Chapter Thirty-Three: The Heart of a Young Maiden
Sometimes, the encounters in life are truly wondrous things.
If Andrew hadn’t told him, Gong Hao would have almost entirely forgotten that Avril once said she would return to Purgatory Island next year. Counting from her last departure, it had been nearly a year, and yet, she really had come back.
But... Gong Hao was hardly in the mood to accompany a princess for leisure now.
He sighed. Well, perhaps he should just treat it as a few days of relaxation.
Avril had indeed arrived.
The port was bustling with voices, as if a grand festival was underway. Amidst the noisy center, Gong Hao could clearly see the little princess’s figure in the distance.
A year had passed, and she had grown taller.
She no longer seemed like a childish little girl, but was now much closer to a young maiden.
Yes, Her Highness was already thirteen. Her chest showed the faintest hint of budding, giving her the appearance of a graceful young lady.
It was obvious she was maturing. She had always been a beauty in the making, her fine genes evident even in childhood, and now this flower bud was beginning to blossom.
Her expression remained proud, but not with the domineering arrogance of before; now it carried a natural, royal dignity.
Andrew was respectfully welcoming her. “Your Highness, Princess, Purgatory Island welcomes your arrival.”
The scepter in his hand paused, and in a cold voice she replied, “Andrew, you’re not truly welcoming me. I’ve learned how to distinguish lies. But it doesn’t matter, I didn’t come for you anyway.”
Physiology drives psychology, and the awakening of a maiden’s heart was gradually surfacing as she matured, catalyzing her growth. The little princess could no longer be fooled by flattery.
Her gaze settled on Gong Hao as she stepped off the ship, and Gong Hao noticed a flicker of delight and excitement in her eyes.
The icy tone softened at once, and in that instant, Her Highness seemed to revert from an adult to a child.
“Shui, I’m so glad to see you again.”
Gong Hao bowed. “Yes, Your Highness, I am also very glad to see you.”
“I remember last year when I saw you, you were still just a servant. Now you’ve become an apprentice. Shui Grelair, it seems you’re doing excellently.”
“It’s all thanks to Lord Andrew’s guidance, and Your Highness’s protection.”
“Oh? Then you should properly repay me.” Avril deliberately ignored the mention of Andrew’s care.
“Shui Grelair is always at your service, Your Highness.”
“I believe I’ll be satisfied with what you offer me.”
A flame called “contentment” flashed in her eyes.
She gently took Gong Hao’s hand, and with that motion, everyone present felt their hearts tighten as if squeezed.
“Shui, tell me, did anyone bully you after I left?”
Gong Hao wanted to retrieve his hand, but she held it tightly. Resigned, he said, “No, Your Highness, in fact, I’ve been well.”
“Did you think of me?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Gong Hao could only nod.
“I did too.” Avril’s sweet voice sounded. She tilted her little head and thought for a moment, then leaned close to Gong Hao’s ear and whispered, “I suppose that’s what you called love, isn’t it?”
Her cheeks were tinged with red.
It seemed she hadn’t forgotten a single word Gong Hao had once said to her.
Gong Hao felt awkward. “No, Your Highness, I think it’s just the longing for a friend.”
“Is that so?” The little princess looked disappointed.
Then she held Gong Hao, walking shoulder to shoulder toward the castle.
Unlike the previous visit, this time she did not roll out a lavish carpet.
“Tell me what you’ve learned. Magic is the most wondrous thing in the world. Have you become a mage yet?”
Gong Hao felt a headache coming, carefully choosing his words. “Actually, I still haven’t mastered much. So far, I can only concoct some potions and help with clerical work. Alchemy is a broad and profound subject—no one can fully grasp it in just a few years. For me, it may be a lifetime’s pursuit.”
“It seems you’ve worked very hard, Shui. You’ve lost weight,” the princess said with concern.
“Yes, Your Highness. I’ve been researching some important topics lately, and it’s been keeping me up at night.”
“You don’t need to push yourself so hard.”
“Hard work makes my life more fulfilling and helps me pursue my goals.”
“What are you chasing?”
Gong Hao considered for a moment, then replied quietly, “I don’t know, Your Highness. To be honest, I don’t know how to answer you.”
Avril’s beautiful eyes shone as she looked at him. “Why?”
Gong Hao thought long before answering, “Do you remember red and green?”
“The lovebirds?” Avril’s eyes brightened again.
“Yes. What they seek, I also seek.”
“They pursue noble and beautiful love,” Avril quickly replied.
Gong Hao smiled bitterly. “It’s not only that... Avril.”
---
Freedom—a word so distant.
