Beneath the resplendent halo, the universe was adorned like a dream.
The vast starry sky featured three suns competing in brilliance and six moons sharing the same orbit.
Under the guard of countless stars, a massive projection of celestial bodies, a boundless floating continent quietly hovered, reigning at the center of the “stamen” of the Dona Yala World.
Flowing starlight resembled freely surging rivers, gathering and spiraling at the edges of the continent, eventually forming rainbow bridges that spanned the void.
The dazzling rainbow bridges were resplendent, connecting the laws of time and space.
One end was tightly linked to the base of the floating continent, while the other end disappeared into the void, like a staircase leading to a divine kingdom, evoking boundless imagination.
On the continent, several towers were scattered like stars.
Each tower was carved in the form of a chess piece, with its layout and position holding special symbolic meaning and function.
The Queen Tower reigned centrally, the Bishop Tower served at the front, the Knight Tower charged ahead, the Rook Tower lined up in eight directions, and the Pawn Tower stood guard among them.
Only the King Tower was nowhere to be seen.
All the towers were uniformly carved from a single piece of translucent white jade, emitting a warm luster under the starlight.
The shape of each tower symbolized its distinct internal function and authority.
Around the white towers symbolizing authority was a meticulously managed fantasy garden.
There was no change of seasons here, only eternal vitality.
Green vines coiled like giant pythons around the trellises formed by ancient trees, dismembering the falling light; butterflies with wings like silk flitted back and forth among the gemstone flowers.
The Starlight Avenue, built from star cores, connected the white towers.
The road surface was as clear as a mirror and as limpid as a lake.
With every step, continuous ripples spread beneath their feet.
On both sides of the Starlight Avenue, tall pure-white stone statues of various forms stood quietly.
Among them were six-winged angels with compassionate faces; hideous demons with sharp fangs;
Dragons with two wings and a majestic aura; agile elves with pointed ears and graceful figures; and transcendent immortals with ethereal bearing and flowing robes.
However, the postures of these statues representing powerful races were uniformly kneeling on one knee, bowing in submission.
The group of statues lowered their heads in unison, casting their gaze with reverence toward the most magnificent and splendid tower at the center of the floating continent—the Queen Tower.
Lintian Palace, the most renowned architectural complex in the Dona Yala World, the most perfect treasure in the history of witch architecture, the holy land countless alchemy witches dream of, and also the residence of the current Chief of the Witch Council, Antuxi.
“Wow… Mom, is this where you live? It’s so big and beautiful.”
Tunzuo followed behind Antuxi, strolling along the Starlight Avenue, her head turning back and forth like a sprinkler, yet she still couldn’t take in all the dazzling scenery before her, leaving her somewhat at a loss for words.
Olivia walked beside Tunzuo.
Even though she was usually the well-traveled heiress of the Gold Family, she now restrained her arrogance and laziness, frequently turning her head to look around. Her brilliant golden pupils reflected the dreamlike scene, her eyes full of amazement.
“Hmph, look at the two of you, so unsightly.”
Antuxi walked with her hands behind her back, taking elegant steps ahead of the two “short-sighted” young witches.
She raised her chin slightly, her tone seemingly full of disdain, but she couldn’t suppress the smug curve of her lips.
“Just a little scenery has you so amazed? There are far more wonderful things you haven’t seen. The function of Lintian Palace goes beyond just being beautiful.”
As she said this, Antuxi’s eyes unconsciously glanced at the storage ring on Tunzuo’s hand, and her tone turned somewhat subtle.
“But I didn’t expect that little alchemy school girl to actually care about you quite a bit…”
It turned out that morning, after sobering up, An Lin crawled out of bed like a zombie, with messy hair and dark circles under her eyes, staggering downstairs.
But as soon as she entered the living room, she ran into Tunzuo, who was packing her luggage.
After some questioning, An Lin learned that her dear sister was going to a certain great golden dragon’s home for a visit.
This sudden shocking piece of gossip instantly dispelled most of An Lin’s hangover symptoms, and the witch stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
Since An Lin was usually very isolated from news and still didn’t know Tunzuo’s true background, under the influence of various factors, she naturally conjured up a melodramatic scenario of a grassroots witch marrying into a wealthy family and being bullied by her in-laws.
Seeing the situation so critical, An Lin immediately entered a stress state.
Without even having time to wash up, she turned around and rushed into her room, frantically packing her luggage, afraid that after her dear sister was bullied, she would be forcibly kept by Olivia as a caged bird.
Tunzuo, realizing An Lin’s misunderstanding, quickly stepped in to stop the swift-acting An Lin, spending a lot of effort to explain the situation.
Tunzuo told An Lin that this trip was very safe and she didn’t need to worry;
It was just going to the Gold Family for a meal.
