Chapter 2265: Amusing Carriage Conversations

Chapter 2265: Chapter 2265: Amusing Carriage Conversations

It’s still raining outside, but there’s a canopy over the train platform. Yet even so, when the train steadily stopped at the platform, the dense steam mist emerging from the bottom of the carriages still carried a chilliness not present on ordinary days.

Earl Belindel, Earl Edington, and Earl Hawthorn walked at the front to greet the arrivals, with a red carpet already laid out at the carriage door. As the carriage door opened with the sound of metal friction and transmission rods moving, the guards who came out first quickly laid a metal plank across the gap between the carriage and the platform as a footrest.

The band started to play music, the royal maids came out, opened their umbrellas, and stood at the side of the carriage to shield against the rainwater falling from above the door.

Amidst enthusiastic applause from the crowd and journalists quickly pressing their camera buttons, Her Highness Margaret Anjou stepped out of the carriage, wearing a golden gown with a brown coat over it. Her golden hair was elegantly coiled at the back of her head, her expression was cool and her attire extremely regal and splendid.

Smoke from burning magnesium strips mixed with the steam mist, creating a hazy scene with moving hats and waving arms that rendered the chaotic background even more peculiar.

The photo captured the delicate beauty of Princess Margaret standing outside the carriage door, yet most noticed that when facing the three earls, she first extended her hand towards Countess Belindel.

This might be courtesy, but it also might make one think of multiple layers of political implications.

"Welcome to Moon Bay City, Your Highness."

The Great Witch of Destiny lightly greeted Margaret as she held her silk-gloved hand, and the princess responded tactfully in Casenli language, tinged with a Velindale accent. Their gazes met, and the apprentice of the Witch of the Earth nodded slightly in respect to this formal Grand Witch.

However, Miss Belindel was not focused on this because the lazy voice of Miss Benanis, yet to show herself in the carriage, had already surfaced in her mind:

"Bella, train travel is really boring, we’re not meeting you at the train station. After you send Margaret to the manor later, we’ll meet up with you."

This marked Margaret’s first day at the location, and today wouldn’t see any formal welcome banquet; she wouldn’t even stay for dinner with local nobles. Her itinerary was arranged from the start, indeed she was on a mission here.

Moon Bay City hadn’t hosted a member of the royal family for four or five years, but the reception process was quite proper. Of course, the key was that while the nobles of the City of Wealth might verbally defy the Velindale Anjou Royal Family, they aspired to demonstrate their affluence, which counted as boasting, and a somewhat pathetic desire for recognition.

In short, after the welcome ceremony at the train station, Margaret delivered a brief speech before boarding a carriage to head to Margaret’s Manor where she would stay.

Though the manor was royal property, it was actually Margaret’s private estate. Purchased in her grandfather’s generation, it was renamed from "Flower Manor" to her name in commemoration of Margaret’s birth, effectively making it her birth gift.

Due to the delicate relationship between Moon Bay City and the Royal Capital, Margaret had never been here before today. The manor remained idle for years, lacking any unique historical or commemorative value, and thus was occasionally rented out for large-scale banquets or grand weddings.

Hence, it was well-maintained, and Margaret’s Manor located in the west of the city was roughly only fifteen minutes of carriage journey from Belindel Estate.

Having traveled a long distance, the princess’s entourage needed to rest this afternoon, so only her spokesperson and accompanying officials were arranged for interviews; Princess Margaret herself would not appear in public.

Alongside her was the Maid Squad (witch followers in disguise), negating the need for the local Seven Great Families to make additional arrangements. Following a brief exchange at Margaret’s Manor, the nobles took their leave. On the upcoming Monday, Margaret would meet with several important figures here with the grand welcome banquet scheduled for Tuesday evening.

Once everyone left the receiving room, Margaret exhaled deeply, leaning against the soft sofa back and closing her eyes for a moment of silence. Afterwards, a maid gently knocked on the door, prompting her to stand up and, escorted only by her personal maid, exit through the manor’s back door.

The convoy was waiting there, and Margaret entered the carriage at the center by herself, greeting the three ladies inside the carriage one by one:

"Teacher Benanis, Teacher Sylvia, Miss Belindel."

The three grand witches seated in the carriage nodded individually, and after Margaret settled in, Miss Belindel gazed through the carriage window towards Margaret’s Manor under the gloomy sky:

"Is Margaret leaving with us now? Surely she has things to deal with here."

