Chapter 16 – The Captain of the Guard and the Magic Potion

The Imperial Capital was unparalleled in its splendor, opulence, and grandeur across the entire continent.

The wide moat encircled towering structures, and the straight, spacious streets were traversed by luxurious carriages. Inside these carriages sat either immensely wealthy merchants, lords from various parts of the Empire, or noble ladies and young women of exquisite beauty and dignified grace, gently fanning themselves with feathered fans, their figures either slender or voluptuous.

Flowers bloomed along the streets, and at the intersections of two long avenues, fountains and pools were often built, with statues of goddesses carved from smooth white stone standing in the water. The clothing of the pedestrians was rarely of rough or cheap quality, and the air seemed to perpetually carry the melodies of celebratory songs and ballroom dances. Even in the busiest trading districts, this delightful atmosphere remained undiminished.

Here, all poverty either found its way out in the midst of this prosperous and abundant world or was buried deep in the shadows cast by the towering buildings, rarely showing itself.

And matching the wealth of the Imperial Capital was its formidable military strength and tight city defenses.

Patrolling soldiers wore brand-new, gleaming silver armor, their powerful steeds and the tall white plumes on their helmets exuding an air of majesty. Near the Imperial Palace, one might even catch a glimpse of the Royal Knights clad in black armor, passing by in perfect formation, indifferent to the fervent adoration of young maidens leaning out of windows, the rhythmic clatter of their hooves echoing through the streets.

The Imperial Capital was like a massive beast with glossy fur and taut muscles, firmly entrenched at the heart of the vast Empire, its heartbeat strong and its breath steady.

However, although poverty had long since disappeared here, the social hierarchy in the Imperial Capital was more rigid and distinct than in any other city or town.

Indeed, the common folk lived without want, the wealthy merchants were immensely rich, and the ministers held great power. Yet, above all in the Imperial Capital, aside from the Imperial Family, were the few hereditary grand nobles with both wealth and influence.

In terms of wealth, they controlled extensive trade routes and ran countless businesses. Even if the current head of the family lacked intelligence, vision, or capable advisors, the annual tribute from their lands alone could sustain the entire family in a lavish lifestyle.

In terms of power, the hereditary grand nobles all had long histories, their influence deeply entrenched. Beyond their intricate connections with the Imperial Family and other nobles—just the familiar surnames of the core ministers and generals spoke volumes about the resources they commanded.

Of course, in addition to these, a good education, elegant demeanor, strict etiquette, and innate pride were also essential.

If someone new to the Imperial Capital were to ask which of these grand nobles stood at the pinnacle, the answer would be unanimous—the Tidis Duke and his family, who resided in the eastern part of the Imperial Capital!

The emblems of the nobility were often small, intricate totems of flowers or animals with special meanings, such as the lily of the valley for the Ferdinand family or the nightingale for the Lavis family. Only the Tidis family’s emblem was unique—a longsword wreathed in flames, a symbol of supreme honor, representing the Tidis family’s ancestors who followed the founding Emperor to expand the Empire’s territory.

The descendants of the Tidis family continued on this path, earning the title of hereditary dukes through generations of meritorious service. Each head of the family not only commanded significant military forces but also controlled crucial arms and mineral trade. The family’s genealogy was intertwined with the Imperial Family through marital ties, and their fiefdom was located in the fertile Langdas Plain. All these factors made this ancient family the undisputed premier family of the Imperial Capital.

However, at the moment, the eldest son of this premier family—Lin Wei Tidis—was in a bit of a predicament.

When the carriage passed through the broad and imposing city gate, it was customary for the owner to prove their identity before being allowed into the city.

At the gate stood two rows of heavily armored soldiers in silver, inspecting the carriages and pedestrians passing through.

Lin Wei, who considered himself well-versed in the various rules of the Imperial Capital, thought nothing of it when he saw more soldiers than usual at the gate, assuming that the old Emperor had simply increased the number of guards.

So, as he approached the gate, he followed the usual protocol, lifting the corner of the carriage curtain and extending his left hand, which held the family emblem, out the window.

Normally, a grand carriage, its exquisite body and curtains, the unmistakable Tidis family emblem—and the well-maintained hand of a noble—would immediately prompt the guards to let the carriage through without question, perhaps even accompanied by a synchronized salute.

Unexpectedly, the captain of the guard said, “Your Lordship, please state your identity.”

Such a request, directed at a noble, was almost an insult!

However, Lin Wei had spent most of his previous life in the military, and in this life, he had entered a magic academy where noble titles were worthless. Thus, he didn’t particularly care about the so-called “dignity of the nobility” and replied, “Lin Wei Tidis, son of the Tidis Duke.”

“Young Master Tidis,” the captain’s voice became more respectful. “The situation in the Imperial Capital is special at the moment. We need to verify the identities of everyone entering or leaving the city. Please allow us to inspect your carriage to confirm the identities of the other passengers.”

