Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 421 Table Manners
Evening, at the Eternal Crown Restaurant.

Guided by the man in the black cloak, Bi'an finally entered the upscale restaurant that was said to be exclusively for the capital's elite. Countless businessmen were willing to pay tens of thousands of yuan in membership fees to obtain an "admission ticket" to this restaurant.

The restaurant was decorated in a palatial style, and the staff were all dressed like servants of noble families. In fact, Bi'an was quite familiar with this kind of scene. After becoming familiar with Ivy, she would go to the palace every few days to eat and drink for free, and she became good friends with the royal chefs.

Several tables of guests were already in the restaurant. Compared to their elegant and luxurious attire, Bi'an's appearance seemed out of place in the restaurant's atmosphere. However, some nobles who had initially looked at her with disdain immediately looked away when they saw the man in the black cloak beside her.

The eldest prince's confidant, who had been by his side since his childhood, was both a teacher and a friend to the eldest prince.

They all knew that if the eldest prince were to ascend the throne in the future, this person would be a candidate for the future prime minister of the empire.

The two entered the reserved private room one after the other. Compared to dining, this place was more like an important venue for high society conversations. The environment was elegant, and no unauthorized people would intrude. A girl with long blonde hair in the room caught Bi'an's attention. The girl was stunned for a long time when she saw Bi'an enter.

She only said, "Hello, I'm Ilya," after realizing that her gaze was impolite.

"I've heard of you, Holy Mage, right? Member of the Hero Squad."

Ilya nervously clutched her skirt under the table, unsure how to answer.

She had certainly heard of the red-haired woman's exploits—breaking Fabius's leg in public. Such a "glorious deed" was hard to forget. What was even more unbelievable was that, given the Simpler family's vengeful nature, so many days had passed and the red-haired woman was still alive and kicking, going in and out of public places.

Since parting ways with Ethan, Ilya had locked herself in her house for days on end. After much deliberation, she finally decided to secretly visit the First Prince. This was the place where they had agreed to meet, but the First Prince had never mentioned to her that this meeting would include such an uninvited guest.

With the political situation in the capital becoming increasingly volatile, this meeting became extremely risky.

Because of her family ties, her parents had close ties with the Simpler family, and she had been the third princess's playmate since childhood. In the past, if the third princess had no interest in vying for the throne, the two siblings could naturally get along peacefully. However, the third princess's recent actions seem to have aroused the eldest prince's resentment.

From her family's perspective, meeting with the eldest prince in private would undoubtedly be a lose-lose situation.

Moreover, as rumors spread throughout the capital, many of the unusual behaviors of the Third Princess and the Simpler family were explained.

If everything the Third Princess did was merely a show for the people of the Empire, and the Simpler family was also outwardly transforming themselves to appear more approachable in order to facilitate her ascension to the throne, then Ethan and the white-haired woman may have already reached a private agreement with the Third Princess, and everything they did was to help her win the battle for the throne.

This was the most reasonable explanation Ilya could think of; it was practically flawless.

As the Third Princess's childhood friend, she should fully support her friend. The reputation of the Holy Mage should be an important asset for the Third Princess on her path to becoming king. Once the Third Princess inherits the throne, it will be of great benefit to her and her entire family.

but……

Ilya's intuition still told her that there was something wrong between Ethan and that white-haired woman.

If they can't get through to their friends or the Simpler family, the eldest prince is actually the one who most wants Ethan and the white-haired woman to disappear.

And what about this red-haired woman?
Ilya secretly observed the other side. Judging from her unhurried demeanor despite her feud with the Simpler family, she must be someone of great importance. Her red hair reminded one of the commander of the Imperial Army and the tribe that was destroyed in the war. Could it be that the Crown Prince was actually the one who was backing her all along?

This explains why she completely disregarded Fabius.

The eldest prince and the commander of the Imperial Army are among the few people the Simpler family dares not provoke.

"I don't know... how should I address you?"

"Ilya asked in a low voice."

"Me? Redhead, you can call me that."

This is the "stage name" that Bi'an recently registered in the underground arena. It sounds simple and clear, and it is also very distinctive. Moreover, she inexplicably feels that she is very proud to say this "stage name".

