Category: Miss Luo Yan’s Feet Are Buried With Corpses

Witch’s Night: Chapter 15 A Coin

This wasn’t Chris being narcissistic; it was her lived experience.

Chris’s appearance was indeed stunning, attracting countless admirers, and many noble children pursued her.

However, Chris didn’t like these people, regardless of gender.

This wasn’t a matter of sexual orientation. Among those who pursued Chris, there were quite a few women, but these women were no different from other pursuers.

They had the same fervent, invasive gazes, which couldn’t be concealed beneath their polite exteriors.

Some valued Chris’s beauty, some her family background, and others, more vulgarly, her money.

In short… very few people saw Chris simply as Chris. In their eyes, Chris had many identities, but being “Chris” herself was the least important one.

—Except for Hua Qingling.

Hua Qingling could almost be said to be the first friend who treated her purely as Chris, not as the second daughter of the Lequista family, or a national idol, or anything else.

Of course, Chris wasn’t so attached to Hua Qingling solely because of this. Something had happened between them that even Hua Qingling herself had forgotten… which wouldn’t be mentioned here for now.

But this wasn’t important. In short, Hua Qingling was Chris’s only true friend.

And this young man…

Chris knew that if Sister Qingling liked him and chose him as her partner, she had no right and no need to stop her.

Sister Qingling would have her own happiness; she knew that very well.

However…

She still couldn’t help but feel hostile.

Now it seemed, as expected of someone Sister Qingling favored, he remained calm even when seeing her true appearance. It seemed she could approve of him a little…

But definitely not completely!

In Chris’s eyes, Sister Qingling was the most perfect woman in the world, elegant, gentle, and very powerful, even the Saints in their youth were nothing more than this.

No one was worthy of her, not even herself.

If Luo Yan knew about Chris’s messy thoughts, she would probably give her a look of “Are we talking about the same Hua Qingling?”

It had to be said that Hua Qingling’s public image management was too good; even her younger sister was fooled. Only Luo Yan had seen through her.

“Since it’s Magistrate Norian’s commission, then… it seems there’s nothing that can be done.”

Chris said dejectedly. The reason she had so readily agreed to attend the banquet, besides giving Norian face, was mainly because of Hua Qingling.

Unfortunately, Sister Qingling had left early, and she could only continue to deal with these decadent and unbearable nobles.

“Did Magistrate Norian say what the commission was?”

Chris was still holding onto a sliver of hope. She secretly planned to find an opportunity to sneak out.

Even if she would be questioned by her mother and butler afterwards, and punished or something, she didn’t care. She couldn’t stay in the banquet hall without Sister Qingling for even a moment longer.

Luo Yan thought for a moment and replied, “It’s a commission that can’t be spoken about directly.”

Judging from Norian’s attitude, he didn’t seem to intend to tell these nobles, who were still enjoying themselves, about the Church of the End Gods, at least not before the matter was resolved.

Therefore, Luo Yan wouldn’t presume to reveal the information, even to Chris.

Chris: “?”

What… was a commission that couldn’t be spoken about directly?

Chris quickly thought of some unpleasant things, and her pretty face instantly flushed red, even her ears turning pink.

“You, you dare to play me!” Chris exclaimed in a rare loss of composure, glaring at Luo Yan. “How could Sister Qingling do that kind of thing! She, she…”

Chris stammered for a long time, but still didn’t say what she thought the “commission that couldn’t be spoken about directly” was.

Luo Yan: “?”

Now it was her turn to be puzzled. Was such a strong reaction necessary?

As an adventurer, wasn’t it normal for Sister Qingling to take commissions?

Moreover, Magistrate Norian’s offer was indeed generous, and Sister Qingling, who was short of money, naturally wouldn’t miss it.

Furthermore, the experience of dealing with such large-scale Calamities was also very valuable. Who knew, Yan City might encounter similar situations in the future, and these were all valuable experiences.

After a moment of thought, Luo Yan suddenly realized why Chris was so nervous.

So that’s how it is…

Miss Chris, like herself before, thought Sister Qingling was just an ordinary tailor… oh no, a fashion designer!

When she first heard about her sister from Hua Qiling, Luo Yan’s impression of Hua Qingling was only that of a “gentle and kind tailor.”

Although the later Hua Qingling was completely different from this impression, clearly, Chris only seemed to know Sister Qingling as a tailor.

“Don’t worry, Miss Chris,” Luo Yan said in as gentle a tone as possible to soothe Chris. “Everyone has another side, and Sister Qingling is no exception. She also has a side you haven’t seen… She does do that kind of thing.”

“That kind of thing” referred to taking commissions.

“Nonsense, Sister Qingling… how much does she charge per time?” Chris asked inexplicably, then immediately stamped her foot and said angrily, “Impossible, absolutely impossible! Sister Qingling… impossible!”

“I remember she said, from one hundred to ten thousand Nos, she’s taken them all.”

Luo Yan recalled, mainly depending on the difficulty of the task.

However, generally speaking, Hua Qingling only took on Calamity-related tasks. She never took on escort missions, which other adventurers often accepted.

But Chris was already enraged and rushed over to attack Luo Yan,

“Shut up! Sister Qingling wouldn’t be that cheap… no, she wouldn’t do that kind of thing!”

Seeing this, the butler, who had been secretly watching, immediately rushed over and held Chris back, preventing her from further losing her composure.

The surrounding nobles watched the scene with interest. After all, it wasn’t often that they saw nobles from Noah quarreling, especially Miss Chris. This was the first time she had lost her composure so badly in public.

Fortunately, this banquet was relatively private, and no one would go around gossiping, but some rumors were unavoidable.

“Shocking! National idol Miss Chris publicly loses her temper at a man, and the reason is this!”

This kind of news would definitely appear.

“I’ll kill you! Kill you!”

Chris was furious, and Luo Yan was bewildered.

Although the butler held Chris back, preventing her from rushing over and beating up Luo Yan, the look in her eyes towards Luo Yan clearly showed displeasure.

She had heard Luo Yan’s words. Because of Chris’s relationship with Hua Qingling, this butler, also a young woman, had a very good impression of that well-mannered and elegant older sister.

Hearing these “slanderous” words, the butler also felt angry. How could Sister Qingling do that kind of thing!

The small interlude at the banquet seemed to be escalating. At this time, the host of the banquet finally stepped forward.

“Alright, alright, this gentleman, and Miss Chris, you two seem to have some unpleasant dispute… But the banquet is still going on, you can’t disturb everyone’s mood, can you?”

Count Spencer, wearing a monocle, stepped forward, nodded to Luo Yan, and then looked at Chris,

“Miss Chris, would you give me some face?”

“Hmph!”

No matter how temperamental Chris was, she knew her limits at this time and could only suppress her anger.

“Thank you for your understanding, Miss Chris,” Count Spencer smiled slightly, then looked at Luo Yan. “As for this gentleman… by the way, how should I address you?”

He sized up Luo Yan through his monocle, hiding his surprise.

Because even he hadn’t noticed Luo Yan’s presence until Norian appeared just now.

This was definitely some kind of special ability.

“Luo Yan,” Luo Yan was quite straightforward and didn’t want to make up a fake name. “Just call me Luo Yan.”

It seemed like an ordinary name. The nobles watching thought that perhaps there was a prominent family with the surname Luo, but after careful recollection, they couldn’t find one.

However, two people’s expressions changed when they heard this name.

“Luo, Luo Yan?”

Chris was stunned. She stared blankly at Luo Yan and rubbed her eyes.

“You’re Luo Yan?”

Chris murmured in a daze.

“You know me?” Luo Yan looked at Chris and asked curiously. “Or did Sister Qingling mention me to you? No, that’s not right, when she met you, she shouldn’t have known me yet.”

She didn’t know her, but she knew of her.

Chris knew who Luo Yan was.

She knew.

But… wasn’t Luo Yan a woman?

Why did she appear at the banquet in this form again…

The scene slowly emerged in Chris’s mind. The silver-haired girl quietly opened the window, a look of surprise on her beautiful face, her pale red eyes like autumn water, gazing at her as if to drown her in the deep sea.

An unspeakable fear welled up in her heart. If she continued to look, a permanent mental scar might be left, and she would never be able to escape the fear brought by those eyes for the rest of her life.

But fortunately, another voice sounded, allowing her to break free from this fear and escape.

Indeed, the mysterious shadow who had been peeping at Luo Yan outside was Chris.

Besides the few identities known to the public, she had another identity that could never be revealed, that of a Shadow Guard.

A secret guard belonging only to the Eleventh Saint, “Shadow.”

In fact, the Lequista family had been hereditary guards of “Shadow” for generations, serving several generations of Saints “Shadow.” The current “Shadow” was the sixth generation.

Chris’s intention in acting secretly wasn’t to monitor Luo Yan; her target was Hua Qingling… but not because she was a pervert, but out of concern.

The fact that Hua Qingling was with “Luo Yan,” the source of the incident in the forest outside the city, wasn’t a secret to the Shadow Guards.

In Chris’s view, this was very dangerous for Hua Qingling, but no information could be transmitted from Restricted Zone Seven, which was completely isolated, so she could only act secretly.

The special Shadow Guard uniform could erase all her aura and hide any features that might reveal her identity. Coupled with years of secret training, Chris was able to approach the apartment without Luo Yan and Hua Qingling noticing.

Unfortunately, due to a series of coincidences, Chris was still discovered by Luo Yan.

At that time, Luo Yan couldn’t recognize Chris; she was just curious why Chris had such a strange reaction when she heard her name.

Luo Yan couldn’t understand Chris more and more…

On the other side, there was another person who reacted to Luo Yan’s name.

Count Spencer.

His pupils constricted violently, and after staring at Luo Yan for a while, he inconspicuously looked away.

“Alright, Mr. Luo Yan,” Count Spencer used the reflection of his monocle to conceal where his gaze fell. “Please continue to enjoy the banquet. The Spencer family will do its utmost to satisfy every guest… including you, of course.”

“Mm.”

Luo Yan had heard this kind of polite remark many times, so she just nodded and didn’t say anything more.

Count Spencer bowed slightly and retreated again, but his steps seemed somewhat hurried.

On the other side, the stunned Chris was easily dragged away by her butler, without even resisting.

After this little interlude ended, the gazes falling on Luo Yan suddenly increased, but… as long as no one with a strong presence continued to talk to Luo Yan, it was still easy for her to hide.

Soon, the black-haired young man once again disappeared from everyone’s sight like an illusion, no matter how hard they searched, they couldn’t find him again.

……

The smile on Count Spencer’s face quickly faded as he returned to his room with a serious expression.

He dismissed the servants in the room and told everyone not to approach, then solemnly took out a coin.

It was an ancient coin, engraved with characters not belonging to this era, and strange patterns.

A bizarre mechanical flying machine, and a dazzling starry sky.

This was the common currency of the Old Era. In the New Era, due to the Calamity Tide, the sky had become an absolute forbidden zone. The current humans had neither the ability nor the resources to research how to travel above the stars.

Count Spencer looked at the coin, took a deep breath, and flicked it with his finger,

“When the truth is revealed, the day the Gods return… Praise the Gods.”

The coin hovered in mid-air, and a hoarse voice came from it,

“What is it, Count Spencer.”

“…I’ve seen her.” Count Spencer said in a deep voice. “She wasn’t in Restricted Zone Seven. She’s at the noble banquet I’m holding in Spencer Manor right now!”

Norian hadn’t expected… no, no one would have expected that Count Spencer was also a member of the Church of the End Gods.

No one could, or would dare to believe, that Count Spencer, a descendant of a thousand-year-old noble family, would actually join… a cult.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 14 A Flurry of Anomalies

Back at the noble banquet, while Luo Yan and Tina were chatting pleasantly, Tina’s expression suddenly changed.

“What’s wrong, Ms. Tina?”

Luo Yan noticed Tina’s unusual expression and asked with concern.

“They’ve started? Why would they choose this time…”

Tina murmured in disbelief.

“Hmm?”

Luo Yan blinked.

“…Apologies, Mr. Luo Yan,” Tina took a deep breath and steadied her expression. “There’s an emergency I need to deal with. I enjoyed our conversation today, and I look forward to our next meeting.”

After quickly finishing the remaining pleasantries, Tina hurriedly left without even waiting to say goodbye to Luo Yan.

Her close-fitting suit dress didn’t hinder her movements at all, and soon, her figure disappeared among the nobles.

“So… sudden?”

Luo Yan picked up her glass and took another small sip.

It had to be said that, although she hadn’t been used to the slightly bitter and burning taste at first, after drinking more, it seemed acceptable.

However, Luo Yan still couldn’t understand why anyone would be obsessed with this stuff. She was just trying it out of curiosity for new things.

Compared to “drinking,” she was more interested in the process of mixing drinks. Using techniques and combinations to create different flavors with the same ingredients was very interesting.

Unfortunately, before Luo Yan could continue mixing the next cocktail, Norian hurried over.

He paced around the bar counter, his anxious expression suggesting he wanted to jump off a building, even with a hint of panic, but he still couldn’t find Luo Yan.

The “Envy” threshold Luo Yan used to hide her presence was set very high. Even if someone deliberately searched for her, before she spoke, no one would be able to notice her.

“Magistrate Norian, are you looking for me?” Luo Yan said softly, finally allowing Norian’s diverted attention to focus on her.

At the same time, the nobles who were secretly observing Norian saw Luo Yan for the first time. They were puzzled by this mysterious young man who had appeared at the banquet at some unknown point.

Not only because Norian had rushed over to find him, but more importantly… the banquet had been going on for a while, and no one had seen him before!

Feeling the intense gazes of so many people for the first time, Luo Yan felt a little uncomfortable, but she still didn’t use her ability.

