✦ Chapter 52 – Sun Elixir (4) ✦
On the opposite side of Dominen Valley, Cullinan Valley.
An attendant stood by Ether’s side as she gazed into the distance.
The First Imperial Princess, as always, showed no sign of fear; however, there was a hint of curiosity in her demeanor.
“Is there anything troubling you, Your Highness?”
Ether’s gaze turned to the attendant.
Standing at an impressive two meters tall, with snow-white hair and golden eyes that shone beneath, the First Princess exuded an overwhelming aura; the attendant barely managed to remain standing in her presence.
Unable to meet her eyes, the attendant asked, “Are you concerned about this duel? Surely you will emerge victorious, Your Highness. What could there be to worry about?”
Ether examined the armband on her left arm.
The objective of this duel — to snatch the opponent’s armband.
However, this was far from an ordinary armband-snatching game. For one, the contestants were positioned at a great distance from each other.
“It seems my opponent doesn’t fear me,” Ether remarked.
“Pardon? How could that be possible?”
Ether silently nodded.
From this moment, both contestants would unleash long-range attacks from their respective positions from here in Cullinan Valley and there in Dominen Valley.
The victory conditions were simple—
Destroy the opponent’s armband or force their surrender.
Yet, each location had its unique characteristics.
“Cullinan Valley is at a higher elevation. Are you aware of this?”
“Yes, it’s much higher than Dominen Valley.”
“In contrast, Dominen Valley is shrouded in thick fog.”
While Cullinan Valley, where Ether stood, had the advantage of higher ground, Dominen Valley was shrouded in fog, making evasion easier.
“But the fog could be a double-edged sword for the opponent.”
This aspect bothered Ether.
While the fog would provide good cover, it would also hinder one’s own visibility. It couldn’t be considered an outright advantage.
This duel, was it actually set up to favor Ether?
Like giving the first move to a novice in chess, as if implying Ether was the underdog and needed the advantage.
“He must be aware of all this, yet it’s intriguing.”
“Pardon?”
“My opponent knows who I am and surely recognizes that he’s starting at a disadvantage. Yet he still dares to face me in this duel…”
“Perhaps he’s lost his mind?” The attendant furrowed their brow in disbelief.
Ether, the First Imperial Princess, had already achieved remarkable feats in subjugation. Her titles grew by the day. Who would dare challenge such a figure?
“He must know that coveting the imperial elixirs means coveting my elixirs…”
The attendant grimaced. “It must be one of two things – either he doesn’t know his place, or he’s desperate for the elixirs…”
“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Huh?”
“As I said before, I will win, of course.”
Ether assumed her stance; though the First Princess had been empty-handed moments ago, a powerful energy had now coalesced into the form of a bow.
The attendant watched the scene in a daze. The energy was so powerful that it resonated with the surroundings, and the power was so great that it was hard to believe that they were the same human being.
Slowly, Ether nocked an arrow to the bowstring.
“I’ll end this quickly with a single strike.”
Chii-eek—!
With a soft hiss, the thick cigarette between Ether’s lips flared up.
“I’m a busy woman, you know. I just received an important letter.”
• • • ₪ • • •
In Dominen Valley, they had settled down.
Hedera and Solana were still clinging to Ezekiel’s side, while the apple still hung suspended in mid-air. Perhaps the Emperor was watching them intently.
Ezekiel found this situation awkward.
Solana, who was sitting on his left, simply patted Ezekiel’s arm gently, oblivious to his feelings, “Master, were you planning to eat the apple without peeling it? I’ll peel it all for you. Just eat it.”
Solana’s apple-peeling skills were impeccable. just a few movements of her skilled hands, the apple revealed its white flesh.
Hedera clicked her tongue disapprovingly, “Making a show of such a trivial skill.”
“A show? I simply want Master to enjoy it more comfortably. You seem unusually anxious… Ah, I think I know why.” Solana smiled sweetly, “Unpeeled fruit, undercooked meat, half-baked bread… You used to eat everything indiscriminately, didn’t you? More pig than dragon, perhaps?”
“…That was a long time ago. I don’t do that anymore.”
Ezekiel quietly turned his head to the right; the apple in mid-air was unpeeled. At least the Emperor preferred to eat it whole.
Sagu-sagu-sagu—
Then, part of the apple’s skin was suddenly peeled off. It seemed the Emperor was contemplating whether to peel it or not.
“………….”
Ezekiel took quick action. He snatched the apple from Solana’s hand in an instant, “I’m just more comfortable eating it like this.”
“Oh, is that so? I should always respect your opinion, Master. Then I’ll just cut it into a size that’s easy to eat.”
Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—
Only then did the apple on the right finally disappear.
