The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 92 - 92 18 Interactions_2

?Chapter 92: Chapter 18: Interactions_2 Chapter 92: Chapter 18: Interactions_2 “`
However, the fact that a noble lord possessed such high-level magic skills was somewhat contradictory in itself, so the white-robed mage let it go. Perhaps only by meeting the man in person could Onia confirm or dispel his suspicions. Onia believed in her own ability to detect the truth; no one could escape her penetrating gaze, especially not dark practitioners.

Yet the man’s background was indeed troublesome. Onia was aware that the kingdom was currently struggling to resolve the issue of the large group of refugees gathered at the border region. It seemed likely that Baron Komer had been roped in by the old fox Tez to be the fall guy. The remote Caucasus was indeed a prime location to absorb this unstable factor of refugees. Should any problem arise, all blame could conveniently be thrust upon the surrogate, and the kingdom could solve such a problem at the expense of the life and future of an insignificant small aristocrat—why not?

If Onia were to seek him out on her own initiative right now, and if she discerned that he was indeed the criminal, there could be quite some trouble, as many would be reluctant to see that happen. This called for careful consideration, as the kingdom’s high officials were likely not eager to see anyone causing trouble for this man, at least not at this time.

Onia even offered a secret prayer, hoping not to find herself in such a difficult situation. But what if it turned out that this man indeed had the greatest likelihood of being the culprit? What should she do? Such matters could never yield absolute proof. An ordinary person could be easily incriminated and convicted, but in special circumstances with a special status, one must think thrice before acting. Especially now that relations between the Holy Teaching and the kingdom were cool, what should she do?

The lazy sunshine poured into the courtyard, where the neatly pruned nursery and the luxuriant flower beds eagerly soaked up the rare warmth of the sunlight. The green cypress trees around the beds provided a lush backdrop, and an elliptical colonnade ran around the small garden, with galleries leading to the main buildings at each end. The somewhat withered vines rested quietly against the columns, occasionally casting broken, dappled shadows across the walkway.

In the flowerbeds, green leaves and branches greedily absorbed the warmth brought by the rare daylight, creating such lushness that made it hard to believe it was already the Fall of Versailles. These cold-resistant green cherry small shrubs and Sophora japonica had been shaped into various forms, wonderfully adorning Versailles in the fall and winter seasons, adding a touch of life to the otherwise desolate late autumn and winter scenery.

An oval crystal tabletop rested on a finely crafted walnut wood stand, with baskets of tangerines and blackberries placed upon it.

Several slices of cake were arranged on a silver triple-layer bracket, with two cream bottles nestled close by. The smaller was obviously for black tea, while the other was, of course, for coffee. The relief on the sugar jar was exceptionally beautiful, depicting a woman in a white towel managing a sugar cane grove, with her sweaty toil vividly captured in the artwork.

Komer could only guess that the glistening porcelain teapot must have come from the East, as such delicate and smooth porcelain was rare to be found in the west of the Blue Continent. Komer had only ever seen it when visiting Tracy’s home.

Gently shaking the teapot to even out the tea, a deep red liquid flowed through a silver strainer into the cup, held by slender fingers reminiscent of green onions, adorned with a black skull ornament on her pink nail—an interesting detail indeed. Komer nodded in thanks, and the beautiful woman opposite him smiled, “Would you like it strong or weak? Do you need some milk?”

“Weak is fine, I prefer a lighter taste,” said Komer, feeling a bit uneasy. Tasks that should have been performed by a servant were being done by the hostess, which seemed somewhat extravagant and made Komer rather uncomfortable.

The woman added hot water, lightening the deep red tea slightly before pouring some for herself, without adding anything else.

Komer was surprised by the invitation, but as a lower-level noble in the kingdom, especially one not favored by his enfeoffed lord, he certainly wouldn’t miss any opportunity to connect with the kingdom’s elite.

Komer had hesitated for a long time over the choice of gift for his visit, eventually opting for a pair of diamond earrings specifically for ladies as his calling card gift.

Though diamonds were precious, the earring itself was far more valuable, crafted purely from green bronze.

The small piece of primal green bronze, obtained from the Barbarians and refined over seven days and nights by the smith, was only thumb-sized after Komer himself had forged it with Fire Magic and the water-based purple grass liquid, processing it into the green bronze earring.

Green bronze was naturally soft and smooth, with the marvelous property of moisturizing the skin, and with the diamond inlaid, it served both as an ornament and a skin-care product—an item greatly adored by women.

When Komer had crafted this green bronze earring, he considered the small quantity of green bronze he had obtained and decided to fashion it into this piece of jewelry to give to some high-ranking Duke’s family as an amulet. Little did he expect it to be put to use in this way.

Indeed, Komer’s small gift instantly won over Katya’s heart. As the kingdom’s third in line to the throne, Princess Katya was a worldly woman. Diamonds were neither new nor of great interest to her, but the green bronze earring was a novelty.

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