The Ring Spirit Envoys' Banquet

Although Li Lin did indeed host a grand banquet as he said, Princess Shirley had no appetite for the delicious-looking food after witnessing the horrific scene firsthand. Even so, Princess Shirley didn't relax her observation of the Magic Empire; in fact, Shirley had already noticed something during the banquet.

Generally, banquets like this are attended by dignitaries from most countries. However, this banquet in the Magic Empire, while luxurious, was not grand. Aside from Li Lin and the five Ring Spirit Envoy, only a few mages attended. However, in Princess Shirley's view, these mages clearly did not possess the noble status of earls or princes from other countries. Most of them were important assistants to the five Ring Spirit Envoy. And this time, Li Lin's purpose in hosting the banquet was clearly not merely to welcome Princess Shirley, but also to celebrate the Magic Empire's initial victory. After all, during this period, it was entirely thanks to these mages' tireless work, day and night, that Ringwraith City was able to recover so perfectly in the shortest time. Although they hadn't personally participated in the battle, the satellite surveillance and missile launches were all done by these mages; celebrating as well was not inappropriate.

Princess Shirley's first impression of the Magic Empire was its extremely strange political system, one she had never seen before. Generally, a nation has various voices and forces, and no matter how capable a ruler is, it's impossible to govern everyone. However, during the conversation at the banquet, she discovered that most of the mages respected Li Lin and showed no resentment towards him. Furthermore, these mages had a very weak sense of hierarchy based on rank, but were extremely serious about matters of power and class.

Moreover, another impression Princess Shirley gained from her observations was that this Arcane Mage was very fond of women.

It's no wonder she thought that way, given that most of the attendees at the banquet were women. Considering that the Ring Spirit Envoy themselves were all women, it wasn't surprising that their assistants were also women. However, the only outstanding male among them was that Arcane Mage, which inevitably brought to mind terms like harem. Of course, Li Lin didn't show any particularly intimate behavior towards the female mages, but Princess Shirley was also a woman, and she naturally wouldn't miss the ardent gazes the female mages cast upon Li Lin.

On the other hand, Princess Shirley greatly admired this aspect. Although the world generally values strength, women often face discrimination and find it difficult to participate in political affairs. Even women with considerable political ability like Princess Shirley can only engage in superficial diplomacy, unable to intervene in matters of national importance such as domestic politics and the military. In the Magic Empire, seeing so many women excelling on the political stage without being envied or ostracized, Princess Shirley, as a woman herself, felt a pang of envy. Moreover, after speaking with the female mages, she confirmed that these women were not there solely because of their beauty; they possessed diverse talents and impeccable manners and speech, far surpassing ordinary noble ladies. The only thing that puzzled Shirley was that these mages seemed unfamiliar with the current world, but considering the Magic Empire was still in its infancy, perhaps they had always lived a secluded life.

However, the one that left the deepest impression on Princess Shirley was undoubtedly the legendary "Seven Ring Spirit Envoys".

The legend of the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys has existed for a long time, but no one has ever truly understood what they are. Sometimes they are described as incredibly powerful weapons, sometimes as formidable warriors, and still other times as terrifying spells. It's all very confusing. But now, Princess Shirley can finally be certain that the Seven Ring Spirit Envoys refer to humans.

And they were extremely beautiful young girls.

Whether it's the flawlessly beautiful Nia, the cheerfully smiling Suoxiate, the elegant yet somewhat carefree Kalin, the lively and energetic Yi Aier, or the taciturn and quiet Anna, each possesses a unique beauty. In fact, with each one she sees, Shirley's self-confidence diminishes. After all, this battle between women is quite direct; no comparison is needed to determine the winner immediately. What puzzles Princess Shirley is that, since there are "seven" Ring Spirit Envoy, theoretically there should be seven, but no matter how she counts, there are only five here.

In fact, it wasn't that Li Lin hadn't tried his best to find the other two weapons. A thousand years ago, he had entrusted "Holy Wrath" and "Fate's Protection Agent" to the God of Light and the God of Dwarves respectively for safekeeping. After Li Lin's death, the Temple of Light and the Dwarfs were attacked, and the whereabouts of the two weapons became unknown. Although Li Lin had inquired many times, he still hadn't been able to obtain the exact location of the two weapons. As for the others, they showed little concern about this matter. The five, led by Anna and Nia, believed that as long as the other two were still alive, they would crawl back even if they had to after sensing Li Lin's call. Even Anna had returned to the Prime Material Plane from the lowest level of the Nine Levels of Hell, so it shouldn't be a problem for the others. Moreover, according to the faint feedback Li Lin received, the two weapons should both be in the Prime Material Plane, perhaps sealed away like Yi Aier, or perhaps dormant like Kalin to avoid energy consumption. Whatever the outcome, as long as they searched patiently, they would eventually be found.

