Chapter 1077: 64. The Piercing White
“We’re here? Our luck’s really that good? We arrived with a single space jump?”
Ariel slapped her cheeks, her aura surging outward and blasting away the dust covering her body. She opened her eyes and discovered she truly had arrived in Belrand.
She had lived here for over ten years. Nearly every street and alley contained traces of her footsteps. She knew this city intimately. In fact, she barely needed to confirm anything at all. Just from the moisture carried in the breeze blowing from the riverside, she could roughly tell which district she was standing in.
“For once, Teacher’s teleportation actually worked.”
“Don’t thank me. That was your own ridiculous luck. Even odds that tiny somehow succeeded.”
Peles sighed emotionally.
Using long-distance space magic without precise coordinates—even if the target was Belrand, a place both of them knew extremely well—was still no different from blindfolding yourself and trying to shoot a target a thousand meters away.
The success rate spoke for itself.
Which was why Peles normally refused to use space magic for travel. But Ariel had insisted this time. Every other method was too slow, and if something truly happened to Muen, then after two or three days there wouldn’t even be cold leftovers left for them to collect.
And yet somehow...
This attempt had landed with absurd precision.
“Hmph hmph, this is the power of love!”
Ariel clenched her fists, her little face filled with excitement—no, determination.
“I can practically hear poor Muen crying out for help already! I have to go save him immediately!”
That’s right.
Just like the hero in a story.
Descending from the heavens, rescuing a beautiful girl from danger, winning her affection, and then living a shamelessly happy life together—
Hm?
Wait.
Why did saying that suddenly feel weird?
“Sigh, fine, fine. Since you’re in such a hurry, stop wasting time and go find your beloved man already.”
Peles sighed again at how girls changed once they grew up. Previously, whenever she used a spell this exhausting, Ariel would immediately ask how she was doing first.
Now all she could think about was her lover.
Damn it.
So this was what it felt like when someone stole your precious cabbage?
“But you should be careful. This place is a little troublesome.”
Even while grieving internally, Peles still warned the cabbage that was currently very eager to be devoured by a certain yellow-haired pig.
“A little troublesome?”
Ariel blinked.
“Haven’t you realized yet? This isn’t an ordinary district.”
Peles narrowed her eyes, releasing her soul perception outward.
Especially toward the enormous restriction beneath their feet. Even in its currently inactive state, it still made her heart race uneasily.
“This is... the Imperial Palace.”
“The palace?”
Peles’s words hit like thunder. Ariel was startled, but still found it difficult to believe.
“No way. How could we possibly land somewhere like that in one jump?”
Leaving everything else aside, the Imperial Palace possessed special protections. Was it really the sort of place ordinary space magic could casually infiltrate?
Back during the noble rebellion, the control core for the palace’s forbidden spell formation had supposedly been one of the key objectives everyone fought over. Without that thing, anyone inside the palace would have their power heavily suppressed unless granted permission by the Emperor.
Yet she currently felt no suppression whatsoever.
“Teacher, since when did you start joking around? Arriving directly in Belrand already counts as insanely good luck. There’s no way we could’ve also landed in the pa— hm?”
Ariel sniffed the air.
“Sniff sniff... wait. The humidity today is strange. Not the Lower District, not the city center either. Humidity this comfortable and air this clean... in my memories, there’s only one place...”
Her eyes widened.
“Don’t tell me we actually got that lucky.”
“If you want to know whether it’s true, why not just look?”
Peles casually waved a hand, and the thick bushes before Ariel silently parted.
In an instant, brilliant lights flooded into Ariel’s vision like a tide. An unknown number of magic crystals illuminated a vast open space beyond the gardens.
The distance was too great to hear much clearly, but countless figures could still be seen hurrying back and forth across the square, busily occupied with something.
But none of that was what truly stopped Ariel’s breathing.
Behind those lights, hidden in shadow, stood an enormous palace complex crouching like some colossal beast, coldly watching all who approached.
