I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Deep in the church's basement, rows of wooden shelves were piled with parchment scrolls and manuscripts archived over the years, and the air was filled with the smell of old paper.

Valentine was inside, constantly rummaging through documents, trying to find the truth about Prince George's death. Subconsciously, he felt that the matter was far more complex than he suspected.

Footsteps came from the doorway.

A gray-robed deacon stood bowing by the door, holding a gold-embossed invitation in his hand, and spoke:

"Archbishop, His Highness Victor has sent an invitation. The royal palace is hosting a noble banquet tonight as usual, and he is asking if you will attend."

Valentine paused for a second while turning the pages, almost laughing in exasperation.

"The prince was assassinated, his body is barely cold, and they're already in a hurry to hold a banquet? No wonder he's called 'Cold-Blooded Victor'."

The butler stood by the table and replied in a low voice:

"His Highness Victor sent the invitation to show the outside world that the royal family is functioning normally and to announce the results of the investigation into the prince's assassination."

Valentine closed the booklet and put it back on the shelf.

"Give me a message: I'm investigating the source of the anomalies at today's ceremony and don't have time yet. I'll go when I'm done."

The deacon acknowledged and withdrew.

……

In the palace gardens, Sonia was leading Ji Tian and his entourage along a gravel path.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trellis, casting dappled shadows on the stone pavement.

Several female knights followed a dozen paces behind, and Sonia waved to them.

"Let's step back to the garden entrance and say a few words to the guest."

The female knights exchanged glances and then retreated. This was their princess's temperament; they were already used to it.

Once the footsteps had faded into the distance, Sonia turned around, her skirt rustling against the grass.

She looked up at Ji Tian, ​​her expression no longer showing the dignified politeness she had displayed in the hall, but rather a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"Now that there's no one else around, can you tell me how you did it?"

Ji Tian sensed his surroundings and realized that someone was still watching them, so he casually cast a sound-blocking spell.

Sonia continued, "Did you put that dark magic essence in the palace?"

"Yes."

"So what exactly happened? How do you know that Holy Light can deal with him?"

Ji Tian walked to the stone pavilion in the center of the garden and sat down.

Elena sat down beside him, while Shirley stood by the pavilion pillar. She was surprised to find gourd vines in the palace and reached out to grab a gourd hanging from the trellis.

Ji Tian briefly recounted the discoveries made in the forbidden library.

The mechanics of Shadowfiends, the effect of Holy Light on Shadowfiends, and how Black Nails replace containers.

Sonia remained silent for a long while after hearing this.

"So, my uncle really did die a long time ago, and the person in the hall who was reverted to his original form by the holy light was someone deliberately using my uncle's memories?"

"right."

Just then, footsteps came from the direction of the garden entrance.

A young man in a dark robe emerged from behind the pergola, the coral pattern on his cuffs standing out in the light.

Behind him followed a petite girl wearing a hood, the hood pulled low.

Glenmont and his daughter Mira.

He stopped when he saw Ji Tianshi and then bowed in the standard manners befitting a representative of the orc delegation.

"Your Excellency, I never expected to meet you here. I am Glamont, a representative of the Orc Kingdom delegation. I didn't expect to meet you again after meeting with the Minister of Ceremonies."

Ji Tian nodded slightly.

Gladmont had clearly investigated Ji Tian, ​​confirming the half-question:

"Has Your Excellency come to the capital specifically to witness the awarding of medals to the Pompeii family?"

"On the way."

"That's quite a coincidence. Our delegation is also here to present our credentials, and we just happen to be here for this event."

Mira stood behind Gladmont, her eyes, hidden beneath her hood, scanning the stone pavilion.

She saw Elena, a familiar face, but not Lilith, nor the silver-haired elf.

Huh? Could something have happened to that not-so-bright demon?

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Sister Elena, where is Lilith?"

Elena glanced at her sideways and smiled, "She didn't come. She stayed in the Eastern Territory to cultivate."

"That one with short silver hair..."

"Ophelia didn't come either."

Mira nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any more questions.

Shirley then walked around from beside the pavilion pillar, approached Mira, and tilted her head to examine her for a moment.

She reached out to touch Mira's hood, but Mira instinctively dodged away.

"Master, is this what you called a demon beast in human form? It's so exquisite—"

"clang."

Ji Tian gently chopped Shirley's head with his hand.

"Besides Diana and Xiaohua from the sect, who else have you seen with the ability to transform? This is a beastman."

Sherry covered her head and took a step back, feeling somewhat aggrieved, but quickly regained her curiosity and stared at Mira's long, gray-white ears through the gap in her hood.

Mira was surprised that this Sherry had never even seen an orc before. She pulled her hood down further and said, "My name is Mira, I'm a half-orc."

Shirley was completely unaffected by the scolding she had just received. She smiled and waved at her, "Hello, Mila, your ears are so pretty."

Complimenting an orc's ears on their beauty is nothing in itself, but considering the other person's earlier gesture of trying to touch the hood and ears, it was a very rude act.

However, since Sherry on the other side didn't seem to be doing it on purpose, and Sherry was also a very pretty girl, Mira still whispered a thank you.

The conversation between Gladmont and Ji Tian continued, gradually shifting from the current situation in the capital to more practical matters.

"What are your plans next, Hero?"

"We'll see."

"If the Orc Kingdom needs our assistance at that time, such as in terms of trade routes, supplies, or sea routes, we are ready to help."

Ji Tian glanced at him.

This gesture of goodwill was direct, but also reasonable.

The orc kingdom needs external recognition, and the hero's attitude can influence public opinion to some extent, indirectly affecting the kingdom's decisions.

"I'll consider it if needed."

Gladmont nodded, but didn't elaborate further.

The sky gradually darkened.

One by one, the magic lights in the garden lit up, bathing the flowerbeds and trellises in a warm golden light.

A royal palace attendant walked briskly from a distance, stopped outside the stone pavilion, and bowed.

"Your Excellency, Miss Elena, the banquet is about to begin. His Highness Victor would like to invite you to the banquet hall."

Ji Tian stood up, and Elena and Sherry followed suit.

The eunuch hesitated for a moment, then added, "Also, please forgive us that the representative of the orc delegation is not on the guest list for tonight."

Gladmont waved his hand, stood up, and straightened his clothes.

"It's alright. I was just passing by and wanted to say a few words to the hero anyway. Since the banquet is about to begin, we won't disturb you any longer."

He nodded slightly to Ji Tian, ​​"Under esteemed warrior, until we meet again."

Mira followed behind him, and as she passed Sherry, Sherry waved to her.

Mira gave a small wave from under her hood and quickly caught up with Graymont.

Ji Tian watched their figures disappear at the end of the garden before turning his gaze away.

Elena walked to his side and whispered, "The fact that the orc delegation wasn't invited shows that the kingdom's attitude towards them is still unclear."

"That's normal. Whether you admit it or not isn't something that can be decided over a meal."

Sherry squeezed up from behind, grabbing Elena's sleeve with one hand.

"Master, are we really going to the banquet?"

"Go on, your teacher's wife's father is the main character tonight."