Monday, the 12th day of the Rainy Month, 9:30 A.M.
On the south shore of Green Lake, the city of Mikaela Blast Furnace, caught in a vortex of conflict, is still in a state of semi-martial law. Police are walking through the streets posting wanted posters and searching for suspicious people to show their loyalty to the royal family.
In Green Lake City on the north shore of the lake, although it was once again shrouded in a hazy drizzle, it was surprisingly peaceful. The rain was not heavy, and pedestrians passing by the entrance of Green Lake Hotel walked hurriedly, some even without umbrellas.
In the corner of the first floor of the hotel, after eating a full meal, Mia lay on Shade's lap and dozed off. Shade opened the newspaper and read the front-page headline about the big news that happened in the city across the lake last night.
Princess Margaret was assassinated!
The incident happened at around nine o'clock last night, but this morning's morning paper was able to publish a detailed news report and a black-and-white photo of the night view of the "Glass Bottle Opera House". It was obvious that the newspaper had received a mission.
What Shad was holding at this time was the Green Lake Morning Post. The front-page headline reported the assassination, and at the end it stated that the investigation into the matter was still ongoing. It was currently suspected that the "Derin'or Restorationists" had colluded with illegal cultists and tried to disrupt the negotiations between the two countries by assassinating the princess.
As for the "Derin'or Restorationists", Miss Carina mentioned it when she explained the situation to Shad. This was the name of the principality before the establishment of the largest county-level administrative unit in the southeast of Carsenrick today.
After reading the report, Shade picked up another newspaper on the table. The other newspaper was full of Carsenrick language. It was the Glass Worker's Newspaper, the most widely circulated newspaper in the Glass City. Mr. Soren Green sent someone to the Carsenrick Chamber of Commerce in the city early in the morning to buy it.
Of course, if it weren't for the fact that the headquarters of the newspapers with the largest circulation in Carsenrick are all in Willendael, it would take some time to get first-hand news there. In fact, what Shad should have got at this time was the "Carsenrick Morning Post".
"Princess Margaret was assassinated, Duke Simil was shot and may face amputation, and the Green Lake negotiations reached a deadlock."
He read out the somewhat long headline and sighed softly. After reading the content of the article carefully, the newspaper probably received instructions, so it did not speculate that the assassination was led by "MI6", but only hinted at it. The focus of the news was still on "Derrin'or Restorationists" and illegal cultists, but even Shade could guess what the citizens would think.
"There's no need to instigate. Now that something like this has happened, who wouldn't think of MI6?"
MI6 and the Gray Gloves are feared not only because of their special functions, but also because they really do work like assassinations, and they have a license to do so.
"Mia, Mia, is war coming?"
Xia De put down the newspaper and stroked the cat on his lap while sighing. Xiaomia's cat fur felt very good and comfortable to touch.
"As a professional fortune teller, I can tell you responsibly that there is no strange fortune telling method like 'asking a cat'. If you want to know the future, please go to the Prophet Association and pay for help. Our fees are very transparent, but we cannot guarantee that the fortune telling will be correct. After all, fate is unpredictable."
A familiar voice came, and Shad took away the newspaper and saw a purple-eyed girl wearing a loose long-sleeved white blouse with ruffled cuffs and a sky blue skirt, and a wide-brimmed hat with yellow flowers.
Luvia's outfit was a common travel outfit for intellectual girls from middle-class families. She smiled at Shade and was obviously very happy to see Shade here.
"Oh, Luvia, I'm so glad to finally see you again."
Shade put the cat on the table, stood up and gave Luvia a hug. The fortune teller would not refuse, but she was a little confused:
"Why do you say 'finally'? Didn't we just say goodbye at your doorstep an hour ago?"
The fortune tellers summoned by the Prophet Association all came to the local area through special means, so there is no travel time at all.
"It's not important. It's just a form of welcome. Please take a seat."
He called the waiter over and prepared hot tea for Luvia. Luvia took this opportunity to observe this hotel in the center of Green Lake City. The decoration was simple and had a sense of age, but Luvia just liked this style.
"Has the association arranged your accommodation?"
"More than ten fortune tellers from the headquarters have arrived and have been arranged to live in the Dawn Church, which is the closest to here. There are about thirty or forty of us fortune tellers who have been recruited from all over the Old Continent. We don't live in the city. The Five Gods Church has set up a camp by the Green Lake. We live there so that we can participate in the operation at any time."
"The campsite..."
