Just as Julius’s finally settled heart landed, a petite figure was lying on the grass not far away, shrouded in darkness, completely without dignity.
That was Gavi.
She supported her somewhat dazed head with one hand, her gray eyes, which could still see clearly in the night, gazing calmly at the tightly embracing couple before her.
At this moment, she still felt a dull pain at the back of her neck.
‘That man really is ruthless.’
Although her current body structure was special and wouldn’t break as easily as a real human’s, the simulated pain still made her grimace involuntarily.
But…
She looked at Julius’s cautious appearance as if he had regained something precious, then at her master in the young man’s arms—already peacefully asleep with relaxed brows.
A helpless yet somewhat relieved smile appeared on the girl’s delicate face.
‘Well… as long as the result is good.’
As long as her master could return, as long as that cold and unfamiliar “Helos,” who had obtained forbidden power, disappeared, then taking that heavy blow was worth it.
Gavi raised her head and looked at the deep night sky, which was now completely covered by thick dark clouds.
The temperature in the forest was dropping, and the evening wind rustled the fallen leaves with a whispering sound.
They couldn’t stay here any longer.
So, she took a deep breath, patted the dust on her skirt, and slowly got up from the ground.
She walked with light steps to stand before Julius.
Julius was still immersed in the aftermath of his intense emotional fluctuations. When he heard footsteps, his body subconsciously tensed for a moment, but upon seeing that the newcomer was the blonde girl, he relaxed again.
He looked at Gavi.
At this girl who had been in a “life-or-death struggle” with him not long ago, yet had deliberately shown a weakness at the critical moment.
Gavi said nothing. She merely silently glanced at the sleeping Helos, then pointed a finger toward the imperial capital and suggested in her usual flat, emotionless voice:
“Mr. Julius, this is not a place to stay long. My master’s body is very weak right now. We need to return to the residence as soon as possible to settle her.”
Julius nodded.
He carefully adjusted his posture, cradling Helos horizontally in his arms in a more comfortable way, as if holding a fragile, rare treasure.
Then his gaze fell back on Gavi.
Even though he had confirmed it countless times, even though they had just fought in battle, seeing this girl up close still filled him with absurdity and shock that couldn’t be calmed.
Golden long hair.
Fair, delicate skin.
Lively gray eyes.
Apart from the familiar maid outfit and the calm temperament etched into her bones, the girl before him was like a completely different person from the cold metal golem in his memory.
Julius struggled for a long time, his throat bobbing several times, before finally asking the question that had been troubling him.
His voice was full of hesitation and inquiry.
“You… are you really Gavi?”
After all, this was too unbelievable.
Could alchemy really achieve this level?
This was practically giving life to an inanimate object.
Gavi seemed to have anticipated this reaction.
She wasn’t angered by Julius’s doubt.
The girl simply nodded gently, confirming his words.
“Yes, as you can see, this is the current me.”
She answered calmly.
Julius opened his mouth as if to ask more.
For example, how she had become like this, what kind of experiments Helos had performed on her, and… whether she could now be considered a “person.”
But Gavi looked away first.
A faint, barely noticeable dimness flickered deep in her gray eyes.
Because the restriction left by that mysterious old man still existed.
That command deeply embedded in her core was like an invisible lock, tightly locking her throat.
She couldn’t speak the truth.
She couldn’t tell Julius that this was a “gift” given to her by someone calling himself the “Enlightener,” let alone the old man’s tampering with Helos.
As long as she had the slightest intention to reveal related information, an inexplicable stiffness would instantly engulf her entire body, rendering her unable to act.
Fortunately, Julius was not a person who liked to pry.
He caught the resistance and unspoken difficulty in Gavi’s eyes.
Since Helos was already safe, perhaps other secrets could be explored later.
So he didn’t press further.
The black-haired young man simply gave her a deep look, then nodded at Gavi and said in a low voice:
“Let’s go. We’re going home.”
“Yes.”
Gavi replied, taking the initiative to walk ahead and lead the way.
Thus, under the cover of the deep night, they avoided the somewhat lax inspection of the city gate guards, crossed the quiet streets of the imperial capital without incident, and returned to the stately residence of the Olivias Family.
The mansion was still brightly lit.
***
In the drawing room, Eleanor was anxiously pacing.
Ever since Julius left, the Saintess had remained in this restless state.
The little watchers had informed her of Helos and Julius’s movements, but after they left the academy, she didn’t know where they went.
So she could only tightly clasp her hands together, as if praying for them.
But as time passed, she would stand up and pace back and forth in the room, then slump back onto the sofa, her gaze fixed on the wall clock.
