Chapter 64: My sister will set off fireworks for you

Sylvia shot upright the moment she opened her eyes.

Today, I can finally go home!

That thought filled her with such relief that even her breathing became smooth and easy.

The suffocating sensation from the past few days finally faded away.

Barefoot, she dashed over to Ophelia.

“Mother, are we really leaving today?”

She couldn’t hide the excitement in her voice.

Ophelia was already dressed in her black royal regalia, packing up their things.

“Shh, tidy up and get ready to go home.”

She reached out and smoothed Sylvia’s messy silver hair.

“We’ll never have to listen to those annoying compliments again.”

Avira pushed open the door, a strange smile plastered on her face.

“Sister, today your big sister has prepared a special Souvenir for you.”

Sylvia blinked.

“What kind of gift?”

“You’ll know when the time comes.”

Avira answered mysteriously, selling her secret.

A gleam of excitement danced in her blood-red eyes.

One hour later, in the annex’s drawing room.

King Uther VII rushed in, his hair a wild mess, still carrying the panic of someone startled awake from a nightmare.

He had been tormented all night by nightmares—all horrible scenes of the Sacred Vessel leaving.

“Your Majesty the Queen, Your Highness the Sacred Vessel, Lady Avira.”

He bowed deeply, but his whole body trembled.

“Your summons this early, is it…”

“We are ending our visit early.”

Ophelia’s words were utterly calm.

Uther VII’s face turned deathly pale.

“What?!”

He nearly leapt up, his voice cracking.

“Ending early? Why? Was it something I did wrong?”

A thousand possibilities flashed through the pope’s mind.

Was the annex’s arrangement lacking? Did some knight say the wrong thing?

“Please, tell me!”

Uther VII dropped straight to his knees, forehead pressed to the ground.

“Whatever mistake I made, I’ll bear it! But please, don’t let the Sacred Vessel leave!”

Sylvia looked at the pope kneeling on the floor, her emotions a tangled mess.

This old man always overanalyzed her every move, but he genuinely wanted to “save” her.

“It’s not your fault.”

Ophelia remained unruffled.

“Sylvia doesn’t feel comfortable living here, so we’re going home.”

Uther VII was stunned.

Not comfortable living here?

He racked his brain, recalling every arrangement these days.

The annex was the best residence in Dawn City, the food had all been meticulously prepared, even the bed sheets were made of the softest silk.

“Is the room too small? I’ll arrange a bigger one immediately!”

Uther VII was sweating anxiously.

“Or is the food not to your taste? I can hire the finest chefs!”

“Or perhaps the bed isn’t comfortable enough? I’ll change it right away!”

Seeing his panicked state, Sylvia couldn’t help but speak up.

“That’s not the issue.”

Her words brought silence to the entire room.

“Then what is it?”

Uther VII looked up, face full of despair.

“Your Highness the Sacred Vessel, please, tell me!”

Sylvia fell silent for a moment.

“I just want to go home.”

“We’re leaving today.”

She looked at Uther VII, her blood-red eyes leaving no room for discussion.

“This is a notification, not a negotiation.”

Uther VII wanted to say more, but Avira had already stepped in front of him.

“Before we leave, I’ll leave you all a little Keepsake.”

With a flick of her fingertip, a blood-red rune flashed in the air.

“Thank you for your month of ‘hospitality,’ right?”

Her smile turned dazzling as she vanished from sight.

The pope hadn’t fully grasped her meaning when—

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed from afar, making the whole annex tremble.

Then a second boom, a third, a fourth…

Seven consecutive explosions rang out from different directions in Dawn City.

Each blast made the windows buzz and the teacups dance on the table.

Sylvia went pale from the noise, instinctively hiding behind Ophelia.

She clung tightly to her mother’s sleeve, her body trembling.

“Mother, what’s happening outside?”

Her voice was soft, laced with fear.

Ophelia gently stroked her hair.

“It’s nothing. Avira’s just setting off fireworks.”

Fireworks?

Uther VII rushed to the window to look outside.

