Hate me, Miss Witch!

Light flickered on a black eagle signet ring adorning Isadella's index finger.

The next moment, Shiayar sensed a slight Magic Power fluctuation.

An invisible soundproofing barrier unfolded around Isadella, encapsulating the space between them before ceasing its spread, isolating the coachman and other attendants from their conversation.

"The incident in Ceylon is indeed unrelated to the theocratic kingdom," Shiayar said.

When he first learned some clues about Ceylon's fall, he had indeed wondered if Warwick, a wanted fugitive of the Sacred Court, might be part of a ploy orchestrated by the theocratic kingdom itself. After all, the Western Continent he inhabited was a standard Western fantasy world. According to the inherent impressions deeply ingrained in him from the web novels and various ACG works of his previous life, the Holy See—aside from conducting heresy trials and hunting Wizards—seemed to be left with only the label of arch-villain, perpetually concocting world-ending conspiracies. Shiayar had even braced himself for the possibility of being dragged before a tribunal by the Holy See on trumped-up charges, ready to enact the classic scenario of rebelling against the Deities.

However, based on the intelligence Shiayar later collected and verified, he ultimately overturned this speculation.

The Holy See, a symbol of light, would finally not have to play the villain. That was truly worth celebrating.

Isadella looked deeply into Shiayar's eyes. Although nominally Shiayar was a subject of the Empire, the more Isadella interacted with him, the more she found him inscrutable. There was his teacher from the Golden Elf Tribe, and the Gray-Silver Witch who had seemingly descended from the heavens, not hesitating to grievously injure a Legendary to protect him. And now, he even possessed channels to verify such highly classified information from within the theocratic kingdom itself.

Isadella understood Shiayar's character. He would never make such a definitive statement unless he was absolutely certain.

"It seems I was indeed overly concerned," Isadella said. "Augutina has controlled the Dark Shadow Council for many years; she's an expert in interrogation, torture, and even soul-searching. With Guderian in her hands, he can't hide any secrets."

Isadella did not ask Shiayar about the source of his intelligence, but simply nodded calmly. She knew, of course, that Shiayar harbored many secrets. But as a Princess of the realm and the future Queen, Isadella possessed the magnanimity to accommodate such things. Whatever secrets he held, as long as Shiayar was willing to stand with her, that was sufficient.

"Furthermore, about what Augutina mentioned, 'Golden Dawn'..."

The Second Princess's brow furrowed slightly. "I have heard my teacher mention this term. It seems to be some ancient society of Transcendent beings, but I have very little specific information about it."

After all, she was still very young, barely in her early twenties. Although, thanks to her astonishing talent and rigorous training, Isadella's strength as a Beastmaster already placed her at the pinnacle of the Western Continent, in terms of experience and the accumulation of esoteric knowledge, she was far from comparable to those ancient Legendaries who had lived for over a century.

"Since Augutina has alerted us, I will ask my teacher and the Secret Intelligence Division to investigate later," Isadella said.

"Also, you need to be careful. The impact of this banquet is too significant, and with so many guests invited by Borgia, it cannot be kept secret. You and Her Highness Silvia stole the show at this banquet, and news about you both will soon spread throughout the Western Continent.

"If the fall of Ceylon is indeed related to Golden Dawn, then you and Enola, as Ceylon's only two survivors, will undoubtedly attract the attention of 'Golden Dawn.' It's hard to say what attitude that ancient society will hold towards you.

"And an ancient society capable of subtly influencing the decisions of a veteran Legendary like Guderian without leaving a trace... the power it wields might far exceed our imagination."

Her gaze drifted to the distant night sky.

"'After all,' she mused, 'heaven knows how many beings lurk within those secondary planes, dimensional rifts, and the Astral Realm—entities that have forsaken humanity and turned towards divinity.'"

Her words were somewhat ethereal, but Shiayar could understand Isadella's meaning.

In the Western Continent, the number of Legendaries currently active openly was no more than a dozen or so, each renowned.

However, the lifespan of a Legendary was at least several hundred years. Moreover, with the Soul strength of Legendaries having already transformed into an ocean of spirit, they possessed numerous methods to forcibly extend their lives and cling to existence.

This didn't even account for races that were inherently long-lived. Whether by signing contracts with Plant-based Pet Beasts to enhance their life force, turning themselves into undead creatures through the forbidden techniques of the Necromancy Sect, or even seizing new bodies to reincarnate—for Legendaries truly determined to endure, surviving for a thousand years might not be impossible.

In the archives of most ancient Legendaries, they are listed merely as "missing," not "dead." From the Ancient Era to the present, no one knows how many Legendaries have actually persevered. Take Silvia, for example: she sought self-sealing in a secondary plane. Who could tell if she was truly dead or alive?

Of course, Silvia had self-sealed in hopes of reuniting with Shiayar, but other Legendaries were different.

After hundreds of years, everything they once cherished—their families, their friends—had long since passed away. All that remained in their hearts was the singular obsession to ascend to divinity.

For such resurrected ancient Legendaries, their divinity had long since overshadowed their humanity, meaning conventional morals could hardly restrain them at all.