“...All right. I get it.”
Ariel immediately yanked the bushes closed again, expression blank.
This really was the Imperial Palace.
And judging from the location, they had likely landed directly in the central court near the palace core.
Even in her memories, she had only visited this place a handful of times. As one of the Imperial Family’s primary living areas, outsiders were forbidden from entering—
Or even approaching—
Without invitation from the Imperial Family or permission from the supreme ruler herself.
Approaching alone was punishable by death.
“Damn it... things got exciting immediately? Teacher, your magic’s way too insane. Is this really somewhere people can casually enter?”
Ariel bared her teeth awkwardly, beginning to feel that the situation was turning dangerous.
Even if she had some degree of friendship with the current Empress—and had once even entertained thoughts of seducing her—
Showing up uninvited like this would still probably earn her a charge of trespassing into the Imperial Palace even if they didn’t execute her as an assassin.
She wasn’t afraid of being convicted.
But getting arrested before accomplishing anything would completely ruin her plans to heroically save the beauty—
No, save Muen.
“I already told you this was your absurd luck, so how can you blame my magic?”
Peles shrugged.
“Isn’t the Imperial Empress that guy’s fiancée? After you rescue him, just ask him to put in a good word for you.”
“That relationship is exactly what makes this dangerous!”
Ariel secretly opened another tiny gap in the bushes to observe the surroundings again.
“You think Celicia wouldn’t take advantage of a perfect opportunity like this to eliminate me? Honestly, I finally understand something now. Every single woman around Muen is dangerous. Every last one of them. Liya included!”
“......”
Peles was speechless.
She had almost forgotten they were technically rivals now.
Wonderful. Now panic actually was appropriate.
This was the Imperial Palace, complete with forbidden spells. If the Emperor wanted to crush an outsider here, it would be no harder than crushing a bug.
“Damn it... am I about to place myself in danger before even rescuing Muen? I— hm?”
While carefully observing the surroundings, Ariel suddenly let out a surprised sound.
“What now?”
“Teacher, don’t you think something’s strange?”
“Strange? You mean the forbidden spell formation being inactive?”
“No, not that.”
After confirming the area was safe, Ariel widened the gap in the bushes slightly so Peles could also see the distant scene.
“That open area over there—or rather, that plaza. Aren’t there way too many people? Since when is the Imperial Palace this lively?”
“They’re probably preparing for a banquet. Isn’t that normal? You’ve attended noble banquets in the palace before.”
“That’s exactly why it feels strange. Every single one of those people looks like they’re about to drop dead from exhaustion. This definitely isn’t some ordinary banquet!”
Ariel narrowed her eyes and directly cast a vision-enhancing spell.
The scene instantly became clearer.
Under the illumination of the magic crystals, several hundred people crowded the plaza before the palace.
In her memories, that area used to be a lawn or entertainment space for important figures to stroll through. But now everything unnecessary had been dismantled to free up as much room as possible.
At first glance, it did resemble preparations for some kind of banquet.
But music, dancing, elaborate decorations, delicacies prepared by master chefs—
None of the elements a banquet should possess existed there.
People rushed everywhere with hurried footsteps. The only visible figures were exhausted workers dressed in practical clothing, looking seconds away from sudden death. Even the women had temporarily changed into short men’s work outfits, clearly racing desperately against time.
And that was the problem.
Even if these people truly were preparing some special banquet, what sort of banquet in the world required this level of urgency?
This wasn’t some battle to steal a man where arriving a little late meant your beloved would get eaten clean by another woman.
So something was absolutely suspicious here.
“I’m going to investigate.”
Ariel quickly made her decision.
“You’re sure?”
Peles was startled.
“You haven’t forgotten where we are, right? There are people everywhere. The risk of exposure isn’t low.”
“Of course I know it’s dangerous. But precisely because we’re in danger, shouldn’t we be brave?”
Ariel’s expression hardened with determination.
