Chapter 57: Of course, when have I ever lied to you?

After leaving the Alchemist District.

Uther VII rubbed his hands together in excitement.

“Your Holiness.”

The Pope’s voice trembled, barely able to contain his excitement.

“Next, we’ll visit the Grand Theological Library.”

“It houses the greatest trove of knowledge in the Alliance.”

“There, you’ll surely grasp the true essence of Light!”

When Sylvia heard they were going to the library, a trace of anticipation flashed in her eyes.

At least, it had to be better than being knelt to by a crowd of alchemists, right?

“The library should be quiet, right?”

She clung to this last hope, muttering softly to herself.

Avira carried her back onto the holy carriage, and whispered in her ear, her tone gentle but laced with danger.

“Sister, if any of those bookworms dare disturb you, I’ll cut out their tongues.”

Sylvia was startled by her sister’s words, her little face going pale.

“No!”

She quickly shook her head, her silver hair flying through the air.

“They haven’t done anything wrong.”

Ophelia sat nearby, watching her daughters interact.

A faint smile flickered in her blood-red eyes.

This child Avira—her instinct to protect her sister was already etched into her bones.

The holy carriage soon arrived before the Grand Theological Library.

The building was majestic and solemn, full of imposing grandeur.

Intricate runes of holy light were carved into the white walls.

The gates soared ten meters high, engraved with the heroic deeds of saints throughout the ages—so lifelike, so dignified and austere.

The head librarian was an elderly man well past seventy.

His hair was as white as snow, yet his spirit was vigorous.

He waited respectfully at the entrance, with a dozen scholars standing behind him, each with a devout expression.

“Your Holiness, welcome.”

The librarian bowed deeply, his voice trembling.

“To have you set foot in this temple of knowledge is our supreme honor.”

Carried by Avira, Sylvia entered the library, immediately stunned by its scale.

Her little mouth hung open, her eyes filled with awe.

Countless bookshelves stood tier upon tier, reaching up to the ceiling, like a forest of knowledge.

Each level could only be reached by magical ladders.

The air was thick with the scent of ancient parchment, creating a beautiful play of light and shadow.

“It’s so big in here…”

Sylvia murmured softly.

“Your Holiness truly feels the sanctity of this place!”

Upon hearing this, Uther VII spoke excitedly, his voice quivering.

“All the theological texts since the Godwars are stored here!”

“From creation myths to doomsday prophecies, we have everything!”

The librarian quickly chimed in, afraid to miss a chance to impress.

“Your Highness, this way is our most precious collection.”

“It records the deeds and doctrines of the gods.”

“I’m sure you’ll be interested in this sacred knowledge!”

Sylvia looked at the gorgeously decorated bookshelves, lined with thick ancient tomes.

But she really had no interest in theology.

Just hearing those profound theories gave her a headache.

Just then, she noticed a row of rather ordinary bookshelves in the corner.

The label on them read [Lifestyle Books].

Her eyes lit up.

This was what she wanted to read!

“What’s on that shelf?”

Sylvia pointed to the corner, her voice brimming with anticipation.

The librarian followed her finger, an awkward look flickering across his face.

“Ah, those are just some lifestyle miscellanies.”

“Cooking, gardening, things like that.”

“Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.”

He waved his hand, clearly not seeing any value in those books.

But Sylvia had already wriggled out of Ophelia’s embrace, her little feet landing crisply on the marble floor.

She strode quickly toward the shelves.

Seeing this,

Avira immediately followed, her eyes full of doting affection.

“Slow down, Sister, be careful not to fall.”

Sylvia arrived in front of the shelf, carefully scanning the book titles.

[Imperial Compendium of Gardening], [Home Life Guide], [Continental Gastronomic Atlas]

Her gaze stopped at the row of [Continental Gastronomic Atlas] books.

There were dozens of different cookbooks from various regions.

“Wonderful!”

Sylvia’s eyes sparkled with excitement,

her cheeks flushed adorably.

“Maybe I’ll find the recipe for Bloodberry Pastries!”

She rose on tiptoe, reaching for a book on the highest shelf.

The cover was especially exquisite, bound with gold thread, glittering in the light.

On the spine was written [Ancient Recipes: The Divine Banquet].

But she was too short.

Even on tiptoe, she couldn’t reach.

Her small hand waved in the air, always just a tiny bit short.

Sylvia pouted in frustration, her silver hair falling across her cheeks, half obscuring her little face.

Her blood-red eyes were filled with stubborn unwillingness.

This cute gesture instantly struck everyone’s heart.

When Avira saw her sister couldn’t reach the book, a dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.

“Which idiot made the shelf so tall?”

Her hand was already on her sword hilt.

“I’ll tear this stupid bookshelf down right now!”

Ophelia, on the other hand, was ready to use telekinesis, a faint light flickering in her blood-red eyes.

