38

38

Although she was a princess, Qiyana's skin was still the familiar brown of the Yixialians, though it was smoother and more radiant than that of ordinary commoners and nobles.

Her long silver hair fell in natural curls down her back, while a dignified gold-and-green crown rested on her forehead. Her limbs were long and slender. She wasn't especially tall, but her pear-shaped figure had astonishingly perfect proportions.

Her waist was slender, and her hips and thighs were so full they looked like juicy, ripe peaches. Her upper body and calves were shapely and strong, with clear signs of training.

To earn recognition, Qiyana had racked her brains trying to prove herself, whether through magic or combat.

And what had come of it?

After discarding the meaningless formalities and trimming the deliberately convoluted wording, the result was clear: the appointment Qiyana had requested from her Father King—to serve as Ritual Host for the Elemental Festival—had once again been denied.

She felt a deep, bitter frustration.

The Elemental Festival was merely a shortened name. In truth, it was the annual maintenance and restart of the Concealment Spell that protected all of Ixialia.

The enormous Concealment Spell covered the entire nation of Ixialia—

It covered an area equal to a quarter of eastern Shurima. Even if people outside heard of it, they would dismiss it as a tall tale or some impractical fantasy.

It surpassed all common understanding of magic.

Or perhaps no nation-spanning spell on this scale had existed since the Rune Wars.

But the fact was, the spell truly existed, and it had protected Ixialia for thousands of years.

From the first Sun Disc rising, to the death of the Ascended Empress Queen Setaka in the Void, to the Shurima Empire's revival and its destruction, the Darkin War, the ruin of Fuguang Island, the Rune Wars, and countless other events...

In terms of craftsmanship alone, this Concealment Spell—which had become one with Ixialia's lands, mountains, and jungles—would make any other mage in Runeterra fall to their knees and cry out that it was invincible.

Because the spell had become part of the world itself.

Thus, the Yixialians were grateful for the protection of the Concealment Spell. Its annual maintenance and restart had become Ixialia's grandest ceremony and festival.

In the past, Qiyana's sisters had served as Ritual Host. This time was no exception.

As the youngest child of the ruling family, Qiyana had known from a very young age that she would never inherit the central tower seat of Yuentar.

She would never measure up to her sisters.

That was, until she discovered her extraordinary talent for Elemental Magic.

I'm not talentless. I'm not mediocre. I'm not inferior to anyone!

Once she realized this, she could no longer bear being ignored for so long. She wanted to earn the recognition of the people, the scholars, and her parents.

Even just once would be enough. Why won't they give me a single chance to prove myself?!

Her slender hands landed on either side of the desk. As she looked at her Father King's decision regarding her appointment, Qiyana could feel her request and her longing being ignored yet again.

She was to be an "audience member," responsible for applauding, celebrating, cheering, and showing the people that the royal family lived together in harmony.

Was she being ignored?

No... It wasn't that.

They had never looked at her—not a single one of them.

As her emotions shifted, the dense magic in the surrounding air formed into elements: howling wind, gathering frost, rising stone, growing vines...

The restless elements spoke to Qiyana's extraordinary talent, but in the end, she fell silent.

This wasn't the first time she had felt angry and helpless. But that was just how Ixialia was. Its outdated institutions were bloated and cumbersome, and all Qiyana felt was an indescribable pressure.

After a moment, Qiyana lifted her head and said calmly, "Servant, is there any latest news?"

At Qiyana's words, a servant cautiously stepped forward and handed her the information he had gathered.

"The Sage of the Earth, Master Lupe, formerly an elder of Yuentar, has petitioned your sister, Lord Mara, to travel to Yishuaoken and present a tribute for the Elemental Festival."

At this, Qiyana narrowed her eyes and took the paper from the servant. As she read the message, a look of disdain flashed across her refined face.

