Early the next morning, just as Shendu and Emilia finished their preparations and stepped out into the courtyard, they discovered that a dragon carriage was already parked at the entrance.
Seated atop it was Rem. The blue-haired maid held the reins in her hands and smiled as she greeted Shendu and Emilia.
"Lady Emilia, Lady Shendu, everything is ready! We can depart at any time."
"Well done, Rem. You've never disappointed us."
Shendu revealed a satisfied smile. She had always been completely at ease when it came to a maid like Rem.
As early as three days ago, Rem had already sorted and packed the clothes and food they would need. She had even diligently cleaned the dragon carriage every single day.
Not long after Shendu and Emilia appeared, Natsuki Subaru came over carrying a bulging bag. It clinked faintly with the sound of glass knocking together, as though he had stuffed quite a few extra things inside.
Soon after, Akane—dressed in red—arrived as well, along with the elegant Beatrice and the wild-looking Garfiel. They all gathered one after another, though none of them brought much luggage.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's set off!"
Shendu was the first to climb into the dragon carriage, waving at the girls behind her.
Once inside, Natsuki Subaru and Garfiel sat on the opposite side. The carriage was spacious enough to seat seven or eight people at once without any issue.
As a result, Shendu was surrounded by girls on both sides, creating the feeling of being embraced from left and right. Even Natsuki Subaru and Garfiel admired and liked Shendu, but they lacked the opportunity to get any closer.
Because the Watergate City lay extremely far from Roswaal's territory, even after running continuously for a full week, they had not yet covered half the distance.
One week later, at night, the dragon carriage continued onward without any intention of stopping.
After eating the rations Rem had prepared, Emilia's eyes showed a hint of worry. She suddenly thought of Anastasia—that woman was undoubtedly not easy to deal with.
"Sister Shendu, I have a feeling Anastasia deliberately found that magic crystal. It can't just be to sell us a small favor, can it?"
As one of the royal candidates, Emilia naturally had her own understanding of certain matters.
"Of course not. None of the candidates are simple. Fortunately, we've already drawn two of them to our side, and my relationship with another isn't bad either."
Thinking of Priscilla, Shendu's lips curved into a smile. It had indeed been quite a long time since they last met.
"Speaking of which, over the past four months, both Felt and Priscilla have accomplished quite a bit. They're nothing like the candidates people once thought were just there to make up the numbers."
Emilia said thoughtfully, recalling the recent rumors and feeling slightly astonished.
"Heh, you can't deny the Dragon's judgment. Not just anyone can become a candidate."
Shendu narrowed her eyes, her tone slightly cool.
"That's true."
Emilia nodded in agreement without objection.
When it came down to it, their own camp's reputation was also extremely prominent. They had achieved the greatest accomplishments so far, giving many citizens of the kingdom hope.
After all, Emilia's faction had already subjugated two of the Three Great Witchbeasts—the White Whale and the Great Rabbit—while also eliminating a branch of the Witch Cult.
With the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild providing a constant flow of financial support, public prejudice toward Emilia had gradually begun to shift.
From time to time, Shendu would release affordable goods or sell potions capable of curing countless ailments, steadily building prestige among the kingdom's people.
Because Shendu's actions were far more than mere token charity, this strategy had attracted a large number of fervent supporters, forming a powerful base of popular backing for Emilia.
Returning to the main topic, they had not seen Felt in four months, but Shendu had heard a little about what the young girl had accomplished.
At first, when Reinhard supported Felt, many nobles looked down on her, believing that as a commoner girl, she had neither status nor background.
Voices of dissent frequently arose within Reinhard's camp. Yet the strongest Sword Saint paid them no heed. Instead, he simply informed Felt of their current predicament.
After receiving Reinhard's explanation, Felt launched into action immediately, striking back at the nobles who had looked down on her with astonishing speed.
She began promoting talent without regard for background, often wandering through the streets in search of undiscovered individuals. Once she found someone capable, she entrusted them with important responsibilities. As a result, even a portion of the kingdom's mid-level officials joined her faction.
She did not rely on the fame of being a surviving member of the royal bloodline. Instead, she demonstrated astonishing capability through her own strength.
As for Priscilla—Shendu's close friend—her territory lay along the border, near hostile nations, and was frequently harassed by enemy forces.
Seizing the opportunity, Priscilla used her strong-handed methods to gather the trembling nobles under her command.
After fighting alongside them in joint campaigns, the number of attacks from the western kingdom decreased significantly. Each time, the enemy suffered heavy losses instead. Gradually, the border nobles began reverently calling her the Sun Princess.
Though the two of them did not match Emilia's camp in fame, they were by no means weak. They were undeniably powerful contenders for the throne.
