Volume 8, Chapter 55 – Epilogue

A golden hall filled with the sound of an orchestra.

Soft, crimson carpets, dining tables overflowing with the aroma of alcohol and fine cuisine, and on the pure white, gentle walls were various framed paintings with gold borders. In addition, there were also golden candlesticks and a large number of reliefs with different patterns. When the classical chandelier on the dome cast its warm light, the entire hall was a scene of splendor.

In this magnificent scene, countless nobles and those about to become nobles were gathered together. The heads of noble families who had already married and had children were discussing the future of their families over wine, while the young nobles who had not yet taken on the family’s burden were gathered around the dance floor like bees and butterflies, searching for a desired dance partner.

This was the Wozwahl ducal estate. To celebrate the end of a month of continuous rain and the king’s awakening from his coma, Duke Wozwahl had specially held a banquet at his home, inviting all the major nobles of the Royal Capital. Of course, this was not the first. Before Duke Wozwahl, many nobles had already held banquets one after another. But in terms of scale and the number of guests, the one held by Duke Wozwahl was undoubtedly the best.

Without a doubt, the appearance of so many banquets meant that the difficulties had finally been overcome, and a long period of peace would follow. The proof was the nobles who had been hesitant to take sides some time ago, who now all wore brilliant smiles on their faces—Duke Wozwahl’s fifth daughter, Alice, had not died for the country; Duke Wozwahl had not had a falling out with the other two dukes; and the king had also awakened from his coma. It was a perfect ending that could not have been better.

“Yo, why are you hiding here?”

Cynthia, holding a wine glass in her hand, found Yisi hiding behind a pillar by the dance floor. Unlike her usual white dress, today Cynthia had changed into an off-the-shoulder formal gown decorated with a large number of deep red, wave-like ruffles. Due to her excellent figure, the cleavage revealed at the front of the dress and her very prominent, smooth collarbones had a charm that made it impossible to look away.

The discovered Yisi looked troubled.

“Ah, it’s because I don’t want to be discovered that I’m staying here. To be honest, it’s a pain.”

“Is that so?” With her left arm wrapped around her chest—a gesture that made her already prominent bust even more noticeable—and her other hand raising a wine glass to take a light sip, Cynthia sized Yisi up, a look of interest on her face. “Tsk tsk, you look quite pretty with your twin tails tied up. Why are you hiding? If you were on the dance floor, you’d surely be the queen of the banquet. Mmm… this dress suits you quite well.”

Yisi first glanced left and right to see if anyone had noticed them, then let out a long sigh.

“Putting aside your compliments, I’ve never even thought about being the queen of the banquet. It’s too much trouble.”

Having read Pepe’s memories, it wasn’t that she didn’t know how to dance. It was just that ‘knowing how to dance’ and ‘dancing’ were two different things. After being invited and introduced as an honored guest by Duke Wozwahl, she had become the center of the evening, with a constant stream of middle-aged nobles coming up to greet her.

If it were just a few pleasantries, it would be fine. But the key was that these middle-aged nobles’ greetings clearly had other intentions. After they had introduced themselves, they would naturally pull their eldest or second son over for an introduction, followed by an invitation to their home in the future, where their son would entertain her.

Putting aside those with political motives, the vast majority of these nobles wanted to set her up with their offspring. The remaining few, who knew it was impossible, just wanted to get acquainted with a Cardinal who was also in the Wozwahl faction. If there were only one or two of these guys, she could have just smiled wryly and said, “I’ll definitely visit when I have time.” But there were countless of them. To refuse them one by one would have made her throat dry. Even a polite refusal became troublesome. After discovering the situation was not good, Yisi had immediately found an excuse to slip away.

It was worth mentioning that even the master craftsman Avis had gotten involved. Avis, who had been invited by Duke Wozwahl, had, upon seeing Yisi, unreservedly called her ‘teacher’ in front of everyone. As a result, the nobles all began to speculate that Yisi was a greater smith than Avis. Especially those nobles who were in the Wozwahl family line and belonged to the military, in order to obtain a suitable weapon, all came to show their goodwill to her, making the already chaotic scene even more so, to the point where it could be described as an impenetrable crowd. Yisi even felt that if she hadn’t slipped away in time, those nobles might have started a fight.

Cynthia, who knew what Yisi was referring to, curved her lips, a look of watching a good show on her face.

