Chapter 843: Chapter 842: Another Group of Guests

Pea is a very lively little girl.

Moreover, she has mastered a skill that allows her to drink water and eat while chatting nonstop — this skill should be credited to her peculiar ancient magical device called "Neural Thorn."

The banquet continued, but Asharena wasn’t much interested in the "diplomatic progress" over at Sir Golosh’s side. Thanks to the good eloquence and charm she honed during her travels, she quickly became friends with this little girl named "Pea." They hid in an inconspicuous corner, tasting the specialty cuisine of the Cecil Clan, while Pea — her mouth full, kept talking without a pause.

"... My dad is usually very busy, last winter he finally got a long holiday, but he spent half his time roaming around outside, either drinking with people or going to watch games. I told him many times, but he doesn’t listen. Do you know about the games? His Majesty invented them, I’m not interested, but boys really love them... Mom? I was adopted by my dad and have long forgotten what my biological mother looks like...

"Now? No, dad has never been married, but he always says he had many close female friends when he was young... I suspect he’s boasting because I haven’t met a single one... Ah? You think he’s not? Why?"

Pea said with great enthusiasm but suddenly showed a hint of doubt: "Oh right, sister, why are you so interested in my dad’s affairs?"

Asharena finally found a chance to speak and smiled: "I know your father, little girl."

Pea’s mouth was stuffed with cake, her eyes wide open, and strange rumbling sounds came from the speaking device.

"I met him twenty years ago, back when he was a mercenary leader," Asharena said with a smile, increasingly finding this little girl named Pea interesting and even her nearly choking expression amusing, "Little girl, your dad wasn’t boasting— at least when he was young, there were always many women around him."

Pea was trying hard to swallow the food in her mouth, while a skeptical voice came from the speaking device: "... Really?"

"Of course it’s true," Asharena handed Pea a glass of water, "You can ask him in person later."

Pea blinked, her expression both surprised and odd, finally organizing meaningful words after a long time: "... Then I shouldn’t call you sister, but auntie."

Asharena’s movement of handing over the glass instantly froze.

At that moment, she was finally one hundred percent sure, this little girl named Pea was indeed raised by Byron.

...

Sir Golosh had a friendly conversation with Emperor Gawain Cecil, but it wasn’t very deep.

As it was their first meeting at the banquet, it wasn’t an occasion for in-depth discussions about state affairs. Moreover, two people from entirely different social environments and even races would need some time to gradually adapt to each other’s rhythm at their first meeting. They chatted casually about each other’s countries’ customs and exchanged visions for peace, after which Gawain temporarily departed, leaving time for Sir Golosh — and his advisors and entourage.

A few minutes later, Sir Golosh finally found the Dragonbranded Witch wandering in the hall and walked quickly towards her: "Lady Asharena, I’ve been looking for you just now, where did you... Lady Asharena? You seem like you’re not feeling well?"

Hearing Sir Golosh’s voice, Asharena finally awakened from her slightly dazed state, promptly shook her head, then tapped her temple with a finger, almost muttering: "I’m fine, I’m fine... Ah, Sir Golosh, what did you talk about with His Majesty Gawain?"

"Just some pleasantries and introductions about one’s own country," Golosh said casually, "His Majesty Gawain is a straightforward and learned person, talking with him is pleasant... Lady Asharena, you’re really okay? Your face looks like you’ve eaten a whole big bowl of spoiled pickled peas..."

"... Sir Golosh."

Sir Golosh was startled by Asharena’s gloomy expression: "What happened?"

"Your jokes from three centuries ago aren’t funny at all!!"

"?"

...

Gawain left the banquet hall of the Autumn Palace, with only a few attendants accompanying him, he arrived at the small courtyard behind the Autumn Palace.

A Magic-guided Vehicle had been waiting here for some time.

Gawain went directly to the car, while the nearby air suddenly shook and twisted, Amber’s figure gradually emerged from it and lightly jumped to Gawain’s side.

"I thought you’d stay with those guests from the Sacred Dragon Kingdom," Amber said while opening the car door, raising an eyebrow at Gawain, "They’re the mysterious ’Dragonborn.’"

"Dragons are more mysterious than them, and I’ve dealt with them plenty," Gawain said as he bent over to sit in the car, glancing at Amber getting into the vehicle behind him, "Aunt Heidi and Rebecca will host the latter half of the banquet. With two direct royal family members present, it’s already enough to uphold etiquette — as for me, I ought to do things more meaningful than reciting diplomatic phrases at a banquet."

"I completely agree with your last statement — let’s set off," Amber said with a raised eyebrow and a smile, giving a nod to the technician driving in front, then turned back to look at Gawain, "Another group of ’guests’ is already waiting at the northern banks Development Zone, they seem a bit uneasy but are quite orderly."

"... Uneasy?" Gawain furrowed his brow, "I haven’t imprisoned them."

"Yes, not only haven’t you detained them, but you’ve also sent priests and nuns to take care of them," Amber rolled her eyes, "you might as well have sent the army over."

Gawain couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his eye.

"There’s no other way," he sighed, "they are experts in the field of the mind. Although they have already expressed submission, I dare not let regular personnel interact with them before the observation test is completely over. Compared to ordinary soldiers, the White Knights and Armed Nuns, who have firm minds, have undergone specialized willpower training, and are shielded by high-intensity Holy Light, have extremely high mental resistance. Letting them guard the site is the most secure method I can think of."

