Sislia’s expression darkened.
The Kot Family was nothing more than a family once dependent on the Church of the Dawn.
Now, they were taking advantage of chaos for their own gain.
They wanted to force Sislia to marry the Kot Family’s young master.
But Sislia had long decided to devote her life to serving the Dawn Goddess.
Besides, she didn’t have the slightest interest in the Kot Family’s young master.
That kind of trash—he just looked more human than pigs and dogs, but was even less endearing than them.
“Annie, what did the letter say?”
“The letter says, um… ‘Dearest Sislia, tonight at 8 o’clock, Violet Royal Grand Hotel, Room 2012, the Love Suite…’”
What little gentleness remained in Sislia’s eyes faded, replaced by a surging violent aura.
Her hands tensed instinctively, and the staff symbolizing the High Priestess snapped with a sharp crack.
The Dawn Goddess was a mighty deity—so long as her enemies were unsure whether She had truly fallen, none dared tear up the pretense.
Now, it seemed they were completely certain.
Sensing the killing intent radiating from her High Priestess, Annie shuddered.
Before this High Priestess believed in the Dawn Goddess…
She was a ruthless figure raised in Sin City.
Wielding two cold iron longswords, she struck terror into Sin City; she could cut down men without a blink.
“Annie, how much money is left in the treasury?”
“Is it enough to hire someone to wipe out all the Kot Family scum?”
Just as Sislia teetered on the edge of frenzy, a green light flashed into her mind.
“A Tea Party? Whose Highness’s invitation is this?”
“At a time like this, could it be… my Lord’s divine friend…?”
Sislia quickly regained her composure, the violence in her gaze subsiding.
After pondering for a moment, she rose under Annie’s helpless gaze and spoke.
“You should go home first. Take some travel money from the treasury. In fact, it’s best not to come back.”
Without waiting for Annie’s response, she left the Shrine straight away.
All the way back to her boudoir, she began to make preparations.
“To be safe, I’ll go meet them by Soul Splitting.”
***
Duke Niel’s Mansion.
Inside the Duke’s Young Lady’s room.
Garcia was terribly depressed, slumped over her desk, listless and glum.
She looked like a bitter melon.
“Puppy, oh puppy, do you know who stole my homework?”
“If I ever find out, I, Garcia, swear on my honor—on my father’s name!”
“I’ll…”
“I’ll rip up every single piece of homework they’ve finished!”
The little girl put on a fierce face, furrowing her brows in mock anger.
The Golden Retriever yawned, seemingly bored.
Its unconcerned expression was as if to say:
Is that all?
Is that all you’ve got?
Little girl, you’re not even half the age of your dog brother’s shoe size, don’t make me laugh.
Seeing that even the Golden Retriever was looking down on her so blatantly,
Garcia instantly pouted in grievance.
She leapt onto the bed and started rolling around, acting all spoiled.
Then, her eyes suddenly brightened, as if she had thought of something.
“No way! I can’t be trapped at home—I, Garcia, am determined to become a Legend!”
“I’m going adventuring!”
With that, she energetically prepared for her ‘prison break.’
But after kicking and pounding at the door for ages,
She suddenly lost all motivation and collapsed onto the carpet, sulking hard.
“Not a single thing went right…”
“Darn it, how can I not even break the lowest level Universal Magic: Door Restriction Spell!!”
Just as she despaired,
A Paper Dove happened to fly into the room, dissolving into green light as it entered her mind.
Garcia immediately bounced up, full of energy.
“A Tea Party? I want to go! I want to go!”
Following Lu Ming’s guidance, she slowly drifted into sleep.
Her consciousness entered a wondrous space.
***
Excited, Garcia ran along a transparent corridor.
Very soon, the space ahead opened up before her eyes.
Lush greenery everywhere—flowers, birds, fish, and insects… everything you could imagine.
It was just like the garden of her dreams.
