Time slowly reached sunset, and the corridors of the Inquisition were bathed in orange-red light.
Rosa sat in the lounge, the thick Judgment Magic textbook spread open before her.
She had been studying it for a long time… it was really getting tough to digest.
The techniques on the pages were layered one upon another—from basic spells to morbid deconstructions, then to magic capable of restricting others. It was far too difficult to learn.
Rosa simply moved her gaze away from the page, her right hand gently pressing against the bandaged right eye.
Ever since that Eye of Divine Guilt had been transplanted into her socket, she had constantly felt some power not her own surging within her body, leaving her spirit terribly fatigued.
Seraphiel stood at the door, still wearing that ever-present, perfectly timed smile.
“How is your studying going, Miss Rosa?”
Rosa closed the book, stood up, and gave a slight bow.
“Aside from some fatigue, nothing serious.”
“That’s good.”
Seraphiel glanced at the clock on the wall.
“The Inquisition wants you to go take a test.”
Rosa’s gaze paused slightly.
“Understood. Where, Your Excellency?”
“The Inquisition Underground Arena.”
When Seraphiel said this, his tone still carried that insufferable air.
“Don’t worry. It’s just to confirm whether you can currently use the Eye of Divine Guilt normally and whether you have the basic qualifications to become a Missionary.”
Rosa lowered her eyes.
“Understood.”
The two left the lounge, one after the other.
As they walked down the corridor, Rosa’s right eye suddenly sent a sharp pain through her. She slowed her pace, raising a hand to press against her right eye.
The next moment, the view beneath the bandages suddenly turned transparent.
Although she kept her right eye closed, she could vaguely make out the outlines of the other side of the wall.
It wasn’t a complete field of vision, but a translucent perception. The flow of mana inside the stone pillars, the Defensive Runes carved beneath the floor, even several faint pre-movement cues on Seraphiel’s body—all were marked out.
Rosa forcefully held her breath and suppressed the discomfort welling up inside her.
‘I can’t let my emotions fluctuate too much.’
The Eye of Divine Guilt seemed to be triggered by her aversion, hostility, and even disgust. The more she loathed, the more vigilant and resistant she became, the stronger its effects grew, offering her various optimal solutions.
After about five minutes, they turned from the west corridor into the north one and stopped before the fifth room.
The door radiated a blessing of light, with no excessive decoration on its surface—only three crossed longswords carved into it and a circular rune array for isolating sound and magical impact.
Seraphiel pushed the door open.
Beyond it was a stone staircase descending downward.
“Go on by yourself.”
He smiled and stepped aside.
“The Examiner is already waiting for you below.”
“Yes.”
Rosa said nothing more and walked straight into the staircase.
As she descended step by step, the door behind her slowly closed.
Thud.
The sound of the lock falling rang out distinctly in the underground passage.
Rosa paused for a moment, then continued downward.
At the end of the staircase was a circular arena.
It was quite spacious, decorated just like an underground fighting ring.
The floor was paved with white marble, surrounded by twelve stone pillars, each engraved with Defensive Runes. Only a handful of Inquisitors sat in the spectator seats, watching intently, while a circle of pale golden lamps hung from the vaulted ceiling.
A silver-haired girl sat in a white wooden chair, a long spear stuck into the ground beside her.
Mili.
That Priest was currently holding a book, flipping through pages with her head bowed. Her expression was extremely serious and devout, as if receiving an oracle.
Rosa stepped closer and stopped.
“Greetings, Lady Mili.”
Mili looked up.
The moment she saw Rosa, her sacred aura nearly cracked.
“I have been waiting for you.”
She quickly glanced down at the Book of Revelation.
‘Damn it, give me something to write, please!’
But it was still blank—nothing at all.
Mili laughed inwardly in frustration.
On the surface, though, she just cleared her throat twice and slowly closed the book.
‘So I have to do it myself, huh…!!!’
“The Revelation has revealed your destiny.”
Rosa watched her quietly.
“I’ve come to complete the task the Inquisition gave me, Lady Mili.”
Mili raised a hand.
‘Then what am I supposed to say?’
“Is that so… If you want to gain the favor of Destiny, you have to show the strength to change it yourself.”
“After all… you know what it means to defy the torrent of Revelation.”
Rosa frowned and immediately prepared to attack.
“I knew you’d say that, Lady Mili.”
Mili raised her hand first, and a golden spear flew from her palm.
Rosa’s sword-drawing motion was already fast, but that golden light was faster. The spear tip slammed into her sword’s spine with tremendous speed, unleashing a terrifying impact.
Clang—!
Rosa was sent flying back, her boot soles scraping across the marble floor, leaving two long streaks.
The moment she stabilized herself, that spear flew back into Mili’s hand like a living thing.
Rosa’s pupils contracted.
“A weapon that can be remotely manipulated with magic?!”
