scepter

"I haven't had time to congratulate you, Bishop Hill!" Dantonio winked at him, not concealing his embarrassment.

"If it's possible, I'd be happy for us to switch places," Yannick spread his hands, "Don't you realize that I seem to be ten years older."

Dantonio laughed loudly: "Not at all, Yannick, you are still as beautiful as ever!"

The strangeness that had not been seen for a long time disappeared in the laughter, and Yannick even felt that D'Antonio had completely recovered to the cheerful and open-minded young man before Lily disappeared.

"Honestly speaking, I should thank you in the meeting place in the morning." The two sat down separately, and soon, under Yannick's order, someone brought good Blanca tea and snacks. "If you hadn't been the first to come out and applaud, maybe I'd have been standing there awkwardly."

Dantonio smiled and said, "Have you forgotten Sir Simon? I'm just a little mage, and I'm nothing. What's more, you are my friend, and he is the one who really helped you."

Both of them saw Aphra, but both avoided talking about it tacitly.

Yannick: "You seem to have encountered a lot of things during this period, would you like to share them with me?"

Dantonio said: "Of course, but it's really nothing. I just traveled to several countries and entered the dark forest again. That adventure raised my magic level a little bit, that's all."

Yannick was a little surprised: "You went to the dark forest? What did you encounter?"

Dantonio: "Don't be nervous, buddy. I'm just with the caravan and escorted them through the edge of the dark forest. There are other magicians with me. We encountered a low-level monster and some wild beasts."

The monsters encountered in the dark forest and the palace of the monsters have still left Yannick with lingering fears. He once speculated with Chris that there might be the real crack between the two planes. In this case, whether it is Whoever broke into the dark forest again would have very dangerous consequences. He was slightly relieved when he heard that D'Antonio hadn't really entered the forest.

"Okay, Yannick, are you still worried about me going to look for Lily? Don't worry, I won't go. I've already figured it out. Maybe Lily has really encountered misfortune. Although I can't forget her, I I won't do some stupid things again, and I believe that if Lily is still alive, she won't want to see me like this."

He showed a sad expression, but it was much better than the trance look before. "Perhaps I should tell you some good news. Your Excellency Simon said that he originally wanted to accept me as a student, but he is an earth element and I am a water element. I am afraid there is no way for me to experience the essence of water magic, so he wrote a letter of recommendation Letter, let me go to His Excellency Greima, and hope that His Excellency Greima will accept me as a student."

Yannick raised his eyebrows: "Great, this is really good news, Dantonio, I'm so happy for you!"

Dantonio scratched his head embarrassingly: "Actually, this also has something to do with you. Your Excellency Simon said that he appreciated my courage to stand up for my friends regardless of status and position, and believed that character is more important than talent."

Yannick asked, "Where is Lord Gremma?"

Dantonio said: "Your Excellency's whereabouts are uncertain. I heard that he is now in the Principality of Ceylon. I plan to look for him first."

Yannick said: "Good luck, dear Dantonio, I have a letter here, and I just need your help." He picked up the letter he had just written, "Please help me forward this letter to Master Mude Fan, my speech at the conference in the morning is enough to attract attention, if I go to him again, it will be very inappropriate."

Dantonio nodded in understanding, took the letter and put it in the magic bag: "Don't worry, I will pass it on for you. It's getting late, maybe I should go."

Yannick sent him to the door, and suddenly said: "Danttonio, you have to be careful with Lily..."

"What?" Dantonio didn't understand.

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

Yannick: "Who?"

"It's me, Lord Hill." Alexander's voice.

"Come in." Yannick said.

Alexander turned the doorknob and walked in, not surprised that a mage appeared in the bishop's room, "Your Excellency Hill, an invitation letter has been sent from the palace."

Dantonio interrupted at the right time: "Then, Yannick, I'll go first."

Yannick: "Wait, I still have something to tell you!"

Dantonio said, "Are you telling me to be careful about Lily just now? Why?"

