Chapter 58
Chapter 58: Koberen Characteristics
As night fell, the “Crystal Palace” beside Gaul City Hall shone under the illumination of magical lights, like a dazzling diamond embedded in the earth.
The main structure of the building was composed of enormous steel frameworks and reinforced glass, presenting an avant-garde pyramid design—a style that seemed completely out of place amid the classical stone architecture that filled Gaul City, carrying a distinctive modern industrial beauty.
However, in sharp contrast to its transparent and romantic exterior was the scalp-tingling security presence at the entrance.
“Please present your invitation and undergo a magical wavelength scan.”
There were no smiling hostesses welcoming guests. Standing at the end of the red carpet were three towering magitech walkers.
These steel giants were painted a solemn dark blue, with the Witch Association's emblem emblazoned on their chests.
The one on the left was fitted with a six-barreled magitech grenade launcher, while the mechanical arm of the one on the right integrated a pitch-black heavy rotary machine gun. The ammunition belt reflected a cold metallic gleam beneath the lights.
In front of them, several fully armed military police meticulously verified the identity of every guest.
“It seems there are quite a few important figures here tonight.” Looking at the heavy machine gun, Lina felt no fear. Instead, she evaluated its firepower with interest. “Enchanted armor-piercing rounds of this caliber are far stronger than the two in the Osselro Association. Even a B-rank witch wouldn't dare tank them head-on.”
“With the World Expo preview about to begin and celebrities and dignitaries from every nation gathering here, the security level is naturally at its highest.”
“Miss, please place all weapons and magical items you are carrying in the storage area over here. We will keep them for you.”
The security staff politely stopped Lina.
With extreme reluctance, Lina took out her staff and all sorts of magical items one by one, piling them into a storage box nearby.
Annie and Sibyl also handed over their staffs. After a moment's consideration, Annie took out the black breadstick Lina had given her and placed it on top of the storage box.
However, as a top-tier superstar, Ms. Hepburn went directly through a VIP passage, and no one inspected her personal belongings.
Beneath the enormous dome hung rows upon rows of magical crystal chandeliers, illuminating the entire venue as brightly as daylight.
The air was filled with a faint blend of perfume, rich wine, and the aroma of various foods.
Men and women dressed in splendid attire gathered in small groups, their champagne glasses shimmering beneath the lights.
Before entering the hall, Hepburn suddenly stopped walking. As though speaking to herself, she softly asked:
“Miss Lina, tell me, if a person keeps acting, constantly playing a role... and plays it so well that everyone begins to equate the character with the actor herself...”
“In that case, do you think the character resembles her, or does she resemble the character more?”
Lina thought for a moment before answering:
“Actors are the ones who give film characters their souls. The soul always belongs to the actor. So I think that no matter whom an actor plays, they are still themselves in the end... Ah, of course, getting too immersed in a role isn't good either. After all, constantly playing someone else can be unpleasant at times.”
Hepburn smiled softly and gave a slight nod in response.
The moment Hepburn entered the hall with Lina at her side, the somewhat noisy entrance area immediately fell into brief silence.
Then countless gazes turned toward them like spotlights.
Hepburn's brilliance needed no explanation, but what surprised everyone was the unfamiliar black-haired girl beside her.
Lina walked at Hepburn's side with an indifferent expression. Her golden eyes stood out particularly vividly within the brilliantly lit hall.
Faced with the surrounding gazes—critical, inquisitive, and even jealous—Lina merely kept her chin slightly raised, not a trace of emotion visible on her face.
When she had no idea what expression to make, pretending to be cold and aloof solved everything. It was a valuable piece of experience she had accumulated in her previous life.
Whispers spread through the crowd like a rising tide.
“Who is that girl? She actually entered alongside Ms. Hepburn?”
“Never seen her before... Is she some newcomer? She looked pretty ordinary at first glance... but the more you look, the more presence she seems to have.”
“Judging from her outfit, it feels like the style of some classical musician... Why does it seem like a work by Master Isabella?”
“Very possible! Look at those eyes, that beauty mark beneath her eye... She's clearly walking on a red carpet, yet she looks like she's attending a funeral... That sense of distance! My goodness, it's so captivating.”
Listening to the not-at-all-quiet discussions around her, Lina remained calm on the surface while internally unleashing a torrent of complaints.
What do you mean by a funeral-like sense of distance? Believe it or not, I'll pull out a violin right now and make you attend your own funeral.
I'm just thinking that if that “Scarlet Dream Beneath the Moon” doesn't show up later, maybe I can slip out early and grab some late-night snacks!
But it doesn't matter. I'm not the only one here this time! Sibyl and Annie are here too! Hmph, with the three sisters united, we're invincible!
