Enya’s posture was extremely elegant, her slender curves outlined perfectly by the tight black nun’s habit.
Coupled with her silver hair tucked beneath the black nun’s veil, she exuded a strangely captivating beauty.
She clasped her hands gently over her lower abdomen and slightly tilted her head to glance at the elderly scholar, Elder Scholar Doran, beside her.
“Mr. Doran, if you have anything to say, please speak.”
The mask altered her voice somewhat. What was originally soft and cool now carried a magnetic, alluring quality, each word like a siren’s song, irresistibly drawing listeners deeper into the enchanting sound.
So this was the Dream Demon cloaked in a nun’s attire.
Enya had never intended to get involved with this so-called “Society,” but now she found herself curious to discover exactly what the Scholars of Dawn were up to.
Elder Scholar Doran chuckled softly, wrinkles furrowing his face, making him look quite aged.
But Enya was not one to judge by appearances. In a world like this, looks were hardly a reliable gauge of age.
Perhaps this old man was even younger than Enya, just worn prematurely.
Doran glanced at the faceless black nun beside him and said, “Miss Lilith seems quite lively today.”
“Oh?”
Enya narrowed her eyes. Had he noticed something?
Doran smiled calmly. “I can perceive subtle shifts in emotions through speech. Miss Lilith’s tone carries a childlike curiosity. Regardless of past events, our Society still hopes to continue collaborating with Miss Lilith.”
“Hmph, that’s not a problem…”
Enya had already figured it out. That old man must have used some method to confirm she was no longer the Rose Priestess of before. Yet the Society didn’t seem to care much—they only needed a Rose Priestess to work with them, and it didn’t matter who exactly.
With such an attitude, they must possess considerable power.
The way Tulius had treated Doran earlier already said a lot—the Society was formidable enough to command his respect.
Enya thought of another powerful organization—the Sage Society, composed of mighty beings from all races in the world, where every member held the title of Sage.
The ancient witch Antiros was one such Sage.
After hearing Enya’s response, Doran reached into his pocket and pulled out a badge, then a pale blue sealed letter, placing both on the stone table and pushing them forward to Enya.
Enya reached out and picked up the badge, examining the design closely.
It was a lace-edged circle featuring a sun divided right down the middle.
The upper half was a brilliant halo, surrounded by numerous tiny figures with happy smiles.
The lower half was a strange purple haze, with people turning away in terror and despair from the purple sun.
Purple Sun, Great Calamity…
Enya recalled Antiros once telling her about a disaster on this continent known as the Great Calamity. At that time, the sun turned purple, the earth split open with chasms leading to the abyss, and demons crawled out to slaughter every living being they saw.
This badge’s gold and purple colors, combined with the name Scholars of Dawn…
What could it mean?
After some thought, Enya grew even more curious about the Scholars of Dawn.
She accepted the badge symbolizing Society membership and then looked at the letter. Earlier, she had overheard Doran and Tulius mention attending the next Meeting of the Order.
“Mr. Doran, what is this?”
Enya didn’t open the letter but instead asked.
Doran explained, “About a year from now, there will be a Society meeting. This letter will grant Miss Lilith access to the event. Please keep it safe—it will open at the appropriate time on its own.”
“Understood.”
“As for other matters, someone else will contact Miss Lilith.”
Enya nodded slightly.
Doran stood, politely bidding farewell to the lady. “Miss Lilith, no need to see me out.”
Enya hadn’t even stood yet, still seated on the exquisitely crafted white chair, watching Elder Doran leave the manor gate.
Only after he boarded a carriage did Enya rise and take the letter.
The envelope was pale blue and made of very sturdy material, sealed with a maroon wax stamp bearing a strange flower.
On the back corner, there were tiny letters.
Written in dark blue ink were the words: Invitation of Time.
She was about to store it in the “Survival’s Conception” library but reconsidered. Randomly storing mail could be dangerous in case of viruses.
So Enya chose to keep it inside a Kongtong Ring instead.
This was her first time using a spatial ring.
After standing, she smoothed the skirt behind her and took a step forward when the courtyard suddenly vanished into nothingness.
Beneath her mask, she curled her lips.
“Such a useful ability.”
She guessed the linguist’s power matched his title—he wielded a kind of Word Magic.
Magic systems were varied. Elemental was the most common.
Others like Word Magic, Spatial Magic, Temporal Magic, Necromancy were rarely encountered.
Enya gazed toward the city, intending to observe the commotion.
