The Milan Duchy is a small coastal kingdom on the western side of the continent, known for its abundance of radiant pearls and various exotic corals. These magical seafood items are not only favored by nobles from other countries to enhance their status but are also highly sought after by alchemists.
However, there are not many professionals in the Milan Duchy, and even if one can only produce a spark, they can gain the admiration and respect of local nobles.
This country resembles a medieval city-state infused with a touch of magic, more so than the larger nations of An Zhu and Cape, with a particularly normal aesthetic.
The Milan Duchy is adjacent to the Sea of Mist. Unlike the Sea of Instability on the eastern side of the continent, the waters near the Sea of Mist are clear and blue, with the salty sea breeze carrying a humid scent wafting over the cobblestone streets, and the port is crowded with various sailboats.
These sailboats are not meant for long voyages but operate along the continental shelf, so they are relatively small, primarily engaged in simple cargo transport.
The fleet from the Kingdom of Kaval, located in the Sea of Instability on the eastern side of the continent, has begun to land, but everything in the Milan Duchy appears tranquil and serene, as two witches from the Witch’s Guild enjoy the sea breeze, discussing magic and the state of the continent.
Many people, upon seeing the two witches wearing pointed hats, begin to carefully detour around them.
After all, these are professionals, and they belong to a well-organized and powerful collective. Even if they are only second or third tier, in a small country like the Milan Duchy, they command enough respect to instill fear in ordinary people.
Not to mention that the two are members of the Witch’s Guild; even the nobles of this country would not dare to easily provoke members of the Witch’s Guild. After all, in a nation where they cannot even establish a basic educational institution and must send their offspring to larger countries for education, any ordinary professional group must be respected.
If a well-known organization had its sights set on the offspring of these nobles, it would even present an opportunity, a fortuitous turn of events for them.
“The president has managed to obtain information regarding Supremacy Magic. Want to take a look?”
One witch, wearing a shorter hat, pulled out a mysterious scroll from her sleeve and spread it out on the viewing platform where they could see the ocean.
“Don’t start, I wouldn’t understand it anyway.”
The witch in the tall hat lost interest after merely glancing at the Supremacy Magic scroll.
In addition to distributing information about Supremacy Magic to leaders of various nations, the Kingdom of Kaval is also providing data to professional organizations.
Now Supremacy Magic has become an open secret among professional organizations, but very few are capable of using or even understanding it.
After a moment of teasing each other, the two witches looked back and noticed that many attendants of nobles were waiting behind them, eager to invite the two witches to grace their ball with their presence.
The tradition of holding balls among the nobility on this continent is truly well-established.
Observing the attendants of these nobles, the two witches felt deeply satisfied. Even though in their own country, or even within their organization, they belong to a type that is neither high nor low, in such a border town, they are regarded as divine beings by the local nobility, with many hoping their offspring would be favored by the two witches, thus benefiting their families.
However, they still have tasks at hand, so the two witches declined the invitations and allowed the noble attendants to wait obediently behind them.
“I never expected that the Saintess of Lantern Dream would choose to sleep in a place like this.”
The low-hatted witch, while admiring the ocean view, grumbled about their mission: “I thought Lantern Dream would pick a place that looks rather eerie or solemn, like a cemetery?”
The tall-hatted witch reminded her, “Don’t talk nonsense. If Lantern Dream finds out we leaked the location of their Saintess, we would be in serious trouble.”
“It’s just a minor evil cult. In terms of depth, the Witch’s Guild is still…”
Before the low-hatted witch could finish her sentence, she noticed in the distance a conspicuously dressed Sister in a long robe, holding a lantern, staring at them.
The low-hatted witch suddenly felt parched and couldn’t even speak, as an invisible sense of pressure enveloped her entire body.
“What’s wrong?”
The tall-hatted witch looked at her friend with confusion, but to the low-hatted witch, the voice of her companion began to sound increasingly vague.
