I gazed into the distance.
On the mountainside ahead, a towering structure stood between heaven and earth. At its peak, a magic stone of an unknown attribute emitted a soft glow, illuminating the area around the mage tower for over a hundred meters.
Even from seven or eight miles away, its brightness was clearly visible in the twilight.
"Is that the mage tower?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
The Saint's Carriage sped along the road. Although the path was a yellow mud track full of potholes and ruts, the carriage, infused with various magic, remained perfectly steady.
Pulled by eight white horses, the carriage felt as if it were gliding over a flat surface, completely free of vibrations.
Only after experiencing such a ride did I understand why most people in this era did not prioritize road construction.
It was simply not in their self-interest.
Any carriage used by the nobility was naturally modified with various functions, and shock absorption was a top priority.
Consequently, no matter how rugged the road was, the nobles sitting inside would not feel the slightest bump.
Therefore, road construction offered no profit to the nobility.
Simply put, building roads was an investment that required massive capital, offered slow returns, and was exceptionally exhausting to manage.
There were countless ways to make money that were far more efficient than road construction, so they felt no need to waste their energy and gold on such matters.
It was clear that few possessed true foresight.
And those who had foresight and the power to act on it were even rarer.
"I see."
I lowered the curtain. Although the carriage was traveling at high speed, the interior felt as steady as if it were on level ground. Once the curtain was closed, even the noise from outside was completely blocked.
This level of soundproofing was a hundred times better than any modern car.
"Nara, get ready. What did Lola instruct you to do before we left?"
"Lola had me bring so many things. There are plenty of rare materials and other items; they filled an entire carriage."
Nara’s personality was somewhat scatterbrained. Although she wasn't particularly reliable for serious tasks, having her around for a chat was a good way to pass the time.
I couldn't help but give Lola a mental thumbs-up for her preparations.
It really was a case of "the secretary handles the business when there is some, and when there isn't..." Cough!
Most of those materials were stored in the Temple vaults. Preparing them in less than half an hour would have been nearly impossible for anyone else.
This meant that the moment I mentioned wanting to see Ligeia, Lola had already begun making preparations.
She really is an efficient secretary.
With her figure, her looks, and that cold, reliable demeanor she usually maintained, she possessed a refined, intellectual beauty that sparked a strong desire to conquer her.
Unfortunately... I no longer have the equipment for such deeds.
I wondered which lucky bastard my personal secretary would end up with in the future.
As these idle thoughts drifted through my mind, the moon gradually began to peak over the eastern horizon.
As the sky grew dark, the Saint's Carriage finally arrived at the foot of the mage tower.
Despite the long journey, I didn't feel like I had been traveling at all, and there was no sense of fatigue.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
Hilda's voice came from outside. Without a word, I stood up and stepped out of the carriage.
The moment I pulled back the curtain, the mage tower came into full view.
The structure was at least fifty meters tall. A massive magic stone was embedded in the spire, and the entire body of the tower was covered in various inscriptions. Every line carried a sense of profound mystery, with faint glimmers of light flowing through them.
Four sub-towers surrounded a central main tower, and at the very top of the main tower, four smaller towers floated in the air.
On the inner side of each small tower, a stone path connected it back to the main tower.
If Newton saw this, he would probably be clawing his way out of his grave.
The entire tower was constructed from massive stone blocks. The weight of such a colossal structure would normally be too much for the ground to bear.
Yet, this mage tower stood firmly in place.
The ground around it was paved with massive stone slabs, which featured a giant magic circle emitting a faint light.
It seemed... the entire weight of the tower was being offset by this magic circle.
"Hilda, go and knock on the door."
I floated down from the carriage and looked up at the tower.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Hilda responded, dismounting her horse. She made a move to knock, but before she could take two steps, a rasping sound of stone grinding against stone echoed from ahead.
Hum—
The massive door directly in front of me opened with ease.
At the same time, the voice of a mature woman drifted out from within.
"The Saintess honors us with her presence. Please forgive my lack of a proper welcome."
As she spoke, a tall female figure appeared inside the doorway.
Upon seeing the owner of the voice, I subconsciously squinted my eyes to get a better look.
She wore black stockings and blue high heels. Beneath her blue mage robes, she hid a shapely and impressive figure.
A pointed blue mage hat sat atop her head, covering much of her long blue hair.
With willow-leaf eyebrows, fox-like eyes, a high bridge to her nose, a delicate chin, and thin red lips, she was a top-tier beauty by any standard.
What drew the most attention was the monocle she wore over one eye, held by a single temple and a nose bridge, with a long silver chain dangling from it.
A faint, composed smile played on her lips.
"I hope Mage Ligeia does not mind my unannounced visit."
"Of course not. What scholar would refuse such excellent research material?"
"That is good then..."
Wait... did something sound wrong?
Why did she make me sound like a frog in a medical lab?
Good grief!
She isn't planning to dissect me, is she?
A sense of crisis made my scalp tingle. Thinking of a dissected frog, I subconsciously took a step back.
"Well..."
Before I could say anything, Ligeia suddenly broke into a bright smile.
"Heh. Your Highness need not be afraid. I was merely joking."
A joke?
You talk about dissecting me as a joke!
If you were serious, would you turn me into a dried specimen and hang me on the wall!?
I suddenly felt that coming to see a powerful mage so abruptly might have been a mistake.
"It seems Your Highness understands. You should know that being as reckless as you are can easily lead to trouble. If it were any other mage with different intentions today, even with your large escort, you might not have fared well."
Ligeia's face still held that gentle, refined smile. It seemed her words were merely a warning.
"I..."
Ligeia's hospitality left me momentarily flustered, but she didn't seem to care.
"My humble abode is modest, but if Your Highness does not mind, please come inside for a chat."