Every second felt like an eternity to her.
Various terrifying images kept flashing through her mind.
Had Julius arrived too late?
What if Sisi had…
If the worst had really happened, what should she do?
Just as Eleanor was about to be driven mad by these wild thoughts, the drawing room door suddenly swung open from the outside.
“Creak—”
Eleanor bounced up from the sofa, her azure eyes filled with terror and hope, staring fixedly at the doorway.
Then, she saw that familiar tall figure.
Julius strode in.
He carried the chill of the late night, his casual clothes stained with dust and grass clippings, looking somewhat disheveled.
But in his arms, he securely held a petite figure.
That iconic silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, gently swaying with his steps.
“Sisi!”
Eleanor let out a tearful cry, almost throwing herself at him, completely disregarding any aristocratic decorum.
When she saw Helos’s pale but peaceful sleeping face, heard the steady, long breaths of the girl, she felt her heart, which had been hanging on a cliff’s edge, finally fall heavily back into place.
Tears burst forth instantly.
“Th… thank goodness…”
This Saintess, always noble and holy before others, now covered her mouth and wept uncontrollably like a helpless little girl.
Seeing her like this, a trace of gentleness appeared in Julius’s eyes.
“She’s fine,” he said softly, his voice carrying a convincing power.
“Just too tired, she’s asleep.”
“Thank you… thank you, Julius…”
Eleanor kept thanking him while wiping her tears.
Then her gaze fell on the blonde girl following behind Julius.
Gavi stood quietly, giving Eleanor a slight bow.
Eleanor was stunned for a moment, then a relieved smile appeared on her face.
As long as everyone had returned safely.
No matter what Gavi had become, no matter what Helos had gone through, as long as they were still alive, there was still hope.
Meanwhile.
Deep within the Imperial Palace.
This was the center of power of the entire empire, and also the most heavily guarded place.
In a huge study room decorated with extreme luxury, its walls covered with portraits of past emperors, the air was so heavy it seemed to drip with water.
“Bam!”
A loud noise shattered the silence.
Christ’s normally steady hand slammed heavily onto the desk carved from a single block of Luminous Stone.
He wasn’t wearing his usual high-ranking mage robe of the Tower of Truth, but instead a neat noble’s attire.
But his expression at this moment was darker and more terrifying than ever.
Behind his glasses, his blue eyes no longer held their usual gentle elegance; instead, they burned with cold fury, locked tightly onto the person before him.
That young man sitting on the throne behind the desk, looking somewhat casual.
The empire’s new emperor, Valerian.
“Valerian!”
Christ’s voice was low and hoarse, every word squeezed through his teeth.
“You bastard… you’ve been hiding things from me again?!”
Valerian was not intimidated by Christ’s menacing demeanor.
He still lounged lazily against the back of his chair, playing with an exquisite feather pen.
His golden eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile hung at the corner of his mouth.
“My old friend,” the Emperor said lightly.
“Breaking into the palace this late at night, just to vent your anger at me?”
“Don’t play dumb with me!”
Christ wasn’t fooled at all.
He stepped forward, both hands on the desk, leaning his body forward, and the powerful oppressive aura of arcane magic instantly enveloped the entire study.
“You know what I’m talking about.”
“Finalais sent me to find you. She implied that you are fully aware of certain matters.”
Christ stared into the Emperor’s eyes, demanding word by word:
“Those rats lurking in the shadows of the imperial capital…”
“Those damn Chaos Believers!”
“Did you know about this long ago?!”
The feather pen in Valerian’s hand stopped.
The smile on his lips slowly faded, and his originally lazy eyes suddenly shot out a sharp, blade-like glare.
The temperature in the study seemed to drop several degrees instantly.
The two stared at each other, neither backing down.
After a long while.
Valerian casually tossed the quill pen onto the table, making a soft sound.
He sat up straight, crossed his hands in front of him, and his originally frivolous demeanor vanished completely, replaced by the depth and authority of an empire’s ruler.
“Oh… so you’ve found out too.”
The Emperor let out a light snort, his voice full of self-mockery and cold killing intent.
“But those rats have nothing to do with me.”
“Nothing to do with you? Then could it be that—”
Christ’s words abruptly cut off, and he froze.
He looked at Valerian’s eyes—those pupils seemed to already hold the answer.
Valerian slowly stood up, pressing his hands on the wide desk, his gaze burning as he fixed on Christ.
“I was just thinking about how to get rid of them.”
“After all, my father and my elder brother’s deaths… are not unrelated to them.”
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