“Retreating all the time isn’t my style!”
“But the palace’s forbidden spell isn’t active right now. Sneaking out wouldn’t be difficult at all. There’s no need to take risks or act brave.”
“......”
Ariel fell silent for a moment before stiffening her face stubbornly again.
“Retreating all the time isn’t my style!”
“......”
Peles rubbed her forehead helplessly.
“This is because of your intuition again, isn’t it?”
“...Kind of.”
The determination on Ariel’s face suddenly collapsed. She pressed a hand to her chest.
“I suddenly feel like there’s a reason fate sent me here specifically. If I leave now, I’ll probably regret it more than anything later.”
“So you’re not rescuing Muen Campbell anymore?”
“My intuition says... those two things aren’t contradictory.”
“...Fine.”
After another long, habitual sigh, Peles smiled warmly.
“Then go ahead. I’m already used to your reckless gambling style anyway.”
“But I always win, don’t I?”
Ariel placed her hands proudly on her hips.
“......Don’t forget you once lost two months’ worth of food expenses to Muen Campbell. Or the childhood sweetheart you spent ten years with. And...”
Peles’s gaze turned meaningful.
“Yourself.”
“That was an accident!”
Ariel bared her little tiger teeth, cheeks reddening slightly.
That’s right.
An accident.
...But in this world, she had only ever experienced one accident.
...
...
“Temporary chapel construction: complete. Important note: absolutely no statues of the Goddess allowed.”
“Selection of priest: complete. Important note: cannot be clergy from the Church of Sophemia, and secrecy must be guaranteed.”
“Flower arrangements: complete. Important note: only existing flowers from the Royal Gardens may be used, or flowers force-grown on-site by the Royal Mage Corps. Large-scale market purchases are prohibited.”
At the edge of the bustling plaza, a stern-looking man in gold-rimmed glasses glanced at the flower samples on the table before looking toward the Royal Mage standing before him.
The man had dark circles under his eyes, protruding cheekbones, sunken eye sockets, and the appearance of someone who had been violently drained dry by a tigress at home for three days and nights straight.
“Mhm. You’ve all done excellent work.”
The man nodded approvingly and wrote “Verified, no issues” at the end of the flower section.
“Late-night meals are being distributed one hundred meters to the left. Magic crystals for mana recovery are being distributed one hundred meters to the right. Coffee beans are being distributed beh—”
“I... want... rest...”
The zombie-like Royal Mage squeezed out a mournful groan from his throat.
The man continued smiling calmly.
“Late-night meals are one hundred meters left. Magic crystals are one hundred meters right. Coffee beans may be collected behind you...”
“I want...”
“Tonight’s overtime bonus is also being distributed simultaneously. Fifty thousand Aimier. Royal Mages additionally receive a special bonus of another fifty thousand...”
The Royal Mage’s entire body shook violently.
“What coffee? That would only waste valuable working time! Please allow me to continue working!”
“Then please clean up the leftover waste materials from the site. Remember, absolutely no trash leaving the palace may allow outsiders to notice anything suspicious.”
“Understood. I’ll transport the garbage out of the city overnight... by flight.”
Whoosh!
The Royal Mage shot into the sky instantly. A violent gust swept outward as he disappeared into the night carrying a mountain of garbage.
“Amazing...”
Watching this scene, the man could not help sighing in admiration.
“As expected of the elite Royal Mage Corps.”
I wish I could become that outstanding too...
Then I could work even more overtime, stay awake even longer, and continuously heal myself with magic while working without ever fearing sudden death again.
The man continued fantasizing happily while still writing rapidly, quickly marking the garbage disposal section as complete.
Another task finished.
Human potential truly was limitless.
When these plans had first been proposed, almost everyone believed they were impossible.
Yet under Her Majesty’s brilliant leadership...
And sufficiently overwhelming overtime pay...
Not a single task had fallen behind schedule.
At this rate, this unprecedented grand ceremony would absolutely take place exactly on time—
And shock the world.
