Chapter 138

“Holy crap?! What happened to your eyes? They’re like raccoon eyes!”

When Greya saw Lynn, who had finally made it after a long delay, he couldn’t help but exclaim.

After a three-day, three-night train ride, everyone had finally reached Troy City, and thanks to Duke Tilius’s personal letter, they successfully arrived at the Military Department’s magical Teleportation Array.

“It’s nothing, just that I couldn’t sleep at all the night before, because I was pinned down and drained by a beautiful older sister.”

Lynn said this with a straight face, casually dropping a line that could make anyone jealous.

“I can’t believe you. With what I know about you, that’s probably a total lie.”

Greya sneered, “Besides, the only person you could even call a beautiful older sister here would be Her Highness. Cough cough, do you think I would believe you?”

“Alright, you got me.” Lynn sighed, “I did lie.”

“I knew it—”

“Actually, it wasn’t the night before; it was last night.”

“Huh?”

Greya was about to say something else when he suddenly spotted the dignified Princess Shirina approaching the Teleportation Array, surrounded by soldiers.

The array was set up on a High Platform, carved with intricate and complex patterns, with hundreds of nodes embedded with all sorts of magical stones and extraordinary materials.

“What are you two talking about?”

Her piercing red eyes glanced over, making Greya shut up immediately.

To his surprise, his buddy Lynn didn’t crack any jokes this time but rather looked a bit guilty and avoided her gaze.

Hey, hey, hey, don’t do that!

That look on your face makes it seem like something really happened between you and Her Highness!

Greya felt like he had stumbled upon a secret and was so excited he could almost cry, except he was actually scared.

However, what shocked him even more was yet to come.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Princess Shirina frowned, then, in her high-heeled boots, walked over and, ignoring the astonished looks of her subordinates, tidied up Lynn’s slightly messy collar.

“We’re heading back to the Imperial Capital soon, looking like this? Are you trying to make the enemies laugh at you?”

Ivyst casually remarked as she fixed his outfit.

A delightful fragrance wafted up from her.

“Enemies? You’re being a bit dramatic, aren’t you, Your Highness?”

Lynn said awkwardly, searching for something to say.

Hearing this, Ivyst’s expression suddenly became serious: “You don’t think I’m being dramatic, do you?”

“…”

Lynn had no response.

Seeing this, Ivyst took a deep breath, her beautiful eyes flashing with sharpness: “You haven’t forgotten the things we agreed upon, have you?”

“…No.” After a moment of silence, Lynn’s expression turned serious again as he looked at Ivyst, “This return to the Imperial Capital is to plunge those who once mocked us and brought us suffering and disaster into the abyss of damnation.”

“Anyone who dares stand in front of Her Highness is our enemy.”

“And against the enemy, we can only kill.”

The atmosphere grew solemn.

The soldiers from the Military Department changed expressions, as if catching a whiff of a blood-soaked storm from Lynn’s words.

Seeing this, Ivyst nodded in satisfaction.

“Good.” Her expression was full of approval, “Then we can set off.”

“Target: Glostein!”

In the next second, along with the vast and boundless power of the Sixth Stage Half-Divine descending from the sky, the originally dull Teleportation Array instantly erupted with blinding white light, completely engulfing everyone!

In the southern border, at the Saint Pharos Fortress.

“Second Lieutenant Xia, how long are you planning to take off this time?”

“I really miss those days we spent together executing decapitation missions in the Demon Territory. Sure, it was tough living out in the wild, but I’ve never had my achievements soar so fast!”

“This time you’re returning to Glostein because the Legion Commander personally approved it and activated the Teleportation Array for you. Looks like they have high hopes for you.”

“You’ll definitely snag a Major title this time, right?”

In front of the Teleportation Array, a bunch of rough-looking soldiers in military uniforms were chatting excitedly with a golden-haired young man, their eyes filled with uncontainable respect.

Clearly, this young man had a stellar reputation in the military, which is why so many had come to see him off.

This was respect earned through strength.

For them, he was not just a Battle Hero in the eyes of the public, but also a rising star in the Military Department, and a comrade with whom they could trust their lives on the battlefield – many among them had been saved by him and his team from dire straits.

Hearing the chatter from his comrades, the blond youth named Xia flashed a hint of irritation in his eyes.

But for the sake of maintaining his persona, he still wore a warm smile.

