Chapter 119: Only Little Amo can successfully enter the palace.

In the end, Most still took everyone with him to the residence of the Black Knight commander.

He was merely a weak young master from a wealthy family. He could hardly fight off so many people by himself.

Inside the carriage was an unscrupulous musician who could subdue him in a single move, a Mage Apprentice wielding a magic staff, a Great Swordsman praised by his father, and a mysterious child.

What else could he do?

He had no choice but to surrender.

The Hobner family’s carriage traveled inconspicuously through the bustling streets of the royal capital.

Diaran was home to more members of the Dalia Empire’s upper class than anywhere else. Nobles and wealthy merchants abounded, magnificent carriages filled the streets, and even the commoners walking along the roads looked more vibrant than those in other cities.

Shu Li leaned against the carriage window, eagerly taking in the scenery outside.

Nasha might be a princess, but Pedam was a small kingdom. Compared with the Dalia Empire, it was utterly insignificant.

She leaned against the window on the other side, envy showing in her violet eyes.

The queen of the Dalia Empire and her own mother were sisters. Both had married princes, yet their lives had turned out completely differently.

One had become the queen of a great empire, while the other was queen of a small kingdom.

The great empire flourished as one of the four empires of the continent, while the small kingdom was ravaged by war and stood on the brink of destruction.

Thinking of her father and mother, who were still resisting the foreign invaders, and her brother, whose fate remained unknown, Nasha involuntarily clenched her fists, hatred blazing in her eyes.

She had to persuade the queen of the Dalia Empire to send troops to relieve the Kingdom of Pedam.

If she failed...

For a moment, Nasha felt utterly lost.

She had never even considered the possibility of failure.

She had spent so long fleeing, and so many of those who had protected her had died. If she failed, how could she possibly face them?

Nasha bit her lip and turned to look at the curious Mage Apprentice sitting by the window opposite her.

After traveling together for so long, she had more or less figured out his personality.

He was optimistic, innocent, and cheerful, with the occasional touch of slyness. He was curious about everything, and his gaze was always remarkably clear when he looked at others. He neither flattered her because she was a princess nor ingratiated himself with Most because he was a wealthy young master. He possessed a purity reminiscent of nature itself, and spending time with him had a calming effect.

Nasha was certain that he was not a commoner.

No commoner possessed his unique bearing.

But neither did he seem like a noble or the child of a wealthy family.

Nobles and wealthy families could never have raised a child as innocent as him.

What kind of environment could have nurtured someone so extraordinary?

Senro sat perfectly upright, staring straight ahead, every muscle in his body tense.

They had clearly reached their destination without incident and were about to request an audience with the queen of the Dalia Empire, yet rather than feeling relieved, he was increasingly uneasy.

Swordsmen possessed a natural sensitivity to danger. They could detect the slightest disturbance at once and avoid danger before it struck.

That was precisely how he had survived until now and successfully escorted the princess here.

Diaran was not as peaceful as it appeared.

Senro raised his head and looked at the black-haired young man resting with his eyes closed.

He had assumed the man had come to the royal capital to find an outstanding magic instructor for his younger brother, but that apparently was not the case.

Senro had tested him repeatedly along the way, yet had failed to learn anything. Apart from knowing that they shared the same destination, he knew nothing at all.

He and the princess had been forced to ask Uncle Hobner for help in meeting the queen because his brother-in-law, Milton, was the Black Knight commander and had the authority to enter and leave the royal palace freely.

So why did Mr. Al also want to visit Milton?

Ilio suddenly opened his eyes and met Senro’s thoughtful gaze.

Senro froze slightly.

The corners of Ilio’s mouth lifted. “Is there something you would like to ask me, Sir Great Swordsman?”

“Oh, no.” Senro tried to deny it awkwardly, but he did not want his doubts to continue troubling him. He frowned, then asked solemnly, “Are you and Commander Milton old acquaintances, Mr. Al?”

“No,” Ilio replied. “We have never met.”

“Then why...” Senro trailed off.

“Perhaps we share the same objective,” Ilio said.

Senro jolted, astonishment crossing his face.

Most stretched and grumbled, “My uncle is extremely busy. He doesn’t meet just anyone.”

He was waiting to see them make fools of themselves.

Shu Li moved away from the window and sat beside Ilio again. Looking at Most’s sinister smile, he held out his hand. “Give my cards back.”

Most immediately covered his chest and cried nervously, “Not a chance!”

He had bargained endlessly and spent three hundred gold coins to buy that deck. How could he possibly return it?

With those cards, he would be able to show off in front of his friends and relatives for ages. Using the various games he had learned over the past few days, he could even open a gambling house. Heh, heh, heh. Then the money would come pouring in.