Mili grabbed the spear’s tail, her body already closing in.
“You cannot comprehend the majesty of the divine… In this long river of time, you are but a grain of sand… How can you resist the speed of time?!”
The spear’s tail struck Rosa’s right leg.
Sharp pain exploded from her knee side. Rosa’s body sank, her center of gravity instantly disrupted.
She immediately supported herself with her sword, forcibly steadying her stance, but Mili had already turned, sweeping the long spear across the marble floor, bringing a golden arc with it.
“Divine Revelation Third Style: Collapse Fall.”
Rosa frowned and held her sword in both hands to block.
Boom!
The sound of metal colliding exploded within the arena.
She had blocked it.
But where the spear had swept across the ground, a crack had already been split open.
Mili’s movements did not stop.
The silver-haired girl suddenly lowered her body, as if to sweep Rosa’s legs. Based on her training in the Earl’s Domain, Rosa judged it as a low attack and immediately leaped backward.
But the moment her feet left the ground, a hint of amusement flashed in Mili’s eyes.
“You dare to oppose us, who possess the Power of Prophecy and the Will of Revelation?!”
She used the spear as a blunt weapon, charged it with mana, and swung it upward from below.
Rosa, in midair, had nowhere to dodge and could only brace her sword horizontally.
The next second, the heavy blow of the spear landed.
Bang!
Rosa was sent flying backward, her back slamming hard into the marble wall at the edge of the arena. The runes on the wall lit up with a ring of light, absorbing part of the impact.
Mili simply exhaled, withdrew Omnis, and evaluated expressionlessly:
“Stupid… very stupid. You’re still lacking. Start over.”
Rosa slowly stood up.
‘This person really goes for the kill…’
“As you instruct.”
She replied quietly.
Mili, meanwhile, was mentally calculating her mana consumption.
‘This Omnis eats way too much mana!!’
At this rate, her plan to get off work today would become very unhealthy.
But on her face, she still wore an inscrutable expression. She reopened the Book of Revelation and revealed a mocking smile.
“The Revelation is set… I shall cut away the Mortal Veil from your eye. Show the power of your Apostle.”
The moment the words fell, a golden spear flash swept past Rosa’s face.
Rosa felt a cool sensation at her right eye.
The bandage wrapped around her right eye was slashed open by the spear, snapping into two pieces, then blown aside by Wind Magic.
Rosa lifted her head and fixed her gaze on Mili.
Mili looked down at her, revealing the pressure of so-called Revelation.
One wore a cold expression, the other a mysterious one.
But their inner thoughts were completely different.
Mili was thinking:
‘Please, please let this end quickly! This thing drains mana like crazy…!!!’
Rosa was thinking:
‘What a smug person.’
After a brief silence, Mili cleared her throat and put on an attitude as if she truly followed the Revelation.
“With just this little skill, you got in? The Inquisition really does take any stray cat or dog these days.”
She paused, revealing an expression like she was looking at an ant, then shifted to a compassionate look.
“But I follow the instructions of the gods and the Revelation… Continue to improve.”
With that, she put away Omnis and turned to leave.
But Rosa’s voice came from behind her.
“…Continue, Your Excellency.”
Mili’s steps halted.
Rosa raised her sword, her right eye faintly glowing.
“It’s not enough yet.”
Mili slowly turned around.
The smile on her face froze just a little.
“It’s heartwarming that you’re so eager to improve—the gods in heaven must be pleased. But taking the bed as your foundation, the blanket as the sky, and using people to feel the rhythm of life is a step every Apostle must take. Let’s leave it for another day.”
Rosa did not answer.
She directly thrust her sword forward, infusing herself with Wind Magic.
“Forgive me, Your Excellency.”
The silver-white blade tore through the air with a *whoosh, heading straight for Mili’s chest.
This strike was completely different from the previous attacks.
After Rosa opened her Eye of Divine Guilt, the world was once again overlaid with text and phantoms.
Mili’s next move appeared before Rosa’s eyes two seconds in advance.
She would sidestep in two seconds, raise her spear for a quick counter… but that strike was a feint; she would actually use the spear shaft to attack her head when she withdrew her sword.
So, just lower the sword tip early and lock onto the gap after her dodge.
Clang!
Mili’s spear did rise.
But Rosa’s sword had already taken advantage of her opening and struck at her chest.
The sword tip pierced the Priest’s outer robe, forcing Mili to create distance.
“…?”
Mili’s gaze finally turned serious. She realized Rosa had activated the eye’s power.
Her Eye of Divine Guilt was extending Mili’s actions into the future and launching attacks in the present accordingly.
Mili’s eyes shifted, and she deliberately showed an opening around her own eye.
Rosa did not fall for it.
She pressed the sword down, redirecting it to strike at the shoulder joint in a counterattack.
Mili clicked her tongue, and Omnis spun. The spear shaft swept quickly, knocking Rosa’s weapon aside.