Moreover, the itinerary was already set in stone, and there were no extra spots for accommodation or food; if An Lin came along, she would have to pay her own expenses.
Hearing this, An Lin glanced at her own small savings and had to reluctantly put down her luggage.
However, since this was Tunzuo’s first time traveling far without a guardian, An Lin couldn’t rest easy.
Without another word, she started stuffing things for Tunzuo.
An Lin stuffed a large pile of magical items and potions into Tunzuo’s storage ring.
Most of the items were high-level scrolls for communication and teleportation—in short, convenient for escape;
As for the various strange potions, they were basically dragon repellent, scale softeners, and other defensive gear specifically designed for dragon witches.
In the end, An Lin also nagged a bunch of things like “stay safe,” “a good girl should keep herself pure,” “don’t be corrupted by capital,” and only then, like a mother watching her daughter get married, did she wipe her tears with a handkerchief and wave goodbye as Tunzuo set off for Saint Medea.
That reluctant look made Tunzuo feel a bit both amused and exasperated.
“Although Sister An Lin is a bit greedy and lecherous usually, and has a carefree personality, at heart she’s still a very good person.”
Tunzuo snapped back to reality and subconsciously spoke up for An Lin, a gentle smile on her face.
But Tunzuo’s words sounded a bit harsh to Antuxi, making her feel inexplicably sour inside. Antuxi gave a light snort and muttered quietly:
“Hmph, that little girl has only raised you for such a short time, and you’re already speaking up for her. You have no opinion of your own. No wonder that little dragon cub from the Fafnir family managed to win you over so easily…”
Tunzuo naturally didn’t hear Antuxi’s muttering; her attention was still focused on the magnificent scenery of Lintian Palace.
The three witches continued walking along the Starlight Avenue, the road surface making crisp sounds under their feet.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, lifting the hair of the three witches.
“Tea, juice, wine, or soda? I wonder what suits your taste today, my dear Majesty?”
A magnetic androgynous voice rang out.
A tall witch with gray hair and gray eyes appeared with the wind, standing three steps in front of Antuxi without any warning.
The gray-haired witch gracefully performed a standard butler’s bow to Antuxi, her posture and etiquette flawless.
The gray-haired witch had slightly curly hair cut smartly to neck length.
She wore a well-tailored black butler uniform, meticulously neat, with a silver lapel pin at the collar glittering coldly.
Sharp light swirled in her gray pupils, her gaze fully fixed on Antuxi, capturing every detail of Antuxi’s expression and movements.
Unfortunately, Antuxi ignored the gray-haired witch’s respect and flattery.
Instead, she paused in her steps, squinted her eyes, and began to challenge her with an almost overbearing tone.
“Oh? I’ve only been away for how long, and you’ve already forgotten my preferences, Vincent? What, without my supervision, your brain has stopped turning?”
Facing Antuxi’s challenge, Vincent immediately put on a slightly aggrieved expression.
Her eyes drooped, long eyelashes trembling slightly, hands folded in front of her, and she spoke in a low, soft voice:
“Please forgive me, Your Majesty, this is indeed my dereliction. I was merely thinking that the all-powerful Your Majesty makes breakthroughs every day that we ordinary witches can hardly imagine. Naturally, your taste and preferences evolve along with your wisdom, so I dared not presume. After such a long time, I wondered whether the understanding of us incompetents could still keep up with Your Majesty’s pace.”
Antuxi gave a cold snort, not commenting on Vincent’s flattery, but only spoke in a flat tone.
“Your skill in sweet talk hasn’t declined. We’ll talk later; I’m not thirsty yet.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
Vincent obediently retreated to a position half a step beside Antuxi, falling silent like a statue.
At this moment, Olivia, who had been waiting for an opportunity, stepped forward and greeted Vincent with a smile.
“Long time no see, Miss Vincent. It seems you’ve kept Lintian Palace as well-organized as the Witch Agency.”
Vincent turned to look at Olivia, showing just the right amount of surprise and enthusiasm.
She lightly covered her mouth, her gray eyes revealing delighted emotion.
“Oh my, Miss Olivia, long time no see. Your Majesty’s radiance is so dazzling that for a moment I overlooked you, the rising star of the Gold Family. How rude of me.”
Vincent slightly bowed, her tone appropriate, maintaining a friendly social distance.
“How has Lady Fafnir been recently? The Witch Agency has been so busy that I haven’t been able to spare any time, and I’ve been negligent in my greetings. Please apologize to Lady Fafnir on my behalf.”
Vincent’s smooth-talking words made Tunzuo feel a bit uncomfortable, as if she saw some special déjà vu in Vincent.
