became grim.
“Is this enough distance?”
“I can just pray from here.”
The princesses had indeed distanced themselves, but they were now behind the Emperor. Jechiel was positioned between them and the Emperor.
“Hmm.”
Jechiel quietly wiped his forehead with his palm. It had been a while since he felt this anxious.
The apple floating in the air.
The Emperor’s discomfort was evident.
“…”
Jechiel soon had a brilliant idea.
“It’s not often that we all gather like this.”
He made an ice easel and took out a scroll from his pocket, spreading it out as he suggested.
“I’ll draw a portrait.”
“…A portrait?”
“Yes. Please gather around.”
Using his talent while also creating a way for the princesses to move closer to the Emperor. No matter how he thought about it, this seemed to be the best option at that moment.
Two of the princesses showed great interest and moved quickly to take their seats near the Emperor.
“A portrait? My, I’ll be receiving a precious gift. Does this mean I’ll be able to observe my own likeness even amidst this thick fog?”
“Your appearance is so trivial that it doesn’t require looking at to draw. And it’s not ‘observing,’ it’s ‘clearly seeing.’”
“Clearly, clearly… That’s what I was told.”
Solana retorted with a sweet smile.
“By the way, why are you subtly pushing your backside? I was curious what use such bulky fat would be, but it seems this is how you use it.”
Fearing it might lead to a quarrel, he had no choice but to intervene.
“It’s usually better to stay still to be depicted beautifully.”
Time seemed to stand still; an eerie silence fell over them.
“…”
From the two, an immense determination and will could be felt.
There was a fierce resolve to outshine the other.
Jechiel glanced at the fruit basket.
Only three apples remained. Now, he could only gauge the Emperor’s mood based on a maximum of three.
Crunch— Crunch—
The Emperor, looking in better spirits, finally spoke.
“Is this alright? The match has already begun. At any moment, we could be attacked while we’re focused on the painting.”
“I’m alright, but I think the portrait might remain unfinished.”
Crunch…
The speed of eating the apple slowed down slightly.
“I’ll work as fast as I can.”
Crunch— Crunch—
With the Emperor’s spirits lifted, the real challenge was figuring out how to depict his transparent figure. There would be no satisfaction with just a rough sketch of the robe.
‘I must create something awe-inspiring. Absolutely.’
Both magic and art were what Jechiel loved.
Therefore, he didn’t want an ordinary outcome. If he could finish a portrait that would capture the Emperor’s interest, it was certain he would gain something.
‘Simultaneously, it might help in figuring out the Emperor’s intent.’
In simpler terms, he planned to exploit this situation to its fullest.
“Your Majesty the Emperor, how would you like to be depicted?”
“You can only see yourself, can’t you?”
The answer would hardly come easily.
‘How about we play off his fondness for apples?’
Deformation. A form of exaggeration in visual art.
Jechiel utilized that. On the ornate robe adorned with elaborate decorations, he drew the head with an apple.
“What are you doing?”
‘He’s watching everything.’
Though he had felt it since entering the fog valley, it wasn’t just that the Emperor had a broad view.
“…I just loosened my hand for a moment.”
He subtly shifted the apple drawing’s position. It was as if he was drawing an apple in mid-air rather than actually depicting a head.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes.
Thirty minutes.
Then time flew by like water.
Surprisingly, it was the Emperor who broke the silence first.
“It’s not an unpleasant experience. Looking back, I’ve never had a group portrait. Even the mothers of the princesses only left behind their painted likenesses.”
“Is that so? I’ll pay even more attention.”
Initially, Solana and Hedera were already finished.
They were depicted just as they were, but their beauty rivaled the goddesses from myths, rendering any comparison impossible.
Only one apple remained in the basket.
The one to be drawn was solely the Emperor.
But then it happened.
Kwaaaaaaaaah—!
A tremendous roar split the air and drew closer.
Jechiel quickly gauged the trajectory, origin, speed, impact, and so on. Surely this was the 1st Princess.
Jechiel bit down hard on the Sunweed.
