Chapter 241
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 241
Chapter Title: Part 2 Chapter 17: Princess of Ran (1)
Jamie looked at Vena, who was still holding her forehead and making a tearful face.
Since she'd headbutted Behemoth properly, there was no avoiding a bump on her forehead.
So who told her to attack?
This was the price for ambushing her master.
Everyone who would serve under him from now on needed to take note.
If they got cocky for no reason, they'd end up with a bump on their forehead.
Vena grumbled with tears welling up in her eyes.
"That's too much. Even if you say so, turning a lady's forehead into this..."
"Too much? You swung that hammer at my head first."
"It didn't hit anyway!"
"I dodged, and you couldn't. What can you do about the skill gap?"
"Hmph!"
Vena stuck out her tongue and turned her head away with a pout.
Jamie gave a knuckle rap on the head of his subordinate who showed no sign of remorse.
"Ow! Why again?!"
"That's punishment for your cheeky attitude. Anyway, Behemoth, you seem fine."
"This is nothing."
Behemoth, back to his small size, was munching on an apple nearby.
His attitude of ignoring the master he'd reunited with after five years was quite something.
A bit annoyed by it, Jamie gave him a knuckle rap too.
"Kyaak! They say don't touch a dog while it's eating!"
"Greet your master properly when he returns. And half-assed polite speech again? Knuckle."
"...I did, nya."
"'Nya' isn't proper speech, you rascal."
Jamie clicked his tongue at Behemoth's unchanged demeanor from past to present, then chuckled.
"Glad to see you both doing well. Nice to see you like this again."
"I missed you, Master!"
"Glad Master looks well too, nya..."
As Jamie expressed his joy at reuniting after five years, Vena and Behemoth responded in bright voices.
Vena especially had changed a lot compared to five years ago.
Her appearance had matured significantly, and above all, her personality had brightened.
"Had a good time with your mom?"
"Hehe, yeah. I spent it so enjoyably that I don't regret the lost ten years. Master too... But Master, haven't you grown a bit too much?"
Too caught up earlier to mention it, Vena was shocked by Jamie's changed appearance.
Five years ago, he was only up to her chest, but now she had to look up to see his face properly.
She thought she'd grown a lot in five years too, but compared to Jamie, it was nothing.
"You've changed too. Your hair's gotten darker."
"It's getting closer to Mom's color."
Vena tugged at her pink hair casually.
It used to be light pink, but now it was more like hot pink.
The color had deepened.
It would probably get even redder as time passed.
'Definitely the queen's genes.'
When the current queen stepped down, Vena would become the queen leading the Valkyries.
The child he'd connected with in that hellish place five years ago would now be the Valkyrie queen.
Jamie wondered if that meeting had been fated.
"But why are you here? I thought you'd be with the queen."
"Vena came here a year ago, nya."
"Suddenly?"
"Not suddenly."
"What do you mean?"
"I heard Master was focusing solely on magic for five years. So I came here accordingly. I thought if I was in the Frontier, Master would come find me."
So Vena had crossed over to the Frontier to wait for Jamie.
As Jamie fell silent, Vena smiled happily.
"Master said it before—get stronger and come back. I worked hard for five years. I didn't want to be a burden to Master anymore, so I trained hard. And when I thought I was ready, I came here."
"Vena."
"Look at this! Proof of my efforts."
Vena held out both hands.
Jamie's eyes widened slightly.
Her hands were a mess.
Calluses everywhere, old scars, and fresh ones too.
Even her nails were badly chipped in places.
These were the hands of someone who'd trained with weapons for years.
"I really worked hard."
To stand by his side.
Vena hadn't forgotten that day's promise.
Jamie gripped her hands tightly and let out a hearty laugh.
"For all that effort, you still couldn't fight worth a damn."
"M-Master!"
"Hahaha. Kidding, kidding."
Vena shrieked at Jamie's joke.
This part of her hadn't changed much.
As Vena puffed out her cheeks and fumed, Jamie placed a hand on her head.
"You did well. Worked hard, huh."
Vena stared blankly at Jamie's bright smile, her fuming forgotten.
It was a genuine expression of joy.
In that moment, Vena realized her master had changed from before.
He rarely showed emotions unless angry.
Dry was the word for him.
Yet now he smiled brightly.
Not a formal smile, but joy from the heart.
What had changed him like this?
Vena was happy about the new master but felt a pang of bitterness too.
There must have been a trigger, but she hadn't been by his side then.
"What's wrong?"
Jamie shook the dazed Vena.
"Huh? Oh, no. Master, you've changed a lot."
"I've changed?"
"Yeah. A lot. You never used to smile like that."
"I smile—wait, ah."
At Vena's words, Jamie touched his mouth and realized it, quickly schooling his expression.
"W-well. People can smile sometimes."