Delighted, Garcia rolled joyfully across the lawn, laughing with glee.
Rolling and rolling,
Until she bumped into something soft and pillar-like.
***
She quickly scrambled off the grass.
Seeing the two stunning elder sisters before her, Garcia’s eyes lit up, and she casually patted the grass off her clothes.
She gave the two a perfect noble’s curtsy,
As if she hadn’t just been roughhousing a moment ago.
“Garcia, greetings to you both, elder sisters!”
Lu Ming looked at the cheerful little girl before him, his expression a bit strange.
“As I thought, I really shouldn’t have called this kid over.”
“Even if she is a Duke’s Young Lady, she probably doesn’t know much about what’s going on.”
“Might as well just wipe her memory and send her out…”
***
After greeting them, the little girl immediately reverted to her usual self.
She plopped down in a seat and started munching on tea cakes.
At least she was finally quiet.
“Great Highness, may I implore you to remove your hand from Sislia’s waist?”
Lu Ming turned his head at the words.
He saw Sislia looking calmly at him, occasionally glancing at his rather unruly hand.
Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, pulling his hand back without a trace of embarrassment.
After all, the persona he was playing now was a bored, unpredictable deity prone to fits of madness.
“Occupational hazard kicking in…” Lu Ming almost let the words slip.
He quickly changed tack.
“Seeing you is like meeting an old friend. I was rude for a moment—surely you won’t hold it against me?”
“…I wouldn’t dare.” Sislia bowed respectfully.
But her heart trembled. As expected, this Highness knows my Lord.
***
“Please, have a seat.”
Once the two were seated,
Garcia looked as though she might turn to stone in shock.
“That orange-haired High Priestess just called her ‘Your Highness’?!”
“Isn’t that a title used only for deities? Could this mysterious lady whose face I can’t see really be a living god?!”
“No wonder her presence is so overwhelming.”
“Garcia, have you ever seen a dead god?”
Garcia clapped her hands over her mouth.
“I didn’t say anything! Wait, no, I mustn’t say anything more.”
Lu Ming explained with a gentle smile.
“In the Divine Realm, all rules are set and changed by the gods. Even if you don’t say a god’s name, They still know your thoughts.”
“All right, the Tea Party begins now.”
Lu Ming sat at the head, motionless,
Yet it felt as if everything was in her grasp.
Lu Ming smiled, her words as soft and dangerous as a demon’s whisper.
“Sislia, you wouldn’t want the Church of the Dawn to vanish, would you?”
***
Hearing this odd question,
Sislia felt that this deity before her was perhaps not quite so proper.
Her gaze grew urgent.
“I absolutely cannot allow the faith of Dawn to disappear! No matter what it takes.”
“Could you lend me your power? I must wipe out the Kot Family.”
Lu Ming fell silent for a moment. Looks like I was wrong—there’s no need to threaten her at all.
This High Priestess would do anything for the Church of the Dawn.
“Sislia, has the Kind Qingtan Highness never taught you that a High Priestess must have a benevolent heart?”
“Destroying the Kot Family is a small matter, but there are several churches backing them. It’s not convenient for me to get involved.”
Sislia’s pupils shrank, instantly catching the key point.
This mysterious Highness only said it was inconvenient to step in.
She never said she was afraid of provoking other gods.
Judging by Her demeanor, She didn’t seem concerned at all.
Even if not quite equal to my Lord, She must still be a powerful deity.
Who could She be?
Mother of Nature, Lord of Elements, or…
Sislia grew even more cautious.
***
Lu Ming, after all, knew a thing or two about the Dawn Goddess.
She was a powerful good-aligned deity named Qingtan, with a distinctly eastern air.
Moreover, Her attitude toward Pseudo-Gods was not as hostile as that of other gods.
Except, of course, for Pseudo-Gods who had accepted Blood Sacrifice.
She had a philosophy of teaching without discrimination, and had even once indirectly saved “Ymir.”