This matter is very complicated to say, Yannick said: "Are you free tomorrow?"

D'Antonio: "I might be leaving tomorrow."

Yannick: "Then I'll write a note for you later."

Dantonio: "Okay, I'm staying at the Binlan Hotel, Room [-]."

After Dantonio left, Yannick raised his eyebrows: "Whose invitation is it?"

Alexander: "I heard that it's Princess Althea's 16th birthday party, and I would like to invite you to attend."

Yannick rubbed his forehead, he didn't forget that the little princess seemed to be interested in him. "I don't want to go, please help me to refuse."

Alexander wondered: "The invitation letter is sent in the name of His Majesty Alfonso VIII, don't you think about it?"

If it was the invitation sent by the little princess herself, he would definitely not go, but if it was her strong father, he would have to save face, Yannick sighed, "I see, you put down the invitation letter first, I will write a letter now A note, please give it to Baker for me, and let him take Room [-] of the Binlan Hotel to Master Dantonio."

Alexander: "Yes, sir."

Yannick leaned down and wrote the note, using the leaves of the Heiner tree. It would be too extravagant for this kind of note to be wrapped in parchment.

Alexander respectfully took the folded leaves and left his bishop's room.

He opened the leaf and it read: Dantonio, Lily has become a monster now, you have to be careful.

In the dark corridor, Alexander sneered, rubbed his index finger and thumb together, and a fire burst out, quickly turning the leaves into ashes.

Then he walked forward quickly, as if nothing had happened.

The leaves that were dyed ashes fluttered to the ground, and disappeared without a trace when the wind blew.

Princess Orthea's birthday banquet was even more grand than the banquet welcoming Yannick and his party, which fully reflected Alfonso VIII's love for his daughter. He even spent a lot of money to have finely divided gold leaf and Silver foil, under the light of thousands of crystal lamps, the entire banquet hall is like thousands of stars falling on the world, the brilliance and magnificence to the extreme, making the nobles who are used to luxury dazzled and intoxicated.

Of course, Yannick and Chris were also invited, the former as the newly valued guest of the Emperor of the Empire, and the latter as the possible fiancée of Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Alfonso VIII asked Chris and Princess Orthea to dance the first dance. Although both parties were a little stiff in their smiles and lost their minds, they finally completed the task with bumps and bumps. The two even put their heads together while dancing. Talking about something together, jealously intimate, the nobles who thought at first that Princess Orthea would not like Prince Felton not only had to re-evaluate the possibility of this political marriage.

Yannick stood far away in the corner, chatting with Bishop Hutcherson while thinking about the movements of the Holy See.As he said to Avery and the others before, the Holy See did not show any response to his speech and tendencies at the magic seminar. Even when Yannick's speech spread quickly, he did not I believe that the Holy See has not received any news.

Don't guess what the Pope is thinking.

Bishop Hutcherson looked at the silver-haired bishop standing in front of him, feeling a little complicated.

As early as the day after Yannick's speech, he had already received the news.

To be honest, he admires this young man very much. At least he agrees with most of the views he said. Although he does not rule out the other party's purpose of showing off, it takes a lot of effort to be able to say those words under the pressure of the Holy See. Big courage.

Priests and mages can no longer confront each other, they need to cooperate with each other.

No one could say this kind of thing except the Pope, but it happened to be said by a bishop.

Hutcherson doesn't know how the Holy See will react, but the only thing that is certain is that His Majesty the Pope, who is as powerful as Alfonso VIII, will definitely not be happy.

Since he didn't have a deep friendship with Yannick, Bishop Hutcherson couldn't think of anything to express his views carefully, so he could only comfort him vaguely: "Your speech is very creative, maybe His Majesty the Pope will like it."

Yannick chuckled: "Bishop Hutcherson, you are not suitable for comforting others, because your expression has already betrayed yourself."

Bishop Hutcherson touched his face with a wry smile, "Is it so obvious, no wonder I can't get promoted."

