Volume 4, Chapter 68 – Shopping and a Sudden Announcement

On Triumph Square in Clavino, the capital of the Westivian Covenant.

Miss Ailiya, wearing a Celestial Augur Knight cloak, was leisurely pushing a wheelchair across the square. Naturally, sitting in the wheelchair was our Miss Bai Lianyue.

Although Ailiya had been acting very strict toward Bai Lianyue these past days, after learning that Lianyue wanted to go out for a stroll, Ailiya still found time to personally bring the evil god miss to an important tourist spot in the Covenant capital, wanting to enjoy a long-awaited peaceful vacation together with Lianyue.

And incidentally, take some commemorative photos.

However,

Ailiya, who was currently pushing the wheelchair, tilted her head in puzzlement and cast a confused gaze toward Bai Lianyue sitting in the wheelchair.

“Hm?”

The girl made a cute sound of confusion.

In Ailiya’s view, after coming out shopping for the first time in so long, given her family’s Lianyue’s personality, she should be extremely excited, constantly looking around with sparkling eyes, right?

But right now, Bai Lianyue was acting far too quiet.

Tilting her head, dazed and confused, listless…

She looked exactly like someone who was drunk?

Thinking this, the silver-haired girl instantly showed sharp eyes, lowered her head, brought her face close to Bai Lianyue’s ear, and said seriously.

“Mommy, confess honestly! Did you drink alcohol?”

“Hm?!”

Hearing this, the evil god miss blinked her eyes in a dazed and cute manner, then shook her head without saying a word.

“No.”

“Umm…”

Ailiya seemed somewhat unconvinced and couldn’t help but lean close to Bai Lianyue’s face to smell carefully.

After smelling, Ailiya discovered…

Indeed no alcohol scent?

Thinking about it carefully, Lianyue had no place to get alcohol… Although Yelena had specifically come to visit Lianyue earlier, she surely wouldn’t secretly feed Lianyue alcohol, right?

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After all, Yelena was very clear about how outrageous Lianyue became after getting drunk…

Someone as meticulous as Yelena would never do such a thing.

But

If she hadn’t been drinking?

Why did Lianyue’s current state feel somewhat off?

Raising her head to look at the back of the evil god miss’s head, Ailiya felt increasingly puzzled.

Could it be because of what Miya and Weiya fed her?

Those two little ones just made tea for Lianyue, right?

What effect could that possibly have…

“Strange.”

However, just as Ailiya was wrestling with confusion, a rough male voice quietly echoed in her ear.

“Is something wrong, Miss Ailiya?”

This directly interrupted Ailiya’s thoughts and drew her attention to the side.

Looking at the gray-haired middle-aged man beside her who wore a puzzled expression, Ailiya smiled quite politely.

“Nothing, Senior Shawn Ge, everything’s fine.”

“That’s good, that’s good.”

Shawn Ge, who was now the Second Seat of the Covenant Knights, couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Although Ailiya felt Bai Lianyue’s condition wasn’t quite right, to Shawn Ge,

The Divine Maiden Lianna in his impression was exactly this kind of quiet, elegant woman, so naturally he wouldn’t have any suspicions.

“If you were dissatisfied with my arrangements, I’d be quite embarrassed.”

Patting his chest, Shawn Ge said with a light laugh.

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“How could I be dissatisfied?”

Ailiya smiled while looking around at their surroundings.

“If Senior Shawn Ge hadn’t helped with arrangements, we would have been surrounded so tightly by now that we couldn’t move. How could we still have the chance to shop properly?”

Ailiya was naturally telling the truth.

Given Ailiya’s current fame and ‘Lianna’s’ reputation, if the two of them appeared together at a famous tourist spot like Triumph Square, it would inevitably cause a sensation.

Numerous local residents and tourists would probably immediately surge forward, surrounding them and constantly seeking photos or autographs.

Moreover,

Since Ailiya herself rarely appeared in public places, a large number of reporters would probably swarm over like sharks smelling blood.

