Chapter 93 – As You Wish

The name “Royal Knights” is illustrious and majestic, evoking images of strong, towering steeds and the cold, stern gaze of knights. Their signature is the heavy black armor they wear, and their reliance is the long, sharp tips of their lances.

The knight order is entirely composed of elite warriors, all of whom have undergone rigorous selection and training, equipped with the finest armor and weapons—some say they are equivalent to an entire army.

The Minister of Military Affairs and the Imperial Defense Department have no authority to mobilize this force, and neither does Tidis—even though the ancestors of this family were their first Knight Commander.

The Royal Knight Order has another name: the “Rose Knights.” As the name suggests, they serve only the Imperial Family. Or, to be more precise, they serve the Emperor.

Although the visitors were not exactly friendly, Lin Wei felt slightly more at ease—it seemed that Bolan had gained partial control of the Royal Knight Order.

In order not to appear weak, the Imperial Family would certainly send their strongest force to welcome the visitors from the Magic World. At the same time, given the delicate situation in the Imperial Capital, this could also be seen as Prince Bolan’s “welcome” to Prince Gregory.

The black-armored knights parted to make way, and Bolan stepped forward, performing an impeccable greeting ceremony. He seemed to have recovered somewhat, his demeanor even more elegant and refined.

“I welcome you on behalf of the Imperial Family, friends from afar,” his voice was amiable.

The Imperial Family, adhering to their usual customs, would not immediately get down to business. For the sake of elegance and propriety, they often engaged in a series of formalities that left the mages utterly bewildered before getting to the point.

Lin Wei, deeply familiar with the habits of the Flaming Rose family over the years, did his best to streamline the process, ultimately reducing it to a banquet tonight in the Imperial Palace, attended only by the Imperial Family, top nobles, core ministers, and a few family members.

Moreover, the Young Duke, citing his “acquaintance with friends from the Magic World,” arranged for the mages to stay at the Tidis family’s residence in the East District.

The old Emperor had issued many orders but had yet to make an appearance, indicating that his illness was indeed a cause for concern.

Lin Wei was invited by Prince Bolan to his study for a lengthy private conversation before the banquet, causing him to return just as the banquet was about to begin.

“Lin Wei, what exactly are we supposed to do?” Haitie couldn’t comprehend the concept of a “banquet.”

Lin Wei explained to them—the core idea was to dine quietly and patiently wait until the end. The rest would be handled by him.

“We don’t have to do anything?” Daniel asked.

“You could say that,” Lin Wei replied. “This event is hosted by Bolan, who is on the side of the Tidis family, so the atmosphere should be friendly. The Empire sees me as an intermediary… so it’s mainly up to me to deal with them. Duan Yu might participate a bit, given his status as an Archmage, representing the entire Magic World.”

“And there’s a dance…” Lin Wei remembered this and frowned slightly, looking at Haitie. “Let me teach you a few simple dance steps first.”

Lin Wei’s purpose for this trip was not just to accept the Imperial Family’s gratitude on behalf of the Magic World. More importantly, it was about Adrishig’s request—this man had the intention of unleashing another Elemental Storm across the continent, and a certain secret weapon of the Empire could withstand the storm.

In his past life, as the Duke of Tidis, Lin Wei had known that the Imperial Family possessed three Forbidden Scrolls, but he had no knowledge of this “secret weapon.” It seemed this was a closely guarded secret of the Imperial Family.

The Founding Emperor, Yucarius I, indeed had a close relationship with the Magic World, even being a former friend of Adrishig. The Imperial lineage had remained relatively stable over the past millennium, so the current Emperor should know something about it.

Thus, the Magic World also had a request to make… To show goodwill, the mages changed into Empire-style formal attire.

The gleaming armor of the guard knights was tainted by the perfumes of the noble ladies, the fragrance wafting from the hall adorned with flowers and gold, passing through the dome and the vine-covered archways, disappearing into the carriages drawn by eight white-feathered steeds—the banquet was grand and exquisite, but unfortunately, the only things that caught the mages’ attention were the elaborate decorations and the delicious food. The lengthy thank-you speech left Haitie’s head spinning.

The mages dined quietly, leaving the ministers and nobles, who had varying attitudes toward the Magic World, with nothing to say. Prince Bolan, hosting the banquet, and Prince Gregory, who had just returned, sat very close but barely spoke. The politicians below, who had initially supported Gregory but switched to Bolan during his disappearance, were even more silent—this was probably the most coldly conducted banquet in Imperial history, Lin Wei thought ruefully.

The atmosphere finally eased a bit when the melodious dance music began. According to etiquette, the first dance should be led by the highest-ranking member of the Imperial Family present. The two princes were of equal status, but Gregory was slightly older, and given the theme of the banquet, the dance partner he should choose…

Lin Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, watching the scene that, while expected, was not exactly something he was looking forward to.

“My dear Lady Haitie,” Gregory’s thin lips curled into a faint smile. “I wonder if I might have the honor of dancing with you.”

