Chapter 433: The Importance of Acting
A Secretary's Rant
Luke Shaw was ranting incessantly, screaming insults, managing dozens of sentences without repeating himself once.
The Amazonian female warriors living on Paradise Island had never endured such insults. They trembled violently, eyes red, like man-eating beasts.
Facing longbows and short swords, Luke Shaw remained completely fearless. His head was held high, but his eyes were cast downward in disdain. His air of arrogance made everyone so furious they wanted to grab rocks and plaster them all over his face.
One female warrior couldn't take it and drew her long sword to rush forward, only to be held back desperately by her companions.
If the outsiders were merely stowaways, they would have been killed, but these people were an Atlantean Princess and a national envoy. Such a person could not be easily attacked.
Seeing this, Luke Shaw curled his lips and softly delivered one last line:
"Barbarians!"
The atmosphere dropped to a freezing point.
Inside the cave, sensing the killing intent permeating the air, Mera grew uneasy.
"Something's not right."
Carol Ferris gave a wry smile. "Luke has been screaming insults at them for several minutes."
Mera covered her mouth, giggling.
"Your boyfriend is too wicked! This is enough to drive that group of women mad with anger."
Suddenly, the ground vibrated. Hoofbeats, fast and approaching from afar, sounded like at least a hundred riders.
"The real boss is here."
Mera nodded, quickly resuming her princess posture.
Antiope and her Royal Guards arrived quickly. Before they even reached the site, she sensed the tension. The surrounding warriors were bristling with killing intent, looking ready to fight.
Sensing trouble, Antiope immediately roared,
"Everyone stop!"
The horses galloped to a halt at the cave entrance. Antiope dismounted. At over 1.8 meters tall, she possessed lean muscle that even men would envy, standing there like a statue of a female War God.
The accompanying Royal Guards were similar, all tall, strong, and exceptionally formidable. If not for the two bulges on their chests, Luke Shaw would never have considered them women.
They say an island of only women is a man's paradise. After seeing this group, Luke Shaw no longer held that notion.
Paradise, my foot. This is Hell.
He thought this internally, but his expression remained unchanged, his head still held high.
The Diplomatic Dance
Antiope skipped the pleasantries. "Where is the Princess?"
Luke Shaw raised an eyebrow and replied without giving way.
"Who are you?"
"Antiope, sister of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons."
"Ah, the Crown Princess."
Luke Shaw bowed, his attitude shifting dramatically. "Please wait here. I shall inform Her Highness immediately."
A short time later, the radiant Mera appeared at the cave entrance. All traces of her usual liveliness were gone, replaced by an arrogance that repelled people from a thousand miles away. She summoned Luke Shaw to her side, whispering something. The latter nodded constantly, acting the part of a sycophantic servant.
Then, Luke Shaw returned to Antiope.
"Princess Mera bids me convey her regards to Your Excellency."
Antiope was unaccustomed to this style of conversation. She turned her gaze to Sether beside her, who spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"It is definitely the Atlantean language, and the most ancient dialect."
Antiope's heart sank. This Princess was likely genuine. Atlantis has discovered Paradise Island—this is not good news.
Luke Shaw continued,
"We were caught in a lightning storm on the way to the island, and the nine people in our entourage were separated. Please send troops to search, Crown Princess. If any survivors are found, please ensure they receive proper medical care."
"Furthermore, Her Highness the Princess dislikes surface living. Please prepare a clean palace with a constant supply of water. The water must be changed daily. For food, only deep-sea fish species will suffice. Our Princess prefers a quiet environment, so please ensure no loud noises are made, if possible. As for clothing..." He glanced at the Amazonian attire and sighed lengthily.
"We will not trouble you, we shall take care of it ourselves."
Antiope was left speechless.
She suddenly felt an urge to draw her sword and hack someone. She had now experienced Atlantean arrogance firsthand. Inside, she was utterly frustrated but couldn't show it. She could only say gruffly,
"I will consider your demands. Please mount."
A female warrior stepped forward, leading three warhorses.
A foul odor drifted over. Luke Shaw instinctively stepped back.
"Apologies, but Atlanteans do not ride lowly surface beasts. Crown Princess, our Princess is an envoy. Her bloodline is noble, and her status is extraordinary, representing an entire nation. Does your country not have a corresponding welcoming ceremony?" He paused, his expression turning ugly.
"Or are you deliberately doing this?"
When he said the last sentence, he showed intense shame and indignation, as if the person being humiliated wasn't the Princess, but himself.
Antiope's face stiffened. She didn't know how to respond, and the others were also visibly stunned.
The Amazons had lived on the island for thousands of years and had rarely encountered outsiders, let alone an envoy from another nation. They knew nothing of such protocol.
"You..."
Luke Shaw pointed at them angrily. "This is too much!"
With that, he returned to Mera, repeating the conversation exactly as it happened. Mera snorted and strode toward the sea.
The three walked through the crowd, heading directly for the shoreline.
Antiope sensed something was wrong and instinctively waved her arm. Amazonian warriors rushed in from all sides, drawing their weapons and completely encircling the three.
"Crown Princess, what is the meaning of this? I warn you, Atlantis fears no one!"
Luke Shaw raised his hands and shouted loudly. Carol was stifling a laugh, unable to let it out, and could only cooperate by shielding Mera behind her.
The atmosphere instantly entered a stalemate, looking ready to erupt into violence at any moment.
Antiope awkwardly touched her nose. Wrong, all wrong. She didn't want a fight; she just wanted to stop them from leaving. Fortunately, Sether was there. As one of the few intellectuals among the Amazons, she knew how to handle this situation.
Sether stepped forward a few paces, signaled everyone to lower their weapons, and then approached Mera, communicating in the Atlantean language.
After a brief exchange, Sether returned and whispered,
"Princess Mera agrees to go to the capital, on the condition that we help them find their people who were lost in the storm."
Antiope let out a long sigh of relief. When it came to fighting, she could take on a thousand, but she was terrible at diplomacy. If Sether hadn't been present, this conversation likely would have devolved into a bloody conflict.
"Tell them that I will send troops to search immediately. We request that they proceed to the capital now. Her Majesty the Queen is waiting."
Sether translated the message. Mera hesitated for a moment, and after receiving a subtle nod from Luke Shaw, she agreed to proceed to the capital.
With the agreement reached, the Amazons mounted their horses. Then, in a spontaneous action, they all looked back. From the previous conversation, they knew the arrogant Atlantean Princess had refused to ride a warhorse.
The capital was over ten kilometers away. How will she get there without riding?
The crowd thought maliciously, delighted at the prospect of seeing the Princess made a fool of.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!