Because her presence was too strong now, if she forcibly weakened it, she would have to actually use “Envy” on everyone present.

This was a demonic power that distorted souls and wills. It was hard to estimate what would happen if she used it, so Luo Yan could only endure it for the time being.

…Sister Qingling wasn’t having an easy time just now either.

Luo Yan, who empathized with Hua Qingling due to the coincidental circumstances, thought so.

“Hmm?!” Norian looked over and saw that Luo Yan was still obediently staying near the bar counter as before, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Miss Luo Yan, it’s good that you haven’t left.”

“What happened?” Luo Yan asked curiously. “Just now… someone else was also in such a hurry. Did something happen in Lannister?”

She didn’t mention Tina. Clearly, from Norian’s words earlier, when Chris was giving her closing remarks, he clearly didn’t know that Chris’s mother, Tina, had also come to Lannister.

Since Tina didn’t intend to reveal her presence, Luo Yan naturally had to respect her wishes.

“Who… was in a hurry?” Norian was stunned for a moment, but didn’t pursue it further. Instead, he composed himself and replied, “Indeed, a very serious incident has occurred… I kept suspecting you were involved, but from the looks of it, you really weren’t.”

“What…”

Norian didn’t explain immediately. He looked around, and his voice sounded directly in Luo Yan’s mind,

“Miss Luo Yan, have you heard of… the Church of the End Gods?”

When he said the name of the church to Luo Yan, Norian was a little nervous, worried that something unexpected would happen to her after she heard it, after all, her existence was too special.

Moreover, there were many people at the banquet, and Norian didn’t dare to directly say the name that put the nobles on edge, so he could only use this method of mental communication to talk to Luo Yan.

…He was a “Peril” level ability user, after all, although this “Peril” level had some water in it, and he might not even be a match for a stronger “Ruin” level ability user.

“What?” Luo Yan was a little puzzled. “It sounds… like a cult?”

“Yes, they refer to the ten Primordial Demons as ‘Gods’ and have been trying to destroy the entire world, even in the nearly thousand years since the Primordial Demons have all fallen silent, they haven’t stopped trying.”

Seeing Luo Yan’s reaction, Norian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then explained to her.

It was good that Miss Luo Yan hadn’t come into contact with the Church of the End Gods, otherwise something might really happen…

Thinking of the terrifying aura that had appeared in the forest outside the city, if that thing were to appear in the core area of Lannister, it would really be the end.

“Gods…”

Luo Yan suddenly recalled the Witch of Envy’s title for her, and her expression immediately turned strange.

“Anyway, they suddenly started taking action in Lannister, and reports have come in from various districts,” Norian didn’t notice Luo Yan’s expression and continued seriously. “Granny Zoya, whom I entrusted to investigate your residence, has already encountered their Bishop-level figure and can’t get away now.”

Now he was glad that Luo Yan had secretly left Restricted Zone Seven. If she hadn’t left, Granny Zoya definitely wouldn’t have gone to investigate there, and wouldn’t have encountered Hamid head-on.

What was even more terrifying was that Hamid would have directly encountered Luo Yan. The consequences of that situation were unimaginable.

At this moment, Granny Zoya’s battle with the Bishop of the Church of the End Gods in Restricted Zone Seven was deliberately confined to a certain range by her to prevent it from affecting Lannister.

However, Bishop Hamid Surian was from the same era as Granny Zoya, and his strength back then was even greater than hers.

Coupled with the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror” descending upon Hamid, even though Granny Zoya had the support of Lannister’s “Ember Cluster” and had reached the “Destruction” level, the pinnacle of human limits, this was all she could do.

When Hamid decided to unleash this destruction, the followers of the Church of the End Gods, who had been waiting for a long time, appeared one after another. Several “Ruin” level Calamity warnings were issued from various districts in an instant, and even “Peril” level warnings near the core area.

“Apologies, Miss Luo Yan, due to these incidents, you cannot leave here for the time being.” Norian continued mentally. “I will organize a team to deal with this trouble. Since these matters have nothing to do with you, please don’t interfere with Lannister’s actions, even help is unnecessary.”

Luo Yan herself was a risk. The situation in Lannister was different from Yan City. They weren’t lacking in powerful forces and didn’t need to desperately send out even Luo Yan.

“Mm, I understand.”

Luo Yan nodded. Actually, since a while ago, she had vaguely sensed a familiar aura appearing in Lannister.

Now that she thought about it, it was somewhat similar to the Witch of Envy; it should be another Primordial Demon.

“I’ve already commissioned Miss Hua Qingling. Her combat power is very important to Lannister. This is a very standard employment procedure,” Norian continued. “I’m informing you of this to avoid any misunderstandings.”

“What misunderstandings?”

“…Forget it.”

Looking at Luo Yan’s puzzled expression, Norian felt like he had wasted his breath. She didn’t seem to care about Hua Qingling.

“Sister Qingling is short of money, it’s normal for her to take commissions, I know.”

Seeing Norian’s choked expression, Luo Yan knew that this old gentleman was once again treating her as someone with a strange temper.

But this was understandable. Norian was cautious by nature and always considered everything as thoroughly as possible.

“Mm, since Miss Luo Yan is so understanding, Lannister will express its gratitude.” Norian nodded and said, “The situation is urgent, I have to leave immediately to deal with this matter.”

Norian didn’t continue with the pleasantries and turned to leave after explaining the situation.

These conversations were all done through mental communication. To others, it looked like Norian had just exchanged a few glances with Luo Yan before turning to leave.

Of course, these nobles weren’t ignorant; they knew about mental communication.

What was so important that the Chief Magistrate of the Lannister Council of Elders needed to convey it in such a secretive manner?

The nobles became serious. They didn’t know what was happening outside at the moment. Norian had quietly sealed off the entire banquet hall; no information could enter or leave.

This was a lesson learned from the previous incident in the forest outside the city. Never trust these nobles; they were the first to run when something happened, which would only cause more serious chaos.

Lannister was far from its demise, and now they had to unite to face this difficult situation.

Just as these nobles were puzzled and planning to find an opportunity to talk to the black-haired young man, they found that he had disappeared.

Within the hall, they couldn’t find him anywhere.

……

Of course, Luo Yan hadn’t left the banquet hall; she had just found an opportunity to use “Envy” again for cognitive distortion.

She wasn’t used to attracting attention; over the years, Luo Yan had become accustomed to being alone.

Luo Yan sat back at the bar counter, but she was no longer in the mood to mix cocktails.

The “Church of the End Gods” that Norian mentioned made her inexplicably think of the Witch of Envy. In the Endless Void, she had revealed her true name.

“Hope.”

Regarded as the culprit behind the destruction of the world, one of the creators of the Calamity Tide, the true name of the conceptual entity of the Witch of Envy actually represented hope.

“Gods…?”

Luo Yan pondered the meaning of this title. Coupled with the words the Witch of Envy had declared to her, she vaguely grasped some unclear information.

“It seems that this cult called the ‘Church of the End Gods’ might really know something.”

However, Luo Yan didn’t intend to look for them.

Admittedly, perhaps these commonly perceived cultists didn’t devote themselves to the Primordial Demons just for selfish desires or the pursuit of power.

They had their own ideals, their own pursuits, that led them to side with the so-called “Gods.”

However, these motives or reasons didn’t change the nature of their actions. The Church of the End Gods was indeed acting to destroy human civilization, and the countless tragedies recorded in the archives proved this point.

Just as Luo Yan felt she was lost in thought, a figure unknowingly approached her, its gaze finally focusing on her with great effort.

At this moment, the uncomfortable feeling of being the center of attention descended once again, and Luo Yan shuddered involuntarily.

“Hey, you… where’s Sister Qingling?”

A familiar, arrogant voice rang out. Luo Yan turned her head and saw Chris looking at her with her arms crossed, a hint of difficulty and obscurity in her eyes.

…Chris had barely broken through the cognitive distortion set by Luo Yan, and because she herself had been under the close attention of other nobles, Luo Yan was once again exposed at this moment.

“Huh?”

Luo Yan was a little surprised. She was quite confident in “Envy”; this was the first time it had been broken through… the second time?

Tina seemed to have broken through it once just now.

It seemed that the Lequista family’s inherited ability did have something unique about it.

“I want to ask, where did Sister Qingling go? I still have something to ask her.” Chris suppressed her displeasure and asked again in a deep voice. “And didn’t you go back? Why are you still… here?”

After quickly ending the tedious and uninteresting socializing with those nobles, she wanted to find Hua Qingling.

It was a rare encounter, and Chris wanted to spend more time with Hua Qingling.

But for some reason, she couldn’t find her. Chris even secretly used her ability, “Siren’s Song,” to search for Hua Qingling, but to no avail.

However, it wasn’t entirely fruitless.

In the feedback from “Siren’s Song,” an abnormal mental fluctuation appeared in the banquet hall, forming a strange void.

So, Chris came looking and, using the soul perception commonly used by mental ability users, finally discovered Luo Yan’s presence.

“Something happened at my residence, so I can’t go back for now.”

Luo Yan replied, looking curiously at this famous idol and young lady of the Free Federation.

Even though the other party clearly had hostility towards her, for some reason, she still hadn’t expressed it directly.

…Luo Yan didn’t know what was considered proper aristocratic elegance and upbringing, although most of the time, it was just for show, and in private, these nobles weren’t exactly clean.

“As for Sister Qingling, she took a commission from Magistrate Norian and left earlier.”

“Le-, Left?”

Chris immediately deflated, then glanced at Luo Yan, who still had an indifferent expression, and frowned slightly.

Wait, wasn’t this guy a man?

When ordinary men saw her face, shouldn’t their reaction be different…

Witch’s Night: Chapter 13 The Sovereign of Terror

When did it begin?

Cecilia opened her eyes. After the medicine took effect, the burning pain in her body subsided slightly.

But when she moved her limbs, Cecilia could still feel a faint stinging pain in her blood vessels, as if boiling magma was flowing through them.

“Bishop… Grandpa?”

Cecilia struggled to sit up from the bed, her skin an unhealthy pale white, and her thin, petite body made her look frail.

There was no one in the room; Grandpa Bishop seemed to have left.

“Grandpa Bishop, has he gone to destroy civilization…”

Cecilia supported herself against the wall, slowly shuffling forward step by step, each step as if walking on the tip of a blade.

A piercing pain shot through her body, which was constantly crying out in protest. Cecilia’s small face was almost crumpled in pain, but she didn’t cry.

Because Grandpa Bishop had said that crying… would make it hurt more, and become more serious.

Actually, Cecilia knew Grandpa Bishop was lying to her, but she didn’t want to disappoint him, so she persisted and didn’t cry.

Cecilia walked to the window. Near the window was a high chair with a small ladder attached, specially prepared by the Bishop for Cecilia, so she could look out the window whenever she wanted.

The Bishop hadn’t deliberately confined Cecilia, but due to her constitution, not to mention going out, even the ten to twenty meters from the bed to the window was extremely difficult for her, especially when she was having an episode.

The crowds outside the window were still bustling. The three-story house the Bishop bought was located in one of the most inconspicuous districts of Lannister, and he had specifically chosen a location near the market.

Therefore, the surrounding environment looked no different from Yan City.

Cecilia skillfully climbed onto the high chair using the small ladder and looked out the window, resting her chin on her hand.

The hawkers’ cries, the chaotic noise, the aroma of food mixed with the stench of various livestock wafted in. Cecilia observed all this with a hint of yearning.

In reality, she didn’t understand the concept of destroying civilization and saving the world that Grandpa Bishop and the strange uncles and aunts talked about.

But Grandpa Bishop was a good person, and he was very good to her, so Cecilia thought it must be a good thing.

She hadn’t received any education and rarely saw the outside world, having spent more than half of her seven or eight years of life in pain.

Cecilia always felt like she was going to die, but Grandpa Bishop always said no, as long as Cecilia was obedient, everything would be alright.

Would it… really?

Cecilia tilted her small head back, looking into the distance, extending her small, childish hand towards the unknown.

She seemed to be trying to grasp something.

But she couldn’t grasp anything.

……

“Bishop, is it really alright to leave Cecilia alone at the base?”

Cronin, who was accompanying him, frowned. “Her body is like a lit bomb, ready to explode at any moment… But the place she’s in is the least important part of Lannister.”

Cronin wasn’t worried about whether Cecilia would lose control, but rather that the location of the loss of control wasn’t important enough to cause unbearable damage to Lannister.

“Cronin, please watch your words.”

The Bishop glanced at Cronin with his hands behind his back.

“Cecilia doesn’t belong to you or me, nor was she born for the Church of the End Gods. She is her own person.

“She is just a fellow traveler who seeks the will of the Gods with us. We cannot control her at will; her power should be used according to her own wishes.”

“Apologies… Bishop, I was reckless.” Cronin quickly lowered his head. “But, she…”

“Cecilia will take care of herself. Please put away your unnecessary worries,” the Bishop said in a deep voice, his expression serious. “And don’t forget the purpose of our trip… She may be the only person in this world besides me who has seen the Gods with her own eyes.”

The Bishop and Cronin were hurrying along the road, heading towards Restricted Zone Seven.

Clearly, they were going to find Luo Yan.

Through their inside contact within the Lannister Council of Elders, the Church of the End Gods was actually more aware of the inside story of this matter than most Lannister nobles, instead of mistaking Luo Yan for some illegitimate daughter. It had to be said that this was quite ironic.

As they got closer to Restricted Zone Seven, the number of pedestrians gradually decreased, and they occasionally saw Lannister city guards on alert, and fully armed ability user squads patrolling.