"By the way, Big Sis, if we end up owing Anastasia a favor, won't it be hard to repay?"
Garfiel suddenly spoke up from the side. He could guess that such a possibility existed.
As the head of a powerful merchant company, it was impossible for Anastasia not to have ulterior motives. This matter was certainly not as simple as it seemed.
"Heh, there's no need to worry about that. Small requests we can agree to. Larger demands—we simply won't accept them."
Akane sneered coldly. Having crossed blades with the Hoshin Company for a long time, she had no fear of Anastasia whatsoever.
Truth be told, Anastasia was still hiding some of her strength. Although most of her influence had been driven out of the kingdom, her base of operations still remained in Kararagi.
As for Kararagi, Shendu had almost no way of intervening. She could not infiltrate it either, which was truly frustrating.
If she could not defeat the Hoshin Company through commercial means, Shendu would consider using force to conquer that city entirely.
"Emilia, you handled this poorly. Your impatience exposed your intentions and allowed them to seize the initiative. That was your mistake."
Akane glanced at Emilia. She neither liked nor disliked her. She simply felt that this woman was not worthy of her master.
"What? What did I do wrong?"
As the most inexperienced among the royal candidates, Emilia naturally did not fully grasp the intricacies involved. Though she had matured somewhat, she was not yet fully seasoned.
"Master, should I explain it directly?"
Seeing Emilia listening attentively, Akane turned her gaze toward Shendu, awaiting her decision.
She feared that speaking too bluntly might deal a blow to this innocent flower and cause dissatisfaction from her master.
When she had first met Emilia, Akane had sensed a faint air of naïveté about her. But since her master did not mind, she refrained from saying anything. Besides, Emilia's personality was not bad. She was not some sanctimonious fool. That was still within Akane's tolerance.
"You may."
After a brief moment of thought, Shendu answered calmly.
"Anastasia's original goal was to lure you in and use this as leverage to make you travel to that city. Once you took the bait, there would certainly be other matters she would require you to handle."
Akane spoke solemnly.
"Merchants value profit above all else. Since she's established this connection with you, she will squeeze out sufficient benefits before letting you go."
If they did not possess the trump card of the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild, they might already be in serious trouble.
After hearing the explanation, Emilia felt a chill of fear. She stood up and bowed deeply to Shendu in apology.
"I'm sorry, Sister Shendu. I was too rash. I truly apologize."
Emilia spoke helplessly, embarrassment evident on her face.
"It's alright. Akane is correct. But the primary purpose this time is to temper you."
Shendu narrowed her eyes and offered her explanation to the silver-haired girl before her.
...
Half a month later, Watergate City—Pristella.
After enduring a long journey of half a month, they finally arrived upon the grand bridge leading into the Watergate City. It had truly been a hard and exhausting trip.
Beneath the bridge flowed a shimmering river known as the Tigrasi Grand River. This vast waterway ran through both the Kingdom and the city-state of Kararagi.
After admiring the scenery for a moment, Shendu went to the main gate to contact the guards, submit their visitation documents, and undergo identity verification. The procedures were far more complicated than expected.
Entering a city within the Kingdom required such tedious formalities—it felt almost like traveling abroad. Fortunately, they were not in a hurry and could wait patiently.
Once their approval came through, Shendu and the others walked toward the main entrance.
A supervisor took out a book and began explaining the city's various rules and regulations, warning them not to violate any laws.
For example, they were forbidden from causing disturbances, and magic could not be used within the city without proper reason—simple but strict rules.
At the end, the supervisor placed several oath documents before them and asked them to sign their names.
However, when he saw the names Emilia and Shendu, a strange expression flickered across his face, as though he felt a trace of concern.
"So it is Lady Emilia and Lady Shendu. Welcome to the Watergate City. I hope you enjoy your stay."
The supervisor bowed and performed a gentleman's salute, displaying proper courtesy toward distinguished guests.
"Thank you."
Emilia responded with a sweet smile.
After concluding the exchange, the dragon carriage moved forward toward the inner gate. As the gate slowly opened, the city streets gradually came into view.
It had to be said—the scenery was beautiful.
Waterways ran everywhere through the streets, especially the enormous canal that divided the city into four sections from the center.
Boats occasionally passed along the water routes, and the surrounding scenery was stunning. Calling it a Venice upon the water would not be an exaggeration.
Seeing the Water City—Pristella—for the first time, everyone was in high spirits. They looked around constantly, exclaiming in admiration.
"Wow. I've seen plenty of land scenery, but this is my first time seeing a city like this on water. It's really pleasing to the eye."
Natsuki Subaru exclaimed in surprise. The moment they entered this city, the sensory experience felt entirely different.