“Just thinking about it is exciting.”
The man casually grabbed a handful of coffee beans and chewed them dry. Accompanied by the bitterness—which now barely tasted bitter to him anymore—he moved on to the next task.
Next, he needed to—
“H-Hello...”
A timid voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
The man looked up in confusion and saw a filthy young girl standing before him in palace maid clothing. She was clearly covered in grime from recent work and looked at him nervously.
“H-Hello, I wanted to ask something...”
The girl wasn’t particularly beautiful, but her eyes were bright like a stray kitten found on the roadside, instinctively awakening both pity and—
“You’ve been slacking off?”
The man’s tone suddenly darkened with anger.
“Eh?”
The girl froze.
“I-I haven’t...”
“Haven’t slacked off? Impossible! Everyone here has already been working nonstop for dozens of hours. If you weren’t slacking off, your eyes couldn’t possibly still be this bright! Look at him if you don’t believe me!”
The man casually grabbed a worker passing nearby. The exhausted worker looked up blankly, revealing utterly lifeless dead-fish eyes.
“Is there more work?”
“No, apologies. I only needed you for demonstration purposes.”
“Oh. Then I’ll continue.”
The man’s movements and reactions had already become sluggish like a sloth, yet his footsteps remained steady.
His determination toward overtime remained unwavering.
“Understand now?”
The man adjusted his glasses.
“That’s what someone seriously devoted to overtime should look like!”
“......”
The girl’s lips parted slightly. She stared silently, unable to comprehend such a mental state.
Only after seemingly receiving some reminder did she finally snap back to reality.
“Th-Then... I’m not slacking off. The reason I haven’t become like... like you people yet...”
She swallowed nervously.
“Is because I’m new here!”
“New?”
The stern man looked her up and down suspiciously.
“Wasn’t it already decided there would be no additional reinforcements? Why is there suddenly a newcomer?”
“Well...”
The girl hesitated awkwardly.
“I was originally working elsewhere in the palace. You understand, right? Even if manpower is scarce, someone still has to maintain the palace’s basic operations.”
“For example, Her Majesty still needs meals and things like that...”
“Oh. So you’re one of the kitchen girls.”
The stern man nodded in realization.
“No wonder you’re still wearing your original outfit. But sending even the palace cooks over... Her Majesty’s determination truly runs deep.”
“Exactly! I personally represent Her Majesty’s determination!”
The girl clapped enthusiastically in agreement.
Though she had absolutely no clue what that determination actually was.
“Still, kitchen staff aren’t particularly needed here right now. As you can see, people truly devoted to overtime don’t even have time to eat late-night meals.”
The stern man rapidly flipped through a roster. Although his own eyes had long since become lifeless as well, at least his glasses still reflected a faint gleam, preventing him from resembling an actual corpse.
After thinking briefly, he nodded.
“All right. Go assist the tailoring division. The men’s formalwear project started the latest, so their schedule is the most urgent. They need manpower the most.”
“The tailoring division?”
“Oh, the tailoring division is—”
“Mr. Wilder!”
Someone suddenly shouted from nearby before the man could finish.
“The props division says they need more raw materials delivered immediately! They’re short on colored magic crystals for decoration!”
“Understood! I’m coming immediately!”
The man instantly broke into a sprint, shouting over his shoulder while running:
“Kitchen girl! The tailoring division is down that corridor and then right! Hurry over!”
“Eh? Couldn’t you be a little more specific—”
“There are only two rooms there anyway! You’ll know when you arrive! And remember—without permission, do NOT touch anything already completed inside!”
“I-Is that so...”
The girl’s cheeks twitched violently.
Was everyone here seriously this rushed? Couldn’t he at least finish explaining first?
What the hell was this place?
Some evil blood-and-sweat factory?
Compared to this place, even those black-hearted factories in the Lower District making people work over ten hours a day seemed cheerful and relaxing.
“Hurry up!”