But no one noticed the Bishop and Cronin. It was as if they were shrouded in some strange force field, deflecting everyone’s gaze.

—”Sovereign of Defilement.” This was Cronin’s belief, also known as the “Saint of Fortitude” within the Church of the End Gods, the counterpart to the “God of Hope,” the “Witch of Envy.”

Similar to “Envy,” the power of “Defilement” was also mental, but it took a completely different path.

The essence of “Envy” was to rewrite the soul and will, while “Defilement” was another extreme, erasing the soul and will, leaving only an empty shell, a walking corpse.

To be precise, it was more like Grifres’ type of mental ability, more offensive.

However, even so, Cronin could still use some techniques common to mental abilities.

If Luo Yan were here, she would discover that the effect of Cronin using the power of “Defilement” was almost the same as her Life Hacks.

The difference was that Cronin used “Defilement” to erase his and the Bishop’s presence, rather than distorting others’ perceptions like Luo Yan.

In short, with Cronin’s ability, the two quickly arrived at Restricted Zone Seven.

Before they started their operation, the Bishop had already consulted their inside contact in the Council of Elders. Restricted Zone Seven was under Norian’s highest order, meaning even he himself couldn’t enter.

The only way to lift the restriction was when the Saint arrived in Lannister.

But this situation, on the contrary, created an opportunity for the Church of the End Gods.

Since there wouldn’t be anyone else in Restricted Zone Seven, they could more confidently contact this mysterious girl named “Luo Yan.”

The Bishop believed that Miss Luo Yan had already seen the Gods and should also be aware of the truth behind the Gods.

And everyone who had seen the truth had become a fellow traveler of the Church of the End Gods, acting to destroy civilization and save the world.

Even the senior Elder of the Council of Elders, after witnessing the terrifying and tragic truth of this world, had made the same correct choice and abandoned the current erroneous prosperity and continuation.

Because there was a mole in Lannister, the Church of the End Gods had long ago grasped Lannister’s most important city defense deployments.

This included the defensive forces of Restricted Zone Seven, which had been delivered to the Bishop immediately.

They avoided the patrolling guards as much as possible, and when they inevitably encountered them, they managed to evade them with the demonic power invoked through Cronin’s prayers.

Cronin’s use of demonic power was far inferior to Luo Yan’s; it was best not to use it continuously for too long, otherwise it would be easy to be detected.

If it were Luo Yan, she could dance in front of these guards, and no one would see her. Only mental ability users above “Peril” level or “Destruction” level ability users could break through her cognitive barrier.

Just like that, the Bishop and Cronin finally stepped into this restricted zone, barred to all. Not far ahead was an apartment building, not luxurious but quite refined.

“Bishop, something’s strange.” Cronin looked up at the apartment, a flicker of black flashing through his eyes almost imperceptibly. “I don’t sense the presence of the Gods here, only some faint residual power scattered around… Did she leave?”

“Could it be, as we thought, that the Lord has already descended upon this world through her? Is that why… she secretly left?”

The Bishop’s perception was exactly the same as Cronin’s, but he was equally puzzled.

“No, the Lord couldn’t have secretly left Lannister. As long as She descends, the tens of thousands of followers in Lannister are Her source of power, more than enough to destroy the entire city.”

With the Lord’s power, even a tiny fragment of it could cause at least a “Peril” level or higher Calamity, let alone the terrifying aura sensed in the forest outside the city before.

Coupled with the followers who had been rooted in Lannister for many years, annihilating a mere Lannister was nothing.

No matter what, even if the Bishop and Cronin had more questions, this trip was in vain.

“Let’s leave for now,” the Bishop had a bad premonition. “This place isn’t safe. If we can’t see her, leave quickly… Don’t be discovered by Lannister.”

But as soon as the Bishop finished speaking, a cold, raspy voice sounded from beside them,

“Too late, Hamid Surian, it really was you causing trouble.”

“We’ve been discovered!”

Hearing this voice, Cronin didn’t hesitate to attack.

His eyes were like black smoke, and he chanted in a low voice,

“I pray to my Lord… for a miracle…”

As the prayer sounded, thick, almost solid black smoke formed in Cronin’s hands, and then, with lightning speed, dozens of black arrows shot out, directly at the source of the voice.

Somewhat similar to Grifres’ Soul Spear, this was an attack targeting the mind, impossible to defend against.

Cronin’s ingenious attack using the power of “Defilement,” even experts above “Peril” level could be instantly killed if they were careless.

Unfortunately… he was facing a “Destruction” level ability user, far stronger than a “Peril” level one.

A withered hand waved seemingly casually, and these deadly black smoke arrows instantly vanished into thin air.

“…Zoya Sivir, how many years has it been since we last met?”

The Bishop—Hamid Surian—looked at the equally aged figure in front of him and said in a deep voice.

“Two or three hundred years, I can’t remember clearly anymore.” Granny Zoya slowly walked out, her slightly cloudy gaze falling on the shocked Cronin. “Unorthodox methods, using the evil power of the ‘Demons’ in this way, I’m afraid your days are numbered.”

Even those born as God’s Chosen could hardly bear the innate demonic power, let alone Cronin, who forced demonic power into his body using special methods.

The last one to do this was called Frick.

“To realize the hopes of the ‘Gods,’ it’s just a mere life.” Cronin said in a low voice, not shaken by Granny Zoya’s words.

“The followers of the Church of the End Gods are still as crazy as ever… And you, Hamid,” Zoya looked at Hamid. “You were the most talented among us back then, and the one with the most hope of competing for the position of Saint.

“I thought you took this evil path because you were bewitched by demons, but even now, after hundreds of years… you seem very lucid, lucidly mad.”

“Zoya, if your eyes had witnessed the truth above the starry sky with me, you would have taken the same path as me.” Hamid sighed. “This season of civilization has been going against the proper course for too long. If it continues… we will only face a future of despair.”

Zoya sneered and said coldly,

“Hamid, you’re crazy, and you have your reasons, but that doesn’t mean I’ll go crazy with you… Since you’re here, don’t even think about escaping.”

Invisible mental waves spread, enveloping the entire Restricted Zone Seven.

She had been entrusted by Norian to investigate the situation in Restricted Zone Seven, but she encountered this old acquaintance whom she hadn’t seen for hundreds of years.

She had previously judged that the inexplicably appearing peeper was from the Church of the End Gods. Now that even Hamid had appeared here, it was most likely their doing.

“It seems you’ve been waiting for me… Is this a trap?”

Hamid sighed deeply, slowly raised his hand, and created a safe area within this zone filled with mental waves.

“Forget it, whether it’s a trap or a deception… Since I’ve already come this far, it wouldn’t hurt to bring a new wave of destruction according to the Gods’ hopes.”

As his voice fell, Hamid’s cloudy eyes lost all their luster, leaving only an indifferent coldness. Almost all his emotions and feelings disappeared at this moment.

“Sovereign of Terror… you really have devoted yourself entirely to the Primordial Demon, Hamid.” A sharp glint flashed in Granny Zoya’s eyes, and her pupils constricted violently. “And, you’ve actually become a Devil’s Apostle… Are you the only Devil’s Apostle left in the world today?”

But the current Hamid could no longer answer Granny Zoya’s question. The moment he released this state and merged with the avatar of the “Sovereign of Terror,” he had transcended humanity, becoming more of a conceptual existence.

Before this, Cronin, who had been accompanying Hamid, had been sent away in advance, to gather all the followers of the Church of the End Gods in Lannister, to welcome this destruction offered to the Gods.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 12 …An Illegitimate Daughter?

“This song is dedicated to the esteemed Chief Magistrate of the Lannister Council of Elders, Magistrate Norian. My mother asked me to send her regards.”

Chris lifted the hem of her skirt and elegantly curtsied to Norian.

It could be said that the reason she appeared at this banquet and offered her most precious healing song was entirely due to Norian’s considerable influence.

The other nobles here were merely basking in Norian’s reflected glory. Without Norian, even if Chris accepted the invitation to attend the banquet, she would absolutely not have used her ability in this way.

After all, Chris wasn’t just an ordinary idol; her background was more substantial than most of the nobles present. Being an idol was purely a personal hobby.

“Please send my regards to Ms. Tina and the Lequista family as well,” Norian said with a smile. “May the friendship between Lannister and the Lequista family last forever.”

The other nobles in the banquet hall also began their aristocratic greetings, and Chris responded to each one with a proper and elegant smile.

On the other side, Luo Yan and Tina were still making small talk.

“However, I’m more curious about how Miss Chris knows Sister Qingling,” Luo Yan asked. “Sister Qingling said that Miss Chris especially likes the clothes she designs, and that’s how they met, but I always felt something was strange.”

“Is there such a thing?” Tina replied subconsciously.

“Huh?”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Tina looked puzzled. “What clothes, what designs… Chris never told me about these things.”

“Sister Qingling is a fashion designer.”

“…Ah?” Tina paused for a moment before continuing, “Isn’t Hua Qingling… a ranger?”

“She… sort of is?”

For a moment, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed, not knowing what the other was talking about.

“Chris always tells me about her ranger exploits, I’ve never heard of any designing or clothes…”

Tina exhaled and said, “But I don’t know the specifics. She’s my daughter, not me.”

“Oh, I see.”

Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully. This matter really wasn’t that simple; Hua Qingling and Chris definitely had something going on.

Meanwhile, Chris’s formal performance had ended, and many nobles quickly surrounded her, wanting to build a good relationship with the second daughter of the Lequista family from Noah.

Unfortunately, Chris had no interest in them. After a hurried response, her eyes quickly searched the banquet hall.

Soon, she saw Hua Qingling chatting with Norian, the two looking like they were having a pleasant conversation.

“Sister Qingling!”

Chris immediately lifted the hem of her skirt and ran over.

Her cheerful call once again drew everyone’s attention to Hua Qingling. They quickly recognized her as the young woman Norian had excused himself from the other nobles to meet earlier.

Hua Qingling was happily chatting with Norian about the details of the “Norian Reform” when she heard a familiar call from beside her. Turning her head, she saw Chris running towards her, completely disregarding her image.

“Oh, you know each other?”

Norian was a little surprised, because he knew Hua Qingling’s background, which was why he was surprised.

“Mm-hmm, hello Uncle Norian,” Chris didn’t have to address him as “Magistrate” in private and could be more natural. “Sister Qingling, what are you talking about? And…”

She looked around vigilantly, but didn’t see the strange black-haired young man again.

At this moment, Chris looked just like a small, alert bird, making Norian chuckle.

“Since you’re old friends, I, an old man, won’t disturb your rare reunion, little girls.”

Norian said cheerfully, then looked at Hua Qingling. “Qingling, I’ve taken note of your questions. I’ll explain them to you in detail when I have the opportunity next time.”

“Thank you, Magistrate Norian. Please take your time.”

Hua Qingling didn’t press the matter and nodded.

After Norian finished speaking, he hurriedly left. The banquet would continue for a while longer, and he still wanted to chat with a few more of Lannister’s outstanding young talents.

“Did… I interrupt your conversation with Uncle Norian?”

Looking at Norian’s back, Chris shrank her head. She just wanted to find Sister Qingling, but she didn’t expect Sister Qingling to be busy…

“It’s alright. Since I’ve already met with Magistrate Norian, this opportunity isn’t so important.” A proper smile appeared on Hua Qingling’s face. “Moreover, accompanying Miss Chris is just as important as talking with Magistrate Norian.”

“Eh, really? Hehe…”

Chris smiled, looking like a silly deer.

However, every time Hua Qingling saw Chris, she always liked to smile like this, so she was used to it.

But the nobles who occasionally glanced over were all shocked. In an instant, more gazes focused on Hua Qingling, secretly speculating about the identity of this petite woman.

Hua Qingling: “…”

Why did she feel a chill again?

“By the way, where is the gentleman beside Sister Qingling?” Chris’s small face tightened as she looked around. “Did he leave?”

“She… ah, he left temporarily, yes.”

A fleeting panic flashed across Hua Qingling’s face; she almost let it slip.

But it was almost the same… Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have any intention of concealing her identity from the beginning.

“Phew, Sister Qingling, what’s your relationship with him? You seem quite close.”

Chris sniffed, discerning a scent on Hua Qingling that didn’t belong to her.

But… it seemed quite fragrant?

A faint, refreshing fragrance.

Damn it, weren’t men all smelly?

“We’re very good friends,” Hua Qingling replied. “What’s wrong, Miss Chris?”

“No-, Nothing… just curious.”

Chris immediately put away her expression, slightly turning her face to hide the blush that appeared.

“There’s nothing to be curious about. Mainly, his situation is rather complicated, it’s not convenient to say more.” Hua Qingling said with a chuckle. “If you have the opportunity to meet him, you’ll also find him very pleasant to be around. He always gives people around him a sense of security.”

“Humph… no way.”

Chris pouted in displeasure. The more Hua Qingling praised that young man, the more annoyed she felt.

Moreover, these gloves of hers had held his hand… She had to remember to throw them away when she got back!

No, she had to burn them in the furnace until they were completely gone!

Chris thought fiercely, a look of resentment appearing on her face, making Hua Qingling a little confused.

“Did… he offend you?”

After several times, even if Hua Qingling were foolish, she could see that Chris disliked Luo Yan very much.

Hua Qingling thought that Miss Luo Yan didn’t seem to have appeared in that form before, let alone the fact that Miss Luo Yan didn’t know Chris at all before this. How could they have such ill fate?

—The ill fate stemmed from Hua Qingling.

“Um… Sister Qingling, let’s not talk about this anymore,” Chris also realized that her hostility was a bit too obvious and quickly changed the subject. “When will Sister Qingling have time to make me some more clothes? I want to wear new clothes again!”

