章 1887: An Encounter Between Two Princesses
While tensions around the Name Hunt Station continued to increase, culminating in the arrival of several other noteworthy Rankers, the two most prestigious among them, Ha Yuri Jahad and Khun Maschenny Jahad, were gathered in the most luxurious VVIP Room located aboard 'Kaiser's Auction House'.
Under normal circumstances, Yuri would have never bothered to meet with Maschenny, but, due to her penchant for overcompensating whenever she was trying to put on an act, she ended up falling for the senior Princess' goading. As a result, they now sat across from each other, the former with a fed-up expression on her face while the latter maintained an aloof yet calculating demeanor as she silently partook of a cup of tea...
Refusing to answer Maschenny's question regarding her tail, something she increasingly failed to keep hidden, Yuri's expression morphed into a taunting smile as she asked, "I heard you had a run-in with Ureko? Is it true you were wearing a t-back when she exposed your bottom in front of your subordinates?"
Though she behaved very calm, collected, and haughty whenever she was in control of a situation, Maschenny had never been known for her discretion and patience. Rather, she was notorious for possessing a short fuse and a predatory temperament; so, hearing Yuri make mention of her most recent encounter with Ureko, her expression immediately darkened as she said, "This brat...perhaps it is time this 'big sister' taught you some manners..."
Misinterpreting Maschenny's words to be a reference to her figure, Yuri crossed her arms rather proudly under her chest, accenting her rather substantial assets as she retorted, "You might have an hourglass figure, but your arms, legs, and waist make you look as fragile as a twig. And what's with your complexion? Are you actually a ghost or something!?"
Momentarily confused by Yuri's words, Maschenny just looked back at the much younger Princess with a look of awe and incredulity. It was only after several seconds that she understood what had happened, a weary sigh escaping her throat as she crossed her arms beneath her significantly less full but notably shapely breasts and said, "Talking with you is like trying to win an argument against a brick wall. How about we dismiss with the 'pleasantries' and direct the conversation back to the main topic...?"
Believing Maschenny was trying to 'challenge' her, Yuri puffed out her chest even more, a massive grin spreading across her face as she mused, "You should eat more. I bet even our father likes his women with a bit of meat on their bones."
With her brow twitching in response to Yuri's words, Maschenny took a moment to organize her thoughts before asking, "I wonder...what is it that brought you to the Name Hunt Station around this time? As far as I know, you've never bothered to visit before. I wonder...is it truly a coincidence that you keep ending up on the same Floor as the Sage Dragon Emperor? I'm also rather curious about that tail of yours...though the members of the Ha Family have a penchant for behaving like monkeys, I've never met one with an actual tail..."
Rather than answering Maschenny's questions directly, Yuri just snorted through her nose before saying, "I'll be sure to tell my Grandma how you feel about the members of her family. It's been a while since the Khun and Ha Families had a war with each other. I'm looking forward to it, Miss T-Back."
Unable to fully restrain herself, sparks of blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as her hair began to rise in defiance of gravity. She understood it probably wasn't the best choice to insult the Ha Family in front of one of its most preeminent members, but, rather than backing down, her longing for battle caused her blood to boil as a sadistic smile spread across her face. There were few things she enjoyed as much as fighting, and, due to the abstinence forced upon Princesses of Jahad, it was the only reliable way in which she could release her tensions...
With two battle junkies gathered in the same room, one emanating vibrant blue electricity while the other emitted a bloody red aura, it was beginning to look like a battle was unavoidable. Fortunately, they weren't the only two present as every Princess of Jahad, primarily those who had already risen to become Rankers, were assigned a personal Guide to escort them around the Tower and arbitrate on their behalf.
At nearly the exact same time, Evan and another Silver Dwarf, a boyish-looking individual named Lucian Edrock, called out, "Princess...!" in differing yet stern tones. This was enough to cause both Yuri and Maschenny to slowly retract their auras, as, despite being the Rank 69 High Ranker, even the latter couldn't simply ignore the advice of her Guide. They were assigned at the behest of the Jahad Empire, and, though she would never admit it, Lucian's advice had saved her life on multiple occasions.
Though she was highly tempted to simply throw caution to the wind and see how things play out, Maschenny did her best to control her urge for battle, even going so far as to add a special sedative to her tea before going on to say, "Since you are too slow to understand something like subtlety, I'll just get to the point. Though I have yet to ascertain the particular details, I am well aware of the fact that your relationship with the Sage Dragon Emperor predates your meeting on the 30th Floor. You are a Princess of Jahad, Yuri. Did you really think your movements would go unnoticed when you're doing things like running down to Headon's Floor and spending a full month venturing to the Floor of Tests?"
Catching Maschenny by surprise, Yuri made no attempt to hide her 'misdeeds', cocking her head to the side as she asked, "So what? I was following a lead and wanted to check something out. I won't lie and say I didn't take an interest in the Sage Dragon Emperor earlier than anyone else, but what of it? Don't tell me you're going to try and use the fact that he is an Irregular against me? We both know he isn't the person our father was worried about, so, unless you're also going to try and get rid of Ureko, you don't really have any ground to stand on. I mean, your Daddy is also an Irregular. Are you going to try and blackmail him next?"
With Yuri's reputation as an incurable idiot, Maschenny didn't expect her to come up with anything even remotely resembling a sound argument. In fact, even Evan was absolutely gobsmacked, mouth agape as he pinched his cheek to confirm he wasn't dreaming...