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Redhead."

Ilya naturally knew that this was a title.

Perhaps for people like the other side, names and identities have never mattered. Just like the skinners who served the Simpler family, they had long since abandoned their names, and each of them lived as "skinners" as their new identity.

"Oh."

Without looking up, Bi'an glanced at the menu and casually asked, "What would you like for your main course?"

"Huh? Snow Mountain Crab."

"how about you?"

Faced with the question from the other side, the man in the black cloak was also taken aback. He thought to himself that this girl was too carefree. She actually started ordering food in a very serious manner. In this respect, she was somewhat similar to the commander of the Imperial Army. They were both the type who were oblivious to others. Their strength, which was above everyone else, could support their unconventional personalities.

The man in the black cloak said, "Red wine stew."

Before long, the handsome young man entered the room accompanied by the restaurant manager.

"Oh, Your Highness, you just arrived? We've been waiting for you for ages."

???

The way the man on the other side greeted them left Ilya and the man in the black cloak speechless, and the foreman following behind the young man was even more stunned.

There was no kneeling or even standing up; the man holding the menu merely glanced at the young man before turning his attention back to the menu.

Looking across the entire capital, they couldn't think of anyone who would dare to greet the powerful Crown Prince like that. Even his brothers and sisters had to show him the respectful etiquette of nobles.

Even the eldest prince himself was stunned, his fists clenched, his face turning pale and then red.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Seeing this, Ilya, who had been stunned for a long time, quickly stood up and gave him a standard courtly nobility salute. The man in the black cloak also immediately welcomed the eldest prince to take a seat. He could tell that the eldest prince's first impression of the other side was extremely bad. His leading advantage in the battle for the throne made the eldest prince the object of flattery for almost all the nobles in the capital, which fostered his face-saving and easily angered personality.

Those who inadvertently displease the Crown Prince during conversations often suffer great misfortune soon afterward.

But this red-haired woman is an ally they need to win over right now.

Ilya and the man in the black cloak desperately tried to signal to the other side, hoping she would realize her mistake and respectfully bow to the prince. Given her lowly status, even kneeling on one knee would not be excessive.

She sensed the strange atmosphere in the room and felt the intense gazes of the two men. After a moment of contemplation, she crossed her legs under their watchful eyes.

The eldest prince's face grew even more somber.

This prince… seems to have a rather bad temper. But that’s not surprising. I’ve heard he’s a strong contender for the throne. He’s seen plenty of spoiled royals during Julius’s reign, and compared to them, he still prefers Princess Sofia’s lively and approachable personality. Now, Princess Sofia is passionate about film art and even enrolled in Professor Ba’s art theory course this year. She and Mr. JK Forest have both become pillars of the capital’s film industry.

Sofia not only had no airs of a princess, but she was also quick-witted, eager to learn, and never ashamed to ask questions.

For example, not long ago when the other side was eating and drinking for free in the palace, Sophia would often come over to ask her for advice on combat techniques.

Of course, the lively and lovely Princess Sofia also has enemies.

She hopes to learn forbidden techniques such as "Thousand Years of Death" from the other side in order to defeat her nemesis in the subsequent battle.

That's right, it was Miss Ivy who repeatedly caused her to be confined by Queen Margaret.

Whenever the topic of her feud with Ivy comes up, Sofia says with a weary expression, "The struggle for the crown prince position has always been like this."

The other side was unaware of the aftermath of Sophia's duel with Ivy, but a few days after Sophia mastered the Thousand Years of Death, the new cabinet introduced a new law—prohibiting the dissemination of vile techniques, especially the "Thousand Years of Death," which were considered immoral. If any further injuries or deaths were caused, the disseminators would be punished as accomplices.

Bi'an recalled the suffering Sophia endured while training with her, and then glanced at the First Prince sitting directly opposite her, his face as dark as if he had been attacked by the "Thousand-Year Kill" on his way here.

The crown prince of the Silver Empire is truly not lovable at all.

