"Your Highness, you have an invitation. It's from the Seventh Princess of the Uranus Empire, Princess Gladys."
"Why is the Uranus Empire's princess inviting me? I don't recall having any dealings with her." The blue-haired girl with waist-length hair furrowed her delicate blue eyebrows. Her bright blue eyes shone like sunlit blue diamonds, sparkling brilliantly.
"She invites you to a hunting event," replied the maid, who shared the same hair color as the Dragon Princess. "From what I can gather, Princess Gladys likely seeks to establish a connection with you. Considering the timing, her father, Emperor Sandra, is about to abdicate. Since she was born later, if she wants to secure her claim to the throne, she needs strong allies."
"Is that so?" Upon hearing her dragon maid's speculation, Felicia immediately adopted a lazy demeanor, slouching on the chaise lounge like a disinterested fish. "Ling, find an excuse to decline for me. I don't want to go. Playing with strangers is boring. I'd rather train the six dragons I just captured; that's far more interesting."
"Princess, I'm afraid that's not possible. Your mother, Queen Audrey, has already accepted the invitation on your behalf. You must attend the banquet hosted by Princess Gladys in a month. I am merely relaying the message."
"My mother accepted for me?" Felicia's eyes widened in surprise. The brilliance of her sapphire-like eyes was matched by a look of indignation. "How could she do that? What right does she have to make decisions for me?"
"Because I'm your mother and carried you for ten years before giving birth," came a cold voice. An elegant and dignified woman appeared beside the slightly petulant princess, her tone icy and her deep sea-blue eyes devoid of any warmth.
"Mother," Felicia sprang up from her languid pose on the lounge. Despite often appearing carefree and lazy, she feared no one more than her mother. Yet, paradoxically, she adored her the most.
"I don't want to attend some hunting event hosted by Princess Gladys. Can't you think of a way to refuse on my behalf?" Clad only in a snug-fitting inner garment, Felicia rushed over to embrace her mother, burying her face in her mother's ample bosom, inhaling the natural white plum fragrance she exuded, with a blissful expression.
"Refuse? Do you have something important to attend to?" Queen Audrey's tone remained cold as she looked at her daughter. Her inherent detachment didn't reflect a lack of affection.
"Yes, I have important matters. I caught six spellcasting chromatic dragons, and I need to train them," Felicia lifted her head, meeting her mother's gaze with a serious expression.
"Just use mind control spells to tame a few chromatic dragons; it's within your abilities."
"That method of taming dragons lacks any soul," the Dragon Princess protested earnestly. "I want those dragons to submit to me wholeheartedly. Using spells is too dull."
"A waste of time," was Queen Audrey's curt judgment. "Regardless, in a month, you will go to the Uranus Empire and participate in this hunt. No excuses."
"What's the point of going? To plaster on a fake smile and engage in hollow chatter with a bunch of so-called nobles? It's utterly tedious." Felicia tightened her grip on her mother, grumbling discontentedly.
"And taming dragons isn't tedious?" Queen Audrey could never understand why her daughter, her own flesh and blood, had such an unusual hobby. Couldn't she just follow her example—peacefully resting and cultivating, handling unavoidable matters as they arose? What was the need for all this fuss?
"Not tedious at all," Felicia's eyes lit up. "Mother, since you accepted on my behalf, why don't you go instead? You could easily disguise yourself as me."
"This invitation is for you. You need to attend it yourself," Queen Audrey knocked Felicia lightly on the head. "Such thoughts are frivolous. This hunt is an activity for young ladies like you. You can't just stay cooped up in your palace; you need to meet and befriend other outstanding young people, not just spend your days with a bunch of dragons."
"Who says I stay cooped up in my palace all the time? I go out often," Felicia retorted. "There are legends about me all across the main continent and the Twelve Isles. Many bards have crafted tales and songs about me."
"Those are probably stories about you capturing dragons!" Queen Audrey retorted coolly.
"Hehe!" Felicia laughed sheepishly.