“I shouldn’t be gone for too long.” Xia scratched his head, “It’s mainly because Her Highness Shirina urgently called me back, as for a Major title or anything, I’ll just roll with it.”

Though he said this, he was still quite keen on breaking the rumored record of the Bartleyon family for the fastest promotion.

Moreover, he had successfully taken down a Fifth Stage Legend with the help of his teammates.

Sure, he was in poor condition, and they had the advantage of a Sealed Item, but a win is a win.

The one thinking about how to reward him for this tremendous achievement would be the Empire’s administrative department, as well as the Saint Oak institution.

As far as he knew, the reason Shirina called him back was probably for this matter.

The impact of taking down this Fifth Stage Legend seemed to be far beyond Xia’s expectations, as the points awarded by the Saint Oak institution were as high as a thousand.

Meanwhile, Princess Shirina was busy trying to shorten the gap between her and Second Prince Felix to compete for the top spot, feeling overwhelmed.

Perhaps she needed a strong assistant to help her out.

Thinking back to the beautiful figure he had only seen in memories, Xia’s thoughts grew a little heated.

If he could earn Her Highness’s favor and become that irreplaceable person for her, that would be amazing.

I need to work even harder!

With that thought, the blond youth clenched his fist, making a silent vow.

At that moment, the soldiers around suddenly whistled.

“Second Lieutenant Xia, your little sweetheart is here!”

Someone nudged the blond youth’s elbow.

Xia snapped back to reality and instinctively looked towards the figures parting the crowd and walking towards him.

A bronze-skinned beast girl, a muscular warrior woman shouldering a giant hammer, and a petite assassin veiled in black…

While the all-female squad could be a topic for mockery, all eyes at this moment were focused on the girl at the center of the crowd.

She was a girl in a light green long dress, wearing mithril breastplate and steel boots, holding an alabaster alchemical staff in her hands.

Her aura was cold, expression indifferent, with a beautifully delicate face as flawless as white porcelain. Though her figure was slim, it was distinctly enchanting.

But that wasn’t the main point.

The focus was that the girl had light brown long hair, and her ears were pointed, seemingly retaining some elvish traits.

Feeling the gazes from all around, the girl appeared completely oblivious, like a puppet.

If Lynn were there, he’d instantly notice something off.

Although she shared the same cold demeanor, the Witch Miss had an apathy shaped by thousands of years of experiences, having seen through it all and grown indifferent to everything.

However, the girl in front of them was different.

While she also shared a cold disposition, unlike the Witch Miss, her coldness seemed devoid of emotion, like a puppet acting on instinct, lacking human feelings. That’s why she remained so indifferent to the attention surrounding her.

Yet at this moment, the girl who should have been as cold as ice glanced at the blond youth with warmth rarely seen.

As if he was someone incredibly important to her.

Seeing this, Xia gave a gentle smile: “Tia, have you got your luggage ready?”

Upon hearing this, the girl named Tia lightly nodded, “Xia Gege, shall we go?”

Though she lacked the usual emotions of a normal person, she was still a girl who liked cleanliness.

She couldn’t stand being in such a stinky military fortress for even a moment.

This time she came to the Saint Pharos Fortress not just to help Xia hunt down that Fifth Stage Legend, but also had some tasks to fulfill for the Silent Church.

As a Saintess, she could not defy the Church’s orders.

“In that case, let’s go.”

Looking at the dazzling light emanating from the Teleportation Array, Xia reached out his hand to Tia.

Seeing this, the elfin-featured girl hesitated for a few seconds, then cautiously placed her delicate little hand into Xia’s warm palm.

But the next second, her face suddenly turned pale, and pain flashed across her brow.

“Sorry, I—”

She withdrew her hand from Xia’s grasp and instinctively hugged her shoulders, shivering as if she were cold.

“Still can’t do it?”

Seeing this, concern flickered across Xia’s face, but his eyes also showed a hint of barely perceptible gloom.

Tia nodded, biting her lip: “I-I’m sorry, Xia Gege, I…”

This was due to her curse from birth.

As long as it was a male born into this world, Tia would feel extreme aversion and rejection towards them.

Not only psychologically, but any physical contact would also trigger a bodily reaction.

Over time, she got used to being all alone, distancing herself from any male.

Until one day, a nun from the Silent Church discovered her talent and introduced her to the Church, where she participated in the awakening ceremony.