“The noble young ladies in the capital dream of being as popular as you are. If they knew you didn’t like being popular, their eyes would surely turn bloodshot with jealousy, and they’d curse you for not knowing you’re in a blessed situation.”

“Then let them experience it once. I don’t like it anyway.”

Especially not dancing with men. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.

With a noncommittal smile, Cynthia lowered her gaze to the girl who was hiding in the shadow of the pillar with Yisi, feasting on a fruit platter. Because she was very short and was wearing a cherry-colored hat that covered almost her entire body, Cynthia couldn’t see the girl’s face clearly.

“Who is this girl? If I remember correctly, the last time we met, this person was not among your companions.”

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“Ah, she’s a distant cousin of mine. Her family had some problems, so she’s staying with me for now. I brought her to see the world.”

“I see. She looks even younger than Alice. Maybe she can become friends with her. Wait, I remember you’re leaving the day after tomorrow, right? Are you taking this child with you? Where are you going? I don’t think that taking such a young child with you on your travels is conducive to her growth.”

“Mm, we’re leaving the day after tomorrow. We’re going to a small country between the kingdom and the empire. What are you trying to say, Cynthia?”

Cynthia mysteriously pulled Yisi to her side, covered her mouth with her hand, and made a gesture of whispering.

“How about leaving her with our Wozwahl family? As my father’s goddaughter. That way, I’ll have another younger sister. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her just like I do with Alice.”

“About that…”

Words of refusal began to form in her mind.

The girl Cynthia was talking about was Tina. If Tina were human, or even a half-elf like Mary, Yisi would have left her with Cynthia without a worry. Cynthia was a trustworthy older sister who would give her all for the people she loved. But Tina was a demon, an enemy of all living beings on the continent. Her horns and tail could not possibly be hidden in daily life. One had to know that the reason she had brought Tina to the banquet, besides letting her taste more delicious food, was to prevent her companions in the temple from discovering her. Otherwise, the consequences would be very serious. These past few days, she had not allowed Laxy to enter her room at night, and during the day, she would take Tina outside—to Andrea’s or Margaret’s.

Neither Tina being difficult to manage nor her eating too much was a suitable excuse. Yisi thought for a long time and chose to answer in the most concise and direct language.

“No.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll listen to you. I just thought her way of eating was pitiful and wanted to take care of her. It’s fine to leave her with you too. By the way, how are you?”

“How am I?”

“Your body. Since you were attacked by the people of the Divine Religion that day, I haven’t been to the temple to visit you. Although you look alive and kicking now, so there shouldn’t be a problem, it would be troublesome if there were any hidden ailments. That night, after my father saw the state Alice and I were in, he almost gathered the soldiers and charged to the south. Fortunately, we were both fine, so the matter was temporarily suppressed. If not for your help that time, with my strength alone, I definitely couldn’t have protected Alice. So if you have any hidden ailments, our Wozwahl family will do whatever it takes to have you cured. This is my father’s decision.”

“Ah, that. You don’t have to worry, Cynthia. I’m fine. I’m a Cardinal of the temple, after all. All the resources are at my disposal. Besides, even if the people of the temple can’t cure me, don’t I still have a Blood Clan member among my companions? The healing effect of blood magic is much more stable than healing magic, although the price is a shortened lifespan.”

Hearing “shortened lifespan,” Cynthia’s beautiful brows furrowed. She squatted down slightly to be at eye level with Yisi, and as if to find traces of age on her skin, she gently caressed her cheek, observing it inch by inch.

“…It doesn’t look like you’ve used blood magic. But how did you do it? The two people I fought that day were both much stronger than me, not to mention that black-haired woman, the one called a hero. Her strength is even on par with my father’s. You defeated all of them by yourself? My attention was entirely on the battle at that time. I didn’t notice anything else. When I came to my senses, the houses in the entire block had collapsed.”

“Well,” a little embarrassed by Cynthia’s concerned gaze, Yisi guiltily averted her eyes to the floor. “I just defeated them like that. Lin relied too much on her ability, and it just so happened that her ability was countered by me, so I won.”

“Tsk. You really are stronger than I thought. Forget it. There’s no point in going back over it now. Anyway, thanks.”

“Don’t…”

Sensing that the atmosphere was a little off, Yisi looked up and found that Cynthia was thanking her with an incredibly serious and sincere gaze.