“…I just made ten sets for you three months ago, right? Are you tired of them already?”

Hua Qingling was a little troubled. At that time, she had been extremely short of money, even more so than usual, so she had forced herself to find time to take Chris’s order.

Even for her, designing ten sets of clothes in different styles was quite exhausting, and it took her half a month to complete Chris’s order.

Although the reward afterwards was quite generous, and the meal Chris treated her to at the high-end restaurant was so expensive that she still trembled slightly when she thought about it.

Well, thinking about it carefully, it wasn’t bad, and her current financial situation wasn’t much better than it was back then…

“No, no, I’m not tired of them,” Chris opened her arms and patted her Lolita dress. “Look, I’m still wearing them. I just want to wear more clothes designed by Sister Qingling, so… another hundred sets!”

“…How about five sets?”

“More, Sister Qingling, I have money!” Chris patted her slightly puffed-out chest, although her money wasn’t kept there. “Not to mention the Lequista family, I myself am very rich!”

As a top idol, the second daughter of a super prominent family, and with the special healing effect of her mental singing, Chris’s appearance fees were high enough to make Hua Qingling faint at least ten times.

But even so, getting Chris to appear was a rare opportunity, requiring considerable influence.

So… Miss Chris, rich woman, food, hungry.jpg

“I know,” although Hua Qingling was inwardly groaning, her expression management was impeccable. She just said indifferently, “But I don’t have time.”

She had only heard of asking clients for more orders, not clients begging to place more orders…

Moreover, Hua Qingling wasn’t rich; she was desperately short of money.

Traveling the world sounded carefree, but food, clothing, shelter, and transportation all cost money; it was a bottomless pit.

Not to mention that Hua Qingling was unlucky and had never not been short of money.

However…

Earning money was one thing, but Hua Qingling had a mission more important than earning money.

“Five sets, no more, Miss Chris.” Hua Qingling’s heart was bleeding, crying for the money to come back, but she said calmly, “I have other things to do, please forgive me for being unable to help.”

“Okay, five sets is five sets,” Chris didn’t mind, anyway, she was just looking for an excuse to give Hua Qingling more money.

“After that, let’s do the same as before and find a place to eat, shall we? I remember there’s a very good thousand-year-old restaurant in the Lannister core district…”

“As Miss Chris wishes.”

Hua Qingling nodded reservedly, thinking how expensive it would be to eat at a thousand-year-old restaurant…

However, Hua Qingling was already used to it.

At first, out of politeness, she had wanted to refuse Chris, but Chris insisted, so she had no choice but to agree.

It had become a custom by now.

After settling this matter, Chris looked very happy.

However, unfortunately, she was, after all, invited to attend this noble banquet, and didn’t have much personal time.

Before they could chat for long, Chris’s butler hurried over and dragged her away.

Before leaving, the butler apologized to Hua Qingling. Chris still had to continue socializing. She represented the Lequista family’s image in public and absolutely couldn’t leave the impression of being arrogant and disrespectful to other nobles.

Hua Qingling watched the butler and Chris leave, sighing that it was good to be rich, and then turned to see a group of nobles staring at her intently.

“Esteemed Miss Hua Qingling, the Monte family sends their regards to you and your family. May the friendship between the Noah Holy Church and Lannister last forever.”

“…The Easton family…”

“…The Rockla family…”

Similar greetings echoed one after another. Although these nobles still maintained their aristocratic elegance and weren’t as noisy as a marketplace, it wasn’t much different.

“…What’s going on?”

But Hua Qingling listened with a bewildered expression. Apart from the names, the more she listened, the stranger it became.

She did have a family, but they had parted ways long ago.

And for the so-called prominent families of Yan City to come to Lannister… whether their noble status would be recognized or not, they would probably only be considered slightly well-off families here, not prominent enough to be called a “family.”

Let alone the Noah Holy Church mentioned later. Please, she hadn’t even been to Noah.

She wanted to go, but because it was too far, Hua Qingling didn’t have enough travel expenses…

However, Hua Qingling was completely unaware that, because of everything that had just happened, she had been given an identity that almost had nothing to do with her.

—The rumored illegitimate daughter of a certain Bishop in the Noah Holy Church.

This was a conclusion drawn from speculation and deductions based on Norian inexplicably designating Restricted Zone Seven and implementing the strictest management some time ago, along with some internal information revealing that it was to receive a mysterious girl.

This identity speculation, originally belonging to Luo Yan, had now, due to various coincidences, fallen upon Hua Qingling.

…Although it was a coincidence, it was ultimately Luo Yan who had implicated her, without either of them knowing.

“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I think you must have mistaken me for someone else…”

Hua Qingling could only reply truthfully, but unexpectedly, these nobles all showed an “I understand” expression, then repeatedly said that they had indeed mistaken her, but the greetings still continued from time to time.

Because the rumor was about an illegitimate daughter, an illegitimate daughter… These nobles understood very well; such a person couldn’t be publicly acknowledged.

But judging from Magistrate Norian and Miss Chris’s attitudes, this “illegitimate daughter” was definitely not simple, and it was always right to build a good relationship.

Thus, Hua Qingling could only continue to deal with these nobles with a bewildered expression, until Norian suddenly appeared in front of her and said with a serious expression,

“Something’s happened, Miss Hua Qingling.”

Witch’s Night: Chapter 11 Siren’s Song

Luo Yan, who was mixing drinks by herself, suddenly looked up and towards a certain direction.

In that direction, she detected a strange, familiar aura, as if she had encountered it before.

But this aura faded away in an extremely short time, at an astonishing speed, until it vanished without a trace, as if everything before had been an illusion.

“What aura is this…”

Luo Yan frowned slightly, but ultimately didn’t pursue it further.

This was Lannister, not Yan City. As a special guest, it was best for her not to get too involved in Lannister’s affairs.

However, mixing drinks was quite fun.

Luo Yan seemed to have found enjoyment, happily following the cocktail recipes on the bar counter.

Unconsciously, she had already drunk seven or eight cocktails.

A slight blush appeared on Luo Yan’s face. Fortunately, the mental strength brought by “Envy” kept her conscious.

She was drunk, but not completely drunk.

The banquet in the distance finally began, slightly piquing Luo Yan’s interest, but she still didn’t leave her seat.

Since she had promised Norian that she wouldn’t wander around, Luo Yan wouldn’t break her promise.

Just then, a cold but polite voice sounded beside Luo Yan,

“Excuse me, may I sit here?”

Luo Yan looked up and saw a very beautiful, unfamiliar woman. Her tall figure, although not comparable to the unusually tall Hua Qiling and Qin Wen, was still outstanding.

A simple suit dress looked plain and unadorned, and the expression on her face was as cold as ice, but it still couldn’t conceal her striking beauty.

If this ice-cold woman appeared in the middle of the banquet, she would surely attract everyone’s attention.

But she didn’t; she walked to the most inconspicuous bar counter at the banquet.

“Please.”

Luo Yan nodded indifferently.

After the ice-cold woman sat down, she directly picked up a glass of high-proof base liquor from the bar counter and drank it on her own, making Luo Yan stare blankly.

Noticing Luo Yan watching her, she forced a smile on her cold face,

“I prefer something pure.”

“Oh…”

Luo Yan hadn’t tried that before; pure base liquor was still a bit too stimulating for her.

“Young man, you shouldn’t have come alone, right?” The ice-cold woman put down the glass in her hand and glanced at Luo Yan seemingly casually. “Where is your companion?”

“Sister Qingling? She’s attending the banquet.” Luo Yan pointed to the lively banquet, a stark contrast to the desolate bar counter. “Due to some special reasons, I can’t move around freely.”

“…That’s a pity.”

The ice-cold woman seemed to have just asked casually and didn’t pursue it further.

“What about you?”

Out of politeness, Luo Yan returned the question.

“I…” The ice-cold woman didn’t expect Luo Yan to ask back. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “I came with my family, but I don’t want to attract too much attention, so I’m hiding here.”

“What a coincidence, me too.”

Luo Yan suddenly sighed in sympathy.

“Since that’s the case, and we’ve met by chance, it wouldn’t hurt to get to know each other.” The ice-cold woman extended her hand. “My name is Tina Enar Easton Lequista. You can just call me Tina.”

“I… Luo Yan.”

Luo Yan extended her hand, very unaccustomed to this, and shook Tina’s hand briefly.

Tina’s hand was icy cold… as cold as her appearance.

But after this short exchange, it could be seen that her personality wasn’t actually cold; she was even quite talkative.

However, when Tina heard Luo Yan say her name, her eyelids couldn’t help but twitch.

You’re really just using your real name…

Then what was the point of this disguise?

Although Luo Yan’s disguise was very effective, the cognitive distortion of “Envy” was almost seamless, Tina recognized her true identity at a glance.

Tina couldn’t see through Luo Yan’s disguise, but like the waiter before the banquet, she deduced the black-haired young man’s true identity from various details.

“Mr. Luo Yan… it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Although Tina complained inwardly, she didn’t show any unusual expression on the surface. It was just that making her icy face smile was still a bit forced.

It could only be said that it was better if she didn’t smile…

“However, Ms. Tina, your name sounds familiar.” Luo Yan touched her chin. “Such a long name…”

“Only ‘Tina’ is my name,” Tina interrupted. “Enar and Easton are my father and mother respectively, and Lequista represents my family heritage.”

“Ah, just like Miss Chris?” Luo Yan remembered. “Both are divided into several parts and are particularly long. Speaking of which, the last names are both Lequista… Could you be her older sister? No, wait…”

What was Miss Chris’s full name again?

Chris… Tina…

Tina?

“It seems you’ve already met my daughter, Chris,” Tina turned her chair slightly and looked towards the banquet. “However, I’m surprised she told you her full name.”

Still not cautious enough, Chris… Sometimes, it’s very dangerous for certain beings to know your name.

However, it could now be confirmed that Miss Luo Yan herself wasn’t dangerous.

In fact, in the eyes of Lannister and Tina, Luo Yan’s danger almost entirely stemmed from the demonic power she carried, and she herself wasn’t that important in this regard.

Whether she was kind or evil wouldn’t change the dangerous nature of the demonic power.

“…Wait, in that case, should I address you as Mrs. Lequista?”

To Tina’s surprise, this was what Luo Yan was struggling about, and her expression didn’t seem like she was joking.

“No, the head of the Lequista family has always been a woman. My husband, Mr. Easton, married into the Lequista family.” Tina explained with a faint smile.

“So, there’s no problem with you calling me Ms. Tina. If you like, you can just call me Tina. I don’t value the cumbersome etiquette of nobles.”

“That’s rare…”

Luo Yan sighed. Even in stories, it was rare for nobles to choose a woman as their heir, let alone the Lequista family, one of the three great families of Noah.

“Because the ability passed down in our family can only be inherited by women,” Tina said softly. “Although this ability is like a curse flowing in our bloodline, it has also brought endless glory to the Lequista family for nearly a thousand years.”

“What ability?” Luo Yan asked curiously, but as soon as she asked, she realized it was inappropriate and quickly covered her mouth. “So-, Sorry… I’ve overstepped.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not an overstep, Miss Luo Yan. The Lequista family’s inherited ability is not a secret.”

Tina was somewhat amused by Luo Yan’s reaction. She then raised an eyebrow and gestured for Luo Yan to look towards the banquet,

“Chris’s performance is about to begin. This is a rare opportunity, even I haven’t seen it in person for a long time.”

Luo Yan followed Tina’s gaze towards the center of the banquet.

A young woman in a Lolita-style dress stood in the very center of the banquet hall. There was no stage beneath her feet, but all the nobles had made way for her.

Therefore, Luo Yan finally saw Chris’s true appearance—when they met before, Chris had been bundled up tightly, afraid of being recognized.

Now, her long, orange-red hair cascaded down slightly, the ends in front of her chest cut short in a style known as “hime cut.”

Her features, upon closer inspection, resembled Tina’s, but lacked the icy temperament, replaced by a lightness and vitality unique to young women.

Although Luo Yan’s sense of aesthetics was as bad as ever, if there was a point of comparison, she could still judge beauty and ugliness.

“She seems to be prettier than Hua Qingling…”

Luo Yan sighed, then took a sip of the cocktail she had just mixed, nodded, and continued,

“But she still seems a bit less beautiful than the Witch of Envy… Ah, the Witch of Envy seems to look like Mrs. Natalie.”

Hearing Luo Yan’s comments, Tina almost crushed the bottle in her hand.

Although it was indeed a very happy thing to hear others praise her daughter, Miss, were these words of praise… actually praise?

She even casually mentioned the “Witch of Envy”…

This was an existence that even the Twelve Saints didn’t dare to touch lightly. Even though they knew that casually mentioning Her wouldn’t be noticed, it still made people nervous every time.

And weren’t you trying to disguise your identity, Miss?

Why did you bring this up so easily?

Tina suppressed the urge to retort that kept welling up inside her, maintaining her icy composure on the surface, although she was almost at her breaking point.

“By the way, what kind of performance is it?”

Luo Yan turned her head and asked.

“Singing. Although Chris’s singing is slightly inferior to mine, it’s still enough to make her famous throughout the Free Federation,” Tina said indifferently, but with a hint of pride in her expression. “You’ll fall in love with her voice after just one listen.”

“Singing… I can sing too.”

Luo Yan recalled the nursery rhyme she heard on the way to Lannister. She still remembered the melody and lyrics very clearly and found it very interesting.

It was just that Hua Qingling hadn’t let her sing it, so she hadn’t hummed it these days.

“No, Miss Luo Yan, Chris’s and my songs… are not ordinary songs.” Tina said in a low voice. “The women of our family, the Lequista family, have another name.

“—’Siren’.”

