March 13, 1174, 5 PM, Twilight City, Sisters Inn.

"Please don't push! Please don't push! I've already said it! There are no extra rooms available in the hotel today!"

Busy as she was, Karin Foreman flipped through her notebook and shouted at the surging crowd in front of the hotel counter, "I'll say it again! All the rooms in the hotel are booked until the week after next. There are no extra rooms available for rent!"

A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd.

Someone held up a money bag and shouted, "We are the Seven Eyes Merchant Guild from the East. My master only needs one room, and we can pay three times the room rate!"

Karin rolled her eyes helplessly: "Don't even mention three times, some people are even willing to pay ten times, and I still can't free up a room."

A young knight in magnificent armor squeezed his way to the bar and said to Karin, "I am a royal guard knight of the Kingdom of Holloway. The king's carriage is just outside. We request three rooms..."

Karin pointed to the ceiling with annoyance: "Look at your head! At least ten kings are already staying in this hotel!"

Pamela, covered in sweat, poked her head out from the back kitchen: "Sister Karin, we're almost out of ingredients in the kitchen."

Karin, annoyed by this, raised her head, picked up a broken pen stub, and threw it into the kitchen room.

In an instant, amidst gasps of surprise, Karin vanished from behind the bar and teleported into the kitchen.

Looking at the empty food compartment, Karin rubbed her temples in exasperation: "Poultry, seafood, mountain produce, all gone?!"

Pamela nodded: "When we got the goods on Monday, we prepared enough for ten days, but we didn't expect that it would all be gone in just three days."

Karin slammed the lid of the food trough shut and said to Pamela, "Go to the North Island Knights and find Vice Commander Jerry. Buy some of the army's stored rations from him..."

Before she could finish speaking, a woman screamed in the lobby, catching Karin's attention.

Stepping out of the kitchen, Karin saw a female waitress of a different species clutching her buttocks and glaring angrily at a drunk customer. Karin instantly understood what had happened.

"Cosette!" Karin roared, pointing at the drunken guest who was about to cause a scene, "Give him a good shock!"

A dazzling flash of lightning, accompanied by a scream, instantly silenced the noisy hotel.

Karin ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair, walked behind the bar, and gently asked the silent customers, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Meanwhile, in another part of the kingdom—the "Come Again Tomorrow" tavern—a conversation is taking place.

Cumberland and Emerson, disguised, sat at a table in the far corner of the tavern, quietly drinking ale and eating snacks.

Looking at the throngs of people in the tavern, Cumberland grinned and asked, "In my memory, there have never been this many people in Twilight City."

Listening to the clamor of voices around him, Emerson frowned and said, "The Protestant founding ceremony is next Monday, followed by a ten-day 'Holy Festival.' So many people have flocked to the city to witness the ceremony. So, the large number of people is understandable."

"If our war in Holy City hadn't ended well, I doubt so many people would have come to join the fun," Cumberland said dismissively, tossing a piece of fried fish into his mouth.

Emerson glanced at his old friend and said, "Are you bragging about that?"

Cumberland took another sip of ale: "The longer you live, the more open-minded you become. I'm way past the age of just spouting nonsense."

After downing his drink in one gulp, Cumberland stared at Emerson and said, "I want to ask you, what about His Majesty's matter?"

The latter, who was watching two young men arm wrestling in the center of the tavern, answered absentmindedly, "His Majesty's matter? Which matter?"

"Offspring!"

Cumberland slammed his fist on the table in a fit of rage, raising his voice by three points.

Upon noticing someone looking in their direction, Emerson quickly reminded them to keep their voices down.

Cumberland lowered his voice and said in a deep tone, "Your Majesty still has no children. What will become of the kingdom?"

Emerson sighed helplessly: "We've discussed this matter many times before."

“Damn it! I know!” Cumberland growled in frustration. “Now that I think about it, as long as His Majesty is willing, it doesn’t really matter who the child’s mother is… Even if His Majesty prefers that woman of unknown origin, I don’t intend to interfere anymore, as long as she can give birth to His Majesty’s child.”

Emerson looked at Cumberland and whispered, "After the Protestant Church is established, His Majesty will become the Pope. You should know that, according to the doctrine..."

“Yes, yes, I know, I know. The Pope, as God’s representative, cannot marry.” Cumberland’s eyes widened. “But there’s no explicit doctrine that says the Pope can’t sleep with women! That idiot Pope in Tello has had so many mistresses, I can’t even count them on two hands. Don’t tell me you don’t know!”

Emerson shook his head awkwardly: "You should change your way of speaking; you don't know how to be tactful at all."

"Bullshit! It's just a matter of a stick and a hole! Why bother with all this nonsense!" Veins bulged on Cumberland's forehead. "His Majesty is all alone, without relatives or an heir. If anything happens to him, the entire city of Muxi will be doomed!"

Emerson nodded slightly: "You're right. Even if His Majesty becomes the Pope, having an heir, even an illegitimate one, would be of paramount importance to Muxi City."

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