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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Voyage to Rilberg
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The reason they were sending her out of the Penterin Empire was clearly related to the Dark Divine Beast.
After all, she had clearly seen that fiend's subordinate, the black widow beastman, with her own two eyes!
‘But they don’t say a single word and just give me a piece of candy? Just how much of a child do they think I am?’
Jusielia thought that no matter what, Ekiel shouldn't be treating her like a mere white tiger cub.
She had even seen herself humanized and grown up in her dreams.
Besides, hadn't he seen for himself that she was the reincarnation of Anash?
She might be a young white tiger in need of protection now, but she was originally a powerful tiger.
‘This won't do!’
Jusielia felt the most betrayed by Ekiel.
However, there was something Jusielia was gravely mistaken about: Ekiel had never seen her human form, not even in his dreams.
He had only ever seen her as a white tiger cub.
Her human form in the dream was something only Jusielia had felt and seen; it would be a long time before she could actually show Ekiel her human form.
‘Sigh, I'll just have to put up with it for now.’
Jusielia sighed as she looked down at Ritain, who was speaking with Duke Atashix below the ship with a serious expression.
The agreement had already been made.
Between one empire and another.
If she kept throwing a tantrum like a child here, what would become of the Penterin imperial family's authority?
Just then, Ritain, who had been in a serious conversation, broke into a wide smile the moment he spotted Jusielia.
He reached out his hand toward his daughter.
“Jusielia! Be careful, stay healthy, and have a safe trip!”
“Hmph!”
She decided to stay sulking instead.
Jusielia whipped her head away from Ritain, who was waving his arms widely at the ascending magic airship.
“Jusieliaaaaa~~~ Can’t you see your daddyyyyyy~~~~~”
‘Ugh.’
As her doting father's desperate cry echoed earnestly from the imperial palace spire, Jusielia reluctantly clung to the deck railing and waved back at Ritain.
I'm really too soft-hearted for my own good.
“Aaaah! Your Highness, you’re going to fall!”
Just then, someone snatched the white tiger cub hanging from the deck railing from behind and landed nimbly on the floor.
It was Uni.
“That was dangerous! Goodness!”
“Kyahang!”
(You’re more dangerous!)
“If you want to look down, I can hold you.”
As Uni grinned, Jusielia pushed her maid away, indicating it was fine, and stood on all fours.
Before she knew it, the magic airship had soared quite high, and the mountains and clouds were now below her feet.
Jusielia looked at those standing beside her.
Sophie Langrasse, Uni Meriata, Xaviet Skoten.
Aside from Sophie, only one personal maid and one knight were selected to attend the princess on her journey to the Rilberg Empire, and the competition had been fierce.
Although this had all been decided overnight, Emperor Ritain had gathered all the employees of the princess's palace to conduct a selection test.
Despite the mission requiring them to suddenly go to a strange foreign country, everyone vied to apply.
Their loyalty to the princess and their curiosity to see the magic empire of Rilberg were both very strong.
As she was thinking how fortunate it was that her companions were people she was close with, a mage approached her.
“Your Highness.”
It was Archmage Noah. He was characterized by his droopy eyes and long, lemon-blond hair tied to one side.
“I will now cast an acceleration spell on the airship. We are departing.”
As Noah spoke politely, Jusielia replied to him.
“Kyahang.”
(Understood.)
Jusielia chirped primly.
At that, Noah, who had been about to turn away, widened his eyes in surprise and looked at the maid beside the princess.
“D-Did she just answer me?”
“Of course.”
“Our princess is incredibly bright. She said she understands.”
As Sophie and Uni replied with the pride of parents bragging about their child, Noah, in awe, crouched down right in front of the white tiger princess.
He met the white tiger princess's vivid blue eyes and asked.
“Don’t be too surprised if the ship shakes, okay?”
“Kak! Kyahyang.”
(Hah! I won’t be.)
*Tap!*
“Ah!”
Jusielia glared at the Archmage who was looking down on her, then swatted his hand with her front paw.
‘Good heavens!’
But for Noah, who had been hit by the harmless front paw of a baby white tiger, which carried no supernatural ability whatsoever, it was a true shock.
‘It's so soft!’
“Um, for research purposes, could you please hit this hand too?”
