"Let go of me! My grandfather is Marquis Alderman, you little..." Three chains wrapped around the front end of the damaged Phantom Machine, with the other ends held by three stern-faced city patrol knights.
"Enough talk. Crashing into royalty, even if your grandfather came, the outcome would be the same." Without giving the noble youth a chance to say more, a knight riding a dragon-lion dragged the young nobleman, who was dressed lavishly and looked slightly pale, out of the Phantom Machine, completely disregarding his status.
Soon, one noble after another was dragged out of the Phantom Machine by the city patrol knights. It was quite miraculous that despite such a high-speed crash, one of the celestial unicorns pulling Muria's carriage died, and even twelve black knights, specifically used for warfare and known for their robust vitality, died on the spot without a chance to recover. Yet, these racing nobles were unharmed. These people played recklessly but cherished their lives more than anyone else.
Soon, nineteen nobles of various genders and ages were brought to the side of Muria's deformed and dented carriage by the city patrol knights. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free from the knights' grasp. After all, they were just a bunch of playboys; the true elite nobles had no time to race in the sky above the imperial capital.
"Your Highness Gladys, all offenders who dared to offend you have been brought here. Please decide their fate." A young commander, riding a red-scaled dragon, hovered in the air and knelt on one knee before the carriage. A deeply hidden trace of admiration flickered in his eyes. He was one of the many admirers of the seventh princess. He was now very grateful to the useless nobles behind him for giving him a chance to show himself before the princess. However, gratitude aside, if Princess Gladys ordered them all to be executed, he wouldn't hesitate.
There was no response from the carriage, only the mournful cries of the three remaining celestial unicorns, making many of the onlooking nobles' expressions turn complicated.
"Damn it, the princess can't have been hurt by these fools. Hmph, crashing into Princess Gladys, they all deserve to die," a noble, blocked by the city patrol knights at the accident scene, cursed viciously, his eyes glaring at the detained nobles as if he would devour them. Beast-like hairs faintly appeared on his face.
"Don't talk nonsense. The princess has already advanced to the Soul Stage. A few modified Phantom Machines couldn't harm her, even with a direct hit."
"So, I'm very curious how the princess will handle these guys. They're not promising and quite useless, but they are the offspring of significant nobles. Handling them too harshly would be an affront to those nobles."
"The carriage was damaged like this. Handling it too lightly would be a slap to Princess Gladys's face. The dignity of the royal family cannot be offended," a noble said quietly.
The commotion in this airspace attracted more and more nobles, with an increasing number of onlookers. All eyes were fixed on the nineteen troublemakers and the platinum-gilded carriage.
"Have I offended the Goddess of Misfortune?" Muria sat in the carriage, pondering. He found that since arriving on the main continent, nothing went his way. The more he wanted to avoid something, the more likely it was to happen.
Just like now, the knights outside were waiting for the princess in the carriage to deal with these "racing punks," making Muria feel extremely awkward. He had never felt so helpless in his life.
"Princess Gladys!" The kneeling knight commander lifted his head and called out tentatively, showing hesitation. This was not like the princess he knew.
Still, there was no response, only silence. The onlooking nobles exchanged glances, while the nineteen detained nobles began to struggle more vigorously, sensing something amiss.
"Let go of me, you lowlifes! Princess Gladys isn't even in the carriage. This carriage is empty. We didn't crash into any royalty."
"That's right. If Princess Gladys were here, she would have come out by now."
"Let me go! My mother is also royalty. When I see Princess Gladys, I can call her sister. I crashed my sister's carriage, so why are you treating me like this?"
The nineteen racing nobles struggled, trying to break free from their restraints. Unfortunately, most of them had weakened their bodies with indulgence, and their strength was only bolstered by alchemical potions.
"No one inside?" The city patrol commander showed doubt. Why would an empty carriage be running above the imperial capital, escorted by the royal black knights?
"Your Highness, forgive me." Unable to get a response, the commander stood up, boldly approached the carriage, and carefully opened the door a crack.
"Boom!" A flash of light shot out from the crack, striking the young commander's chest plate, sending him flying backward, leaving a long trail in the air.
"Pfft!" Feeling as if a giant had struck his chest with a warhammer, the commander spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with rage and shock. He shouted angrily, "Surround the carriage. There's no princess inside."
"Whoever's hiding in there, come out now, or I'll show no mercy." The young commander's eyes were bloodshot, red veins visible in the whites of his eyes.
Silence. The commander, who had glimpsed a tall figure, couldn't bear it anymore. He summoned a long spear from his spatial ring and swung it forward. "Attack! Drag out whoever's in the carriage."
The city patrol knights exchanged uneasy looks, finding the order inappropriate, but they had to obey. Just as they were about to act, "Boom!" A golden lightning bolt struck the commander, knocking him down, his body charred as he plummeted toward the ground.
"Presumptuous! You're just a commander. Who gave you the authority to order an attack on my carriage?" A cold voice echoed as Princess Gladys, dressed in royal attire, and accompanied by a black-armored Katherine, walked through the air from the direction of the royal palace, her face icy cold.
Inside the carriage, Muria let out a long sigh of relief, his tension easing. He didn't want to draw too much attention. "Finally, they're here. A bit slow, but at least I'm out of this awkward situation."
"That guy just now must have seen me," Muria mused, touching his chin. "Why get so worked up?"
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