When the group finally dragged their exhausted bodies out of the edge of the Forbidden Marsh of the Demon Domain, even a chatterbox like [Shadowfang Breaker] was uncharacteristically silent.
He only kept wiping his twin blades over and over.
The congealed dark-purple fungal sap on the blades had been scraped away, but the sweet, rotten stench that seemed to burrow into bone still lingered forever on the rope-wrapped hilts.
The massive city gates of Arslan Royal City slowly opened.
After a day and night of rushing, they returned to the capital at the break of dawn.
The rising sun cast a golden-red halo over the white giant city, making it look solemn and sacred.
Yet, when Falushir’s party truly walked through the gates, that sense of holiness vanished completely.
The early-rising guards stood slouched and crooked, huddled together in low voices gossiping about the new dancer at the tavern last night.
It wasn’t until Falushir’s iconic deep blue leather armor and her frosty, icy aura came into view that they jumped like cats whose tails had been stepped on, scrambling to attention and giving a salute so sloppy it was full of holes.
“D-Divine Favored One! Welcome back in triumph!”
Falushir only glanced at them from the corner of her eye, saying nothing.
That cold gaze made beads of cold sweat pop up on the foreheads of several guards instantly.
“We’re heading to the Linxing Tower branch to submit the mission and resupply.”
[Shadowfang Breaker] spun his twin blades and forced what he thought was a dashing smile in Falushir’s direction.
“Commander, make sure the reward is generous this time! We nearly lost our lives out there.”
Falushir paused mid-step.
She turned her face to the side, the bloodless pallor of her face seeming almost transparent in the morning light.
Her tone returned to its usual coldness and gravity.
“Thank you all. Arslan will not forget your contributions.”
She spoke no more, then turned to Eileen to issue her final orders.
“Eileen, lead the team back to camp and rest. Count the wounded, tally the supply consumption, and deliver the report to my office before evening. Oh, and—”
Falushir unfastened the ice coffin from her back.
“Give our predecessor a proper burial.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Eileen stood at attention, directing two magical girls to take over the ice coffin that preserved the fallen senior magical girl’s remains, then led the magical girls away like a tide toward the encampment.
In an instant, only Falushir and Zhao Yingyue remained at the vast city gate.
“You’re not going to rest?”
Zhao Yingyue walked to her side, nudging her gently with her elbow.
“Look at your face. If you don’t sleep soon, you’ll turn into an undead.”
Falushir ignored her teasing.
She carefully took out the Prophecy Stone from the storage pouch at her waist.
Those two little faeries had ended up giving this strange object to Falushir after all.
“There’s one more thing to do before resting.”
Falushir clenched the Prophecy Stone.
The warmth of her palm seemed to make the faint glow inside the stone shine brighter.
“I need to visit the Pascal Military Academy.”
Zhao Yingyue raised an eyebrow.
“Looking for Nilo? That bookworm? This thing… can he figure it out?”
“He’s a military theory expert, and the kingdom’s top scholar in Ancient Rune and magical item construction.”
Falushir’s tone brooked no argument.
“Before handing it over to the old foxes of the Church, I need someone absolutely reliable to analyze its true function and potential risks. Nilo is the only choice.”
Zhao Yingyue looked at her stubborn, serious profile, shrugged, and the corner of her lips curved in a helpless yet understanding smile.
“Fine, fine, you’re the boss. I’ll go with you. I’m hungry anyway. I wonder if the military academy cafeteria’s breakfast misses me.”
—
“…That’s the situation.”
Falushir finished, pointing at the stone.
“We need to know what it can really do.”
Nilo didn’t answer immediately.
He reached out and carefully touched the surface of the Prophecy Stone.
A sensation both cold and warm tingled at his fingertip, and the light inside the stone seemed to ripple faintly in response to his touch.
“Too little information.”
He muttered, intelligence flickering in his eyes.
“From the rune structure, the internal energy circuits are extremely complex. It’s not any known magical artifact… but at least I can try tests to determine its function?”
As he spoke, he pulled several thick, worn ancient tomes from the bookshelf, flipping through them rapidly in search of related records.
Zhao Yingyue had no interest in these tedious theories.
She pulled up a chair, sat down, took a wax paper package from her pocket, and began eating the meat pie she’d picked up on the way, without a hint of courtesy.
For a while, the only sounds in the room were the rustling of turning pages and Zhao Yingyue’s chewing.
Falushir waited patiently.
She trusted Nilo’s abilities.
At that moment, the heavy oak door of the tactical conference room was silently pushed open.
A tall, thin figure entered against the light.
A cold, solemn aura spread through the room with his arrival, as if even the air thickened.
Nilo’s page-turning stopped.
