“Sigh…”
“Shouldn’t you be happy, His Holiness?”
Qiansitelin stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe as she looked at Muxuan with a faint, knowing smile.
“Happy about what…?”
Muxuan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He was somewhat speechless at Qiansitelin’s words.
After the recent Eerie Wave incident, several knights were indeed reluctant to go out and establish small outposts. It should have been a good thing that someone was willing to go voluntarily, but the problem was that the person only wanted to wait on the front lines for Roman to return.
However, Muxuan did not refuse Jack’s request.
Jack wasn’t suited to be a knight; he was a dagger. In truth, he was more suited for reconnaissance missions like the ones Buzhaqi handled.
But since Jack wanted to go, Muxuan had no reason to stop him.
With Jack there, they would be better equipped to foresee danger.
‘Forget it. I should think about the goblins first.’
Shifting his attention away from Jack and Roman, Muxuan carefully considered the details he might have overlooked regarding the goblins’ underground palace.
If the source of the town’s Corruption had existed before the descent of the Strange calamity, then it was highly likely the goblins—just like Nyx and Korsa—had known about it long ago and sought to exploit it.
There was no way that underground palace could have been built in a short period. As for the claim that a branch of the royal family had turned into the Strange? That was absolute nonsense!
Most importantly, the goblin elder had claimed that a refugee had told him about the transformation.
That was a glaring loophole.
Frowning in thought, Muxuan traced a finger across the Map.
‘Right… it could only be them.’
It was so obvious, yet he had overlooked it for so long!
Among the group of humans the goblins were raising, one was a knight serving a noble lord, and another… was a knight of the Church!
Muxuan slapped his forehead in frustration and turned his gaze toward Qiansitelin.
Seeing her expression of slight indifference toward him, Muxuan’s lips couldn’t help but twitch.
He had realized it by now—Qiansitelin only reserved her kindest side for the Saintess! Even though he was the Saintess and this was just a layer of disguise, the shift in Qiansitelin’s attitude toward him was ridiculously drastic!
‘Seriously… how can you be this much of a hypocrite?’
Though he grumbled internally, Muxuan maintained a calm exterior.
“Assign a task to Master Mosen. We need him to set up a magic array that can deliver a direct, penetrating strike to the underground palace.”
“Qiansitelin, you… should be able to attempt an entry into the back mountain, right?”
Muxuan hesitated. Logically, Qiansitelin was the best candidate for the back mountain. However, for his sake, her strength had dropped from the peak of the Moho layer to the Deep Water layer.
“I can’t do that~ But if Her Highness is willing to give me a little kiss, I might consider it~”
‘Ugh… you brat! I shouldn’t have even worried about you!’
Muxuan gritted his teeth as he looked at Qiansitelin’s smiling face.
She was trying to get him to give himself up again! Impossible! Absolutely impossible!
‘I, Muxuan, would rather work myself to death, die in a ditch, or jump off a cliff than give you a single kiss!’
…
“Your Highness~”
“Eek—”
Hearing Qiansitelin’s cloyingly sweet, cutesy voice, Muxuan felt a sudden wave of goosebumps.
With a helpless sigh, he deactivated his disguise.
“Let’s get this straight! Only one kiss! And you aren’t allowed to get touchy-feely!”
“Mhm! Of course, Your Highness!”
Qiansitelin looked at the adorable, innocent Saintess before her, nodding her head vigorously with eyes full of anticipation.
A moment later, Qiansitelin leaned her face forward.
Muxuan looked at Qiansitelin’s fair, delicate face, his heart locked in a desperate struggle. Back when he was a man, he might have felt that kissing such a beauty was his gain.
But why did it feel like he was the one being taken advantage of now!
The injustice of it all! When would it be his turn to take advantage of someone!
After hesitating for a long time, and seeing Qiansitelin growing more impatient, Muxuan simply closed his eyes. Like a dragonfly skimming the water, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek and immediately recoiled.
“Hmm… why was it so short, Your Highness…?”
Smacking her lips, Qiansitelin touched the spot where Muxuan had kissed her, feeling the lingering warmth with a hint of dissatisfaction.
The Saintess’s lips were truly soft~
Licking her lips with lingering desire, she looked at the blushing Muxuan and finally smiled. “Of course, Your Highness~ As long as you ask me to do it, I guarantee the mission will be completed~”
Fine. This girl was nothing but patient and obedient toward the Saintess.
But to everyone else, she was cold and sarcastic…
This was the definition of a double standard!
What? Did you say he swore he wouldn’t kiss Qiansitelin even if he died?
‘Hmph… what Muxuan says has nothing to do with me, Muxuan! That was the Pope talking. Right now, I’m the Saintess!’
After arguing with herself for a while, Muxuan helplessly continued.
“Go to the back mountain and try to figure out exactly what ‘King’ the goblin elder was talking about…”
“Master Luther Sage and I will launch a direct assault on the underground palace to draw all the goblins’ attention.”
“Meanwhile, Gelifende will lead ten knights to search for survivors within the underground palace.”
Once Muxuan finished speaking, Qiansitelin asked with dissatisfaction, “Why can’t I stay with Your Highness!”
“Then are you willing to follow the Pope?”
Having seen through Qiansitelin’s true nature, Muxuan asked back with a stern tone.
This question immediately caused Qiansitelin to flash a sheepish smile.
There was one thing she had never told her little Saintess… she hated men!
Even if it was just the appearance of a man, Qiansitelin found it repulsive.
The only reason she was willing to stay close to Muxuan and follow his arrangements was because she knew the person under the skin was her beloved Saintess.
If any of the previous Popes had dared to give her orders, she would have leveled the Church long ago.
As for the Goddess? Who cared about the Goddess? Was she more important than her own Saintess?
“Alright, we’ll proceed with this plan for now.”
Ignoring Qiansitelin’s little expressions, Muxuan’s cowlick stood straight up as she finalized the decision.
She would definitely have to face the goblins as the Pope later. Since Qiansitelin only liked the Saintess, there was no need for her to follow him.
Mosen was currently the only Moho layer combatant in Muxuan’s hands, so he definitely had to be used to suppress the underground palace.
After weighing the options, Qiansitelin was the most suitable choice for the back mountain.
“I’ll go discuss the specific details with Master Luther Sage and the others in a moment.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Muxuan felt her body go light. Feeling the pair of hands wrapping around her waist, Muxuan panicked again, her cowlick twitching uncontrollably from the shock.
“Qiansitelin! What are you doing now!”
“Since Your Highness is going to a fight, you definitely need to change into a more suitable set of clothes~”
Meeting Qiansitelin’s slightly mischievous and brooks-no-argument gaze, Muxuan wanted to cry but had no tears.
This was a blatant trap!
“Nooo!!!”