Sword Master Gore, the tallest of the group, was clad in black heavy armor with a massive two-handed sword strapped to his back.
His gaze lingered on Su Nian, his voice deep and powerful, carrying a hint of surprise, “Is this the one who repelled the Demon Race’s attack?”
Although he had heard rumors of this heroic young lady, he was still somewhat taken aback after seeing her in person.
The Third Prince, Elvin, was terrified of losing his spotlight and hurriedly introduced her, “Indeed, she is.”
Isabella walked over elegantly and said, “This is the Star-Moon Saintess of our Academy City, Su Nian.”
She had long silver hair, an exquisite face, and an ethereal temperament.
“I have long looked forward to meeting you, Holy Lady.” Isabella’s mature, “big sister” voice was exceptionally pleasant to the ear.
“To possess such strength at such a young age is truly admirable.”
“Lady Isabella, you flatter me.” Su Nian looked at her, feeling a bit embarrassed.
‘She’s a beauty of the mature type!’
At the same time, the legendary artisan, Sana Liehuo, walked over with a face full of smiles and said, “I heard that Miss Su Nian is also an idol from Magic Feather Fantasy? My young daughter is a loyal fan of yours!”
Finally, Archbishop Silas of the Holy City approached.
He wore black robes and had a pale complexion, giving off a gloomy and sinister aura.
“Is that so? I’m truly honored,” Su Nian responded politely.
“The will of light is the most sacred, but we share a common goal when it comes to fighting the Demon Race.” Silas’s voice was raspy, “I hope for a pleasant cooperation with the Holy Lady.”
This Archbishop gave Su Nian a very bad feeling, as dangerous as a venomous snake.
She nodded in response, though she felt uneasy in her heart.
The last person was Lanuer Hongfeng, the representative of the Royal Guard from the capital of the Red Maple Kingdom.
When he stepped forward, Su Nian’s heart skipped a beat for no reason.
Unlike the flamboyant flashiness of the Third Prince or the oppressive aura of Sword Master Gore, Lanuer wore a well-fitted set of silver light armor.
He had a tall, straight posture, a handsome face, and a steady gait.
His temperament was more like a sharp sword resting in its scabbard—seemingly harmless, yet hiding a keen edge.
Su Nian was not unfamiliar with his profile.
As the leader of the Royal Guard, he was the sharpest blade of the Redmaple Royal Family.
He was the foster son of the King of Red Maple and a genius who mastered both magic and martial arts, possessing power that could not be ignored despite his young age.
Lanuer’s gaze fell upon Su Nian.
He didn’t show the blatant possessiveness of the Third Prince, nor the pure wonder of the others.
His gaze was calm and focused, as if he were scrutinizing her.
“Holy Lady, I have long looked forward to meeting you.”
Lanuer walked up to Su Nian and nodded slightly.
His voice was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable power.
Su Nian’s sky-blue eyes narrowed slightly.
‘This man is dangerous.’
It wasn’t the kind of strength written all over Sword Master Gore’s face, nor was it the cold malice of the Archbishop from the Holy City.
Lanuer’s danger was hidden beneath a gentle exterior, concealed within those calm, rippleless dark brown eyes.
It was the gaze of a hunter assessing his prey—cool, patient, and determined to succeed.
Beneath the wide sleeves of her Saintess robe, Su Nian’s fingertips curled slightly.
She didn’t like this feeling.
More specifically… she hated the feeling of being stared at like prey.
Chu Tian wasn’t like this.
When her dear husband looked at her, there was fire in his eyes—a scorching, burning possessiveness.
‘Hehe, Husband is still the best… Hehe, Husband is the best… Eeya.’
‘Wait, I shouldn’t think about that right now. I need to be social.’
“Commander Lanuer is too kind.”
There was a clear sense of distance in her voice; she didn’t want any interaction with someone like him.
Lanuer naturally captured that estrangement.
However, he didn’t care at all.
The gentle mask on his face didn’t crack in the slightest, as if Su Nian’s coldness was merely a breeze brushing across a lake, unable to stir even a single ripple in his heart.
His voice was steady and clear, cutting through the noise of the banquet hall to reach everyone’s ears with precision.
“His Majesty the King has nothing but praise for the Holy Lady’s deeds. Besides negotiating the formation of the Allied Forces, he sent me here because I personally admire Miss Su Nian. Now that I have seen you with my own eyes, you are indeed incomparable in grace.”
Lanuer’s words were impeccable.
He expressed the Royal Family’s high regard while simultaneously finding a perfect, legitimate reason for his presence here.
Standing to the side, Prince Elvin’s face turned green.
He had thought that even if he wasn’t the absolute protagonist, he would at least be one of them.
But now, everyone’s attention was centered on Su Nian and Lanuer.
In particular, this Lanuer—his nominal “foster brother”—held the deep trust of his father.
At that moment, Lanuer was staring at Su Nian, his thoughts incredibly complex.
He wasn’t as foolish as the Third Prince.
He could see at a glance the coldness Su Nian used to keep people a thousand miles away.
Before he came, his foster father, the King of the Red Maple Kingdom, had sought him out for a long conversation.
The King placed unprecedented importance on this “Star-Moon Saintess” who had suddenly appeared to save Academy City.
Not only had she repelled the Demon Race and prevented the Floating Fortress from crashing, but she could also produce a strategic divine artifact like the Floating Fortress, which was enough to change the very landscape of war on the Continent.
Furthermore, she could use massive-scale healing and buffing magic.
These effects reached a strategic level that could alter the course of an entire war.
An existence like this had already far exceeded the scope of what money or power could measure.
She was no longer just a powerful individual.
Her prestige was a flag that could instantly stabilize the hearts of the people and rally them together.
Such a person must, and could only, be held firmly in the hands of the Redmaple Royal Family.
Previously, the King of Red Maple naturally knew that his third son, Elvin, wanted to win Su Nian’s favor.
He had even felt it was quite promising at one point.
If they could make this girl—who was powerful to the point of being unrealistic—a member of the Royal Family through marriage, it would be the Red Maple Kingdom’s greatest gain in decades.
Its significance would even surpass the expansion of their borders.
For this grand goal, the King had even indulged the Third Prince’s misbehavior and embezzlement of funds in Academy City for a time.
In his view, as long as they could eventually win over Su Nian, the Third Prince’s greedy and foolish little mistakes were essentially harmless.
In the end, reality had delivered a stinging slap to everyone’s face.
Intelligence from all sides clearly indicated that Su Nian didn’t just lack affection for the Third Prince; she loathed him to the extreme.
That public rejection during the completion ceremony of the Saintess Tower had directly turned the Third Prince’s delusions into a laughingstock among the nobility.
The King was forced to painfully admit that his spoiled son was indeed a useless waste.
Expecting him to handle Su Nian was pure fantasy.
Therefore, after confirming the Third Prince’s total failure, the King had played his second card without hesitation.
He sent his most excellent and trustworthy foster son—Lanuer Hongfeng.
The mission objective was exactly the same as the one given to the Third Prince.
No matter the cost, win Su Nian’s heart and then marry her.
Bind this most brilliant and dazzling star of the Red Maple Kingdom completely to the Royal Family’s cause.