Mission 104 (
Summary[]
At the National Library, Damian studies his history in the hopes of maintaining his top rank and the Stella that come with it. He is joined by Ewen and Emile, who would rather be outside playing and having an adventure instead of the library.
The boys go on an expedition
When the librarian tells the boys of the rise in treasure-hunting that took place after the recent war, Damian is not as interested as his friends. However, he quickly changes his mind when he is shown an article about an Eden Academy student who found a historic item on an archaeological expedition and was rewarded a Stella. Spurred on by the Stella, Damian, Ewen, and Emile set off on an expedition to historic ruins, where they are joined by their respective family butlers.
Jeeves defuses the snake
While the boys are enthusiastic about finding treasure in an ancient capital, their preparedness is not on the same level. They use a book as a guide, but it ends up being useless, so they end up running around the forest in the hopes of eventually finding something. While the other butlers have their doubts, Jeeves, Damian's butler, decides that they should play along until the boys are satisfied. As such, the group ventures further into the forest. When a snake suddenly appears, Jeeves quickly defends Damian from it. The boy quickly confesses that he never wanted to go out here, frightened by the snakes and bugs. Despite his fear, Damian refuses to go home without a Stella to not sully the Desmond name, and Jeeves watches his young master as he says this.
Damian imagines himself as an ancient king
Jeeves decides to call for a meal break, where the butlers cook a delicious meal for the boys. After eating, the boys plan out their next move to find treasure, and Damian argues with his friends about staying overnight until they find something. Frustrated with his lack of progress, Damian decides to put himself in the shoes of an ancient king to open up a path to getting a Stella Star. Imagining himself as a "King of Antiquity," Damian leads the group to where he thinks the capital is.
The boys see a Geschocran
Damian is quickly jolted from his spell when a tarantula drops onto his shoulder, causing him to thrash wildly to get it off and run away in a panic. Damian cries that he wants to go home and that he does not want a Stella anymore, all the while Jeeves runs after him, looking after the boy and advising him to be strong. After Damian trips, he and his friends look up to see a giant flower and are amazed by it. Jeeves reveals that this is one of the world's largest flowers, a "Geschocran," also known as a "Witch's Crib." While it is not a Stella-worthy discovery, the boys take a picture to show at school.
Jeeves teases Damian, much to the helicopter pilot's dismay
Having finally made a discovery, the group leaves the forest and to their respective private helicopters, but not before the boys bid goodbye to each other. On the ride back home, Damian is asked what he wants for dinner, and the exhausted boy requests to go to a restaurant when they return to Berlint. Jeeves informs Damian that none of his family members are home. Damian says that he never said anything about not wanting to go, but Jeeves says that he seems to always be finding reasons not to. Damian tells him to stop and says he is not trying to avoid them. Jeeves then proceeds to suggest interacting with Melinda and Demetrius, and the mention of his mother prompts Damian to ask if Jeeves has been informing her about Anya. Jeeves teases Damian about his dance with Anya at the end-of-term party and how he agonized over what to wear for it, causing Damian lots of embarrassment as he shakes inside the helicopter, much to the helicopter pilot's dismay.
Characters[]
Trivia[]
- On page 4 of the English edition, Ewen says that the season is autumn. However, in non-English editions of the chapter, the season is winter.
- Damian's butler, Jeeves, makes a physical appearance for the first time.
References[]