However, she always had a good temper, and under the other party's fierce gaze, she reluctantly gave up the menu and handed it to the eldest prince, saying, "Alright, alright, here you go, you order."

That's not the problem at all!

Ilya and the man in the black cloak felt a sense of despair.

Thanks to the welcoming manner from the other side, the atmosphere in the room plummeted to freezing point after the Crown Prince took his seat. This made Ilya feel extremely uncomfortable. The pervasive low pressure made her unsure of how to start a conversation. The Crown Prince was clearly in a bad mood, making it difficult to continue any topic.

torment!

It's all because of this crazy woman!
Ilya waited until all the dishes were served. When the fine red wine was brought to the table, she finally saw hope. She signaled the head waiter to pour wine for everyone, and then her eyes were practically shooting lasers as she looked towards the other side.

As the saying goes, the one who tied the knot must untie it. She hoped that the other side could understand her hint and take the initiative to toast the eldest prince to ease the atmosphere at the table.

What a hassle.

Bi'an sighed, that's why she didn't like eating at the same table with this spoiled brat. His grumpy face reduced the deliciousness of the food by 9 percentage points.

The man in the black cloak kept hinting to her—yes, that's right, quickly flatter His Highness the Prince a few times, and this matter will be over.

Hi!
This little brat!

Bi'an raised his wine glass. "Your Highness, thank you for your hospitality today. I know a little about your reputation. I've heard you're quite loyal and value relationships. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know."

Where did you come from, you mafia boss?!
The atmosphere at the dinner table became even more suffocating.

Ilya and the man in the black cloak were suddenly plunged into darkness.

They could sense that the eldest prince was on the verge of leaving at any moment.

Ignoring the Crown Prince's reaction, Bi'an downed her glass of red wine in one gulp. She felt no guilt at this point. The toast she had just made had already given the Crown Prince enough face. Usually, when she dined with Lao Sen and the others, she would only talk about this much. As for what this spoiled brat thought, she couldn't be bothered to care.

After all, her main purpose today was to sample what is known as the best restaurant in the capital.

Bi'an focused her attention on the exquisite dish that had been presented to her. She didn't want to be disturbed by anyone anymore and wanted to enjoy this time that was about to belong to her alone.

"...In that case..."

Seeing that things had come to this point, the man in the black cloak had no choice but to step forward. He now understood that this woman was impervious to reason, and it was unrealistic to expect her to suddenly become enlightened and learn the etiquette of aristocratic interaction. Therefore, he could only try to ease the atmosphere at the dinner table by talking about serious matters.

"Miss Redhead, let me be frank. The reason I called you here today is because I need your help with something."

"explain."

"Two strangers of unknown origin have arrived with the Third Princess. You must have heard the recent rumors of a witch appearing in the capital. The First Prince, as her brother, is very worried about her safety and would like to ask you to secretly help investigate the identities of those two strangers."

At this point, the man in the black cloak paused.

Although the atmosphere at the meeting had turned into a wild horse, this matter of pledge of allegiance still could not be taken lightly.

Dealing with those two outsiders would prove the other side's abilities, and presumably even if her personality is somewhat... eccentric, the First Prince would be able to tolerate it.

"If the rumors prove to be false, that would be best. But if they are true, and a witch has infiltrated the palace and threatened the safety of the Third Princess, then we would appreciate your help in eliminating them."

"No need for investigation."

Bi'an waved his hand dismissively, "The rumors are true."

Upon hearing this, the dining table fell silent once again, and even the eldest prince, who had been sulking, cast a strange glance at him.

“If you’re referring to that white-haired woman, she is indeed a witch.”

……

"The red-haired lady... do you know her?"

"This is a breakthrough!" Ilya asked hurriedly, never expecting that the other side would reveal the white-haired woman's identity with such certainty.

"of course."

Bi'an said, "She is an extremely dangerous person. If you make a move against her, you won't have enough lives to lose."

"Just who...is she?"

The man in the black cloak immediately became serious.

"Winter Witch".

"A name that can strike fear into the heart of an entire nation," Bi'an said. "Simply put, to deal with such a dangerous individual, a meal is not enough."

(End of this chapter)