"No surprise there. My most useless sister faced a petition from an Elemental Master and sent only a Road Protector to deal with it. No wonder Master Lupe decided to travel there in person—and wouldn't even share a moment of glory with her sister's hopeless border town."

Faced with Qiyana's words, the servant could only stand awkwardly in place.

She had called a large county, one of the biggest in Ixialia, a small town, and had described a respected Yuenale as "useless"...

"What is the tribute?"

"...I don't know," the servant said timidly. "The petition only said it was 'dignified.' It didn't say what it was."

The servant was uneasy. From any angle, Qiyana's behavior clashed with Ixialia's traditional values. At the very least, he wouldn't dare comment on the affairs of the Yuenales.

Sensing the servant's timidity, Qiyana didn't care much. She had long since accepted that others—even her own family—didn't understand her.

She shook her head and said, "Bring me my Oretal. Don't tell me you can't even manage that."

"Yes, Your Highness." The servant fled. A short while later, several people carried a massive Ring Blade to the doorway. It was heavy, a meter in diameter, with a blade almost a handspan thick, and forged entirely from elemental minerals.

Qiyana rested her slender hand on the enormous Ring Blade. The instant her palm touched it, its steel sheen gave way to colorful geometric patterns.

Heavy earth, freezing ice, vibrant wood, gentle water... Unlike in the game, Qiyana was unquestionably a master of Elemental Magic, proficient in nearly every elemental attribute.

More precisely, she had mastered every known Yuan Chu Axiom.

Considering how precise the Yuan Chu Axioms were, Qiyana was less an Elemental Master than a master problem-solver.

But Ixialia's problem-solvers were all genuinely dangerous people—especially Qiyana, who had reached the level of a prodigy in the Yuan Chu Axioms.

"Compile Master Lupe's route. Quickly. I want it in front of me before I leave Yishuaoken."

As she spoke, Qiyana took hold of the Ring Blade.

The enormous, impossibly heavy Ring Blade was tamed by the breeze in Qiyana's hands, seeming almost weightless. Even an Element Apprentice could tell it wasn't simply the Wind Axiom at work.

"Before we reach Yishuaoken, let's see what Master Lupe's tribute is, then!"

An unusual glint shone in Qiyana's eyes. Lupe had been exiled, yet was insisting on returning to Yishuaoken to present a tribute. Her actions smelled intriguing to Qiyana.

Qiyana was the kind of person who acted as soon as she made up her mind. Once she had decided on her journey, she didn't hesitate for a moment. She immediately set off from Yishuaoken with her servants, heading for the road Yuan Chen and the others would have to take to reach the city.

In the vast city of Yishuaoken, no one noticed Qiyana's departure. The few who did even breathed a sigh of relief—among them Qiyana's parents, the King Yuen who controlled Yishuaoken's central tower seat.

In their eyes, it was a good thing that their unruly youngest daughter had left. At least she wouldn't cause trouble during the solemn preparations for the Elemental Festival.

Lupe and the others' village lay on Ixialia's southern coast, beside the dangerous Miasma Jungle. Judging by its area, Ixialia wasn't very large—about half the size of Demacia.

Even its terrain was remarkably similar, aside from differences in climate: both were nations surrounded by mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack.

But if one set aside the Concealment Spell and considered only their defensive strength, Demacia was probably stronger. Mana Stone's defensive properties against magic made mages want to bash their heads against a wall.

But on an open battlefield... nearly everyone in Ixialia was a mage.

The area protected by Inhibitor Golems was negligible compared to an entire battlefield. Besides, Ixialian mages weren't like those from elsewhere, who controlled fireballs and fired Water Cannons.

Take Qiyana, for example. A casual throw of the Ring Blade in her hands—with its one-meter inner diameter and blade nearly a handspan thick—could easily chop through a giant tree.

Qiyana waited on the road to Yishuaoken for nearly two days. Finally, on the afternoon of the third day, she spotted Yuan Chen's caravan.

