Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Sun Dew (5)
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"It won't be difficult, eh?"
The Emperor addressed Zekiel.
The apple, crunched with a lively sound, vanished in an instant, and his voice carried a fair bit of intrigue.
"I've handled far tougher missions than this."
"Hah."
In the past, he'd been forced into missions of absurd difficulty with no real rewards to speak of. Naturally, the one issuing those orders had been the Emperor.
The Emperor seemed to grasp the implication right away.
"Talking like that now? You've gotten bold."
His long robe shifted slightly. Probably a chuckle.
"In any case, your opponent still has four attacks left. And yet you're saying you'll give it a go?"
Zekiel nodded immediately.
The very situation of hearing the mission and then deciding whether to accept it felt awkward. Back then, forced acceptance followed by checking the details had been the norm.
"Yes."
"Good."
Was the answer to his liking?
The Emperor perched on a large boulder.
"Then let's hash out the detailed terms. Specifically, how you can sell that painting for the highest price possible."
Zekiel focused on the Emperor's words.
The difference of even a single drop of Sun Dew was monumental.
"The 1st Princess Ether is strong. I poured my heart into raising her. She bathed in Sun Dew as a child—need I say more?"
A single drop he'd so desperately craved had been mere bathwater to someone else. The world was that unfair.
"Zekiel, there's a thing called a worthy rival in this world."
"Yes."
"Someone on your level makes for a good fight, leaves you with experience, sparks your competitive spirit, and leads to growth. Everyone grows most when they have a worthy rival."
"That's true."
"But... Ether is too strong. She has no worthy rival."
A chalice had appeared in the air at some point, sloshing gently. Now that he looked, the scent was familiar. Apple wine, even that.
"I want this duel to be a good experience for the 1st Princess. The more beneficial it is, the higher the painting's price."
"Understood."
Victory with the painting complete: at least one drop.
If it benefited the 1st Princess too: more than that.
What Zekiel was aiming for was, naturally, more.
The Emperor suddenly handed him a crystal orb.
"Speak into the crystal orb, and it will print out in text form on the orb across the gorge. In other words, you can communicate with each other until the duel ends."
"Communicate, huh..."
The Emperor gathered the princesses with telekinesis.
"I'll take the princesses with me. Any questions?"
Zekiel thought it over.
Not only did he have to win, paint the picture, but also tutor her to foster growth.
These were the conditions to maximize his Sun Dew haul.
However. Still.
He didn't find it impossible.
"No questions. Just one thing."
The man simply chewed on his Sunweed as usual.
"You'll need to prepare quite a lot of Sun Dew."
Cullinan Gorge.
Exhale—
Ether gazed across to the opposite gorge where her opponent waited, exhaling thick cigarette smoke.
Those following her gaze swallowed dryly.
No matter the distance, one thing was crystal clear: the other side was utterly devastated.
"Scout leader."
Behind the 1st Princess, the scout team maintained a set distance, observing the duel. One of the members, who'd been watching silently, spoke up cautiously.
"As expected, the 1st Princess seems incredibly strong."
"Of course."
"Just how strong is she, exactly?"
The scout leader hesitated for a moment before answering.
How strong? It was a tricky question.
"Across the continent or even including the Demon Realm, I couldn't say. But if you picked the five strongest in the Empire, the 1st Princess would definitely be on that list."
"Impressive!"
The scout nodded in awe.
"The opponent on the other side must be dead, right?"
"No way they survived."
In truth, there was no such thing as 'absolute' in the world.
But to the scouts, the 1st Princess was strong enough to warrant the word. By their lowly standards, measuring her power in detail was impossible.
Meanwhile, the 1st Princess Ether quietly furrowed her brow.
'...A failure, then.'
It was certain. The bastard was still breathing.
'But that guy has no distinct presence.'
No matter how far the gorges were apart, Ether was confident she could read her opponent's energy signature. Not in detail, but at least the strength of it.
Yet the one she faced now had no distinct presence.
Or rather, it was excessively muddled.
The energy of a dead man one moment, alive and kicking the next, with strength fluctuating wildly.
'Hiding it on purpose, or is that his true state?'
If he was deliberately concealing it, that meant he was skilled—intriguing. If that chaotic state was genuine, he was utterly unprecedented—even more intriguing.
Unwittingly, Ether bit down on her cigarette. It snapped under her jaw strength.
"Oops, chewed through another one."
"I'll prepare a fresh one right away!"
Her attendant moved swiftly.
Occasionally chomping through thick cigarettes was Ether's long-standing habit. Picked up imitating someone she liked, and it stuck to her mouth.
With a new cigarette in her mouth, her feelings were oddly complex.