“I…” Haitie’s voice was very soft. “I only know a little…”

“That’s alright,” Gregory now seemed every bit the courteous gentleman. “This is a very simple piece.”

Haitie glanced at Lin Wei, and seeing that he didn’t explicitly forbid it, a faint blush tinted her cheeks. She gently offered her hand and was led into the dance floor.

A few other couples followed suit and glided into the dance floor.

“The Carrier Pigeon,” Bolan, standing beside Lin Wei, suddenly murmured the name of the dance piece. “A romantic love story between a prince and a girl from an enemy country.”

He seemed to imply something. “My brother rarely interacts with women.”

Yes, Lin Wei thought. The Crown Prince seldom attended banquets, and even when he did—even when it was his turn to lead the dance—Bolan usually took his place.

“Just this once,” Lin Wei said slowly. “They won’t have any further interaction.”

Bolan smiled slightly. The two clinked glasses, and then fell silent, as if nothing had happened.

As the night deepened, the banquet finally came to an end.

The palace maids extinguished the fragrant candles, the white smoke rising before their eyes. The musicians’ melody ended with the final note.

Daniel glanced warily at Gregory, then at Lin Wei.

Lin Wei nodded at him.

The alchemist was the first to leave with Haitie, passing through the corridors and the paths of the rose garden, entering the Tidis family’s carriage, heading back first to avoid any “stroll” or “escort” invitations from the now-host Prince.

Lin Wei still had to handle some polite or probing conversations. Fortunately, the mage was by his side, so few dared to approach him.

However, Lady Lavis, now a Princess Consort, asked questions like “How have you been there?” Though her demeanor remained as cold as ever, it still conveyed a rare concern.

“That’s why I still don’t like the Imperial Capital,” Lin Wei said to Duan Yu as they walked along the path, the crowd completely dispersed. He absentmindedly kicked a small pebble on the road.

“Did you attend often before?”

“Some were unavoidable,” Lin Wei replied.

They slowed their pace, and Lin Wei quietly extended his soul tendrils, attempting to form the contract again.

They had tried several times before on the Magic Wheel, and now they could complete the initial synchronization more smoothly, slightly alleviating the pain in Lin Wei’s soul.

The strength of his soul had already undergone some changes, whether due to practice or the assimilative influence of the Life Contract.

Only after the contract had progressed further did Lin Wei stop. He closed his eyes and rested for a while, clearly feeling the intimate connection between their souls.

For a summoner, this was an incredibly strange sensation. They were accustomed to drifting alone in the boundless Sea of Souls, where communication and touch were fleeting, never having been so intimately connected with another soul for so long—like a small boat on a dark sea finding a lighthouse, a drop of water falling into a tranquil autumn pond.

“This contract is detestable,” he suddenly said.

“Hmm?” The mage was puzzled.

Lin Wei didn’t answer.

“What’s wrong?” The mage’s voice held a trace of concern, rare for him.

“Nothing, it’s fine,” Lin Wei sighed, stopping and turning to look at Duan Yu.

“But, maybe because of it,” Lin Wei’s voice was soft. “I don’t want to leave you for even a moment.”

The sound of carriage wheels faded into the distance, and the night grew quiet. The Milky Way stretched across the sky, and a slightly cool breeze swept through the palace and gardens, carrying the distant song of nightingales and the fragrance of nearby roses.

The mage looked at him, seeing in the moonlight that those deep violet eyes seemed to have a layer of soft mist over them.

He wasn’t good at reading people, but in this moment, he sensed a hint of loneliness.

Through those eyes, he saw many similar scenes and similar people.

The purple crystal cufflinks on the black suit inadvertently brushed against the delicate cup, making a faint, crisp sound. He sipped the wine, or whatever was in the cup, waiting to be invited to dance, but rarely invited others.

The banquet and dance ended late at night. He walked out of the corridor, politely discussing the weather and the moon that night, then parted ways and walked alone along the paths of the rose garden. The carriage lowered its silver step adorned with intricate patterns, its destination another garden and castle.

He had been doing things that weren’t exactly liked or disliked, alone.

He was still so young, the mage thought. But his eyes told me he had lived like this for many years, and he was used to it. Only now did he know what it was like to have someone by his side.

“Then don’t leave,” the mage said.

Lin Wei laughed.

He took Duan Yu’s hand and kissed it. “Dear Mage, may I have this dance?”

Duan Yu recalled what he had heard during the banquet and replied, “The honor is mine.”

Lin Wei was dissatisfied with this learned response. “Not that one, it’s too humble. Pretentious nobles use that.”

The mage thought for a moment, then spoke.

“As you wish.”

As he said this, he took Lin Wei’s hand in his.

Lin Wei smiled contentedly, narrowing his eyes.

The fragrance of the roses grew fainter, no longer overpowering. That hint of sweetness became clearer as it was no longer overshadowed by other scents. As they reached the end of the garden path, the carriage bearing the Tidis family crest waited ahead.

“Get in,” Lin Wei plucked a rose and handed it to the mage. “Let’s go home.”