CHAPTER 356: NOT EXPERIENCED

"Even Princess Astrid believes so. It seems the outcome of this match is all but decided."

Monica placed the Empire Weekly on legs. Sunlight fell over, making the thin white stockings on her legs appear as translucent as paper. Below, one could vaguely glimpse her snow-white instep, not covered by her high heels, with faint bluish veins clearly visible.

Astrid gently shook her head upon hearing this, her voice calm.

"Everything has its variables. Who knows if this ’Bone-Chilling Cold’ has any hidden trump cards, or perhaps Miss Iris is not in good condition today and cannot exert her full strength."

"As spectators, we should simply await the result."

Hearing this, Monica nodded slightly, the white ribbon on her shoulder swaying in the wind. She murmured in agreement.

"Princess Astrid’s considerations are indeed more thorough."

After speaking, both fell silent. Astrid glanced at the magical projection screen in the distance, confirming there was still plenty of time. She then turned her head to look at Monica. The latter’s gaze was fixed on the Empire Weekly on her lap. The yellowed parchment displayed a printed image of the magnificent aerospace behemoth, the "Fearless."

It had to be said that Amalia’s talent in still life painting was truly astonishing. Neither of her parents were skilled artists, and tracing back further, it seemed that members of the royal family with the surname Valeria had little artistic inclination, with few contributions to the art of painting.

Yet, the daughter born to such a financially struggling dancer, and an emperor who only knew how to appreciate art but not wield a paintbrush, possessed a pair of nimble and highly creative hands.

Under Amalia’s meticulous creation, every detail of the "Fearless" was reproduced perfectly: the cold steel exterior, the towering airship command deck, the thousands of magic crystal vents, and the colossal air sacs that could obscure the sky. She had depicted this steel behemoth on paper with clean and decisive brushstrokes.

Her slender white fingers rested on the bottom of the newspaper page. Monica gazed at the magical device before her, her pink lips slightly parted, her pupils flashing with intense surprise.

Although the ties between the two countries had become less close due to the impending war, basic information still faithfully traveled with merchants, travelers, and the footsteps of bards.

Monica knew of the existence of magical devices and the "Fearless," but she had never imagined they would be such magnificent magical creations.

Combining magic circles, carvings, crystallization, magic, and architectural craftsmanship, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this magic-powered airship a moving spectacle.

"Princess Astrid..."

Seeing the small line of text at the very bottom, "A panoramic view of the Fearless," Monica subconsciously asked, unaware that she had just lost her initiative at that moment.

"What is it, Miss Monica?"

Astrid calmly withdrew her gaze, crossing her arms. Her two long, slender legs, clad in black silk, were naturally crossed, as if everything was within her grasp.

Monica remained silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Did Princess Astrid also participate in the design and construction of the Fearless?"

She had seen Astrid and Charlotte names in the report.

Astrid nodded upon hearing this, answering truthfully, "Indeed."

"However, my responsibilities were minimal; I merely offered some concepts and made some insignificant contributions."

"The ones who truly brought it to life were the numerous craftsmen, as well as Professors Charlotte and Elandor."

At most, she had provided an idea, although the importance of that idea was self-evident.

Monica pursed her lips upon hearing this, and quickly asked again.

"I am very curious about how Princess Astrid conceived of the Fearless, this magic-powered airship itself."

"It is truly difficult to imagine that before putting it into practice, someone could actually conceive of such a manned magic-powered airship."

Its ingenious conception, complex craftsmanship, and immense investment would undoubtedly be a significant Chapter in the entire history of mankind.

Hearing Monica’s statement, Astrid smiled faintly, tidying her skirt slightly, and replied gently.

"Because I wanted to give many people who cannot fly the opportunity to do so."

"The path of magic is long and arduous, and very few can ascend to the rank of Magnus. I wish to provide those who lack the talent to witness the beauty from the mountaintop with an opportunity to conquer the sky and overlook the land like birds."