‘This is more challenging than the actual duel,’ Ezekiel thought.
Would he be able to gain the Emperor’s favor?
It would be nice if he could. Maybe he would get two drops of Sun Elixir instead of one. But at this point, avoiding disfavor would be fortunate enough. He decided it would be best to send the princesses away; their presence was only making things more uncomfortable.
“Your Majesty, has the duel already begun?”
“It has already begun. Each of you has five attack opportunities. If you cannot decide the outcome within that time, it will be considered a draw and neither side will receive the elixir.”
Ezekiel nodded, “Then I think it would be better for the princesses to step back now, as I plan to use the entire valley as the battlefield.”
At that, the movement of eating the apple stopped abruptly.
‘Don’t send them away? What does he want?’
Ezekiel quickly added something to the end of his sentence, “…It would be enough if you just moved a little away from me. Just enough to be the same distance between me and the Emperor.”
A subtle suggestion for them to move closer to the Emperor.
Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—
The speed at which the apple disappeared increased; that seemed promising, but what followed was disheartening.
“Is this far enough?”
“I can offer my prayers from here.”
The princesses did move away, but they moved to the opposite side of the Emperor. Ezekiel was now standing in the middle of the space between the distant Emperor and the princesses.
“Hmm.”
Ezekiel quietly wiped his face with his palm. When was the last time he had broken a sweat like this?
The apple, frozen in mid-air; the Emperor’s apparent discomfort.
“…………..”
Ezekiel suddenly had an idea.
“This kind of gathering is not something that happens often.”
He created an easel out of ice, took out a scroll from his pocket and spread it out on it, and made a suggestion.
“I’ll paint a portrait for you.”
“…A portrait?”
“Yes. Please gather together.”
This was a way to use his talent and get the princesses to go near the Emperor. Yes, no matter how he thought about it, this was the best thing he could do right now.
The two princesses showed great interest, quickly moving to sit beside the Emperor.
“A portrait? My, what a precious gift! Does this mean you can observe my features cleerly even in this dense fog?” Solana exclaimed.
“It probably means your appearance is so insignificant he doesn’t need to look to draw it. And it’s ‘clearly,’ not ‘cleerly,’” Hedera retorted.
“Clearly, clearly… That’s what I said,” Solana countered with a gentle smile.
“More importantly, why are you subtly pushing me with your behind? I’ve always wondered what use those pig-like fat reserves of yours had. So this is how you use them.”
It seemed like it could turn into a fight, so he had no choice but to stop them.
“Usually, the one who stays still is drawn more beautifully.”
The commotion ceased as if time had stopped.
“………….”
An intense aura of determination emanated from both women; a fierce resolve to appear more beautiful than the other.
Ezekiel glanced at the fruit basket — there were only three apples left. Now he could only gauge the Emperor’s mood in real time with only three left.
Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—
The Emperor, seemingly in a good mood, spoke, “Will this be alright? The duel has already begun. You might be attacked at any moment while focusing on the painting.”
“I’ll be fine, but the portrait might remain unfinished.”
Crunch…
The speed at which he chewed the apple slowed down a bit.
“I’ll try to finish it as quickly as possible.”
Crunch— Crunch— Crunch—
Now that the Emperor was in a good mood, the key was how to draw his transparent figure. He would never be satisfied with just a rough sketch of his robe.
‘It must be impressive enough to amaze him. Without fail.’
Both magic and art were Ezekiel’s passions.
Therefore, Ezekiel aimed for more than just an ordinary completion. If he could create a portrait captivating enough to gain the Emperor’s interest, he might surely gain something in return.
‘At the same time, it might help in discerning his true nature.’
In other words, he intended to exploit this situation to its fullest.
“Your Majesty, how would you like to be portrayed?”
“What you see is all there is. Isn’t that right?”
As expected, he didn’t offer an easy answer.
‘Since he likes apples, perhaps I’ll try this…’
Deformation – exaggeration in artistic terms.
Ezekiel employed this technique. He drew an apple for the head atop the elaborately embroidered robe.
“What are you doing?”
‘He’s observing everything.’
Since entering the misty Valley, Ezekiel had sensed that the Emperor’s vision was different from mere broad sight.
“…Just warming up my hand.”
He subtly moved the apple drawing, as if it had been intended to depict the floating apple all along, not the Emperor’s head.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
30 minutes.
Time flowed like water.
Surprisingly, it was the Emperor who broke the silence first.
“It’s not an unpleasant experience. Come to think of it, I’ve never had a group portrait done. Even the mothers of the princesses only left behind posthumous portraits.”
“I see. I’ll put even more effort into it.”
Solana and Hedera’s portraits were already complete.
