Carl was not the only one who felt that there was something amiss. Some of the other apothecaries had noticed it too. Everyone started murmuring among themselves and shared differing thoughts.
All of a sudden, one of the imperial guards made a loud announcement, “Minister of the Interior, Marquess Lawrence, has arrived!”
The entire hall fell silent and everyone turned toward the entrance. A scholarly-looking middle-aged man walked into the hall surrounded by a group of imperial guards.
Lawrence skipped straight to the point. “His Majesty, all the other ministers, thousands of aristocrats, court officials and representatives of the people, as well as the famous apothecaries from other countries that the king has invited are all waiting in the wizard tower.”
A wave of excitement spread t
