Lin Gui did not rush to lead Elvia and float directly down.
He raised his hand, his mage robe’s sleeves shifting slightly.
In the next moment, two pitch-black birds with glowing eyes flew out.
They began a brazen "patrol."
They flew right past the noses of guards who possessed powerful auras.
They circled twice above a mage who held a wine glass and had mana faintly manifesting around them.
One even audaciously landed on the wide hat of another female mage for a brief moment.
This caused the female mage to touch the top of her head in confusion.
They finally flew near the Third Prince and Duke Joseph.
They circled and chased each other on the dining table in front of them.
At their closest point, they nearly touched Joseph's meticulously groomed beard.
Elvia lay on Lin Gui’s back, watching the arrogant actions of the two birds, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
“Hey, I say... why do you always like to send these two crows out to wander around before you start working? Are you afraid people won’t notice us?”
“Not crows,” Lin Gui corrected calmly, without turning his head. “They are ravens.”
Elvia curled her lip. “Don’t they all look the same? Just pitch-black.”
Lin Gui: “...”
These two ravens were magical creatures that Lin Gui had recently "created" using a combination of magic and alchemy.
They were like the green lizard he used for transport earlier.
However, the green lizard was a high-end product he had bought from the Magic City, so it looked very realistic.
These ravens were obviously fake at a glance.
Lin Gui explained, “I did this to prevent something like the incident with Gorn from happening again.”
“I have also covered them with the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.”
“If the other party has means to detect concealment.”
“Like Gorn’s soul-detecting steel needles.”
“They will first discover and lock onto the ravens.”
“When that happens, we will be able to sense it in advance and slip away immediately.”
“Without Theia here, with our current strength, being discovered means death.”
At this moment, those two ravens practically had provocation written on every feather.
They skimmed over the heads of exquisite statues and wove through the water curtains of the fountain.
They even intentionally made an unpleasant “caw-caw” sound in the ear of an assassin hidden in the shadows.
They gave "attention" to every guard, assassin, and perception-type mage in the entire garden, whether they were in the open or in the dark.
They confirmed that no one showed any signs of abnormality.
Watching the ravens’ near-suicidal behavior, Elvia’s eyelids twitched violently.
But she had to admit that while this method looked annoying, it was indeed effective.
She didn't want to be kicked down by Lin Gui to block a blade again.
After confirming it was safe, Lin Gui manipulated the oak staff and floated toward the Third Prince and Joseph.
Duke Joseph’s face was covered with a friendly smile.
He was intimately pulling a beautifully dressed girl in front of the Third Prince.
His words were full of hints and matchmaking efforts.
“Charles, look at my daughter, Emily; since meeting you at the last royal ball, she hasn’t stopped thinking about your grace, Your Highness.”
“She recently passed the Silver Moon Tower's magic talent test, and her mentors say she has a limitless future.”
“Emily, why don't you show your Brother Charles the new little spell you learned?”
The girl named Emily was quite beautiful and possessed perfect etiquette.
With a well-timed expression of shyness and admiration on her face, she spoke softly with the Third Prince.
She let out a bell-like laugh from time to time, working hard to grow closer to him.
However, although Third Prince Charles maintained a warm smile and responded appropriately, an imperceptible trace of anxiety was hidden deep in his eyes.
He tried several times to steer the conversation away, wanting to have a more private talk with Joseph.
But every attempt was cleverly yet politely interrupted or redirected by Miss Emily.
Joseph saw all of this and sighed inwardly, knowing the time was about right.
“Alright, Emily, can’t you see your Third Brother has serious business to discuss?”
“Stop pestering him and go help your mother entertain the other guests.”
He then turned to the surrounding guests and laughed loudly, his voice sonorous and infectious.
“Everyone, apologies, but I must excuse myself.”
“His Highness has some important matters concerning the future of the kingdom to discuss with this old man.”
“I will take my leave for now. Please, everyone, enjoy the wine and music to your heart’s content!”
These words were flawless, giving the Third Prince a graceful exit while also highlighting the importance of his own status.
After speaking, he led the Third Prince—who was visibly relieved—away from the boisterous garden and toward a quiet corridor inside the main mansion building.
Lin Gui immediately manipulated his staff to follow silently.
He watched Joseph lead the Third Prince to a heavy wooden door.
Before entering, a High-tier Transcendent warrior who had been following him immediately took action.
Suddenly, more than ten fully armed High-tier Transcendents appeared from various shadows.
They spread out in an orderly fashion.
One group quickly and silently cleared both ends of the corridor, establishing a security line.
Another group held various peculiar magic items and began a meticulous inspection of the walls, ceiling, floor, and even the air around the meeting room.
They were detecting for the presence of eavesdropping magic or concealment barriers.
Furthermore, two mages specializing in perception closed their eyes and focused, their magical senses sweeping through every corner.
Only after confirming absolute safety and privacy did the leading High-tier Transcendent warrior nod slightly to Joseph.
Then, he personally pushed open the heavy wooden door for the two of them.
Just before the door closed, the staff Lin Gui controlled slipped in silently like a slippery loach.
The heavy copper-clad wooden door slammed shut, completely cutting off the noise and music from the outside world.
The forced, warm smile on Third Prince Charles's face vanished instantly.
It was replaced by a kind of urgency mixed with anxiety and paleness.
He didn't even wait to reach the magnificent negotiation table in the center of the room before turning abruptly to Duke Joseph, his voice fast and frantic.
“Duke! We must take action immediately! John and his entire knight order... are finished! The soul lamps have all been extinguished, not a single one remains!”
His fingers clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the force, appearing exceptionally obvious under the soft light of the moonstones embedded in the room.
“Do you know what this means? The most loyal and powerful force my mother’s family left for me was wiped out overnight!”
“The people out there now...” He pointed forcefully toward the door, his voice carrying an imperceptible tremble. “Those nobles who originally supported me, those wavering opportunists—what will they think now?”
“They will think I have lost my claws and fangs!”
In stark contrast to the Third Prince's agitation, Duke Joseph remained calm and composed.
He walked slowly to the wine cabinet and took out a bottle of amber-colored vintage wine.
Without rushing, he pulled the cork and poured the fragrant liquid into two crystal glasses.
His fat face showed no ripples, as if what he had just heard was merely a trivial piece of news.
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