Chapter 204: The Calm Before the Storm (Part 1)

After returning from the Church Sewers, Samimi hurried straight to the Platinum Cathedral for a soak in the hot springs.

This time, she had absolutely no mood to look for her sisters. She just lay there in the water, letting her mind drift for quite a while, needing to cleanse her body and soul, the Sewers were truly not a place for people.

It was so disgusting that even Samimi lost interest in checking on her sisters, which showed just how disturbing it had been.

At the same time, Samimi had witnessed the highest combat prowess of this world, something far beyond what she was capable of now.

Yet, her battle with the Tree Saintess gave her a much more concrete understanding of combat power, and she had learned a great deal from it. That had to be a good thing.

At least, it meant that Samimi wouldn’t be so panicked in the face of top experts in the future… probably.

It had to be said, counting it up, the Church did indeed have a lot of strong people.

And this was just the official, visible force of the Royal City’s Platinum Cathedral, not even counting those in the shadows.

Who could guarantee that there weren’t even more hidden experts in the second-tier branches across the country or in the more remote, obscure local churches?

After soaking for a while, Samimi could finally go enjoy a proper hot bath, but as soon as she sat down, she noticed three naked Pastoralist sisters swimming toward her.

On both sides, the other unrelated Pastoralists immediately swam away, all gathering at the opposite end of the pool, leaving Samimi feeling a bit envious. She wanted to go over there and mingle a little too.

The three who came looking for trouble were still those same three Pastoralist “hot sisters” from last time. Only, their distinctive hairstyles were wet now, making them harder to recognize at a glance.

“What do you want?” Samimi looked at them, feeling both amused and exasperated, and then just resigned.

She could only think, “We’re not even on the same level anymore.” In her eyes, these girls were like little hamsters she could squish in her hand yet they didn’t realize it and still came picking fights.

Luckily, she’d just come from the Church Sewers, so her mood was actually pretty good. Even when faced with these Pastoralist sisters trying to provoke her, she couldn’t get angry.

Besides, since everyone wasn’t wearing clothes, there was nothing to hide, and everyone could appreciate each other openly. If only she could pick a rival to challenge, it would be even more interesting.

But the three Pastoralist “hot sisters” didn’t make any trouble this time. Instead, they just gazed at her with a touch of grievance, and it was impossible to know what they were thinking.

“Why aren’t you joining the Selection Pageant?” the one in front, who usually wore twin tails, asked suddenly, though her current hairstyle was no longer the familiar twin tails.

“So you came here just to ask me that?” Samimi retorted.

The three Pastoralist sisters exchanged glances, not sure how to respond.

“I already told you before: I’m not like you. I didn’t come here to compete for the Church’s favor, so of course I’m not going to try to win men’s hearts. Isn’t that Selection Pageant just a performance for the nobility? It has nothing to do with me,” Samimi answered.

The three Pastoralist sisters had long known this, but precisely because they did, it made them feel unsettled and compelled to seek out Samimi for some sort of understanding.

Why would there be a Pastoralist who came here and wasn’t trying to win favor? What was she here for?

But in reality, girls who maintained this kind of attitude at the beginning weren’t that rare. Many wanted to rely on their own efforts to make a name for themselves. Yet, in the end, harsh reality would crush those ideals, forcing them to yield to the unfair system and the allure of wealth and power.

Coupled with the “wisdom” passed down from previous generations, it had become a kind of toxic dream for girls to hold onto such unhealthy, unsafe beliefs.

Let alone girls even boys couldn’t bear the prospect of a lifetime living off someone else.

Yet this strange transfer student before them seemed immune to it all, lazing around day after day, as if waiting to die utterly bizarre.

Everyone else was nervously preparing for the Selection Pageant, practicing after class every day. As soon as class ended, she ran off to the Cloister to eat.

Everyone else was dieting, while she was eating happily.

Others were under tremendous psychological pressure, but she was so carefree, often late to school and daydreaming in class.

Before, they thought she was just bragging, but now, it seemed she truly meant every word.

So it brought them back to the original question: what was she even here for?

“We’ve already made it through the preliminaries. If you joined the Selection Pageant, we could face off on stage. But with your looks, we’d be in trouble,” one of the Pastoralist sisters admitted.

“Then good luck to you,” Samimi replied perfunctorily, clapping her hands together.

“I hope you’ll come watch our match,” the Pastoralist sister added.

“If I have time, I’ll come. That’s all for now,” Samimi replied just as offhandedly.

Finding no common ground, Samimi swam away on her own, squeezing in among the other Pastoralist sisters on the other side, pretending to blend into the crowd, when in fact she was simply relaxing.

But for some reason—

Samimi felt her Spirit Hand wasn’t fast enough anymore. Her fingers couldn’t quite reach, and her hands were getting clumsy.

After soaking, she went back to her little room to lie down, but for a long time, she couldn’t meditate or fall asleep. Her mind was a mess.

Because Samimi had just gone for a walk around the kingdom and felt she already understood the true nature of the Church too bloated, only concerned with superficial things.

The capable were all kept in cold storage, while the incompetent took charge.

