Chapter Seventeen: The Important Figure

Avril Strick raised her proud head high, gazing down at Andrew, who had come to greet her, with the air of someone surveying the world from above. Because of her small stature, she was forced to stand atop a servant’s back. She wore a white, resplendent gown encrusted with all manner of gemstones, the hem trailing along the ground like waves rolling over the plain. Upon her head rested a beautiful floral crown, and in her hand she held a scepter, equally studded with jewels.

She tapped the servant’s back a few times with her scepter and declared haughtily, “Tell me, why has Heinz not come to greet me in person? I must say, I am most displeased with his lack of courtesy.”

Kneeling on one knee, Andrew replied with an ingratiating smile, “Respected Princess, my master is preoccupied with his experiments. He rarely receives any guests, for there are far too many affairs demanding his attention.”

“Oh, is that so? I would have thought my presence far more important than his damned experiments.”

“Naturally, but my master does not know how to properly receive Your Highness.”

For this princess, only twelve years old yet already so imperious that one would think the whole world should prostrate itself at her feet in worship, Andrew could only speak with utmost caution.

It was said the young princess was the emperor’s most beloved daughter; for her sake, Strick VI had once strangled several ministers because they had failed to kneel before her as she wished.

Damn this arrogant, wilful, self-important princess—what was she doing traveling all this way to Purgatory Island?

The little princess soon gave him her answer:

“Very well, I am magnanimous enough to forgive his rudeness, since I am not here for him anyway. I’ve heard there is a stretch of untouched primeval forest on Purgatory Island. I wish to experience the beauty of the jungle, so I have come to see it for myself. I have also heard there are many magical beasts here that are now extinct on the mainland. Perhaps I can take one as a pet. Andrew, you had best hurry and show me the jungle I so long to see, and then help me select the pet I desire, because I do not intend to remain here long. The Sea of Death is filthy and reeks; I have no wish to soil my gown.”

Damn it! Andrew cursed inwardly. Purgatory Island was no scenic paradise, and the magical beasts here were hardly harmless creatures to be played with as pets. Could Strick VI truly be ignorant of this place’s true nature, to let his daughter come here and throw her weight around?

Heaven help them—if she took a fancy to a magical beast and insisted on bringing it away, a shortage of experimental materials would be the least of their worries; it would be far worse if the princess were to be injured.

Damn it, what was he to do?

Andrew’s troubled expression failed to escape the princess’s notice.

“Hey, did you not hear what I said? I have already forgiven your rudeness—you should now kneel and kiss my boots.”

The luxurious carpet was unrolled in an instant, and the little princess stepped down onto it. She was more than half a head shorter than Andrew, yet she lifted her chin and looked at him with disdainful pride. Clearly, the disparity in their heights displeased her, as it made looking down on him a challenge.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Andrew replied helplessly, kneeling to kiss Avril’s precious crystal shoe.

“Enough. Now take me to your castle—I wish to see what amusements it holds,” the princess commanded, tapping her scepter.

As she walked, she continued, “I want a magical beast to ride. It must be cute, beautiful, with a white coat—pure, shining white, like silver, to match my complexion. Its lineage should be noble, at least a seventh-rank beast, for its owner is the most exalted Princess Strick. Most importantly, it must obey my commands, but I do not want it to be too large, as I may wish to cuddle it as I sleep. I hear some magical beasts can change their size at will. I want one of those. For example, a unicorn.”

Andrew replied with resignation, “Your Highness, unicorns do not exist on Purgatory Island, nor can they freely change their size.”

“Why is that?”

“Because such agile beasts dislike confined spaces. Though Purgatory Island is not small, it is hardly vast. Surrounded as it is by the Dead Sea, it is unsuitable for migratory creatures like unicorns. Moreover, unicorns are not elemental beings; those that can alter their form typically are.”

“So you have none here?”

“No, Your Highness.”

“Then what do you have?”

Andrew pondered for a moment before answering cautiously, “There are not many here that can meet Your Highness’s requirements. Most of them are quite ferocious.”

“In the face of royal majesty, all powerful beings should submit,” the princess declared, her arrogance unshaken.

Damn this brainless princess—did she expect a magical beast to kneel and lick her boots as well? Andrew was utterly defeated by her caprice, her arrogance, and her already monstrously inflated sense of self-importance.

He thought perhaps someone else should be assigned to attend her.

At the very least, he did not wish to kneel and kiss her boots a second time.

Andrew’s gaze settled on Xiu Yigleil, standing at his side. Perhaps this young man could resolve the problem. He always found a way.

With this in mind, Andrew said, “Respected Princess, I am not certain what creatures here might fulfill Your Highness’s wishes. I am not well-versed in Purgatory Island’s ecosystem, as my duties concern the management of servants, not the capture of magical beasts. I am equally unfamiliar with its rare creatures. However, I could introduce you to a true expert, one who may be able to solve your problem.”

“I might be willing to accept your recommendation,” Avril replied after some thought, “but I do not want an old man.”

“Oh, in fact, he is not much older than Your Highness,” Andrew answered obsequiously.

He beckoned to Gong Hao.