"Ciris transformed into her likeness using the most genuine memory illusions, temporarily covering for her; there won’t be any issues."

Miss Benanis remarked as the carriage gently set into motion, departing through the side door of the manor’s backyard.

The blonde opera actress looked interestedly out the carriage window at the streetscape of Moon Bay, while the young black-haired witch humorously inquired of the local countess:

"Around ten-thirty in the morning, what was happening in Moon Bay?"

"You have already found out?"

Miss Belindel expressed surprise, and Miss Benanis turned her head with a smile:

"We were already in the Moon Bay Region, not far from Moon Bay City. Sylvia’s perception wasn’t very clear, but I felt a very strong elemental fluctuation. What happened in the morning? People in the city seem to be living normally, not like they’ve just gone through a major event."

Through the window, pedestrians walked with umbrellas on the rainy Sunday afternoon, proactively avoiding the motorcade. Even in rainy weather, the flourishing citizen economy was visible in the street scenes, truly distinguishing this place from other cities.

"This matter is quite complicated, roughly..."

The Countess thought for a moment, facing three pairs of curious eyes, and briefly summarized the key points:

"That man’s friend got entangled with the Ancient Evil Spirit Demon of Misfortune - Fanarius. He was dealing with this issue at Belindel Big Bell this morning, and ended up attracting an Angel-Level Relic. And somehow, his friend, shrouded in the demon curse, drew the Sword of Light left by the Ancient God: Radiant Dragon, and together they defeated and expelled that ancient evil spirit."

"Ancient Evil Spirit Demon?"

"Angel-Level Relic?"

"Sword of Light?"

The three of them had different questions, and Miss Belindel knew this matter was hard to explain. Although the process wasn’t complicated, too many unexpected events occurred:

"When we arrive at the estate, you can ask him yourself; he’s still there taking care of his friend. Oh, speaking of which, Galina’s Maid Squad also arrived this morning. Not sure what Galina was thinking, but she actually sent her newly First Ring grand-niece. That’s the advantage of Cavendish’s numerous descendants; I’ve heard they even have a female ring sorcerer now?

Ah, see, the numbers increase, and even the number of awakened ones grows."

But Miss Benanis and Miss Sylvia were not concerned with this:

"You mentioned the Sword of Light in the Council. Does that mean the Chosen One of Light has appeared? Did we arrive late?"

The Countess quickly shook her head:

"Of course not, drawing the sword is just part of the ritual requirements, and the hardest part. She only completed the sword-drawing; none of the other ritual requirements were fulfilled... That’s what he told me, and he also said that the lady is a pureblood high elf, how could she become the Chosen One of Light and Dragon?"

Miss Benanis and Miss Sylvia exchanged confused glances, increasingly puzzled. They weren’t aware of Emilia’s matters, nor did they understand why another pureblood high elf had appeared around Shard.

Margaret then quietly asked:

"So, is he okay?"

The carriage suddenly quieted down, with the three witches observing one another without immediately responding. They had tacitly avoided mentioning Shard himself, planning to let Shard explain everything once they reached the estate.

From Miss Belindel’s perspective, Shard seemed to have an unusual relationship with the two colleagues before her. Meanwhile, Miss Benanis and Miss Sylvia believed Shard had already "eliminated" possible threats.

Yet it was clear Margaret didn’t immediately grasp this implication, but she understood once her words were spoken. Realizing she misspoke, Her Highness the Princess fell silent, and the carriage remained quiet until Miss Sylvia posed a question that puzzled the Countess:

"You said you left him to Galina’s apprentice?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

The motorcade soon returned to the Belindel Estate in the rain, with the witches avoiding further discussion about Shard. Miss Benanis only inquired about the city’s church activities, though due to Iluna’s presence, the church couldn’t investigate here; at least they had mostly resolved the issues beneath Belindel Big Bell.

Like a doctor, when the Sword of Light accompanied by golden lightning and Dragon Roar appeared, the "Body in the Wall" was also impacted, and its condition was more severe than the doctor’s.

"Welcome to my home, Vanessa; your last visit here was seven years ago. Sylvia, the last time you came here, you were still a witch apprentice."

In the hallway of the manor, the blonde Countess warmly welcomed the two witches, then turned to Margaret:

"Your Highness, today you are just a witch apprentice here, so I won’t offer much welcome."

"Certainly."

Her Highness the Princess nodded, then followed Miss Benanis without further comment.