Read Novel Full Vol 3 Chapter 3 Part 3
Vol 3 Chapter 3 Part 3
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Part 3
After dinner, the group was ready for the next lesson.
“Let’s begin the next special lesson! If you want to be a ruler, you must have a deep knowledge of your own culture. So our next topic will be incense!”
“Incense?”
Luna tilted her head, and Lexia nodded.
“Yes. I heard that in the Lianxi Empire, incense was a custom of the nobility.
“Lexia-san, you know a lot about things… That’s right. Once a year, the imperial families of the Lianxi Empire have an annual event called the “Incense Matching,” where they each prepare their own incense and compete to see how good it smells and how effective it is.”
“It’s a unique culture in the Lianxi Empire.”
“It’s very elegant.”
“But my incense is not very good… I don’t know why I can’t get it right even when I follow the instructions…”
To encourage the despondent Xiaolin, Lexia put her hand on her back.
“I will do my best to help Xiaolin-sama acquire the best perfumery skills! A country’s unique culture is an essential part of a ruler’s culture!”
“Yes! I look forward to working with you!”
Xiaolin brought a small golden box with her.
When she opened the lid, she found a number of small ceramic vessels filled with colorful powders.
“This is the incense.”
“Wow, it smells so good!”
“I thought you were burning solid incense, but it’s just powder.”
“There is also solid incense, but it is made of several kinds of powder that are kneaded together and then pressed into a mold. This powder is special, and depending on the type of incense used, it can have various effects, such as restoring magic power or keeping monsters away.”
“Wow, there is such a special incense!”
“It is made of a very rare material, and it is said that you can buy a mansion with just one bowl of the powder.”
“Huh?”
Tito, who was looking into the small box, jumped up.
Xiaolin took a ceramic bowl out of the small box and placed it next to Lexia, who looked at Tito.
“Tito has a good nose and could make very good incense, don’t you think?”
“N-no! I’m too scared to touch such high-quality incense…! Besides, all the different scents make me dizzy…!”
“Is your sense of smell so acute that you find it difficult?”
Lexia seemed fascinated by the special incense.
“If it can produce different effects, maybe we can make incense that activates the dragon power! Let’s try it!”
“But can we use such a precious powder without hesitation?”
“Yes, I want you to use it as you wish. I would rather you try different kinds of incense, and when you find a good way to make incense, please teach it to me.”
“Then I will make the best incense that will surprise everyone!”
Lexia quickly picked up the bowl of powder and held it up to her nose.
“It’s super expensive stuff; be careful how you handle it.”
“I know──A-a-a-a-choo!”
Poof.
Lexia sneezed, and the powder flew out.
“Lexia…!”
“Awawaw, the mansion has scattered…!”
Luna and Tito hurriedly shoveled up the powder.
But Lexia tilted her head, sniffling.
“Hmm. Isn’t that cheap?”
“Huh? That can’t be…”
“This one and this one are inferior as well.”
Despite Xiaolin’s surprise, Lexia checked the scent and put it away.
Tito also sniffed anxiously at the incense that Lexia had pushed aside, and her eyes widened.
“Oh, it’s true. There is a slight aftertaste mixed in with the good aroma. I’m surprised you noticed it, Lexia-san.”
“Hmm. I’m not sure myself, but I guess it’s called royal intuition.”
“That’s… I was supposed to have collected only the finest powders, but how could there be so many inferior ones in the mix?”
“Perhaps the other princes mixed in the inferior goods to sabotage Xiaolin’s perfume preparation.”
Xiaolin scowled at the remaining vessels.
“What should I do? The variety of powder has been reduced by half…”
“It’s all right. We have enough to make the best incense ever!”
Lexia said cheerfully and began to select the remaining incense with great dexterity.
“Hmm, this, this, and a little bit of that, and… oh, I want this scent too.”
“A-amazing, she chose it without any hesitation at all…!”
In no time at all, the fragrance is mixed, kneaded, and shaped.
“Yes, it’s done!”
“S-so fast…!”
