The air in the reception room immediately stilled.
Eleanor’s resolute voice still echoed in the room.
“Huh?”
“Huh?”
The young man at the door widened his azure eyes, staring intently at the person before him. Shock and astonishment even overwhelmed his earlier cold demeanor.
On the floor were shattered porcelain shards and a rapidly cooling puddle of tea.
The two of them stared at each other, eyes wide.
He held up his hands in a defensive posture, while Julius’ expression completely broke composure.
After a long silence—so long that Eleanor’s chest, which had been heaving violently from agitation, finally calmed slightly—she managed to squeeze out a single sentence with a voice tinged with bewildered disbelief:
“So… you weren’t here to execute Helos?”
“I… I didn’t even know she was here!?”
Julius nearly shouted.
His mind had completely short-circuited at that moment.
No matter how he tried to connect the dots, the black-haired youth could not link “Helos” with “execution.”
“And—why would I execute her?!”
In his memory, that girl was ridiculously lazy, had a venomous tongue, and was obsessed with all sorts of dangerous explosive experiments—but that didn’t mean she deserved death.
And even if execution were warranted…
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain struck Julius’ heart, and a wave of immense guilt surged up.
Even if it came to execution, shouldn’t Helos be the one executing him?
After all, he was the one who broke his promise!
***
Three years ago, on that night in Olivius City, he had assured her he would return soon.
But what happened?
He left for a long time, went alone to the distant Theocracy of Al, and stayed away for three whole years without any word.
He had broken his vow.
He was the bastard who deserved to be executed.
Julius abruptly raised his hand and slapped his own cheek hard.
The crisp smack echoed loudly in the quiet reception room.
The sting on his cheek instantly sobered him.
He looked at Eleanor, who was still in a state of high alert, as if he might attack her at any moment.
Julius finally realized the problem.
Eleanor’s earlier words and that determined, almost desperate posture…
Could it be…
Eleanor didn’t know about the “Chaos Believers”?
She thought the “that matter” he mentioned referred to another “taboo” Helos had done, something worthy of being “eliminated root and branch”?
Julius’ pupils dilated slightly.
He recalled Eleanor’s extremely fierce reaction just now.
‘I won’t help you kill Helos!’
‘Even if it means letting Father and Brother lock Helos up! Lock her up for life!’
This girl didn’t plant a bomb under the Pope’s feet, did she?
So he quickly pressed Eleanor:
“What exactly happened?”
Julius’ heart sank.
He seemed to sense something was wrong.
He lowered his defensive posture, his voice turning extremely grave.
“Miss Eleanor, calm down first. It looks like we’re not talking about the same thing.”
He chose his words carefully, trying to resolve this fatal misunderstanding.
“What you just said… Helos, what did she actually do? Why would you think the Church came to ‘execute’ her?”
At that moment, Eleanor could tell from Julius’ equally shocked—even more bewildered than her—expression that something was off.
He… really didn’t know?
He didn’t even know Sisi was in the Imperial Capital?
The heart that had been in Eleanor’s throat finally settled back down slowly.
She let out a long sigh, as if all the strength had been drained from her body.
Her legs gave way, and she collapsed back onto the sofa behind her.
“You really didn’t come to arrest her?”
She still couldn’t help confirming one last time.
“I swear by the Goddess, I had no idea she was here.”
Julius raised his hand, looking helpless.
“Then good… good…”
Eleanor murmured to herself.
At least she knew that Julius hadn’t come to execute Helos.
That was enough.
He was still the same Julius from three years ago who would stand in front of Helos at critical moments.
“Miss Eleanor, then that ‘matter’ you mentioned…”
Julius interrupted her, his expression turning extremely serious.
“Before I answer you, please tell me first: what happened to Helos? Why were you so agitated just now?”
Eleanor hesitated.
“I…”
She looked into Julius’ dark, deep eyes, which were filled with determination.
She thought of Helos’ cold, indifferent purple eyes.
She thought of the scene in the crystal ball that blasphemed life.
She thought of Gavi’s pained expression, wanting to speak but unable to.
She knew she needed help.
And the man before her was the only “outsider” she could trust and the only one capable of getting involved.
So, she decided to hide nothing from him.
She lowered her voice, leaned closer to Julius, and told him about how they came to the Royal Magic Academy, how Helos caught Professor Graham’s eye and joined the Alchemy Association, and…
“Not long ago, Sisi suddenly fainted once.”
Eleanor’s voice trembled.
“After she woke up, she changed completely. She became very cold, looking at me as if I were a stranger.”
“And I… using my brother’s magical tool, I saw… some things.”
Eleanor’s face began to turn pale again.
“I saw her in the workshop… she was… modifying a magically enhanced rat. She, she opened that rat like a healer and implanted something inside it.”
“I also saw an ominous light flash in her eyes.”
“Julius… my little sister…”
“She seems to be conducting some kind of… forbidden biological experiment!”
Eleanor grew more agitated as she spoke, her voice turning tearful.
After listening, Julius’ brows knitted tightly.
Fainting? Personality change? Coldness? Forbidden biological experiment?
Just from Eleanor’s description, he knew this was seriously wrong.
He immediately thought of that Chaos Believer he met in the alley, the one who emitted a “familiar aura.”
Wasn’t she a student at the Royal Magic Academy?
Helos was also at the academy.
Helos was conducting “forbidden” research.
The academy had “Chaos Believers.”
All of this—was very clear.
Julius couldn’t help but take a deep breath and slowly exhale.
He felt he had grasped a fatal clue.
He looked up at Eleanor’s tear-streaked, helpless face.
“Miss Eleanor.”
His voice was very low, and extremely grave.
“I think I know what Helos has come into contact with.”
Julius succinctly told Eleanor about the “Chaos Believers.”
From the heretics with strange powers in the Southern Diocese, to how he followed the clues and cornered the believer lurking in the Royal Magic Academy in an alley in the Imperial Capital.
“Cha… Chaos Believers??”
Eleanor grew more shocked as she listened.
“They… they’ve infiltrated the academy?!”
Fear inevitably seized her, but an inexplicable rage also welled up in her chest.
“I’m afraid so.”
Julius nodded.
“Moreover, I suspect that Helos’ mentor, Professor Graham, and even Helos herself, have been targeted by them. Or even…”
He didn’t voice his worst speculation.
He dared not think about what would happen if Helos had also been corrupted.
After saying this, Julius stood up from the sofa without hesitation.
He walked in front of Eleanor. His tall figure cast a shadow over her.
His dark eyes blazed as he stared at Eleanor, speaking to her:
“Miss Eleanor, if you trust me…”
“Please help me get into the academy.”
“I don’t care what they’re planning, or what Helos has become.”
“I will never let those people harm Helos.”
“I promise you.”