‘This is Ither’s strike.’
…The problem was the power behind it.
The projectile Ither had hurled had enough force to wipe this location off the map. Safety could not be guaranteed.
“It’s a pity, Jechiel.”
The Emperor had somehow approached him closely.
“I was really looking forward to the completed painting. I suppose rushing completion was too much to ask.”
While still holding the last apple, the Emperor inquired amidst Ither’s strike barreling toward them.
“It’s a force strong enough to make survival difficult, isn’t it?”
Kuwoooooong—!
The earth-shattering sound reverberated.
A strike that could upend the entire ground was bearing down.
Yet the Emperor’s voice remained strangely clear.
“Indeed, how do you view my daughters?”
Jechiel’s gaze shifted behind the Emperor.
Two princesses were quietly asleep. It seemed the Emperor had forcibly lulled both of them to rest in an instant.
Kuwooooong— Kuwoooong—!
A strike strong enough to raze this place was on the way.
The Emperor displayed no intentions of doing anything.
Time was running out. He could only cast one spell, and anything taking long to prepare was out of the question.
“I’m truly eager to hear your response.”
Was this what the Emperor had been curious about all along?
In that brief moment, a flash of intuition hit Jechiel.
He had arrived at a crucial decision.
“The safety of the princesses is more important than my life.”
And in the next instant.
Kwaaahhhhhhhhhh—!
The area was annihilated.
The entirety of Dominan Valley flipped upside down.
Tap… Tap…
In the wreckage of Dominan Valley, only the sound of rocks shattering from the shockwave filled the air.
The incorporeal Emperor Verd.
He calmly surveyed his surroundings.
With just a single strike uprooting the ground and wiping away any fog, it was clear the moniker of “Goddess of War” given to Ither was well-deserved.
The Emperor quietly examined the 2nd and 3rd Princesses.
“Oho, was that your answer?”
The two ladies were securely encased in an ice barrier, excellently protected. In that fleeting moment when only one spell could be cast, Jechiel had chosen to protect the princesses.
“To value their lives more than your own is commendable. But it’s somewhat disappointing.”
The Emperor casually tossed and caught an apple.
“It’s overflowing with those willing to risk their lives for the princess. But you ought to have retained victory while ensuring their safety. You must have known that was your task.”
The response was good, but that seemed to be where it ended.
Jechiel was dead. Almost certainly.
“Truly, the lives of the princesses are more important than my own.”
However.
“Yet that doesn’t mean I will throw away my own life.”
It was not his own voice that echoed back.
A voice that should have been inaudible.
“…”
The Emperor slowly surveyed his surroundings once more.
Something remarkable caught his eye.
A man who, though he should be dead, was painting before the easel.
With blood streaming down from his forehead; a body that looked critically injured… He should have collapsed by now, yet he lit the Sunweed and continued his task.
The technique of masking one’s presence as a (deathly) corpse.
That’s what Jechiel had accomplished.
“You’ve mastered quite the strange trick. When did you.”
“Please remain still.”
How audacious, Jechiel interrupted the Emperor’s words and actions.
“Being still allows for a prettier picture.”
“Huh…”
The Emperor’s breath was peculiar.
“Your Majesty.”
Jechiel addressed the highest authority in the Empire.
Still keeping his gaze glued to the scroll atop the easel.
“If I win, will you buy this painting?”
“How much were you hoping to sell it for?”
“I want a drop of Sun Elixir.”
Whoosh—!
The Emperor tossed the apple into the air and caught it.
“Hou…”
His breath became even more peculiar.
A brief silence settled.
In the center of the upturned valley.
“The completion of the portrait, and winning the match.”
The Emperor quietly asked.
“So you’re telling me that not only can you protect both princesses, but can you also obtain these two?”
“Yes.”
With a face smeared in blood, he wore a mischievous grin.
“It won’t be difficult.”
A grin that couldn’t possibly be despised.
Crunch!
The sound of the bitten apple pierced through the air.
Simultaneously, that was the Emperor’s answer.
Acceptance had been granted.
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