My Pov
After the minor incident that took place in the shopping area, Emilia and I continued to stroll around and go to a variety of different places.
And because we were both satisfied after eating various snacks and drinks along the way, I decided to take Emilia to an old building with a majestically tall tower at the top of it.
I went straight into the tall tower and began walking up the circular stairs, even though we both had to climb the stairs one by one to reach the top of the tower.
In spite of this, I could tell that Emilia was not exhausted or bored because the expression on her face showed that she was excited, and I would occasionally see her footsteps ahead of mine.
Then we reach the top of this spiral staircase, where there is what appears to be a door made of sturdy material directly in front of me.
I was able to open the door without any difficulty, and what I found on the other side was truly incredible.
There is a garden at the very top of this tall and majestic tower. It is filled with a wide variety of stunning and unusual plants that contribute to the garden's overall beauty. In my opinion, this garden is not less beautiful than the garden inside the palace.
Although the roof is made entirely of glass that is see-through and appears solid, very little natural light enters this garden. However, for some strange reason, I sense both magic and a powerful amount of energy here.
When Emilia saw it, she ran ahead of me to take a look at its place, and then she said, "I didn't expect there to be a garden like this at the top of the tower."
"At one time, the top of this tower was home to a mad magus, and it was in this place that the mad magus conducted all of his experiments concerning energy and magic."
I said this solemnly as I looked closely at one of the stunning red flowers growing in one of the flower pots in the garden.
Even though Emilia's brows were slightly furrowed as she listened to my story, she continued to ask me questions out of genuine interest.
"What exactly happened to that crazy magus, and is he dead?"
When I finally find a long bench that appears to be vacant, I sit down on it, and as soon as I do, I am greeted by a view of the trading area in the capital that is simultaneously picturesque and lively.
"Yeah, it's a shame that crazy magus is dead, but it's been said that before he died he did some interesting things in this place..."
I was in the middle of telling this story when I noticed Emilia approaching me and sitting down next to me.
"Do you have any idea why people refer to him as a mad magus?"
"I have no idea." Emilia replied, her head slightly tilted towards me.
"Because he conducted his experiments using living things, he has tested almost all different races, in particular young children all the way up to elderly people."
When Emilia heard that for the second time, she showed some surprise by raising her eyebrows, but she refrained from responding and instead focused her attention on the scenery outside.
"And for some reason, one day he vanished, and this tower became empty, and when anyone tried to check this tower, all they found was a garden that had miraculously materialized at the top of the tower."
But all of a sudden, Emilia interrupts me by asking, "Let me guess, did that crazy magus use all of the rest of his experiments to build this garden?"
I just gave Emilia a warm smile as I looked at her and asked, "You could say that, but do you know how that crazy magus used it?"
Emilia then looks at me while shaking her head slightly and putting on a little bewildered expression.
"There's a story going around that the crazy magus used the leftovers from his experiments to feed the plants and flowers in this lovely garden. This is just a rumor, of course."
I said it in a low voice while looking at Emilia, and the atmosphere in the garden, which had been tranquil and comfortable before, slowly started to change slightly.
Emilia came slowly over to me with a slightly worried expression after she had listened to my explanation and noticed that I had become suddenly silent while looking at her.
Nevertheless, I chose to ignore it and carry on with my unfinished story.
"The rumors are supported by evidence that these plants and flowers grow so quickly and survive without anyone caring for them for decades, and as a result, people call this garden an eternal garden."
Emilia's expression is becoming increasingly anxious, and I can feel her hands pulling at my cloak. However, I can tell that she's making an effort to hide her fear by the fact that she continues to say.
"Yeah, I'm not surprised because that person is a crazy magus, so what he did was unpredictable."
But then, all of a sudden, a speck of light materialized not too far from where I was sitting. Emilia also saw it and warily attempted to stand in front of me.
"I can't believe that fairy tales actually happened..."
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In the meantime, somewhere else, after Emilia and I had left Alice at the residence of the Raupe family.
Alice Pov
As I watched the carriage in which my brother and sister Emilia were traveling get further and further from my line of sight.
A look of dissatisfaction had just appeared on my face as I inhaled deeply and released it.
However, Sucht, who was standing next to me, noticed that there was a change in the expression on my face, and she attempted to reassure me by saying.
"Don't worry, princess Alice. If we can get things settled here quickly, the princess will be able to meet with the young master as soon as possible."
"Who wants to meet a cruel older brother like him? If I do meet him, I can't wait to..."
However, before I could finish my ranting, I suddenly heard the sound of the iron gate opening, and then a middle-aged male servant came out, bowing toward me.
"Welcome, princess Alice, Mr. and Miss Raupe have thoughtfully prepared a warm welcome for you."
But unexpectedly, a sword pierced right through the middle of the servant's chest right into his heart.
And with a look of utter disbelief written all over his face, the male servant collapsed to the ground in front of the gate.
Sucht, who was currently standing next to me and wearing a friendly smile on her face, was the one who was responsible for what happened.
"Princess, if you could please, I'm sure you don't want to waste time either."
I just nodded and walked forward to the door of the Raupe's residence, followed by Sucht and then Sascha, who had been silent the entire time.
During this time, approximately 15 female soldiers came with me. Some of them were currently guarding the gate, while others were also surrounding this residence from various sides.
To ensure that no one enters or exits the area surrounding the Raupe family's residence, I can rest easy knowing that the soldiers are, on average, level 30 or higher and possess a wide variety of one-of-a-kind specializations.
I arrived in front of the house's front door, or the small castle of the Raupe family, not long after that. Although this residence looks like dirt in comparison to the one I met earlier, this residence is quite spacious.
After taking a few slow, deep breaths, I muttered to myself, "How dare they greet me with the nonsense of a trash servant!"