On the plaza of Avelina Academy, the carriages still rumbled past, and the air buzzed with voices.
On the other side of the plaza, Lia sat perched at a height, overlooking everything below, her expression as cold and distant as ever.
“So it’s that day again…”
At some point, Lothefer had appeared behind Lia, his voice kindly as he spoke.
“Old man, weren’t you going to see the Saintess?”
Lia’s tone carried a trace of dissatisfaction, but even more was a sense of helplessness toward the current situation.
“That’s harsh, Lia… Calling me an old man.”
“I’m only thirty-eight. That’s still young for an uncle, you know…”
Lothefer took a breath and let out a helpless sigh.
Lia sat atop Avelina’s tallest clocktower, gazing into the distance.
Even though she possessed the power to rend space itself, she could never return to the past.
Neither she, nor Lothefer.
Since that rainy night four years ago, or perhaps since the very moment of her birth, her life had never known peace again.
“If teacher saw this, she’d probably blow her top.”
Lia glanced toward the throng approaching the main gate—nearly a hundred clergy of the Holy See pulling a vision-obscuring carriage.
The fire of her unavenged grudge burned in her eyes, not fiercely, but never extinguished.
“Lia…”
Lothefer looked at Lia’s solitary figure, and his vision blurred, as if seeing his noisy old friend once more.
That person had shoved both Lia and Melinda onto him, then died.
Melinda had inherited her looks—beautiful and dazzling.
Even the disciples she’d taken in had grown to become some of the strongest mages in the world.
And yet, for some reason, he felt no comfort in his heart.
It was simple—because they still bore heavy grudges unavenged, regrets left unfulfilled, crushed beneath the heel like ants.
“That red stone… must be their doing too.”
Remembering the recent incident during the freshman examination, Lothefer’s tone grew colder.
If not for Lia’s sensitivity to such auras, they might have searched in vain for a long time.
It wasn’t time to turn against them yet.
They had to endure…
“I know you won’t be reckless, but as your elder, I still have to remind you…”
“I know… Lothefer, I’m not stupid.”
This girl, ever since she became a sixth-tier Archmage like me, never showed me any respect…
She remembered when Lia was younger, still weak, she would still call him Uncle Lothefer.
Kids grow up so fast.
“In my absence, protect Avelina well. That is my last obsession—and your teacher’s legacy.”
Lia seemed not to hear, just kept gazing into the distance, her thoughts unfathomable.
“Prophecy reveals that this expedition will bring about great upheaval in the world.”
Lothefer paused, then continued, “Ever since the freshmen entered, the Astrology Society has told me more than once that the fate of Avelina has been altered by a minuscule comet.”
“They’re always so cryptic, never finishing their words. I suppose they’re afraid this fate-defying force will rebound on them.”
“In less than a hundred years, the Holy See has produced more than a dozen sixth-tier mages… I suspect the days ahead won’t be as peaceful as now.”
Every era has its sixth-tier powerhouses, but this age has more than ever before, and most of them practice Divine Power.
They didn’t use the magic and battle energy that the native humans could naturally sense.
Instead, their strength rose with the depth of their faith.
In theory, the closer one is to being a servant of the gods, the closer one is to the sixth tier.
Lia pressed her hand over her heart, feeling clearly that the power linking her to the world’s source was growing restless.
Lothefer felt it too.
But his days were numbered; he could no longer influence the continent’s affairs.
Once, he and his close friend had been figures whom all the continent’s powers dreaded.
“And that girl… I remember her name was Lilian? She was well-named.”
Lothefer recalled the girl he’d personally recruited, and a trace of worry crossed his face.
If not for the special nature of his own Law Power, he might never have noticed how deep a secret that little girl concealed.
So he invited her to join the Academy, bringing Allen along as well.
Her identity was too important—hopefully, those people wouldn’t notice.
Still, that boy whose eyes always burned with flames wouldn’t let them succeed so easily.
Compared to me, those kids have more potential.
“Lia… Send me to the reception room. As usual, I’ll come back safe and sound.”
Lia said nothing, but opened a spatial rift and gestured for Lothefer to walk through himself.
Lothefer chuckled softly, the fine lines on his face deeper than most men his age.
Saying nothing further, he walked in.
“Don’t die out there, old man…”
The instant he entered the rift, Lia again sensed a trace of discomfort—an aura near the woods surrounding Avelina.
“Looking for trouble, are they?”
With those words, she leapt from the tower and vanished into the sky.
…
Reception Room.
Lothefer smiled at the neatly dressed Saintess before him, his manner exceedingly polite: “Your Grace Saintess, forgive me for not greeting you farther out—please accept my apologies.”
Sefina placed both hands before her abdomen, fingertips lightly interlaced, her back ramrod straight.
A pure white holy robe embroidered with silver patterns draped over lightweight silver armor, the metal’s edge reflecting a chilling gleam that only enhanced her waterfall of golden hair and icy blue eyes.
She inclined her head, her voice even and flawless, strict and proper: “Headmaster Lothefer, there is no need for such courtesy. My visit is on the Holy See’s behalf to supervise the Demonwell Expedition. Such formality toward a sixth-tier Archmage is unnecessary. Pardon our intrusion.”
