On the way home, Alice kept her head low, barely daring to look up at Green.
She had disappointed her godfather.
The godfather who cared for her, looked after her, and had pulled her out of the desperate abyss of the slums.
Alice felt deeply ashamed.
So she stopped walking.
“What’s wrong, Alice?” Green could naturally tell what his goddaughter was thinking. Gently rubbing the sensitive little head of the girl, he spoke softly, “I just told you, this failure doesn’t mean anything.”
“But, but I want to become a Paladin.”
The girl pursed her lips and asked sadly, “Why would the Holy Light reject me, Godfather? Could it be because of what those people said—that Alice, born in the slums, isn’t worthy of the Light God’s favor?”
Suddenly, tears welled up in Alice’s eyes.
“No.”
Green looked at the girl with a complicated expression, feeling a subtle collapse in a corner deep inside his heart.
At first, Alice was just a character in a simulated life.
She was certainly adorable and filled with qualities that stirred compassion, but in the end, Alice would only ever be a footnote in a simulation story.
But now, Green’s thoughts had changed.
He promised, “Don’t worry, Alice. You will receive the Holy Light’s response. Trust me.”
Receive the Holy Light’s response?
How could that be…
The girl was full of doubt, thinking that Godfather was only comforting her.
But.
I can’t make Godfather worry!
Alice wiped her eyes, her little nose sniffled hard, and even though despair already enveloped her heart, she still forced a calm expression and smiled through her tears, “Mm, and even if I can’t become a Paladin, I can still become an excellent Top-level Professional!”
Phew.
Green relaxed a little.
Looking at the well-behaved and sensible girl, Green silently made up his mind.
“It seems the Curse on Alice hasn’t faded with time. Instead, it’s been lurking within her all along.”
Green’s heart stirred.
“It looks like there’s only one way left, even though it means gambling with my very soul. But as long as I can raise Alice’s Level as high as possible…”
To obtain the Simulation Reward!
Originally, Green had planned to use his status as a Senior Paladin to explore more knowledge and prepare for life after the simulation ended.
But compared to increasing Alice’s power, everything else could be set aside.
He opened the door to the house with one hand, while gently shielding Alice’s sight with the other.
“Hmm?” Alice stood puzzled. “Godfather?”
“Ahem, gentlemen?”
Green called inside the house.
Clip-clop, clip-clop~
The sound of hurried horse hooves rang out.
“This is a birthday gift I prepared for you. Happy birthday, Alice.”
Green removed his hand.
A Coachman carefully led a snow-white foal and approached Green excitedly. “Mr. Green, thanks to you standing up for justice before, I finally got my wages back from the Baron!”
“This foal, consider it a…”
Green stopped the Coachman from continuing, “No, Mr. Wells, justice doesn’t require payment.”
He declined the Coachman’s kindness and pulled out a thick pouch of silver coins.
“Besides, I’m not so poor that I have to rely on others to give birthday gifts to my goddaughter.”
The Coachman expressed endless gratitude and left.
Only Green and Alice remained, gazing at each other.
“Godfather…?”
Alice’s eyes were fixed on the adorable little horse.
The gloom caused by failing the Paladin test vanished, replaced by pure excitement.
After all, no matter how mature she seemed, she was still a child at heart.
Green admired Alice’s composure, but sometimes her maturity was a bit of a headache.
At least let herself act spoiled once in a while!
“Waaaah!” Alice hugged the white foal excitedly.
A few weeks ago, when passing by the stable, she had been unable to forget this newborn pony.
But the sensible Alice naturally never voiced her fondness.
She never expected that Godfather had been paying attention to her all along.
“Godfather, thank you so much, really, thank you.”
Holding the foal tightly, Alice listened intently to its pounding heartbeat.
“There’s nothing to change,” Green said as he helped Alice onto the horse’s back. “Try riding it. By the way, Alice, this little horse has Unicorn blood.”
Green smiled warmly and asked, “What do you want to name her?”
Giddy-up!
Gripping the reins, Alice squeezed her legs against the horse’s belly, galloping freely while shouting, “This little horse is so white and runs as fast as the wind…”
“Snowwind, Godfather! Let’s name her Snowwind!”
In the glow of the evening sunset, the girl galloping on the fine horse was like a breathtaking painting.
Such a good child.
Late at night,
After sweating through the whole day and utterly exhausted, Alice returned home and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Green lit the magical crystal lamp, and under its faint glow, his handsome features looked troubled and uncertain.
Pat-tap.
Footsteps came from nearby.
“Are you really sure you want to do this?”
In the moonlight, a shadow flickered, a deep black cloak concealing the unexpected visitor’s face.
“Your Excellency Lawrence.”
Green stood up and placed his hand on his chest in a slight bow. “Thank you for coming all the way from the capital.”
“For you, it’s no trouble.”
The visitor pulled back his cloak.
Unlike his usual stern daytime demeanor, Archbishop Lawrence’s face now showed abundant emotion—regret.
“It’s rare to use a Token, yet you’re willing to sacrifice your own soul to pave the way for someone else to reach the Holy Light?”
