Chapter 329

Chapter 329: The Position of the Crown Prince, Lapis Lazuli Radiant Dragon, Honey Xuan’s Question

Intracastral Sea.

The gap at the space-time singularity roiled violently, wrapped in the rainbow light of Historical Echoes that constantly collapsed. The central lake bubbled as if boiling, drawing in streams of light from all directions, only calming down slowly after the last magical girl entered.

Esther stood as if in God’s perspective, looking down at the changes in the Ideal State. Outside the Imperial Capital Yves Saint Laurent, the area was blurring and solidifying like waves, dense with energy particles that filled the universe, like a rushing tsunami.

The sea of gold recorded in the history books also experienced this ongoing activation phenomenon, gradually tracing back to its original time, beginning to form a liquid illusion corridor beyond the atmosphere.

Within it flowed mysterious, fluffy patterns, interpreting ancient covenants in the Empire’s ancient script, evidently the Golden Law forged by the Divine Emperor.

At this point, countless beings, countless crystallizations of civilizations, and the bittersweet moments of the past resonated together in the harmony of the Intracastral Sea.

The 1578th year of the Sacred Era.

Imperial Capital, Yves Saint Laurent.

Chu Yuanqing suddenly came to her senses as she stepped back onto the streets of the capital, flying through the paying lanes in the Alchemical Airship, witnessing the flourishing scene of various races on the continent, the towering Sage Tower reaching the clouds, and the awe-inspiring Tree of Thought.

That was the cornerstone of the empire’s civilization, the essence of the Holy Sophon, a creation of the emperor that broke the divine era; even standing at an inconspicuous street corner, one could glimpse this massive wonder, moving between the clouds, leading to the grandeur of the Golden Sea.

It is said that when the Holy Sophon did not yet sleep, the vast Imperial Capital, which housed millions of people, would be shrouded in the illusory yet golden branches of thought, receiving protection from the emperor.

Whether practicing magic or embarking on other extraordinary paths, one could enjoy a wonderful enhancement that surpassed the outside world a hundredfold, truly a holy place for humanity.

Now, the Tree of Thought, which represented the Holy Sophon, remained only as an unreachable shadow, like a mirage fixed in the atmosphere, no longer bearing the supreme glory of the emperor’s time.

Chu Yuanqing approached a shop selling magic energy furniture, looking at the reflection of herself in the window: her pure hair was braided in a cool style, her frosty golden eyes exquisite like a face granted by the emperor, radiating a touch of beauty.

Inside the window, a customer raised their eyes to this scene, momentarily stunned, then quickly lowered their head, expressing a deep respect that touched the bone.

The girl wore a small suit from the Yves Saint Laurent Academy; on her prominent, full curves, she pinned a gemstone feather brooch symbolizing her grade, while the other side was woven with gold thread to represent the academy emblem of the Divine Emperor, elegant and noble, with an extraordinary demeanor.

"Lucy Tiffany."

"The most outstanding new generation magician of Chalkiness Tower, the student council guildmaster of Yves Saint Laurent, an alchemy genius who reveals some mysteries of the magical god techniques, the only daughter of Duke Tiffany, and the next ruler of the Oath Family…"

Chu Yuanqing was processing the information randomly assigned to her and was beginning to feel a dull headache. Although having a high position was good, this identity seemed too noble, didn’t it?

Chalkiness Tower represented the core of the academy’s power, and the Tiffany family was one of the three great Oath Families. In an era without the emperor and with Holy Sophon in slumber, the combination of both was like piecing together a path to the crown prince.

Yes, the crown prince.

After the disappearance of the Divine Emperor, this position had been vacant for over a thousand years, managed for a long time by Holy Sophon. After their slumber, the power to control the nation was handed over to the Three Tower Masters of Yves Saint Laurent, the three dukes of the Oath Family.

Before falling asleep, Holy Sophon left behind a rule.

As long as one gained the recognition of half of them, they could obtain the right to be crowned and ascend to the position of crown prince, free from the constraints of imperial law, making decisions through their own strength.