"It's not the tent you imagined. The accommodation conditions are pretty good. But then, I might not be able to come to see you often. After all, I'm here to carry out a mission."
Luvia picked up the teacup. Although she had heard about what happened last night from Shade this morning, it was not detailed, so she listened to Shade talking about the assassination of Princess Margaret in the newspapers of both countries. Then, Luvia followed Shade to the third floor and met Dr. Schneider, who had heard that she was coming, and chatted with the doctor about the bad spring weather here.
Soon, the news of Megan's arrival in the basement of the hotel to arrange the ceremony reached Shade. So Shade took Luvia to the basement to meet the great witch of wisdom and knowledge, and Luvia showed great interest in this:
"Very interesting, I've been wanting to meet her for a long time."
However, in just one day, the hotel basement that was originally used to store food had been cleared out, and another basement exit that was not usually used was opened, which led to the small courtyard behind the hotel. The girls who followed the witch had already delivered the necessary ritual materials and supplies and actively started working.
Megan also heard that Shade had met a girl with short brown hair in the hotel this morning, so she guessed that it was the "rumored" Luvia Annette. When Shade took Luvia to meet the witch in the basement of the hotel, which looked very busy, she smiled and politely extended her hand to Luvia:
"Megan Edwards, Audrey Edwards."
"Luvia Annat."
The temporary lighting gas lamp installed above the basement illuminated the beautiful faces of the two people. When Luvia looked at this special witch in front of her with interest, Megan was also looking at Luvia:
"She has a nice temperament, but her clothes are very ordinary."
She said to her sister in her heart, and Audrey reminded her:
"Look at that pretty white headband."
Megan's eyes shifted slightly, and then her eyes shrank slightly:
"A whole unicorn tail feather?"
That was when we were in the Randall Valley. The elf girl Emilia gave me this gift very generously. This is something that money can't buy.
She calmed herself down:
"I've heard about you from Shade a long time ago, Miss Anat. You're just as beautiful as Carina and the others said."
Luvia smiled and shook her head:
"I've heard from Xia De about your beauty a long time ago. Xia De really wouldn't lie to me. Thank you very much for taking care of Xia De in Green Lake City during this time. He is always worrying."
The two did not deliberately lower their voices during their conversation, so the other girls in the basement could hear it. Among them, the maids sent by Miss Carina were the most familiar with Shade's situation. They whispered what they knew to their companions, and then continued to listen to the conversation quietly.
Shade wanted to speak, but was stopped by Luvia's smile. Hearing what Luvia said, Megan looked into her eyes, and had to admit that those eyes were really beautiful. She herself was fascinated for a moment. She turned her eyes away from Luvia's eyes and was about to speak, but she heard Luvia whispered again:
"Can I see the other Miss Edwards?"
Megan then gave the dominance of her body to Audrey, who winked at Luvia, and the purple-eyed girl praised:
"I've heard from Shade about your perfect two-in-one posture, but I didn't expect it to be so outstanding. However, you don't seem to be used to it yet, please hold my hand."
The two hands were clasped together again, and after a moment, Audrey showed a surprised expression. Luvia smiled and motioned for Shade to take two steps back with her, and then the two watched the shadow under the witch's feet squirming. Then, behind Audrey Edwards, two brand new smooth arms broke through her clothes and grew out.
The witch looked at her two new hands in surprise, and then clenched the palms of her four hands in turn. This was her special birthmark that showed some of Megan's limbs, but until she met Luvia, she could only show smaller organs such as ears, nose, and mouth. If she needed the assistance of her sisters in battle, she would only appear in the form of a spirit.
"How did you do that?"
Xia De was also a little surprised and asked the smiling Luvia. The purple-eyed girl lowered her voice slightly:
"When I saw her just now, I suddenly realized that the trajectory destined by my magic would work on her."
Since Luvia became a ring wizard, she often gets some inexplicable magic due to her insights during divination. However, this is also the norm for fortune tellers. There are gains but also dangers. After all, no one knows what they will see.
But when he saw Megan and Audrey, he suddenly realized that his magic was effective, which still made Shad feel a little strange.
Suddenly, he heard "her" laughter, and then Shade saw Luvia's double image in his eyes, and her hair seemed to have grown longer. Looking carefully, he found that it was not a double image, but the shadow of Luvia with long hair and Luvia with short hair overlapped and smiled at Shade. The long hair was the hair of the shadow. But Luvia with long hair only appeared for a few seconds and then disappeared.