Following the knights' return, Fang Chen arrived in the human empire.
All along the journey, he kept glancing around, taking in the sights of this foreign civilization.
Though the world was only at a medieval stage—hadn't even invented muskets yet—Fang Chen found it all quite fascinating and traveled in leisure.
The knights had long grown used to him.
After all, this creature did nothing but eat and sleep.
He'd never shown signs of aggression nor made any moves to attack.
Aside from that one time when he spat saliva on everyone, he had remained utterly motionless.
The only one still fascinated by him was the magical beast scholar, whose eyes gleamed constantly.
To the scholar, Fang Chen was a one-in-a-million anomaly.
Why had such a peculiar specimen come into being? Where had the mutation occurred?
Typically, only Tier 8 magical beasts gained sentience—and even then, they remained highly wary of humans.
But this Earth Lizard seemed to have undergone some sort of atavistic transformation.
Not only had it developed intelligence, but it also displayed rationality and calmness,
like a wise human sage, its eyes gleaming with profound awareness.
This drove the scholar into a frenzy—desperate to study every aspect of Fang Chen.
When the Tier 9 knight returned to the empire, Fang Chen was set down outside the palace, basking in the sun with a carefree look.
Inside the great hall, the Tier 9 knight bowed slightly and spoke respectfully to the emperor seated above.
"Your Majesty, the new batch of magical pets has been captured. They'll be brought up shortly."
Though Tier 9 warriors were not rare, even the empire afforded them considerable respect.
They needed only to bow before the emperor—not kneel.
Tier 8s were treated similarly, while those below Tier 7 were already kneeling on the floor.
"Very well. Summon the princes and princesses. I did promise them this selection, after all."
The emperor nodded with satisfaction as the magical beasts were wheeled in.
Outside, Fang Chen continued sunbathing lazily, ignoring the curious guards who watched him.
It wasn't until he felt a strange gaze that he opened his eyes—
Only to see a group of chattering children dressed in luxurious attire—clearly princes and princesses of the realm.
There were five in total, all visibly excited as their gazes swept across Fang Chen.
But most of them only glanced at him briefly before heading into the main hall.
Only one girl—bold and commanding in demeanor—fixed her gaze on Fang Chen and didn't look away.
She halted in her tracks and stood before him, carefully sizing him up.
Fang Chen rolled his eyes, shifted slightly, and went right back to sleep.
A large snot bubble puffed in and out from his nose as he snored softly.
Up above, the emperor watched as his children immediately quieted down upon entering, and nodded in satisfaction.
"These are the magical pets I promised you. Since you've now reached the age to begin training, go ahead and choose."
As he spoke, the first to move was an adorable little princess.
Without hesitation, she ran straight to a fluffy cat—her eyes had been fixed on it since the moment she entered.
Because… it was so cute.
The emperor's eyes revealed a trace of helplessness and fondness at her behavior.
The other three princes, though tempted, remained motionless out of royal decorum.
Still, the emperor didn't seem to mind—he'd always been fond of this most adorable daughter.
"Hm? Where's Yun Ying?"
Suddenly noticing someone missing, the emperor frowned.
"She appears to be interested in the magical beast outside,"
the eldest prince replied, placing his hand over his chest in a respectful gesture.
"A magical beast outside? There are more magical pets?"
The emperor turned toward the Tier 9 knight beside him.
"Your Majesty, we encountered that one on the way back. It was so unusual that we planned to present it to you personally."
The knight nodded, his tone calm—but his words instantly piqued the emperor's interest.
"Unusual? What kind of beast? What's so strange about it?"
"It's a Tier 7, fully grown Earth Lizard—specifically a spiked variant.
Though it's an adult, strangely enough, it shows no signs of aggression.
It didn't resist capture at all, and it seems to have developed sentience."
"Oh? A Tier 7 Earth Lizard with sentience? And no aggression?"
The emperor blinked, immediately suspecting an atavistic reversion—
Could it be a throwback mutation?
"Father, I'm interested in that Earth Lizard. May I have it?"
Just then, the purple-haired first princess walked in calmly—
the same one who had casually petted Fang Chen earlier.
"You may, if you wish. But are you sure?
You know Earth Lizards are difficult to evolve. Aren't you planning to train one from scratch?"
The emperor nodded thoughtfully. He was well aware of his daughter's fondness for battle.
"I've never been one to raise creatures from scratch.
And as the count said—it didn't act violent when I touched it. I rather like it.
Would make a fine mount."
The princess nodded. She preferred wielding blades and charging into battle.
Raising cute pets or playing with dolls? That wasn't her thing.
She might pet something adorable, sure—but raise it? No thanks.
Too much trouble.
Wasn't it better to just use something already trained?
And appearance-wise—while Earth Lizards were known for being ugly—this one was different.
Its armored exterior looked powerful, almost regal.
To her, it felt… elegant.
She had a feeling this one had incredible potential.
"Very well, but be careful.
You may have reached Tier 2 Scholar rank ahead of schedule, but that beast could still kill you with ease."
The emperor reminded her with a hint of concern.
"If I can't even tame a magical beast, how could I ever survive on the battlefield?
If I die here, then it's due to my own weakness."
The princess knew her father's worries—but she had her own pride.
"Good! As expected of my daughter!
The future of this empire lies with you all. I am truly at ease."
Knowing his children's personalities well, the emperor smiled with satisfaction.
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