Although this was not the primary reason for the "Fearless"’s creation, it was indeed something Astrid wished to achieve.

Lacking talent, unable to see the beauty from the mountaintop... overlooking the land like birds...

Monica silently noted these words spoken by the Third Princess. She blinked her lashes twice, suppressing the storm in her heart, and continued in the same tone.

"That way of thinking sounds truly inspiring. Princess Astrid is such a romantic person."

If before, at the palace banquet, Monica had only thought that Astrid’s aura and demeanor far surpassed those of the two princes, then after having an in-depth conversation with her now, and understanding the progress and changes she had brought to the entire empire, Monica was left with only one thought in her heart.

If Astrid Calliste possessed royal blood, perhaps the Valeria Empire would reach a new peak under her leadership.

"What beautiful scenery it must be to personally board the Fearless." Monica sighed softly after a long while.

It was a pity that although she had entered the Valeria Empire as a commoner, who would truly treat her as an ordinary tourist without any status, rather than the highly respected Saintess of Light in her own country? To approach the "Fearless," let alone whether Astrid would permit it, there was also the insurmountable hurdle named Hibbort.

"The Fearless holds regular viewing ceremonies. When the time is right, Miss Monica might have the opportunity to board."

Astrid had indirectly learned from Charlotte about some of the conditions set by Hibbort, such as Monica and Iris being forbidden to leave the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, being required to wear crystal stones indicating their location, and signing statements that their personal safety was the responsibility of their accompanying guards and not related to the empire.

After all, during this sensitive period, Hibbort did not want the Kingdom of Velys to create a flimsy excuse for war, such as the routine search for a missing princess.

After listening to Astrid’s words, knowing that the other party was merely making polite remarks to her statement, Monica closed the book, her pink lips parting slightly.

"I hope that day truly comes."

At that time, the two warring parties had not yet been completely consumed by hatred, and the land soaked in blood still had a chance to see the light of day.

Hopefully, everything would not be too late.

While contemplating, Monica heard Astrid speak.

"Princess Iris is on stage."

Following Astrid’s voice, in the center of the venue, a purple-haired girl wearing a high-necked shirt and black hair ties on both sides walked onto the stage.

Iris held a slender noble sword. She was no longer wearing the light blue off-the-shoulder dress from the palace banquet that highlighted her gentle temperament. Instead, she wore clean and neat pure white trousers, and her feet were no longer in high heels that greatly affected her movement. She had changed into beige mid-calf leather boots that protected her lower legs and ankles.

Noticing that Iris’s weapon was not the staff typically carried by mages, Astrid touched her lips, her crimson eyes lingering for a moment.

In that case, this princess, whom Monica called a combat genius, was actually a dual practitioner of both magic and combat, like Lyra.

Her magic had reached the level of an early tier Magnus. She wondered if Iris’s combat skills matched that of a Magnus, and if her overall level could reach that of an early tier Master Knight.

Five minutes later, another contestant arrived at the sparring platform. The newcomer was Pierre Seros, a third-year student at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, known as "Bone-Chilling Cold" for his proficiency in various ice magic.

Iris looked at her opponent not far away, her hand tightening on the sword hilt.

This was her first match, and she absolutely could not lose, even for the honor of the royal family.

As the host announced the start of the match, Iris’s sword sliced through the strong winds, slashing towards Pierre Seros directly opposite her.

..............

This battle was not as intense as Astrid had expected; it could even be said to be somewhat bland.

Princess Iris of the Kingdom of Velys defeated "Bone-Chilling Cold" Pierre with an absolute advantage. Every move she made seemed to have no solution, and her dense and fierce attacks, like a torrential downpour, defeated her opponent in less than ten minutes.

If not for the fact that the mental strength Iris displayed was still within the scope of an early tier Magnus, Astrid would have suspected that this girl with royal blood had already reached the level of a middle tier Magnus.

"As expected of someone Miss Monica has high hopes for, Princess Iris’s performance is indeed excellent. Even her habits and details when casting magic are pleasing to the eye."