The Archbishop clicked his tongue and asked, confused, “Is it because of her mother? Green, I’ve told you many times, you weren’t the one at fault in that matter.”
“No.”
Green denied the Archbishop’s guess. “I’m not one to obsess over the past. I have other reasons for doing this.”
“Oh?”
The Archbishop sat thoughtfully beside Green.
At this moment, the gentle Lord Lawrence felt more like a friend than a superior.
“Do you really believe in her talent that much?”
Lawrence pulled a bottle of wine from his bag and took a sip without waiting for a response.
“Want some? Duke Montague, the Prime Minister, gave this to me last month. Brewed using a secret Dwarves’ recipe. I hear one bottle sells for thousands of gold coins.”
The Archbishop placed the bottle beside Green.
He raised it and gulped it down heartily.
Glug.
“Ah, delicious. No wonder so many in the church are scheming to climb higher. Your capital really lives in luxury.”
Green belched.
“With your experience, if you wanted, I could arrange to have you transferred back to the capital immediately.”
The Archbishop asked seriously, “But you’re willing to sacrifice everything, even your soul, for a girl who isn’t even related to you?”
“Mm.”
Green nodded casually, as if they were talking about groceries rather than his own future.
“I’ve made up my mind. I’ll bear the sin within that girl.”
Green glanced at the only luxurious corner of the house—the Divine Image of the Protector of the Suffering, the Justice God Kamdo—and murmured, “After all, Alice is someone who can become the Light. I have this feeling.”
“Kamdo, the only deceased deity of the Holy Light Temple?” The Archbishop’s expression grew complicated. “Become the Light, huh? I see. Green, is this your plan?”
“Looks like I underestimated you.” Lawrence shook his head slightly. “Alright, let’s begin the Sin Transference Ritual.”
Green nodded and stood up, pushing open Alice’s bedroom door.
Inside, the cozy bed showed Alice sleeping deeply.
“Godfather, I—I will become a Paladin!”
In her sleep, the girl murmured repeatedly.
“You truly raised a fine goddaughter.” Lawrence glanced without surprise, then casually pointed.
She fell into an even deeper Sleep Spell.
“Sin Transference Ritual—begin!”
Making a gesture, Archbishop Lawrence’s aura soared, immense power surging wildly from his body.
Level 70, Level 80!
Is this the power of a top-level professional?
Though Green had seen the battles of noble young ladies in real life, compared to Archbishop Lawrence, those were like fireflies to the full moon.
“It’s not too late to give up now. Green, I’ll ask again—do you truly have no regrets?”
A filthy, disgusting black gas emerged invisibly from within Alice, pressing heavily on Green, who struggled even with the Holy Light’s protection enveloping him.
“I have no regrets.” Green replied firmly.
Boom—
The dark magic hidden deep within the girl’s soul erupted.
Yet under the Archbishop’s powerful intervention, it caused no harm to Alice.
On the contrary, as the energy flowed out of her body, a certain lock within her soul shattered.
However…
“Cough, cough!”
Green spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Phew, it’s done.” Archbishop Lawrence looked at Green with a hint of pity. “A Paladin blessed by the Holy Light, with a bright future ahead, yet you insist on bearing sins that aren’t yours to pave the way for your goddaughter?”
“Green, I’m really curious what you’re thinking.”
The Archbishop asked softly.
“Isn’t sacrifice the first of the Ten Paladin Commandments?”
Green countered.
Normally, his answer would resonate with the Holy Light, but this time, there was no response.
Lawrence said nothing and silently left, leaving the now forsaken Paladin alone in the room.
“Cough, cough. Looks like my body’s truly broken.”
Feeling his magic grow weaker by the moment, Green’s face showed pain.
Yet, looking at Alice sleeping soundly, all the pain in his heart instantly faded away.
“You little fool.” Green sighed. “Don’t disappoint me.”
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
The rooster’s crow woke Alice at dawn.
“I will, I will become a Paladin!”
Alice suddenly opened her eyes. “Phew… it was just a dream.”
The girl recalled yesterday’s Paladin test with some regret and clenched her fists.
But her peripheral vision quickly noticed something unusual.
“Godfather?” She looked toward the man snoring quietly in the chair beside her.
“Oh, Alice, you’re finally awake?” Green’s eyes fluttered open. “Alright, let’s pray to the Holy Light.”
Pray to the Holy Light?
Though she didn’t understand why Godfather suddenly requested this, Alice trusted him absolutely and immediately obeyed.
Buzz—
But unlike before, there was a reaction this time.
Alice’s eyes widened in shock.
“Holy Light, Godfather, I, I can sense the Holy Light!”
Bathed in the morning sun, the girl shone with crystal-clear radiance, sparkling like a rare jewel.
“Congratulations.” Green smiled warmly. “Ahem, from today on, you’re also a Great Paladin.”
Alice, thrilled, noticed Green coughing and squinted her eyes.
Swiftly, she grabbed a blanket and draped it over Green.
“Really, Godfather, you should rest well and not catch a cold.”
“Looks like our Alice has truly grown up.”
Green touched the blanket with satisfaction.
It was warm.