Noticing the disbelief in the trio's gazes, Yuri's brow began to visibly twitch, index finger tapping on her arm as she added, "Go ahead and play your little games. It's not like you don't have secrets that would compromise your status as a Princess of Jahad. Besides, you wouldn't be here if you weren't trying to scheme something. If you think you can fool me that easily, you are a hell of a lot dumber than the rumors make you out to be."
Hearing Yuri, of all people, call her dumb, Maschenny's expression darkened considerably. If not for the fast-acting sedative she had taken previously, it would have taken far more willpower than she currently possessed to restrain her urge to kill Yuri on the spot. Fortunately, she had the foresight to see something like this coming, so, while it took a considerable amount of effort, she managed to force a smile as she answered, "It would seem that the rumors of your own stupidity were slightly exaggerated...either that or something happened to make you spontaneously 'mature'...I wonder what that could be?"
Without putting any thought into her retort, Yuri cracked a smile of her own as she said, "I'm still far from the point of wearing a T-Back. You know, now that I think about it...could it be that you were actually looking forward to having your ass exposed? I mean, why else would you choose to wear such risque panties when nobody is supposed to see them?"
Fed up with Yuri continuously mentioning the incident with Ureko, Maschenny bounded to her feet with a start, shouting, "You intolerable ape! Don't act as if you had nothing to do with that blonde bitch's prank! I know you both met with the Sage Dragon Emperor on the 20th Floor...!"
Amused by the rise she was getting out of Maschenny, Yuri's smile became even more apparent as she asked, "Yet you still wore such risque panties? I know you weren't the first person Ureko visited. I was just joking earlier, but it looks like you really did want to have your ass exposed..."
With a rare blush coloring her cheeks, Maschenny was very close to throwing all caution to the wind and simply attacking Yuri. A growing part of her was even looking forward to the battle with Ureko, but, understanding she wouldn't even be able to make the perverted tyrant serious, she ultimately managed to preserve the last vestiges of her self-control as she said, "Very good, Yuri...it seems like you are beginning to mature into a worthy opponent. Once you're tired of cowering behind Ureko and your Great Grandmother, please, let me know...I'm curious to see how much you'll enjoy having your ass spanked in front of your closest allies..."
Completely ignoring the threat contained in Maschenny's words, Yuri couldn't help but raise her brows as she asked, "Wait...does that mean you actually enjoyed it!?"
Inhaling a deep breath, potent blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as she shouted, "Lucian! We're leaving!" in a wrath-filled tone. This caused the surprisingly ancient youth to nearly spill his tea, his expression turning flustered as he was caught between bowing to Evan, his superior, and chasing after the enraged Princess Maschenny.
Feeling bad for his junior, Evan offered a wry smile and a wave before shifting his attention to Yuri the moment the duo exited the room, remarking, "Princess Maschenny is currently one of the most influential Princesses of Jahad. Though I can't help feeling a little proud of you for actually standing up to her, this might not have been the best course of action. Without interference from Ureko and anomalies like the Sage Dragon Emperor, standing in opposition to Princess Maschenny is the same as choosing death..."
With Maschenny having, at the very least, five other 'senior' Princesses on her side, even Yuri could understand the danger of opposing her. With the exceptions of Adori, the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Jahad Army, and Enne, considered by many to be the most powerful Princess of Jahad to ever exist, Maschenny was easily the most powerful and influential among the present Princesses. She had not only participated in the battle to capture Enne after the legendary Princess had gone berserk, but, despite the propensity of Princesses to avoid each other, Maschenny had managed to convince a substantial number to support her.
Though there were a few notable exceptions, virtually every Princess of Jahad wielded a substantial amount of influence within the Tower. As a result, Maschenny possessed a degree of influence that far exceeded most other Princesses. This made standing against her extraordinarily dangerous, but, as could be expected, Yuri didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she just laughed off Evan's concerns, cackling like a hyena for nearly a full minute before saying, "You're relying too much on things like common sense. I might have worried about someone like Maschenny in the past, but that is in the past. Now that someone like Vahn has entered the Tower, why should I worry about the schemes of others? I mean, just imagine how many people are about to be royally fucked just by him 'passing through'. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions those ancient monsters will make when all their plans are brought to ruin...!"
Surprised by the sensibility of Yuri's words, Evan felt a mix of pride and concern as he cautiously inquired, "Are you really the same Princess Yuri I know...?"
Rolling her eyes, Yuri rose from the chair she had been seated in, stretching her rather voluptuous body as she replied, "You're too caught up in the past. I'm obviously not the same person as I was back then. Now that things are beginning to move forward, we need to be ready and willing to do the same. I'll be damned if I'm going to remain the butt of every joke due to my Intelligence stat...!"
With a fire in her eyes and balled fists, Yuri seemed to be looking towards a future that Evan, even as a Guide, couldn't see. This made him feel a little uncomfortable, but, thanks to his Innate ability to ascertain whether or not someone was telling the truth, he could, at the very least, confirm this was the same Yuri he had watched grow up over the last hundred or so years...albeit with the added passion of a delusional maiden...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW when you need to take a sedative just to stop yourself from blowing a gasket...','Yuri be like, "That T-Back tho..."','Evan's worries are only just beginning...')
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