"Hmm."
Bitin' the cigarette— a habit that surfaced when excited.
'Does that mean I'm looking forward to this duel?'
Truly peculiar.
Lately, she'd had no rivals worth the name, her competitive fire atrophying. Now it was stirring a bit.
Right then.
The crystal orb at her feet projected a blackboard-like screen into the air.
[1st Princess, you're not quite living up to my expectations.]
[Weren't you craving the elixir?]
[You'll need to step it up a bit.]
Ether let out a snort of laughter.
Not because the childish provocation was funny.
It was the fact that her opponent was casually chatting after taking a gorge-shattering blow. That delighted her.
The 1st Princess kicked the crystal orb up with her toe and caught it.
"You mongrel. Your turn. When are you attacking?"
[I've gauged your level. No need for it now.]
[Four more hits, and you won't even feel a thing.]
"Ho."
A smile crept onto Ether's lips.
"Not bad spirit for a mongrel."
Ether wasn't one to brush off rudeness lightly. But since her opponent's feats seemed impressive, she felt a strange welcoming warmth.
Even better. Fun duels were always welcome.
"Mongrel. Here's the deal."
[Speak.]
"Just defend. I'll fire four shots in a row."
Ether paused mid-sentence to take a deep breath, calming her excitement. Her face was flushing, her mouth sticky.
"If you endure, I'll surrender on the spot."
[Easy. Let's do that.]
Ether reached her arm toward the sky.
A massive bow of potent energy formed in her slowly descending hand, the air around it turbulent.
"To think a mongrel knows how to excite this noble body. Consider it an honor—no subjugation I've led lately has stirred me like this."
Ether happily nocked an arrow to the bowstring.
Truly peculiar.
A first-time opponent, name and face unknown. Yet he acted as if he knew exactly how to please her.
[You heat up too easily. Easy girls aren't my type.]
"Easy girl?"
Kwaaaaaa—!
At the same moment, a deafening roar tore through the air. The beam of light shot forth, threatening to devour Dominan Gorge.
Kwaaaang—!
The beam slammed into the gorge, shattering into countless fragments. Moments later, every piece exploded. The blasts seemed endless.
Kwang—! Kwang—! Kwang—!
Ether calmly dusted off her hands.
"Insolent talk. This body has an owner."
As she turned to leave without hesitation.
[Three left now?]
[Still comfy over here.]
"...?"
"Hmm?"
Ether twitched her eyebrow and glanced at the crystal orb.
Quite unexpected.
Her second strike had been designed for maximum secondary explosions. Potent, yes, but meant to instill terror in the defender.
He wasn't frightened at all.
...No, he was waiting for the next one.
"What a curious mongrel."
Ether gripped her bow tighter.
His presence was still erratic, but weaker than before. He'd taken damage.
"You can alter your presence, it seems. Should've played dead—might've saved your neck."
[You should've gone all out just now.]
[You'll regret holding back.]
"Not just any mongrel after all. Promoted from toy."
Something bloomed in Ether's heart.
'It's been so long since I felt this. Without a doubt...'
Competitive fire.
Competitive fire was an emotion born when victory wasn't assured. Did that mean Ether wasn't confident of winning this duel?
'Impossible.'
She'd never planned to lose.
'I am me. The 1st Princess. Ether.'
With that thought, Ether loosed another beam of light. Two at once this time.
Ting—!
But oddly, their trajectories bent. Beams that could've razed the gorge shot straight up into the sky.
Ether's eyebrow twitched violently.
'Deflected them?'
Two of her beams?
She'd poured an enormous amount of energy in. Any flaw in a defensive barrier would've pierced the gorge clean through. Impressive technique.
As the creator of those beams, the 1st Princess knew better than anyone. This guy was no ordinary foe.
"Toy, you're beyond what I expected."
Ether's energy surged.
[Not all out again? Pathetic.]
"Fine. I'll show you my full power, as you wish."
In an instant, Ether's bow swelled, absorbing massive energy. It grew several times larger, taking the form of a gigantic ballista.
Ether loaded a bolt the size of three wagons.
"Survive this by all means. The moment the duel ends, I'll come see your face myself."
Dominan Gorge.
Or rather, what couldn't be called a gorge anymore.
Dominan Ruins.
[Fine. I'll show you my full power, as you wish.]
"..."
Zekiel stacked five Sunweed leaves and chewed them together.
'This is insane. She's way stronger than before.'
Ether's power was so overwhelming, the fatigue excruciating. Without Sunweed, he'd have blacked out ages ago.
[Survive this by all means. The moment the duel ends, I'll come see your face myself.]
...At this rate, he'd need to drink Sun Dew just to break even?