Tunzuo lightly tugged at Olivia’s sleeve and whispered:
“Hey, pervert dragon, who is this? She gives me a strange feeling…”
Before Olivia could speak, Antuxi answered for her casually:
“Vincent Wynn, Grand Witch of Wind Element, Chief Secretary of the Witch Agency, a big shot in charge of the administrative operation of the entire witch society.”
After hearing Antuxi’s introduction of her, Vincent showed a disappointed expression, let out a soft sigh, and her eyes looked plaintive.
“Oh, my dear Majesty. Compared to the title of Chief Secretary, I would rather hear from your mouth the words ‘the steward who best suits my heart.’ After all, more than the position, I hope to gain your recognition.”
But before Vincent could continue her declaration of loyalty, a joking and frivolous voice suddenly rang out, breaking the seemingly harmonious pleasantries.
“Steward? Hehe, I think it’s more like a parasite sucking blood on power, right?”
Hearing this, Vincent’s expression did not change at all, but she quickly turned her head to look at the source of the voice.
At this moment, the pale mask on Tunzuo’s face had its mouth stretched into an exaggerated and eerie arc.
The empty eye sockets of the pale mask stared straight at Vincent, its gaze full of mockery and ridicule.
Looking at the pale mask on Tunzuo’s face, Vincent observed for a good while before speaking somewhat uncertainly:
“Nyarlathotep?”
“Vincent, it’s me. So, did you miss me?”
To Naiya’s unique greeting, Vincent didn’t react much.
Instead, she shifted her gaze to Tunzuo, whom she had never paid attention to before, and a hint of inquiry flashed in her gray eyes.
“Oh my, then who might this young lady be, who is accompanied by our esteemed God of a Thousand Faces…?”
“Tunzuo Odilis, my daughter. Biological.”
Before Vincent could finish her question, Antuxi’s casual remark exploded in Vincent’s ears.
Vincent’s pupils contracted sharply.
The whole witch seemed to be pressed the pause button, speechless for several seconds.
Her shrewd gray eyes stared fixedly at Tunzuo, engraving Tunzuo’s appearance firmly in her mind.
Then, Tunzuo heard a slightly exaggerated crying voice.
“Wah… Good heavens! I must be blind! It must be the recent non-stop work that made me lose my wits. The pearl of Your Majesty was right before my eyes, yet I failed to notice. What a dereliction! A colossal dereliction!”
Vincent covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling violently, and tears even seemed to glisten at the corners of her eyes.
“Your Majesty’s own flesh and blood, the future hope of Dona Yala, and I received the young lady as an ordinary guest. My fault, a thousand deaths cannot excuse it!”
Seeing that the Chief Secretary of the Witch Agency was actually crying because of her, Tunzuo immediately fell into panic.
Just as she was about to say something to comfort her, Antuxi raised her hand to stop her.
Antuxi looked at Vincent with cold eyes, her tone carrying a hint of warning.
“Stop your pretentious act, Vincent. I know what you’re thinking. I haven’t planned to officially return yet, so you have plenty of time to deal with those bad accounts. I don’t want to say anything else; you know it in your heart.”
“How disheartening for a witch, Your Majesty. My sincere devotion is actually called a play by you…”
Vincent lowered her hands.
There were no tear tracks on her face.
In less than 0.1 seconds, she collected all her emotions, returned to her previous shrewd and capable demeanor, and quietly followed behind Antuxi, not saying another word.
Tunzuo, on the other hand, stood awkwardly in place, her mouth twitching, a bellyful of sarcasm with no idea where to start.
The witches continued walking forward, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.
Finally, after walking for an unknown distance, they arrived before the tallest building of Lintian Palace—the Queen Tower.
The spire of the Queen Tower pierced directly into the universe, with three suns and six moons orbiting around it.
In front of the intricately carved gate of the Queen Tower, a row of witch maids was already waiting with heads bowed.
Tunzuo sensed for a moment and couldn’t help being shocked.
The maids before her each had magical fluctuations as deep as the ocean, at least possessing the magical power level of a Grand Witch.
Antuxi stood before the tower, stopped, raised her hand, and clapped gently.
Clap, clap.
As the crisp applause fell, the two maids standing at the forefront blurred.
In the blink of an eye, they flashed behind Tunzuo.
Before Tunzuo could react, the two maids lifted her arms from left and right.
Their movements seemed forceful, but their strength was very gentle.
“Hey? Hey hey? What are you doing?”
The maids’ sudden action startled Tunzuo.
Antuxi turned around, looked Tunzuo up and down, then snapped her fingers and commanded:
“Vincent, take her down and have a complete set of formal attire made for my daughter, the kind that can also be worn daily. Highest standard treatment.”