He saw plumes of smoke rising from seven directions across the city.

Those were precisely where the headquarters of the seven Holy Orders were located.

From here, those towering buildings now appeared to have lost half their height, cut neat and clean.

“Heavens above!”

The pope’s voice was trembling.

“What happened?!”

Soon, Avira returned.

She patted the dust off her hands, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Sister, I set off a few big fireworks for you. Did you like them?”

She walked up to Sylvia.

Sylvia was still trembling.

“Sister, what did you do?”

“Nothing major.”

Avira shrugged.

“I just lopped off half of each of the seven knight orders’ headquarters.”

“The buildings are still there, no one died. It’s just to teach them some manners.”

Uther VII nearly fainted at her words.

The headquarters of the seven Holy Orders attacked at the same time?

And “lopped off half”?

Those buildings were constructed with the sturdiest materials, protected by countless Defensive Spell Formations.

To destroy seven places at once—how terrifying must her power be?

“You… how dare you…”

Uther VII stammered.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?”

Avira retorted.

“They made my sister unhappy. This is the price.”

“And I’ve been very restrained—I didn’t kill anyone.”

“You should be grateful for my mercy.”

Uther VII opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.

At that moment, urgent footsteps sounded outside.

Several Holy Order knights burst in, faces stricken with fear.

“Your Holiness!”

The lead knight knelt to report, his voice trembling.

“All seven knight order headquarters… were attacked simultaneously!”

“Judgment’s Sword, Guardian’s Shield, Purifying Light… all headquarters have been precisely cut in half!”

He paused, gulping hard.

“The most terrifying thing is… all the highest-level Defensive Spell Formations at each headquarters… didn’t raise a single alarm.”

“It’s as if… as if they never existed at all!”

“But the strangest part—such massive destruction…”

“Not a single person was harmed. The attacker deliberately avoided everyone.”

Uther VII listened to the report, mind in turmoil.

No casualties? Deliberately avoided? Defensive Spell Formations did nothing?

He looked at Avira, confusion all over his face.

Avira noticed his gaze and said disdainfully:

“I told you, I have self-control.”

“It was just a warning.”

“If you make my sister unhappy again, it won’t just be half.”

Only then did Sylvia snap out of her shock.

“Sister, won’t this…”

“Won’t what?”

Avira squatted down, gazing at her gently.

“You’re worried for your sister?”

“I’m worried it’ll cause even bigger trouble.”

Sylvia spoke softly.

“It won’t.”

Avira shook her head.

“They wouldn’t dare.”

She stood up and looked at Uther VII.

“Right, old man?”

The pope’s expression shifted rapidly.

Reason told him he should be angry, should fight back.

He should demand retribution for this provocation.

But reality told him—they simply didn’t have the power to retaliate.

To destroy all seven knight order headquarters simultaneously—

Even the highest Defensive Spell Formations ignored.

This power was beyond their scope to handle.

Besides, the other side had been “merciful” enough not to kill anyone.

It was a show of strength, but also a gesture of face-saving.

If they really tore all pretense away, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Uther VII remained silent for a long time, his expression shifting from terror, to confusion, to deep thought.

Then…

A strange smile suddenly appeared on his face.

“I understand now!”

He suddenly declared, his eyes blazing with fanaticism.

“This is a warning!”

“This is the Sacred Vessel’s final warning before her departure!”

“She is telling us the seven knight orders are still not strong enough—we must become stronger!”

“Otherwise, we won’t be able to face future calamities!”

Sylvia was speechless at his words.

This old man’s imagination was truly something else.

Her sister’s act of revenge had somehow been interpreted as “a divine warning.”

Avira was stunned too.

She’d thought the old man would be angry, despair, or terrified.

She never imagined he could spin this into a “miracle.”

“How did your brain grow like this?” Avira couldn’t help but ask.

“This is the power of faith!”

Uther VII proclaimed passionately.

“Every action of the Sacred Vessel has meaning!”

“Even this warning!”

“We must become stronger, to be worthy of the Sacred Vessel’s Salvation!”