"Master only smirks or doesn't smile, nya."
"Hey, when did I only smirk...!"
"Master's changed a lot, nya."
As Vena and now Behemoth said it, Jamie stopped his flustered reaction.
No need to hide his current self from these two.
Though five years apart, they were family to Jamie.
"Nice to see you again, you rascals."
Jamie smiled.
"Y-you're fighting Hawks?!"
Vena shot up from her chair in shock.
Behemoth scratched his ear with a hind paw, doubting his own hearing as he asked back.
"Master, you're really fighting Hawks, nya?"
"Why are you two so surprised?"
Jamie didn't like his subordinates' reactions.
It was like he'd picked a fight with someone he shouldn't.
"How'd it come to fighting Hawks?"
"Sigh. The thing I worried about happened. With Master's personality, I figured you'd clash with Hawks eventually, nya."
"...You think I'd lose?"
Vena and Behemoth made similar faces and held their tongues.
They really thought so.
Jamie was dumbfounded.
What did they take him for, to lose to that birdbrain?
So he asked directly.
"Why do you think I'd lose? Speak freely, I won't get mad."
"Um..."
"Well..."
The two glanced at each other, hesitating.
Five years apart or not, they knew Jamie's temperament.
Say something grating, and knuckle raps incoming.
And Jamie's knuckle raps hurt, making honest confessions hard.
"Fine. No knuckle raps."
"For real, nya?"
At the promise, Behemoth's eyes lit up as he stepped forward eagerly.
Annoyed by that, Jamie gave him a knuckle rap.
"Gah! You said no!!"
"Haven't started yet."
"Too much!"
"So. Why do you think I can't win? For real this time, no raps."
Behemoth eyed him suspiciously but spoke up, figuring he had to say it.
"Master saw Hawks yourself, so you know how strong he is, nya. Don't know your current level exactly, but it'll be no easy fight for sure. Wouldn't avoiding it be wiser, nya?"
Behemoth's words were spot on.
The Hawks Jamie saw stood at the Grand Master threshold.
Given the right trigger, he'd break through to the superhuman Grand Master realm.
Such powerhouses were rare even in the human realm.
Sword Sage Tariks Pan, undefeated champion of the Dark Arena Darius, Zenith's Sword Creon, and a few others...
No guarantee even they would beat Hawks.
'Maybe Sword Sage.'
Plus, Jamie couldn't use black magic, so he fought handicapped.
But he didn't think he'd lose.
"It's fine. I'll win."
"Master, really okay?"
"Yeah. And above all, I need to fix that birdbrain's rotten personality."
"Kinda get it, so can't talk you out of it, nya."
Behemoth sighed.
Having stayed here five years, he knew Hawks better than anyone gathered.
Hawks was strong against the strong, weak against the weak—seemingly righteous like a Jo-in warrior.
His actual leanings were quite just and kind.
The problem: he was a racist.
He particularly looked down on humans, claiming they had clear limits and couldn't reach higher realms.
Not hatred of humans per se.
He believed only the three great races were superior to Jo-in, and humans were truly weak.
Arrogant, but his skills kept proving it.
Even Han Do suffered multiple defeats without touching a feather.
"One thing: Hawks is a very seasoned hunter, nya. His power works even in this era."
"You rate him highly."
"He's genuinely strong, nya. Can't compare to prime Master, though."
"Obviously. Anyway, thanks for worrying. Don't worry, Vena. What you're worried about won't happen."
"I'll trust you, Master."
"That's all it takes."
The three's conversation was wrapping up.
Knock knock.
A stranger's voice came with the knock.
"Jamie Welton, sir. Isis invites you to dinner."
"Coming now."
A firekin stood politely at the door.
They managed the village overall, it seemed, including errands.
The firekin said,
"She says dinner together in one hour."
"Got it. Thanks."
"Rest well."
The firekin left after speaking.
Back at his seat, Jamie checked the time.
"Couldn't talk properly earlier, so she called separately? What do you think of Isis?"
"Well, Lady Isis is..."
"Hard to describe, nya."
Vena and Behemoth pondered words for Isis but shook their heads, giving up.
"Easiest to know by meeting her yourself."
"Vena's right, nya. Can't explain Isis in a few words."
"That's why she kept sending apologies in letters?"
"Th-that's..."
"Never mind. My fault for planting you as a spy."
"Apples here are top-notch, Master!"
"Shut it. Before another knuckle. Anyway, I need to see and judge for myself."
"She's a... good person. Probably."
Vena nodded as if to say so.
One thing for sure: not an ordinary woman.
Earlier, she seemed like a boss suffering from a troublesome subordinate.
Curious what her real personality was like.
'If many pledge loyalty, she must have the vessel for it.'
What was the leader of the massive Frontier organization like?
Jamie waited for dinner with half expectation, half excitement.
And an hour passed.