"Call..."

Stepping out of the bustling banquet hall, Princess Shirley stepped onto the balcony and gazed at the beautiful night sky. Viewing the night sky from above the clouds of Ringwraith City was nothing like the darkness and somberness seen from the ground. On the contrary, the pure white moonlight bathed the entire night sky in a cool and beautiful glow, making one feel as if they were in a dream.

Gazing at this beautiful scene, the bloody and frenzied deaths she had witnessed earlier seemed like mere illusions. Princess Shirley stared intently at the night before her, as if trying to forget her previous nightmares.

Why did Your Highness come here alone?

Just then, Li Lin's voice rang out from behind.

You don't seem to have eaten much. Is it because the food isn't to your liking?

To be honest, I just couldn't eat much.

Turning around, Princess Shirley casually placed her wine glass on the balcony railing, then responded with a slight smile.

"Although it's embarrassing to talk about, after seeing that scene, I really had no appetite for delicious food."

Although there could be better ways to respond, Princess Shirley's intuition told her that it was best not to lie to this man.

"I think so too, it was my oversight."

Li Lin shrugged and apologized to Princess Shirley —though it was completely unintelligible from his expression.

"So, I presume you've already made your decision?"

"Yes, Arcane Mage..."

At this point, Princess Shirley paused for a moment, then turned her gaze into the banquet hall.

"To be honest, before I came to the Magic Empire, my father... His Majesty the King entrusted me with another mission."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Li Lin raised an eyebrow.

"I have come here not only to seek the assistance and alliance of the Magic Empire, but also to serve you, Arcane Mage. This is my mission."

At this point, Princess Shirley closed her eyes, her tone flat and unchanging.

"However, it seems I can't fulfill this mission now. After all, you already have so many women around you who are far superior to me. Someone like me is probably not even qualified to serve you."

Before even negotiating, they sent their own daughter over as a gift?

Li Lin remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he frowned slightly.

"You can stay here if you wish."

However, Li Lin did not make the topic more awkward, but subtly changed the subject.

"As a guest, I would be very happy if you would like to stay here for a while longer. Moreover... I also hope that someone can see our Magic Empire for themselves, rather than just learning about it from rumors."

"Thank you for your kindness, Arcane Mage."

The conversation between the two parties came to a temporary halt. The princess gazed at the bustling banquet hall, while Li Lin looked at the night view that Princess Shirley had been admiring. After a long silence, Princess Shirley broke the quiet atmosphere once again.

"My esteemed Arcane Mage, as you have suspected, I have made my decision."

Upon hearing Princess Shirley's reply, Li Lin turned around and looked into her eyes—eyes that conveyed unwavering conviction and radiance.

"I love my country... Although our Sea-Encircled Country is just a small country, I love it. I was born in that country, I love its people, I love the beautiful sea, and every morning, the fishermen setting sail to greet the rising sun, their beautiful white sails dotting the sea... We don't ask for much, only that we can live peacefully. We don't want to be enemies with the Five-Nation Alliance, nor do we want war... That would mean the deaths of our citizens, many wives would never see their beloved husbands again, and many children would never see their fathers return from the sea. I understand that this choice is not easy, and there is no turning back on the path before us..."

At this point, Princess Shirley bowed deeply, offering Li Lin the most respectful greeting.

"I understand that my choice will also bring suffering to people, but... I must protect my country. I am here, humbly requesting your assistance, great Arcane Mage, please save my country and my people."

"Even if more people die because of this, it doesn't matter?"

"..."

Princess Shirley nodded emphatically in response to Li Lin's question.

"As the second princess of the Sea-Encircled Country, my primary concern is naturally the lives of Sea-Encircled Country people... not the Five-Nation Alliance."

"I see."

Gazing at Princess Shirley, Li Lin remained silent for a moment before responding. Then he looked towards the academy not far away. It was now completely dark there, and upon seeing a bright spot, a hint of pity unconsciously appeared in Li Lin's eyes.

Angela was not present at the dinner party. In preparation for the operation to come, she was currently "squeezing" the blood out of the two poor sisters. Half a day had passed, and she hoped they wouldn't die from blood loss... although technically, the sisters were already dead.