Although she had edited out the events that never actually happened in Red Pine City within the Dream World, rewinding time so it was as if nothing had occurred, she had deliberately left memories for a few people—to watch the show unfold.
Red Pine City, Asades Castle, Banquet Hall.
Henna stared dumbfounded at the suddenly changed scene before her.
She saw Viscount Ganade, who had just been locked in fierce combat with her, now calmly holding a drink, surrounded by the banquet hall’s opulent setting.
Viscount Ganade himself stood frozen in place, unable to comprehend what had happened.
When he caught Henna’s gaze, he panicked.
They had returned to the moment during the banquet where they were conversing.
The warm, subtle music blended with the chatter of ladies and gentlemen.
Veins bulged on Ganade’s forehead as he forced himself to remain calm.
He thought he had only dreamed it all.
He planned to bluff his way past Henna and leave to reconsider his next move.
But what greeted him instead was a crimson longsword.
Henna’s red slender blade pierced Ganade’s body.
Had he not dodged just in time, the sword would have struck his heart.
Gritting his teeth in pain, Ganade tried to shout.
“You!”
“Viscount Ganade, why are you secretly recruiting mercenaries?”
Henna interrupted him sharply, cutting off his words and stepping forward to strike his head down.
Naturally, Ganade no longer held back and accepted the strike, then exploded with magic power, leaping into the crowd.
He smashed through a window and escaped.
“What happened?!”
“What’s going on?”
“That’s Viscount Ganade! When did he get this kind of power?”
“What’s wrong with Viscount Ganade?”
Chaos erupted in the hall.
Some took advantage of the confusion to flee.
Henna didn’t immediately give chase but shouted, “Viscounts Ganade, Kost, and Pryke have allied with a cult to rebel and assassinate the lord. Everyone, stay calm and remain here. I will capture these traitors.”
Henna turned and prepared to leave.
The Ophield family representative from White Stone City, still stunned by the sudden events, hurried to follow her and asked, “Lady Lord, what is happening?”
“I will provide an explanation later. For now, stay here.”
Henna exited through a side door.
The Ophield representative was stopped by soldiers, and all the gates were blocked by fully armed guards, preventing anyone from leaving.
Rumors spread rapidly. Everyone realized something major was about to happen in Red Pine City, and each person silently prayed not to be implicated.
Remaining in the banquet hall, Yelena and Elqi exchanged glances.
Yelena wore a strange expression and whispered to the young woman she barely knew, “I feel like something has already happened…”
“Yes. It’s already dark, but the banquet began at sunset. It hasn’t been long, yet night has already fallen.”
Elqi analyzed calmly but, lacking clues, couldn’t figure out what had occurred.
Yelena negotiated with the soldiers but learned even she was not allowed to leave and had to stay in the hall.
Meanwhile, Henna had caught up with Ganade.
The Order of Knights had already surrounded Viscount Ganade’s manor.
Henna clearly remembered what had happened, but in a blink, they were back at the banquet, and the white mist had obviously not returned.
“Could it have been that person who pulled me into the Dream World?”
With the mist’s restraining effect gone, all of Henna’s forces could focus on eliminating the three viscounts.
That was overkill.
With their haphazardly assembled private army, they had no chance against the true Order of Knights.
Soldiers surrounded Viscount Ganade’s estate so tightly not even water could seep through.
Fleeing servants and retainers were captured on the spot.
Henna rode to the gate and shouted inside at Ganade, “You have no chance of victory. Surrender now.”
Inside the manor, Ganade’s face was ashen, muttering curses under his breath.
“Even if I had a fifty-fifty chance at the city gate before, as long as I kill Henna, those alive decide the outcome.”
But now, he had only a sliver of hope left.
He tightly gripped the Box he had hidden at his waist.
Behind him was a pool of blood.
“Damn it, I should’ve just used this from the start!”
The contents of the Box were his secret weapon against Henna, but uncertainty had made him hesitate.
Before he could decide, everything faded like a dream.
This manor was Ganade’s home, but now it had become a cage he couldn’t escape from, even if he sprouted wings.
One of his men stepped forward, wanting to speak.
“My lord, we…”
“Silence!”
Ganade cut him off.
Damn it, who—who turned everything into a dream?!
“Charge with me! Anyone who dares surrender, I’ll kill them!”
Ganade clenched his longsword, ready to break through and flee to White Stone City.
It would be extremely difficult but not impossible.
With the Box’s power, he could become several times stronger in a short time.
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