Even while panting from exhaustion, the man still remembered to urge her onward.
“...Got it!”
The fact these people hadn’t all died from overwork yet truly demonstrated how skilled the Empire’s doctors and mages were.
...
...
A few minutes later, the girl finally arrived at the corridor the man mentioned.
After checking both directions and confirming nobody else was nearby, she vigorously rubbed her face.
The dirt stains and freckles instantly peeled away beneath her fingers.
Her true, beautiful appearance emerged, complementing the flowers lining the hallway.
“...Phew. Didn’t expect infiltrating this place to be so easy.”
Ariel let out a sigh of relief.
“With that many people and such chaotic preparation, honestly, I was fully prepared to get discovered and immediately run for my life.”
“Most of them are ordinary people. And after working overtime to that extent, they probably don’t have enough mental energy left to guard against intruders.”
Peles’s voice emerged from the ancient ring.
“Hah. Now I understand why the palace’s forbidden spell formation remains inactive. If they couldn’t continuously heal themselves with magic, every single one of them would already be dead from exhaustion.”
“That’s exactly why I think something’s strange. If this were only for some noble banquet, would they really push themselves this hard?”
Ariel crouched down and toyed with the flowers lining the corridor.
Even for the Imperial Palace, decorating indoor hallways with this many flowers was excessive. It clearly meant they were preparing for some special occasion.
As for what kind of special occasion...
“I’ll find out myself!”
Ariel snorted and strode deeper into the corridor.
Logically speaking, after infiltrating successfully, she should now improvise freely.
Yet she still chose the path the man pointed her toward.
Because her intuition told her—
The answer she wanted lay there.
“We’re here.”
The corridor was short, and they quickly reached the end.
Just as the man described, there was one door on each side.
“Which one should I enter?”
Ariel thought for a moment.
Actually, there wasn’t much to think about.
She had always relied on intuition and luck to reach this point.
So this time...
She would continue following tradition.
Ariel pulled out a silver coin and casually flipped it upward.
This time, she didn’t bother guessing heads or tails.
Instead, her eyes followed the coin carefully.
She watched it rise.
Watched it fall.
Watched it spin and roll across the floor—
Before finally stopping before one particular door.
“This is the one. Hmph. Let’s see what exactly you people are planning.”
Without hesitation, Ariel pushed the door open.
An ordinary room.
Like hundreds of other rooms within this palace, aside from its luxurious classical decorations and a spaciousness large enough to fit an ordinary person’s entire house, nothing about it initially seemed unusual.
The room was extremely dark. Aside from the section illuminated by corridor light near the entrance, little else could be seen.
Still, its emptiness was obvious.
Ariel immediately swept the room with perception magic.
Nothing unusual.
“...Did I guess wrong?”
She muttered softly.
Rustle.
At that moment, a night breeze suddenly stirred the curtains on the far side of the room.
Yet Ariel felt no airflow whatsoever.
It was as though something stood directly in front of her.
“Illumination.”
She rubbed her fingertips together, creating light.
The room brightened completely.
And then—
She saw clouds.
Actual clouds.
As though the softest, purest clouds in the heavens had been plucked from the sky and placed within this room. Everywhere she looked was intoxicating white.
Smooth, delicate white silk cascaded downward in endless layers. Every transition between folds was perfectly natural, impossibly exquisite. Each embroidered pattern looked painstakingly crafted, like birds gliding through clouds or raindrops descending from the heavens themselves.
The clouds flowed downward like a waterfall, filling nearly half the room.
The sheer purity of it made entering feel sacrilegious.
And when Ariel finally looked upward again—
At the summit of those cloud-like layers, dazzling stars surrounded flawless moonlight.
Above the jewel-adorned waistline...
Beyond the untouched silk waiting to be lifted...
Lay another layer of hazy white veil.
The sight stabbed painfully into her eyes.
“This...”
Ariel whispered in disbelief.
“A wedding dress?”