Chapter 683: Descent
"Seems like the Church of the Lord of the Secrets is making its move as well..." Ceres murmured under her breath as she recognized the three figures weaving through the town.
Ceres, the third princess of the Milton Kingdom's Royal Family, had been dispatched by her father on a mission to establish ties with the burgeoning force within the Cursed Forest of the Ruri Kingdom.
Over the past six months, rumors of a mysterious castle and an immortal being dwelling within its walls had permeated the region, drawing the attention of numerous factions and organizations.
However, amidst the growing allure of this enigmatic power, the machinations of the Arcane Bureau had shrouded the path to contacting the Immortal in secrecy. They had thwarted the efforts of these organizations, and even their Councils had been involved in ensuring that the Immortal in the castle would live in peace...
As a result, they were forced to deploy only a handful of emissaries, hoping to evade the Bureau's scrutiny and make covert overtures toward the Immortal's domain.
Ceres' personal knight nodded after hearing her words.
After all, they also noticed other groups of Elite Arcanists in this town over the past few days.
"We have to be careful... I think that the Immortal had probably noticed that we've gathered here."
As word of the mysterious castle and the enigmatic Immortal within its walls spread, it wasn't really surprising that representatives from various organizations began to converge on this small town, each with their own agenda.
Ceres sighed at this as she recalled the people from various organizations.
"We already confirmed four other organizations in this town... This is quite vexing..."
The Knights Faction, or the Order of the Faith Guardians, had sent Sir Roland, a stalwart knight, on a mission to purchase items from the mysterious Merchant Airship.
However, Ceres knew that it wasn't just that... They were certainly here to make contact with the Immortal.
Sir Roland was accompanied by Lady Elara, a wise and compassionate cleric known for her healing abilities. She may not have had a high position in the Knight Faction at this time, but she was an important figure nonetheless.
Their presence signaled the Order was serious about meeting the Immortal.
There was also Sir Geoffrey, a Dragon Warrior of the Combat Arts Faction. He was joined by the cunning and skilled Lady Isolde, known for her strategic prowess... Together, they sought to unravel the mysteries surrounding the castle and its Immortal resident.
"They dared to send their people here, but they won't send people to hunt the Dark Arts Practitioners." Ceres couldn't help but remark after recalling how these two factions no longer cared about the existence of the Dark Arts Practitioners.
"I'm afraid these two factions will offend the Immortal..." Ceres' knight commented as he knew the behaviors of the Knights and Combat Arts Faction.
Nevertheless, there are still other organizations that they believe could really catch Immortal's interest.
One of them was the Order of the Prime Wisemen of the Rune Arts Faction.
Master Thorne, a sage with extensive knowledge of ancient runes and arcane lore, and his apprentice, the young and talented Arcanist Melisa, were somehow in this town, waiting for the Merchant Airship.
As the small town buzzed with the arrival of these esteemed representatives, a few days quickly passed, and two other organizations, the Shadow Consortium and the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Serpent, quietly made their presence known within the small town!
Ceres doesn't know much about these two Organizations. She was only aware that they were organizations based in the Milton Kingdom that mainly deal with Arcanist-Related Items.
This was especially the Shadow Consortium, which largely controlled the production of the high-tier Talisman Paper.
On the other hand, the Brotherhood was known for its security services and its control over a specific herb used by many alchemists to create potions that expelled foreign arcane energy from the body.
Their motives remained shrouded in mystery, and Ceres had no idea what would happen once they met the people from the Immortal's Castle.
***
A week had come and gone just like that, and anticipation hung heavy in the air as the fabled Merchant Airship made its long-
awaited appearance in the sky.
"It's finally here..." Maya murmured as she looked at the sky. She was in her room, just looking out the window.
"It's late, but I guess they have to make preparations when meeting so many representatives from other organizations." Princess Ceres remarked as she finished her cup of tea.
The vessel, an awe-inspiring sight to behold, was adorned with intricate gilded engravings and billowing sails that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.
Whom~
Its arrival was heralded by the low hum of its powerful engines and the grandeur of its majestic silhouette against the horizon.
As the airship gracefully descended, it navigated its way to the designated dockyard on the outskirts of the town, where a crowd had already gathered to witness the extraordinary arrival.
Onlookers craned their necks, their eyes fixed on the impressive vessel as it gently settled into place, its arrival accompanied by a sense of anticipation and wonder.
Many of them were children who could rarely see such a magnificent sight.
"It's really cool... I want to ride that someday."
"I hope they can let us experience boarding that airship..."
"I feel like we're witnessing high-ranking nobles visiting our town and not some merchants."
"You're right... Their presence is just too amazing."
"Wait---What's that?!"
"Ahh..."
As the townspeople eagerly awaited the emergence of the merchants from the airship, a hushed murmur rippled through the crowd as a remarkable sight unfolded before their eyes.
Instead of the expected merchants, a retinue of twenty humanoid figures, each crafted from gleaming metal and clad in resplendent knight's regalia, descended from the airship's gangplank.
Their movements were precise and disciplined. Their presence exudes an aura of unwavering loyalty and formidable strength!
"Metal Soldiers?"
"What's going on?"
"No, it's Iron Golem?!"
They could only guess what they were seeing at this point!
Then, amidst the guardians stood a single lady with black and white hair radiating an air of grace and authority that commanded attention.
Her noble bearing and enigmatic gaze hinted at a formidable presence, and the townspeople watched in awe as she descended from the airship.