In other words, the violent mechanism created by Holy Sophon would not act against the crown prince. As long as he had the ability, he could even kill the Tower Masters and dukes to seize power directly.

The most interesting thing was that if the crown prince could gain the collective recognition of the Three Tower Masters, and even obtain most of the Holy Sophon’s powers, he could sit on the supreme throne that had been empty since the empire’s founding.

Therefore, based on this simple yet complex condition, over the past thousand years, very few had gained the right to be crowned and become the crown prince—just a handful could be counted on one hand.

Chu Yuanqing’s current identity—Lucy Tiffany—was precisely the one with the greatest hope of approaching this position in contemporary times.

However…

If she could truly become the crown prince and even sit on the throne, she should be able to efficiently bring the alchemy and magic systems of this civilization back to the Countermeasures Bureau, right?

Moreover, training the younger generation would also be much easier, as she could fully use the resources of the entire empire for the highest level of elite training.

It’s a pity she can only stay here for 15 days; in such a complicated web of power, having this little time to gain the support of a Tower Master or a Duke is just a dream, not to mention anything else.

After all, those who fear the crown prince the most are the powerful figures who can grant the right to be crowned.

If they could, who would want someone above them who can decide their fate?

So can be given the position of the crown prince.

Either they are so charming that they can persuade others with their words, promising greater benefits, making them into unique leaders.

Or they are seen as completely harmless, considered puppets that can be controlled, who will create greater value when pushed into a higher position.

Lucy Tiffany should belong to the latter.

But even a weak little rabbit, once it gains the authority of Holy Sophon, can wield terrifying power and instantly become a ruler that looks down upon the world.

This brings the topic back; unless one wants to die by not doing this, why create a living father for themselves?

Chu Yuanqing gathered her thoughts. Following the memories given by Historical Echoes, she walked toward her own Alchemist Workshop located in Chalkiness Tower.

And because her status was too distinguished, she did not receive as many flowers and flirtations on the way as before, only numerous respectful and admiring gazes.

Chu Yuanqing wove a code with a strand of silver light, passed the verification of the magic energy lock, entered the Alchemist Workshop, and took a drawer full of storage rings.

The things neatly placed in the gaps are all used to hold alchemy materials and magic energy ores.

However, since the family and the White Tower have a giant secret vault just for her use, the storage ring is only for temporary use, and it’s mostly empty now, so it’s better to share it with the other little idols.

"Charlotte doesn’t need to worry; I wonder how Little Shu and Liuli are doing; they should all be in the Imperial Capital, right?"

Chu Yuanqing changed into some plain clothes; as she sorted through the memories of Historical Echoes, she couldn’t help but mumble anxiously. She put on her heavy glasses, wrapped herself in a robe that covered her figure, looking like a reclusive magician, and walked out of Chalkiness Tower.

Even though she couldn’t find anyone else, Esther, as the opener, would not change her identity; she was still the professor in charge of teaching, so her location was easy to find.

As long as you use Alchemy Crysta to connect to the Ley Line, you can easily access the "official website" of Yves Saint Laurent Academy to find Esther’s class schedule and plan an offline ambush.

Chu Yuanqing told the little idols this method, and the other magical girls led by Esther were the same.

So, in theory, as long as one gets the status of a student and qualifies to enter Yves Saint Laurent Academy, the same method can be used to gather, even if you don’t have Alchemy Crysta; asking classmates is also very convenient.

But considering that the entire Yves Saint Laurent Academy is the empire’s, and even humanity’s, top school, those who come here are elite among elites, and usually, fewer than ten new students enroll each year.

Among them, the three tall towers accept only a hundred new students each year.

This means that, even after many years of graduation, the total number of students is less than one hundred thousand, and over three thousand reserve witches want to enter, which is not very realistic unless they replace all the new students at once.

Chu Yuanqing began to pray for her lovely daughter, hoping that the child would not be sent to a remote corner of the Fanol Continent; just imagining that scene made her feel worried.