"Then, Princess Shirley, you may stay here for a while longer. I presume you'd like to learn more about our Magic Empire. As for your country... I will send an envoy to convey the message of the alliance. I think you needn't worry about that."

"Thank you so much for your assistance, esteemed Arcane Mage."

Princess Shirley clenched her hands tightly, her palms already covered in sweat.

"Then, I shall take my leave..."

"By the way, Your Highness."

Just before Princess Shirley was about to leave, Li Lin suddenly called out to her.

"I just want to tell you that this is not a decision you should be burdened with guilt over... I hope you have sweet dreams."

Upon hearing this, Princess Shirley trembled slightly. She then bowed deeply to Li Lin once more before turning and leaving the balcony.

"He's lying to girls again."

Not long after Princess Shirley disappeared, Nia appeared beside Li Lin.

"Li Lin, how long do you plan to take to get her into your bed this time?"

"In your eyes, I must have other things to do besides these, right?"

Li Lin reached out and raised his glass, gesturing to Nia.

"Or do you really think I'm the kind of person who can't live without color? You've been by my side for quite a while now, and based on your understanding of me, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Yes, that's right.

In response to Li Lin's question, Nia revealed a rather smug smile.

"Since that summer night in the seventh year of the Imperial Calendar, when you had that passionate night with the First Princess of the Celtic Dynasty, until the destruction of the Magic Empire, you have had intimate relationships with a total of 457 Divine Chosen, 386 priests, 75 gods, 103 demons, 35 water and wind spirit messengers, and the heirs of 35 magical families, as well as maids..."

"It seems that having someone who knows too much about me isn't always a good thing."

Li Lin, his face ashen, stopped Nia from continuing her story.

"As Eternal Library, it is my duty to record the romantic history of its owner."

Nia remained nonchalant in the face of Li Lin's attempts to stop her.

"However, you are indeed not the same as before..."

"Now is not the time to enjoy life; we still have a lot to do... We can't go back to how things were before."

"The world is always changing, Li Lin."

Nia spoke softly as she walked to Li Lin's side and leaned on his shoulder.

"Although the God of Justice has been wounded by you, I think you are well aware that with his current power, we cannot completely destroy him without obtaining the Great Book of Law... Arcane Mage do not ascend to the Upper Realm Upper Planes, and neither you nor we can go there. There, our power will be forcibly suppressed... If we cannot obtain the Great Book of Law and restore the disordered order of the world, then... this war will take an unknown amount of time to finally end."

"This is indeed a rather troublesome matter, but..."

Compared to Nia, Li Lin didn't seem particularly worried.

"The foundation of faith in the God of Justice is now beginning to crumble. It's time for those who have been running around and hiding for a thousand years to reclaim their lost territory. After all, they are gods; they should have a way to handle these matters. Otherwise, they've been gods for nothing."

Since the defeat of the Holy One of the God of Justice in the Federation War, according to Catherine's report, the Temple's followers had shown signs of wavering. Some who were not particularly devout to begin with had already abandoned the Temple. Even the most devout clergy were filled with sorrow and doubt. After all, in their minds and education, the God of Justice was the most powerful, the only eternal deity, and absolutely incapable of defeat. But now, it had been defeated by Arcane Mage; for some, this was tantamount to the end of the world. And for others, they had begun to question how much of the Temple's education they had received was truly accurate.

Riding this wave of opportunity, the other gods, who had been hiding in various places, also began to take action. According to the usual vague intelligence that the Lady of Secrets privately conveyed to Li Lin, about thirty gods had begun to reclaim lost territory and spread their doctrines in various parts of the continent, taking advantage of the God of Justice's defeat. Many of them had already switched sides and joined the sects of these gods. Although so far, they had not dealt any decisive blow to the Temple, an atmosphere of panic and instability had already spread within the Temple, which was enough to reach an agreement between Li Lin and the other gods.

At this point, Li Lin frowned slightly.

"However, things are indeed very strange. Although the God of Justice possesses immense divine power, his application of that power is extremely monotonous, which is odd. Among the gods he has destroyed are those with great strength and skill. Yet, they were destroyed by the God of Justice? This in itself is strange. I originally thought that this battle with the God of Justice would be quite fierce, but the result is far beyond what I expected."

At this point, Li Lin's expression became much more serious.

"Nia, prepare for the Astral Plane Meeting. I think those guys must have something they haven't told me."