Just as Lina was preparing to find some cover from this relentless baptism of stares, her teammates suddenly began dropping out before the battle had even started.
“Ah, Lina, my apologies.”
Sibyl, who had maintained perfect poise the entire time, suddenly stopped. Her gaze landed on a group of nobles conversing in the distance, and her eyes flickered slightly.
“I saw an acquaintance. Please forgive my rudeness, but I must go greet them.”
As a noble young lady, an occasion like this was practically home territory for Sibyl.
She shot Lina an apologetic glance, then lifted her skirt and walked gracefully toward the nobles with a flawless social smile.
“Wow! A mountain of desserts!”
Before Lina could react, Annie let out an excited cry from the other side.
Her large gray eyes were fixed on a chocolate fountain tower nearly two meters tall in the corner of the hall, along with the surrounding towers of desserts.
“The dessert section over there seems to have a limited-edition ‘Cloud Soufflé’! Sister Lina, Sister Hepburn, I'll go ‘test it for poison’ for you!”
Having said that, Annie slipped away like a little bear that had caught the scent of honey, leaving behind only her cheerful retreating figure.
“...”
Lina looked at the suddenly empty space beside her, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.
Good grief, my troops hadn't even reached the battlefield yet and they'd all deserted!
Was this the famous Koberen specialty?!
Just as Lina was wondering whether she should take the opportunity to slip into a corner, the lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only a brilliant spotlight shining upon the red-carpeted stage at the center.
The noisy crowd instantly fell silent.
A host dressed in a tailcoat strode onto the stage with light steps, his clear voice amplified by magic and carried throughout the entire Crystal Palace.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to this dazzling night! In this age of sweeping change, we gather here not only for the upcoming World Expo, but also for the next leap forward of civilization!”
After a round of applause, the host enthusiastically waved his arm.
“Now, please allow me the honor of introducing several distinguished guests who have graced us with their presence this evening!”
As stirring orchestral music rang out, the first guest stepped into the spotlight.
“First, the guardian of this city of romance, the current Mayor of Gaul City—Mr. Jean Pierre!”
A slightly overweight middle-aged man with graying temples walked onto the stage with a smile.
He lacked the imposing aura of a person in power and instead gave off the approachable feeling of a friendly neighbor. He waved to the audience below, his smile so sincere that no fault could be found with it.
A textbook politician, Lina silently evaluated.
“Next, let us welcome our honored guest from the northern territories, Duchess Maria Petrovna of the Principality of Volgania!”
An elderly woman with silver hair and a deep purple velvet shawl slowly made her entrance.
Although she leaned on a sapphire-inlaid cane, her back remained perfectly straight. Behind her gentle smile lay the restraint and nobility unique to aristocrats.
“The next guest is the Vice President of ‘Moshan Heavy Industries’ from the Eastern Continent—Miss Lin Qingwan!”
The spotlight shifted, revealing an exceptionally young-looking woman.
She wore a sharply tailored modified black fitted suit with a dark red silk blouse underneath. Her long hair was tied high behind her head.
Facing countless cameras and gazes from below, her eyes were as sharp as blades, showing not the slightest trace of nervousness. Her entire bearing radiated competence and efficiency.
“Moshan Heavy Industries...” Lina narrowed her eyes. “So this is that technology company that's trying to send people into the sky using magitech thrusters? I didn't expect the vice president to be this young.”
“And now, the brightest jewel of the evening, the ‘White Tulip’ cherished by countless admirers, and the ambassador of tonight's banquet—Miss Roland Hepburn!”
The applause instantly rose by an entire octave.
Hepburn blinked apologetically at Lina before lifting the hem of her light-blue dress and gracefully turning toward the stage.
She smiled and greeted the audience.
“And finally...”
The host's voice became especially solemn.
“Please give a warm welcome to a guest from the City of Magic, Celestis—the General Manager of the ‘Arcana Group,’ holder of the world's core magitech walker circuitry technology—Mr. August von Heinrich!”
An elderly man dressed in a classical dark-gray mage's formal robe slowly walked onto the stage.
His hair was gray and meticulously groomed. A gold-rimmed monocle covered his right eye, while a mithril pocket watch rested in his hand.
Standing on the stage, the old man cast an indifferent gaze over the audience below.
However, when his eyes swept across the dessert section in a corner of the hall, they suddenly froze.
Beside the enormous chocolate fountain tower, Annie was standing on tiptoe, trying to reach a strawberry cake from the very top.
Because she had been eating too quickly, a bit of white cream still clung to the corner of her mouth.
As if sensing someone's gaze, Annie instinctively raised her head.
Across the crowd and half the hall, those pure, innocent eyes met the old man's gaze on the stage.
“?!”
The General Manager of Arcana Group, a man renowned for his composure, experienced a momentary twitch in his expression.