Chapter 95

“What? I became the Mother Goddess, and you became the Holy Maiden?”

The maidservant in the garden of the villa noticed the carriage parked at the front gate and immediately stopped watering the plants. She straightened her clothes and hurriedly went to greet them.

“Good afternoon, lady. Is there anything I can assist you with…”

The maidservant slightly bowed, but when she saw the red-haired girl getting off the carriage, her words faltered mid-sentence.

This was the beautiful young lady she had chatted with during the tea party a few days ago. At the time, the maidservants had discussed her identity and her relationship with Miss Amy.

It was all just idle gossip, but many maidservants had developed a good impression of the red-haired girl.

Whenever their eyes met, the girl would politely nod in acknowledgment. When serving meals, she would always thank them, without any hint of arrogance.

“Miss, are you here to see Miss Amy? She just returned. Let me take you in.”

The maidservant opened the iron gate and observed the two other girls and the armored guard getting off the carriage. She felt a hidden excitement.

Another pair of young ladies? What could be happening? Could it be what I think it is?

The maidservant suppressing her curiosity maintained a respectful distance and led Xia’er and the others to the front door of the villa.

“Please wait here for a moment, ladies. I’ll inform the master.”

After saying this, the maidservant bowed again to everyone and walked directly into the house, quickly running upstairs.

After waiting about two minutes outside, two maidservants came down and addressed the group:

“Please, ladies, wait in the parlor. Miss Amy is changing her clothes.”

The new maidservant led Adelle, Aivana, and Nia to the parlor, but the one who had gone to inform the master stopped Xia’er.

“Miss Xia’er, Miss Amy requests your presence in her room.”

Despite her urge to gossip, the maidservant maintained her composure and delivered the message respectfully.

Aivana and Adelle naturally heard this, but Adelle didn’t seem concerned and started quietly asking the maidservant if there were any snacks.

Aivana, on the other hand, turned away after meeting Xia’er’s gaze and followed Adelle, seemingly indifferent to Xia’er’s situation.

“Alright, lead me up.”

Xia’er said to the maidservant.

She knew that Amy probably wanted her there for some reason.

Amy’s safe return indicated that the Arrival Sect servant she summoned had protected her.

Xia’er wasn’t worried about Amy’s safety, but she was concerned about the potential aftereffects of contact with a spiritual being from the Other Realm.

This was one of the reasons Xia’er decided to call Aivana and Adelle over.

Following the maidservant upstairs, the sound of footsteps echoed through the wooden floor. Finally, the maidservant stopped at a room adorned with flowers and knocked on the door.

“Miss Xia’er has arrived.”

After a slight bow to Xia’er, the maidservant left the second floor and returned downstairs.

After a few seconds, Amy’s voice came from the other side of the door:

“Is that Xia’er…?”

“Yes.”

Xia’er stood by the door, not rushing to open it.

Click —

The door opened, and Xia’er walked in.

This was a very girlish room, with pink and white lace adorning the mattress and curtains. As soon as she entered, she smelled a faint floral scent.

After Xia’er entered, she looked sideways at Amy. Amy was wearing a different light blue dress, and her golden curly hair was slightly messy.

“Xia’er,”

Amy, who had been standing by the door, immediately closed it after Xia’er entered. Her face was full of panic, and she almost cried when she saw Xia’er, “Xia’er…”

“What’s wrong, Amy?”

Xia’er asked with concern.

Amy was the most normal friend Xia’er had ever encountered, innocent and content with a peaceful and prosperous life. Xia’er envied that life once.

So she didn’t want this incident to disrupt Amy’s life too much.

“I just went to a manor, and it suddenly started shaking… I… I don’t know how, but Dad and I ran out together.”

Amy stuttered, “I saw… a ghost! It cursed me!”

It was clear that Amy was so nervous that her language was somewhat disorganized, but Xia’er understood the general idea.

But… a ghost?

Was it the overpowered ability of a spiritual being? Like the white shadow of a “Reformed Monk”?

But why could Amy see it, and why wasn’t she harmed?

“It’s okay, don’t rush. Amy, take your time.”

Xia’er put her hands on Amy’s shoulders, trying to calm her down.

“Xia’er… do you believe me?”

Amy looked at Xia’er with teary eyes.

“I believe you.”

Xia’er nodded.

“I didn’t dare tell anyone else… I thought only you wouldn’t be afraid of these things.”

Amy said, sobbing, “If the maidservant saw, they would definitely tell my dad.”

“What is it?”

Xia’er asked, withdrawing her hands, “The curse of the ‘ghost’?”

