The Magic Carpet moved at a rapid pace.
Since there were no geographical obstacles in their way, it took them only about one hour to reach the vicinity of Mohovi City.
Because of the Anti-Magic Circle active within the city, the three girls stowed the Magic Carpet and prepared to disguise themselves as ordinary citizens to enter.
However, they encountered a bit of trouble when they reached the gates.
“Fifteen silver coins for three people to enter the city?”
Isabella furrowed her beautiful brows.
The entry fee for Mohovi City should have been one silver coin.
Why had it suddenly increased five times over?
“That’s right! Fifteen silver coins, and not a single one less!”
The guards defending the city had no idea who they were provoking.
They stood there with an air of arrogance, looking down at the trio.
As they noticed the three women’s beauty, a sense of restless greed began to stir within them.
“Boss, here is one gold coin. Please count it and let us into the city.”
Seeing the guards’ gazes turn increasingly dangerous, Mela, who was terrified of an incident breaking out, hurriedly took a gold coin from her small purse and handed it over.
By the standards of the Empire, one gold coin was worth twenty silver coins.
Having received such a windfall, the guard’s mood instantly brightened.
Without even checking their identities, he let the three of them through.
After they passed, he let out a foolish chuckle.
‘THIS IS A TOTAL WINDFALL!!!’
“Boss, isn’t this a bit much?”
A fellow guard approached with a look of concern.
“I heard news that the Princess’s motorcade is about to arrive at Mohovi City. If she finds out we’re arbitrarily raising the entry fees, won’t there be trouble?”
“What are you afraid of? The Princess’s motorcade will surely be the most luxurious style imaginable; we’ll be able to see it from a mile away. Besides, what kind of person is Her Highness? She wouldn’t care about a few measly silver coins.”
The guard, who was clearly the officer in charge, rapped his subordinate on the head.
Seeing more travelers approaching the city, he quickly called out to his men.
“Everyone, keep your eyes peeled! I’ll treat you all to drinks tonight with the extra cash!!!”
***
Regardless of how the guards were celebrating at the gate, Wenidis had already completely immersed herself in the street life of this frontier town.
“Bella, Bella! There’s a cat-girl here! Her ears look so soft, I really want to touch them!”
“Bella, Bella! Are you hungry? I see a bakery that smells so, so good!”
“Bella, Bella! This outfit is so pretty! Uh… there’s just not much fabric.”
Wenidis flitted through the various shops in the district like a silver elf.
The young girl’s exquisite face and enthusiastic praise instantly turned her into the most beautiful sight on the entire street.
Even when she was buying things, the shopkeepers couldn’t help but offer her discounts.
Isabella’s mood was also healed by the girl’s laughter.
‘Whatever. I’ll just have Arns report this matter to the City Lord’s manor later. For now, I should just focus on having fun with Wendy.’
The blonde Princess let a smile grace her lips.
Just as she was about to accompany her best friend to relieve the irritability accumulated from their long journey, she looked up and saw a scene that nearly made her faint with rage.
“Hello, Miss. I am Damian Arlington, son of the Earl of Deep Blue. I would like to invite you — I wonder if you would be willing to respond to my invitation?”
When Wenidis’s gaze landed on him, Damian’s heart skipped a beat.
He had never seen such an exquisite darling.
Compared to her, all the beauties he had dated before were merely foils.
Greed slowly clouded Damian’s eyes.
A beauty like this was exactly the kind of person who should belong to a noble like him!
Thinking of this, he involuntarily puffed out his chest, making the Crest of the Waves on his tunic look particularly prominent.
This was the crest of the Earl of Deep Blue.
In the past, whenever the prey he set his sights on saw this crest, they would willingly become his pets.
He believed the girl before him would be no exception.
However, the look in Wenidis’s eyes never changed.
Especially after he puffed out his chest, that proud appearance reminded her of a peacock spreading its feathers —
‘I remember peacocks spread their tails to… oh~’
Like a bolt of lightning clearing the fog, Wenidis’s confused little head finally figured it out.
She took a sharp breath and pointed at him with a trembling finger.
“You…”
‘You want to hit on me?’
Before she could speak, Wenidis felt a softness at her waist, and in the next moment, she fell into a fragrant, soft embrace.
“I’m sorry, but she will not be accepting your invitation.”
Isabella shielded her in her arms, her crimson eyes faintly swirling with a rage like molten lava.
These playboys really were everywhere.
Her voice carried the cold arrogance and dominance of the imperial family.
When Damian first heard it, his entire body nearly went numb, and he thought he had provoked some terrifying existence.
But when he saw that the newcomer was also a stunning woman, his eyes began to wander again.
‘Even though she’s wearing a veil and I can’t see her face, her figure is amazing…’
“Sir, if you dare to stare at these two ladies with such eyes again, I guarantee your eyes will not remain in your sockets.”
Unfortunately, he couldn’t look for long.
A pitch-black staff was thrust between the man and the two girls.
Mela, whose patience had nearly exploded, felt no goodwill whatsoever and wished she could simply cast a spell to strike Damian down.
With the status of these two Highnesses, she wouldn’t face any punishment regardless.
‘Another beauty! What a lucky day this is! So many beauties have arrived in Mohovi City all at once!’
Damian’s eyes lit up.
Just as he was about to say something flirtatious, the guard serving beside him hurriedly whispered something into his ear.
After listening, Damian’s expression changed drastically.
His voice was very low, and Wenidis only heard what they were discussing after she quietly used Wind Magic.
“Young Master, that lady is a 7th-tier Magic User. The factions behind these two ladies are quite powerful. The Earl warned us to be on our best behavior these days.”
‘He can see Mela’s strength?’
Wenidis was somewhat surprised.
Because Mela was agitated, her surrounding mana was fluctuating, but to sense that fluctuation, one would have to be at least a 6th-tier Magic User.
‘Is that Earl of Deep Blue really that powerful? To have a 6th-tier Magic User willingly serve as his son’s bodyguard.’
“Haha, since the three ladies do not wish to accompany me, I, Damian, will not force the issue. Here are ten gold coins; consider it compensation for my interruption.”
Damian’s shift was abrupt.
Even Isabella and Mela, who hadn’t heard the conversation, could tell something was wrong.
Mela, in particular, had already activated her Elemental Vision, fearing there might be something wrong with the coins.
But no matter how she looked at them, they were just ordinary gold coins.
Finally, at Isabella’s nod, she accepted the coins on their behalf and watched as the master and servant scurried away in a panic.
“Mela.”
Isabella’s icy voice made Mela shiver, her instincts almost driving her to kneel and await orders.
Fortunately, she remembered they were on a public street and forced herself to endure.
“You…”
Just as Mela was guessing whether the Princess wanted her to deal with those two’s lives, Isabella changed the subject and spoke plainly.
“You continue accompanying us for now.”
‘Is that all?’
Mela breathed a sigh of relief.
As she looked up to comply, she suddenly bumped into Lady Trenton’s clear gaze.
Then, the girl smiled beautifully, but Mela only felt her heart bleeding.
“Mela, your mana fluctuated just now. Remember to write an error analysis when we get back. It must be no less than 5,000 words, and I want to see it by tomorrow.”
Mela: QAQ~