Princess Lillian “felt” the deathly silence.
There was no sound, no touch, and she could see nothing; her world had “disappeared.”
It was no wonder, as she had been stripped of her five senses.
However, her mind was still racing —
‘I have finally met him…’
‘The one I have yearned for all this time…’
‘Artist.’
‘His figure is so majestic, and his face is so cold and stern. The legends do not even begin to compare to the man himself!’
‘How can I become a powerful legend like him?’
‘Even the Hero who sought to slay the Demon King was no match for him. For 500 years, he has remained at the very top of the world.’
‘Any hero seems dull in his presence, and no legend can match his true elegance!’
‘Oh no… I am so happy… but I cannot let it show too clearly… otherwise, he might think I am a frivolous person!’
Eileen, who was responsible for watching over Lillian, observed the princess who had lost her five senses.
Since being captured by her master, the girl had not cried or made a fuss.
She was unnervingly calm, and had she just… sneaked a smile?
“Master, there seems to be something wrong with the ‘artistic material’ you brought back. Not only does she seem unfazed, but she even smiled just now,” Eileen reported faithfully.
Artist deactivated his transformation, shifting from a monster back into a nobleman dressed in formal attire.
He looked at Lillian and found that she was not smiling as Eileen had claimed.
Instead, she was expressionless.
Her beautiful face held only a sense of calm, which further emphasized her noble temperament.
“She is playing dumb. She was smiling very happily just now, as if she had found a hidden treasure.”
Artist looked at Eileen and said, “It is not surprising. Her reaction was abnormal from the moment I captured her.”
“So… what does she have to do with the ‘System’ you mentioned?”
“The System told me to go to Lime Village and capture the Hero’s childhood friend.”
“But the Hero has been dead for centuries. His childhood friend should have returned to nature long ago…”
Eileen paused.
“So, Master, did you just grab a random person to complete the mission?”
“That was my original intention…”
“Did the mission fail? It is alright, Master. If the System tries to assassinate you, I will kill the System first.”
“No, no, no. It was a success.”
“What? How can that be…”
Eileen looked a bit dejected.
She had lost an opportunity to protect her master and make him fall deeply for her!
“What on earth are you disappointed about?”
Artist was puzzled, but he did not intend to press further.
He changed the subject and said, “Never mind the System for now. I need to figure out what to do with this princess.”
“Should we turn her into a puppet or a wax statue?”
Eileen was already prepared to cast a spell to turn Lillian into a “piece of art.”
“I am going to reshape her.”
“I am sorry, Master, but I do not follow.”
“In the literal sense. Look closely. She is a perfect, one-of-a-kind material with absolutely no magical pollution!”
Eileen activated her magic perception and scanned Lillian from head to toe, inside and out.
To her shock, she truly could not find a single trace of mana.
Eileen, who had lived for 500 years and considered herself well-traveled, could not help but marvel.
“Wow. In a world where everyone is born with magic, for such a person to exist… she truly is an incomparable material!”
Artist tilted his head back with confidence and said, “Admire my vision, then marvel at my artistic taste! Hahaha!”
“Wow~ Master is so amazing~ You really are the world’s number one artist~”
Eileen clapped her hands in support.
However, she knew that any “Awakened One” capable of using magic perception would realize this the moment they saw Lillian.
Yet, her master seemed truly immersed in his own art.
Out of her devotion to him, Eileen naturally would not spoil the mood.
Artist’s expression suddenly turned serious.
He questioned her, “Eileen, you were questioning my artistic vision just now, weren’t you?”
Eileen remained calm, seemingly accustomed to her master’s interrogations.
“No, I truly acknowledge your artistic achievements.”
Artist remained skeptical and paced back and forth in front of her.
Suddenly, he said, “Then guess what materials I am going to use to ‘reshape’ her?”
“Last time, you wanted to paint me into a Bionic Canvas. The time before that, you wanted to turn wallpaper into a real person. And the time before that, you wanted to fuse a wandering soul into a plastic figurine…”
“Stop, stop. There is no need to count my past failures. What does not kill me only makes me stronger!”
Eileen closed her eyes and said submissively, “In terms of combat power, I agree with that statement. But in subjective matters like ‘art’ — “
Eileen peeked with one eye and saw that her master was putting on a brave face.
She immediately changed her tune.
“Master is improving every day!”
“That is more like it!” Artist’s spirits rose.
“I will just reveal the answer. I plan to install the heart of the Demon King, the ‘Crystal of Myriad Splendor,’ into her!”
Eileen was stunned.
Today was a rare day where she was shocked twice!
“Master? Do you have a fever? Do you want to resurrect the Demon King?”
“What does it matter? I was the one who killed the Demon King. Even if he is resurrected, so what?”
“But… that would allow the Demon Race to make a comeback…”
“Heheh, do not forget how we have lived these past 500 years!”
Eileen sighed.
Her master’s temperament was unpredictable, which was common, but his lack of consideration for his own ideas was even more frequent!
Many times, he could have quit while he was ahead and retired with honors, but he always had to have a sudden burst of inspiration.
In the end, he would not stop until he had taken things to the extreme!
That was why the common folk whispered of him as the “Symbol of Destruction!”
However, she had never successfully stopped him.
Therefore, she could only obey.
“I will give one last warning… unpredictable dangers may occur…”
“Rest assured, Eileen. With me here, art will surely blossom!”
At this moment, Lillian had no idea what was about to happen.
She could only maintain her outward composure while her heart raced with excitement.
‘I wonder what Master Artist is going to do to me. Even if he wants me to die, I feel it would be worth it… No, that is not right. Father and Mother are still worried about me… But on the other hand, I have been kidnapped by a legendary monster. It would only be logical if I were killed, right?’
‘Master Artist…’
‘Ah… Master Artist…’
‘Master Artist! Please, use me to your heart’s content!’
Eileen keenly noticed Lillian’s smile.
“Master, look. She smiled again.”
When Artist looked at Lillian again, he still only saw her beautiful face, calm aura, and noble posture.
“Tsk. This girl clearly has her senses sealed. How does she always manage to play dumb at the crucial moment?”
Eileen began to feel curious about Lillian.
[SYSTEM WARNING, SYSTEM WARNING, SYSTEM WARNING…]
“System? What is happening?”
“Master, has the System issued another mission?”
[DETECTION OF A HIGH-ENERGY TARGET APPROACHING. PLEASE PROTECT YOURSELF, HOST, LEST YOU LOSE YOUR LIFE.]
“What? Such a thing is happening?”
Artist immediately ordered Eileen, “Secure the princess and protect her. She must not suffer even a single scratch.”
“What is going on?”
“I do not know yet, but the information from the System must be taken seriously. Regardless, I will go to meet the enemy. You just protect her!”
Eileen felt a bit unhappy because she was the one who wanted to protect her master the most.
Now, her master was telling her to protect a passing princess who did not even possess magic.
She pouted and said, “Master, I hate this.”
Artist simply smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I will settle everything and be back shortly.”
With that, Artist’s figure vanished from Eileen’s sight, teleporting to the exterior of the fortress.
The System was still blaring warning messages.
Artist could indeed feel a reasonably powerful force rushing toward his location.
In an instant, a broken sword appeared before Artist’s chest, poised to pierce through his heart.