Jusielia tilted her head, looking at her own front paw, then swatted the other hand Noah offered.
The grace of a fluffy, cotton candy jelly bean paw!
Noah's eyes glittered with madness.
He scurried closer to the white tiger princess.
“Your Highness, please hit my face too. With that fist, hit my cheeks again and again!!!”
“Kya, kyahang?!”
Just then, Uni and Xaviet, who were standing behind them, exchanged hand signals, then cracked their necks from side to side as they closed in.
‘Drag that crazy Archmage away immediately.’
‘From this day on, that psycho mage is banned from coming within five meters of the princess.’
Sensing the unusual situation, another Archmage appeared stealthily from behind.
“Ahaha!!! He, he’s a bit peculiar.”
“Your Highneeeeess!”
Fortunately, the quick-witted Archmage rescued Noah, who was about to be devoured by Xaviet and Uni, and dragged him away.
Sheathing the sword he had drawn, Xaviet looked disappointed.
“Should have made an example of that pervert.”
“Next time, I won’t let him off so easily.”
Xaviet and Uni met each other's eyes and nodded.
They seemed to fight every day, but now they were perfectly in sync. Thinking it was a relief, Jusielia gazed blankly at the accelerating ship.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it, Your Highness?”
“Kyang.”
Jusielia readily replied to Sophie’s soft exclamation of wonder.
Indeed, this airship, which flew using only magic without a single sail or mast, was truly a marvel.
They said it would take a week to get from the capital of the Penterin Empire, in the center of the Eastern Continent, to Berk, the capital of the Rilberg Empire on the Western Continent.
Jusielia gazed toward the Penterin Imperial Palace, which had long since faded from view.
‘It seems they're sending me to the Rilberg Empire because of the Dark Divine Beast's remnants and its followers. For now, I'm not much help in my current state. I have no choice but to trust Dad and my brother for now.’
At least if she left for the Rilberg Empire, the Dark Divine Beast and its minions would have no reason to frequent the Penterin Imperial Palace.
Jusielia thought of Ijeten, who was reflecting on his actions in the Crown Prince's Palace, and decided she should write him a letter to check on him as soon as she arrived.
‘Sigh, you idiot.’
“Um, Your Highness.”
As she was worrying about her reckless brother and wondering if he had come to his senses, another Archmage approached her.
“An invisibility spell will soon be cast on the airship’s hull. You may feel dizzy if it’s your first time experiencing a wide-area spell, so please head inside where it’s more stable.”
The man, whose face was familiar, was an Archmage named Urna, the Emperor's adjutant who was always with Ekiel.
The man with curly, dark navy hair always had a smiling expression and a slender build.
Most of the beastmen around Jusielia were large, powerfully built predators with strong features.
So, it was quite fascinating that such a frail-looking human was an incredibly powerful Archmage.
‘Then again.’
Jusielia glanced at Ekiel, who was standing five steps behind Urna, watching her.
How old was Ekiel?
He couldn't be more than ten, surely.
A world where even a child like that could become emperor by being the strongest mage.
‘Looks can be deceiving.’
Jusielia suddenly recalled the last dream she'd had.
The day she had spoken face-to-face with the white tiger Anash and realized she was her reincarnation.
‘I saw it clearly in my last dream.’
The image of the black snake, its body torn to pieces by tightening golden chains.
That magic was Ekiel's.
She had seen him use it freely in her dreams before, and she had also seen it right before her eyes when Ijeten had kidnapped her and run away.
She was certain that Ekiel was the only one who could use such incredible magic.
The fact that the Dark Divine Beast couldn't move right now was surely thanks to that child.
But why did he keep saying nothing to her? Would he only tell her after they arrived in the Rilberg Empire?
‘Is it because I really seem too weak? Because I'm just an unreliable tiger cub?’
Jusielia's pride was suddenly wounded.
She wanted to charge right at him, but thinking rationally, it was obvious she would lose if she fought the little emperor now.
‘How frustrating!’
And he's just the strongest Archmage among humans!
“Well then, shall we head to the cabins?”
Jusielia, who had been fuming inwardly, lifted her chin and replied briskly when Urna cautiously pointed toward the cabins.
“Kyang!”
(Fine!)