Just as she was about to act, something strange happened.

The [Ancient Recipes: The Divine Banquet] book suddenly began to tremble, its spine glowing faintly, as if it had come alive.

Then, it floated off the shelf on its own!

It drifted slowly toward Sylvia, tracing a graceful arc through the air, and landed steadily in her hands.

At the same time, all the holy light in the library began to converge, countless golden rays flowing in from all directions, gathering around Sylvia to form a gentle halo, sacred and beautiful.

All the books began to emit a faint resonance, a “humming” sound echoing in the air.

A soft chanting filled the room, like an angelic hymn.

The librarian, seeing this, almost popped his eyes out.

He trembled violently, his voice rising an octave.

“Impossible! How can this be?!”

“That’s the legendary Divine Era’s only copy!”

“Only a true Chosen One can make it reveal itself!”

Uther VII jumped up in excitement.

“A miracle! A true miracle!”

His voice rang throughout the library.

“Her Holiness, out of countless tomes, instantly found the lone volume recording the Divine Era’s secrets!”

“This is no coincidence!”

“This is destiny’s arrangement!”

The other scholars immediately knelt to the floor, bowing in reverence.

“This is no coincidence!”

“This is the Oracle’s guidance!”

“Her Holiness is telling us to seek truth in ancient wisdom!”

Sylvia hugged the book in her arms, completely lost as to what was happening.

She just wanted to see if there were any good recipes.

Why did the book fly over on its own?

She opened the pages, hoping to find the method for Bloodberry Pastries.

But what greeted her was dense ancient script, along with some bizarre illustrations.

“Abyssal Worm Mucus”, “Stellar Behemoth Eyeball”, “Petals of the

Void Flower”…

Sylvia stared at these disgusting-sounding ingredients, her little face fell at once, the expectation on her face vanishing instantly.

“What are these…”

She muttered in disappointment, her voice soft.

“They don’t sound tasty at all.”

She handed the book off to the maid standing beside her.

“Put it away, it’s no use.”

This action once again sent everyone present into a frenzy.

“Did you see that?”

Uther VII’s voice shook, his fanaticism reaching its peak.

“Her Holiness finished the entire book in an instant!”

“She’s instantly mastered all the secrets of the Divine Era!”

“She’s entrusted us with the duty of interpreting the Oracle!”

The librarian immediately took the book from the maid’s hands, cradling it carefully.

“This is the highest glory!”

“Her Holiness has entrusted us with the secrets of the Divine Era!”

“I’ll organize all scholars to study this sacred tome at once!”

Uther VII nodded so hard it was like pounding garlic.

“That’s right! We must derive the truth of salvation from this book!”

“Abyssal Worm Mucus must contain a profound meaning!”

“This is Her Holiness’s test for us!”

Sylvia listened to their nonsense, feeling a headache coming on.

She turned to look for other books, but found the whole library kneeling in worship to her.

Scholars and guards filled the hallway on their knees.

She couldn’t even take a step.

“Sister…”

Sylvia looked to Avira for help, her blood-red eyes full of grievance.

“I just want to find a book with the recipe for Bloodberry Pastries.”

“But now I can’t even move…”

Avira’s heart ached at her sister’s aggrieved expression.

“These idiots!”

She glared fiercely at the kneeling scholars, her murderous intent unmasked.

“Get out of my sister’s way!”

“Believe me, I’ll—”

“Avira.”

Ophelia’s voice rang out at just the right moment, reining in her eldest daughter’s impulse.

“Let’s go back for now.”

She walked over to Sylvia, gently and carefully picking her up again.

“If there’s any book Sylvia wants, I’ll have someone buy it.”

Sylvia nodded obediently, finding comfort in her mother’s embrace.

“All right, Mother.”

After they left, the whole library erupted.

Uther VII immediately summoned all the scholars, his eyes ablaze with fanaticism.

“From now on, [The Divine Banquet] is our highest research priority!”

“I want you to analyze every word and sentence!”

“What does Abyssal Worm Mucus represent?”

“What’s the meaning of Stellar Behemoth Eyeball?”

The scholars took the assignment with great excitement, swearing to study this “sacred text” day and night.

***

Meanwhile, Sylvia was back on the holy carriage.

She lay on Ophelia’s lap, weakly saying, “I just wanted to find out how to make Bloodberry Pastries taste good…”

Her voice was soft, tinged with obvious grievance.

Avira gently stroked her silver hair at her side.

“Don’t be sad, Sister.”

“I’ll have the kitchens make you the best Bloodberry Pastries when we get back.”

“Any flavor you want.”

Sylvia’s eyes brightened at once.

“Really?”

“Of course, when have I ever lied to you?”

Avira smiled gently.

Only then did Sylvia perk up a little, a smile returning to her face.