Chapter 139: The Welcoming Ceremony

(The first part is from a third-party perspective.)

The Vandle Empire‘s goodwill mission arrived at Wincester, the Royal Capital of the Albion Kingdom. At the entrance to the capital, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from both nations shook hands to project an atmosphere of friendship, and the mission was welcomed inside the castle walls. With a line of magnificent carriages protected by knights from both the Empire and the Kingdom, the mission proceeded through Wincester.

The people of the Royal Capital gathered to catch a glimpse of the neighboring country’s delegation, a rare sight for them. “I’ve never heard of a mission from the Empire before.” “Those are some finely crafted carriages.” “Rumor has it that the Prince who might be the next Emperor is the leader.”

Eventually, the mission arrived at the front entrance of Wincester Castle. The members of the mission stepped down from their carriages and revealed themselves. The young man at the center of the group was Prince Ernst. The Prince glanced up at the grandeur of Wincester Castle, then immediately looked forward and began to walk slowly.

To attend the ceremony welcoming the Imperial goodwill mission, I came to Wincester Castle with Letty, Oliver, and Mabel. At Princess Flora‘s request, I had hurriedly teleported to Northernford to bring Mabel back with me. We had to inform Mabel about Teleportation Magic, but everyone agreed that since it was Mabel, she was trustworthy and would keep the secret. Mabel‘s eyes went wide upon suddenly hearing so many stories, but after meeting with Her Highness, Letty, and Oliver in the Royal Capital, she got fired up, saying, “I understand the situation. I will show them that there are daughters of Kingdom nobles who are active with Production Skills as well.”

The welcoming ceremony began, and first, Princess Flora, representing the host Albion Kingdom, gave a speech. In a calm tone, Her Highness stated her hope that this visit by the Imperial mission would deepen the friendship between the two countries. She even had the composure to show a smile midway through; it was a dignified speech.

Next, Prince Ernst, representing the Vandle Empire, gave his speech as the leader of the goodwill mission. Prince Ernst had impressive brown eyes that seemed to show a strong will, and his brown hair had a natural wave. He wasn’t particularly tall, but one could sense an inner vitality that gave him a commanding presence.

The Prince expressed his gratitude that the Kingdom had graciously accepted this goodwill visit and stated that he wished to deepen the exchange between the two nations. His was also a dignified speech.

The welcoming ceremony ended, and since there was time before the evening standing buffet party, we tried to return briefly to the Fairchild Margrave family’s mansion in the capital. To my surprise, Prince Ernst approached us.

“Are you Lord William Fairchild? I am Ernst, the second son of the Vandle Empire‘s Emperor Randelic V.” “Nice to meet you, Your Highness Prince Ernst. I am William, the second son of the Fairchild Margrave family.”

“I have finally met you. I came to the Albion Kingdom specifically to meet you. I definitely want to talk about many things.” Wow, he’s quite a forward person. “Yes, I look forward to it.”

An attendant said something to the Prince, to which he replied, “I know,” and then said, “Until later,” before leaving. “Phew, that surprised me.”

“So Prince Ernst really did come to meet Will.” “Yes. Approaching us immediately like this… he seems to be a proactive type.” “The Empire really is focused on you, William-san.” Letty and Oliver heightened their vigilance, while Mabel looked surprised.

After resting for a while at the mansion in the capital, we boarded the carriage again and headed for the Royal Castle. When we arrived, Letty, Oliver, and Mabel were already there. Oliver was wearing a beautiful dress and makeup.

“Oh, you’re dressed like that again this time.” “Yes, I had a request from Her Highness the Princess.” Seeing Oliver cross-dressed for the first time in a while, he possessed a beauty that was truly otherworldly.

We arrived at the castle and went to the great hall where the buffet party was being held; the venue was already bustling with many people. Since it was a party, naturally everyone was dressed up and looking stylish. Moreover, the ratio of girls was high. Being in such a place made me feel out of place, and I felt somewhat restless.

Just then, Her Highness Princess Flora appeared. “Everyone, I am counting on you.” The expressions of the gathered girls were serious.

“Our formation is complete,” Oliver said in a small voice. What formation? What exactly is about to begin?

After a while, Prince Ernst of the Vandle Empire arrived. The group slightly behind him must be the daughters of the Imperial nobles. “Princess Flora, I trust you are in good health.” The Prince greeted Her Highness and then spoke to me.

“Lord William. For this goodwill mission, I brought noble children of your generation. I thought it would be good for you to get to know the Empire well.” Then, the Prince addressed Her Highness the Princess. “Your Highness, if you would not mind, I would like to have a word with you.” “Yes, certainly.”

As Her Highness left her seat, she whispered to Letty, “I leave the rest to you.” Letty replied, “Yes, Your Highness being separated from us is within expectations.” What are they talking about?

When the Prince and Princess left the spot, the girls of the Imperial mission approached me. Or rather, they spread out slightly sideways, as if trying to surround me. Then, Letty and Oliver glided up to my sides.

The girls Her Highness had called also gathered immediately, preventing the Imperial daughters from encircling me. It looked as though two opposing factions were facing off. The tension was rising, and I felt like running away.

The daughters of the Imperial nobles were murmuring. “My, the Kingdom has gathered many beautiful girls as well. And they look intelligent, too.” “Especially the two on either side of Lord William… they have an amazing aura. One is surely the Cardiff Earl’s daughter. She has a charm full of vitality, just as the rumors say. Who is the other one?” “A girl not in our preliminary intelligence. But she looks clever, and possesses… how should I put it… a supernatural beauty.”

“Everyone, let us proceed.” A girl who appeared to be the leader called out to the murmuring group. “Yes, we must make them understand the merits of the Empire.” With expressions of hidden determination, the Imperial noble girls approached.