Just as Noren was about to ask more details about the ring, two sets of footsteps—one light, one heavy—sounded simultaneously.
One of them is Sister Cecilia!
Noren, already very familiar with the footsteps of the Saintess sister, tensed up.
She quickly stood and trotted over to stand behind the sofa where Astrid was sitting.
Once again transforming into a dedicated and experienced maid, her expression was calm, her gaze fixed straight ahead, showing not the slightest intention of speaking with anyone.
Astrid glanced at Noren, then turned her eyes toward the door.
Has the Saintess returned with Lance?
Thinking this, Astrid quickly stood up as well.
Before she could make her next move, the door was pushed open slowly.
The first thing that came into view was Lance’s rather grim face.
The moment his emerald eyes met her crimson ones, the heavy stone in Astrid’s heart plummeted to the ground.
Lance wasn’t purified… Thank goodness!
“Lance!”
Astrid called out Lance’s name, gave a light leap, and ran straight toward him.
Seeing the slight weariness at the corners of Astrid’s brows, Lance felt an inexplicable twinge of guilt.
He should have found a way to notify the elf lady sooner. Wasn’t he just making her worry for nothing?
He hadn’t suffered any hardship at the Holy Light Church station.
His former employer had suddenly become the head of this branch church, and as a result, Lance himself had secured a formal position in the Knight Order under the Holy Light Church.
For the past two years, he had been a low-rank adventurer—his lowly status goes without saying.
But even in his earlier years with the Restoration Army, he was merely a promising high-rank newcomer with no real status or standing.
He could say with full responsibility that Lance’s current status was incomparably higher than before.
Before he could say anything, Astrid threw herself at Lance, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble back two steps.
He only stopped after suddenly pressing against two soft, cushiony masses.
Lance: ?
Noren: ?
Both siblings were dumbfounded. Lance had never expected Astrid to just run up and hug him.
After all, he had only been missing for just over a day, not ten or eight years!
Having been single for two lifetimes, how could Lance understand the concept of “absence makes the heart grow fonder”?
Especially since Lance was a ghoul! Staying at the Holy Light Church—how could Astrid not be worried sick?
Regaining his composure, Lance felt his scalp tingle.
What are those two soft, cushiony things behind me? Could they be…
Lance shuddered violently, inexplicably sensing a clear hostility behind him. Terrified, he didn’t dare turn his head to see what was going on.
He raised his arms, started to lower them, then quickly raised them again.
Clearly, he didn’t know whether he should return Astrid’s embrace.
But Noren didn’t need to turn her head!
When Lance shuddered, Noren was also horrified.
Because the Saintess’s expression had changed, frame by frame, from warm and sunny sunshine to a thousand-mile glacier of frost in just a few seconds!
It’s over!
Noren wailed inwardly. Having known Cecilia since childhood, how could she not interpret the meaning behind Cecilia’s current expression?
The Saintess was staring intently at the strands of deep golden hair spilling out from Lance’s side.
Her gaze was hollow and deep, as if staring into an endless abyss.
Noren’s heart pounded wildly, terribly afraid that Sister Cecilia might, in a fit of rage, use the immense power of the Elemental Tier to simply erase Sister Astrid, that homewrecker!
What to do?!
Noren was even more flustered than Lance. Although she hadn’t known Astrid long, she could clearly feel her kindness and warmth.
If her brother caused Astrid to get hurt, then her brother’s sin would be enormous!
But contrary to Noren’s expectations, the Saintess, who had been so offended, simply took a deep breath and quickly closed her eyes.
Then, as she exhaled, she slowly opened them again.
By this time, Cecilia’s expression had returned to normal, and she spoke with a smile:
“Ahem~ Your Highness, Princess Astrid? Mind the proprieties~”
At this, Astrid, who was hugging Lance, finally realized the Saintess was right behind him and instantly understood her own impropriety!
As if shocked, she released Lance and stepped back several paces:
“Um… that’s not… I just…”
Astrid stammered, at a loss, unsure how to explain her behavior.
Cecilia simply raised her hand lightly, covering her mouth with a soft laugh, and said:
“It seems you were truly worried about the safety of the Count of Fallos~”
Lance: Huh?
Noren: Huh?
The two siblings were bewildered again, not understanding what Cecilia meant.
Noren’s face was full of disbelief.
Sister Cecilia… got angry, and then just… got a little angry?
She just swallowed it?
Could it be that she really misunderstood the relationship between Sister Cecilia and her brother?
Hmm—no.
Noren carefully observed Cecilia’s state and noticed that the flames of jealousy and anger were still burning in her eyes!
Those eyes conveyed only one meaning:
I was here first!