The low-hatted witch froze for a moment and climbed up from the ground with a muddy face. It felt as if the experience she just went through was a dream, but upon waking, she realized she had just been napping at the city gate of Milan, with dirt and grass still in her mouth.
Looking around, there was no beautiful ocean view anymore; the entire surrounding area of the Milan capital was shrouded in the fog of the Sea of Mist, while her tall-hatted companion was still sound asleep on the muddy grass, seemingly having a bad dream.
Not far away in the mist, a figure was holding a lantern, carrying a coffin, which contained the body of the Saintess of Lantern Dream.
The witch remembered that it was the magic fluctuation she felt at the city gate that triggered her curiosity, prompting her to use true sight to pierce the magical concealment surrounding the figure. Afterwards, a Sister holding the lantern glanced at her, causing her to fall into a deep sleep.
Recalling this, the low-hatted witch began to tremble, not daring to move upon seeing the strange sight not far away.
In Lind’s eyes, the Lantern Dream, which shuns the light, is no different from an ordinary evil cult, but for ordinary organizations and professionals, it presents an insurmountable barrier, making even a fleeting glance send shivers down the spine.
The low-hatted witch thoroughly understood the meaning of the adage “Curiosity killed the cat,” continuously cursing the president for assigning her such a task. Recently, the actions of Lantern Dream have been very active, which is why the president sent people to search for their stronghold to discuss certain matters, but she never imagined she would encounter the transfer of the Saintess’s body.
Not being killed right there in the dream was already showing mercy on the part of the other.
Despite having so many precious magical seafood in the entire Milan Duchy, with few professionals stationed, there has been virtually no war or invasion, all because the body of the Saintess of Lantern Dream is preserved here.
The Sister carrying the lantern glanced once more at the two witches of the Witch’s Guild in the mist but ultimately did not strike.
For the transfer of the Saintess’s body, the Divine Revelation of Lantern is genuinely at the forefront of this team. In the past, such impolite guests would have gotten killed for merely casting a glance at the Saintess’s coffin, but now, in order to return to the radiance, the Saintess in her dream had ordered not to kill unless absolutely necessary.
Although this rule was originally considered unnecessary by the Sister carrying the lantern, as Lantern Dream had already abandoned the possibility of becoming a legitimate church, after receiving news from her predecessor Sister Bernice, the Sisters and clergy of Lantern Dream have unconsciously started to abide by this rule again.
There are ranks among the Sisters carrying lanterns; although Bernice may appear somewhat neurotic in Lind’s eyes, she is an actual high-ranking Sister who can independently oversee the Divine Revelation of Lantern and can be regarded as a leader among all Sisters.
Looking at the Sister carrying the lantern of the Witch’s Guild, she didn’t even have the qualifications to approach the Saintess’s coffin, only responsible for following behind the coffin bearers and maintaining the concealment magic.
Once the coffin bearers had moved far away, the Witch’s Guild member finally woke her companion, but cold sweat continued to trickle down her forehead. It seemed the witch also realized that the one who had made a move was merely an ordinary Sister at the back of the team, while the real big shots leading the way hadn’t even glanced at her.
It seems that the rumors are true; the Goddess has indeed delivered a new Divine Revelation, and Lantern Dream has commenced the transfer of their ancient Saintess’s coffin. The bearers and the road-clearer professionals are even more exaggerated, as they are seemingly stuck at the extreme limits of the tower, able to easily traverse the continent.
Yet this team, moving at a rapid pace, arrived at the border checkpoint of the Northern Border of Cape but was stymied by customs inspection.
“I’m sorry, but you have too many prohibited items. We need to contact the Lord Governor for a decision.”
“…”
Faced with the Northern Border Sisters dressed in orthodox attire, the leading cardinal paused for a moment before nodding and saying, “That is natural; thank you for your hard work, Sisters.”
This Cardinal of Lantern Dream, who has terrified many magical organizations, looks as kind as an old priest coming for religious academic exchanges.
