In the afternoon, the Magic-Patterned Tiger was still sprawled across the clearing in Shanglin Garden. Her size had already shrunk to roughly what it had been at the intermediate stage. The magic patterns on her body radiated heat, while several children sat on her back and belly.
"Big Tiger! Big Tiger!"
"Big Flower! Big Flower!"
"Mom, I'm hungry! The meat's hot already—I want to eat now!"
The children clamored as they rode, petted, and bounced on the tiger, treating this fierce beast like an amusement park.
Several magic-patterned jars were tucked beneath the tiger's belly, stewing Magic Beast Meat. More than a dozen adults sat around her. Most had pointed ears and handsome features, with not a trace of time visible upon them.
"Lord Landen, this tiger is so beautiful! And the children like her so much! Could you leave her in Shanglin Garden?" asked the Emperor's youngest daughter, the Elf-descendant princess Duslan Oak, with a smile.
"Exactly! This morning, the Sky Knight Order said a ferocious beast had appeared in Shanglin Garden, but I'd say she's clearly an auspicious omen!" added another prince named Chaduro. "If you're willing to leave her here, we'll definitely raise her big and healthy."
The adults watching over the children around the tiger were all descendants of the royal family. Some were the Emperor's direct descendants, while more came from the bloodlines of various princes and great nobles. Though they bore the royal name, they were much like Yavenni, working as captains in one knight order or another and drawing a salary.
Hearing that her temporary business was about to become a permanent one, the Magic-Patterned Tiger hurriedly said, "Landen? I've finished learning the magic patterns, and I've gotten smaller too. Shouldn't I be going back with you?"
That morning, the Magic-Patterned Tiger's roar