155: Chapter 153 The Queen's Deployment

The maid standing outside the pavilion did not hear the Queen's murmurings.

Lifting her head, the Queen beckoned with a smile; the girl obediently approached and leaned in slightly to listen.

The Queen observed the maid's youthful features and touched her own wrinkled face, feeling a sense of poignancy in her heart.

Time is cruel, yet it possesses a certain kindness.

It treats everyone fairly; regardless of wealth, power, or wisdom, all fall into an eternal slumber under its gentle companionship.

The Queen thought that if consciousness still existed then, what one saw would surely be a despairing darkness.

Humans, in the end, cannot contend with its greatness.

But at this moment, the Queen felt that perhaps it wasn't so.

Before meeting Mr. Dumbledore, she had envisioned many scenes and scenarios.

Should the other party display miraculous magic or terrifying power, the Queen might find it novel, but she would not be shocked.

In her decades of life, she had seen far too much.

In her view, power she hadn't seen was still just power.

Its essence was ultimately driven by humans; only the form of expression was slightly different.

But she never expected that Mr. Dumbledore could actually extend her life, and with such a casual attitude at that.

It was as if what he was handling was not time—which flows through and overlooks the long river of human civilization—but rather pulling a weed from the roadside.

Had I known Mr. Dumbledore possessed such an ability, I would never have allowed a third person to be present, even if she is my most trusted personal maid.

Sighing, the Queen's blurred vision gradually cleared, and the maid's pretty face appeared before her eyes.

"How long have you worked in the palace?"

"Fifteen years, Your Majesty."

"So you entered the palace at the age of nine?"

"Yes."

"Where do your parents work? Do you have any siblings?"

"My parents have passed away. I was adopted from an orphanage by the butler."

She beckoned, and the maid understandingly crouched down.

Sitting on the stone bench, the Queen gently pressed the girl's cheek against her lap and stroked her fine hair.

"I remember your name; you are Aili."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Nodding, the Queen showed an apologetic smile. "Aili, I am the one who made a mistake. I should not have allowed a third person to be present on such an important occasion.

But I am sorry, you must bear the cost."

Aili looked up in confusion, not quite understanding the Queen's meaning.

The Queen knew there were many reasons to spare her.

For instance, the conversation between herself and Mr. Dumbledore wasn't loud; she might not have heard the content clearly.

Even if she had heard, it would likely only be a few fragmented words.

Or perhaps that Hogwarts Headmaster, who possessed mysterious magic, had some means of soundproofing.

Moreover, Aili had been adopted by the palace as a child, so her loyalty should not be an issue.

And so on; there were many such reasons.

But the problem was that none of these reasons could be described as 'absolute.'

The Queen's wrinkled palm stroked Aili's smooth cheek.

In this world, the only ones who absolutely cannot leak secrets are the dead.

"Li."

At the raised call, an old man in a tailcoat walked over with an agility that belied his age.

"Bury the ashes on the back mountain."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

While the maid was still in a daze, the old man did not hesitate; he reached out like lightning, grabbed her neck, and gave it a gentle twist.

*Crack—*

After a few seconds of silence, the Queen spoke to the hunched figure carrying the corpse by the neck as he neared the exit of the courtyard: "You may invite those lucky ones in now."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

The old man disappeared down the stone path through the grass, while the Queen rose and walked slowly toward the spacious reception room on the right.

About half an hour later, twenty-three men and women filed in, following a Guard through the door.

The Queen smiled and raised a hand. "Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated."

Since it was the palace they had heard of but never seen, everyone looked around curiously as they sat on both sides of the long table.

She specifically had Toby sit in the first seat on the right, with Lyon and Klaisi in the first and second seats on the left.

Once everyone was seated, the Queen's gaze fell on the little girl Toby had been holding close. "You seem to place great importance on this lovely little lady."

"Your Majesty." Toby, feeling somewhat nervous meeting the nation's highest leader, answered formally, "Among the first batch of Hogwarts freshmen,"

"Those who saw Mr. Dumbledore before signing for their assessment letters, besides me, Lyon, and Klaisi, were only her."

"In fact," Toby also looked at the little girl, "the three of us actually received our letters via Owl, but she received hers directly from Mr. Dumbledore's own hand."

"Is that so..." The Queen's cloudy eyes gazed at her, a gentle curve appearing at the corners of her mouth. "Lovely little lady, your name is Misha, correct?"

Having left her parents to come alone to a strange environment, the fearful Misha was visibly stunned by these words. "How do you know my name?"

"Though I am old, my memory is still quite good," the Queen replied with a smile, having already reviewed the files of all twenty-three people.

"What an amazing grandma!" Misha exclaimed in awe.

"Hehe."

With a light chuckle, the Queen looked up and scanned the group. "I apologize for taking up your valuable assessment time.

But please do not be anxious. I have invited you here because I learned some rare information during my chat with Mr. Dumbledore."

Those who were secretly anxious to get on with the exam were now full of surprise. Someone couldn't help but ask, "Is that true?"

"How rude," Toby whispered a reminder.

"It's fine." The Queen waved her hand and continued to explain, "According to the information revealed by Mr. Dumbledore,"

"Accepting help from the royal family will not have any negative impact on your enrollment.

Asking Lyon and Klaisi about the details of the assessment is not considered a violation either."

"But Your Majesty," Toby frowned, "regarding enrollment benefits, will freshmen who pass in different ways face different treatment?"

"I am not sure; he did not mention it."

The Queen met each of their gazes. "I am merely explaining the rules to you. The royal family will not interfere with whatever choice you ultimately make."

"Additionally, since you have all signed an agreement with my butler, from this moment on, you are agents belonging to the Superpower Bureau.

As public servants of the kingdom, you have rights you can enjoy, and you must likewise bear corresponding obligations.

This point is stated very clearly in the agreement."

Having carefully reviewed the agreement, no one said much and all nodded in response.

Seeing this, the Queen said, "Considering that the assessment period given by Mr. Dumbledore does not leave much room, relevant training will be conducted after the exam is over.

Therefore, I wish you all success in completing your exams."

The Queen was likely tired; she waved her hand to indicate that the group—who had hurriedly stood up and were mimicking Toby's bowing posture—need not be formal, and she left the reception room.

Although the Queen's tone was kind enough, everyone still felt a sense of pressure. Once she was far away, their stiff sitting postures all slumped.

"What do you plan to do?" Lyon looked at them. "If needed, I can tell you the questions on the paper..."

"Hey, hey!" A man quickly interrupted him. "Thank you for your enthusiasm, but I still hope to try on my own first.

If I have no clue after four days, then I hope you can provide some help."

"No problem."

"Thank you so much. You can call me Wino."

This man's sentiment was shared by the others as well.

Seeing that Lyon was straightforward, everyone let go of their fears that he might withhold information. They chatted briefly with him, exchanged names, and then left the hall one by one.

Only Toby sat still, holding Misha's hand.

It seemed he had some different views.