Whether the lovebirds, or himself, both remained far from freedom.
The princess’s arrival and her attention could not change anything, and Gong Hao did not believe she was a power he could rely on.
Most importantly, what he desired was no longer just freedom.
Standing before the magical cage, Avril joyfully greeted Red and Green.
It seemed the Flamebirds still remembered her; they extended their long beaks through the iron bars, allowing the princess to stroke them in return.
“They seem to have gained weight,” she remarked.
“Yes,” Gong Hao laughed. “Last year, there was a magical beast breakout. Some important materials were destroyed, including one for making fire-element mana amplification potions. Without it, the potion couldn’t be made, so Red and Green haven’t had their blood drawn for nearly a year.”
He did not tell Avril that he had long since solved the problem of substitute materials for the fire-element potion, but deliberately never reported it, ensuring the potion could never be produced successfully. Perhaps the only ones who knew Gong Hao was the last person capable of making the fire-element mana amplification potion were Red and Green themselves.
“Oh, in that case, why not just let them go?”
“Because humans are the only creatures with ‘excess demand’ in the world. People always hope for more, never considering whether they need so much. They’d rather possess than relinquish. Letting Red and Green go... that’s impossible.”
“It sounds like humans are the most wicked villains. If His Holiness the Pope heard you say that, he’d have you roasted alive on a pyre.”
The princess tried to frighten him with fierce gestures, but the broad smile on her face betrayed her true feelings.
Gong Hao smiled. “If someone really deserves to be roasted on a pyre, it certainly isn’t me.”
“Then who would it be?”
Gong Hao lowered his head.
Who else? The first to be executed should be your father.
He then answered, “Evil will always be judged, but those who judge evil do not necessarily represent justice. Avril, let’s not discuss this topic. Didn’t you want to go to the jungle, to relive last year’s dream? Let me take you.”
---
To Avril, ever since leaving Purgatory Island last time, she had never forgotten Shui Grelair.
She never forgot that it was Shui Grelair who gave her the happiest time of her life. Before that, she was like a frog at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the vastness of the world, unaware that there were many beautiful things not gained by dominating others, and oblivious to the wonder of breathing alongside nature.
When she returned to Wellington, she could never again taste that delightful freedom.
Perhaps what is hard to obtain always seems most beautiful, so she missed everything from Purgatory Island even more.
She missed that jungle, the fascinating magical beasts, the lovebirds, and the boy who brought her all of it.
Yet, when she arrived, she was disappointed to find that the boy did not miss her as she had imagined.
She did not see excitement or joy in his eyes upon her arrival; on the contrary, there seemed to be a shadow clouding his brow.
“Shui, are you troubled?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Walking in the jungle, Gong Hao was almost silent, but now that Avril asked, he could only admit it.
“What troubles you?”
“It’s about alchemy. I tried to recreate Master Electra’s flesh golem—I mean the true work—but I failed,” Gong Hao said with a bitter smile.
“Oh, flesh golems? I’ve heard of them. It seems even Master Heinz couldn’t succeed. You really don’t have to do what Heinz himself couldn’t accomplish.”
Her voice was gentle and soft; heaven knows it was the first time she had ever comforted someone. Before, only our noble princess needed others to soothe her own moods.
“No, you don’t understand. I must solve it.”
Yes, he must.
In the experiments conducted at the Alchemy Tower using living humans, undead golems were mere byproducts. The magic rune experiments did not require killing, and soul seeds were cultivated, not created by killing. Only flesh golems required the death of a youth to obtain their soul.
For Gong Hao, nothing was more important than solving this problem. He believed that if he could restore Electra’s flesh golem technique, then the hope of survival for the youths and servants would no longer be so distant.
He had to solve it!
Avril lowered her head and pondered for a moment. “If that’s the case, perhaps I can help you.”
“You?” Gong Hao was amazed. “How could you help me?”
“I’ll show you something,” the princess said, pulling Gong Hao along.
“What is it? Is it on Purgatory Island?”
“Yes.”
Gong Hao was deeply surprised. What could the princess know about on Purgatory Island that he himself didn’t?
Following her through twists and turns, Gong Hao discovered Avril was leading him away from the castle.
They were neither heading toward the lake nor the valley, but along a path Gong Hao had never traversed.
He remembered clearly that this road led to the back of the valley, but every time Lancelot took him hunting, he was never allowed to go this way. Since arriving on Purgatory Island, he had never set foot here.
Now, Avril was leading him onward.
Soon, they reached the end of the path. There, on the far side of the valley, Gong Hao finally saw something he had never dreamed of.
“My God!” he exclaimed in astonishment.