The Beginning in Saint Rolante City

Along the way, the group didn't encounter too much trouble. Li Lin didn't even see one of the "lawbreakers" that Walast had mentioned earlier. Although he had casually asked the old paladin about it during a rest, Walast didn't give Li Lin the answer he hoped for. It seemed that either he really didn't know anything, or he was just being tight-lipped.

Of course, Walast wasn't without his doubts. He had been deeply impressed by the young man when he met Li Lin in Dragon Cry City for a special reason. Although Walast was a kind paladin, he wasn't foolish. Given Li Lin's and the Dark Elf's identities, it was impossible for nothing to happen in Kudel's capital. However, the Temple hadn't received any further information about this mysterious advisor mage and his caravan. The only thing they knew was that the fat merchant had led several hundred elves out to sea; the Temple's intelligence network could only go so far.

Walast had assumed the young man had left Kudel with the portly merchant, but now he was appearing on the road to Saint Rolante City with a group of women, without his Dark Elf guards—a truly strange turn of events. Faced with the old paladin's probing, Li Lin naturally didn't reveal any useful information, only saying he had some business to attend to and hadn't expected the Temple to hold a meeting at this time. In short, neither side obtained the information they hoped for, and the probing ended quietly.

The other paladins were even more unfortunate. After all, the women accompanying Li Lin were all exceptionally beautiful, and even these paladins, who had dedicated their lives to the gods, were not immune to being drawn into their allure. Fortunately, Walast's authority was undeniable, and besides, these women were clearly already taken, so the paladins refrained from any impolite behavior. However, they still behaved with utmost respect in front of these ladies, pushing their so-called "knightly conduct" to the extreme.

It's hard to say about others, but the current situation was driving Angela to the brink of despair. These obedient, blockheaded knights were exactly the kind of people she wanted to torture. If Angela could act, she was absolutely certain that she could make these paladins completely abandon their faith within a few days, turning them into worthless wretches devoid of anything but desire. But right now, Li Lin had given orders forbidding the little one from harming these paladins. So, watching these paladins obediently circling around her all day, unable to capture even one to play with, was as cruel to Angela as having a beautiful dish laid out before her but being unable to enjoy it.

The little girl complained to Li Lin quite a bit about this, even unusually lowering her stance, saying that Angela would be content with just a toy. However, Li Lin had no intention of agreeing to the little girl's suggestion. After talking with Walast, he increasingly felt that this paladin was a troublesome fellow and didn't want to cause any problems here. Although with the current strength around Li Lin, killing them wouldn't be difficult, there was something else on Li Lin's mind.

Of all the paladins Li Lin had met since his return, only Walast was somewhat pleasing to the eye. At least he lacked the fanatical spirit of the other paladins, but possessed an unwavering faith, which was extremely rare. In Li Lin's mind, the current God of Justice was certainly doomed, but the divine office of justice could not be eradicated. If a suitable replacement could not be found, it was hard to say whether the God of Justice might be resurrected. Walast was well-suited for this divine office, and if he were still alive after this war, Li Lin would consider recommending him to the gods to become the next God of Justice.

Of course, he wasn't worried that Walast would come after him in the name of justice. Once he became a god, he would understand the importance of the Magic Empire and Arcane Mage to this world. At that time, Walast would have no way to harm him.

But what's with this God of Justice?

On this point, Li Lin still couldn't understand. When he obtained his divine office, he should have understood why the Magic Empire and Arcane Mage existed, so why did he take the action of assisting the Five-Nation Alliance in guarding the mages? Moreover, judging from the behavior of this God of Justice, he clearly did not intend to fulfill the "Divine Office Contract," so there was no point in having this god.

Hopefully, Walast is more reasonable than the guy he worships.

The old paladin had no idea that the young man before him was plotting to seize power for him.

The journey was very smooth. Occasionally, a few foolish thieves would appear, but they were easily dealt with by the paladins who were hitching a ride. Li Lin and the others were naturally happy not to have to lift a finger. Only Angela very angry, as she had missed several opportunities to torment others.

Of course, these days, which were neither good nor bad, eventually came to an end.