One look at Most’s greedy expression was enough for Shu Li to know what he was thinking.

Playing cards were easily associated with gambling.

Any game with winners and losers could be used for gambling.

Spending three hundred gold coins on the altered deck Shu Li had made was well worth it.

This obnoxious wealthy young master had some business sense.

The carriage entered a broad avenue, traveled another hundred meters, and stopped before a mansion.

They had arrived at the home of Commander Milton.

The moment Most saw the familiar gates, he jumped out of the carriage first. After straightening his wrinkled clothes, he swaggered forward.

Before the gatekeeper could question him, he pulled out a gleaming family crest and urged, “Hurry inside and tell my aunt that her beloved nephew, Most Hobner, has come all the way from Daoto to see her!”

The gatekeeper recognized the crest, but still regarded his claim with some doubt. Nevertheless, he went inside to report his arrival.

A few minutes later, a middle-aged man dressed like a butler emerged. When he saw Most, he warmly opened his arms for an embrace.

“Young Master Most, what brings you here? I haven’t seen you in years. You’ve grown so tall!”

“Haha! It’s been a long time, Uncle Bilien!”

Most returned the embrace.

After they separated, Bilien asked, “What brings you here so suddenly, Young Master Most?”

“I brought some friends to visit the royal capital and decided to call on Aunt and Uncle while I was here. By the way, Uncle Bilien, are they at home?”

Bilien sighed and patted him on the shoulder. “...This isn’t the place to talk. Please invite your friends inside first.”

Five minutes later, the group was seated in a reception room.

“What? The queen is ill?”

Most cried out in surprise.

“Oh, Young Master Most, keep your voice down.” Bilien nervously raised a finger to his lips.

Lowering his voice, Most asked, “Uncle Bilien, what exactly happened?”

Shu Li and the other three exchanged glances and simultaneously pricked up their ears.

Bilien looked uncomfortably at the four guests.

To be honest, he had his doubts about Young Master Most’s claim.

No matter how he looked at them, these four did not seem like Most’s guests.

A swordsman, a musician, a Mage Apprentice, and a child—it was a peculiar group. Not one of them was close to his young master’s age, and their clothes looked shabbier than the next.

Bilien began signaling frantically to Most with his eyes.

Young Master, blink if you’ve been robbed.

Most failed to understand his hint and asked impatiently, “Uncle Bilien, what are you doing? Is your eye cramping? Hurry up and tell me!”

His father had ordered him to deliver an important letter to his aunt, but now both his aunt and uncle were at the royal palace and had not returned home for three days.

Bilien sighed inwardly.

“Should I arrange accommodations for Young Master Most’s friends first?”

If hints were not enough, surely a direct suggestion would work.

Pretending to drink his tea, Shu Li’s eyes darted around as he studied the loyal butler.

Only then did Most remember his four guests. He looked hesitantly at Ilio.

“There’s no hurry,” Ilio said with a pleasant smile.

He and little Sperien had left the Faerie Forest specifically to meet the queen of the Dalia Empire. Now that they had learned she was ill, how could they simply leave?

After enduring countless hardships, Senro and Nasha had finally reached the last step and were about to meet the queen. They were even less willing to go.

Most had suffered too many defeats at Ilio’s hands. Merely seeing him smile had become traumatic, and he instinctively said, “Uncle Bilien, they’re all important friends of mine. You can arrange their accommodations later. Tell us about the queen first! How did she fall ill? What illness does she have? Has she seen a physician? Why have Aunt and Uncle remained in the palace for so long?”

Bilien truly had no idea what to do with his foolish young master.

How could he trust outsiders so casually?

Still, it did not matter. The queen’s illness was already an open secret.

“Six days ago, the queen and the little princess went to Mithril Lake. After returning to the palace, they both complained of chest pains. His Majesty immediately summoned the chief physician to treat them. After two days without improvement, the queen and the little princess fell unconscious. His Majesty grew desperate and summoned a witch doctor, who said that they had been cursed and would die if the curse was not lifted.” Bilien frowned. “The palace is in chaos now. As Black Knight commander, Lord Milton is responsible for the palace’s security. His Majesty summoned Lady Jenny and several other ladies to the palace to care for the eldest princess and the second prince.”

Most stared at him, dumbfounded.

They had merely gone on an outing, yet somehow ended up cursed.

Who would be bold enough to curse the queen and little princess of the Dalia Empire?

“Isn’t there anyone else in the palace who can look after the eldest princess and the second prince?” he asked.