The results stunned everyone.

She turned out to be a rare God Affinity constitution, a natural chosen one destined to be favored by the Goddess of the Crescent Moon from birth until death.

Thus, Tia becoming a Saintess was practically a sure thing.

Thinking she would serve the Goddess for the rest of her life in solitude was her belief.

Never did she expect that upon meeting this golden-haired youth, everything would change.

As a follower of the Goddess, she was supposed to maintain her lifelong purity for her faith, but she inexplicably developed feelings for a man.

“I should be the one apologizing.” Xia shook his head, “I forgot about your condition, I’m really sorry.”

“…”

Seeing his understanding, Tia’s feelings grew even more complex.

Whenever they spent time together, the boy would often make some unreasonable requests.

But due to her physical condition and the guilt from her faith in the Goddess, she had always chosen to refuse, never satisfying him.

Over time, the guilt piled up in her heart, making it hard to relieve.

As she watched the young man slowly step onto the Teleportation Array, surrounded by her teammates, a glint of determination flashed in Tia’s eyes.

Xia Gege, just wait a little longer for me.

Once the Moonlight Festival is over, perhaps the “curse” I bear can finally be removed.

By then… I will offer you everything I have.

As the Teleportation Array emitted unprecedented bright light, the elfin girl gently closed her eyes, silently thinking.

In the Imperial Capital Glostein, in front of the Saint Roland Military Department building’s Teleportation Array facility.

Looking at the array shining at the top of the High Platform, hundreds of civil servants stationed at the headquarters lined up to greet.

As the military’s higher-ups on duty this week, Colonel Hayden stared solemnly at the scene on the platform, waiting for the crowd arriving from behind.

Tonight, there would be two groups of people arriving, and he wasn’t sure which would arrive first.

However, in terms of their composition, neither group seemed easy to deal with.

Battle Hero Second Lieutenant Xia was closely connected to the Military Department but was also a subordinate of Princess Shirina.

As for the other group, that was even more outlandish; it was the Third Princess Ivyst and her subordinates, who had just resolved a rebellion in a border city – at least, that was the official narrative sent out to the public.

Both groups had just accomplished great feats for the Empire and were returning to the Imperial Capital to receive their rewards.

But just as fate would have it, the royal selection was currently underway, so Colonel Hayden decided not to show any political bias, treating this visit as a mere ordinary welcoming ceremony.

While he was deep in thought, a subordinate’s voice suddenly broke in.

“Colonel, that princess has arrived personally and is currently waiting just outside.”

“…Let her in.”

Just as he feared, trouble had indeed arrived.

A hint of headache crossed Colonel Hayden’s eyes, but he still waved his hand.

A moment later, accompanied by the sound of crisp footsteps, a tall woman in a cloak entered the scene, flanked by her guards.

As she removed her hood, all the soldiers present immediately knelt down in unison on one knee, performing the oldest shoulder salute of the Saint Roland Empire.

In the face of such an exalted member of the royal family, especially one from the most esteemed direct lineage, even soldiers had to show profound respect.

“Greetings, Her Highness Shirina!”

“No need for such formality.” The woman’s gentle voice seemed to possess some magical quality, easing the tension and anxiety of everyone present, “I’m simply here to welcome my useless subordinate.”

“During his time in the Military, he must have caused a lot of trouble for you all, right?”

Colonel Hayden shook his head: “Second Lieutenant Xia is a Battle Hero honored by the Military Department, a protector of the people. It’s only thanks to brave warriors like him that we can ensure stability in the Empire’s hinterlands.”

Hearing her subordinate praised, the woman’s lips curled up in a barely noticeable smile.

Then, as if casually, she quietly asked, “By the way, I heard the Third Princess and her group will also use the Teleportation Array tonight to return to the Imperial Capital?”

Colonel Hayden broke into a cold sweat: “That’s right.”

As expected, this woman’s true purpose must be the Third Princess after all.

He really couldn’t guess how chaotic things might become shortly.

But that’s not his concern anymore.

“The celebration banquet wouldn’t be complete without her, the great hero who saved the borders; even the Emperor will be present in person.”

“In that case, let’s bring the little Ivyst back with us.” The woman softly muttered, “I haven’t seen her in ages, and I miss her.”

Monthly ticket request!!!

Don’t forget to promote my friend’s book!!!