"Hah, haha… yes, indeed. Only a top-tier botanical cultivation expert like you, Teacher, could grow such a premium Crystal Lotus."
The young man forced a smile, though inwardly he couldn't help but grumble:
So this is what a supreme expert returned from the Holy Court is like? Truly beyond the understanding of small folk like us.
Back when he had studied in the Scholars' Nation, he had heard a certain theory:
That the two great systems—Ultimate Power and Holy Judgment—might not be as absolutely opposed as people believed.
Extreme life could give birth to death, and extreme death could give rise to life.
Just like his teacher, who used living people to cultivate top-grade magical medicine—trading one person's death for a more valuable form of life.
Yet…
Looking at the maid's vacant eyes, the young man felt a sense of shared doom, like a rabbit mourning the fate of the fox.
He himself had only become one of Spur's many students because the Gordon Trading Company, controlled by his family, could conveniently serve Spur's needs.
In name he was a disciple—in reality, he was nothing more than Spur's lackey.
Spur, clearly pleased by the flattery, took another sip of red tea and said calmly with his eyes closed:
"Guests have arrived. Go and receive them."
"Yes, Teacher."
Before long, Rowan III and the high-ranking bishop were led before Spur.
Upon seeing the old man again, the bishop appeared far more nervous than Rowan III.
After all, the bishop knew Spur far better than the king did.
"Lord Spur."
The two bowed respectfully and explained their purpose.
After hearing Rowan III's explanation, Spur frowned slightly.
"Accidents with storage equipment are unavoidable. Even the greatest alchemists are still human—and humans make mistakes.
It is reasonable for the Gordon royal family to request early access to the sealing site to obtain new Witch creations.
After all, the Holy Court once made an agreement with your ancestors: You guard the Witch, and the Witch's products belong to you.
However…"
Spur cast Rowan III a meaningful glance.
"Recently, quite a few little bugs have crept into the city. And the sealing site is of utmost importance to both your royal family and the Church.
Coincidentally, it has been decades since I last saw the Flower Witch. I'd like to pay her a visit and catch up—so I'll go with you."
"This…"
Rowan III instinctively felt reluctant, yet rationally he had no grounds to refuse.
So he changed his tone and agreed.
"Then we'll be relying on you, Lord Spur."
The group moved to the fountain.
Just as Old Chui-de had done before the Sacred Oak, Rowan III raised his staff and released a magical wave at a specific frequency.
When the strange energy brushed past the largest statue of the Holy Goddess at the fountain's center, the entire structure began to tremble violently.
The twelve angel statues flanking the goddess suddenly knelt as if they had come to life.
Then something eerie happened.
The previously crystal-clear water at the bottom of the fountain turned into a murky, dark-green liquid with a sweet, bloody scent.
This was a supreme poison brewed from the deadly magical herb Silver Moon Aconite.
It was said to affect even Saint-tier experts.
Normally, an illusion spell disguised it as ordinary water.
But any intruder who dared to enter would be reduced to dry bones in an instant.
This was the first layer of protection guarding the sealing site of the Gordon Kingdom.
After all, not every nation had something like the Sacred Oak of Trude Kingdom, whose defensive power rivaled that of a Saint.
At that moment, the goddess statue slowly raised her hands.
Dozens of water pillars surged from the green pool, shot skyward, and gathered into her palms.
In a short time, all the poison in the pool had been absorbed.
Yet surprisingly, the massive amount of liquid condensed into just a single thick drop.
The substance was viscous like mercury, with a faint black mist swirling at its core.
Seeing that the poison had been cleared, Rowan III waved his hand again.
The smooth pool floor began to shake.
Marble slabs floated upward, revealing a passage leading underground.
The slabs drifted toward the group, assembling into a descending staircase.
Rowan III stepped onto it first, followed by Spur and the high-ranking bishop.
Once everyone had entered the underground passage, the staircase floated back up, sealing the entrance once more.
Just as the pool was about to return to normal—
A plump crow suddenly leapt from a nearby treetop, flapping its wings toward the opening.
At the very last moment, it slipped through the narrowing gap.
With a loud clang, the marble slabs shut completely.
Moments later, a graceful figure appeared beside the fountain.
Imshi frowned as she watched the mechanism restore itself.
"Everyone went into the sealing site? Why now, of all times…"
She paced beside the fountain for a while.
Finally, gritting her teeth, she released a surge of magic, reopening the mechanism that had nearly finished resetting.
As the first heir to the Gordon Kingdom, she naturally knew how the mechanism worked.
It was just that:
First, the Flower Witch was of no use to her. Second, she lacked the authority to access the sealing site.
So she had never once entered the Witch's underground palace.
But this time, she had a strong premonition—that if she didn't go down, she would miss something important.
And so, even at the risk of exposing this avatar, Imshi stepped into the Witch's underground palace.
As the fountain above restored itself, the Sky Garden returned to its tranquil state.
Left behind outside, the young man gazed at the vacant-eyed maid—and an unsettling thought stirred in his heart.