Miss Knight

By the time Ivan returned to the real world, it was already evening.

The sunset's afterglow spilled into the corners of the campus, gilding the stone walls in a warm gold, while the fountain's spray shimmered in the light as if imbued with life.

He was surprised to find himself appearing beside the school fountain rather than in the library archives.

Hm, I came out of the archives?

He mused to himself, realizing that returning from the Spirit Realm did not necessarily place him back at his original coordinates.

It seemed there was a certain correspondence between that place and the real world; moving within the Spirit Realm altered one's corresponding physical location.

Not far away, Diana stood quietly by the fountain, clutching the Myth of the Era to her chest, her gaze sweeping the surroundings from time to time as if waiting for something.

She clearly did not yet know that the "Lord's spirit body" had returned from the Spirit Realm, albeit in a state of invisibility.

Watching the young girl repeatedly look up and scan the area, her eyes filled with anticipation and anxiety, Ivan finally spoke up to prompt her:

"Since you have already returned, why do you still linger here?"

"It is the Lord's voice."

Diana stopped her scanning, her azure eyes brightening instantly like a ship that had found its bearing.

Her voice carried a trace of lingering fear and urgency:

"I—I opened my eyes and found myself in the school restroom, still clutching this book...

I was frightened, and when my calls to your name went unanswered, I ran straight to the central fountain to see if your spirit body might suddenly appear."

Ivan's brow furrowed; while there was a slight discrepancy between his and Diana's exit points in the Spirit Realm, could it really be as far as the school restroom?

It seems the relationship between Spirit Realm locations and real-world locations is a distorted mapping; it's not a simple case of distance traveled inside equating to distance outside...

If I can master this pattern, could I use the Spirit Realm for rapid travel?

Uh... if that's the case, did Diana take the book out without filling out a library card again...

He shook his head with a smile, mentally noting the need to explore the laws of movement within the Spirit Realm.

"Heh, having brought you out, my spirit body will naturally continue to roam the Spirit Realm; after all, there are other believers waiting for my salvation."

However, thinking of the unknown and the anomalies of the Spirit Realm, Ivan's tone turned solemn:

"The Spirit Realm is extremely dangerous for you right now. Do not try to recall those symbols you saw earlier, and even if you do, absolutely do not touch them with your Spirituality."

Extremely dangerous? Diana muttered to herself, her finger pressing lightly against her lips.

But I clearly felt that fighting that strange phantom took no effort at all...

Could it be that the Lord's majesty intimidated it, preventing it from using its full strength?

She recalled the battle in the Spirit Realm; the phantom had indeed lunged at her with claws bared at first, but it had offered almost no decent counterattack afterward, not even displaying a shred of mysterious power.

That's right! It must be that!

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. The great Lord of All Spirits is the master of all spirits in the world; the entities of the Spirit Realm naturally fall under His jurisdiction.

Those spirits must have immediately backed down upon seeing the Lord's spirit body beside me, appearing almost respectful toward me.

The awe in Diana's eyes grew more intense, as if starlight were flickering in their depths.

She waved her small fist, slowly straightened her back, and bowed deeply toward the empty space in front of her, her voice soft but exceptionally devout:

"Praise the great Lord of All Spirits, and thank you for bringing me back from the lost paths of the Spirit Realm."

The students around the fountain, whether chatting or reading, seemed not to notice her unusual behavior.

Ivan watched her elaborate internal monologue, feeling both helpless at her wild guesses and a faint, creeping sense of unease.

It would be fine if he were truly the "Master of All Spirits."

But as he was currently just a jellyfish who had accidentally acquired faith energy and was still fumbling through the supernatural world, he feared the day the real owner might come knocking...

Ivan quickly cast the thought from his mind; since he had decided to walk the path of faith, he could not be so timid.

If no entity had jumped out to claim the title of Lord of All Spirits, then why couldn't he, Ivan, be the one?

The figure of Ivan, Lord of All Spirits, swelled slightly, his tone growing deeper:

"Miss Knight, you did well today.

In the future, you must continue to pay close attention to other ancient texts; this will allow you to know the truth of this world."

"The Lord... the Lord just called me Knight..."

Diana's face flushed a brilliant red, spreading from her earlobes to her cheeks, even her nose tip turning pink. Her previously tense body stiffened instantly, and the Myth of the Era nearly slipped from her arms.

She hadn't heard a single word of the subsequent talk about "ancient texts" or "truth." Her mind was echoing only with the words "Miss Knight." That was no ordinary address! It was the Lord's recognition of her!

She bit her lower lip hard to keep from crying out in excitement, her azure eyes welling with tears born of indescribable joy. She bowed deeply once more, even more solemnly than before.

"Great Lord of All Spirits, thank you for your recognition. I will surely follow your revelations and continue to... um, explore the truth!"

Those nearby glanced over, whispering about her strange behavior.

Diana, however, paid no heed to the surrounding gazes; she hugged the book tightly to her chest and walked toward the school gate with light, brisk steps.

Ivan watched the girl's flighty train of thought, never having expected that a casual form of address would elicit such a reaction from Diana.

He remained silent for a moment, but in the end, he said nothing and quietly followed behind Diana.

Returning home, Diana threw herself onto her bed.

Her little feet kicked excitedly in the air, whether from today's marvelous adventure or the Lord's words of approval, she could not tell.

"Miss Diana, it is time for dinner. Mr. Logan has also returned," the voice of Louise, the head maid of the villa, drifted in from outside the door.

Diana hurriedly reined in her movements, trying her best to mask her excitement. "Thank you, Louise, I'll be right there."

She skipped along the carved corridor on the second floor, seemingly still immersed in her joy.

Logan Gustav had just returned home from City Hall. He hung his dark gray suit on the coat rack, and seeing his daughter bouncing down from the second floor, he couldn't help but ask:

"My dear little Diana, what happened at school today to make you like a happy little deer?"

Realizing her movements were still a bit too excited, Diana quickly shortened her steps and descended the stairs with the poise of a lady.

"It's nothing, Father. I just... deciphered an ancient codex today."

"Oh, is that so? It seems my little Diana is going to become a professional ancient scholar in the future," Logan teased with a smile.

Little Diana stomped her foot and sat down at the dining table with her father.

Louise the head maid and Sophia the maid opened the silver trays one by one.

Before her was a steaming portion of tomato beef brisket; the dark red sauce coated the tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef, accented by a few bright green peas.

From the bowl beside her, the rich aroma of cream of mushroom soup instantly filled the air.

In the center of the table, a golden roasted chicken lay on a porcelain plate lined with lettuce, its skin glistening with oil.

Wow!

Looking at the food on the table, Diana reached for her fork, but her fingers touched the cold silver handle and she remembered to maintain her ladylike composure.

She quietly pulled her hand back, though she couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

She was truly hungry today; after all, she had fought that phantom in the Spirit Realm and expended quite a bit of energy. Now that she smelled the aroma of the food, her stomach had long since begun to growl uncooperatively.

Mr. Logan watched her expression and smiled helplessly, reaching out to cut a piece of roasted chicken and placing it on her plate.

"My dear little Diana, was the afternoon tea at school not to your liking today?"

"It's not that, Father," Diana hurriedly defended herself, not daring to mention the adventure in the Spirit Realm. After spearing a piece of chicken and popping it into her mouth, she narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and added vaguely:

"I was translating books and forgot the time for afternoon tea..."

Mr. Logan shook his head, feeling a headache coming on over his daughter's mischievous nature.

He picked up his cutlery, but as if suddenly remembering something, his gaze turned serious:

"By the way, Diana, the Bishop is organizing a special service tomorrow morning. You are to come with me to attend it."