With that, she turned and headed inside on her own.
She left nothing but her back for our group of over two thousand people to stare at.
"Your Highness... I suggest we head back today. I get the feeling this Ligeia... doesn't exactly welcome us."
Suddenly, Nara's voice reached my ears, trembling slightly.
Clearly, when faced with an immensely powerful existence, any weaker being would feel an instinctive fear.
Even the usually scatterbrained Nara had lost her nerve in this moment.
"How can we do that? I came here today specifically to recruit her."
Before I could even take a step, Hilda joined in with her own warning.
"Your Highness, I believe Sister Nara is right. You are a Queen and the Saintess. No matter how blunt the other party is, she should not make such jokes!!"
Hearing this, I looked at Hilda and saw a flicker of anger on her face.
It made sense. As a knight, it was natural to be angry when her master was treated so lightly.
However, I was here to play the role of the humble sovereign seeking talent, so if she wanted to be the hot-headed guard, I would let her.
"Hilda, if I cannot tolerate even a few words, how can I hope to be the ruler of the Kingdom of the Moon?"
"Your Highness..."
Hilda was stunned and didn't know what to say, but she suddenly had a new realization about the person standing before her.
So noble!
Her Highness was simply too noble!
Among the Eight Nations of the Holy Church, the Pope and the Seven Saintesses were beings at the very peak of humanity. Such individuals were expected to be incredibly arrogant.
Yet, her own Saintess was so humble.
Such a noble temperament was likely unique to her in the entire world!
"But Your Highness, the way she slighted you..."
"Enough. Hilda, you stay here and wait. Nara, follow me inside."
"Your Highness, are you not taking anyone else?"
Nara's face turned pale with shock.
She had no confidence in her ability to protect her mistress. Although she was willing to sacrifice herself, being inside a mage tower with a powerful mage was like talking to a crocodile while inside its mouth. Life and death would be determined in an instant.
"There is no need. If she had any ill intent, she would have had countless opportunities from the moment I stepped out of the carriage."
The attack range of a mage tower is generally twenty times its height. This meant a fifty-meter tower could cover a range of a thousand meters.
With this tower as the center, everything within a ten-kilometer radius was within its reach.
If Ligeia truly intended to harm me, she could have struck the moment I lost the protection of the Saint's Carriage.
She could have attacked then, and she would have hardly missed!
According to the books, a mage tower is like an extension of the mage's own limbs, controlled as easily as their own body.
Any entity that entered the range of a mage tower without permission would be treated as an enemy and driven out.
They had been granted permission from the very beginning.
Otherwise, a battle would have broken out before they even got this far.
Of course, with five hundred knights and Hilda leading them, Ligeia and her tower would be no match for them if it came to a fight.
Once the knights charged, even such a magnificent tower would be crushed by the heavy cavalry regiment in an instant.
But before that could happen, the heavy cavalry would suffer losses. At the very least, a hundred lives would be lost.
"Wait outside. It is enough for Nara and me to go in."
With that, I began walking forward. Ignoring the attempts of Hilda and Cain to stop me, I stepped directly into the mage tower.
"Your Highness! Your Highness, this is... this is too reckless!"
Nara stomped her foot in frustration as she watched her mistress's back.
"Sigh... I thought I was lucky not to be scared to death by you before, but it seems I'm destined to die of a heart attack because of you sooner or later!"
Muttering to herself, Nara hurried to catch up, leaving Cain and Hilda standing solemnly before the gates.
If anything happened inside, they would not hesitate to charge in and grind the mage tower to dust!
"Welcome to... my mage tower."
The moment I stepped inside, Ligeia's voice echoed in my ears.
Following the sound, I looked up and saw Ligeia waiting by the side of the entrance. She hadn't actually left.
"You are too kind, Mage Ligeia."
"As a host, it is only natural to be polite to guests. Your Highness, please follow me."
Ligeia walked toward a stone platform ahead.
This was her home turf. Even if I had powerful abilities, I couldn't possibly oppose her here.
Moreover, the purpose of today's visit wasn't confrontation.
I followed Ligeia onto the stone platform.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from behind.
"Your Highness, wait for me!"
I turned around to see Nara running toward us in a panic, her nun's cap slightly disheveled.
"Nara, look at the state of you. We are guests here; such a lack of decorum is improper."
Being unkempt in someone else's home was the height of rudeness.
"I apologize. My discipline has been lacking."
"It is no matter. I quite like such a straightforward and simple personality. Please, step up."
As Ligeia spoke, Nara reached the platform, gripping the railing as she panted for breath.
Ligeia smiled. It was an elegant smile that left a deep impression.
"You two, please stand firm."
"Eh?"
Nara paused and looked up at Ligeia with confusion in her eyes.
"What do you mean, stand firm?"
As soon as the words left Nara's mouth, the stone platform beneath our feet began to vibrate slightly. She gripped the railing in terror as she watched the ground below shrink and recede!
"Your-Your-Your-Your Highness... we-we-we-we are flying!"
Ignoring Nara's panic, I looked down.
Indeed, the stone platform was flying, moving straight up. I could only feel a slight vibration and a bit of downward pressure.
It felt much like riding an elevator.
Except... this wasn't a damn elevator!
There weren't any safety measures to prevent a fall!
The entire platform was floating in mid-air. If it fell, we would be in serious trouble!
Steeling my nerves, I glanced back at Ligeia.
"Do not be afraid. This is my mage tower. Even if an accident occurs, I will have enough time to catch you."
Ugh...
So you'll wait for an accident to happen first?
I felt a bit helpless.
But there was no point in complaining now that we were already here.
I would follow the host's lead and see what Ligeia had planned.
Rate on N.U.