Amber nodded helplessly: "Alright, that makes sense."

In the northern banks Development Zone, within an assembly hall not yet open to the public, Yuri and a large number of Eternal Sleepers Priests who had changed their attire were resting in the lobby.

Among them were priests who traveled on the last train across the border, as well as cult members who crossed in two batches before—the latter stayed in the White Sand Dunes region for two days until Yuri led the last batch to join them, and all arrived today on the Magic Train to Cecil Castle.

The assembly hall was equipped with a newly installed ventilation system, and the facility management provided ample drinking water and food. For a group of "evil cult followers" visiting a foreign land for the first time whose identities couldn’t be revealed yet, the treatment was considered decent. However, Yuri’s fellows still felt somewhat uneasy.

Because a group of fully armed Holy Light Warriors were guarding all the exits of the assembly hall, and their "image" was truly intimidating.

Half of them were giants nearly two meters tall —this astonishing height was perhaps partly due to their equally astonishing silver-white armor. These fully armed individuals wielded massive warhammers and had metal-made Prayer Books chained to their waists. They called themselves Holy Light Clerics of Cecil, and in Yuri’s opinion, the only connection between them and "priests" was that you could see a lot of holy magic symbols on them—those symbols were either stamped on their helmets with steel or hung on their armor with fire lacquer and scripture straps. Rather than being holy symbols, they seemed more like "glory battle scars" left on their armor after knights killed enemies.

The other half—thank heavens, at least appeared slightly more approachable—were females.

It would have been better if these ladies weren’t holding potentially lethal spears (or possibly magic wands or long-handled warhammers? Or other brain-bashing tools?), and weren’t equipped with cold, mechanical gauntlets.

Archbishop Semyr, who arrived at the White Sand Dunes a day earlier but reached the assembly hall with everyone on the same day, sat on a bench in the lobby and couldn’t help but softly say to Yuri beside him: "I kind of miss the ’miners’ dorm’ at the White Sand Dunes... At least the mining company’s armed security there seemed friendlier."

"...I don’t understand why His Majesty the Emperor arranged for these Holy Light clerics to watch over us," Yuri spoke with growing concern, lowering his voice, "Could it be true, as rumored, that He has completely taken control of and transformed the Holy Light within Cecil, turning them into His ’loyal armed force’?"

"It seems so. He certainly wouldn’t be aligned with the ’God of Holy Light,’" Semyr said solemnly, "Moreover, I think..."

Heavy footsteps suddenly came from the side, causing Semyr’s unfinished words to come to an abrupt halt. A fully armed White Knight, standing two meters tall, walked into the midst of the Eternal Sleepers and stood in front of the bench, a muffled deep voice emanating from beneath his rune-etched helmet: "You all look unwell. Do you require the soothing touch or the tranquility prayer of the Holy Light?"

As he spoke, this towering warrior lifted the warhammer in his hand, a weapon of astonishing weight, and placed it horizontally on his hands, beginning to turn a switch on the handle.

Semyr’s face changed instantly: "No, we don’t need it!"

He strongly suspected that what the other party referred to as the "soothing touch of Holy Light" involved an aggressive swinging motion.

In fact, as an archbishop-level Eternal Sleepers Priest, his powerful abilities might not necessarily be inferior to these self-proclaimed "clerics" of the White Knights, but the style of these iron giants was indeed peculiar. Their surging Holy Light Power was also genuinely strong, and more importantly, this was under the "Wanderers from Outer Realm" view, and every single "guard" here was sent by the Wanderers from Outer Realm. All these factors combined caused both Semyr and Yuri to become understandably nervous.

"Understood," the massive White Knight replied in his booming voice, not insisting, "if there is any need, feel free to speak up."

The iron tower finally left.

Yuri and Semyr both let out a sigh of relief, then exchanged a helpless smile. Yuri whispered softly, "This place... is weirder than I initially imagined."

Wendy, who had been silent all this time, suddenly broke the silence: "Actually, I think it’s alright; I mean the Armed Nuns—you all don’t think their gear has a certain aesthetic, do you?"

Yuri looked at Wendy with a strange expression: "Lady Wendy... are you serious?"

Fortunately, this bizarre topic and the strange atmosphere of the assembly hall were finally broken in the next second.

"His Majesty Gawain Cecil has arrived—"

The Chamberlain’s loud announcement at that moment was like celestial music, invigorating both Yuri and Semyr simultaneously.

The Eternal Sleepers in the hall all looked up, gazing towards the entrance. They saw the door opening, and the White Knights and Armed Nuns standing guard at the door respectfully stepped aside, forming a neat welcoming line. A figure even more massive than the White Knights appeared there, facing the sunlight, walking into the hall as if descending from above.

The Wanderer from Outer Realm.

Real, alive, and breathing.

The Eternal Sleepers Priests present were simultaneously filled with a strange feeling, as if a mythical being from another world suddenly stood before them, yet appeared in a mortal and harmless manner. These priests, accustomed to weaving dreams and having recently undergone significant turmoil, suddenly found themselves in a daze until Gawain’s voice suddenly resounded, pulling them back to reality—

"Welcome to Cecil, future citizens of the Empire—I hope most of you will smoothly attain this status someday."