“You know what the eldest princess and second prince are like,” Bilien replied helplessly. “They refuse to listen to anyone except the queen and your aunt.”

Most remembered how the two children, both five or six years younger than him, had tormented him when he last visited the royal capital several years ago. He could not help shuddering.

He might throw his weight around in Daoto, but in front of a princess and prince, he had no dignity whatsoever.

“Then... will Aunt and Uncle be able to come home today?” Most asked.

He was too insignificant to involve himself in palace affairs. As long as he delivered the letter to his aunt and introduced the Great Swordsman and the musician to his uncle, his mission would be complete.

He needed to return to Daoto as soon as possible, find some partners, and open a gambling house to make a fortune.

Bilien shook his head. “Until the queen and little princess awaken, I’m afraid neither Lord Milton nor Lady Jenny will be able to return.”

Most’s eyes widened. “How can they do that?”

“It is the king’s command,” Bilien said. “No one can disobey it.”

Most paced anxiously across the reception room. After walking back and forth three times, he stopped and said to Ilio, “See? It isn’t that I refuse to introduce you to my uncle. They’re both occupied at the palace.”

Ilio put down his teacup and asked, “Since they cannot return, could we enter the palace instead?”

Silence descended over the reception room.

As Shu Li listened to Most’s conversation with Bilien, his optimism gradually faded, replaced by worry that the curse afflicting him would never be lifted.

The queen and little princess were unconscious, the palace was under heavy guard, and the commander who was supposed to introduce them was not at home. The timing was so unfortunate that it had caught them entirely unprepared.

While Shu Li was still worrying, he heard Ilio’s question and stared at him in disbelief.

Wait. With no one to introduce them, how were they supposed to enter the palace?

Senro and Nasha both turned toward the black-haired young man.

They were equally distressed at being unable to ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) meet the queen, but they understood Mr. Al’s words even less. Once Most recovered his voice, he sprang to his feet and pointed at Ilio. “Mr. Al, do you think the palace is an inn? Even nobles can’t wander in whenever they please, much less a commoner like you!”

Ignoring Most, Ilio looked at Bilien. “If you take us into the palace, I can lift the curse afflicting the queen and little princess.”

“Wh... What kind of joke is that?” Most glared at the shamelessly boastful commoner musician.

Ilio’s grand claim stunned Shu Li.

If curses were that easy to lift, Shu Li would never have traveled such a great distance to find the queen of the Dalia Empire.

Senro, however, believed him. “Is that true, Mr. Al?”

He had long suspected that Mr. Al was concealing his true abilities. No ordinary person could casually produce a high-rank purification stone.

Nasha instinctively clasped her hands together and looked expectantly at Ilio.

As the butler of the Black Knight commander, Bilien had seen a great deal and was not so easily fooled.

“Mr.... Al, you must be careful what you say. You claim that you can lift the curse afflicting the queen and little princess. What proof do you have? Even Alec, the royal mage, is helpless against it. What could an ordinary person like you possibly do?”

Ilio took Shu Li’s hand, pulled him to his feet, and pushed him in front of Bilien.

Still holding his magic staff, Shu Li looked utterly bewildered. He tilted his head back and silently questioned Ilio with his eyes.

“He is my younger brother, a mage capable of using all seven elements.” Ilio stroked the Little Fairy’s head, signaling for him to remain calm.

Everyone else looked incredulous.

Bilien examined the badge pinned to Shu Li’s mage robe and frowned deeply. “Unless I am mistaken, he is a Mage Apprentice.”

Ilio nodded. “Yes. Little Amo only recently passed the Mage Apprentice examination.”

Bilien could not help raising his voice. “Mr. Al, perhaps I failed to explain myself clearly. Alec is an Archmage, while your brother is merely a Mage Apprentice. What can he possibly do?”

A Mage Apprentice before an Archmage was like a baby who had only just learned to walk.

Shu Li blinked innocently.

No, he was actually a Senior Mage. He could do a few things.

Ilio had apparently become addicted to deception. He even dared to deceive royalty now.

Most joined in the mockery. “Exactly. What can a Mage Apprentice do?”

They had shared a carriage for four or five days, and little Amo had never once used that cheap, low-rank magic staff of his.

Ilio opened his right hand. A sparkling magic badge appeared out of thin air in his palm. Under everyone’s astonished gaze, the nine-pointed star slowly floated into the air and erupted in dazzling, magnificent light.

The light nearly blinded everyone in the reception room.

“Then is a Saint Mage qualified to enter the palace?” Ilio asked, his gaze unfathomable.

Half an hour later, a carriage bearing the crest of the Lier family entered Koyavo Castle, where the royal palace was located.