A curse… did a spiritual being leave something like that behind?

“I discovered it while changing clothes…”

Amy said, lifting her hand and unbuttoning the collar, then slowly pulling up her skirt, turning her back to Xia’er, and taking off the entire dress.

Underneath the dress, she wore a sheer white strapless dress made of lightweight silk. Through the semi-transparent straps, Xia’er could see her smooth skin.

Xia’er’s gaze instantly locked onto Amy’s back.

As Amy slowly took off the last piece of the dress, the light silk fell to the ground, revealing Amy’s back fully to Xia’er.

This was…

“At first, I didn’t know this appeared on my back… After feeling the earthquake, I thought Dad was still inside, so I went back to look for him…”

Amy, facing Xia’er with her arms crossed, trembled as she spoke, “When I saw Dad, he saw the chandelier above my head falling and rushed to save me… He pushed me to the ground to protect me, and I saw the chandelier stop in mid-air…”

“It was a ghost… a white ghost holding up the chandelier!”

“I can’t remember its appearance, but I’m sure it was a ghost…”

Amy sniffled and continued, “Finally, Dad and I inexplicably appeared beside the cornfield at the foot of the mountain. Dad fainted, but he was too heavy for me to drag him. Just as I was about to find someone for help, I encountered two bandits…”

“They just stabbed me with a knife, and then… and then they… shattered…”

By this point, Amy’s voice was trembling even more, as if the scene was vividly replaying in her mind.

“Then, I stopped a carriage that had just finished delivering goods. I gave the worker some money to take Dad and me back to the city… Then, while changing clothes, I saw the ghost’s curse.”

Amy finished telling the rest of the story and looked at Xia’er, who was serious, “I… what I said is true, but I didn’t kill anyone, Xia’er…”

Xia’er, however, was silent as she looked at the strange white pattern on Amy’s back.

Ten pairs of white, translucent insect wings were clearly imprinted on her back.

Xia’er was indeed the one who gave the command to the spiritual being to protect Amy.

But how did the spiritual being create a ritual array?

It looked like a seal.

It seemed that the ritual array still contained a lot of the spiritual being’s power… and when Xia’er stared at the mark, it flickered slightly, as if responding to Xia’er, seeking credit.

I told you to protect her, not to act as her bodyguard…

Great, another person’s peaceful life has been disrupted by me.

However, from Amy’s account, it seemed that Amy really did see the spiritual being and wasn’t harmed… why?

Spiritual beings have some intelligence, although not high, but enough to distinguish Xia’er’s commands.

What exactly made it disobey its command and seal itself on Amy’s back?

If the Arrival Sect members saw this, they would surely think it was a holy mark left by the Mother Goddess and elevate Amy to the position of Holy Maiden.

No… this is just Xia’er’s speculation.

Perhaps the spiritual being really just has a low IQ and did this unintentionally?

“Are there any other strange things besides this mark?”

Xia’er calmly asked.

Previously, Amy thought the sky was falling, but now, hearing Xia’er’s tone, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.

Maybe Xia’er’s calm demeanor and composed expression helped settle Amy’s originally anxious heart.

“There’s another thing… wait a moment.”

Amy bent down, picked up the fallen strapless dress, and put it back on.

Xia’er turned her head to look elsewhere until the rustling sound of Amy changing clothes stopped, and Amy’s voice rang out again.

“This bag… I didn’t dare throw it away, fearing it sealed a ghost that might kill someone. I also didn’t dare open it…”

Amy handed Xia’er a delicate black velvet pouch. After Xia’er took it, she noticed Amy’s awkward gesture.

Amy lowered her head, her face flushed, and her fingers nervously fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

After Xia’er took the bag, she gently squeezed it.

This was…

A bottle?

A potion bottle?

After carefully checking that it was just a regular bag, Xia’er slowly opened it and saw three potion bottles and a piece of parchment inside.

Xia’er took out the parchment, flipped a corner, confirmed that it was written in ordinary An Su language, and then slowly unfolded it.

On the parchment, there were messy An Su characters written in blood, resembling infantile handwriting.

It was hard to say who wrote this, but the writer was certainly not a native An Su speaker. The writing felt like it had been translated through a machine and back again.

[Esteemed Proxy, Holy Lady, Messenger of the Supreme Deity]

[I will protect you according to the Will of the Great One]

[My offering comes from my “Monk”, “Preacher”, and “Radiant Bishop”]

[I have informed the most loyal followers of faith to aid you]

[May you follow Him forever and awaken Him soon]

[— His servant, your Guardian, “Faceless Weakling”]

After reading it, Xia’er was almost certain that the writer of this letter was the spiritual being.