You see, Little Shu always travels far with someone by her side.

Thinking about it carefully, this child has never gone out alone, and her magic skills are still clumsy; she is nowhere near ready to wander around in another world by herself!

Even if she wouldn’t die, what would happen if she was bullied, scared, or hungry and cold, or faced troubles?

The Pure White Witch frowned tightly, and the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t help but worry.

No, I must confirm immediately whether my daughter is at the academy; if she isn’t, I will use the Tiffany family’s influence to find her quickly.

…

…

At the same time.

Fanol Continent, Kingdom of Fez, Flower Ridge.

This was a land that bordered the empire. In a time when humanity was unified under a centralized system, such "division" was considered a rebellious act against the laws of the empire.

However, decades ago, the empire and the capital accepted its existence.

The reason was that the rulers here represented one of the central powers of the empire, inherited the magic of flowers, and made a pact with the Lapis Lazuli Radiant Dragon: the Fez family.

A hundred years ago, the Fez family, shining like the morning star, along with the other two Oath Families, were all established in the capital of the empire. However, in an accident, the previous duke and the Lapis Lazuli Radiant Dragon met with a tragic end.

After a struggle for power, the remaining family members, determined to burn everything rather than surrender, left the capital as a whole.

Normally, when the struggle for power ended like this, one would surely exit the stage of history, and hoping to leave unscathed was nothing but a dream.

But the Empire’s council had six seats, and to hold part of the power of the Holy Sophon and keep this huge entity running, the three Tower Masters and the Three Oaths were all indispensable.

Thus, after a long exchange of interests, the Fez family established a nation at the edge of the Empire, far from the center of power, enjoying wealth and luxury, sending one direct descendant each generation to inherit the title of duke and act as a "puppet" in the capital.

At this moment, the prosperous city of art was filled with the sounds of laughter and joy from the people, lit by the brilliant light of the Golden Sea, shining upon the porcelain-white royal city, where countless flowers danced in the air like flying dragons.

In the center of the flower feast that stretched across the entire city stood a kind and noble old aristocrat; behind him was a holy and beautiful dragon, its feathers radiant like Liuli and majestic like emerald, symbolizing his noble status.

The duke looked at his successor in front of him, showing a sincere smile as he blessed her, saying:

"The legacy of flowers never fades."

"Aisha, from this day forth, may the light of your vow shine upon you, in the name of Olga Fez, inheriting your duke’s position. May the gaze of the Divine Emperor watch over you."

Tang Liuli raised her innocent and confused green eyes in bewilderment; she looked at this strange old man and the surreal giant dragon, her head buzzing with the deafening cheers and praises.

Oh, who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do? What is happening now?

The overwhelming amount of information, along with the surreal scenes and the intense gaze that felt too frightening for someone with social anxiety, made her mind go blank, and her little legs trembled beneath her dress.

Soon, this grand duke, who had inherited the title of oath, hunched down in a weak and helpless way before accepting the flowers and ring offered by the other person, like a pitiful little kitten.

The environment was so unfamiliar that Liuli Cat, being socially anxious, didn’t dare to act overly excited. Instead, she turned into a grayish-white statue, entering a state of pretending to be dead.

Olga, as the former grand duke, was startled at first after seeing this reaction, then showed a look of amazement. His wise eyes seemed to say that this child had great potential, and in his heart, he sighed with relief:

"Aisha, my dear granddaughter, you truly are remarkable! Have you been preparing since the beginning of your succession? The Fez family needs someone like you, who possesses true wisdom and understands patience."

"Only this way can the family quietly gather strength and have a chance to regain its former status."

The more Olga looked at this child, the more he liked her, but due to the likely presence of spies around, he frowned and pretended to be heartbroken, scolding her for a long time in public.

During this time, the socially anxious cat stood still, only trembling now and then to let everyone know she was still alive, bringing joy to the old man’s heart.