Her voice was clear as spring water, carrying the courtly dignity of the Holy See, as if she were a perfect, untouchable Saintess—pure and unsullied, stern and disciplined.
Lothefer’s smile deepened.
Stepping aside, he gestured for her to follow: “The Saintess must be weary from her journey. The Academy has prepared a quiet room and a simple meal, all in accordance with the Holy See’s customs—no meat, little seasoning. I hope they suit your taste?”
As Lothefer regarded Sefina, he secretly used his Law Power to probe her life force, only to find her body as empty as a shell, devoid of any magical fluctuation.
It was known that the Holy See’s followers practiced a power utterly unlike that of mages or warriors, but the faithful were still native humans.
Even wielding Divine Power, there would always be traces of magic or battle energy leaking out—beasts included.
But this Saintess before him seemed utterly lifeless.
He didn’t know how she’d done it, but… it appeared the “Saintess” wasn’t really present at all.
Was the Holy See up to its usual tricks again?
Lothefer pondered the possibilities, deciding to play it by ear.
If trouble broke out in Avelina, even the Holy See would have to think twice.
Sefina lowered her blue eyes slightly, responding with rigid formality, “Thank you, Headmaster. The Holy See’s followers care little for appetite—so long as it is filling, it suffices.”
“The Saintess is truly ascetic—a paragon for us all.”
Lothefer offered a word of praise and led her deeper into the Academy, “For this expedition, our Academy will dispatch three-quarters of our senior Archmages—all experienced and sure to assist the Holy See in clearing out the demon beasts.”
“You are too kind.”
Sefina’s steps remained measured.
“The Holy See and Avelina have long been allied. This partnership is for the peace of the continent. If preparations are complete, we may depart at any time.”
“My own power is too meager; I can only see the Headmaster off before returning to the Holy See…”
For some reason, a faint look of helplessness flickered across Sefina’s face, but she quickly hid it.
Still… it wouldn’t hurt to stroll around a bit before returning, since she’d come all this way.
…
At this moment, Lin Yue was crouched in the bushes, watching a crowd passing security at Avelina’s back gate.
Beside him were several priests preparing to enter.
And right next to him, squatting in resignation, was Airella.
Last night, just as she was about to brush her hair, someone ignored the magical wards and climbed onto her bed.
Then took up her jade pendant and toyed with it.
Turned out, it was Lia, there to pass on a message from Lin Yue.
She’d hurriedly gotten dressed and rushed to meet him, only to be asked to help him hide his aura in the wild.
Unforgivable.
Does he think I’m his tool?
Doesn’t he know that running all the way back to bed after bathing just gets the sheets dirty?
She’d actually been looking forward to being asked for some important favor, only to end up hiding among flowers and grass, watching the Holy See folk tinker around at the gate.
She couldn’t help but recall being chased by knights all through Hawk’s territory.
The urge for revenge stirred faintly in her heart.
This Lin Yue, honestly, I’ve been in a foul mood for days, the beasts are all restless, and he just had to drag me into this now…
These days, she’d felt increasingly uneasy at Avelina Academy, as if something was shrouding her body.
Her pendant quivered from time to time, but she could still control it.
She’d wanted to just stay in the dorm for a few days, but what could she do?
Lin Yue came to her.
She’d still need to mooch off him for food later—couldn’t always take advantage of him and then hide when he needed help…
“Lin Yue, how much longer do we have to wait here…”
Airella was bored out of her mind, her mood growing more irritable.
“Not much longer.”
The Academy instructor in charge of security was checking the Holy See’s retinue against a list, while the guards scanned their surroundings warily.
No one noticed as a blonde girl slipped out from behind a stack of cargo at the gate.
She wore an Avelina student uniform and drifted inside like a wisp of willow fluff, as if she were just another student coming and going.
Lin Yue’s pupils shrank.
“She’s here!”
“What?”
Airella asked quickly.
Before she could finish, she saw the figure duck her head, clearly avoiding the gaze of the Holy See’s people.
Nervousness flickered across the girl’s face, but her eyes sparkled, like a little bird escaping its cage for the first time, darting quickly into the crowd.
She kept sneaking glances around as she ran, fingers brushing the goods at the stalls, looking up at the varied faces around her, unable to keep a smile from her lips.
A heavy weight lifted from Lin Yue’s heart.
Just as the original story said—her true self was hidden in the wagon, sneaking out.
At this moment, the golden-haired girl before Lin Yue was looking around in wonder, touching the plants nearby.
These were nothing like the neatly trimmed potted plants in the Holy Hall corridors.
Even the breeze here carried a sweet, grassy scent.
Watching Sefina dash all the way to Avelina’s woods, excitement written all over her face, Airella asked in confusion, “What’s she…”
“Shopping.”
“Huh?”
That’s right—the girl aimlessly wandering the bustling streets of Avelina, was none other than Sefina, the same Saintess who was, at this very moment, exchanging formalities with Lothefer in the Academy.