The Duke’s Daughter and the Storyteller

Karen, as the young girl was named, was the daughter of a certain duke within the empire. Coincidentally, the magic ship had passed through her family’s fiefdom, and Provence had detected her magical talent. Subsequently, her father had sent her aboard the ship, intending for her to diligently study magic at the Imperial Capital’s Academy of Magic.

Doted on since childhood, Karen had always been the undisputed center of attention wherever she went. Everyone she encountered responded with utmost deference. Never before had she experienced such an impudent reply; Ai Ou’s behavior was an unprecedented shock.

Consequently, she grew furious.

“What are you saying? How dare you mimic my words!”

She stood with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed out in indignation.

“What are you saying? I have no idea!”

Ai Ou mirrored her posture, placing his hands on his hips as he spoke.

“You…! Idiot, fool!”

Karen was so incensed she struggled to find words. She wanted to unleash a torrent of insults, but her upbringing in proper etiquette had left her vocabulary for such language incredibly impoverished. ‘Idiot’ and ‘fool’ were the most offensive terms she could conjure after much deliberation.

“Idiot, fool! Before you seek someone out, learn some manners and civility!”

Ai Ou was utterly unfazed by her. Though her attire and brooch clearly indicated a distinguished background, in this world, strength reigned supreme. No matter one’s lineage, a lack of power rendered them useless. Possessing Dragon Island, Ai Ou held the capital to grow stronger. Even if he couldn’t win a fight now, he could simply ‘unleash Erza’ once she matured. After all, dragons were not only symbols of power but also harbingers of disaster.

“Hmph, you’re an utterly detestable fellow. Why do you only tell half a story!”

Incensed by Ai Ou, Karen momentarily forgot the reason for her visit. After a moment to compose herself, she glared at Ai Ou and demanded.

“I like telling stories halfway. Is there a problem with that?”

“Yes, there is! I demand that from now on, you tell complete stories, not just half.”

“No, I refuse.”

“What?! You dare to refuse my demands, young lady!”

Karen was stunned that Ai Ou would reject her request. From childhood, no one had ever dared to defy her; Ai Ou was the first.

“Why should I agree to you? I don’t even know who you are. What benefit is there for me?”

“Hmph, listen carefully! My name is Karen! I’m sixteen years old, and I am the daughter of a duke of this empire! My father is the duke of this empire, do you understand? So, will you agree or not!”

Karen revealed her identity. In her mind, once her status was known, Ai Ou would surely kneel and submit immediately. She began to ponder how she would torment him. Would she make him kneel and apologize? Or perhaps make him dance for her?

“Oh, still no.”

Karen was dumbfounded. This was not how she had envisioned it. When she had snuck out to play in her home territory, everyone had treated her with utmost respect upon learning her identity. Why was this person not afraid to hear her status?

“Why won’t you agree!”

“My favorite thing to do, Ai Ou, is to say no to conceited people!”

‘This child clearly lacks a proper ‘social beating.’ Let me, Ai Ou, give you your first lesson in social practice. Prepare for a socialist beating!’

Hearing Ai Ou’s words, Karen was furious and wanted to storm off, but she couldn’t bring herself to lose face.

She had deliberated for a long time about whether to approach Ai Ou. She had heard many strange and fascinating stories from him, things she had never encountered in her life. Yet, because Ai Ou always told only half a story, it left her itching with curiosity. Finally, today, she could no longer bear it and had come to confront him.

‘If I leave now, the problem won’t be solved. Wouldn’t that just mean Karen is incompetent? No, Karen, you’re the best!’

Forcibly swallowing her resentment toward Ai Ou, Karen suppressed her anger and said to him, “Hey, what will it take for you to tell a story?”

Ai Ou picked at his ear and replied, “I’m not ‘hey’; I have a name. I’m Ai Ou. Don’t you know that when you’re asking for something, it’s best to lower your tone?”

Looking at Ai Ou’s nonchalant face—so handsome, yet at this moment, Karen only wanted to scratch it with her fingernails. Why was such a good-looking young man so utterly infuriating?

“Hello, Ai Ou. How can I get you to tell a complete story? I can pay you ten gold coins!”

One gold coin was enough for an ordinary commoner family to live on for over a year. Ten gold coins would suffice for more than a decade. While ten gold coins were insignificant to Karen, she believed it would be more than enough for Ai Ou.

“Ten gold coins? Who are you trying to fool? Who cares about that! I want things related to mages. Do you have any?”

Ten gold coins, while not bad for Ai Ou, were paltry compared to the large sum Allen had given him. He knew that once he became a mage, money would be easy to earn. Recalling Karen’s status as a duke’s daughter, Ai Ou had a thought: perhaps he could extract some treasures from her.

Hearing Ai Ou’s demand, Karen found herself in a predicament. She felt his request was exorbitant, yet she desperately wanted to hear the story. She was now in a buyer’s market, with no leverage to haggle with Ai Ou, the seller, given her unilateral need. She could only ponder what magical items she possessed that weren’t too valuable.

Being a duke’s daughter, her family’s wealth far surpassed that of Ai Ou, a baron’s son. Her father had prepared many magical tools and items for her.

After a few minutes of contemplation, Karen pulled a rhomboid stone from her pocket, tossed it to Ai Ou, and said, “This is a magic stone. It contains magic power. I’m not sure of its exact effects, but my father only gave me ten of them. Is this a suitable price?”

After being repeatedly provoked by Ai Ou, Karen had learned her lesson. She no longer dared to speak so presumptuously. She realized that if she spoke politely and softly, Ai Ou wouldn’t target her.

Ai Ou caught the magic stone Karen threw, his eyes narrowing slightly. Sensing the rich magic power it contained, he pretended to put it in his pocket, but actually tossed it into his Dragon Island, intending to study its effects when no one was around.

“Alright, how about this: after dinner, you and Elena can come to my room, and I’ll tell you stories.”

At this moment, Karen had become a target for Ai Ou to ‘shear the wool’ from. This naive girl likely had many more good things on her, and Ai Ou planned to coax them all away.