I materialized a sci-fi fortress in a magical world.

Time quickly passed and it was afternoon. Guests began to gradually gather in the square on the island in the middle of the lake.

The place had already been set up as an open-air party, with not only a generous supply of drinks, but also glowstone lights that were lit up before dark, as if they were free.

There were originally only thirty spots available, but more than three hundred people crowded into the square. Fortunately, the island in the middle of the lake was quite spacious. After being led in by her senior, Luo Yue was able to stand in an inconspicuous corner and enjoy the food in front of her in peace.

"Senior, try this shrimp, it's delicious!"

"Okay~"

"And this snail? Or a river snail? It's very juicy, let me peel one for you."

"Hmm~ What would you like to eat, little junior? I'll peel it for you too."

The two continued eating and drinking until they were found by the Grand Duke's steward.

"Miss Lemir, have you seen Princess Cleopatra? According to the plan, her carriage should have left Maple Leaf City with you, but I have asked many people and no one has seen her."

"Is that the Fifth Princess? I don't really remember her, sorry~"

The steward quickly reported the news to the Grand Duke, who was enjoying a toast, but the Grand Duke didn't seem to care much about his future daughter-in-law and just smiled dismissively.

"Hehe~ It seems the noble little bird has her own plans. I hope she has the courage to match her innocence. No need to worry about her."

"It's just a pity about this spot..."

"It's no big deal. It's all for the royal family anyway. Her not coming is actually to my advantage."

The Grand Duke didn't take it to heart. After all, it wasn't the first time someone had been absent. He was only responsible for sending out the invitations. Whether someone came or not, and who came, was their own business, and he wouldn't interfere.

As the time drew closer to 8 o'clock, the stone archway in the center of the island in the lake began to change. It swayed gently, emitting a faint shimmering light, and ripples appeared inside the empty archway, with a vortex slowly gathering.

Upon seeing this, the Grand Duke immediately ascended a nearby high platform and loudly proclaimed:

"The banquet is about to begin. Guests with invitations, please come forward and make your preparations."

So the original three hundred or so people gathered here split off another hundred or so, carrying large and small bags, and came to the open space in front of the archway.

The "please" mechanism of the "Night Banquet" is completely random, and each person only has one chance. It also happens to be related to the most important "source of magic", so people make the most thorough preparations to try to complete this part smoothly.

In addition, the space storage bags are so precious that servants and subordinates have to carry the luggage, which is why so many people have gathered.

This conveniently suited Luo Yue, who, as the most low-key pair, only carried two hiking backpacks with some food and simple gifts, looking like someone's attendants.

Luo Yue didn't think much of it, but his senior was a little indignant and whispered in his ear:

"When I'm rich in the future, I'll definitely bring more people to support my junior in this kind of situation... By the way, you kept the invitation close to you, right?"

"Yes, don't worry, senior."

Luo patted his chest, indicating that the invitation was hidden here.

Actually, there were two invitations there...

Then, he took the initiative to hold the senior's hand, their fingers intertwined.

The senior student assumed he was just nervous and gently comforted him:

"Don't worry, once you're inside, just focus on your cultivation. As long as you can complete the task of pleasing others, that's fine. If you can't, don't force it. Although it's safe here, you might still get hurt. Don't worry about me, I'll explain to the Grand Duke."

"Yes, I know."

Luo Yue felt a warmth in her heart and gripped her senior's hand even tighter.

He had already checked his senior's notes and found out that someone had tried it a long time ago. In this case, if two people were holding hands and had two invitations at the same time, they would be sent into the secret realm together.

He wasn't the only one doing this; another aristocratic couple was doing the same thing. A young nobleman had two invitations hanging around his neck, and he was holding a glamorous young woman in his arms, showing off their affection to those around them.

"We plan to use this as our engagement ceremony, and we believe that our love will be witnessed and blessed by our 'master'."

"Heh~ That's certainly an ingenious idea, but two invitations must come at a high price, right?"

"That may be true for you, but it's nothing to our family."

"You guys could try doing that kind of thing in there. I'm sure it'll be unique, and maybe it'll really please that master?"

"Thank you for your suggestion, I will consider it carefully."

"By the way, have you seen that princess from the Chaton royal family? I heard she's coming?"

"I've heard of him, but I've never seen His Highness. There are quite a few noble ladies and beautiful girls here; how can I tell them apart?"

"I've heard that this princess is quite short; she should be easy to spot, right?"

Unfortunately, before everyone could find the princess, the banquet officially began.

The vortex in the stone archway suddenly expanded, enveloping a large area in front of the gate. All the people holding invitations, along with the large and small packages piled at their feet, disappeared into thin air, while their attendants carrying bags remained in place.

The Grand Duke in the stands glanced at where Lemir was and frowned slightly.

The subordinate she had chosen had indeed disappeared, but where was her little boyfriend?

It's impossible to blend in; did he instantly disappear into the crowd?

The Grand Duke was too lazy to bother with such a minor character, but he simply reminded the steward not to forget to send the boy his meal, lest it cause any rift with Lemir.

Next, he turned his attention to a sixth-tier mage from the Purple Lily School.

Accompanied by several apprentices, the mage pushed a huge crystal ball in a cart to the entrance of the secret realm, and then began to cast spells and set up formations.

This is to establish a connection between the secret realm and the real world, allowing people to know what is happening inside.

In a normal-type secret realm, it's even possible to establish real-time communication and live video streaming, but in the face of this special rule-based secret realm, you can only obtain some text records and can't contact the inside.

Fortunately, it's enough; it lets people know what's happening inside.

As the sorcerer made his arrangements, the Grand Duke was not idle either. He clapped his hands and sent out several young and beautiful maids.

They carried trays and went one by one to the nobles, presenting them with the odds.

While those inside were busy, those outside weren't idle either. Besides colluding and plotting, they would also gamble a little for fun, betting on the people they favored.

Meanwhile, the sixth-tier mage quickly completed the setup. The enormous crystal ball in front of him projected a huge light screen displaying lines of text information:

【Number One, arrived safely】

[Number Two, arrived safely]

Each number corresponds to the holder of the invitation, and with the records in the Grand Duke's possession, it is possible to determine roughly whose family it belongs to.

The Grand Duke soon discovered that the 29th, representing the princess, had also arrived safely.