Astrid watched the residual waves created by the battle on the stage, her back straightening slightly. She shifted her posture, crossing her legs. The friction of the fine silk material produced a beautiful and pleasant sound.

In the original novel, Pierre did not appear frequently, but since Astrid remembered his name, it meant that he had certainly achieved a decent ranking.

Unexpectedly, even he lost so cleanly to Iris.

Was this the power boost brought by royal blood? Both elemental affinity and the speed of tempering mental strength far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Thinking of a certain petite who broke through the Magnus level at such a young age, Astrid grasped a strand of silver hair, gently rubbing it with her fingertips, and once again directly felt the power of bloodline.

In this otherworld with its backward social system, the nobility tightly controlled the scarce resources for learning magic and continuously consolidated their rule and optimized their bloodlines through their existing advantages.

For commoners to rise, they first needed access to magic, a hurdle that blocked ninety-nine percent of people. Secondly, they lacked the accumulation of bloodlines, and their magical talent might not be strong enough. They might only reach the level of a spellcaster in their lifetime.

Talents like Lyra, a commoner genius, could be said to be one in a hundred thousand.

"In terms of strength alone, Princess Iris definitely ranks among the younger generation in the royal city..."

Monica looked at the purple-haired girl bathed in sunlight, her tone seeming to carry a hint of special meaning.

Astrid keenly caught this and spoke softly.

"At least in combat, she is very experienced, isn’t she?"

Hearing Astrid limited her experience solely to combat, Monica understood and continued.

"Indeed. Princess Iris can make optimal decisions based on the situation, which ensures that even if she loses a few moves, she can still make a comeback with good follow-up plays."

"However, in terms of overall strategy, her vision is greatly lacking. It might be more appropriate to call it immature."

"She cannot distinguish which moves are the most threatening, cannot find the truly fatal points, and even when solving problems, she relies on brute force without any skill."

For example, at the party the day before yesterday, Iris’s choice was to speak with Lucas and Alistair one by one. Although the two princes were polite on the surface and their words always maintained courtesy and restraint, anyone could see that they did not want to be too involved with Iris.

Thinking about it, given the tense relations between the two countries, and Iris being a princess of an enemy nation, who would dare to have too much contact with her without knowing her intentions?

Especially since neither of them had clearly inherited the throne. If they were to be framed by political opponents with a serious charge, even if the truth was revealed in the future, the long period of suspicion and doubt would put them at a significant disadvantage in the succession.

Furthermore, there was a more important point: Monica did not see the key to breaking the deadlock in Lucas and Alistair. They were just ordinary princes. While this identity was not entirely useless, it was simply unremarkable.

On the contrary, the Third Princess sitting before her was the most likely person to change the situation.

"Is that so... But isn’t Miss Monica being a bit too demanding of her? Princess Iris is only twenty-one years old, and she has only been an adult for three years. Experience is something that will improve with time."

Astrid said this while casually looking towards the venue, as if they were truly just discussing the battle that had just taken place.

"Demanding is not the word. I simply feel that if Princess Iris wants to win the championship of this exchange competition, her current performance is far from enough."

Monica looked at the exquisitely crafted cover of the Empire Weekly before her and sighed deeply.

"The competition time is limited. If she cannot make a breakthrough before it ends, she will ultimately have regrets."

Time was the greatest enemy. If it were another ten or twenty years, perhaps everything that followed would not have happened.

After listening to Monica’s statement, Astrid stood up with a smile.

"There is still a long way to go until the finals. I don’t think it’s a matter of extreme urgency."

"If Princess Iris can grow to the extent that Miss Monica hopes, even if she is a princess of another country, I will sincerely applaud her efforts."

Leaving these meaningful words behind, Astrid bid farewell to Monica. Her black high heels tapped out a crisp little melody as she elegantly left the venue.

She believed Monica should have understood her meaning.

At least, a part of it was not difficult to comprehend.