Xia’er was very sure that when she first encountered that strong spiritual being pointed out by the Arrival Sect, it didn’t have the intelligence to write.

Could it be that after devouring the “Radiant Bishop,” its intelligence underwent a transformation?

Considering it called Xia’er “Mother Goddess” every time it appeared and left potions ranging from “Reformed Monk” to “Radiant Bishop” for Amy, Xia’er fell silent again.

It.

First, it mistook Xia’er for the Mother Goddess due to the existence of the [Charm] and [Spiritual Summoning] skills.

Then, because Xia’er asked it to protect Amy, and Amy wasn’t harmed, it mistook Amy for the Holy Maiden.

Now, it sealed itself on Amy’s back to protect her, and also…

Informed a loyal follower of the Arrival Sect about this matter?

No, let me think this through.

Xia’er put down the parchment, rubbed her temples, feeling a bit confused.

No, who is the real cultist here?

Now the Mother Goddess, Holy Maiden, and the servant are all gathered. If Xia’er gave an order, would the Arrival Sect change its name to the Xia’er Sect?

Don’t get carried away!

Moreover, Xia’er wasn’t the Mother Goddess at all; it was just the [Charm Level 2] skill that made the spiritual being like her. It must have misunderstood something.

But Amy… might really be special, the kind of person who would be treated as a Holy Maiden even if thrown into the Salvation Goddess Religion.

No, why are there so many hidden talents around her?

Xia’er felt a headache coming on.

She didn’t want to wake up one day to find a disciple kneeling before her, crying and calling her “Mother Goddess.”

Luckily, Xia’er had the Simulation system. She could use some points to find members of the Arrival Sect and check if they knew about her existence.

For now, she needed to calm Amy down and make sure she didn’t…

“To expose oneself so casually… If the people from the Salvation Goddess Religion see it, trouble will surely follow.”

I had always thought that being a Count meant a respectable status and considerable wealth, but I realized that was just my misunderstanding.

“I don’t want to eat this!”

“Amy, there are many people outside who are starving and have even less than this. You shouldn’t complain.”

Amy, my younger sister, threw the bread aside and burst into tears, while our father, Count Bradley Somerset, sternly rebuked her.

I glanced at the food placed before me, thinking that the dining scene in a noble household might resemble that of an ordinary family.

On the table lay a thin, unidentifiable soup and bread as hard as rocks.

Certainly, these were not appetizing dishes for even a child.

Resolving to eat, I attempted to dip the bread into the soup, but just as I broke it apart—

Crack!

Did I just hear the sound of wood splintering?

…

To expose oneself so casually… If the people from the Salvation Goddess Religion see it, trouble will surely follow.

Amy definitely wouldn’t want to go to the Salvation Goddess Religion. From the previous simulations, Xia’er already knew that Baron Hastings greatly despised the Salvation Goddess Religion… or rather, the entire nobility class generally had no good feelings towards it.

“Is something wrong, Xia’er?”

At this moment, Amy seemed to realize that Xia’er had been silent for quite some time. Worried that Xia’er might be possessed by a spirit, Amy looked at Xia’er anxiously and asked, “What’s in the bag?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.”

Xia’er tightened the bag, her gaze complex as she looked towards Amy.

How should she tell her?

Tell Amy, you’ve become a Holy Maiden, choose your allegiance, do you want to be the Holy Maiden of the Salvation Goddess Religion or the Arrival Sect?

Amy would probably think I’m crazy.

“Amy, don’t let anyone else see the mark on your back, okay?”

Xia’er looked into Amy’s sapphire-like eyes and warned, “I’ll keep this bag for now. Once I figure out what’s inside, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Amy nodded. After a while, she hesitantly asked, “Xia’er, do you know what these are? What’s on my back… Is it really a ghost curse… or a spirit?”

Amy has quite an active imagination.

But this is normal. Since decades ago, An Su has seen a rise in mysticism and spiritualism. Although these have nothing to do with the Extraordinary Path, they are very popular among commoners, especially the middle and upper classes.

The afterlife, mediums, spirits, seances… all kinds of rumors and scams, and even specialized organizations often gather to perform seances or use mediumship, mostly composed of enthusiasts of the occult.

Influenced by these, stories about ghosts, spirits, and monsters have also become quite popular, some even becoming urban legends passed down by word of mouth… like the headless knight, for instance.

So, it’s entirely normal for Amy to have these thoughts.

“It’s not a ghost or spirit curse.”

