Chapter 30: Fresh and Delicious

  Time flowed by unnoticed. Great fissures began to appear on the ice caps north of Floe Bay, signaling the arrival of spring. And spring was the season when many magical beasts grew restless and entered heat, from gophers to giant dragons, none exempt.

  Those close to the Legendary Mage clearly sensed that Her Highness Helen Su had been acting strangely lately. Her emotions fluctuated dramatically, her moods unpredictable, like a little girl with a rabbit hidden in her heart. All the Archmages who had close contact with her became cautious, increasingly observant of her expressions, even someone of Master Phil's eminent status exercised much more prudence. Quite a few people secretly speculated that the Legendary Mage's heart was stirred by spring, but these experienced Archmages knew well that magical beasts in heat were the most dangerous.

  It was a sunny afternoon.

  The Legendary Mage lounged lazily on a recliner, lost in thought, even forgetting to eat her favorite fruit placed beside her. Her attire was casual, an ivory-colored soft silk robe clinging to her body like skin. Her small, bare feet rested high on the armrest opposite, her tender skin glowing with a soft, pearlescent luster in the warm sunlight. They were exquisitely seductive bare feet, and together with the revealed half-calves, they would make an ignorant person desperately imagine the scenery deeper within those legs.

  But those able to stand beside the Legendary Mage were not ignorant. Thus, they all turned a blind eye to the spring scenery she inadvertently revealed, their hearts utterly free of any improper thoughts.

  Most of the people present had once followed Helen Su in planar wars, and the remaining few had participated in the founding of Deepblue. They were acutely aware of the Legendary Mage's terrifying methods. In their eyes, the figure reclining before them wasn't a tender little woman one might want to bite, but a genuine ancient dragon. Anyone lacking this awareness had long since vanished into the planar storms.

  The Archmages reported recent important events in Deepblue as per routine, but the Legendary Mage was clearly lethargic and lacked interest, sometimes even closing her eyes altogether.

  Just then, an attendant entered from outside, saying that the Master Painter wished to request an audience with Her Highness, the Legendary Mage. Helen Su kept her eyes closed for a long while without moving. Only when the attendant, struggling to maintain his half-bow, began casting pleading glances towards the Archmages did she lazily, indifferently nod. Thus, the Master Artist, clutching a painting, appeared before Helen Su with fear and trepidation.

  He had never experienced such a scene before, normally lacking the qualifications to attend such high-level meetings. But when his gaze landed on Helen Su's fleshy, bare feet, everyone saw the artist's Adam's apple bob violently. Dozens of razor-sharp gazes immediately made the artist realize his blunder, and cold sweat instantly drenched his entire body. Fortunately, although Her Highness Helen Su opened her eyes, she still seemed dazed, lost in thought, apparently not noticing the artist's rudeness or his intense physical reaction just moments ago.

  The Master Artist approached the soft couch, bowed his head deeply, not daring to let his gaze fall anywhere on Helen Su's body. He presented the painting clutched tightly to his chest and said respectfully, "Your Highness, your student Stevenson has painted a portrait of you. It possesses great artistic value, which is why I took the liberty of disturbing a moment of your precious time to present it to you."

  Helen Su's half-closed eyes finally opened fully, her focus sharpening. Then, like a cat sunning itself, she shifted her body reluctantly and languidly to get a better angle to appreciate her own portrait. The Legendary Mage had many disciples and had received numerous strange gifts, but Stevenson was the first to paint her portrait.

  It was a half-length portrait, set against the backdrop of Floe Bay transitioning from spring to summer. At this time of year, the foothills of the Everwinter Mountains were already tinged with fresh green, while above the snow line, up to the peaks, remained perpetually white, resembling a famous dessert, Mint Cream, from afar. The sea was tranquil and deep, the sky exceptionally high and distant, the space between filled with various shades of deep and light blue. And in the very center of the painting, the Legendary Mage stood, dressed in her favorite sky-blue mage robe, leaning on a railing and gazing into the distance.

  It was indeed a masterpiece!

  Though portraits of the Legendary Mage were few, several were masterworks. However, all previous portraits emphasized her identity as a Legendary Mage. Even when expressing her beauty, the themes were solemnity, majesty, and magnificence. Earlier works often depicted grand scenes of her campaigns in other planes. The Legendary Mage then, though incomparably beautiful, exuded a chilling killing intent and awe-inspiring power.