Chris, in the center of the hall, finally began to sing. There were no lyrics, no accompaniment, only a soft hum echoing through the hall.

In an instant, all other sounds in the hall disappeared, whether it was the chaotic noise or the whispers, all drowned out by this mesmerizing voice, feeling the comfort it brought to their minds and souls.

The nobles closed their eyes, using their whole beings to experience this singing.

But at this time, Luo Yan frowned. “There seems to be a strange mental force field around.”

“Mr. Luo Yan is a mental ability user, right?” Tina asked knowingly. “This is the mental ability passed down through the Lequista family for a thousand years. My title is ‘Siren’s Song,’ and I specialize in using singing to cast various mental abilities.

“There was a legend in the Old Era, about an extremely dangerous place called the ‘Ocean’ in the depths of the Endless Wasteland. At that time, humanity still had the ability to challenge such dangerous places.

“There was a terrifying creature called a ‘Siren’ in the Ocean. They used their beautiful singing to lure humans who challenged the Ocean into losing their way… Indeed, the Lequista family, crowned with the name ‘Siren,’ can also do this. This is our ability.”

The melodious singing spread from the banquet hall, even birds and beasts stopped for this singing, immersed in it and unable to extricate themselves.

Almost only Luo Yan and Tina weren’t affected. The latter possessed this ability herself, and a stronger version at that. Luo Yan, however, could only sense the presence of the mental force field, but wasn’t affected by it.

Seeing this, Tina’s heart sank even further.

The demonic power “Envy” possessed by the Witch of Envy was indeed the pinnacle of all mental abilities. Even “Siren’s Song,” which was considered top-tier among mental abilities, couldn’t affect her in the slightest.

“Of course, this singing is still very pleasant,” Luo Yan nodded, agreeing with Tina. “However, I should also be able to… try it?”

Unfortunately, before the eager Luo Yan could start humming, Tina quickly changed the subject,

“By the way, Mr. Luo Yan, how did you and Hua Qingling meet?”

Just a random topic…

Who knew what would happen if this girl, who possessed the demonic power “Envy,” started singing? The singing of a mental ability user could be very terrifying, especially when singing with their soul.

To stop Luo Yan from singing, Tina decisively started making small talk.

“Sister Qingling… I actually met her younger sister first,” Luo Yan was still very polite, answering Tina’s questions seriously. “A lot of things happened, but in short, her younger sister saved me, and then I met Sister Qingling.”

Tina: “…”

She answered, but not completely.

It wasn’t that Luo Yan deliberately concealed the Ghost Town incident; it was just that the incident was too complicated to explain in a few words, so she just skipped it.

Not to mention the many things she wanted to retort about the omitted parts, Tina was also relieved that she hadn’t let Miss Luo Yan sing.

At this time, Chris’s singing finally ended. The nobles opened their eyes, and warm applause filled the entire hall. Even Norian nodded with satisfaction.

His fatigue from the past few days was swept away after listening to Chris’s singing; he even had the illusion that he could continue working for another seventy-eight hours.

Chris rarely used this kind of a cappella singing to use her ability, because it consumed too much mental energy. After each time she sang, she had to rest for a long time and couldn’t use her ability.

Correspondingly to its preciousness, Chris’s “Siren’s Song” not only had a healing effect on the mind that surpassed most mental potions, but also had no side effects.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 10 God’s Chosen – Cecilia

After the Calamity Tide swept across civilization, humanity barely survived this unimaginable disaster.

But this was wrong.

Humanity shouldn’t struggle but should embrace this destruction.

A wrong continuation would only lead to wrong results, and wrong results would truly endanger the entire world.

After destruction, there is rebirth. All hope should be left to the next civilization, waiting for the dawn of victory tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years later, to finally end this cycle.

This was the oracle issued by the Gods together, but ignorant humanity couldn’t understand and was unwilling to make the great sacrifice.

The emergence of the Church of the End Gods was to guide humanity towards proper destruction, to end the wrong continuation.

“Most humans are unwilling to wake up from this beautiful dream, and we are the few who have awakened.”

An old man dressed as a farmer said in a low, hoarse voice,

“The Gods let us witness this false starry sky with our own eyes, and the truth hidden behind it.

“When the Gods slumbered in the past, we never gave up. Now the Gods have returned, it’s time for our great and tragic civilization to meet its destined destruction.

“This is our mission, for… the Gods.”

He paused, “And for humanity itself.”

“Praise the Gods.”

Low voices echoed in unison, yet deliberately suppressed.

The followers of the Church of the End Gods, who had exhausted Norian recently, were gathered here.

Right under Lannister’s nose, they had escaped its gaze.

It was simple.

Because among these followers was an Elder, an Elder of the Council of Elders.

“Bishop, I have seen the Errant ni xing zhe (one who goes against the proper course) with my own eyes,” this high-ranking Elder, however, appeared respectful before the old man dressed as a farmer. “From her attitude, it can be seen that the ‘God of Hope’ has indeed descended upon Lannister.

“To avoid further complications, she has asked ‘Luo Yan,’ the only one who has come into contact with the ‘God of Hope,’ to temporarily stay in Lannister, and she will personally take Luo Yan away.”

The Errant in the Elder’s mouth referred to Elise, or rather, the Fourth Saint, “Illusion.”

“…A few days ago, I glimpsed the oracle of ‘Hope.’ She asked us to stay here and await Her return.”

The old man’s tone was somewhat strange, like he was chanting. “This is correct. We should move forward and welcome Her back to Her divine seat.”

“But… Norian has confined Her and designated the area as Restricted Zone Seven. No one is allowed to approach.”

The Elder seemed troubled. “Apologies, Bishop, even I have no way. Norian’s influence in the Council of Elders is already absolute, let alone the fact that the other Elders remain silent on this matter concerning Her.”

The old man, called Bishop, was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice,

“No, She will always return.

“As long as She awakens, everything will be set on the right track.

“The benevolent Lord doesn’t need us to save Her; it is we who need the Gods’ salvation.”

The Bishop glanced at everyone present, lowered his eyes, and said softly,

“The return of the Gods requires a grand celebration. Let us offer a little insignificant destruction for Their hopes, starting with Lannister.”

“Praise the Gods.”

The followers chanted in low voices again.

Afterwards, these followers quickly dispersed and left the place, blending back into the city called Lannister in inconspicuous ways.

Only the Bishop remained in the room, silent for a long time.

…Almost everyone had misjudged the Church of the End Gods. They hadn’t been declining over the millennia, but growing.

More and more people, after witnessing the truth above the starry sky, chose to side with the Malice of All Worlds.

The world thought that Devil’s Apostles and Devil’s Minions were keen on causing aimless destruction in major mega-cities to please their masters and pursue greater power.

However, in the eyes of the Church of the End Gods, this was a ritual, a ritual to awaken the Gods from their slumber.

After the War of the Witch of Absolute Death hundreds of years ago, these large-scale destructive actions were stopped because the Church of the End Gods had realized that this ritual couldn’t revive the Gods.

And now…

Another “miracle” had descended upon Lannister, sounding the horn of the Gods’ return.

“Hundreds of years, for the arrival of that day, we have waited for hundreds of years, and this waiting continues.”

The Bishop walked towards the window with his hands behind his back. Outside the window was a bustling market, the crowds coming and going like a tide, surging with the various aspects of life in the mortal world.

Such a prosperous civilization…

Yet, because it had taken the wrong path, it had to come to an end.

The Bishop looked up at the sky.

Even during the day, under the sun, the beautiful starry sky could still be vaguely glimpsed through the clouds.

If it were night, this starry sky would be even more dazzling, unchanged for tens of thousands of years.

The human civilization of the Old Era had touched the stars. Just one step further, and they could have crossed the heavens and entered a wider world.

…Would it really have been like that?

The Bishop closed his eyes.

Only a few in the Church of the End Gods had been taken to the stars by the Gods to witness the truth. The other followers learned about this truth indirectly through them.

But even these few had only glimpsed a small part of the truth; they couldn’t touch, and mustn’t touch, the more terrifying parts.

Looking up, one could see a beautiful and dazzling starry sky, but it was fake.

Created by the Gods to conceal the truth.

The human civilization of the Old Era broke through the false starry sky. They ecstatically glimpsed the truth, and also glimpsed despair…

They struggled, they tried, but in the end, they all failed.

The price of failure was the necessary demise of civilization, becoming part of this eternal cycle.

However, a traitor had appeared among the Gods back then, allowing these remaining humans to continue, and this mistake still hadn’t been completely eliminated, the hidden danger still existed.

“Gods… when will you respond to us again?” The Bishop sighed deeply. “Hundreds of years, how many devout followers can no longer bear the madness brought by the truth of that time, gradually fading away…”

Although the Gods hadn’t issued a clear oracle, from the brief descent and the small part of the truth revealed back then, the Bishop had already deduced many things.

The Gods had an enemy, an enemy they couldn’t defeat themselves, and could only rely on humanity’s hand.

But what was even more terrifying was that this enemy would gradually grow stronger with humanity’s growth. Once human civilization reached a whole new level, this enemy would also become so powerful that even the Gods would despair.

Therefore, humanity had to strike and defeat this enemy when their strength reached a balance point.

Clearly, this season of civilization had failed. They had witnessed the truth, making this enemy invincible.

The only way was to extinguish all the legacies of this civilization and completely start anew.

This was the result of the Bishop’s hundreds of years of dedicated research. He didn’t know if it was accurate enough, but at least it gave him the belief to persevere on the verge of madness.

“Bishop… Grandpa…”

Just then, a timid, childish voice came from behind the Bishop,

“Have those strange uncles and aunts all left…?”

A small pink figure peeked out from behind the Bishop, curiously looking at the world outside the window.

It was a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old. Her light pink, slightly curly short hair was a bit messy, and her gloomy bangs almost covered half of her face. A pair of amber eyes seemed to be flickering slightly.

“Cecilia, those aren’t strange uncles and aunts, they are your elders.”

The worry on the Bishop’s face dissipated slightly. He turned and tremblingly rubbed Cecilia’s hair. “You will also be like them in the future, taking on the important task of destroying civilization. You can do it.”

“Can I help Grandpa Bishop?”

“Yes.”

“Then Cecilia will do her best.”

The little pink Lolita clenched her fists, her childish expression extremely serious.

The Bishop smiled, the wrinkles on his face relaxing a little.

But just then, an unnatural blush suddenly appeared on Cecilia’s small face, and then she coughed violently.

At the same time, her amber eyes faintly emitted a golden light, and an indescribable power emanated from her body.

The Bishop’s pupils constricted, but he didn’t panic too much, clearly having witnessed this scene many times before.

He stood up, took a small bottle of potion from his pocket, carefully approached Cecilia, and gently fed it to her.

“Grandpa Bishop… cough… Cecilia, feels so bad…”

Cecilia coughed even harder after taking the potion, her frail body seemingly on the verge of collapse.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, good Cecilia, everything will be alright.”

The Bishop comforted Cecilia in a gentle voice, while his other hand pressed on her throat, pushing back the potion she was about to cough up.

From his actions, it was clear he had done this countless times before.

Finally, when all the potion was swallowed, and Cecilia coughed until her voice was hoarse, the strange power around her and the faint light in her eyes gradually dimmed.

“Have a good rest, Cecilia,” the Bishop patted Cecilia’s hair and said gently. “After taking the potion, you need to sleep.”

“Mm-hmm,” Cecilia nodded listlessly, her eyelids already drooping. “Grandpa Bishop, is Cecilia useless… Cecilia also wants… to destroy the world with everyone…”

“It’s destroying civilization, Cecilia.” The Bishop said in a low voice. “Our goal is to save this world, and before that, we must end the continuation of this civilization.”

“Mm… destroy civilization…”

Cecilia murmured the last few slurred words and swayed before collapsing.

The Bishop gently supported her small body and carried her to the bed in the room.

Soon, slight childish snores came from under the covers.

The Bishop looked at the sleeping Cecilia, his eyes gradually dimming.

He looked at the empty potion bottle in his hand and sighed deeply.

“Is this the destined fate of a God’s Chosen… How did Mister Nine of Dawn survive those long years spanning two eras? Unimaginable…”

Cecilia was a born demonically infected, or what could be called a God’s Chosen.

She had been able to control demonic power from birth. The moment she awakened, she killed nearly a hundred people in the entire settlement, including her parents.

Even she herself was in critical condition. The demonic power was eroding her young life. A human body could hardly bear this power, let alone a newborn baby?

If it weren’t for the Bishop accidentally discovering this “miracle bestowed by the Gods,” personally coming to the settlement and finding Cecilia, and rescuing her, Cecilia might not exist, leaving only another strange and abnormal Calamity phenomenon in the Endless Wasteland.

But even so, Cecilia’s life was still in danger, fortunately, she was saved by the Bishop, who understood the “Gods” the most.

Based on his understanding, the Bishop had prolonged Cecilia’s life for seven or eight years, but now, this prolongation was gradually coming to an end.

“If you can’t continue, Cecilia… then sleep peacefully on the ruins of Lannister’s civilization.”

The Bishop reached out, wanting to touch Cecilia’s face, but ultimately withdrew his hand.

He was still human, still possessing human emotions and feelings.

But he also knew very clearly that his identity was one of the three Bishops of the Church of the End Gods, shouldering the heavy responsibility of destroying the erroneous civilization.

In fact, the potion the Bishop gave Cecilia didn’t actually suppress the erosion of the demonic power, but rather enhanced it.

That was why Cecilia’s reaction had been so violent when she drank it.

But on the other hand, this enhancement was within the Bishop’s control, able to form a weak balance with the demonic power within Cecilia, ensuring she wouldn’t die from excessive erosion.

