May We Meet Again

The next day.

Warm sunlight spread across the Holy See's glass dome.

The Holy See had sealed off the events of the previous night.

All records concerning Calvin had also been thoroughly destroyed.

A top-tier scandal like this would not only affect Calvin's family; even the reputation of the entire Border Holy See would suffer.

Thanks to the Holy See keeping the matter quiet, Agnes's punishment was not too severe. After she redeemed herself by hunting down a Heresy Stronghold, only three months of her salary were withheld.

But the news could not be completely suppressed.

The title of Dark Night Hero, Heretic Bane—Brother Xian Zong—slowly began circulating within a small circle, as mysterious as an urban legend.

As for the inexplicable gifts that had appeared at home—

The gifts Brother Xian Zong received had nothing to do with Ansu.

No matter what, the Night of the Red Moon had completely ended.

If he wanted to make another fortune, he could only wait until next year.

Ansu knelt beneath the Idols of Radiance, turned in all of last night's gains, and received the Goddess's reward.

His magic power had reached thirteen points.

After finishing his prayers, he rose to his feet, turned his head—and jumped.

Luojia Faste had appeared behind him at some point. She stared at him expressionlessly, her brilliant gold eyes reflecting Ansu's face directly, as though she were looking at a corpse.

"Yesterday." She said only two words.

She had come to demand an explanation.

Ansu understood what Luojia meant.

Luojia had come looking for Ansu yesterday morning, only to encounter Calvin's return. Ansu had thought it a waste of time and gone aside to study.

After reading for a while and seeing that they still had not finished, he had quietly slipped away on his own.

". . . Sorry."

Ansu apologized directly.

Luojia stared at Ansu for a long while before finally sighing helplessly. "Come with me."

After leaving the Holy See, Ansu and Luojia walked down the street one after the other.

Of course, at this moment, Ansu did not care about any of that.

He watched Luojia walking ahead of him, wanting only to figure out what this Little Saintess was after.

They remained silent the entire way.

Luojia walked ahead of Ansu, carrying a wooden box and refusing to let him see her expression.

A fresh sea breeze swept through the streets. The wind chimes hanging by the roadside rang softly, and Luojia's long silver-white hair scattered in the wind, swaying back and forth. Occasionally, a strand brushed across Ansu's cheek, making it itch.

Had last night's matter been exposed?

Ansu did not think so. After all, he had been very discreet.

Besides, the people Brother Xian Zong killed had nothing to do with Ansu Morningstar.

They walked along the street for quite some time.

At last, Luojia turned her head. She looked solemn and serious, her amber eyes fixed directly on Ansu. Her thin lips parted slightly, her manner so grave that Ansu grew a little nervous.

—Then she said earnestly,

"I'm hungry. Want breakfast?"

"You made it this scary just to eat?"

"Eating is a sacred matter." Luojia remained serious as she said coolly, "Second only to the Goddess."

Ansu could only say,

". . . Fine. I'm hungry too."

This breakfast shop faced the sea. It had delicious cakes and fresh milk, and its bread was exceptional as well.

They chose a seat by the window.

Outside the window were the azure sky and the cerulean sea, each occupying half the window. If not for the occasional sea breeze gently stirring the white clouds and lifting a few waves, the entire world would have been a still blue painting hanging in the window lattice between them.

Luojia ordered a blueberry cake and a glass of fresh milk. She ate the cake with elegant movements, her back perfectly straight. Her thin lips opened slightly, and as she chewed and savored it, her eyes narrowed faintly like a cat basking in the sun.

After finishing the dessert, she held the steaming fresh milk with both hands.

"What exactly did you want from me?" Ansu had long finished his bread, and he did not want to play guessing games with this Saintess anymore. The feeling was rather unpleasant.

"You've already eaten two Blueberry Cakes. One costs ten Copper Coins. They're expensive, and they don't even taste good."

Ansu said.

In truth, twenty Copper Coins meant nothing to Ansu's family. He said it only because he did not want to keep tangling with Luojia.

"The Acolyte Saint written examination is in four days."

Luojia lifted her eyes to look at Ansu. Her frost-white lashes trembled slightly. "I heard that you go to the library every day to study and return home very late."

"That's right," Ansu said. "Actually, I don't go home at night either. I've found many dedicated professional teachers to give me private lessons."

He was not lying.

He really had gone to many professional heretic teachers at night for private lessons, except the ones being eaten at the stove were those teachers themselves.

When the Mother Goddess dined, it truly was heart and soul—blood was practically splashing everywhere.

"You truly want to join the Radiant Holy See." Luojia paused, then said, "That makes me very happy."

"Since ancient times, I have been a loyal believer of the Goddess," Ansu answered seriously as well.

That was also the truth, so he was not afraid Luojia would see through it.

After all, for the honest and simple Ansu, whoever gave the most benefits was the one he loyally believed in.

"Perhaps this will help you." Luojia took a small booklet from her bag and handed it to Ansu.

Ansu accepted it. The moment he opened the first page, he was stunned by its sheer quality.

The handwriting was clean and neat, the structure clear, the knowledge points linked together, and the terminology explained in meticulous detail.