  This half-length portrait, however, was original, depicting more of a beautiful woman with a gentle and graceful temperament.

  The background of the painting primarily used blue, green, and white tones. Within each color scheme, hues emphasizing purity, softness, and sweetness were chosen. The layering of so many colors was handled exceptionally well, subtly enhancing the figure's grace without overshadowing it, instead highlighting a serene and elegant beauty. If not for the signature water-blue mage robe unique to Helen Su, one would have no way of knowing that this woman, with her slightly hazy and melancholic air, was actually a Legendary Mage.

  Stevenson's intentions were laid bare through this portrait, yet done so cleverly and subtly.

  A flicker of emotion finally touched Helen Su's eyes, and the Master Artist caught this subtle change. Having traveled through numerous kingdoms and navigated among great nobles and courts, the Master had once been a slayer of noble young wives and maidens. The look in Helen Su's eyes now—he had seen it in the eyes of many others before.

  Yes, for years, people only remembered Helen Su's identity as a Legendary Mage, remembered her infinitely powerful magic, remembered her wealth rivaling that of dragons and the ever-prospering Deepblue, but forgot she was still a woman. The lives of legendary powerhouses are greatly extended, and their mentalities change accordingly. From aging at a normal pace, to regaining youth, then to world-weariness, and finally to indifference. The High Elves, once glorious on the Norland continent, had the deepest understanding and most detailed accounts of this.

  And the current Helen Su, having entered the realm of Legendary Mage at an early age, clearly possessed a mentality still in a very young state—was she twenty, or eighteen? Impossible to guess. But the haze and confusion that flashed in her eyes, the Master Artist had seen in the eyes of many noble young wives and maidens still dreaming of love. The devastating power of this painting was evident.

  Once, long ago, the Master Artist too had been captivated by Helen Su's beauty and power, willingly abandoning the colorful world outside to settle in Deepblue. But as time passed, his one-sided admiration had long since faded. Love still required a realistic foundation. When the Master Artist began relying on money received from Helen Su to sustain his life, the faint dream drifted away from him. So, seeing Stevenson's intentions and efforts, the Master Artist felt not a shred of jealousy. Memories he thought long buried surfaced one by one, chewed over, leaving only sighs. This, too, was a sign of aging. And he would even help Stevenson—something completely unthinkable ten years ago, even if this help was worth enormous sums of gold.

  Perhaps startled by the Master Artist's scrutinizing gaze, Helen Su suddenly opened her eyes wide again, her gaze incredibly clear, frightening the artist into quickly lowering his head.

  The Legendary Mage looked somewhat greedily at Stevenson's portrait again, then beamed, her face blooming like a flower. "Nicely painted! But am I really that beautiful?"

  "Of course! You are the most beautiful of all Legends!" This time, the Master Artist beat all the Archmages to the punch.

  Helen Su smiled with a touch of coyness, turned to the Gray Dwarf, and said, "Blackgold! That little fellow Stevenson is quite nice. How about this, give him some extra 'sister's pleasure' this month. As for the amount..."

  At this point, Helen Su suddenly glanced at the Master Artist still standing there and said, "You may leave now!"

  Mixed feelings churned within the Master Artist. Not daring to linger, he quickly departed. However, knowing for certain that Helen Su would express her pleasure towards Stevenson was enough. He believed this news would surely delight Stevenson, leading to further expressions of gratitude. But on his way to the magic teleportation array, the Master Artist suddenly slowed his steps, surprised by his own transformation. Since when had he become so worldly, helping an unfamiliar young noble pursue the object of his own past admiration? Was it solely for money?

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  The Master Artist's heart immediately began to struggle. A voice desperately argued that nearly every Archmage strived for Helen Su's pleasure—wasn't that also for gold coins? If the Archmages did it, what right did he, a mere Great Mage, have to be reserved?

  But reason and experience relentlessly reminded the Master Artist that the two were not the same. All the Archmages had their own bottom lines in conduct. They contributed to Deepblue in their own ways and received their due compensation. Helen Su's pleasure was never baseless; it was more often recognition of their achievements and hard work. And these aging Archmages looked upon Helen Su like an adorable little girl, willing to play and joke with her. Of course, there were those among them who worked solely for gold, but their common trait was professionalism; every coin earned was well-deserved. Those truly without principles simply couldn't survive around the Legendary Mage.