Though he had simply drawn them as they were, their beauty rivaled that of goddesses from myths; their appearances were of such a level that it was impossible to determine which was superior.
Now there was only one apple left in the basket.
And there was only one person left to draw — the Emperor.
But then it happened.
KWAAAAAA─!
A tremendous roar tore through the air, growing closer and closer.
Ezekiel instantly gauged the projectile’s direction, origin, speed, and power. It was the First Princess, as he had expected.
Ezekiel bit down hard on his sunweed.
‘Ether’s strike.’
…The problem was its power.
Ether’s arrow carried enough force to erase this place from the map. Safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
“That’s a shame, Ezekiel.” The Emperor had somehow drawn near, “I was quite looking forward to seeing the finished portrait. I suppose completing it quickly was too much to ask.”
Still holding the last apple, the Emperor asked as Ether’s devastating attack approached, “It’s a force too powerful for everyone to survive. Isn’t that right?”
KUGUUUGUUGUUGUUU─!
A thunderous roar shook the heavens.
A strike capable of overturning the entire land was descending upon them.
Yet, the Emperor’s voice remained eerily clear, “I wonder, what do you truly think of my daughters?”
Ezekiel’s gaze shifted behind the Emperor; the two princesses were sleeping soundly. The Emperor must have forcibly put them to sleep in an instant.
KUGUUUU─ KUGUUGUUGUUGUUGUUU─!
An attack powerful enough to turn this place into scorched earth.
The Emperor, who had no intention of doing anything.
Time was running out. Ezekiel could only manifest one spell, and there was no time for lengthy preparations.
“I really want to hear your answer.”
Was this what the Emperor had been curious about from the beginning?
In a brief moment, a spark of intuition.
Ezekiel made a decision.
“The well-being of the princesses is more important than my own life.”
And in the next instant.
KWAAAAAAAAAAA─!
The area was obliterated.
The entire Dominen Valley was completely turned upside down.
• • • ₪ • • •
Crack… Crackle…
The Dominen Valley lay in ruins, filled only with the ominous sound of rocks splintering in the aftermath of the impact.
Emperor Verd, the Formless.
He calmly surveyed his surroundings.
It was true that the title of ‘Goddess of War’ that often preceded Ether’s name was not for naught, as a single attack from her had upended the earth and dispelled all the mist in an instant.
The Emperor quietly observed the Second and Third Princesses.
“Oh, so this is your answer.”
The two women were safely protected, encased in an ice barrier. In the short moment when Ezekiel could only manifest magic once, he had chosen to protect the princesses.
“It’s admirable that you value the princesses’ lives more than your own. But this is somewhat disappointing.” The Emperor casually tossed an apple in the air and caught it, “There’s no shortage of those willing to risk their lives for the princesses. Your task was to protect them while also claiming victory. You must have known that.”
The answer was good, but it seemed that was as far as it went.
Ezekiel was dead. Probably for sure.
“Indeed, the princesses’ lives are more important than mine.”
But then…
“However, that doesn’t mean I’m throwing away my own life.”
These were not the words he had spoken himself; it was a voice that should never have been heard.
“…………….”
The Emperor slowly scanned the area again.
There was one thing that could be called unexpected.
A man who was clearly sensed as dead, yet there he was, painting in front of the easel, seemingly not dead at all.
His appearance was bizarre.
His face was smeared with blood that had trickled down from his forehead, and his body showed signs of severe injury. He should have been a corpse on the verge of collapse, yet he calmly went about his task, smoking a sunweed.
The art of making one’s presence appear as that of the dead.
Ezekiel had managed to accomplish this.
“You’ve learned an odd trick. When did that happen?”
“Please stay still.”
Ezekiel dared to interrupt the Emperor’s words and movements.
“The portrait , it will look prettier if you stay still.”
“Hm…”
The Emperor’s breath was intriguing.
“Your Imperial Majesty.”
Ezekiel addressed the highest authority in the empire; his gaze was still fixed on the scroll atop the easel.
“If I win, would you purchase this painting?”
“At what price do you hope to sell it?”
“I desire the Sun Elixir.”
Whoosh─!
The Emperor tossed the apple into the air and caught it again.
“Hmm.”
His breath became even more peculiar.
A moment of silence.
In the center of the overturned Valley.
“The completion of the portrait, victory in the duel.”
The Emperor inquired quietly.
“Are you saying you can effortlessly achieve these two goals, on top of protecting the two princesses?”
“Yes.”
A mischievous smile spread across his blood-smeared face.
“It shouldn’t be difficult.”
A smile impossible to despise.
Crunch!
The bitten apple made a crisp sound.
At the same time, it served as the Emperor’s response.
The acceptance had been granted.