After a long journey, the group finally entered the Saint Rolante City. Thanks to the presence of the paladins, Li Lin's carriage was not searched, and they entered the city without incident.

"Well then, we'll take our leave now. Thank you all for your assistance."

Before the Temple, Walast and the other paladins disembarked to take their leave. Of course, they didn't forget to give Li Lin a generous reward—though the gold coins weren't worth much to Li Lin. After confirming that the paladins wouldn't cause him any further trouble, Li Lin found a high-class inn to stay in.

"Next, it's time for our plan."

Li Lin turned around, shifting his gaze from the scenery outside to the girls before him, looking at them with a serious expression. However, the expressions on their faces varied greatly. Nia stood to the side with a wry smile, while Suoxiate, seemingly unconcerned, prepared tea and snacks for everyone. Yi Aier stood behind Nia, her face showing extreme dissatisfaction. Kalin, as always, sat in her chair drinking.

"Li Lin, before you mobilize everyone, you have more important things to do, don't you?"

Nia said with a smile, while shifting her gaze to the small, dark coffin in the center.

Ever since Li Lin strictly forbade Angela from causing trouble for the paladins, Angela had been suffering greatly, this being arguably the longest she had ever been in the human world. Back in Ringwraith City, the little one could at least pass the time by observing magical spells, and during her travels below, the clueless bandits and brigands were also a good opportunity for Angela to release her stress. But this time, during the long journey, Angela couldn't release any stress at all, and Li Lin, to avoid being exposed by the old paladin, didn't use any magic. So, after enduring until her eyes were red, the little one made a decision.

Go crawl into a coffin and take a long nap.

To this day, Angela has shown no intention of coming out of the coffin.

There's really no way around it.

Faced with Nia's meaningful smile, Li Lin shrugged, then walked to the coffin and gently knocked a few times.

"Alright, my princess, it's time to get up."

"..."

No response.

"Don't be stubborn, little one."

"..."

There was still no response.

"You can't do that, sir."

Kalin, oblivious to the danger, chimed in.

"Women need sweet words to coax them. How about you say this: 'Oh, my beautiful, lovely, unparalleled beauty, please emerge from the dark coffin and show me your beautiful face once more. If I never see you again, it would be the cruelest punishment in the world for me...' I think that sounds good, don't you?"

"Miss Kalin, are you out of your mind?"

Yi Aier asked with a strange expression.

"I was just saying that; it's very effective at fooling kids."

"Alright."

Li Lin raised his hand in acknowledgment.

"I know this little guy better than you do. Trust me, I only need to say one more word and he'll jump out on his own."

"Oh?"

Seeing Li Lin's certainty, everyone looked at Li Lin expectantly. Although they all knew that Angela was Li Lin's familiar and usually very obedient, this familiar also had a very strong sense of pride, and it wasn't easy to appease her when she was upset. However, amidst everyone's curious and expectant gazes, Li Lin simply smiled confidently and knocked on the coffin again.

"Come out, little guy. If you come out, I'll leave even Nia's share for you to kill."

"Really?!"

The next instant, Angela jumped out of the coffin, her eyes shining as she looked at her master.

"Whew... it really works!"

"... Truly worthy of your reputation."

"Miss Angela, I believe you definitely have psychological problems."

"Stop nagging."

Angela glared coldly at Yi Aier was the last to speak.

"You're not Vampire Species, how could you know how repulsive the stench of those damned tin cans is? I felt as if I'd been swept into a cesspool; if I hadn't hidden in the coffin in time, I might have been suffocated to death by that disgusting stench! Hmph, those lowly things..."

"So you won't be satisfied until you kill a few more people, I knew that."

Li Lin patted Angela's little head.

"However, you'll have to deal with three more targets now. Are you really confident? I don't want you getting so caught up in having fun that you forget about serious matters."

"Of course not, Master."

Enjoying Li Lin's caresses, Angela revealed a smug smile.

"Simply put, isn't it about spreading fear and unease to these ignorant fools? This is my forte; watching them cower in a corner, trembling with fear of unknown danger, is the most enjoyable thing ever. Please give me your orders with confidence; I will carry them out perfectly."