The caravan was long. Everyone in the village had loaded their valuables onto the Meat-toothed Beasts' covered wagons. Because there were so many of them, the villagers had also hastily built a number of sturdy wooden carts, which Pack Beasts pulled along.

The caravan stretched for over a hundred meters along the broad road, its ranks scattered and sprawling. From above, it looked like a black serpent crawling along the road. At the very front marched a group of well-equipped Road Protectors.

The largest covered wagon was more than thirty meters long. Though it was draped in thick waterproof cloth, Qiyana could still sense the nearly solidified magic within.

Qiyana recognized the Road Protectors. They belonged to her Royal Sister, the Ninth Ailai, Mara.

The moment she saw them, she realized that Master Lupe's "dignified tribute" might not be mere exaggeration.

She was curious just how "dignified" this tribute was, that the Yuentars who had been insulted were still going to such lengths to protect it.

Otherwise, her Royal Sister wouldn't have immediately dispatched Road Protectors to accompany the caravan, clear the road, and protect the villagers after being offended.

More than a dozen Road Protectors marched at the front and along the sides of the caravan, controlling their Ring Blades to clear the road and make it easier for the carts to pass. Two others moved through the woods, occasionally whistling to drive away nearby beasts.

Ordinary people would have stepped aside and waited for a caravan like this to pass before continuing on. Qiyana didn't care. She simply walked toward it.

Seeing a stranger approach, the Road Protector at the front of the caravan watched her warily and raised a hand to signal the others to stop.

But as she came closer—or rather, as soon as they noticed her crown—they quickly realized who she was. Before they could bow, Qiyana stopped them.

"Get back to your duties. Don't mind me."

The Road Protector looked troubled. According to the orders of the Yuentars of Tiklas, they were to protect the secret tribute and ensure Master Lupe and her family made it safely to Yishuaoken, no matter the cost.

But now, faced with an order from a Yuenale...

Noticing the Road Protector's troubled expression, Qiyana frowned. "This isn't Tiklas. Do you think I'd harm Ixialia's interests? Or do you think my orders don't matter, even though I'm a Yuenale too?"

At Qiyana's words, the Road Protector reluctantly nodded. But just as he was about to follow her orders, Mordas's voice came from the covered wagon behind them.

"What happened? Why has the caravan stopped?"

The Road Protector's leader froze. He looked up at Qiyana, then turned and said, "Nothing! We came across a beast and drove it away. We're moving again."

As he spoke, the Road Protector stepped aside, leaving Qiyana free to decide whether to stay or pay a visit.

Qiyana merely gave a soft snort, then lowered the oversized Ring Blade in her hand.

The next moment, a cool breeze enveloped her. Even the Road Protectors lost focus for an instant, as if Qiyana had suddenly vanished before their eyes, leaving behind only an afterimage.

But they quickly understood: Qiyana had concealed her presence with the wind. Even so, the finesse of the concealment left the Road Protectors secretly amazed.

As expected of a Yuenale.

Even if she was the lowest-ranking one.

Qiyana headed toward the largest covered wagon, assembled from several smaller ones and stretching for thirty meters.

She wanted to see what kind of dignified tribute had made even the Yuentars of Tiklas set aside their grievances and send so many Road Protectors to help transport it.

But as she passed the carriage where Lupe was riding, the people inside began talking, and their voices reached her ears.

Lupe asked the question. Looking at Yuan Chen, she said in confusion, "Why aren't we going to Tiklas? With such a dignified tribute and achievement, the Yuentars there would surely offer us more help."

"There's no point," Yuan Chen said calmly, shaking his head. "The Ninth Ailai, Mara, is too weak-willed. Aside from her bloodline, there's nothing about her that would earn the Yuentars' respect."

"Then what about Qiyana?"

"She can."

To Qiyana, Yuan Chen was a stranger she had never met or heard of.

But without a doubt, this was the first time anyone had ever given her recognition.