Starcrest Family.
In this huge empire, this surname means absolute glory and sacrifice, and represents the strongest wall Northlands.
As far back as she can remember, the first bedtime story she heard was how her great-grandfather pierced Ghoul's heart with a broken sword, and the first word she learned was "glory".
As the direct heir of the family, her destiny seemed to have been cast in a steel mold. She became a respected paladin, put on thick plate armor, stood at the forefront of resisting "Silent Tyrant", and became the most dazzling star on the family Badge.
From the age of five, Sky was brought to Final Fortress from Northlands.
There she saw the Undead Calamity that blocked the sky and the sun, and saw her fathers wearing heavy armor, like a great steel wall, resisting the Lich Tyrant that was trying to devour the world.
"The star emblem is the shield of the empire." My father always said this.
All the tribesmen are holy warriors, they regard death as home, and they shine brightly.
But Sky saw something different.
Behind those glorious and majestic Knight regiments, she saw rats breeding in the sewers, demons wearing clergy robes, and the undercurrent of decay surging beneath the empire's prosperous appearance.
At that moment she understood.
If the cancer inside is not dug out, no matter how strong the city wall is, it will collapse from the inside.
If everyone is going to be the shiny "shield", who will be the "knife" to remove the carrion?
Therefore, she went against her family's wishes and resolutely joined Imperial Tribunal, which had a poor reputation. She took off her glorious plate armor and put on gray tights: she put down her heavy sword and picked up Hand Crossbow and Short Sword.
She changed from a pampered young lady to "Evilbane Eye" who made heretics fearful.
She crawled through the sewers, slept among the dead, and stayed awake for three days and three nights to follow a clue. She thought she had proved something. She thought she had gotten rid of the shadow of that last name and became the sharpest dagger in the hands of Goddess of Justice.
Until yesterday.
Calderon's phrase "playing house" was like a slap in the face, shattering all her pride in the past eight years.
"It turns out----there is no Sky Inquisitor."
Sky lowered his head, his voice hoarse, as if talking to himself, or confiding to Xia Lin: "Those so-called dangerous tasks are actually screened safe areas. Those promotions I thought I got based on my strength are just rewards from my boss for the sake of Star Emblem Duke. Even this time I came to monitor you——"
She laughed bitterly and dug her fingers hard at Triceratops's rough skin, "It's just because of my father's pressure, Calderon just found any reason to send me away in order to keep me away from the dangerous Glory Day celebration."
"I thought I was bleeding for justice, but instead I was swinging a wooden sword in a giant cradle."
Sky raised his head and looked at Xia Lin's back. "I'm just a joke. In their eyes, all my efforts are nothing but willful coquettishness."
"Finished?" Xia Lin asked.
"----It's over." Sky wiped his face, "I'm just kidding you. I will resign tomorrow. Since they want me to go back to work as a vase, then I will----"
"Then go back and be a good baby?" Xia Lin interrupted her.
"Good baby?" Sky was stunned.
"Yes, you are too good. In other words, you are too honest and too disciplined." Xia Lin turned around, sat sideways on Triceratops's broad back, and looked into Sky's eyes, "You want to get rid of the control of the family and prove yourself, but your methods are still the same as those of a good kid. You work hard and expect to be recognized. You abide by the rules and expect the rules to protect your dreams."
"Then - what should I do?" Sky asked blankly, "Resign? Leave the imperial capital? Become a wandering mercenary?"
Xia Lin turned around. Under the moonlight, there was a cunningness in his eyes that Sky had never seen before.
"Sky, do you think that only by being tough and breaking up with the family can we be independent? Can we prove ourselves?"
Sky was stunned for a moment. "Isn't it?"
"That's what a fool does." Xia Lin said unceremoniously, "You resigned and went back, just as they wanted. Your eight years of hard work were really in vain."
He stretched out a finger and shook it gently. "Since they want to play, you can play with them. But the rules have to change."
"What do you mean?"
"Listen, Sky." Xia Lin leaned closer, "You have to learn to be a bad girl."
"Bad----bad girl?" Sky's eyes widened. This word was forbidden in her dictionary.
"Yes. Bad girls will not resign. Bad girls will lie, pretend, and use all available resources."
"Your father doesn't want you to take risks? Okay, just write to him and tell him that you just drink tea and read newspapers in Inquisition, dawdling around every day, so that he can rest assured. You can even hint to him that you are looking for a future husband. For example
A certain Xia Lin consultant who looks promising."
Sky's face turned red instantly. "What nonsense are you talking about!"
"For example, do you understand?" Xia Lin ignored her shyness and continued, "The point is, you have to learn to fool them. Lower their vigilance, use the resources given to you by the family, and the privileges given to you by Inquisition, to become stronger like crazy and get in touch with the real core power."