"Hmph. How uncultured. Pristella is a miracle city built with technology from four hundred years ago. Of course it's beautiful."
Beatrice gazed at the lovely scenery before leaning into Shendu's arms, smiling as she took on the role of commentator.
"However, this city is actually a trap. Several hundred years ago, it was supposedly constructed as a defensive measure against something. There are no records left, so the reason for setting up the trap is unknown."
Beatrice relayed everything she knew in full.
When the word "trap" reached Shendu's ears, a thoughtful glint appeared in her crimson eyes.
"A trap..."
Shendu murmured the words softly and fell silent.
"Beatrice, you truly are knowledgeable. I suppose you deserve a reward."
Shendu reached out and stroked Beatrice's head. The girl nestled more comfortably into her embrace, clearly enjoying it.
"Hmhm. I've guarded the Forbidden Library for four hundred years. Of course I know these things. I'm basically a walking library."
Beatrice had her pride. Yet only in front of Shendu did she behave obediently, like a younger sister, without a trace of arrogance.
"Yes, yes. Our Beatrice is the best."
Shendu pinched her small cheek as an additional reward.
"Lady Shendu, shall we head to the Water's Feather Pavilion? I just confirmed the location with the supervisor."
Rem, seated at the front of the carriage, lifted the curtain and asked after a moment of thought.
"Very well. Full speed ahead."
Shendu pointed forward, and Rem responded with a bright smile.
The city's roads were full of twists and narrow turns. While the land routes were tight and winding, numerous boats traveled along the waterways, which seemed far more developed.
Perhaps this city prioritized water transport first, leaving land roads as secondary routes.
After all, as a Watergate City, waterways were its primary arteries of travel, while roads played a supporting role.
After traveling a while longer and passing multiple canals, a strange creature came into view.
It resembled a serpent with green scales and a short body, yet its head was more like that of a lizard. It bore sharp teeth and whiskers similar to a catfish.
Comparing it to the earth dragon pulling their carriage, the name "water dragon" naturally surfaced in their minds.
"Wow, this is my first time seeing a water dragon. It really does look different from an earth dragon."
Emilia looked at the water dragon pulling a small boat through the canal and sighed softly.
"Naturally. If dragons can run on land, then of course there are dragons that live in water as well."
Shendu smiled faintly and gently stroked Emilia's silver hair, seeing her excitement.
In truth, one of the reasons Shendu had accepted Anastasia's invitation was tourism. For her, that was quite important.
Since there was still time, she carefully observed the city's surroundings, using the scenery to pass the idle hours.
The city itself was divided into four districts by the four major waterways. They were called First Street, Second Street, Third Street, and Fourth Street.
Though the names were simple, the overall planning felt orderly.
After more than ten minutes, they reached their destination. Rem tightened the reins and pulled back the earth dragon, bringing the carriage to a halt.
"Master, we've arrived."
Rem smiled sweetly, her expression earnest.
"Alright, let's get down."
Shendu lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.
Interestingly enough, the place Anastasia had chosen for their meeting was an inn.
The name Water's Feather Pavilion sounded rather peculiar.
Before them stood an ordinary wooden building.
At the entrance was a bamboo lattice gate. The courtyard was lined with hedges, gravel covered the path from the gate to the building, and the roof was tiled.
"Master, I'll take the carriage around to the back entrance first."
While everyone was still staring at the unusual structure in contemplation, Rem smiled at Shendu and voiced her suggestion.
"Very well. Return quickly."
Shendu waved her hand.
The architecture indeed resembled that of a distant eastern style—she was quite certain of that.
"How strange. I've never seen this type of building before. I heard it's a so-called Eastern-style structure."
Emilia said thoughtfully, clearly surprised.
"Me neither. Never seen anything like it."
"It feels... somewhat familiar to me."
Garfiel looked startled, then confused. Having lived in Roswaal's territory for so long, he had never encountered such architecture.
Only Natsuki Subaru's eyes lit up, as though he suspected there might be another transmigrator in this world.
"Haha, you all look surprised. Inviting you here was absolutely worth it."
A gentle voice sounded from not far away. Everyone turned toward it and saw a petite girl dressed in a formal outfit made of animal fur, a fox-fur scarf wrapped around her neck. Her pale blue eyes regarded them calmly.
A breeze swept through, causing her purple hair to flutter. A mysterious smile curved upon her adorable face.
Yes—this person was none other than Anastasia.
"It's you, Anastasia. It's been several months since we last met."
"Indeed. Welcome to Pristella. And thank you for coming."
Anastasia Hoshin smiled and gave a graceful bow, exuding the confident aura of a host welcoming distinguished guests.