However, this method only treated the symptoms, not the root cause… No, it should be said that it made things worse.

After a period of time, when the potion’s effects were completely absorbed by Cecilia, the demonic power within her would reach a higher level.

The next time it acted up, only a stronger potion could maintain the balance.

This cycle repeated itself, and within Cecilia’s small body now resided terrifying power capable of severely damaging an ordinary mega-city.

Even Lannister would struggle to withstand the consequences of this demonic power erupting in the core area.

The current Cecilia was practically an “Ice Coffin Weapon” without the ice coffin’s restraints.

Was this the Bishop’s original intention?

Did he save Cecilia just to turn her into such a terrifying weapon of destruction?

Even the Bishop himself wasn’t sure.

“Perhaps, this is your destiny, Cecilia.”

The Bishop stood up and turned to walk towards the door of the room.

Before leaving, he looked at Cecilia again with some reluctance,

“This is also humanity’s destiny.”

“A destiny we cannot escape, and must never escape.”

Witch’s Night: Chapter 9 People Can Be Down-to-Earth, But Not…Down-to-Earth

Simply put, Yan City treated Luo Yan as “a person possessing dangerous power,” and all their measures stemmed from this understanding.

Lannister, however, regarded Luo Yan as the dangerous power itself, constantly trying its best to avoid contact, lest the “bomb” explode uncontrollably within the city.

In this accidental encounter… even Norian was constantly breaking out in a cold sweat.

He was afraid.

But he wasn’t afraid of his own death; he was afraid of the consequences that Luo Yan’s contact with Lannister might bring.

This caution wasn’t a problem, because Norian was responsible for the entire city.

But for Luo Yan herself… it was a little uncomfortable.

“Actually, there’s no need to worry too much. I know my own situation.” Luo Yan smiled gently, her gaze distant.

“I was far more dangerous in Yan City… At that time, I was on the verge of losing control. If it weren’t for Nine and One saving me with their lives, I’m afraid I would have had no choice but to go to the depths of the Endless Wasteland.”

The destination for every demonically infected person, every God’s Chosen, was the depths of the Endless Wasteland.

From beginning to end, the only thing that could seal the out-of-control body of a demonically infected person was One’s Ice Coffin; there was nothing else.

If it could be replicated, the other Misters of Dawn wouldn’t have met such tragic ends, one after another.

Norian was silent for a moment. His views wouldn’t be so easily changed by Luo Yan’s few words.

For Lannister, he wasn’t willing to take the slightest risk. This was the city he loved, the work of his life.

So he could only remain silent, even though Luo Yan’s words made sense.

“Of course, since I am a guest, I will abide by Lannister’s rules,” Luo Yan naturally saw Norian’s attitude. “I’ll return to the apartment shortly. I’ll trouble Magistrate Norian to send someone to take me back.”

“It’s best that you can understand our difficulties.” Norian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and then his expression became slightly serious again. “As for the person who illegally entered the restricted zone and secretly spied on you, Lannister will do its utmost to find them.”

“Thank you.”

Luo Yan nodded.

After the serious matters were discussed, Norian finally couldn’t help but ask the question he had been curious about since Luo Yan revealed her identity,

“By the way… aren’t you a girl? Why are you now…”

“It’s a Life Hack.”

Luo Yan said seriously, her expression solemn, not at all like she was joking.

But just like everyone who heard Luo Yan say this for the first time, Norian’s expression was one of “Are you kidding me?”

“It’s just the application of a mental ability.” Luo Yan slightly loosened the influence on Norian’s perception, and the familiar silver-haired girl reappeared in his vision. “Look, it’s very convenient to use.”

Norian inconspicuously looked away, avoiding eye contact with Luo Yan, and said,

“However, Miss Luo Yan, since you don’t intend to hide your identity, why did you appear at the banquet in this appearance?”

If Luo Yan hadn’t told Norian her name, he would never have imagined that this handsome black-haired young man and the mysterious girl he picked up from the forest outside the city were actually the same person.

If she really wanted to hide her identity, she just needed to not reveal her name.

“It was my request.” Hua Qingling, who had been quiet all this time, spoke up. “With Miss Luo Yan’s appearance, it would be easy to cause a sensation at the banquet… So, I asked her to change her appearance.”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

Luo Yan shrugged. Anyway, she had Life Hacks, and at most, she could just increase the distortion a little.

Indeed, Hua Qingling wasn’t eye-catching, but that didn’t mean Luo Yan was the same. In terms of appearance, Hua Qingling was far inferior to Luo Yan.

Regarding Luo Yan’s appearance, back in Yan City, Hua Qingling’s sister, Hua Qiling, and Anna had both given the assessment that “even Miss Chris pales in comparison.”

In fact, this was still the result of Luo Yan deliberately suppressing her abilities. Back in Ghost Town, when she hadn’t suppressed her abilities, it had directly resulted in all those who looked at her suffering mental damage.

For such a stunningly beautiful girl with no background to appear at a high-profile banquet, it was hard to imagine the consequences.

Needless to say, there would definitely be no shortage of noble young men trying to strike up conversations, and there might even be some nobles with dirty minds who would have malicious intentions. Norian didn’t doubt their lack of morals.

Therefore, Norian was quite frightened after hearing this and secretly marveled at Hua Qingling’s thoughtfulness, raising his opinion of her even higher.

This young lady was very sensible!

…However, it would be even better if she were a little more sensible and hadn’t brought Luo Yan out of the restricted zone.

Of course, this was impossible. Norian knew after a little thought that Luo Yan’s decision to leave the apartment must have something to do with the discovery of being monitored.

Since things had come to this, he could only leave it at that.

“Granny Zoya has already set off to investigate this matter at your residence. So, Miss Luo Yan, please rest here for a while, and Granny Zoya will take you back when she returns.”

Norian quickly made arrangements. He agreed with Luo Yan’s words, but he absolutely couldn’t relax his caution.

If possible, Norian didn’t want Luo Yan to leave the area under Lannister’s control, not even an inch.

He really regretted not strongly rejecting the Saint at that time… although the result might not have been any different.

Norian had lamented this in his heart more than once, but now this feeling was even stronger.

“Mm, I’ll stay here obediently.”

Luo Yan nodded, looking quite docile.

Just then, the grand banquet was about to begin, and all the nobles had arrived.

Among them were some excessively young faces filled with excitement and nervousness. They were basically the outstanding young talents personally invited by Granny Zoya, subtly forming two separate circles with the nobles.

Count Spencer gave a speech on stage, melodious music drifting through the hall, played live by a classical orchestra from Noah.

The long and tedious opening speech was coming to an end, and it was time for Norian to appear.

Even though Norian hated this cumbersome etiquette, this was, after all, the nobles’ home ground, and since he didn’t intend to fall out with them, he could only comply.

“Ladies, I must take my leave. May you two… oh, no, Miss Hua Qingling, may you have a pleasant time at this banquet.”

Then Norian looked at Luo Yan, giving her a meaningful glance,

“—As for Miss Luo Yan, I can only say that I hope when you visit Lannister again in the future… it will be as an ordinary guest.”

“…Perhaps.”

After this brief conversation ended, Norian hurriedly left the bar counter.

At the same time, many enthusiastic gazes were still lingering on Hua Qingling… Luo Yan, rather unkindly, increased the distortion. Even if someone consciously looked at her, their gaze would shift away.

But this situation didn’t last long. Soon, these restless Lannister nobles were attracted by another figure who suddenly appeared.

“It’s Miss Chris! Miss Chris has really come…”

“It’s rare for Magistrate Norian to attend, and there’s also Miss Chris’s appearance… This banquet is worth it!”

“Wuwuwu, Miss Chris… take me away… I want to be your dog…”

There seemed to be some strange words mixed in.

However, Luo Yan now understood why Chris had been dressed like that when she saw her outside the venue earlier.

Compared to Hua Qingling, who might only have aroused Magistrate Norian’s slight interest, Miss Chris’s status was obviously more important.

“Miss Chris seems to be really popular.”

Luo Yan craned her neck, but still couldn’t see Chris among the moving heads.

“Not seems, Miss Chris is a top star in the Free Federation, and she’s very rich.” Hua Qingling said with emotion,

“The place where she treated me to a meal wasn’t particularly delicious, but the prices were so expensive that I wanted to dig a hole and escape. But she ordered everything without batting an eye, without even asking what I wanted to eat. I was so scared I thought it was a scam.”

Sis, I know you have no image anymore, but please pay attention to your language as a lady…

As soon as there were no outsiders present, Hua Qingling immediately let loose, making Luo Yan even more certain that this person was indeed Hua Qiling’s older sister.

Luo Yan touched her chin. She suddenly thought of Chris’s inexplicable hostility towards her earlier, and Hua Qingling’s descriptions,

“Why… the more I listen, the more I feel like you two are having an affair. Even if it was for buying clothes, there was no need to treat you to a meal, right?”

“What are you thinking? She just admired my work, I could tell.” Hua Qingling said proudly, hands on her hips. “When I put on the sample for her to see, her eyes were glued to it.

“Besides, that was the first time I met Miss Chris; we had no interaction before that.”

“Really?” Luo Yan asked suspiciously. “Could you have remembered wrong?”

“Heh, Miss Luo Yan, I can see you don’t understand at all,” Hua Qingling tsked. “If Miss Chris were just a popular idol, that would be one thing, but she has another identity.

“The second daughter of the Lequista family, one of the candidates for the next head of the family… Although it’s highly likely she’s just a backup, it’s enough to show her noble status, even Norian has to take her seriously.”

Seeing that Luo Yan still looked puzzled, Hua Qingling continued to explain,

“The Lequista family is one of the ten families that founded Noah with the Saint, and also one of the only three Noah families that have survived to this day.

“Her ancestors built the city with the Saint. What qualifications do I have to know her? We wouldn’t even use the same toilet!”

“Sister Qingling, I know you’re trying to illustrate the difference in status, but please change your analogy… Let me keep my last bit of impression of you.”

Forget about a knowledgeable older sister or something, she was at least a prodigy with the potential to reach “Destruction” level, why did she talk like this in private?

But it was also understandable. Compared to being a young lady from a prominent family, Hua Qingling had been traveling outside all these years, and the people she interacted with were mostly adventurers and the like.

Being down-to-earth didn’t seem so incomprehensible anymore…

“You’ve already seen everything about me, so whatever.” Hua Qingling waved her hand, looking like she had given up.

“I only know Miss Chris because I make good clothes. She even offered to hire me full-time to make clothes for her, and the salary she offered almost made me kneel.”

“You didn’t agree?”

Luo Yan blinked. After Hua Qingling’s persona collapsed, she also learned about this older sister’s extreme lack of money.

“No, I left Yan City… because I have more important things to do,” Hua Qingling’s expression suddenly became a little serious. “For the future of Yan City, I must keep moving forward… But thinking about all that salary gone, it still hurts.”

…Originally, in Luo Yan’s mind, Hua Qingling was a strong person traveling everywhere. Now she had gradually become the image of a poor worker wandering around looking for jobs.

Of course, this was just Hua Qingling’s way of recounting these experiences in a more lighthearted manner. She was indeed imitating the Saint who established the title system, traveling around and growing.

Not just in combat, Hua Qingling was using her own eyes to observe everything in the New Era of humanity, the achievements of the major mega-cities, thinking about where Yan City’s future should lie.

Looking at Hua Qingling’s tearful expression, an almost imperceptible smile appeared on the corner of Luo Yan’s mouth.

“Sister Qingling, since you’re here to attend this banquet, you shouldn’t stay here with me all the time.” Luo Yan said softly. “This is a precious opportunity; the entire upper class of Lannister is gathered here.”

Hua Qingling shouldered a lot; she shouldn’t stop moving forward for her sake.

“But you…”

Hua Qingling hesitated.

“Do you think I’m a child who can’t leave her parents, Sister Qingling?” Luo Yan raised her glass and smiled. “Or is it that, like Magistrate Norian, you think I’m dangerous and can’t leave your sight?”

“Of course not. Although Magistrate Norian’s words are not unreasonable, I’m more inclined to believe what happened in Yan City.”

Hua Qingling shook her head and stood up. “Since Miss Luo Yan doesn’t mind, I’ll leave for a while.”

If she wanted to see the higher-level landscape of Lannister, if she wanted to know how Lannister had developed to its present state… more detailed than any written materials, the answers were hidden within certain individuals at this banquet.

For example, Magistrate Norian.

Hua Qingling’s words earlier weren’t just polite; she greatly admired the “Norian Reform.”

“Remember not to say anything like digging holes in toilets or kneeling again…”

Luo Yan kindly reminded.

“…I won’t!”

……

Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of Lannister.

Dozens of silent figures were crammed into a small, exquisitely decorated suite.

Most of them were dressed as commoners: porters, cooks, all kinds of professions.

But what was even more chilling was that some of them… were wearing Lannister official uniforms.

These people of different identities gathered together, but their eyes all flickered with a similar light.

Because they were…

The Church of the End Gods.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 8 Talking Behind Someone’s Back, To Their Face

Due to Luo Yan’s special nature, neither Granny Zoya nor Norian had approached that area in the past few days, and they had also strictly forbidden anyone from approaching the apartment.

The situation in Lannister was very different from Yan City, and Luo Yan’s arrival had indeed been too alarming.

Before the Saint arrived in Lannister, Norian didn’t intend to change the current situation and wanted to maintain the status quo as much as possible.

It was best to leave this thorny matter to the Saint to resolve.

But this didn’t mean that Norian wasn’t paying attention to Luo Yan’s situation.

In fact, he had many questions about this mysterious girl, but due to caution, he hadn’t voiced them.