"Use your Starcrest Family's connections and your father's pressure on Calderon to get resources, equipment, and promotion opportunities! In the past, you had to work hard to get merit, but now you can just reach out and ask for it!"
"This - this is deception, this goes against -"
"This is called tactics!" Xia Lin interrupted her, "What is your goal? It is to eradicate evil, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you still care about means?" Xia Lin stared into her eyes, "As long as you climb high enough, when you become Grand Inquisitor, when you have the power to judge the entire empire in your hands. By then, even your father, can he rush into Inquisition and take you back for embroidery?"
Sky was stunned.
Xia Lin patted her shoulder. "Get the power first and turn yourself into that irreplaceable person. By then, your family will not only dare not
No matter what, I have to beg you in turn, because you are their biggest support in the capital besides Northlands."
"Of course this is just a preliminary idea. How to operate it and how to hide it from your father's intelligence network depends on you."
Sky was completely stunned.
This kind of logic, this kind of "bastard logic" that is full of philistineness, cunning, but extremely practical, is something she has never been exposed to in her life of more than 20 years.
Her friends, mentors, and even Temple's Priest always told her to "keep faith," "honesty and trustworthiness," and "glory is my life."
No one ever told her: you can lie, you can act, you can temporarily be a "bad girl" for that lofty goal.
Use the family's love to deceive the family, and then use the family's resources to rebel against the family?
This - is so despicable.
It's so --- confusing.
But why does it sound so cool?
She felt that the "paladin" in her heart who was bound by rules and regulations was quietly shattering at this moment.
"Bad girl——" she murmured to herself, showing a somewhat awkward but unusually relaxed smile, "It sounds like——it seems like a good suggestion."
"That's right." Xia Lin laughed, pretending to raise his glass, "Here's to the bad girl."
"Here's to the bad girl."
Sky felt more relaxed than ever before, but her stomach made a slight protest in confusion.
"I'll treat you to barbecue." Sky said seriously, "I know there is a great barbecue restaurant in the city. It's not in the sewer. It's clean and tastes good. I'll treat you."
Xia Lin looked at her serious look and couldn't help but laugh.
"Okay, let's go, to celebrate the new life of bad girl Sky."
Under the night, the huge Triceratops carried two people, leaving a string of heavy and cheerful footprints on the moonlit river beach.
At the same time. Nirose Upper City, Sir Azma Charity Hospital.
The white marble floor is spotless, and the air is filled with the faint smell of disinfectant and incense. Portraits of famous doctors from past dynasties are hung on the walls, and every detail is elegant, solemn and expensive.
In a spacious and private consulting room, Ruiwen sat on the operating table with his upper body naked, wearing a dusty robe.
was thrown aside casually.
What's amazing is that her body, which looked rickety and thin, actually showed an extremely perfect proportion after taking off her clothes.
The skin is as pale as porcelain, and the lines are smooth and elegant. Except for the terrifying penetrating wound on the left shoulder, it can be called a work of art.
But if you look carefully, you will find that this "artwork" is covered with fine sutures. On the wrists, neck,
Spine - those lines are like some kind of ancient tattoo, joining different parts together.
A middle-aged man wearing a black vest and gold-rimmed glasses was standing behind her.
His fingers were slender and steady, holding a curved silver needle and black silk thread, moving across Ruiwen's wound.
The movements are as graceful as embroidery, rather than suturing flesh and blood.
Ruiwen looked down at his toes and recounted today's experience intermittently, "----I----I'm not very good at----fighting----"
"So... hurt...
--Then----that Inquisitor----wanted to use Holy Water----but I avoided it----the light----hate----"
"But I... quite like... that person... she can understand me...
The man didn't speak, he just listened quietly. Each needle stroke was extremely precise, reuniting the rolled skin and flesh.
"----That Magic Warrior----is very powerful----" Ruiwen continued, "----with one sword---- he froze the believer's heart----and----he seemed to----see through me----"
"See through you?" The man's hand movements paused slightly, "You mean, he saw your true nature?"
"----Maybe----"Ruiwen nodded, "----but he didn't say----and said----everyone----has a secret----"
"Everyone has a secret----" the man repeated this sentence, the smile on his lips deepened a bit.
He tied a knot and cut the thread.
"Okay, it's sewn." The man took off his gloves and patted Ruiwen's uninjured right shoulder, "It's like new."
Ruiwen pulled up the robe and wrapped himself in the gray protective color again.
"Thank you----doctor----"
The man walked to the sink and slowly washed his long, white hands.
"----Doctor----"
Ruiwen's swirling pupils stared at the doctor.
"Huh?"
"----Can I still go next time----?"
The man called the doctor took off his glasses, took out a silk handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the lenses.
In his originally gentle dark brown eyes, an extremely obscure evil smile flashed at this moment.
"Of course, my dear Ruiwen."