If she were to say “you’re welcome” here, it would be an insult to Cynthia. Swallowing the words that were about to come out, Yisi honestly accepted her thanks and answered with a wry smile.

“You’re the one. Is the injury on your leg better?”

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“With the priest’s healing magic and the maids’ care, although I’m not at the point where I can immediately spar with Laxyphinia, it’s just a matter of time. Ah, right. His Majesty the King has recently sent people to search for clues related to the sealing barrier. If anyone finds a person who can repair it, His Majesty will reward them with ten thousand gold coins as thanks. In addition, he will also bestow the Hels Kingdom’s Order of the Thorn Flower on the person who repairs it. This is an honor comparable to that of a founding marshal. Do you have any clues?”

Subconsciously glancing at Tina, who was still sitting on a bench, feasting from a food cart, Yisi shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“Even you don’t know? Then who on earth repaired the barrier… Speaking of beneficiaries, our Wozwahl family should be the one to thank him the most. What are you doing?”

Cynthia took a small step back from the square box that Yisi suddenly handed out.

Yisi made a hushing gesture.

“Shh. The Tears of God are in here. Don’t let anyone else hear.”

“The Tears of—!”

Before the wide-eyed Cynthia could finish, Yisi quickly stepped forward and covered her mouth.

“I told you to be quiet. The amount in here is enough for Alice and your mother for ten years. By then, the Tears of God should have been popularized in the kingdom. You should take it first.”

“Ten years…”

Her turquoise eyes were filled with disbelief. As if she were facing something more important than life itself, Cynthia solemnly took it and carefully held it in her arms. Her pale hands and abnormally stiff face all showed that she treasured this gift very much.

After several breaths, Cynthia slowly came to her senses, not knowing what to say, her eyes filled with complexity.

“You… just how many favors do you want us to owe you?”

“Well, I told you, the Tears of God are a small matter to me. Let me think, it’s like what gold coins mean to you.”

Yisi waved her hand nonchalantly. The Tears of God really were not valuable to her.

Hugging the square box tightly, Cynthia said jokingly.

“Then I’ll take that seriously.”

“It’s best if you do. If you really feel bad about it, then help me ask Duke Wozwahl if he can lease me that mountain peak on the Dragon’s Spine, to the southwest of the capital. The price is negotiable.”

“A mountain peak? What do you want that for? Not only is it uninhabited, but there isn’t even a mountain road. If I remember correctly, there are also monster packs near the peak.”

Because that’s where the natural soda water comes from.

Although she could have answered Cynthia like that, if she were to tell the kingdom that there was something good there, the king would probably not lease it to her anymore. So Yisi decided to keep it a secret for now.

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Cynthia thought for a moment.

“It’s possible. To be honest, based on your merits, you could have His Majesty the King give you the title of a viscount and then grant you that barren land. Unfortunately, you’re a Cardinal of the Church, so procedurally, the kingdom can’t give you a title. As for the price, I will try to have His Majesty give it to you.”

“Ah, then I’ll leave it to you.”

The conversation fell into a silence, not because they didn’t know what to say, but because the sorrow of impending departure was spreading in their mouths.

Gently swirling the red liquid in her glass, as if unable to bear the silence, Cynthia, leaning against the stone pillar with Yisi, spoke after a long time.

“Are you sure you won’t stay a little longer? The Wozwahl family hasn’t had a chance to properly host you yet.”

“Although I would like to stay a little longer…”

But because of this incident, Lin had been listed as the kingdom’s number one wanted criminal. It was already difficult enough just to have a place to hide. For them to give her a week to prepare was already quite tolerant.

Seeing Yisi’s predicament, Cynthia let out an unceremonious light hum.

“Hah, you look carefree, but as expected, a cardinal is a cardinal. You also have all sorts of things to deal with. Alright, I’ve always had a question to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Did you come to the kingdom because of the Divine Religion? Because you saw through their conspiracy and came to help us in order to stop them? Ah, it’s fine if you don’t answer. Even if you were just using me, I accept it. No matter what your original intention was, the final result is that you helped us.”

Not expecting Cynthia to suddenly say such a thing, Yisi blinked and answered subconsciously.

“No. It was all a coincidence. I came to the Hels Kingdom just to learn how to forge trigger-activated magic weapons.”

Such a short sentence has no persuasive power at all. Yisi was troubled.