Yanick said sincerely: "No, there are very few people like you in the Holy See. In fact, they just need people like you."

Hutcherson laughed and raised his glass: "I wanted to comfort you, but now you are comforting me. Cheers to our mutual comfort!"

Yannick also smiled and raised his glass.

On the other side of the dance floor, the nobles danced lightly. Princess Althea had finished dancing with Prince Felton. Accompanied by her maid, she returned to her upstairs lounge, complaining to her closest maid: "It's annoying, why doesn't father let me choose my first dance, I don't want to dance with Prince Felton at all!"

The maid covered her mouth and smiled: "You are so beautiful, many people hope to dance with you for the first time. Maybe it is the sincerity of His Excellency the Prince that has moved His Majesty?"

Princess Althea pouted: "Okay, Mu Lin, don't say nice things, I don't like Prince Felton, now, and in the future! And I didn't see it in his eyes. Any love, do you understand, is the kind of fiery, or tender light! Oh, you help me get that pink dress, I want to change, I hope His Excellency Hill has not left!"

The maid obeyed swiftly, and there were only the two of them in the lounge. Orthea never liked being surrounded by too many people, and always gave herself more freedom within the scope allowed by the system.

"What is that blazing light you speak of, love?" the maid asked curiously as she helped her put on her clothes.

"Yes, as the bards sang, he came from the clouds, with a handsome face like a god, and his eyes looked at you softly and fieryly, like the surface of a lake blown by a breeze... oh, Do you understand, it's that kind of feeling, it's hard to describe!" Princess Althea shrugged.

"Do you like His Excellency Hill, but I heard that priests are not allowed to marry! His Majesty will definitely not allow you to marry His Excellency Hill!" the maid said.

"That's the problem," Princess Althea said a little depressed, "I think I fell in love with him at first sight, but he doesn't have my reflection in his eyes, but I think if I try hard to pursue him, he should be killed." I am impressed, the most important problem is that my father will definitely not allow it!"

"Or do you want to ask His Majesty? Your Majesty loves you so much, maybe he will communicate with the Pope for you and ask him to let His Excellency Hill return to the secular world!" The maid said innocently.

"Maybe not." Princess Althea shook her head, she touched her earlobe: "What about the pink pearl earrings that match this dress?"

The maid looked around, "Maybe it's in the rest room next door, wait a moment, I'll go over and have a look!"

"Mu Lin, you have to hurry up, I'm always worried that Your Excellency Hill will leave early!" Princess Orthea urged.

"Okay, right away!" The maid raised her skirt and ran out quickly.

Princess Orthea was standing in front of the closet, gesturing at the dress. She had just seen a bright yellow dress that looked like a blooming flower, and thought that Yannick might appreciate that style more, so she decided to consult the maid when she came back. Views.

Behind him there was the sound of the door being opened and then closed again.

Princess Orthea didn't look back: "Mu Lin, come and help me see, do you think the pink one is better or the bright yellow one? I think the bright yellow one looks good too..."

She lowered her head and said a few words, but she couldn't help being a little surprised when the maid didn't respond to her.

"Maureen?"

There was silence in the room, and Princess Althea realized belatedly that no one seemed to have come in at all.

She turned her head, but only had time to see a black shadow drifting towards her, and then her throat was tightly strangled!

Orthea's eyes widened in horror, and her mouth opened involuntarily, but she could only make a whooping sound from her trachea. The other party seemed to have used some kind of spell, which prevented her from screaming or calling for help, and she could only raise her hands. His hands wanted to remove the confinement from his throat.

Her legs kept struggling, but as time passed, Princess Orthea, who wanted to be rescued, was finally desperate, and her limbs gradually weakened until she finally stopped struggling.

The room returned to dead silence.

"The Rose of the Empire", Princess Althea lay quietly on the ground, the expression on her face still maintained the fear of the moment before she died.

No one knows what happened to her.

Except for herself.