What a stroke of bad luck…
After Verennica prayed to the Goddess of Night to seal the rift in the sky, Xia Li was brought back to Steinburg with her hands bound like a criminal.
After all the twists and turns, it had come to this—being locked up in a prison cell…
The Saints’ interrogation surely involved some kind of magic that would prevent them from telling lies.
If Verennica found out she was the Demon Lord, it would be the end of her!
She had to find a way to bluff her way through…
Of course, there was always the other option—escape.
Xia Li glanced at the golden chains binding her hands.
These looked very similar to Firiya’s magic.
With a little force, she could tear them apart.
But thinking about it, breaking free would be tantamount to confirming her guilt. Even if she managed to escape Verennica’s grasp today, she would be hunted down relentlessly by the Englaya Empire.
Better to obediently return to the Night Sanctuary with Verennica…
“Veren sister~ Both Xia Lili and I are law-abiding good citizens. You don’t need to suspect us, right?” Fursie clung to Verennica’s side, acting coquettish.
Verennica, of course, completely ignored this behavior.
“Since this incident involves the Demon Lord Sisilia, I must fulfill my duty as a Saint to clear your names… Don’t worry, the merciful Goddess of Night will never wrongly condemn anyone.”
“Could you remove the chains then? I feel weird walking around like this…” Xia Li looked at the strange gazes adventurers kept throwing at her and Fursie, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
Verennica’s identity as a Saint was well-known.
To be a ‘criminal’ escorted by a Saint was an incredibly rare occurrence.
“That’s the legendary Saint Verennica herself? I’m so lucky to see her in person! So cool…”
“Is Saint Verennica here in Steinburg to arrest criminals? Who exactly are those two?”
“Ah! I know that long-haired girl! She caused a scene at the Stein family’s engagement banquet last night and even kidnapped the Stein family’s disabled eldest daughter!”
“Just for that, they were arrested by the Saint?”
Upon entering Steinburg, the whispers grew even louder.
Xia Li lowered her head and cursed the old bastards from the Stein and Carfus families in her mind, along with Verennica and Fursie.
If it weren’t for those people, how could she have ended up in such an embarrassing situation!
“Xia Li?”
A familiar cold voice came from not far off.
Firiya stood at the church entrance of the Night Sanctuary, frowning lightly as she saw Xia Li with bound hands approaching. “Were you arrested for teasing the Saint?”
“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would do something like that?”
“Isn’t that so?” Considering the previous ‘victims’ Anis and Luya, Firiya’s words carried undeniable weight.
“I was simply admiring a cute girl… Never mind, it’s pointless to explain to you. By the way, why are you here? And what about Anis?” Xia Li chatted casually, completely unlike someone who had been arrested as a ‘suspect.’
“She already left. As for me… my family arranged a task for me to atone,” Firiya followed Verennica and Xia Li into the church.
“What task?”
“To protect the sacred relic bestowed by the Goddess of Night.”
Hearing this, the expressions of the three changed slightly.
Divine Blood!
Xia Li quickly realized she shouldn’t know what this sacred relic was. She smiled at Firiya, “What kind of relic? Can I see it?”
“No.”
“Eh? Just because of our relationship, not even a look?… Ugh! Verennica, what are you doing!” Xia Li was yanked forward as Verennica tightened the chains.
“To attempt to lay hands on the sacred relic of the Goddess of Night is a grave act of disrespect.” Verennica snorted coldly, approaching the altar. Gazing at the silver-plated Crescent Moon altar, she tapped her chest thrice, then clasped her hands and knelt devoutly to recite a prayer.
“Miss Xia Li, we meet again.”
Nearby, the nun who had earlier baptized Xia Li stepped forward. After Verennica finished her prayer, the nun smiled softly, “Verennica, long time no see.”
“Teacher Lorin, long time no see.” Verennica lowered her head in front of the nun.
“Teacher?” Xia Li and the others were stunned.
“The Saint’s teacher?! Steinburg actually has a magic user more powerful than those at the Forbidden Spell level!” Fursie approached the nun and scrutinized her from various angles.
“No, I’m just an ordinary intermediate magic user,” the nun shook her head.
“But you will always be my teacher.” Verennica explained to Xia Li and the others, “This was where I received my baptism and awakened my magic. Teacher Lorin guided me through a week of basic magic training.”
“Seeing you grow from that bottom-rank girl to the important figure you are today makes me truly happy.” The nun smiled. “You didn’t come to see me just to reminisce, did you?”
Verennica nodded and explained what had just happened in Aiden Forest, “I wish to borrow the power of the Goddess of Night.”
“No problem.” The nun glanced at Xia Li with a look full of compassion. “But I trust this child. She’s not the kind to create pollution or harm humanity.”
“I’m willing to trust them too, but for the safety of the Englaya Empire, interrogation is necessary.”
“Hmm, let me prepare.”
The nun went to gather holy water, candlesticks, and other items needed for the ritual magic.
Nearby, Firiya elbowed Xia Li, “How did you manage to cause such a big commotion just a few hours after leaving?”
“Do you think I want this?” Xia Li shrugged helplessly.
“A super-tier Lord-class monster really appeared in Aiden Forest?”
“Of course it’s true. The corpse of the giant lizard pseudo-dragon is still in my spatial magic device.”
“And the Saint’s Forbidden Spell magic? You saw it with your own eyes!”
Firiya’s cheeks flushed with excitement as she spoke.
That was the legendary Forbidden Spell!
Every magic user pursued it as the ultimate magic—an existence capable of overturning the world’s laws. Across the vast Englaya Empire, only ten Saints were capable of wielding it.
Firiya believed that just one glance would allow her to glean insights from the complex yet wondrous magical circuits, enabling her own magic to advance further!
“Of course I saw it.” Xia Li had never seen Firiya so excited before.
“What did you think after seeing it?”
“Thoughts?” Xia Li recalled Verennica’s Forbidden Spell, the “Sword of Divine Punishment.”
The casting speed was slow, its power average, and it seemed to rely on the Goddess of Night’s blessing. No matter how she looked at it, there was nothing particularly special.
It was a far cry from her days as the Demon Lord.
Could she really say that?
“It was impressive, though I couldn’t tell how it was done at all.” Xia Li replied flatly.
As they chatted, the ritual magic was prepared.
The blood-red glow emanating from the Crescent Moon altar bathed the entire church.
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