It wasn’t until the old man pretended for a while longer that Tang Liuli finally absorbed the memories given by the Historical Echoes and understood the current situation.

The girl gathered her courage, her eyes filled with tears, took the flower ring, and ran back to the royal city, shutting herself in her room, rolling on the bed in shame.

This was the moment when social anxiety led her to solitude, and she couldn’t help but start recalling her memories, torturing herself.

Tang Liuli felt she was too embarrassed just now; she had let herself be confused and was not at all the charming and graceful person she had imagined.

How annoying! I must make that old man erase my embarrassing past!

Although Dream Weaver Rabbit had given all the young idols in training a little spell to prevent spies, to avoid attracting the attention of the natives from Otherworld, this magic was very weak and did not work on people they knew.

So, I absolutely cannot let Little Shu see me; otherwise, I will lose all my face and respect as a senior!

Tang Liuli flipped through the settings of Historical Echoes, confirmed that Aisha Fez had a good relationship with her grandfather, then pulled out the Alchemy Crysta decorated with a floral border, clicked into her contacts, hesitated for a long time, and edited a text message.

[Grandpa, what happened just now was an accident; please never let this make it to the Empire Times!]

At that moment, the old man who had secretly tasked someone to contact Empire Times saw this message and was taken aback, showing a thoughtful smile.

Aisha had grown up and now knew how to remind him what to do.

But how could he not think of this? The Fez family was known for their wisdom!

Don’t worry, everything is under control.

…

…

On the same day, in Border City, Raysha.

This place was a chaotic mix, a lawless area that bred sin, with slaves, drug trafficking, weapons of the empire, and forbidden alchemy and magic. All the dark sides that had no place in the empire gathered here.

Although with the alchemy left by the Emperor and the management of Holy Sophon, the vast territory of the empire, home to hundreds of billions of people, could hardly allow any darkness and was filled with strict order.

But even if the system was perfect, as long as the person at the top had selfish desires, there would always be ways to find loopholes, and the simplest and safest way was to escape beyond the empire’s territory.

Especially after Holy Sophon fell into slumber, it developed for hundreds of years, becoming a bloated interest group that increasingly wanted to break free from the imperial laws.

And Raysha was the evil city established on the border of this continent.

At this moment, a mansion located here had lavish decorations, shining with gold and brilliance, filled with the scent of luxury, and the guests who came and went wore masks, showing off the elegance of the nobility.

But the transparent magic energy barrier wrapped around it, stained with blood and chunks of flesh, looked like the stage of a gladiatorial arena, completely revealing the chilling truth.

Here was clearly a bloody place where slaves fought for entertainment.

The host smiled and said to everyone:

"You all must be tired of watching the fights between Alchemical Puppets and death row inmates."

"But that’s alright, in the next match we will send out a terrifying beast that has torn apart a Magician, to duel with a contestant from another race, which will surely delight the audience."

As soon as the words were spoken, the guests became quite interested and turned their eyes to the stage.

Since the end of the Second Divine Age, as the human empire’s territory continued to expand, the once-flourishing non-human races were either absorbed or lived in the far corners of the continent, making them much rarer than humans.

The host did not mean to keep them in suspense; he clapped his hands, and an alchemical cage wrapped in chains of magic energy was brought out, inside was a precious high-ranking Orc.

The girl’s pitch-black eyes sparkled like stars, her cold and beautiful face displayed a dominating arrogance, while her platinum hair fell messily over her shoulders; her similarly colored ears twitched, resembling a wolfdog, making her adorably fluffy in a contrasting way.

The most bizarre thing was,

This girl was spotless, her excessively slender figure, which should have been a selling point, was covered by a dark lace wedding dress that clung to her and climbed up to pure black spiked armor, completely concealing her skin and creating a dangerous and terrifying atmosphere.

Xie Qingxuan lowered her gaze toward the audience, her expression pure, and with her small hand, she sketched a drawing and asked straightforwardly:

"Have you seen a girl cuter than me, with white hair and golden eyes?"