—Unnecessary knowledge could bring disaster, and forbidden knowledge could drive people mad.

No matter what, all matters related to the Primordial Demons had to be treated with the utmost caution.

“Um…”

Hua Qingling hesitated for a moment, glanced at Luo Yan, who was frowning and fiddling with a cocktail next to her, and nodded,

“It should be fine.”

…What kind of answer was that?

And, following Hua Qingling’s suddenly shifting gaze, Norian finally saw Luo Yan, who had been previously ignored.

The presence that Luo Yan had reduced through “Envy” was almost like invisibility. Even if someone was very close, without deliberately looking, they would be forced to overlook her.

It wasn’t until Hua Qingling’s glance that Norian had the chance to notice Luo Yan.

He was startled. A black-haired young man was sitting right next to him, and he hadn’t noticed at all.

Norian didn’t suspect that this was Luo Yan’s ability, but rather attributed it to his scattered attention due to exhaustion and mental fatigue from the past few days.

“Oh… sorry, young man, I didn’t see you just now.” Norian looked at Luo Yan and nodded apologetically. “You must be Hua Qingling’s partner? You two are a good match.”

Just as Granny Zoya’s information suggested, it was indeed a handsome young man.

Norian had only said this out of politeness, but before Luo Yan could say anything, Hua Qingling hurriedly denied it, her cheeks slightly flushed,

“No, no, we’re not… that kind of relationship.”

“We are friends.”

Luo Yan looked up slightly and said seriously.

The clear voice was very pleasant, but Norian felt that it was somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it before.

He didn’t connect it to Luo Yan, mainly because of the gender…

If Granny Zoya were here, she would have seen through Luo Yan’s appearance hidden by the mental distortion at a glance. Unfortunately, Norian’s strength wasn’t nearly enough to reach that level.

“Hmm?” Norian was a little taken aback, but he quickly adjusted. “Alright, it seems your relationship hasn’t been confirmed yet. I’ve spoken out of turn.”

“It’s not… forget it.”

Hua Qingling didn’t want to continue down this path, although Luo Yan didn’t seem to mind.

She took a deep breath, her voice slightly lower,

“Magistrate Norian, before that, there are some important questions I’d like to ask you.”

Even though she had the right to question, facing the renowned Chief Magistrate of Lannister, Hua Qingling was still somewhat nervous.

Admittedly, Norian wasn’t particularly strong, but in the New Era… there were many things just as important as strength.

Norian could make Lannister powerful, and that was enough.

“It seems… these aren’t friendly questions.” Norian’s expression also became slightly serious. “Ask away. Even if they are offensive questions… I will try my best to answer your doubts.”

He had a good impression of Hua Qingling; she was indeed an outstanding young talent.

“May I ask, Magistrate Norian, why did you secretly send surveillance personnel to our residence?”

Hua Qingling’s tone wasn’t strong, but her attitude was quite firm.

“If this is Lannister’s way of treating guests… I can only say that there are some serious flaws in the impression you and Lannister have left on me.”

“Surveillance personnel? No… I never authorized such actions.”

Norian’s pupils constricted, and his expression became serious. “This is a very serious incident. I… Lannister will investigate this thoroughly.”

After saying that, Norian immediately took out his communicator. After a few rings, Granny Zoya’s surprised voice came through,

“Norian? Why are you suddenly contacting me through the emergency line? Did something unexpected happen at the banquet?”

Although Granny Zoya had left the room with Norian, she hadn’t entered the banquet hall.

On the one hand, she wasn’t interested in these things due to her age, and on the other hand… her status was rather special.

To use a somewhat inappropriate but apt analogy, Granny Zoya was to Lannister what the Saints were to all of humanity. Someone who usually didn’t appear, and when she did, it was a big deal.

Moreover, she was also of a very high seniority. Even the oldest elder in the Council of Elders had to address her as Granny. Her presence at the scene would create too much pressure.

“No… Granny Zoya, this is much more serious than an accident at the banquet. I need you to investigate this matter immediately.”

Norian said in a deep voice.

“What is it?”

Hearing this tone, Granny Zoya immediately became serious as well.

“Someone has quietly infiltrated Restricted Zone Seven and has already made contact with Miss Hua Qingling and Miss Luo Yan. I suspect it’s… their doing.”

Although Norian didn’t explicitly say it, Granny Zoya knew at once that “they” referred to the Church of the End Gods.

These troublesome cultists had often caused chaos in major mega-cities in recent years, and there had been several difficult incidents in Lannister as well.

Moreover, these cultists had been gathering in Lannister recently. Coupled with Luo Yan’s identity, it was hard not to make further associations.

“Alright, I’ll set off immediately.”

Granny Zoya didn’t waste any time. This matter concerned the safety of Lannister, and there was no room for ambiguity.

After hanging up the phone, Norian looked at Hua Qingling apologetically,

“I’m very sorry, this was our mistake. It won’t happen again. Please believe in Lannister’s sincerity. We treat every guest with the same sincerity.”

“Uh… I can see that…”

Hua Qingling was somewhat dazzled by Norian’s actions.

Usually, when officials said they would launch an investigation, or that there wouldn’t be a next time, or expressed that the higher-ups hadn’t authorized it, they were just covering up the truth.

But Norian…

Clearly, he wasn’t.

Even if it were a staged act, it wouldn’t be possible to involve a “Destruction” level ability user…

However, was it necessary to go to such lengths?

“It seems we’ve misunderstood Lannister,” Hua Qingling breathed a sigh of relief, but was still somewhat puzzled. “But, is it necessary to trouble Granny Zoya with this matter?”

“Of course it’s necessary, very necessary,” Norian looked deeply at Hua Qingling. “Young lady, you have no idea how dangerous the young lady beside you is.”

Hua Qingling: “?”

Luo Yan: “?”

Seeing Hua Qingling’s bewildered expression, Norian sighed deeply.

In his opinion, Hua Qingling didn’t believe him.

Indeed, during the short time he had spent with the mysterious girl from the forest outside the city to Lannister, it was hard for Norian to associate her with the terrifying Primordial Demons.

No matter how you looked at it, she was just an ordinary girl who was a little frail.

However… Norian had thoroughly learned about everything that happened in Yan City through various channels, combined with the on-site intelligence brought back by the rescue team he had casually sent out.

Norian had come to the truth known only to a few, that Luo Yan had used the body of Dawn’s Mister “One” and entered the Void to confront the Witch of Envy in the final battle.

No one knew what happened in the Endless Void, only that Luo Yan eventually returned to the present world alive.

But there was another point. Granny Zoya had seen Luo Yan in her crimson dress form, and the unknown and terrifying feeling she felt when looking directly at her was very similar to the Witch of Envy.

Coupled with the Saint’s specific instructions…

It was hard not to suspect whether the one who returned to the present world was the original Luo Yan, or the Witch of Envy.

Or perhaps both.

“Anyway, just take my advice, it’s best to keep your distance from her,” Norian composed himself and continued,

“After this matter is over, don’t have anything more to do with her. Even a slight connection could bring unimaginable disaster—it’s precisely for this reason that I designated your residence as a restricted zone, absolutely forbidding anyone from entering or leaving.

“As for surveillance, that’s even more absurd. Lannister doesn’t want to take unnecessary risks, and neither do I.”

After Norian finished this series of earnest words, Hua Qingling’s expression became even more bewildered, while Luo Yan remained expressionless.

Talking bad about someone in front of them.jpg

“It shouldn’t… be that serious,” Hua Qingling coughed lightly, trying to defuse the awkward situation and salvage Luo Yan’s image in Norian’s eyes.

“Miss Luo Yan stayed in Yan City for several months and resolved many Calamity events for the city… including this war. If it weren’t for her, Yan City might not have survived.”

Luo Yan, upon hearing these words, slightly turned her face away, a faint blush appearing almost imperceptibly.

Being praised to her face… was still a bit awkward.

“No, no, Miss Qingling—please allow me to address you as such. From various perspectives, Yan City was just a lucky exception, and we absolutely cannot expect such an exception to occur a second time.”

Norian shook his head and said seriously, “Admittedly, Miss Luo Yan is a very good young lady. Putting aside these external factors, even I admire such a young person very much… However, her personality doesn’t change her essential nature.

“No matter how kind a person is, they are dangerous when their pockets are full of explosives. The danger of explosives doesn’t change because the person holding them is kind. In my opinion, the power Miss Luo Yan possesses is this ‘explosive.’

“You can choose to believe that her kind nature will prevent her from using the ‘explosives’ recklessly, but you can’t guarantee that these ‘explosives’ will never fall on your own head.”

Although he was speaking ill of Luo Yan, Norian’s words made a lot of sense.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard such an analogy, it’s quite apt.”

Luo Yan said softly, finally putting down the cocktail glass she had been fiddling with for a long time.

…She really didn’t have any talent for mixing drinks; the several glasses she had made all tasted quite strange.

“Power indeed has no inherent good or evil, but it does possess a certain degree of danger. When this danger exceeds control, it doesn’t matter who holds the power, what matters is… the ‘explosive’ explodes.”

Luo Yan continued along Norian’s line of thought. “The result of the explosion won’t be weakened because the person who triggered it is kind… Therefore, when such terrifying power appears in the present world, one must always be prepared for it to lose control.”

Were the Misters of Dawn good people?

Undoubtedly, in the general sense, they were all good people.

However, when the demonic powers they possessed went out of control, could the fact that they were good people prevent the consequences of that loss of control?

No.

All the contradictions of tragedy stemmed from this.

Luo Yan had been quite ignorant of these things before, until Norian’s words enlightened her, summarizing these things that she vaguely understood but couldn’t express.

“Oh?” Norian turned his gaze to Luo Yan (black-haired young man face) again. “Unexpectedly, young man, may I ask your name?”

“Luo Yan.”

“Alright, Mr. Luo Yan… Luo Yan?”

The glass in Norian’s hand trembled.

“Or you can just call me Luo Yan, or Miss Luo Yan.”

Luo Yan picked up the juice used for mixing cocktails next to her, filled her glass, and slightly raised it to touch Norian’s glass,

“Apologies, Magistrate Norian, I left the restricted zone without permission, but I have already gotten the answers I wanted and will be leaving here soon.”

“…My words just now may have been offensive.”

Even a seasoned veteran like Norian couldn’t help but feel embarrassed when caught talking behind someone’s back, especially to their face.

Norian blushed, at a loss for words.

“But those were all truths,” Luo Yan said indifferently, her gaze falling on the scene of clinking glasses not far away. “Hmm… so this is what it’s like to hold a banquet in a hall. I’ve never seen it before.”

Everything in Natalie Manor was desolate, and even the spacious hall never had any guests.

Even though the memories left in Ghost Town were heartwarming, Luo Yan knew very well that if she were still immersed in Ghost Town to this day, even more terrifying consequences might have occurred.

She couldn’t guarantee that when facing the Witch of Envy, she would still be able to wake up from the whispers of divinity.

These… were all “explosives,” unstable factors that could lose control.

Feared by others, causing panic… This was who she was, and the nature of the power she possessed.

“What a peaceful scene, Magistrate Norian,”

Luo Yan turned to look at Norian, a faint red glimmering in her dark eyes,

“Just as you said, my power is dangerous ‘explosive,’ and it will destroy so many beautiful things like this…

“But avoidance can’t solve the problem, I’ve already tried… And, you underestimate my danger, and you underestimate me.”

Witch’s Night: Chapter 7 Miss Luo Yan is Watching You (Secretly)

Although highly regarded by an important figure like Norian, Hua Qingling was actually quite inconspicuous at this banquet.

Ordinary nobles weren’t like Norian, interested in young talents. To them, Hua Qingling was just an ordinary stranger.

As for her appearance?

Except for those with particular preferences, Hua Qingling’s appearance wasn’t particularly outstanding.

She could be considered beautiful, but to the well-traveled Lannister nobles, especially when it came to women, this kind of beauty was quite common.

Moreover, this banquet had gathered almost the entire upper class of Lannister, and there were many who were more beautiful than Hua Qingling.

For example, Miss Chris, who had just greeted Hua Qingling, was highly regarded among the new generation of nobles, both for her appearance and popularity, especially since her family was also prominent and not to be underestimated in the Free Federation.

But none of this had anything to do with Hua Qingling. She sat bored at a bar counter in the corner of the hall, while Luo Yan next to her was asking the bartender about the origins and stories of various cocktails, eager to try them.

Although bars, a phenomenon from the Old Era that had only recently re-emerged, were generally looked down upon by the self-proclaimed noble nobles as lacking class, there were still some nobles who liked them.

To cater to this small group of nobles, a corner of the banquet hall was specifically set aside for a bar counter.

Moreover, they had specially invited the chief bartender from the most famous bar—the one Luo Yan was currently questioning.

“Screwdriver… why is it called that?” Luo Yan stared at the golden liquid in the cocktail glass and looked up at the bartender curiously. “If I remember correctly, that should be the name of two tools.”

“Um… that’s a name from the Old Era… it seems to have been the original inventor’s mixing tool?”

The bartender stammered, wondering if this person was trying to make things difficult for him.

The New Era had lost most of the historical records from the Old Era. Most of what had survived was passed down through word of mouth, and there were naturally not many records about cocktail names.

Even though this bartender specialized in classic Old Era cocktails, even he didn’t know much.

But the black-haired young man in front of him had a very serious expression, as if he really just wanted to learn about these cocktails.

But… why was his heart beating faster and faster?

Whether it was due to embarrassment from being excessively questioned, or some other reason, the relatively young bartender was already blushing.

His eyes timidly avoided Luo Yan’s direct gaze, but his heart couldn’t help but pound. The gentle voice made him feel slightly intoxicated, but then he was awakened by the terrifying reality.