Even more telling was that the tips of Sister Cecilia’s fingers were pinched white.
Clearly, her words were just a facade.
Only then did Noren notice the Saintess’s address for the elf sister—”Her Highness”?
Hmm?
The elf sister is “Her Highness”? So she’s a princess?
But the elf race only has one royal family…
Her eyes widened. Noren looked at Astrid, then at her own brother, then back at Cecilia.
Huh?
Does my brother have such incredible fortune?
…………
Inside the City Lord’s Mansion, Central District, Sifral.
Having finally seen off the high-ranking members of the two great churches from the Central District, [The Black Dragon of Sifral], City Lord Gunther Hoffmann, scratched his thinning hair in irritation.
Although the cardinals of the two churches had maintained considerable respect for him,
the provocative words of that golden-haired Holy Knight Commander had pierced deep into Gunther Hoffmann’s heart.
A few years ago, he would have dismissed such talk of him being a false Saint Rank.
After all, he was a top-tier powerhouse recognized by the Three Great Churches. If you thought he wasn’t worthy, why hadn’t you distinguished yourself in the Holy War and gained the recognition of the Three Great Churches?
But now, Gunther Hoffmann had become extremely sensitive to such words!
He slammed the door shut heavily, his face grim enough to drip water.
Gunther Hoffmann looked down wanting to see his toes, but only saw his protruding belly.
With a mournful sigh, Gunther Hoffmann felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
Two years ago, he hadn’t looked so portly.
This drastic change had occurred within just these two years! And it certainly wasn’t because he had neglected combat training.
On the contrary, his training efforts now were a hundred or even a thousand times greater than when he was an adventurer!
Yet this still failed to reverse the reality of his body gradually becoming bloated.
This was certainly influenced by the erosion of Sifral’s special laws, but ultimately, it was because he had never been a true Saint Rank.
Being only an Elemental Tier at his core, he couldn’t resist the erosion of the laws, nor could he prevent the decline of his physical functions.
If he could become a true Saint Rank, forming his own ‘funnel’ to allow the Elements to scour his body, how could he have ended up like this?
But these weren’t the things that truly made Gunther Hoffmann feel angry and fearful.
What truly terrified him was that, in the last two years, he could clearly feel the blessing of Sifral’s special laws slowly dissipating!
Yes, dissipating!
As of now, purely in terms of his ability to utilize the laws, he had only seventy percent of the power he wielded two years ago!
If this trend continues, in as little as six or seven years, or as long as eight or nine, he would completely lose the ability to use Sifral’s special laws!
By then, he wouldn’t even be a false Saint Rank anymore!
Just an elderly Elemental Tier with declining strength!
At first, Gunther Hoffmann felt deep terror.
He tried every possible method to stop this trend, but nothing worked.
In desperation, even risking divine punishment from the Three Great Churches, he secretly contacted the high-ranking members of the Witch’s Hermitage, just to find out why he was gradually losing his protection.
Was Sifral rejecting him? Or was he truly too old to receive its blessing?
But the answer the Witch gave only made Gunther Hoffmann angry!
“The protection of the laws… hasn’t dissipated… it’s been transferred to someone else…”
Who is it?!
Who stole my legal protection?
I am the one recognized by Sifral’s laws! I am!
With a roar, already in a foul mood, Gunther Hoffmann swept all the items off his desk in a fit of rage.
The clattering and banging echoed through the room.
Breathing heavily, eyes wide with fury and bloodshot, Gunther Hoffmann stared intently at the crystal ball that had fallen to the floor.
It was a magical tool given to him by the Witch of the Witch’s Hermitage.
Although they said this magic crystal ball could help him lock onto the person who ‘stole’ his protection, for two years, the thing hadn’t made a single peep!
Those skulking Witches never wanted to help me find that thief!
Just as Gunther Hoffmann was cursing nonstop, the magic crystal ball on the floor suddenly flashed with a faint white light, which dissipated after a moment.
Gunther Hoffmann’s cursing froze instantly; for a moment, he didn’t register what had happened.
Snapping out of it, the middle-aged, overweight City Lord launched himself from his seat like a projectile, lunging to grab the crystal ball that had just flashed with a pale light.
But when the City Lord carefully cradled the crystal ball and observed it closely, it became still again.
Did I just see things?
After waiting a long time, Gunther Hoffmann began to deeply doubt himself.
He thought perhaps the moonlight had glinted off it, making his eyes play tricks.
But just then!
A pale light flashed within the crystal ball again!
It traced a semicircular arc towards the west, then vanished once more.
This time, Gunther Hoffmann saw it clearly!
West! To the west!
The thief who stole my protection is to the west!
“Guards!”