The reason this mother-daughter shopping trip hadn’t devolved into such an awkward situation was entirely due to Shawn Ge’s arrangements.

This Second Knight of the Covenant had already worked with the capital security team to limit the number of people in Triumph Square today. He had also arranged for numerous security personnel to ensure no excited fans would rush forward to disturb the mother and daughter’s outing.

“It’s rare for Lady Lianna to come to the capital for sightseeing. This is what I should do.”

Shawn Ge looked respectfully at the blue-haired girl beside him.

“Regardless, thank you for your arrangements.”

“You don’t need to be so polite, Miss Ailiya.”

“Don’t keep calling me ‘Miss’… You’re Father’s friend and my elder. Just call me ‘Ailiya.'”

“Hehe, alright then, Ailiya.”

The two continued their rather courteous conversation.

However,

Just as the two continued talking, a live news broadcast from the center of the square caught Ailiya’s attention.

“Latest news: Divine Faith Grand Cleric Danteris has announced that a new Pope has been successfully selected.”

Frowning, Ailiya turned her gaze toward the large screen.

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Not only Ailiya,

Shawn Ge did the same.

After all, the Divine Faith was currently the most massive religious force on the continent, and the emergence of a new Pope would undoubtedly have enormous impact.

“I didn’t expect they’d select one so quickly?”

Shawn Ge’s tone clearly carried a trace of surprise.

You know,

In the tragedy that occurred in the Maretide Kingdom previously, it wasn’t just the current Pope who died—even Falco-Valen, who was his successor, had been killed by the Abyssal Lord as well.

Apart from Falco, the Valen family had three other people qualified to inherit the position of Divine Faith Pope.

In Shawn Ge’s view, these three people would need to go through a rather long period of struggle before selecting the final Pope.

He hadn’t expected there to be results already?

So,

Both Ailiya and Shawn Ge seriously watched the live broadcast on the large screen. The surrounding guards and tourists did the same.

Thus,

Under everyone’s gaze, in the papal hall projected on screen…

The new Pope, escorted by several church Sacred Warriors, walked step by step to the front of the divine statue, to the center of the hall.

When the camera zoomed in on the Pope’s face, Shawn Ge’s brow suddenly contracted, and a look of bewilderment was clearly displayed.

“Hm? Who… who is he?”

What appeared before Shawn Ge’s eyes was not any of the successors he knew, nor even someone from the Valen family.

But rather a man who looked quite young, with short purple hair and extraordinary bearing.

Although he wasn’t from the Valen family, the Valen family members guarding beside him appeared respectful and reverent, showing not the slightest dissatisfaction.

“He is… the new Pope?”

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Like Shawn Ge and the others, Ailiya’s expression was now filled with surprise.

Ailiya was certain she didn’t recognize him.

But for some reason…

This person

made her feel very uncomfortable…

Instinctively, the moment she saw the purple-haired man, strong wariness welled up from the bottom of Ailiya’s heart.

And as the purple-haired man began to speak, the hostility in Ailiya’s eyes poured out even more rapidly.

“My name is Duan. By order of The Lord, I formally assume the position of the 89th Pope of the Divine Faith.”

This name?

Duan?

That guy from House Solrog!

Recalling Fisk’s words before his soul was destroyed by restraints and turned to ash, Ailiya couldn’t help but clench her fists tightly. After all, this Solrog ancestor named Duan was the mastermind behind the Divine-Graced Maiden project and the chief culprit who had harmed her biological mother Lianna.

Weren’t the people from House Solrog always hiding in the shadows making underhanded moves?

How this time…

had they actually come out into the open?

The silver-haired girl felt puzzled in her heart.

However, Ailiya didn’t seem to dwell on this question for long, because as Duan’s next words came out, Ailiya’s heart instantly tensed up.

“At this moment, I have something of utmost importance, concerning the survival of humanity, that I need to announce to all believers, to all of humanity…”

In an instant,

An ominous premonition quietly grew from the bottom of Ailiya’s heart…