Gong Hao approached with resignation. From the moment Andrew had mentioned recommending an expert to the princess, he had known this task would inevitably fall to him.

Yet, compared to the duties he had once tried so hard to obtain, Gong Hao found this responsibility to be the most meaningless of all.

To escort a princess through the jungle and select a magical beast for her? It was hardly a glamorous assignment, and it would do nothing to further his own plans.

Especially since this princess hardly seemed the type to be reasoned with—she appeared to believe the whole world ought to bow before her.

Avril gave Gong Hao a disdainful look. “Is this golden-haired boy the expert you mentioned? He looks like a doll—so pretty. I would not mind taking him as my personal servant.”

Andrew immediately replied, “His name is Xiu Yigleil; he is the head servant here and knows much about the magical beasts of Purgatory Island. However, I do not think he is suitable as your servant.”

“And why not?”

“Because his lowly birth is unworthy of your noble bloodline. You know, a grand name like Strick would never sully its honor by employing one of such ignoble descent, even as a servant.”

“What a pity,” Avril mused, eyeing Gong Hao with her head tilted. Then she pointed at him. “You, take me to see what magical beasts might please me.”

“Yes, Your Highness. As you command.” Gong Hao bowed, hand to chest.

For a fleeting moment, he considered whether he ought to use this princess’s hand to help him escape Purgatory Island, but ultimately abandoned the idea.

Leaping from the tiger’s den into the wolf’s lair was hardly wise, and exchanging one master for another, especially one so unpredictable, might prove more disastrous than the dangers lurking within his own body.

He could not imagine what fate might await him as this princess’s servant—“Hey, Xiu Yigleil, I’ve never seen a magical beast eat a man. Jump into the cage and let me see.” Given her domineering manner, it was not an impossibility.

Better to remain here; at least then, he might still have a chance for revenge.

—

Though Xiu Yigleil had once served as a retainer in the house of Baron Harden in Southwell Town, the life of a fallen noble was clearly no reference for the ways of royalty.

The twelve-year-old princess’s grand retinue left Gong Hao thoroughly astonished.

She had brought about one hundred and twenty servants aboard the ship, all solely to attend to her needs. Reportedly, she had already pared down her entourage considerably for this journey to the Sea of Death.

And among her protectors were at least two red-robed mages, four black-robed mages, and an equal number of high-ranking warriors.

The ranks of mages were not divided into ten levels like those of warriors; instead, they had seven, distinguished by the colors gold, purple, red, black, white, blue, green, and gray—the last being apprentices.

Each profession had its own ranking system. For instance, magical beasts were not classified into ten levels, but twelve—a testament to humanity’s growing understanding over time. When a beast once considered tenth rank was found not to be the mightiest, another level had to be added. Even now, no one could say for certain that there were not even more powerful, unknown beasts in the world.

Regardless, such formidable power at the princess’s side could easily flatten a city.

And this, too, was said to be the result of streamlining.

No wonder, though; on this continent, the Lance Empire was rising rapidly, while its enemies faltered.

The golem army created by Patrick Heinz for the empire was conquering territory at the emperor’s command. It was said that not long ago, the Lance Empire had won another great victory, defeating the Frank Empire—one of the three powers of the Northern Continent—and destroying one of their elite corps. The Frank Empire was forced to ally with the Georgia Empire to resist the Lance Empire, which now boasted so many puppet warriors.

The Lance Empire was now in its ascendant phase.

It was rumored that when Avril Strick was born, the then-kingdom of Lance, still a small nation, was engaged in a decisive battle. News of victory and the princess’s birth arrived together; Strick V believed the princess had brought luck to the nation.

As a result, he established his second son as his heir.

Strick VI owed his throne to his daughter’s fortune, and so lavished her with boundless affection—her status rising in step with the empire’s might.

The ornate carpet was unrolled nearly from the port all the way to the castle. These precious works of art, in the eyes of others, were for the princess merely a means to avoid soiling herself.

Because the jungle paths were not suited to carpet-laying, the princess’s warriors, mages, and servants moved as one—before she set out, they felled every tree from the port to the castle.

Gong Hao was amazed to see that in just a quarter of an hour, her retinue had cleared a path through the dense jungle, laid it with carpet, and festooned the bordering trees with bells and silk ribbons, transforming a simple woodland trail into a resplendent, starlit avenue.

Truly, power is more wondrous than any magic—or perhaps power itself is a spell of forbidden potency.

The notion that mages stood aloof from worldly power was utterly overturned in Gong Hao’s eyes, for he witnessed several mages casting spells simply to smooth and clean the ground for the princess’s passage.

It was also his first time seeing mages at work. Their might was unmistakable—murmured incantations produced the most extraordinary effects. He could even sense the elemental fluctuations around them, so similar to his own elemental awareness.

Except, of course, that they could wield and command the elements, while he could only sense them.

With no small malice, Gong Hao thought that, given the princess’s habits, if he led her on a tour of the entire forest, the jungles of Purgatory Island might soon cease to exist entirely.

It seemed her arrival would provide Heinz and Andrew with more than a few headaches.

Perhaps he ought to find a way to keep her here a while longer.