"Before I came, I did a little divination for you," Queen Audrey decided to address the root cause. "If you attend this hunt, you will encounter a unique dragon in Erathia. If you miss this opportunity, you may never get another chance."
"A unique dragon?" Felicia's eyes sparkled. Collecting powerful dragons was her unwavering passion and hobby. But soon, a look of doubt crossed her face. "Are you not deceiving me?"
A swift flick to the forehead cut off her skepticism. Queen Audrey stared down at her shorter daughter with an impassive expression. "Do you think I would lie to you?"
"Okay, I'm sorry," feeling the pressure from her mother's intense gaze, Felicia quickly relented. "I'll attend the hunt and won't break my promise."
"Good. That's my girl," Queen Audrey nodded approvingly. "Ling, keep an eye on her. If she tries any tricks, report to me immediately."
"As you wish," the maid named Ling replied with a smile.
Satisfied with the arrangements, Queen Audrey vanished quietly. She had come because, in a moment of whimsy, she had divined her daughter's future and saw events that would inevitably unfold. This compelled her to ensure Felicia attended the hunt.
...
"Prince Muria, Princess Gladys has sent word that the Dragon Princess has accepted her invitation and will attend the hunt in a month."
Andrew nervously observed Muria, who was dismantling a Black Knight, and whispered the report.
"That was quick. Good!" Muria, hands covered in thick black blood, nodded in satisfaction and reattached the black armor.
"These Black Knights possess greater life force activity than ordinary gold-level beings," Muria observed as he reaffixed the piece of armor to the exposed, crimson flesh. The armor seamlessly fused back into place on the Black Knight's body.
"Your Highness, are you studying the Black Knights?"
"Obviously."
"Are you trying to reverse-engineer their construction?"
"No, I have no such intentions." Muria glanced at the pudgy Andrew. "I'm not a master in this field. There's no way I could deduce their construction from just one construct. I know my limits. I'm just satisfying my curiosity."
"I see. Forgive me, Your Highness, for overthinking."
"You did guess one thing right. I do want to learn how to create Black Knights. These are far more sophisticated than the metallic golems I can produce. Compared to these, my golems deserve to be thrown into the furnace. Do you have any good suggestions?"
"Your Highness, you overestimate me. The methods for creating Black Knights are secret arts controlled by the royal family. I have no knowledge of them."
"If I asked Gladys for the method, would she give it to me?" Muria pondered aloud.
"I wouldn't know," Andrew wiped the sweat from his forehead. "But you could try. Among the constructs controlled by the royal family, the Apocalypse series is the strongest.
The Black Knights are just one part of the Apocalypse Knights. There are also the Pale Knights representing Death, the Red Knights representing War, and the White Knights representing Desecration. When combined, these four types of knights amplify each other's power significantly. Four gold-level Apocalypse Knights can contend with soul-intent level beings."
"Interesting. What do the Black Knights represent?" Muria asked, intrigued.
"Oblivion. Lands trodden by the Black Knights become barren, unable to grow anything, earning them the name 'Famine Knights.'"
"That's ominous. I haven't noticed these Black Knights having that kind of power," Muria raised an eyebrow.
"This power is only used in external conquests. Within Erathia, the Apocalypse Knights' abilities are sealed. So, they don't appear special."
"Fascinating." Muria chuckled. "Would they really give me the methods to create such powerful constructs?"
"Prince Muria," at that moment, Andrew's son, Carmen, entered. "Princess Gladys has sent a carriage to take you to her estate so you can prepare for the hunt in a month. What do you think?"
"Hmm, let's go then," Muria looked around at the bloody mess he had created and, with a slightly embarrassed smile, glanced at Andrew. "Could you arrange to have this cleaned up? I'm heading to Gladys's place."
...
"Gladys is quite lucky," whispered an emperor in the majestic palace. "That young Titan just arrived and already got involved. Is this fate? My daughter, can you become the second Empress Elizabeth? I look forward to seeing it!"
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