“This is against protocol,” Lin Wei asked. “Do you have orders for this?”

“Yes, Young Master Tidis,” the captain replied. “We have a warrant personally signed by His Majesty the Emperor.”

What was happening in the Imperial Capital? Were the guards really taking this seriously?

Lin Wei glanced at the mages inside the carriage, unsure of what to do.

He spoke quickly, whispering, “Can you disappear?”

“…Huh?” Haitie was confused.

Fortunately, Daniel was quick-witted. Having asked Lin Wei many questions along the way, he knew that the continent, especially the Imperial Family, was not particularly friendly toward mages, and their inability to explain their identities could cause trouble.

“There’s a way,” Daniel said, producing a green potion from his hand. He opened the bottle, and an indescribably foul smell wafted out.

How bad was it? It was so overpowering that one instinctively wanted to close their eyes, fearing that the fragile eyes might be damaged by the stench!

At that moment, Lin Wei had no time to mock the potion’s strange smell. Daniel said, “This is an invisibility potion made by my teacher.”

With that, he swiftly dripped a few drops onto everyone except Lin Wei, and in an instant, the three of them miraculously disappeared.

Before vanishing completely, Daniel gave Lin Wei a triumphant gesture.

Lin Wei breathed a sigh of relief.

From the moment he asked until the three of them disappeared, only a short time had passed. By then, the guards had already verified the travel credentials of the coachman who had driven their carriage all the way from Siren Bay Port and said to Lin Wei, “Please open the carriage door.”

Lin Wei pushed the carriage door open from the inside.

Immediately, a strong, indescribable, strange, and foul odor assaulted the captain’s straight and prominent nose, causing him to sneeze violently!

Lin Wei stared expressionlessly at the captain. “There’s only me here.”

The carriage was spacious and comfortable, and at a glance, there was no place to hide anyone.

The captain, visibly uncomfortable, barely endured the smell and dutifully carried out his duty of guarding the city. “Is there something unusual in your carriage?”

“Some specialties from the sea,” Lin Wei replied, his tone seemingly irritated. “I don’t think I need to show you that, do I?”

“N-No, of course not,” the captain said sincerely. “Please forgive our intrusion. You may enter the city now.”

With that, the captain quickly returned to his post, as if fleeing from something dreadful.

Lin Wei closed the carriage door, and the carriage began to move again.

Through gritted teeth, he said, “Daniel, why does it smell so bad!”

“It’s not my fault!” Daniel’s voice echoed from the empty carriage. “My teacher firmly believes that only by adding powdered dragon dung can the invisibility potion achieve its best effect! You won’t find precious dragon dung anywhere except our academy!”

Lin Wei was at a loss for words—he could only blame Old Ansel’s two dragons for this.

It seemed that the excuse he had casually come up with wasn’t entirely wrong—this was indeed a “specialty from the sea.”

He had every reason to believe that as soon as the shift change occurred, the captain would rush home to tell his wife and children that the son of the Tidis family had returned to the Imperial Capital without any servants or guards—and in a stinking carriage!

Gossip about the nobility spread the fastest, and it wouldn’t be long before this incident became widely known, perhaps even embellished by the idle noblewomen!

Young Duke Lin Wei had returned to the Imperial Capital after a year’s absence, and instead of making a grand entrance, he had made a colossal fool of himself right at the city gates.

He asked Daniel weakly, “When will you be visible again?”

“Well… I can’t be sure. The potion with dragon dung can’t be countered by any other potion,” Daniel said lazily, seemingly quite proud of his teacher’s effective potion. “Normally, the potion would wear off after a while, but the enhancement from the dragon dung is so good that it might take a bit longer.”

“Stop mentioning that damned dragon dung!” Lin Wei leaned back against the soft carriage seat, only to feel something like a body beside him.

Right, the invisibility potion could make people invisible, but it couldn’t make them vanish entirely.

And the person sitting next to him was Duan Yu?

Curious, Lin Wei reached out to where Duan Yu was sitting. The experience of seeing nothing but feeling something tangible was indeed strange.

Lin Wei’s hand touched soft, smooth, straight hair, and a little higher, it seemed to be the ear.

Duan Yu’s body stiffened for a moment when Lin Wei’s hand reached his ear—Lin Wei then felt his wrist being grasped and firmly returned to its proper place.

Only then did Lin Wei realize that his impulsive action had been a bit odd, and he awkwardly chuckled to cover it up. “You guys are too scary like this… I feel uneasy not being able to touch you.”

Duan Yu didn’t respond, but upon hearing this, the hand that had been about to release Lin Wei’s wrist paused.

Though invisible, the sensation on his wrist was very real.

Lin Wei suddenly felt his cheeks grow warm.