Butler Bilien personally drove the carriage. They passed through all four castle gates without obstruction before stopping in a courtyard.

Four cloaked figures soon emerged from the carriage—two adults and two children, their faces concealed beneath their hoods.

Bilien negotiated with the guards first. After receiving permission, he led the four of them into the castle.

The group walked quietly through the corridors. Whenever Bilien encountered someone he knew, he greeted them with a broad smile. If anyone asked about the four people accompanying him, he laughed off the question.

After walking for roughly five minutes, they arrived at a room.

Unable to suppress his excitement, Bilien bowed respectfully to Ilio. “Lord Saint Mage, please wait here for a moment. I will find Lord Milton immediately.”

Because the commander spent so much time working in the palace, his family members were permitted to visit him there.

Bilien could never have imagined that the plainly dressed, remarkably young black-haired man was actually an exalted Saint Mage.

The queen and little princess remained under the curse, and none of the Archmages summoned by the king had been able to help them. That very day, the king had dispatched a squad of guards to the Central Court to seek assistance from the Magic Tower.

The finest mages on the entire Austin Continent gathered within the Magic Tower, yet even there, only a handful possessed Saint Mage badges—and they rarely left the Central Court.

The likelihood that the guards would successfully persuade one to come was slim.

Yet among the guests Young Master Most had brought with him was a Saint Mage who had kept his true identity hidden.

Most was not the only one left dumbfounded. Even Bilien, thirty years his senior, still found it difficult to believe.

Yet the sacred radiance emanating from that magic badge could not be faked.

Mr. Al truly was an unattainably exalted Saint Mage.

Bilien broke into a cold sweat on Most’s behalf. The young master had actually dared to disrespect a Saint Mage. Mr. Al simply had a good temper and had not taken offense. Any other Saint Mage might have sent Most to meet the gods already.

Even a Senior Mage commanded a king’s respect.

Bilien found a guard, slipped him several gold coins, and asked him to deliver a message to Lord Milton.

The guard accepted the money and happily hurried away.

More than ten minutes later, a weary, stubble-faced middle-aged man appeared in the room. When he saw Bilien, he said irritably, “This had better be urgent, Bilien.”

He had been on duty in the king’s council chamber when he received word that Bilien urgently needed to see him. He had seized a brief opportunity to hurry over.

“Lord Milton, I have brought you an important guest.” Brimming with excitement, Bilien made the introduction. “This is Mr. Al.”

Ilio lowered his hood, revealing his young, handsome face.

Milton frowned, seriously suspecting that Bilien had also been cursed. Why else would he introduce a completely irrelevant stranger?

“Lord Milton, Mr. Al is an exalted Saint Mage!” Bilien said.

“What?” Milton exclaimed in shock.

The radiant Saint Mage badge once again released its magnificent light.

Shu Li gazed at the badge hovering in midair, yearning written across his beautiful face.

Once he reached adulthood and formally began traveling the continent, he would obtain a Saint Mage badge of his own.

On their way to the palace, he had asked Ilio why he had displayed his magic badge. Had Ilio not specifically instructed him to keep as low a profile as possible to avoid causing a commotion?

Ilio had smiled and replied that when the situation demanded it, one had to make a grand entrance.

They were only one step from success. How could they give up now and waste all their previous efforts?

Shu Li had voiced another concern. What if they could not lift the curse afflicting the queen and little princess?

Ilio had replied casually, “We won’t know whether we can lift it until we see them.”

When Shu Li thought about it, that made sense.

If he hesitated over everything, he would never accomplish anything.

As the Black Knight commander, Milton dealt with mages frequently. The moment he saw the nine-pointed star badge, he knew it was a genuine top-rank badge.

He acted swiftly and immediately introduced the Saint Mage to the king.

Upon learning that a Saint Mage had personally come to the palace, the king was nearly delirious with joy. He paid no attention to the other three cloaked figures and pulled Ilio straight toward the queen’s chambers.

Shu Li surveyed the resplendent palace in a daze.

Had they really slipped inside so easily?

Senro and Nasha were equally astonished, but the sight of the unconscious queen lying on the bed filled them with worry.

“Mr. Al, please help my Helati and the little princess. They have been unconscious for four days.” The king of Dalia clasped the queen’s hand lovingly. His deep blue eyes were moist, and he looked at Ilio with an openly pleading expression.

For the sake of the woman he loved, the ruler of an entire empire revealed his vulnerability before the young Saint Mage.

Nasha’s nose stung involuntarily.

She thought of her own mother and father.

They loved each other just as deeply. Her father had urged her mother to flee and take the children back to the Kingdom of Snow for refuge. Her mother had refused. She would rather live and die alongside him while resisting the invaders than save herself alone.