"These are the notes I took while studying," Luojia explained. "Perhaps they will be useful to you. Of course, it's fine if you do not need them."

Ansu remembered the setting from the game: Luojia had ranked first nationwide in the written examination.

In Ansu's previous life, these would have been top scorer's notes.

Without changing his expression, he slipped them into his pocket.

"So," Luojia stared at him, blinking her beautiful eyes and tilting her head, "how many Blueberry Cakes is this worth?"

"How about I buy this whole shop and give it to you?" Ansu said with the air of a billionaire. "It won't cost much anyway."

"I don't want that many. One more is enough."

Luojia really was a very serious person. She even explained, "If there are too many cakes, I won't be able to finish them."

"Also, there is something else I want to give you." Luojia placed the wooden box she had been carrying on the table and opened it.

Inside was a beautiful piece of raw wood, faint radiance flowing through it. There were even a few broken leaves on its branches.

It was a staff.

Spells could be cast without a staff, but using one provided certain enhancements.

Staff of Radiance

Tier 2 Top-grade Quality

The Tier 2 referred to the level of magic it could use, while the latter referred to its quality.

Effect: A Tier 2 staff blessed by a deity. It can cast all elemental magic of intermediate rank and below. When using Holy Light Magic, there is a fifty percent chance that Magic Point consumption will be halved.

"This was the staff I used before," Luojia said. "Perhaps you need it more."

This was extremely valuable.

It was a staff issued by the General Holy See to Candidate Saintesses.

It could not be bought even with money.

Even Ansu, thick-skinned as he was, found it a little hard to accept. He could not help asking, "Then what will you use?"

"I don't need it." Luojia took a sip of hot milk. "The Holy See will issue me a new staff—a Third-tier staff."

A Third-tier staff meant that she had become a Third-tier Sorcerer.

There was only one possibility.

Ansu's eyes shifted. "You awakened as a Saintess?"

The Saintess advancement system was separate from the Witch-Hunting Saint School of Thought.

"More or less," Luojia replied. "I haven't told anyone else yet."

"You're the first I've told."

After a brief moment of surprise, Ansu returned to calmness.

He was not surprised by this. According to the original plot, Luojia should have become a Saintess a month ago.

"Tomorrow, I will probably leave Border City and head for the General Holy See."

Luojia said as the cake she had ordered arrived.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Ansu asked.

"Because you need it more. It is very difficult for a Child of Curse to become an Acolyte Saint." Luojia looked earnestly into Ansu's eyes. "Besides, I'm repaying the favor I owe you."

"What favor?"

"You saved my life—that favor." She took a bite of the cake.

Luojia Faste had her own pride.

"Didn't you already repay it by recommending me as an Acolyte Saint?" Ansu said with a smile.

". . . That is true." Her pretty brows furrowed, and she showed a conflicted expression. "It has indeed been repaid."

She was someone who took things seriously.

"Then how about this?" Luojia paused and came up with a good idea. "Buy another blueberry cake and trade it for this staff. Then we'll be even."

"Didn't you just say," Ansu asked in confusion, "that you could only eat one cake?"

Still, Ansu did as she said. The blueberry cake was quickly brought over.

"I'm not eating it. You eat it."

Luojia smiled, a slightly triumphant smile that carried a touch of mischief and brightness, as though she were getting back at Ansu for standing her up these past few days.

It was also the first time Ansu had seen her smile. She tucked the wisps of silver hair before her forehead behind her ear as warm sunlight fell upon her.

"I'm leaving this city for the Hall of Seven Gods in Imperial Capital Farol. Before I leave, I want to share my favorite flavor with you—you said this cake didn't taste good, didn't you?"

Had Luojia been waiting for him all this time just because of that?

"The Holy See has many problems, many, many problems. I have always known that, but I cannot change them."

"No Child of Curse has ever become an Acolyte Saint in the thousand years since the Holy See was founded. I hope you can become the first. I hope you can bring new change."

"I hope to see you again in Imperial Capital Farol."

Luojia said, "Ansu Morningstar—though the road ahead is difficult, please make me see you in a new light."

"You'll definitely regret it." Ansu picked up his fork and put the cake into his mouth. "But I promise, I'll definitely open your eyes."

Ansu understood himself very clearly. He had never been a righteous person, nor would he ever occupy the moral high ground.

But he truly would climb the Holy See's hierarchy step by step—from Acolyte Saint to priest, branch bishop, branch archbishop, cardinal, pope, and supreme pontiff—until he reshaped the Holy See into something more suitable.

Only for himself.

However, Ansu could guarantee that his way of doing things would truly open Luojia's eyes.

"Like Calvin, is that also a knight's promise?"

Luojia tilted her head and smiled with a hint of mischief.

"Wrong." Ansu bit into the cake. "This is a Child of Curse's promise."

The blueberries spread a faint sourness across his tongue, wrapped within a fresh sweetness.

Luojia also closed her eyes slightly, savoring her own cake. Beneath the morning sun and amid the sea breeze, they chewed the same subtly bitter sweetness.

The Border City arc had ended. Next stop: Imperial Capital Farol!

The last two chapters have both been over three thousand words. Together, they're as much as three chapters, so please send some monthly votes!