  At this thought, the Master Artist immediately felt the gold coins and mana crystals in his pocket grow hot. He couldn't help but wonder: was it precisely because of this gradual self-abandonment, this decline, that he hadn't been able to create a work truly satisfying to himself for several years now?

  Meanwhile, back in the reception hall, after the Master Artist had left, Helen Su's gaze still hadn't left her portrait, the expression in her eyes growing increasingly complex. The assembled Archmages exchanged glances, all appearing somewhat worried. Stevenson's intentions were obvious; they weren't worried Helen Su couldn't see through them. But her current behavior was truly abnormal, making them vaguely uneasy. Could the Legendary Mage really be foolish enough to be moved by that calculating young man?

  After a long wait, it was finally the Gray Dwarf who couldn't hold back. He coughed dryly a few times to get Helen Su's attention, then said loudly, "Your Highness, you still haven't decided on Stevenson's reward for this month!"

  Helen Su detected the unusual tone in the dwarf's voice, but her gaze remained fixed on her portrait as she replied casually, "Just a hundred gold coins will do."

  "That... how much?" For the first time in his life, the Gray Dwarf couldn't believe his ears. Seeing the Legendary Mage's earlier fascination with the portrait, even hearing a million wouldn't have shocked him as much.

  The Legendary Mage finally poked her small head out from behind the portrait and said rather impatiently, "A hundred! Was I not clear? How much more do you want to give? Are you planning to pay for me?"

  "Ah, no! Of course not! You jest, Your Highness, where would I get the money!" The Gray Dwarf waved his hands frantically, unusually flustered. Gray Dwarves shared a similar hobby with dragons: gold coins weren't currency to him, but collectibles to be hoarded. Making him part with gold was as painful as cutting off his beard.

  The Legendary Mage wrinkled her small nose, hmphed, and said, "Exactly! Also, give the fellow who just left ten thousand. This painting is quite good, his standard has improved considerably, he needs to be rewarded."

  Blackgold didn't immediately understand why Helen Su, looking at the portrait presented by Stevenson, would speak of rewarding the Master Artist. Several of the Archmages present, however, looked thoughtful, exchanging glances according to their closeness and nodding slightly. Of course, no one thought to enlighten the artistically challenged Gray Dwarf.

  However, Helen Su had no intention of hiding it from them. She held up the portrait and said, "Look, the composition, layout, and even the base color tones of this painting carry that fellow's style. Only the coloring layers and details of the portrait itself are different. So clearly, that guy laid the groundwork and base colors first, and Stevenson just added some paint at the end! Hmph, what were all those expressions on your faces just now? Hmm?! Did you really think your sister couldn't tell?! Remember this, all of you! Watch out for your bills next month! And Blackgold! You should learn some art too! Don't just deal with gold coins all day!"

  The Gray Dwarf nodded vigorously. "Rest assured, Your Highness! I will study hard! Next time I attend the Sacred Tree Dynasty's Treasure Fair, I will definitely acquire some truly valuable famous paintings!"

  Helen Su's gaze returned to her portrait. After looking at it fondly for a few more moments, she sighed softly and said, "Actually, seeing this painting just pushed me closer to making a decision. Alright, let's not talk about this. Do you have anything else?"

  Phil stepped forward and recounted in detail Richard's studies with Naya.

  Hearing about Richard, Helen Su's eyes instantly lit up. Before Phil could finish, she interjected, "No wonder Richard suddenly made a breakthrough in Rune Constructs! So it was this fellow causing trouble. Master Phil, do you think this will negatively impact Richard's future achievements?"

  Phil had already pondered this question. He shook his head. "No, it's very likely to benefit Richard in the future."

  Dangerous light immediately flared in Helen Su's eyes. "Someone wants to harm my Richard?"

  Phil quickly clarified, "That's not what I meant. However, we can already be certain that Richard will become a Construct Master, and Construct Masters rarely avoid the battlefield. Learning more arts of the shadows will aid his survival in the future."

  The Legendary Mage finally nodded. "That's true. But Naya dared to secretly teach my student without my permission? His nerve is as great as ever. Calamity Blade was such an annoying fellow back then. I really wanted to teach him a memorable lesson, but the guy disregarded his reputation and hid like a little mouse, so the matter was dropped. I never expected him to hide here in Deepblue. Hmm, good, very good, hehe, hehehe!"

  As the Legendary Mage's laughter turned strange, all the Archmages remained silent.