After searching her mind for the right words, Xia’er said, “It’s more like a talisman… similar to a four-leaf clover, used to protect you. So, you don’t need to worry too much; it’s just imprinted on you.”

When Xia’er first arrived in this world, she searched everywhere for information about Extraordinary abilities, visiting various Churches and small-medium spirit medium gatherings. After discovering they were all scams, she stopped going.

However, this experience made her quite knowledgeable about such things, allowing her to easily deceive others.

“Talisman?”

Amy was a bit confused.

But thinking carefully, after those two robbers rushed towards her, they indeed turned into meatballs without even touching her, while she didn’t suffer any harm.

And when she was almost hit by the chandelier, something saved her…

If it’s a talisman, then these things make sense.

But there was one thing Amy couldn’t figure out.

How did this talisman end up on her?

Sudden awakening?

Was there a heroic spirit in her ancestors?

Moreover…

When Xia’er talked about these things, she showed no emotional fluctuations. When Xia’er comforted her during her initial panic, it made Amy feel a strong sense of security.

She felt that having Xia’er help her was the right decision.

If other friends saw this, they would probably bring an exorcist to “exorcise” her after a couple of days.

“What should I do now, Xia’er?”

Amy subconsciously moved closer to Xia’er, feeling that being around the calm Xia’er gave her a sense of security.

“I brought two friends over for you to meet.”

Xia’er said to Amy, “They are experts in this field and can check if there are any issues with your body or mind.”

“Friends?”

Amy paused and asked curiously, “Is it Miss Russell?”

“Yes.”

Xia’er nodded.

“I’m her assistant now.”

“Assistant?”

“Actually, she works part-time as a doctor.”

Xia’er recalled Aivana’s performance at the clinic and tried to suppress her laughter, saying, “She specializes in psychological matters.”

“Okay… They’ve been waiting downstairs for a while, let’s go down and find them.”

Amy nodded.

Just now, she noticed Xia’er’s expression change slightly when mentioning Aivana, as if she had thought of something amusing, with a slight smile on her lips.

It didn’t seem like she was kidnapped or coerced… Amy’s previous worries began to fade.

Luckily, she also wanted to get to know Xia’er’s friends better, which would help her understand Xia’er more deeply.

After straightening her clothes and putting on her shoes, Amy led Xia’er to the drawing room downstairs.

Inside the drawing room, besides Aivana, Adelle, and Nia, there was also a well-preserved lady.

She was laughing and chatting with Aivana, who responded with a formulaic smile, nodding occasionally. As Xia’er’s friend’s mother, she naturally gave her face.

Adelle, meanwhile, was enthusiastically eating cake, suggesting she hadn’t eaten enough at Xia’er’s house earlier.

“Amy, why are you so slow? The guests have been waiting for a long time,”

Countess Hastings teased with a smile and then stood up, “Go ahead and play, I won’t disturb you.”

As Countess Hastings walked past Amy, Amy tugged at her mother’s dress and whispered, “Has Father woken up?”

“He’s awake, but he still feels dizzy and is resting.”

Countess Hastings patted her hand, reassuring Amy, then smiled at everyone before leaving the drawing room and heading upstairs.

Xia’er found a seat at the table, and since Amy wasn’t familiar with the others, she sat next to Xia’er.

Aivana took a closer look at Amy, realizing she was just an ordinary person, and lost interest, merely nodding as a greeting.

An ordinary person, almost meaning there’s no exciting story to tell. Without a story, Aivana wouldn’t be interested.

Someone like Xia’er, who always creates “program effects” wherever she goes, is truly rare.

“Hello, Amy! You can call me Adelle~”

Adelle wiped her fingers with a napkin, stood up, and extended her right hand towards Amy with a smile.

“Hello, I’m Amy.”

Amy couldn’t be as carefree as Adelle, but she did stand up and shook hands with Adelle.

If Adelle weren’t an orphan and was instead a noble lady, her personality might actually make her a good friend to Amy.

After introducing Amy and Adelle to Aivana, Xia’er looked at Aivana and said, “Amy was also at Derton Manor earlier.”

Aivana nodded, thinking to herself that it made sense.

Given Xia’er’s personality, she wouldn’t immediately go play with friends after finishing something. The blonde girl in front of them had also been at Derton Manor earlier.

Something must have happened to make Xia’er rush over urgently.

Aivana habitually used her behavior to speculate about Xia’er’s actions, and usually, her guesses were correct over half the time.

“Ouch…”

Adelle sucked in a breath and looked at Amy, asking, “Are you hurt anywhere? I can take a look.”

“No.”

