A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 189 Inside and Outside the Palace

The royal carriage carried the bride through the city, preceded by a royal guard and the court sorceress Elizabeth, who wore a crimson cloak and a black gauze robe. Behind them followed several pairs of guards, whose uniforms were bright red with gold trim and whose helmets were topped with white plumes.

As they passed through areas where crowds had gathered, the clamor spontaneously coalesced into cheers, one wave higher than the next, with people waving top hats, flags, and soda bottles. For security reasons, Würzburg's city hall issued a temporary order requiring that alcoholic beverages be consumed only indoors, so those celebrating outside and waiting to catch a glimpse of the king and princess opted for taffy to quench their thirst.

"Look, our people are blessing you, Millie." King Albert Ludwig heard the cheers from the streets of Würzburg, finally relaxed his brow, and loosened his grip on his daughter's hand.

Amelia was captivated by the beautiful cheers, a slight blush rising to her cheeks. After a moment of ecstasy, she replied to her father, "That's everyone's way of showing their support for you, my father."

Then she looked out the window and gently waved to her loyal subjects.

The May 1st festival itself is also underway. In the surrounding rural fields, unmarried young men erect birch branches, waiting for girls to hang their headscarves or handkerchiefs on them. Although they are just large branches stuck in the ground, people call them "May trees".

After the man erects the "May Tree," he will often hide to the side and anxiously wait for his beloved to tie the headscarf on. Meanwhile, the woman who is already in a relationship will stand in a good spot and hope that her partner will erect the tree and hang it up when no one is paying attention.

Until nightfall, the "matched" couples would dance in the fields, while villagers and townspeople would gather around the Maytree to enjoy beer and sausages. These rituals served both to create a romantic atmosphere for young couples in Byrne and to express their hopes for a bountiful summer harvest.

At the edge of the field, fast horses and carriages sped along the road. Inside the wide, long carriage, the last guest invited by His Majesty Albert arrived: the Archduke of Württemberg, his wife, eldest daughter, and youngest son.

The eldest daughter complained about the bumpy journey: "Father, why did you change your mind in the end? The bumpy ride and the awful smell of the fields make me sick. It's just the youngest daughter of the Wittelsbach family marrying some wild boy who came out of nowhere."

"Then shouldn't you be even more curious about why His Majesty held such a grand wedding?" The Grand Duke looked out the carriage window, his eyes filled with the sights of tents, May trees, and smiling people.

Unlike the ordinary people outside the venue who were still guessing the groom's identity, the guests inside already knew Bart's identity.

"Yes, I knew all along that crazy girl would act foolishly and be tricked by a vulgar bourgeois." Inside Wirtz Palace, while waiting for the ceremony to begin, familiar nobles chatted among themselves, and a distinguished young man relaxed on the sofa, arranging the two protagonists of the day.

Around him were his brothers of slightly lower status, and women carrying silk fans. Amidst giggles, these bored young men spread rumors such as "marriage due to pregnancy."

The young man enjoyed the feeling, but between jokes and banter, he didn't forget to keep an eye out for Otto in the crowd: "If you ask me, that Otto, well, he's kind of my distant cousin," he said, rubbing his temples with his fingers, "any normal person should be able to tell the difference between themselves and His Highness the Prince if they interact with him. May God bless the Wittelsbach family and make sure their eldest son doesn't die in the army."

This was a sensitive statement, and the voices of others echoing it were much quieter.

The young man didn't lower his voice, so Rorschach, who was drinking sparkling wine nearby, heard him. He silently walked up to the young man and discreetly used [Basic Disintegration] to remove all the belts and buttons below the waist. He was sure the young nobles would be pleasantly surprised when he stood up.

On the Bart family's side, besides the parents, there were also prominent merchants from the logistics and brewing guilds who entered the palace. Although they usually entered and exited the city hall as if it were their own mansion, their deliberate composure only betrayed how nervous they were when they actually stepped into the magnificent and artistic palace.

Although they wanted to, and had enough money to collect these works of art, display armor and weapons, and install stone-carved columns in their mansions like the nobles, every wealthy person who had come from hardship would never give up such a grand display. Their greatest pleasure was simply making money, making money!

The butler entered to remind the guests that the ceremony was about to begin, and everyone entered the hall. At the end of the central axis of the magnificent hall stood a majestic statue of the first King of Byron. This wedding, without the presence of the Lord of Order or other deities, would be witnessed by the bride's ancestors.

A solemn and grand symphony played, and the chorus echoed beneath the high vaulted ceiling:

"Follow the faithful guidance! Go there, and the blessings of love will keep you there!"

"The courage to win, the harvest of love, and loyalty to the happiest couple."

"Warriors of virtue, march forward! Adorn your youth, forge ahead!"

An educated merchant, upon hearing the melody, whispered to his companion that it was the "Wedding March," an acknowledgment of the groom's arrival. Meanwhile, a nobleman who happened to overhear chuckled inwardly; a truly cultured and knowledgeable gentleman would simply call it "the Wedding Chorus from Act III of Wagner's 'Lohengrin'."

As expected, the bride and her father appeared at the main entrance of the hall, walking down the red carpet after the guards and veiled court wizards entered first. Rorschach observed that the bride, Amelia, had shed her subtle "boyishness" today; whether it was her makeup or her excitement, her cheeks were flushed, adding a touch of radiance. Her elegant white gown was adorned with countless diamonds, and the train was supported by three pairs of children.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the couple walked to the end of the hall, where the groom took his daughter from an elderly father.

Traditionally, people look for Barth's parents, with the groom usually waiting with them for the bride to arrive on stage. But this time, the groom did not appear at the wedding.

Suddenly the hall lights flickered, and soon all the lights went out. Although it was evening, people were shocked to find the environment had become incredibly dark.

Amid the guests' gasps, the orchestra abruptly changed the program, creating a somber and oppressive atmosphere. Once everyone's eyes adjusted to the darkness, they could vaguely discern that they were in a forest shrouded in thick fog.

"Don't be afraid, it's just a performance, my dear." The music was still playing, which calmed the Archduke of Württemberg slightly. He took out the smelling salts to wake his unconscious wife. But he felt that the fog was real, and the moisture was so heavy that he could feel the dampness on his skin. Moreover, he seemed to smell the scent of earth and grass.

Suddenly, a dragon's roar erupted, pushing the music to its climax. Lightning flashed and thunder roared through the forest, illuminating not only the panicked guests but also revealing a ferocious giant dragon. It spread its wide wings and swept low over everyone.

"Ah!" The Duchess, awakened by the smelling salts, fainted again in the Grand Duke's arms.

The dragon circled for a moment, then opened its claws and roared as it pounced straight at Princess Amelia!

Amelia watched everything expressionlessly, her expression unwavering. Just as the claws were about to seize her, she finally feigned fear. Her father, Albert, however, remained tense, seemingly considering how to protect his daughter, and was about to spread his arms to block the claws.

(End of this chapter)