"Sage Rhine, this way please."
Rhine, wearing a beautiful, pure white gown of golden silk, custom-made for the ceremony and fitting his figure perfectly, entered the magnificent and spacious hall under the escort of his attendants.
The young magician's steps were steady, his luxurious pure white golden silk gown fluttering in the wind, exuding an air of elegance and nobility.
Rhine gently gathered his long robe and gracefully sat in the splendid seat beside the King and Queen.
This was the position reserved for the kingdom's sage.
Compared to when he first entered the palace a few months ago, Rhine was now much more composed and confident.
The past half-year had not been boring for the young man.
Every day, he was immersed in the wonders of magic.
Supernatural power was indeed the most alluring!
With his astonishing magical talent and half a year of diligent practice, Rhine was no longer the young magician who could only perform parlor tricks!
Based on the intelligence he had gathered about witches over the past half-year, Rhine estimated that his current magical level might not be inferior even to the leader of the 12 good witches in the kingdom.
Of course, he certainly couldn't compare to Maleficent, the Black Witch, who was rumored to be able to cover the entire kingdom with her magic.
Rhine collected his thoughts and watched the noble guests entering along the red carpet, sensing the joyful atmosphere.
Tonight was the night of Princess Aurora's christening ceremony.
It was also a day of national celebration.
The King and Queen, who had been childless for many years, had finally given birth to an heir; there were few things more worthy of celebration than this.
Throughout the entire kingdom, all criminals, unless they had committed grave offenses, were granted amnesty!
Uncollected taxes were also deferred.
Everything was done to ensure that nothing spoiled the joyful atmosphere of this day.
From top to bottom across the nation, regardless of noble or commoner, all offered blessings for the birth of the little princess.
In the streets and alleys far from the capital, peddlers chatted about tonight's celebration; in remote villages, farmers also discussed the princess's birth.
And as for the capital, the center of the celebration, there was even more to say.
Tonight, the royal city would not sleep, its lights shining brightly.
Ribbons fluttered.
Songs of joy echoed to the heavens.
Many royal families and nobles from foreign lands had come.
Their entourages were splendid, having traveled a long way, solely to present lavish gifts to the newborn Princess Aurora.
"What an astonishing display! Just the foreign nobles attending this ceremony include 16 delegations from different countries!"
Rhine sat in his designated seat as the court magician, carefully observing the delegations participating in the ceremony, and couldn't help but exclaim.
In front, one after another, members of foreign royal families, whose names he couldn't keep track of, approached the King, presented their generous gifts, offered blessings, and spoke words of extreme praise for the princess's birth.
The young magician's eyes narrowed slightly.
The more fervent, solemn, and grand this ceremony became, the thicker the celebratory atmosphere...
The more Rhine worried that an unexpected turn of events would occur!
"Next, the 13 witches of astonishing magical power will enter."
The 13 witches walked into the hall along the crimson carpet.
They wore brightly colored attire, each with a different dominant color.
Together, they looked like a rainbow from afar.
However, among these 13 people, there was one exception who seemed out of place with the others.
The witch walking at the very end of the procession was tall, draped in a dark purple robe, possessing a dark beauty and a cold elegance.
At times she was as cold as frost, and at other times she would suddenly burst into earth-shattering laughter; one moment she would wave to the people around her, and the next she would talk to herself, appearing mentally unstable.
The other 12 witches deliberately kept their distance from this colleague.
The Black Witch!
Unlike the original plot, she had also received an invitation from the King.
Upon seeing the Black Witch, the old King's body visibly trembled.
Clearly, the King harbored considerable psychological trauma regarding this infamous dark magic grandmaster.
"It's a good thing I haven't done anything to offend her..."
"Besides, today there are also 12 other witches present, and also Sage Rhine..."
The old King lightly patted his chest, reassuring himself inwardly, his gaze involuntarily glancing at the slender young man beside him.
"Oh, this is a beautiful day! So many noble guests have come!"
The Black Witch looked left and right, her tone erratic.
"The Prince of the Northern Kingdom has come, the knights of the Western Kingdom have come, and a delegation of nobles has come from the Eastern Desert to present lavish gifts! Wow, so many royal princes and nobles have also come."
"I thought a monster like me wouldn't have the chance to be invited. Hahahahahahaha! I'm so happy!"
The Black Witch burst into laughter, holding her stomach and laughing loudly as if she had heard a very funny joke; her exaggerated movements made everyone around her slightly tense and uneasy.
Ignoring the reactions of the crowd, the Black Witch sat down with the other witches at their assigned seats.
In front of the 13 witches' seats, there was a splendid golden platter.