“You’re just going with the flow, aren’t you?”
“What? I did it right! I’ve made the most exquisite incense!”
To test the fragrance, they immediately took it to the incense burner and lit it.
As soon as it was lit, an aromatic fragrance rose along with a thin purple smoke.
“W-what a beautiful fragrance! It’s so beautiful and elegant…!”
“And it also made me feel tired and light!”
“Hmm… I see; it calms my mind. This is a great effect.”
“Fufufu, what do you think? This is what you get if you let me do it!”
At that moment, the maids arrived with tea.
“Xiaolin-sama, I brought you more tea.”
As soon as they entered the room, they were surprised.
“W-what is this fragrance…? I have never smelled such a fragrant, sublime scent before.”
“I’ve had a headache for a long time, and it’s gone! And my skin is glowing…!”
“Isn’t this the most expensive perfume since the beginning of the Lianxi Empire…?”
Lexia, who was in a good mood, continued to complete several kinds of incense, all of which had the finest fragrance and extraordinary effects.
“Le-Lexia-san, is this really your first time doing perfumery? It’s an amazing talent…!”
You were truly a royalty…”
“What do you mean?”
Xiaolin leans forward with a twinkle in her eye.
“Lexia-san, you’re amazing! I would love to learn how to mix perfume!”
“Hmm… yes. It’s hard to capture it in a scent, so you have to use other things as metaphors.”
“Something else?”
“Yes, it’s all about momentum and feeling! Then you just follow your intuition and do a little bit of blah, blah, blah, blah, and you’ll get it!”
“Uh… I don’t understand…”
Lexia points to the powders lined up one after the other.
“This one, for example, has a scent that smells like chun chun piyo piyo, so I think it will go well with this sparkling incense.”
“What do you mean?”
Tito tilted her head next to Xiaolin, who was getting more and more confused.
“Uh, did you say that… ‘this is a light scent, like a little bird, so it would go with a fresh scent like the sun shining through the trees’…”
“Yes, yes, that’s what I meant!”
“How do you know, Tito-san?”
“Well, this one has a “Zusheen, boom,” feel to it! Which is perfect for mixing with this wet powder!”
“I think she’s saying, ‘This one has a heavy, rocky aroma, so it’s good with a deep, calm aroma like moss…'”
Oh, this incense smells gooohh! I think it’s a good idea to use it in small doses because it’s a little bit like a sasasa.”
She says, “This incense has a strong aroma like a bright red flame, so it’s better to use it casually as a spice.”
“Yes, that’s what I meant! As expected of you, Tito!”
“Tito-san, you’re amazing!”
“How can you translate when it makes absolutely no sense?”
Luna crossed her arms, admiring Lexia’s unique logic.
“But… I see, so you don’t just rely on your sense of smell but expand your image from the aroma. …It seems to be applicable to combat as well.”
Tito also suddenly put up her cat ears.
“Surely, when we fight, we expand our senses beyond what we can see and grasp the whole situation from the slightest sound, sign, or smell of the wind, right?”
“Is that so?”
Tito nodded at the astonished Xiaolin.
“Yes. Uh… People often talk about intuition, hunches, and the sixth sense… but when you get right down to it, I think it means that the five senses sense something unusual.”
“I agree. The eyes, ears, and nose… don’t rely on any one sense but rather take in all the information in a comprehensive way to form an overall picture. That way, you can quickly notice and react to changes in the battle situation. …But using smell as a metaphor for other things is a very Lexian way of doing things.”
“Fufu, that much is true!”
While Lexia bragged, Xiaolin sat still and thought.
“Not relying on one sense, but comprehensive…”
After that, Lexia’s perfumery course continued, and finally, the recipe for the best incense was completed.
“Now you can confidently introduce the culture of incense whenever you become emperor!”
“Thank you, Lexia-san!”
That day, the four of them slept soundly while burning the incense that Lexia had recommended.
＊＊＊
Then, the day before the trial ceremony.
The group was in the mountains.
“Well, today is the final test.”