In times of peace, maybe this was a way to maintain stability and prosperity.

But Samimi knew that in the not-too-distant future, humanity would face a great catastrophe, and this kind of system, when faced with an enemy, would only be sending people to their deaths.

She had the power to foresee the future, which was her greatest “cheat.”

So, should she just let things continue to decline? Should she do nothing and watch from the sidelines? What could she do to reverse the future?

The battle with the Tree Saintess had also been a wake-up call—she was still far too weak.

“I need to become even stronger. I need more powerful allies. I need a more solid support network.”

Samimi rested her hands behind her head, staring at the ceiling, murmuring to herself as a terrifyingly ambitious Great Plan formed in her heart.

A few days later, Samimi still spent most of her time loafing at home, but she did go to watch the Selection Pageant finals.

To be exact, it was the Sweet Sixteen—the sixteen beautiful girls who had emerged after multiple rounds of selection, each a White Garment Maiden of unique charm and flawless appearance.

Seeing that the girls were all dressed very conservatively on stage, Samimi was quite satisfied—it hadn’t turned into a bikini contest.

Of course, she admitted she was a bit of a pervert, but she was a pervert with taste.

What she sought was not mindless exposure, but outfits that were subtly alluring—white stockings and little leather shoes were absolute perfection.

However, Samimi soon sensed something off. Around the audience stands, many Female Valkyrie Knights appeared, and batches of noble wives and young ladies entered the hall, sitting down in the prime seats in the very front row.

No wonder the first few rows were empty—they’d been reserved ahead of time.

Samimi glanced at the backs of the noble wives and young ladies and immediately guessed their purpose. They were clearly here to help choose wives for their sons and brothers.

As soon as the noble wives entered, the Pastoralists on stage began performing with even greater effort.

“They’re acting like fools,”

This immediately sapped all of Samimi’s interest, leaving her feeling only disdain.

Suddenly, a tall figure appeared beside her and plopped down next to her.

This time, Samimi wasn’t startled at all. After all, the noble wives had been escorted in by the Female Valkyrie Knights, and she had seen this group earlier.

“I’ve arranged everything for you. This is your new personnel transfer file.” Qiqi Zhu, arms crossed and tone serious, tossed a file onto Samimi’s lap.

Samimi was hit by the file. She opened it up and took out the papers inside for a look.

“Your current position is with the Valkyrie Knights Thirteenth Squad as a [Combat Pastoralist]. When the Funeral of the Pope is held, you’ll join the funeral procession as an accompanying Pastoralist.” Qiqi Zhu explained.

“Do I still have to go back to class?” Samimi asked.

“Are you kidding me? Who told you to go to class? You just need to take this file and slap it on their faces.”

“Just like I’m slapping you with it right now,” Qiqi Zhu said dryly.

This girl always managed to say the strangest things with a completely straight face—her sense of humor was sharper than a rice weevil’s. Samimi nearly burst out laughing.

“So what do I need to do at that time? Do I need to report to the Thirteenth Squad?” Samimi asked.

“You don’t need to do anything, just follow me. The entire Thirteenth Squad is only two people—you and me. The records in the Female Valkyrie Knights also show just two fake names.” Qiqi Zhu replied.

“Well done, really well done. I can’t believe you pulled this off,” Samimi said sincerely, unable to help but smile.

“Next, we just need to wait for the Pope’s funeral procession,” Qiqi Zhu crossed her arms, her trousers neat and pressed.

“Any news about Nancy and Chris?” Samimi asked again.

“As I expected, Nancy vanished without a trace, leaving no clues behind. The half-elf is still at the Adventurer’s Hospital—I hope she stays there forever,” Qiqi Zhu said coldly. “But if she comes back to the Royal City for the Pope’s funeral procession, her father might contact her, and Nancy will definitely be lurking in the shadows, watching this whole thing unfold.”

“Take care of your own business. Don’t worry about me,” Samimi patted Qiqi Zhu’s firm and well-shaped thigh.

“I’m just responsible for getting you in. After that, your life and death are your own business,” Qiqi Zhu brushed off Samimi’s Spirit Hand, then left, changing the subject as she went.

“Fine, fine, thanks a lot,” Samimi gave a sly grin, reaching out again, determined to grope a bit more.

Qiqi Zhu waved her hand to block, expressionless as she said, “Don’t touch me. I’ve already investigated the Hero’s party—I know what kind of person you are.”

“Ugh, it’s just occupational hazard. Sorry about that,” Samimi rubbed her hands together, grinning shamelessly.

“Here’s your new uniform,” Qiqi Zhu produced a package and tossed it onto Samimi’s face.

The texture felt right—it was a set of clothes.

“Now I can finally take off this inconvenient Pastoralist robe,” Samimi said cheerfully.

At that moment, the twin-tailed Pastoralist sister took the stage to perform, but today she seemed a bit off—her dancing was stiff, and her singing a little weak.

Because she’d spotted Samimi below the stage, talking with the Elf Female Valkyrie Knight, and it made her nervous.

Even so, she managed to pass to the next round. Her singing wasn’t great, but she really was beautiful.