Amy shook her head, “I only felt the earthquake for a short while… Then I ran away, so I don’t know what happened after that.”

Amy looked towards Xia’er, who had told her not to talk about these things with others, and she wasn’t sure if the person in front of her could be trusted.

“Amy, can you help us get some cake? The kind we ate earlier.”

Xia’er looked at Amy and asked with a smile.

“Oh… Yes, yes, I’ll ask the maidservant… I’ll go get it.”

Amy nodded, obediently standing up and leaving the drawing room.

She knew Xia’er wanted to talk about something privately, but this avoidance made Amy feel a bit sad.

Once Amy left and the door closed again, Aivana looked at Xia’er and asked, “This child… has something unusual?”

“Can you feel anything wrong with her spirit body?”

Xia’er asked.

“No.”

Aivana shook her head gently, “She’s just an ordinary person.”

“She…” Xia’er hesitated for a moment but decided to wait until they returned to Aivana’s house to discuss this matter, as it would be safer there.

“You’ll need to cooperate with me later.”

After Xia’er spoke to Aivana, she turned to Adelle and said,

“Adelle, just eat your food later and don’t speak, okay?”

“Huh?”

Adelle was taken aback.

Didn’t the people from the Arrival Sect all die at Derton Manor? Why shouldn’t she speak?

That child escaped from Derton Manor… or is Xia’er’s friend…

Instantly, Adelle’s mind conjured up a grand scenario.

After the cult base in Derton Manor was destroyed, Xia’er discovered that her former friend was actually a member of the cult. Out of consideration for their past friendship, Xia’er decided to spare her, and together with Aivana, they discussed how to help Amy break free from brainwashing and return to normal…

“Is she a cult member?”

Adelle asked softly.

“Um…”

Even Xia’er was momentarily at a loss for words.

In a sense, Adelle’s guess was pretty accurate, except she wasn’t a cult member, but more likely a cult Holy Maiden.

Who knows what process she went through, but the result was pretty close.

“No, and there’s no danger. Just eat your food.”

Finally, Xia’er dismissed Adelle for now, planning to explain everything when they returned home.

Ding-dong—

There was a knock on the door. Xia’er looked towards the door and said, “Come in.”

Amy clumsily carried a tray, pushing the door open and slowly moving to the edge of the table, carefully placing it down and pushing it towards the center of the four people, sighing in relief.

“Thank you, Amy.”

Xia’er stood up, closed the door behind her, pushed the tray towards Adelle, and sat down, looking at Amy and saying, “Amy, there’s something we need to tell you.”

“Ah… What is it?”

Amy looked puzzled, but she had a hunch that it was about what they were discussing earlier, something she wasn’t supposed to hear.

“Have you heard of Extraordinary People?”

Xia’er took out the cloth bag from earlier and pulled out three potions, arranging them in front of her.

These things, Amy would eventually have to know. Once she could see the spiritual beings, her fate was sealed. The sooner she knew the truth, the greater her chances of survival.

Aivana’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Pfft—cough, cough, cough…”

Adelle choked on her cake when she heard Xia’er’s words and saw the three potions.

“E-Extraordinary People?”

Amy looked confused.

“Nia.”

Aivana called out.

Nia slowly raised her hand, and the silver armor in her hand glowed like red-hot iron. When she spread her hand again, a delicate silver steel figurine appeared in her palm.

She placed the thumb-sized steel doll on the table, and the doll ran a few steps towards Amy, waving its hand at her.

It was so skilled, like a gentle teacher guiding a child, proving the power of the Extraordinary without causing panic.

Xia’er watched Nia’s skilled movements, clearly indicating that Nia had done this before.

Amy stared at the little figure in front of her, her mouth agape in shock.

Xia’er, on the other hand, said, “Do you want to understand this world?”

“It’s dangerous here.”

“If you don’t want to understand, I can help remove the mark on your back, and Aivana can erase your memory, so you forget everything.”

“The choice is yours, Amy.”

…

“Bishop! Bishop! Where are you going?! That’s the direction to disembark! There’s the sea over there!!! Archbishop!!!

“My Lord! The Archbishop jumped in!”

“Quick! Someone save her! Where is she?!”

“Mother Goddess! How could you miss such a big person?! Not fair!”

“Quick, quick, go find her, don’t make a fuss… don’t let others hear…”

On a distant steamship sailing out of An Su port, a figure was struggling to swim towards the shore amidst the terrified shouts of several crew members.

Her face was filled with enlightenment and fervor, swimming resolutely towards the shore.

“Satanah above… Servant of God… I will follow your guidance and fully serve the Mother Goddess…”

…

96