  Naya was indeed audacious. After offending Helen Su, he still dared to hide within Deepblue. It had to be said, this was a surprisingly good idea. But now that his identity was exposed, it was too late even to leave Deepblue immediately. Helen Su might not be the most powerful among the Legends, but she was certainly the most vengeful, making her tracking and hunting abilities as famous as her magic.

  As for Calamity Blade's identity as an assassin, few actually cared. Deepblue teemed with people, the population flow in the fringe areas rivaling that of a small kingdom's capital. Countless individuals who once made their living in the shadows mingled within, and as long as they honestly abided by Deepblue's rules, no one bothered with their past. Deepblue only enforced its own rules; the rules of the outside world held no sway here.

  Helen Su bit her lower lip, looking troubled. "Although Calamity Blade offended me, thinking back, it was just minor stuff. And later I did find his private stash hidden for decades... Hmm, it's been so many years, let it go. He's being quite sensible now, teaching Richard real skills, not holding anything back. It makes it a bit difficult to handle..."

  Just then, the Gray Dwarf stepped forward, reminding her, "Your Highness, taxes!"

  "What?" Helen Su started. She had to admit, her reaction time had slowed by more than a beat these past few days.

  "Your Highness, Naya hasn't paid taxes! He charges your Richard a thousand gold coins tuition every day, yet he hasn't paid taxes! This is blatant theft of your gold!" The Gray Dwarf grew more agitated as he spoke, beginning to gesture wildly to emphasize his point.

  The Legendary Mage's beautiful little eyebrows shot up!

  To some extent, she shared a particular hobby with the Gray Dwarf: gold coins. She sat up abruptly. "Blackgold! Go find Naya immediately and collect all the taxes owed! Take a few more people; he always had several accomplices."

  The Gray Dwarf straightened up, pounded his chest forcefully like a gorilla, and roared loudly, "No need, I'll go myself! This is Deepblue!"

  He strode out of the reception hall like a true warrior, his momentum rivaling that of Construct Knights preparing to charge after forming ranks. The Archmages present, however, all showed unimpressed expressions. Having worked together for nearly ten years, everyone knew that once outside the hall, the Gray Dwarf would definitely call for a dozen Enforcement Mages before daring to trouble Calamity Blade.

  The meeting concluded there. After the Archmages left, Helen Su stared at the portrait for a long, long time, then instructed an attendant to summon Richard.

  Richard met the Legendary Mage in a small, elegantly and warmly decorated parlor, not the thousand-meter-wide great hall resembling a landscape painting. The Legendary Mage had casually thrown a long coat over her soft, close-fitting silk robe. A wide band of Langsong hand-embroidered lace, running from the collar all around to the front opening, framed her small face, making it look even more delicate and fresh. Her long hair was carelessly bundled up, secured with two dragon teeth as hairpins. A few loose strands fell onto her rounded shoulders, exceptionally alluring.

  When Richard entered, the Legendary Mage was kneeling on a deep red pure wool carpet, leaning over a redwood coffee table, intently focused on a small scale made of magical adamantite before her.

  Unequal numbers of variously sized weights rested on the scale's two pans. The scale was severely unbalanced, the right pan almost touching the base. Helen Su toyed with a small, exquisite weight in her left hand, hesitating over which side to place it. This weight was tiny, smaller than any other on the table, seemingly incapable of having a decisive impact regardless of where it was placed.

  Yet Richard keenly observed the intricate carvings of coiled dragons and devils on the scale's pillar, both emanating faint magical auras. He immediately realized it was a magic scale. Its balance wasn't determined solely by weight, but more so by the mana contained within the objects. Furthermore, it was highly sensitive to its environment, reacting to the ever-changing elemental energies between planes, thus altering its balance. Therefore, it could serve as a tool for assessing the magical quality of items, or for divination.

  Richard stood quietly, not wanting to disturb. He enjoyed this tranquility, and also the breathtaking charm the Legendary Mage inadvertently displayed at this moment.

  Helen Su hesitated, only seeming to notice Richard behind her after a long while. She glanced back at him, murmured "Fresh and delicious," then tossed the tiny weight in her hand onto the highly tilted pan of the scale.

  Ding! The crisp, pleasant sound of magical adamantite striking echoed, lingering for a long time.

  The tiny weight, however, seemed as heavy as a mountain, forcing the pan straight down, sinking all the way to the bottom!

  Helen Su looked at Richard, then at the scale, then back at Richard, repeating this several times, her expression indescribably strange.