Once the affairs within the territory were settled, Kenley and Tia accompanied Guinevere to one of the core regions of the Christophon fiefdom: the Rose Castle.
In truth, the Grand Duke of Christophon doted on his daughter to an extraordinary degree. Not only had he arranged a fief for Guinevere on the very day of her birth, but he had even completed the construction of a castle for her prior to her coming of age.
This was a colossal castle spanning an area of two square kilometers, meticulously constructed from marble. Seen from afar, only words such as majestic, resplendent, and impregnable could aptly describe its grandeur. In the Cain Empire, it was truly difficult to fathom the immense financial resources and manpower at the disposal of those powerful dukes. For them, erecting such a castle was merely a matter of issuing a command.
Perched atop the precipice of the Moia Dead Fire, this castle boasted a natural geographical advantage. It was not only easily defensible but extremely difficult to assail, and it was equipped with magical towers and cannons as formidable defensive assets. Such opulent and luxurious endowments were beyond the reach of most nobles, save for the royal family and the dukes. Thus, in the game, numerous players had once lamented that some were born to a life of toil like oxen and horses, while others were born within the confines of a castle, and there were even those who, from the very moment of their birth, found themselves the masters of a castle. Truly, without comparison, there would be no poignant sense of disparity.
The lofty magical spires piercing the clouds intermittently glimmered with a radiant blue hue, and the winding path leading up to the castle was enshrouded in a veil of clouds and mist. The robust city walls encircled the entire castle, and vigilant guard soldiers patrolled ceaselessly along the battlements. To be candid, although such a castle was indeed enviable at first glance, in reality, Kenley was not overly impressed. Firstly, the simple acts of leaving and returning home posed significant challenges. The castle was both too high and too expansive, and the arduous journey back after a day's work, even with the aid of a carriage, was fatiguing.
However, considering that Guinevere possessed a spatial crystal and was proficient in teleportation magic, she could, at times, circumvent such inconveniences. Could it be that she had employed teleportation magic to reach the Imperial City during her last visit?
Yet, it was evidently not as straightforward as that. The moment Kenley stepped into the central square of the castle, he was stunned to discover that a magical teleportation gate had been erected on the eastern side of the square! (Note: This was Kenley's first visit to this castle, having never set foot here in the game.)The Prince of Christophon's affection for his daughter was truly profound, a testament to his lavish expenditure. Constructing a magical teleportation gate was no easy feat. It required a magician of the sixth rank or higher to personally oversee the creation of the magical array, and it necessitated the use of a spatial crystal.
Within the context of the game, spatial crystals were classified as strategic-level resources. They rarely circulated, save for occasional appearances in auctions and the black market. At all other times, they were firmly under the control of the empire and the church. The extraction of spatial crystals was an arduous task, a rare and elusive pursuit, not to be found just anywhere. In the past, when repelling the dark nobles along the East Coast, the magical teleportation gate had proven its worth time and again, often turning the tide of battle.
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Each spatial crystal commanded a substantial price. Although the means by which the Prince of Christophon had acquired it remained unknown, it was undeniable that he had invested a significant amount of wealth. One could thus envision the extent of the Prince of Christophon's extravagance, having gone so far as to arrange a magical teleportation gate for his daughter—a truly magnificent gesture.
The advantage of the teleportation gate lay in its ability to be used repeatedly, distinguishing it from mere teleportation via a spatial crystal. When relying on a spatial crystal, over time and with repeated use, the crystal would gradually wear down and be depleted. This was due to the fact that the errant magical elements would gradually neutralize the elemental forces within the spatial crystal, ultimately reducing it to an ordinary stone.
The magical teleportation gate, on the other hand, was a different matter. It utilized ancient incantations to maintain its stability, preventing the spatial crystal from being neutralized by errant magical elements during the teleportation process, thereby ensuring its perpetual existence. Of course, with advantages came disadvantages. While the magical teleportation gate did not deplete the spatial crystal, it was limited to fixed-location teleportation, and the teleportation gate on the receiving end must remain intact; otherwise, the gate could not be activated properly.
It seemed that the Prince of Christophon had envisioned the magical teleportation gate as both an emergency passage for his daughter and a means to spare her the rigors of long journeys. Kenley surmised that this gate likely led to the Grand Duke of Christophon's castle.
"Your Highness Guinevere, will His Highness the Prince also be attending the banquet?" At that moment, Tia was the first to pose the question.
Upon hearing Tia's inquiry, Guinevere's eyes suddenly clouded over. She gazed into the northern sky, lost in thought for a moment, before turning back as if suddenly recollecting something."Your Highness Tia, have you ever heard the legend of the End-of-Days Catastrophe?"
"The End-of-Days Catastrophe?" Tia was visibly taken aback.
Kenley furrowed his brow."It is rumored that at the far end of the desolate lands in the northwest lies the End-of-Days Volcano. Beneath its molten lava lies a passage leading to the depths of hell, the domain of the demons. These demons delight in torturing their prey, inflicting suffering upon all forms of life and harboring dreams of dominating the Aude Continent."
Guinevere nodded."Indeed. And recently, there have been reports of wandering demons appearing in the vicinity of the End-of-Days Volcano. Some suspect that this is a harbinger of the impending End-of-Days Catastrophe."
"Goodness! But aren't demons creatures of legend? Could they truly exist in reality?" Tia, having spent her life on the East Coast, was unfamiliar with such matters.
Guinevere shook her head."In fact, during the five epochs of the New Era, no demons have made an appearance. However, in the Old Era, specifically during the twenty-second epoch, they did manifest. My father is currently under the King's orders, investigating at the Silent Fortress, and thus he will not be able to attend the banquet at home this time."
"I see..." Tia nodded.
"Therefore, I will be overseeing this banquet in its entirety. However, Mr. Kenley, Your Highness Tia, there is a matter of great importance that I wish to discuss with you in advance. I hope that both of you will be prepared at all times," Guinevere's tone grew distinctly more serious.
"Please proceed, Your Highness," Kenley replied promptly.
"Have you heard of the Heresy of the Black Sheep?"
"The Heresy of the Black Sheep?" Kenley and Tia exchanged a quick glance, the memory of their previous battle with Lenznos still sending a shiver down their spines.
"We have."
"Very well. I recently received a crucial piece of intelligence. A mysterious abbey has been discovered in the Main Canyon, at the border between the Shakki Republic and the Cain Empire. There are rumors that the presence of demons has been spotted on the abbey's outskirts."
"That is the Abbey of Repose..." Kenley furrowed his brow.
"Mr. Kenley, you are familiar with it?" Guinevere's face lit up with pleasant surprise. She had not anticipated that Kenley would continue to surprise her.