But Cynthia’s reaction made Yisi breathe a sigh of relief. As if a heavy burden had been lifted from her heart, the serious look on the former’s face instantly disappeared, and her eyebrows also relaxed. She couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.

“Hehe… as I thought. I wasn’t wrong about you,” her gentle face showed happiness and irrepressible joy. Cynthia, with a smile on her lips, suddenly threw her arm around Yisi’s shoulder and forcibly dragged her out of the shadows. “Alright, before you go, how about a dance with me?”

“Huh?”

“You think my etiquette is lacking? Alright, then I’ll do it again,” letting go of Yisi’s shoulder, Cynthia took two steps back, bowed slightly, and extended her right hand to Yisi in a very polite and standard invitation gesture. Every movement was filled with the elegance of a noble. Although she was a very beautiful woman, at this moment, she had an intoxicating gentlemanly air. “Miss Yisi Enya, may I have this dance?”

With this smile and this occasion, I can’t refuse anymore, can I?

Yisi couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. Straightening the hem of her dress that almost touched the ground, she took a step forward, lifted the corner of her skirt with one hand, and lightly placed the other in Cynthia’s palm, answering with a smile of her own.

“Of course.”

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End of Volume 8

Author Note

Afterword

Didn’t I just write an afterword a short while ago? Why am I writing another one!

This is probably the most honest thought in yomi’s heart right now.

It feels like no time has passed, and this volume is already over. I looked at the date of the last afterword and found that it was a month and a half ago. In terms of the length of a volume, it should be considered a medium-length one, but it still feels like time is flying by. Mmm… let me talk about the content of this volume first.

As a setup volume, this volume is mainly to lay the groundwork for the next one, ‘Sin, Punishment, and the Girl of the Gospel (Part 2).’ At the same time, because it mentioned the Divine Keys and opened up the Empire arc, and thus the prelude to the entire southern continent, it can be considered a transitional volume. Without this volume, a lot of necessary things would be missing. As for what things are foreshadowing, because it involves spoilers, yomi won’t say.

Then there’s Tina and Laxy. Originally, after resolving Evelyn’s matter in this volume, Laxy was supposed to leave the team as planned and go to the temple for a period of time. But I was so attached to the character of Laxy that I even dreamed of having such an angel maid (not only is she an all-rounder in housework, but she can also be affectionate, and most importantly, because of the cultural differences, she is very, very cute in many ways. It’s the first time I’ve written such a natural and lovely older sister character). So I decided to let Laxy continue to follow the main character’s team.

As for Tina, because of her duties as a Demon Lord, after this volume, she should return to her own life. Of course, she will be mentioned again later. To be honest, I think it would be very interesting and not just satisfying (in the sense of a power fantasy) to write about her experiences from her perspective. I’ve decided to write a few short stories in the future when I have the chance. And that kind of content is not suitable for a long story and to be placed in the main story. The priority has to be lower. But in order to enrich the world view, I will still write a chapter or two as an interlude.

Then the next volume… because the content is very compact, I can only say a little. Specifically, it’s the conflict between the Divine Religion, the Empire, and Lin. What will happen when a person who believes in the Gospel meets Yisi, who cannot be observed by the Gospel? We’ll have to wait and see.

Finally, a little off-topic. The character designs that should be out have mostly been released recently. I’m thinking of getting a new set of evening gown versions for Camilla, Yisi, and Pepe, and I’m considering whether to switch to a new artist. If I can find a new artist, I can start preparing. If not, then I’ll have to give up. I’ll ask for some monthly tickets here for now. After all, a good artist will charge more. I asked a favorite artist today, and they actually asked for 1500 RMB. It’s just too much (:з｣∠)

Also, the bonus chapters for November have already started. One bonus chapter for every 60 monthly tickets or 5000 fire coupons, up to a maximum of 30 chapters~ Although counting the donation from the great benben244, it seems there are already twenty chapters…

Finally, thank you to all the readers for your collections, likes, subscriptions, monthly tickets, donations, comments, and in-chapter roasts. Your following of this book is the greatest affirmation for yomi. Yomi would like to offer the most sincere thanks here. Thank you to all the readers who have followed the story to this point. Yomi will continue to work hard in the future to write more interesting content!

That’s all~

2020/11/02

yomi

Here~ the usual illustration~

Tina!

Lin

Volume 9: Sin, Punishment, and the Girl of the Gospel (Part 2)