Chapter 435: Chapter 435: The Comic Strip of World Economic News
Chapter 435: The Comic Strip of World Economic News
The three princesses were Giada’s only blood dependents.
Their abilities needed no elaboration.
Kai had come to understand them over the past few days.
Scarlet Princess Bejana possessed an elegant aristocratic demeanor.
She was calm, thoughtful, gentle, and refined.
Her long, blood-red hair was tied up, her bright red pupils gleamed, and her fair, creamy skin glowed softly.
She favored black dresses and had a wide range of artistic interests and hobbies.
She managed the entirety of Eternal Night Island.
Alongside the Dominion Princess Ankleya, she oversaw the internal and external affairs of the Chaos Realm.
In Giada’s view, Bejana’s role was akin to that of a head maid.
During their time together, Bejana had taken Kai to appreciate various works of art.
Many were tributes from West Blue countries, holding both artistic and historical value.
The collection was diverse, yet Bejana could identify and describe several pieces.
She also guided him through the breathtaking scenery of Eternal Night Island.
She served him her hand-crafted black tea and pastries.
In the end, she transformed into a chef, preparing a lavish meal for him, showcasing her impressive culinary skills.
Death Tide Princess Saijō, on the other hand, was more carefree.
She had a bold personality, occasionally bordering on recklessness.
Her long beige hair was tied into two braids that hung over her chest, one covering an eye.
A beauty mark adorned her face near the corner of her mouth, and her skin was a healthy wheat color.
A faint aroma of wine lingered around her, her signature scent.
She loved drinking, savoring all kinds of fine wines, and had a particular fondness for her saber.
If her saber were taken away, Saijō, usually proud and spirited, would become meek and subdued, which was amusing.
Speaking of which, her saber was crafted by Kai.
Giada had requested it, and he had made it casually.
Clearly, Giada had gifted the saber to Saijō.
During their time together, Saijō introduced Kai to her collection of fine wines, all tributes from the islands of West Blue.
She also showed him her collection of storybooks and comics.
While the storybooks were interesting, the comics were a recent phenomenon, launched by a new branch of the World Economic News in the past two years.
Initially, they were meant to serialize biographies of legendary figures.
Over time, however, the stories grew exaggerated, with fantastical experiences added, making them seem implausible at first glance.
Yet, in an era where even world-destroying gods existed, audiences accepted even the most outlandish tales.
People were captivated by these legendary stories, making them wildly popular and highly profitable for the World Economic Newspaper.
Other newspapers soon followed suit.
This environment gave rise to the concept of comics.
Serialized in newspapers as color-page stories, comics began to overtake biographies in the public’s imagination.
The primary reason was the risk of depicting real-life figures, especially powerful ones, which could invite trouble.
Even the boldest reporters hesitated to write freely, fearing they might offend a legendary figure who could come knocking.
Thus, fictional comic stories gained increasing popularity.
Saijō was an avid comic fan, enjoying all sorts of comic tales.
She even shared her collection of full-page comics with Kai, which proved quite engaging.
As for the Dominion Princess, Ankleya, her time with Kai was somewhat awkward.
Her personality was said to be domineering and ambitious.
In the Chaos Realm, located in West Blue, she governed the administrative center known as Sira.
Foreign envoys from West Blue treated her with the utmost respect.
Her entire demeanor was that of a monarch in the making.
However, these traits were less evident in Kai’s presence.
Unlike Bejana’s gentle subtlety or Saijō’s carefree nature, Ankleya came across as a bit tsundere with Kai.
Though the term might feel outdated, it was still charming.
She seemed to derive little joy from life, or rather, her joy came from the admiration of others looking up to her.
As a result, she felt uneasy around Kai, unsure of what to say or do.
When she saw him, her mind went blank, the air grew silent, and her eyes widened.
In the end, Kai took the initiative to guide her, gradually easing her into conversation, improving upon the approach Bejana had used to entertain him.
Over time, Kai learned that Ankleya favored symbols of power like crowns, scepters, and thrones.
The hunter group of the Chaos Realm faction in the Hunter Association was named after her, called Crown.
The Mage Pattern Guild, another Chaos Realm faction, was also named and dominated by her.
She often carried a ruby-encrusted scepter and wore luxurious, stately clothing.
Surprisingly, she also liked stuffed dolls, revealing a cute side to her personality.
The cold wind howled.
Everywhere the eye could see was a crystalline white.
An isolated island stood in the sea, home to a massive ice canyon.
Endless wind and snow swirled around.
Even the sun hanging on the horizon brought no warmth to life here.
In the dim twilight, Kai walked.
"La la la... the cute, beautiful, and super charming Jin, endlessly devoted to Master, is online! Master, Master, have you missed me?" Jin sang, making a dazzling entrance.
Her appearance was truly radiant, emitting a warm golden light that dispelled the twilight’s gloom.
Jin, who had been absent since Kai went to see Ruri, suddenly reappeared.
Seeing her, Kai stretched out his fingers to rub her small face and said playfully, "Why are you here now? Do not you want Ruri to call you Mom?"
Hearing Kai’s words, Jin’s cheeks flushed.
"It is not impossible, but Master has to protect me if Giada comes chasing me. It would be a bit too much to handle," she said.
"You are quite bold, Jin!" Kai said, chuckling.
He placed Jin on his shoulder and continued walking.
In the past, Jin had done something daring.
When Giada was away from Amazon Lily, Jin had tried to convince Ruri to recognize her as her mother.
Ruri, still a playful little girl at the time, got along well with Jin, who enjoyed her company.
Moreover, Giada rarely treated Ruri like a daughter.
As a result, Jin nearly succeeded.
However, Giada eventually sensed something was amiss.
She had only been away in the Chaos Realm briefly, and upon her return, her daughter was nearly claimed by someone else.
Giada, who had never faced such a slight, was furious at being outwitted by a child.
Driven by this, she chased after Jin.
If Jin had not hidden in Kai’s collar, she might not have escaped.
It could have escalated into a full-blown confrontation.
Squeak, squeak...
The snow crunched loudly underfoot.
Kai walked through the endless wind and snow like an ordinary person.
This was an unremarkable island in the first half of the Grand Line.
Over a year ago, the once-beautiful island had been blanketed in endless frost.
A massive, frigid ice valley formed at its center.
Later, people from nearby islands named it Permafrost Island.
The enormous ice valley at its core became widely known as the Permafrost Canyon.
Its fame did not stem from the weather alone.
Mutated ice beasts, icemen, snowmen, and other strange beings inhabited the island.
According to legend, these creatures were created by the Goddess of Extreme Ice.
The island’s weather, too, was said to be her doing.
Strictly speaking, this legend held the truth.
( End of this Chapter )