Chapter 43: To deal with the blond guy, we’ll have to send out another blond guy

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Frezeya Manor.

Aililan returned quietly under the cover of night. After swiftly erasing some traces, she stumbled back to bed, only to find that sleep eluded her.

She and Theresa had spent half the night toying with the Glass Cannon, yet had barely scratched the opponent—just peeling off a layer of skin. Could they really win against such an existence?

“What is strength?”

Aililan pondered the question seriously.

She wished her Saintess sisters were here. If they were, surely they’d give her an answer?

Yet, the only thing that surfaced in Aililan’s mind was a line Saint of Temperance Lizberu had warned her with: Chastity—exists everywhere, and as a virtue, it will be the source of your strength.

The Seven Virtues Saints drew their power from the virtues they upheld.

But that was such a broad concept. Was the source in the heart, or in action?

Still, she couldn’t grasp the true essence!

The night passed in silence.

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The next day, Aililan wandered through the slums.

She wore an anxious expression, as though searching for someone dear to her. To her, this was all part of her act.

Fina Nisi watched coldly from the sidelines, her gaze occasionally showing thoughtful contemplation as she looked at Aililan.

If the one from last night wasn’t Aililan’s protector, then who could it have been?

She couldn’t figure it out.

But she wasn’t about to let Aililan off so easily.

“Pella.”

“Grandmaster, I’m here!”

“Take a few people with you and… find some amusement for our Saintess… Ah, I mean, assist her properly in the slums. Hehe.”

“At your command, my Grandmaster.”

Besides Aililan’s own people, Pella also led a group of knights under the banner of “protecting the Saintess” into the slums, conducting a search there.

Following Fina Nisi’s will.

Stir up the waters of the slum, first.

The first to suffer, naturally, were members of the Snake Gang. Pella seized anyone she could catch, and killed on the spot those she couldn’t.

Arkernard and the Twelve Knights scattered like startled birds. They dared not, nor could they, show their faces.

If it ever came to light that Chastity Knights were running a gang, they’d all be thrown into the Tribunal’s dungeons as heretics.

A drafty little hut.

Was violently toppled by the knights led by Pella.

A scrawny father was knocked to the ground, a sickly mother knelt begging, the older brother was trampled into the mud by a Chastity Knight, and the two younger siblings stared out with eyes full of hatred.

Pella glanced at them with disgust.

“Tch!”

“I hate those hateful eyes of yours, but I like even more to see you hate me—and know you can do nothing about it. Do you know why?”

“Because we are the mighty Chastity Knights, existences you people from the bottom could never reach, even if you spent your whole lives.”

“So stow your hatred.”

“Otherwise, I’ll dig your eyes out!”

Pella raised her hand, two armored fingers reaching toward the children’s eyes.

Suddenly,

‘Shhh—’

A greatsword came hurtling from afar.

It landed between Pella and the siblings.

Sun Knight Renata shouted sharply, “Vice-captain Pella, what are you doing?”

Pella shrieked in reply, “Sun Knight Renata, watch your mouth! Is that how you speak to your superior? I should punish you for disrespecting your superior!”

At that moment.

Aililan walked over, her face dark.

“Pella, what did you just say?”

“A-Aililan Saintess?”

“I asked you, what did you just say?”

“Reporting to you, Saintess, I… I was merely acting under orders.”

“Whose orders?”

“I…”

Pella began to panic.

She could lord it over Renata, but she didn’t dare show any disrespect to Aililan.

“Speak!”

Aililan’s voice was stern.

“I… I heard there was a riot in the slums last night, and since you often come here, I was worried for your safety and came to check for dangers. Everything I did was for you!”

“Absurd!”

“Saintess, please be discerning!”

“Discerning what? I saw with my own eyes that you knocked down the slum dwellers’ home. Are you saying I’m blind?”

Aililan looked at the knights following Pella, her voice sharp: “And you—have you all forgotten the Code of Chivalry?”

“The Path of the Knight lies in justice.”

“Not in bullying the weak.”

“Your actions have not only sullied the name of the Chastity Knights, but have also brought me shame.”

When it became clear Aililan was going to have her knights apprehend them,

Pella grew anxious and quickly tried to stop her: “Aililan Saintess, surely you don’t want to chill the hearts of your knights? They only had your safety in mind.”

“So you mean, not only should I not punish them, but I should reward them as well?”

“That’s not what I meant, but if you punish those who’ve devoted themselves to you, that’s too unfair. Even Fina Nisi Grandmaster might not approve.”

Upon hearing this,

Aililan turned to the knights she had brought.

And asked,

“So you all feel the same way, do you?”

All the knights lowered their heads, silent, not daring to respond.

Aililan said, “Very well. I know your will. Since you won’t accept my punishment, you are no longer under my command.”

“This matter—”

“I will speak to Fina Nisi personally.”

With these words,

The knights all paled.

Because, in effect, they were being expelled, their allegiance shown to be with Fina Nisi rather than the Saintess.

Pella’s expression changed dramatically. “Saintess, if there’s nothing else, we’ll take our leave now.” With that, she quickly led her people away, afraid that if they lingered a moment longer, her knights would fall to their knees.

After they’d left,

Renata was furious.

“Damn it! I wish I could kill her—and those knights aren’t fit to remain in the Chastity Knights.”

“Renata, don’t let anger cloud your judgment. I’ll handle this.”

“But…”

“Send someone to deliver a letter for me.”

“To whom?”

“To a noblewoman fond of married women—Briana Tell.”

If Feng Aotian wanted to amuse herself, then she’d go find another yellow-haired one, and give Feng Aotian a dose of her own medicine.

Taking a deep breath,

Aililan turned to the family.

She picked up the little sister, speaking softly, “It was my failure to supervise my subordinates that brought you this trouble.”

The little boy said hesitantly, “Are… are you that doctor sister?”

Aililan asked, “Have we met before?”

The boy got up, nervously, and said, “I stole your medical box. I didn’t expect you’d come the next day to treat my mother. If not for you, my mother would be dead by now.”

Aililan sighed, “Child, I deeply sympathize with your suffering, but please believe me… just give me a little more time, alright? I swear, your lives will get better.”

The hatred faded slowly from the boy’s eyes. He didn’t trust the powerful, nor did he believe there were many good people in this world. But he believed in this sister, who walked the slum streets treating the poor.

Because Aililan was like a torch.

She was the only light they had ever seen.