At four o'clock in the afternoon the next day, Lawrence sat in a carriage and rushed to the center of the city. Because Schönbrunn Palace, where the ball was held, was located in the center of the city, it was a castle-like palace surrounded by a moat and towering walls.
In fact, this palace is generally used for formal receptions, handling of government affairs and as the residence of the emperor. Balls are often held in the Shuangshu Palace outside the city. But now considering that the rebellion has just ended, for safety reasons
The Shuangshu Palace, a hunting palace built in a suburban forest area, may not be suitable.
Therefore, this dance was arranged at Schönbrunn Palace, which has the highest security and is easier to defend. Although the hall of this palace is a bit small, it is absolutely no problem to hold a small-scale private dance.
Sitting on the carriage heading to Schönbrunn Palace, Lawrence, wearing a black tuxedo and a top silk hat, stared out the window at the ruins of the buildings. Fortunately, order in the city has been restored, and the citizens are working with some
Workers rebuild buildings damaged during the war.
Fortunately, after the rebellion broke out, the rebels concentrated almost all their heavy firepower and extraordinary people on the Palace Square in an attempt to break through the palace's defense line. Therefore, most of the buildings were only damaged on their facades, and there was no serious structural damage. Therefore, except
Except for the very few buildings that were completely destroyed, other buildings can be easily repaired.
After looking at the scene outside for a while, Lawrence withdrew his gaze and began to think about his host, His Majesty Joseph I, Emperor of the Holy Visby Empire.
Unlike most kings and emperors, the Holy Visby Empire did not develop to its current level through a large number of wars, but expanded its territory through various marriages. There is a famous motto in the royal family: let others fight the war.
Well, you, happy Visby, get married! What the god of war Kargos gives to others, the goddess of love and goodness, Sune, will give to you.
This empire has also developed step by step from a small earldom in the western mountains to today because of marriage, and His Majesty Joseph I can be said to be the most capable member of this royal family in hundreds of years. He is even considered privately by many people
The emperor, who was called a soldier, was nothing like his predecessors in the royal family.
In addition, everyone said that the power of the unicorn flows in the blood of the royal family of this country. However, except for a few people, only each emperor can awaken the power of the unicorn.
Of course, this power does not necessarily manifest itself as a warlock. For example, Joseph I is a blood warrior with the power of a unicorn. He can have strong vitality and morale-boosting abilities on the battlefield. Legend has it that he only needs to wave a flag on the battlefield.
, countless courage will well up in the hearts of those warriors who can see him.
For these reasons, the imperial capital Wendobona not only has the Rose Church, a large religious site of the Church of Love and Goodness, which is one of the largest in the entire Old World. It also has a church built purely with white marble in a grove on the outskirts.
A small temple dedicated to the unicorn goddess Lara.
Every year during religious festivals, the emperor would go to these two temples to offer sacrifices and express respect for the gods. Even though the emperor now loves war very much, he is no exception in sacrificial activities.
During this rebellion, the Rose Cathedral located in the city was not damaged in any way, and at the same time protected a large group of innocent citizens. As the carriage passed by, it was built with a special rose-red stone and various kinds of sculptures were carved on the outer wall of the building.
While looking at the beautiful reliefs of the Rosary Cathedral, Lawrence saw church workers and some clergy distributing porridge to the homeless, while others organized those in the same neighborhood to clean up their streets.
"Sir, we are almost there, please be ready." A few minutes after leaving the Rose Cathedral, the royal carriage driver who was driving in front suddenly turned his head and said to Lawrence.
At first, Lawrence thought he had to rent a carriage or walk to the palace to attend the ball. But later he realized that he had thought too much. Because one hour before the appointed time, a carriage was specially sent to the court from the direction of the palace.
To pick him up, luckily he prepared in advance as a habit and didn't let the car wait for him for too long.
The carriage ran smoothly through the stone streets of the capital. After turning a few corners, they stopped at a checkpoint for inspection, and then the carriage continued to drive towards its destination.
At this time, the scenery on both sides of the road also changed, from neat rows of sycamore trees and cast iron lamps to olive trees and marble street lamps. At the same time, the road also changed from four lanes to two lanes.
But even with two lanes, the road was not too congested. It even seemed more empty than the four lanes just now. Lawrence could even hear the rustling sound of the wheels of the carriage he was sitting on running over the stone slabs.
After driving for a few more minutes, the carriage began to slow down slowly and finally stopped. Then the coachman's voice came from the front. "Mr. Lawrence, we are here now. Please get out of the car."
"Thank you." Lawrence got off the car and pressed the brim of his top hat to the driver, then turned his head and looked at the square in front of him. Although this was a battlefield a few days ago, it was completely repaired after the royal family used extraordinary power.
It looks no different from before.
Welcomed by stone carvings and silk buntings on both sides of the square, Lawrence arrived at a small door on the side of the castle. Two footmen wearing tuxedos embroidered with royal symbols were greeting the guests there, and beside them were four fully armed men.
The extraordinary warrior put his hand on the weapon at his waist and observed the surroundings vigilantly. In Lawrence's eyes, there were several magical auras exuding from the warriors and servants.
"It's no wonder that although the industrial revolution broke out in this world, the nobles still control a lot of power. At least the foundation of this extraordinary power is not something that the rich can easily obtain." Lawrence thought after discovering that almost all of these people were carrying magic items.
, and at the same time handed over the invitation he had received before to the servant.
"Distinguished guest, welcome to the ball held at Schönbrunn Palace tonight." After checking the invitation in Lawrence's hand, a footman with a very decent smile on his face placed his right hand on his left chest and bowed slightly.
He bowed, then stretched out his hand to make an invitation gesture. "It's a great honor for you to take the time to attend this dance. Please come with me."
"Then I'll trouble you." Lawrence said, placing his right hand on the brim of his hat, bowing slightly, and then followed the servant down the corridor into the palace.
In this ancient empire, the various actions and language used when entering a ball are basically stylized. Except for a few words, everything is fixed. Fortunately, the books Nora reads are complex enough, and she can
Through the spiritual connection, he provided on-site guidance to Lawrence so that he would not make a fool of himself in such a scene.
Following the instructions of Nora, who was currently in the dormitory of the Inquisition, Lawrence followed the manservant into the castle along the corridor with a smile on his face and keeping quiet.
Perhaps because he arrived earlier, he did not go directly to the dance venue, but to the lounge. After he passed through a heavy ebony door, the valet guided him to sit on a sofa. At the same time
The other two maids placed tea and snacks on the coffee table in front of him just as he sat down. The whole process seemed so elegant and decent.
After doing all this, the servants bowed to Lawrence and returned to their respective positions. It was obvious that they wanted to leave this room to the guests. However, because this lounge was a bit small, the other two or three
The guest hadn't arrived yet, so Lawrence was the only one left in the room, which seemed empty.