Then she channeled mana, making the spear light, and launched a rapid series of high-frequency thrusts at Rosa’s chest and non-lethal weak points.
Rosa dodged the first thrust by sidestepping, retreated to avoid the second, and let the third graze past her garment.
She seized the moment when Mili’s spear’s momentum was about to end, turning and thrusting.
The distance closed again.
Mili did not meet it head-on. Instead, she stabbed the spear into the ground, supported herself on the shaft, and vaulted over it.
Rosa pursued with a horizontal slash. The blade grazed Mili’s skirt but still did not hit her. Mili used this opportunity to clear Rosa’s head.
Rosa was about to turn when a hand grabbed the back of her neck.
‘Damn it!’
Mili clamped down on her neck with practiced ease, shifted her center of gravity, and using the landing momentum, threw Rosa backward.
*Crash!
The marble floor cracked into several fine lines.
Rosa crashed onto the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
But Mili did not stop her assault.
She raised her hand, and the Omnis stuck in the ground hummed, turning into a dark golden streak of light that flew back into her palm. The spear tip spun once and finally stopped steadily in front of Rosa’s face.
Only half an inch away from piercing her.
“Kid with baby fuzz.”
Mili looked down at her, a cold smirk on her lips—just like the arrogant protagonist novels she had seen in her previous life.
“Still lacking in the bearing of an Apostle. Go study the glorious experiences of past Apostles to strengthen yourself.”
With that, she withdrew her spear and trotted toward the arena exit.
Lying on the ground, Rosa slowly sat up and watched that Priest run off even more decisively than she had fought…
The stone door opened.
Mili successfully escaped the fight scene.
Almost at the same time, Seraphiel walked in from outside.
He looked at the cracked floor, then at the panting Rosa on the ground, and his smile remained a calm smile.
“A crushing defeat, Miss Rosa.”
Rosa supported herself with her sword and slowly stood up.
“I lacked skill… I failed the test.”
Seraphiel nodded with satisfaction.
“Practice more. At least that way, you won’t die on the battlefield.”
He paused, considered the previous fight, then said:
“And, Miss Rosa.”
“Why didn’t you use Silence Magic?”
Rosa’s movement froze as she replayed the match in her mind.
‘He’s right… I even saw that in the book just now. Maybe I could have cut her connection to the spear…’
She realized she was too accustomed to her old fighting style.
“I was used to my old way of fighting… I forgot. Master taught me before not to steal the lady’s thunder.”
Rosa said quietly.
“A fight isn’t a duel, Miss Rosa.”
Seraphiel said with a smile.
“Precisely because you have these issues, tests are necessary. It’s very normal.”
Rosa was about to speak again when her gaze fell on a table by the arena’s edge.
A delicate glass cup sat there.
Inside the cup were layers of cream, berries, honey crisps, and pale pink ice cream—something dessert-like.
It must have been Mili’s unfinished Parfait.
‘Could she have left it for me? That’s actually kind of nice of her.’
Just as she had that thought, Mili, who had just escaped, came rushing back in.
She brushed past Rosa.
“Coming through!”
With a perfectly righteous attitude, she ran to the table, picked up the Parfait, sighed in relief, and took a big spoonful.
Rosa watched her, her gaze growing more and more complicated.
‘Sigh… How did this person become a Priest?’
‘Neither the Holy Council nor the Inquisition has anyone who acts like a normal person?’
Mili sensed something and stopped.
She looked down at the Parfait, then at Rosa’s blood-stained face.
Probably out of guilt, or some other emotion.
She picked up a small spoon, scooped up a bit of cream and berries, walked quickly to Rosa, and shoved it straight into Rosa’s mouth.
“Apology gift.”
Then she turned and ran.
“?!”
The cold sweetness spread through her mouth.
The next second, a sharp pain came from the wound at the corner of her mouth.
She had split the inside of her lip when Mili threw her earlier, and now she was feeding her sweets on purpose.
Rosa silently held a grudge.
But Mili was already walking away with her Parfait cup, earnestly calculating in her head:
‘Forgive and forget.’
‘If we cross paths again, let me off for the sake of the Parfait.’
‘This is a very precious dessert.’
Rosa stood there, pain leaving her speechless for a while.
She had never seen such a shameless person—first beating her up, then adding insult to injury.
Seraphiel walked over and asked with a smile:
“Oh my, are you alright?”
Rosa struggled to control her expression.
“…I’m fine.”
No sooner had she spoken than her vision suddenly went dark.
The Eye of Divine Guilt began to drain her mana fiercely, and because Rosa couldn’t use the Power of Counter Damage, it backfired.
Rosa stumbled forward half a step, then lost consciousness and collapsed.
Seraphiel reached out to catch her, his smile still gentle. Then he lifted her in a princess carry and headed toward the lounge.