She prayed that Aunt Helati would be safe.

Clutching the hem of Senro’s clothes, she raised her head and looked at Mr. Al.

It was unbelievable.

Mr. Al was actually a Saint Mage whose status rivaled that of a king.

Ilio calmly approached the bed and looked down at the queen of Dalia.

After a long moment, he suddenly beckoned to Shu Li. “Little Amo, come here.”

“Ah—okay.” Under everyone’s puzzled gaze, Shu Li walked to the bedside.

The two princesses of the Kingdom of Snow were said to possess beauty comparable to that of Elves, drawing unmarried kings and princes from across the continent to seek their hands in marriage.

In the end, the two princesses had chosen the princes of the Dalia Empire and the Kingdom of Pedam respectively, creating two celebrated unions.

After the princes inherited their thrones, the sisters became exalted queens.

Shu Li studied the unconscious woman lying on the bed.

She was indeed breathtakingly beautiful, with pale golden hair, snow-white skin, and exquisite features. Although she was over thirty, she still looked like a young woman in her early twenties.

Her beauty might represent the pinnacle among humans, but she still fell far short of an Elf.

The beauty of Elves was entirely natural and beyond compare.

Ilio bent a finger and lightly tapped Shu Li’s forehead. “Stop staring.”

Shu Li returned to his senses and rubbed his head sheepishly. “Oh.”

“Take out your magic staff and cast purification magic on the queen and little princess,” Ilio instructed.

“Huh?” Shu Li’s mouth fell open, his mind full of questions.

What did that mean? Weren’t they supposed to be cursed? Why was Ilio asking him to use purification magic?

The king and everyone else stared just as widely.

“Mr. Al, are you... not going to do it yourself?” Bilien could not help asking.

Little Amo was only a Mage Apprentice who had just passed his examination!

“Your Majesty! Forgive my late arrival.” An aged voice rang out as the guards opened the door and a white-haired, white-bearded mage entered.

He was Alec, the mage retained by the royal family.

A Senior Archmage only one step away from becoming a Saint Mage.

Upon learning that an uninvited Saint Mage had appeared at the palace, he had immediately abandoned his work and hurried to the queen’s chambers.

As he approached the door, he overheard the conversation within.

“Purification magic?” After entering, he fixed the unfamiliar black-haired young man with a stern glare. He clearly did not believe Ilio was a Saint Mage and said mockingly, “Purification magic can only cleanse dark power. The queen and little princess are under a curse.”

Ilio remained completely unperturbed by his hostility. “The queen and little princess have not been cursed. Darkness has corroded them. Ordinary purification magic cannot cleanse dark power that has penetrated so deeply into their bodies.”

“Of all the light mages on the Austin Continent, little Amo is the only one capable of purifying it,” he added.

Alec sneered. “I am a mage of the Central Court, yet I have never heard your name. If you do not wish to be punished, you would be wise to tell the truth, reveal your identity, and apologize to His Majesty. Do not delay the treatment of the queen and little princess.”

The king frowned. “Alec... I have seen this Saint Mage’s badge myself.”

Milton agreed. “Yes. Mr. Al’s magic badge is a top-rank badge.”

“Your Majesty, a mage possessing a top-rank badge is not necessarily a Saint Mage,” Alec said. “He may have found it, stolen it, or forged it.”

Ilio caught the fleeting jealousy and apprehension on Alec’s face and smiled. “Instead of trying to drive me away, why not allow my Mage Apprentice to try? Since I dared to stand here, I am not afraid of punishment.”

Without waiting for Alec to respond, he said to Shu Li, “Little Amo, use your purification magic to dispel the dark power inside the queen and little princess.”

“You got it!” Shu Li no longer bothered asking questions. If Ilio was certain that his purification magic would work, then it would work.

The youngest Elven warrior in the Elven Kingdom had not earned his reputation for nothing.

Shu Li handed his cheap divine-tree-brand magic staff to Ilio, touched the storage ring hanging from his neck, and instantly withdrew his high-rank magic staff. Its shaft was made from a branch of an amethyst tree, and a ninth-rank sunstone was embedded at its tip.

Under everyone’s astonished gaze, he raised the staff, aimed it at the two unconscious figures on the bed, and silently recited the purification spell.

[Great Light God Laient Freis, I am Sperien of the Faerie Forest. I beseech you to command the light elements to gather around me and grant me the power of light to cleanse corruption, dispel darkness, and oppose evil—

In an instant, countless light elements surged toward him, and the sunstone at the tip of his magic staff erupted in brilliant radiance.