"Nevertheless, Your Highness Guinevere, for the upcoming duration, I earnestly hope that you will comply with my command throughout. Is that agreeable to you?" Kenley inquired, furrowing his brow.
"Could you please elaborate in detail on the reason behind this?" Guinevere probed.
Because I am more cognizant than you of what lies ahead for you... Yet Kenley could not voice this explicitly. Instead of offering an explanation, he stated resolutely, "I deeply regret, Your Highness, that I am unable to disclose the specific reason. However, I sincerely hope that you will place your trust in me."
Guinevere immediately exchanged a glance with Daina. Daina first shook her head and subsequently nodded.
Guinevere also nodded and said, "Very well, I place my trust in you, Mr. Kenley."
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your trust. I shall now proceed to expound upon the battle plan in detail. Firstly, the Rose Castle is no longer a secure haven, and you are required to evacuate without delay," Kenley declared.
"But where else could I possibly go? Moreover, if I were to evacuate, I am duty-bound to inform Father of this matter," Guinevere responded, shaking her head.
Indeed, considering that Guinevere was a princess and the prospective heir of the Christophon family, disregarding the duke's prohibition and departing from the castle with ease would undoubtedly set off a series of cascading consequences.
"Certainly, His Grace the Duke will inevitably be apprised of this matter, but not at this precise moment, Your Highness." Having spoken thus, Kenley beckoned with a single hand and retrieved a peculiar item from his backpack, placing it on the ground.
"Mr. Kenley, what exactly are you doing?" Everyone regarded Kenley with a look of bewilderment.
"Your Highness, I beseech you to exercise patience."
Kenley conjured a distinctive red quill pen in his hand and thereafter commenced writing and sketching on the ground, delineating a peculiar magic circle with that item at its core.
"Equivalent exchange... Alchemy?" The group exchanged glances, still failing to fathom Kenley's true intent.
In a short while, Kenley had meticulously drawn a flawlessly circular alchemical magic circle. Subsequently, Kenley began to mutter incantations under his breath, continuously channeling magical energy into the circle with both hands.
A resplendent red light flashed incessantly, and the item that had been initially positioned at the center of the magic circle gradually sank into its depths.
"This is, incredibly, the most advanced form of material equivalent alchemy. Mr. Kenley, you are, in fact, a master alchemist?!" Guinevere was utterly astounded. Having accompanied her father to the Gray Empire in person, she had witnessed the casting of spells by master alchemists, and Kenley's material equivalent alchemy could not deceive her discerning eyes.
Kenley offered no response but instead concentrated intently on the practice of alchemy. Moments later, a dark, gaping aperture materialized at the center of the magic circle, and a peculiar puppet ascended, floating up from its core.
"What on earth is this?" Everyone was encountering this puppet for the very first time.
Upon the completion of the alchemical process, Kenley exhaled a gentle sigh. He then lifted the puppet and addressed Guinevere, saying, "Your Highness, I kindly request that you place a single drop of your blood upon this puppet."
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"My blood?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Guinevere summoned a small dagger, and in no time, a drop of blood was drawn.
As the blood gradually seeped into the puppet's body, Kenley positioned the puppet on a spacious expanse of the floor.
"This is a replication puppet, a magical technique hailing from the Kingdom of Babel. Provided there is the blood of the subject, it is possible to replicate an identical puppet. Every aspect, from personality and skin texture to various characteristics, can be replicated. Certainly, it is also capable of engaging in combat to a certain degree. However, during combat, it must be personally controlled by the subject," Kenley elucidated.
"Appear, Your Highness Guinevere." With a mere wave of his hand, a colossal hexagram magic circle materialized instantaneously around the puppet. The puppet was immediately transformed into a blinding flash of white light, and in its wake, a puppet attired precisely like Guinevere at that moment emerged from the center of the magic circle.
"What astonishing magical technology! Although the empire has long been at odds with the Kingdom of Babel, their magical prowess is undeniably formidable. Many of the magical cannons and towers utilized within the castle were, in fact, spoils of war seized during battles with the Kingdom of Babel," Guinevere exclaimed in admiration as she beheld the puppet that was an exact replica of herself.
She even found herself unable to resist approaching the puppet and gently pinching its cheek. The tactile sensation of the puppet's skin was so lifelike that it was scarcely distinguishable from that of a real person.
"Your Highness, you may attempt to control her using your thoughts, such as by casting spells or speaking," Kenley prompted.
"Very well..."
"Flash!" At that instant, the puppet Guinevere opened her eyes, then raised both hands aloft, and a gentle radiance emanated from between her palms, a light that was clearly visible to everyone present.
"How remarkable," Guinevere exclaimed, genuine admiration evident in her voice.
"However, Your Highness, the puppet is bereft of any equipment, and when casting spells, it will deplete the magical energy of the subject. You may wish to procure a suitable magic wand for it. Additionally, you can issue commands to it, and thereafter, it will conduct itself in accordance with your original personality, ensuring that no one will detect anything amiss. Nevertheless, when confronted with matters it cannot resolve, it will communicate the situation to you telepathically, enabling you to remotely control it to make decisions on your behalf."
Kenley expounded upon the usage of the replication puppet with meticulous detail, leaving no aspect unexplained.
"But Mr. Kenley, what precisely is your scheme for having this puppet stand in my stead?" Guinevere posed a pivotal question.
"I propose that Your Highness leave the castle and take up residence in my castle," Kenley stated with utmost seriousness.
Guinevere's cheeks flushed instantly. "Is this truly a prudent course of action?"
"Furthermore, Miss Daina, I must request that you remain in the Rose Castle. After all, I harbor concerns that a solitary puppet may not be capable of handling all eventualities. With Miss Daina present, I am confident that matters will proceed more smoothly. Moreover, this puppet is attuned to the thoughts of the subject. Should Miss Daina be worried about Your Highness's situation, she can establish contact with me through the puppet at any time." Paying no heed to Guinevere's astonishment, Kenley continued to assign tasks to Daina.
Daina cast a glance at Guinevere and then nodded emphatically. "Given the circumstances, we have no choice but to place our trust in Mr. Kenley. I have faith in your resolve and the oath you swore earlier. Mr. Kenley, the future of the Christophon family now rests entirely in your hands."
Having spoken these words, Daina bowed solemnly to Kenley.
"Sister, you may rest assured and accompany Mr. Kenley. I shall attend to the affairs within the castle," Daina turned to Guinevere and reassured her.
"Your Highness, the rationale behind this arrangement is to address the foremost concern, which is your safety. As you have just mentioned, the purge faction within the royal family is eyeing you with malevolent intent. In the event of an unforeseen incident involving merely the puppet, the real you will remain unharmed. Moreover, should they indeed take action and the false Guinevere perish, Your Highness, you will be able to conceal yourself openly. The world will be led to believe that you have met your demise. At that juncture, if His Grace the Duke cooperates and stages a convincing ruse, no one will target a noble family on the decline any longer. Consequently, we will be able to focus our efforts on resolving the curse issue. Once the curse is completely eradicated, you will be able to announce your resurrection, and by then, no one will be able to pose a threat to the Christophon family."
