The Mad Black Witch

Chapter 7: The Mad Black Witch

"Your Highness Rhine, this way, please."

Rhine held the gorgeous, floor-length white robe woven with gold thread that had been tailored for the ceremony to fit his frame, and entered the magnificent, spacious hall amid the attendants' escort.

The young mage walked with steady poise, his luxurious pure-white, gold-threaded robe fluttering in the breeze, lending him an air of graceful dignity and nobility.

Rhine lightly gathered his robe and elegantly sat in the magnificent seat beside the king and queen.

This was the seat reserved for the kingdom's worthy.

Compared to when he had first entered the palace a few months ago, Rhine was now far more composed and confident.

For a young man, more than half a year was not a short time.

Every day, he had immersed himself in the wonders of magic.

Supernatural power truly was the most alluring thing! With his astonishing magical talent and more than half a year of diligent study and hard training, Rhine was no longer the little mage who could only cast transformation spells! Based on the information he had gathered about witches over the past half year, Rhine estimated that his current magical abilities might not even pale beside Violet Fairy, the foremost of the kingdom's twelve good witches.

Of course, he was certainly no match for Maleficent, the Black Witch said to be capable of covering the entire kingdom with magic.

Rhine gathered his thoughts and watched the distinguished guests enter one after another along the red carpet, taking in the joyous atmosphere.

Tonight was the night of Princess Aurora's christening ceremony.

It was also a day of nationwide celebration.

The king and queen, who had gone years without an heir, had finally been blessed with a child. Few things were more worthy of celebration than this.

Throughout the kingdom, all criminals who had not committed serious offenses were granted pardons! Uncollected taxes were also deferred.

Everything was done solely to preserve the festive atmosphere of this day.

Across the kingdom, regardless of status, people offered blessings for the little princess's birth.

In the streets and alleys of towns far from the royal capital, peddlers chatted about tonight's celebration. In remote villages, farm women also discussed the princess's birth.

As the center of the festivities, the royal capital needed no mention. Tonight, the royal city never slept, its lights blazing bright.

Streamers fluttered in the air.

Songs of celebration echoed through the clouds.

Many foreign royal families and nobles had arrived.

Their magnificent entourages had come from afar solely to offer lavish gifts to the newborn Princess Aurora.

"What a staggering display. There are sixteen delegations from different countries among the foreign nobles attending this celebration alone!"

Rhine sat upright in the seat reserved for court mages, observing the delegations before him and unable to help sighing with emotion.

Up ahead, foreign royal family members whose names he could not remember approached the king one group at a time, presenting generous gifts and blessings, lavishing praise upon the princess's birth.

The young mage narrowed his eyes slightly.

The more lively, solemn, and grand this celebration became, the thicker the festive atmosphere grew...

The more Rhine worried that some unforeseen complication would arise! "Next, thirteen witches of astonishing magical power will enter."

The thirteen witches walked into the venue along the crimson carpet.

They wore brightly colored garments, each dressed in a different dominant hue.

Together, they looked like a rainbow from afar.

Yet among the thirteen, there was one exception who looked utterly out of place among the others.

The witch walking at the very end of the procession was tall and slender, draped in a blackish-purple robe. She possessed a shadowy beauty and an icy elegance.

At times, she was cold as frost. At others, she suddenly burst into wild laughter. One moment she waved at the people around her, the next she muttered to herself, looking rather unstable.

The other twelve witches deliberately kept their distance from their colleague.

The Black Witch! Unlike in the original story, she had also received an invitation from the king.

At the sight of the Black Witch, the old king's body visibly trembled.

Clearly, the king carried no small psychological shadow toward this famous master of dark magic.

Luckily, I have never done anything to offend her...

Besides, there are another twelve witches here today, as well as His Highness Rhine...

The old king lightly patted his chest, comforting himself inwardly. His gaze could not help drifting toward the slender young man beside him.

"Oh my, what a wonderful day! So many distinguished guests have come!"

The Black Witch looked left and right, her tone rising and falling erratically.

"The prince of the northern kingdom has come, the knight of the western kingdom has come, and a delegation of nobles has come from the eastern desert to offer lavish gifts! Ah, and so many princes and nobles have come as well."

"I thought a monster like me would never have a chance of being invited. Hahahahaha! I'm so happy!"

The Black Witch burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as though she had heard an incredibly funny joke. Her exaggerated movements left the people around her somewhat tense and uneasy.

Ignoring everyone's strange looks, the Black Witch took her seat with the other witches.

In front of each of the thirteen witches was a magnificent golden plate.

End of Chapter