He closed the book, stood straight, and bowed slightly to the newcomer.
Zhao Yingyue also stopped chewing, eyeing the unexpected visitor warily, her grip on the meat pie tightening unconsciously.
Falushir slowly turned around, her ice-blue eyes staring at the Pope in the shadows, her face expressionless.
“Your Holiness.”
Her voice was calm as still water, betraying no emotion.
“Divine Favored One, you’re here after all.”
Feinck’s voice echoed with a hollow resonance.
“I heard you purified a large fungal nest in the Demon Domain last night, making great contributions to the kingdom’s safety.”
“My duty.”
Falushir replied coldly.
Feinck seemed utterly unfazed by her indifference.
He slowly paced to the huge tactical table.
His movements made no sound; the hem of his robe slid across the floor without a whisper of friction.
His gaze drifted across the Prophecy Stone on the table, which glimmered faintly, and a strange interest seemed to flicker in the shadow beneath his hood.
Yet, as if he hadn’t seen it at all, he shifted his focus to the giant magical sand table.
“Because the soldiers at the front lines fight in blood, the people in the rear can enjoy peace. Sacrifice must be remembered. Achievements should be sung.”
His voice was unhurried, carrying a sacred rhythm.
“Especially those players from other worlds. They’ve challenged the darkness of the Demon Domain with their unique courage, providing immense support to our reconnaissance operations. Such bravery deserves respect and imitation from all.”
Nilo’s heart clenched.
“This time, under the leadership of the Divine Favored One, the exploration team achieved outstanding results, clarifying the strategy for probing the Forbidden Marsh. To commend all kingdom guards and those players who answered the Church’s call and fought bravely in this operation—”
The Pope finally revealed his true purpose for coming.
“The Church, after discussion with the Royal Family, has decided to sponsor a grand celebration banquet three days from now in the central courtyard of the Holy Light Cathedral. At that time, all mission rewards will be distributed on site, with the finest food and wine prepared to honor our heroes.”
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Zhao Yingyue stopped chewing.
She looked at the Pope, her gaze sharp as a blade.
A banquet? At a time when there might be traitors or apostolic anomalies lurking in the capital, holding a festive feast?
Falushir’s heart plummeted to the depths.
Her nails dug deep into her palm from how hard she clenched her fist, but her expression didn’t change.
She knew this was a trap she couldn’t refuse.
As the Pope said, the majority of missions, information coordination, and rewards were managed by the Lysian Church.
As the largest sponsor and mission platform, it was entirely reasonable for them to hold a celebration banquet to distribute rewards and consolidate goodwill after a successful operation.
If she objected at this moment, no matter how reasonable her reasons—urgent military conditions, unfit for celebration—her protest would easily be twisted as arrogance, disregarding the contributions of ordinary soldiers and players, or even as an attempt to wrest control over the players from the Church.
Feinck had seen straight through all of this.
He used a perfectly justified excuse to back Falushir into an inescapable corner.
He wanted to bind this emerging force of players even more tightly to the Church’s chariot, under the eyes of all.
“Your Holiness is wise and thorough.”
After a long silence, Falushir squeezed out the words from between her teeth.
“I have no objections.”
“Hehe… The Divine Favored One is always so noble and selfless.”
Feinck gave a low, chuckling laugh.
“Then, it’s settled. At that time, please do attend, along with the ambassador of Night Dragon Kingdom. You are the core of this operation, and the example for all heroes.”
His gaze shifted to Zhao Yingyue, who had remained silent throughout.
She only snorted and turned away.
Having said his piece, Feinck seemed to lose all interest in staying.
His head, shrouded in shadow, turned slightly.
He glanced one last time at Nilo, who stood upright, and at the ancient books and the stone on the table.
“Nilo, Military Instructor, your research appears to have made new progress. Truly a blessing for the kingdom.”
He left behind a cryptic remark, then turned and departed like a silent specter, taking that suffocating chill with him.
Not until the heavy oak door closed again did the three in the room seem to surface from deep water, simultaneously letting out a breath.
“Damn old vampire.”
Zhao Yingyue cursed under her breath, stuffing the remaining half of the meat pie violently into her mouth as if chewing Feinck’s bones.
“A banquet? Does he have shit for brains? The front lines are a mess!”
“No. His mind is clearer than we imagine.”
Nilo’s voice was heavy.
He pushed up his glasses, the lenses flashing coldly.
“This banquet isn’t for celebration. It’s to declare the Church’s absolute dominance over the players.”
“He wants to grip these otherworldly blades in his own hand.”
“I understand.”
Falushir closed her eyes in exhaustion, rubbing her aching brow.
“That’s why I can’t refuse.”