The carriage swayed and bumped along, soon arriving within the territory of the Kingdom of Arnold. Through the carriage, one could see the royal city not far away, with a towering structure near the center that seemed even more magnificent than the royal palace.
It took more than ten days to get here from the elven village. They hardly encountered any villages on the rest of the journey, but there weren't many dense forests either, making it easy for the carriage to travel. Maggie and Nesser rested in the spacious carriage.
The paladins and nuns set up camp and rested on the spot.
Nesser also wanted to sleep outside. However, due to the difference between men and women, he felt very uncomfortable being in a small, enclosed space with Maggie. But each time, Maggie would hold him back in the carriage to prevent any accidents.
"Your Highness, we will be entering the city soon."
Yarlin, mounted on his horse, gently tapped the carriage and whispered a reminder.
"Um."
Maggie casually agreed, her gaze drifting through the carriage window to the high city walls. This was Dapata, the royal city of the Kingdom of Arnold, so prosperous that it seemed completely out of place with the scenery outside, like two different worlds.
As the carriage approached the city gate, the guards of the Kingdom of Arnold appeared in front, respectfully waiting on both sides of the gate.
"Welcome, Your Highness."
"Welcome, Your Highness!"
The guards spoke in unison, their voices loud and clear, attracting the attention of the surrounding civilians, who stopped in their tracks with varying expressions.
"Your Highness, please follow me."
The captain of the guard was a middle-aged man who bowed respectfully to the carriage.
"No need for formalities, go straight to the palace."
Maggie casually lifted the carriage curtain and nodded in respect.
The followers of the Temple of Light are spread throughout the continent of Coral, and their power is so great that no country dares to disrespect them. As the Holy Maiden of Light, it is not considered impolite for her not to show her face; she does so purely out of courtesy.
"Good day, Your Highness."
Perhaps because of Maggie's actions, the captain of the guard's cold expression softened slightly.
Maggie gave a noncommittal "hmm," lowered the curtain, and the carriage resumed its journey, heading towards the royal palace in Dapata.
The journey was smooth and unimpeded, and Maggie remained unusually calm, while Nesser appeared quite nervous.
Maggie was quite helpless about this. He had never left the elven village and had only ever seen humans dominated by greed and ugliness, so she couldn't really blame him.
The carriage stopped in front of the palace. Yarlin knocked on the carriage, speaking in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for those nearby to hear, to remind Maggie.
"Your Highness, please watch your words. Once you enter the palace, you must be careful with your words and actions. This is not a place where you can act recklessly."
While Arlin appeared to care about her, he was actually telling others that she was an unreliable saintess and asserting his authority as the one in charge.
Throughout the entire journey, Yarlin showed no malice whatsoever. This was the first time since the departure that he had uttered such suggestive words to Maggie, especially in front of so many people.
Maggie's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Ford has always trained his dogs very well, so they only show their fangs at crucial moments.
Throughout the journey, Yarlin did not show any behavior that offended or disobeyed her. If it weren't for that statement, Maggie would almost have mistakenly thought that they had a good working relationship.
Yarlin must have been well aware of the power of this warning.
It would soon reach the emperor's ears, and Yarlin openly "remind" her, which meant that "the Holy Maiden of Light's status in the Temple of Light is not as high as that of the High Priest."
She will also be labeled as a 'pretty face'.
A thought flashed through Maggie's mind, but she remained expressionless.
"Of course, thank you for the reminder, High Priest."
She lifted her skirt, slowly stepped down from the carriage, walked past Yarlin, and politely thanked him, deliberately emphasizing the words "High Priest".
"Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities."
Yarlin's expression remained unchanged, his face still bearing a gentle and holy smile. Upon closer inspection, he bore a striking resemblance to Ford, even down to the curve of his eyebrows and eyes.
Lackeys are always cut from the same cloth.
Maggie thought sarcastically, unaware that Nesser beside her suddenly looked up and carefully examined Arlin, then lowered his head with a thoughtful expression.
The intricately patterned palace gates slowly opened, and Maggie's gaze shifted from Arlin to the front.
The palace is exquisitely and ornately built, with pure white marble steps and Baroque-style spires standing against the dark blue sky, where white doves occasionally fly by.
A figure seemed to walk past the semi-circular window. In front of it was a garden with a wall of roses trimmed in large quantities, as complex as a maze.
"Your Highness, it is inconvenient for a carriage to travel within the palace."
The noble official sent by the emperor was a young man who stood beside the carriage, his tone slightly apologetic.
"It's alright."
Maggie smiled elegantly and gently, nodding slightly in agreement.
"His Majesty is already waiting for you in the palace."
The young man slowly straightened up after hearing Maggie's response, but his expression faltered slightly when his gaze fell upon Maggie's appearance.
Noticing his slightly dazed gaze, Maggie politely turned her head and coughed lightly to bring him back to his senses.
The man seemed to snap out of a daze, blushed, turned around, and hurriedly walked towards the palace, looking more like he was fleeing for his life than leading the way.
"..."
Maggie knew that her appearance was very attractive, but she didn't expect it to be this strong. It seems that she can make good use of it in the future.
After navigating a complex maze of flower walls, the group officially entered the palace.
Meanwhile, the accompanying paladins and nuns remained outside, and were led by designated personnel to a resting place.
Nesser was led by a maid to the drawing room, where he waited for Maggie.
From the moment she stepped into the palace, Maggie was silently observing her surroundings. The Demon Key, which was sealed away in the story, was left on the lowest level of the Green Tower, and no one had discovered it yet.
I just treated it as an ordinary key.
According to the plot she knew, there was a path in the palace that led directly to the Green Tower.
The Green Tower is a special continental organization that brings together the most powerful and talented mages in the entire continent of Coral, including seven powerful archmages.
Legend has it that there was even a great mage.
If the Green Tower hadn't focused solely on magic and academia, refraining from involvement in the conflicts between sects and kingdoms on the continent of Coral, it would likely have been the most powerful organization besides the Temple of Light.
The Green Tower has separate academic towers in various countries, while its headquarters is located on the distant Eastern Continent.
To facilitate the further studies of court magicians, the Kingdom of Arnold simply allowed its branch to be built next to the royal palace.
As a member of the Temple of Light, it wasn't convenient for her to move around freely within the royal palace of the Kingdom of Arnold. Most of the time, she needed royal permission. However, her desire to obtain the Demon Key was something she absolutely couldn't reveal and could only do in secret.
Familiarity with the route is essential to reaching the Green Tower in a short time.
Along the way, Maggie secretly noted down any seemingly useful side paths, while Roy, taking advantage of the fact that no one could see him, quickly helped Maggie search for useful passages until the group stopped in front of a heavy palace gate.
The young man, his cheeks still flushed, hurried forward with his head down, whispering something to the imperial guards waiting outside the palace gates. The guards nodded and saluted.
The next second, the palace doors slowly opened for Maggie, and the frail Emperor sat on the throne at the far end of the palace.
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