At the entrance to the deep forest, Luna points to a waterfall beyond the trees.
“Tito is waiting at the top of the waterfall. She will count to one hundred when we begin, so you must reach the waterfall by then and cut the last task that comes downstream. However, the forest is covered with strings and various traps. You must be very careful.”
“I understand…!”
“Good luck, Xiaolin-sama!”
Xiaolin held up her twin swords and looked deep into the forest.
Remembering what Lexia and the others had taught her, she sharpened all her senses.
“Don’t look, feel… expand your senses and imagine the whole battle situation…”
Mobilize all senses to perceive sounds, light, wind currents, smells, and temperatures.
And when all that had been learned from Lexia and the others was connected, a string appeared that should have been invisible until then.
“…..! I can do this…!”
“Let’s begin!”
At Luna’s signal, Xiaolin dove into the forest.
Dodging through the branches of the trees, she sprinted lightly over the strings that were strung throughout the forest.
Suddenly, her ears caught a faint sound.
“───!”
Just as Xiaolin jumped back, a shadow crossed in front of her!
It was a tree trunk tied to a string.
Various traps started attacking Xiaolin from it.
“Hah! Yaah!”
She ran through the forest, using her twin swords to deal with the logs coming at her.
She jumped over a pit, dodged a flying dagger, and finally reached a waterfall.
With no time to catch her breath, Tito released a monster she had caught from the top of the waterfall.
“Ugh, I’m worried, but this is also for Xiaolin-san’s sake…! Xiaolin-san, please get ready!”
Doooooooooooooo!
“Gogaaaaahhhh!”
What emerged from the waterfall was a monster many times larger than the giant fish Xiaolin had slain before.
Its red body was covered with countless stingers, and its huge mouth, which looked like it could swallow a house in one bite, was lined with numerous fangs.
Lexia, being carried by Luna, caught up with it, and her eyes widened.
“What is this monster? Isn’t it too big?”
“It’s a Blood Needle Fish, a higher species of the Ferocious Needle Fish. They are extremely ferocious and attack other monsters and humans in packs. Even the most skilled adventurers are unlikely to survive an encounter with one.”
“And it’s become so ferocious, probably because one of its minions has been killed! Will Xiaolin-sama be okay?”
“Gogaaaaaaaah!”
The Blood Needle Fish approached Xiaolin with a roar of rage.
But Xiaolin jumped without fear.
She swung her twin swords sharply at the giant fish’s forehead.
“Hyahh!”
──Kiinnnn.
“Gigyaa, gyaa…!”
After a moment of silence, a brilliant flash of sword sliced the mighty monster into three pieces.
The Blood Needle Fish uttered a decisive scream and melted away, turning into particles of gold.
“Hah, hah… I-I did it…!”
“Wow, that’s great, Xiaolin-san! I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt… congratulations!”
As Xiaolin stood there impressed, Tito jumped down and hugged Xiaolin, and Lexia and the others cheered.
“It’s amazing that you were able to defeat such a vicious monster, Xiaolin-sama!”
“That was brilliant swordplay. With this, even the most formidable enemy will be no match for you.”
“You have passed your final test!”
“I-I never thought I could do such a thing…! It’s thanks to all of you!”
When Xiaolin thanked her with moist eyes, Lexia laughed lightly.
“Ara, it’s the result of Xiaolin-sama’s hard work and perseverance in training! It’s truly amazing to see you become so strong in just a few days!”
“However, the real work begins tomorrow. We will make final adjustments so that you will be ready for any trials that may come your way.”
“Yes! Thank you for your help!”
“The three trials that have been set up across the country…! I can’t wait to see what they’re about!”
Lexia and the others rejoiced.
In the midst of all this, a faint feeling of uneasiness passed through Xiaolin’s chest.
“(Thanks to Lexia-san and others, I was able to reaffirm my dream of becoming emperor, and I became stronger… but in the end, I couldn’t use my dragon power… can I really overcome the trials as it is…?)”
So, the four of them began to make final preparations for the trials.