Could it be… that he had been bent?

Just as the bartender was lost in thought, and Luo Yan picked up the cocktail glass to try it, there was quite a commotion from the banquet in the distance.

“Hmm?”

The commotion was so loud that Luo Yan and Hua Qingling couldn’t ignore it. Several minor nobles even showed quite undignified excitement, scrambling towards the source of the commotion.

At this time, the bartender next to them also became excited. He had just been worried about being bent, but now he had completely thrown this inexplicable thought to the back of his mind.

“It’s, it’s Magistrate Norian! I didn’t expect the rumors of Magistrate Norian attending this banquet to be true!”

The bartender was elated and even wanted to drop his work and push through the crowd, but he ultimately held back.

This was the place where the Lannister nobles held their banquets, not a place where a commoner like him could mess around.

“Norian?”

Luo Yan hadn’t been paying attention at first, but hearing this name, she put down the glass in her hand and looked towards the center of the banquet hall.

With her eyesight, she naturally quickly found the thin old man surrounded by a group of nobles, especially with his signature handlebar mustache. It was undoubtedly Norian, who had picked her up from the forest outside the city and brought her back to Lannister.

“You… don’t know Magistrate Norian?” The bartender was surprised to hear Luo Yan call Norian directly by his name. “Aren’t you a Lannister noble?”

“No, I’m just a guest who was brought along to see the world.”

Luo Yan said indifferently, taking a sip of the Screwdriver in her hand.

Hmm, a bitter taste, not very pleasant.

“I know him, but I didn’t expect Magis-… Magistrate Norian to be so popular.”

Even Lin Cheng, who had a very good reputation in Yan City, rarely received such a warm welcome from the commoners upon his appearance.

Judging from the bartender’s attitude, Norian’s image among the commoners wasn’t just that of Lannister’s Chief Magistrate.

“That’s because of the Norian Reform a hundred years ago,” Hua Qingling explained before the bartender could answer.

“That was a reform proposal put forward by Magistrate Norian when he first joined the Council of Elders. The general idea was to give commoners a path to upward mobility. Before that, Lannister’s upper class was completely controlled by the nobles.

“This reform was naturally met with collective resistance from the nobles, but the Council of Elders rarely unanimously supported Norian’s reform plan.

“By this time, the conflict between the nobles and the Council of Elders had become irreconcilable, until the Constantine family’s rebellion failed seventy years ago, and the nobles were completely defeated in this political struggle, gradually forming the current structure of Lannister.”

Before Luo Yan entered Lannister, Norian had proudly introduced the city to her, because it was a mega-city he had single-handedly shaped.

Although its upper-class nobles were still decadent and corrupt, it had been injected with new vitality and was no longer stagnant.

“You even understand this?” Luo Yan was a little surprised this time. “Hua Qiling… seems to know nothing about this kind of thing, she can’t even explain the concept of the Free Federation clearly.”

Luo Yan remembered that when she first arrived in Yan City, Hua Qiling had talked for a long time without explaining these concepts clearly. She did, however, know a lot about unofficial history and gossip.

“She’s not interested in these things… Although I don’t like them either, I will eventually return to Yan City. I need to learn about how to build Yan City’s future.”

Hua Qingling smiled reservedly, but from her expression, it was clear that she was quite proud of being able to surprise Luo Yan.

The bartender nodded in agreement and took a few more glances at Hua Qingling… although mostly to avoid Luo Yan’s eyes.

“It seems this young lady isn’t a noble either?”

“I am.”

Hua Qingling took the cocktail from Luo Yan’s hand and took a small sip.

She seemed to enjoy this drink, which Luo Yan didn’t like.

“…”

The bartender’s expression visibly stiffened.

“But not a Lannister noble, just a declining branch of a noble family in an insignificant small city-state.”

Hua Qingling smiled gently. “Don’t mind me, I’m just a country bumpkin in Lannister.”

Although the Hua family in Yan City was indeed one of the major families, Hua Qiling and Hua Qingling had separated from the Hua family since their parents’ generation.

Even though both sisters later demonstrated varying degrees of value, and Hua Qingling even had the potential to become a “Destruction” level ability user, a pillar of humanity, they hadn’t planned to return to the Hua family.

This was a digression, but even so, the bartender still felt a little uncomfortable after hearing Hua Qingling’s words.

He almost couldn’t help but say some bad things about nobles…

Before the Norian Reform, the nobles controlled everything in Lannister. Even though it had been a hundred years ago, they were still deeply hated by the commoners.

Just then, Norian, in the distance, was dealing with the flattering minor nobles who kept approaching him and was becoming impatient.

Although he was the one who had cut off the era of the nobles’ absolute rule, Lannister was now governed by the Council of Elders. As the Chief Magistrate, Norian was naturally the most powerful person in Lannister.

The thousand-year-old noble families naturally didn’t care about Norian, as long as he guaranteed not to purge all the nobles and maintained their extravagant lifestyle.

But these minor nobles, whose families were gradually declining, were eager to climb up Norian’s social ladder, even if it was just to show their faces and leave an impression.

Norian didn’t hate nobles, and he naturally wouldn’t reject some outstanding young nobles, such as Miss Chris, who had recently been invited.

But obviously, the minor nobles currently chattering around him weren’t.

But as Chief Magistrate, Norian had to consider his image and could only suppress his dissatisfaction, perfunctorily responding to the greetings of these minor nobles.

Just as he was becoming increasingly impatient, he caught sight of Hua Qingling in the corner, sitting gracefully at the bar counter.

…Don’t doubt Hua Qingling’s public image. She was a perfectly well-mannered and knowledgeable older sister in every aspect except for her height, even though she was a hopelessly sloppy homebody in private.

“Finally found an opportunity.”

Norian breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile,

“Everyone, everyone… please stop for a moment. Although I know you still have many things to discuss with me, I apologize, I have to excuse myself for a while. A very outstanding young lady is waiting for me.”

After saying that, Norian’s gaze fell on Hua Qingling and he nodded slightly.

Hua Qingling looked blankly at Norian, who suddenly looked up and nodded at her. She then politely raised her right hand to her left shoulder and slightly bent down, elegantly returning a noble’s greeting.

This caused quite a stir. Almost all the minor nobles turned their attention to Hua Qingling, and even the bartender next to her was shocked.

My goodness… unimaginable, what kind of person was this young woman, to actually have an appointment with Magistrate Norian!

For a moment, the gazes towards Hua Qingling were filled with doubt and envy.

Almost every young person personally received by Magistrate Norian could rise rapidly within Lannister’s upper echelon.

Even if they weren’t from the city, gaining Magistrate Norian’s favor meant gaining Lannister’s friendship.

And this friendship wasn’t to be taken lightly…

For example, if Yan City had been on good terms with Lannister before, Dawn might not have launched this war.

Because Lannister could have, without hesitation, used a large-scale Teleportation Array to send a large number of troops, and even Granny Zoya might have helped. The presence of a “Destruction” level ability user was beyond what Dawn could handle.

Of course, this was just wishful thinking. For Lannister to go to such lengths, the relationship would have to be incredibly close.

And at this time, Luo Yan opportunely used “Envy” to greatly reduce her presence, letting Hua Qingling enjoy this attention alone.

Hua Qingling: “…”

Although she didn’t know why, she felt a strange chill next to her, quite creepy.

She could only force a smile and nod to the people around her.

Seeing this, Norian immediately walked through the crowd towards Hua Qingling.

The minor nobles next to him didn’t continue to crowd around. They were here to make friends with Norian, not to pester him.

To still stick to him at this time would be foolish.

But the attention was still there. All kinds of indistinct gazes were cast towards Hua Qingling, sizing up this unfamiliar woman, wondering what aspect of her had attracted Norian’s attention.

“Sorry, young lady,” Norian said to Hua Qingling with a slight apology as he approached, casually picking up a cocktail glass from the bar counter and mixing himself a drink. “I had to use this method to escape… I’ve caused you some trouble.”

“It’s alright, Magistrate Norian, I understand.”

Hua Qingling said with a gentle smile. “On the contrary, I should be grateful for the opportunity to talk to you in this way. I’ve admired you for a long time. It was a pity I didn’t have the chance to talk to you in detail last time we met.”

“Hahaha… I’ll take that as you not just being polite,” Norian laughed heartily, then looked at the bartender beside the bar counter. “Young man, can you leave for a while? It’s… not convenient for others to be present during our conversation.”

The bartender next to them was already completely stunned.

The Chief Magistrate, whom the commoners admired the most, was standing right in front of him, talking and laughing…

This shock caused the young man’s brain to short-circuit, and he couldn’t recover for a long time.

It wasn’t until Norian looked at him and spoke that the bartender slightly recovered from this dreamlike unreality, stammering,

“N-, No problem! I’ll leave right away!”

Before he finished speaking, the bartender fled from the bar counter as if escaping, afraid of delaying Norian’s matters.

“There’s no need for that,” Norian was a little speechless and shook his head. “I’ve made a fool of myself in front of you, Miss Hua Qingling from Yan City. I hope you’re comfortable in Lannister.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, Magistrate. The scenery in Lannister is quite unique,” Hua Qingling replied appropriately. “I like it very much.”

“Where is… Luo Yan?”

Norian’s eyes suddenly sharpened.

Witch’s Night: Chapter 6 Are the Gods Dead?

The Church of the End Gods.

An ancient church with a history almost as long as the Noah Holy Church, they referred to the ten Primordial Demons as Gods and didn’t acknowledge humanity’s naming of them.

They called Witches “Gods” and Sovereigns “Saints,” collectively referring to them as Gods.

At its peak, the Church of the End Gods had over twenty Devil’s Apostles, each at least at the “Peril” level and above.

In that barbaric era of humanity, “Destruction” level and above was still a legend, even the First Saint’s strength was only barely close to “Destruction” level.

Facing “Destruction” level disasters, most mega-cities couldn’t resist even by self-destructing their Embers.

Even powerful Noah could only barely survive “Destruction” level disasters.

However, with the Primordial Demons falling silent, the Devil’s Apostles of the Church of the End Gods became fewer and fewer, until finally, no one could sense the presence of the “Gods” anymore.

Are the Gods dead?

The Gods are not dead!

Even though the Gods they believed in no longer responded to their prayers, and the followers of the Church of the End Gods were dwindling, they never completely disappeared.

It was worth mentioning that not all Devil’s Minions were followers of the Church of the End Gods; a large portion of them chose to fall for the sake of power.

But the Church of the End Gods was different. They knew very well what the Primordial Demons were doing, and they also knew the consequences.

And what they were doing… was carrying out their will, letting this season of civilization come to its destined end, ending this erroneous and absurd continuation.

Generally speaking, the Church of the End Gods’ specific actions were like those of terrorists who used demonic power to cause destruction everywhere…

It’s just that with the decline of the church’s power, this destruction was becoming less and less impactful.

To this day, they didn’t even dare to approach ordinary mega-cities, let alone Lannister.

However… they had appeared, but not to wreak havoc as usual. They were just silently gathering in Lannister, without taking any action.

If it weren’t for a martial law accidentally uncovering the existence of a Devil’s Minion, and then following the clues to discover the actions of the Church of the End Gods, Lannister would still be completely unaware of all this.

However, this situation gave Norian an even bigger headache.

Widespread destructive actions were easy to deal with, just send out strong individuals to suppress them.

With Granny Zoya around, even if the entire Church of the End Gods intended to invade Lannister, they would only meet their doom.

But the problem was… they weren’t doing anything!

The Church of the End Gods was just quietly lurking in Lannister. So many people came and went from Lannister every day, how could they check each one to see if they were Devil’s Minions?

But they couldn’t just ignore it. Lannister wasn’t afraid of the destruction caused by the Church of the End Gods, but no matter what, casualties and panic would occur, which was a situation Lannister absolutely wanted to avoid.

All dangers should be nipped in the bud.

The nobles’ fear of Devil’s Minions wasn’t unreasonable, because Lannister wasn’t afraid of the Church of the End Gods, but they were.

What if, one day, these lunatics accidentally blew themselves up?

As members of Lannister, they didn’t think the Church of the End Gods had even a sliver of a chance against this long-dormant war machine.

But as individuals…

The nobles weren’t willing to face death.

“Magistrate Norian’s courage is with Lannister, we don’t doubt that in the slightest.”

Count Spencer’s attitude was still humble, but representing the noble group, he couldn’t back down in front of Norian. “However, regarding these matters, I… we need an explanation.”

“Hmph, you will have one.”

Norian snorted coldly and stopped talking.

Seeing this, Count Spencer knew that continuing to ask would only displease Norian, and these answers had already barely addressed the nobles’ concerns.

Therefore, he didn’t continue to stay in the room tactlessly and quietly exited, leaving Norian alone.

“Tsk, these nobles haven’t made any progress in hundreds of years.”

Norian curled his lip disdainfully. They only cared that the Council of Elders could guarantee their safety and weren’t concerned about other issues, not even bothering to understand the details about the Devil’s Minions.

Unfortunately, the current Lannister couldn’t do without these nobles, and the Council of Elders had to prioritize their safety.

However, although Norian’s words just now were full of momentum, his haggard appearance couldn’t be faked.

The appearance of the Devil’s Minions had kept Lannister’s Anomaly Investigation Bureau busy for several days, and Norian, as an example for the Council of Elders, didn’t dare to neglect the matter.

Coupled with Lannister’s already busy affairs, even a “Peril” level ability user’s physique couldn’t handle it.

As for why these followers of the Church of the End Gods had appeared in Lannister, Norian actually knew.

Their traces had appeared in Yan City before. Before the Yan City war began, there had been some signs of Devil’s Minion activity in the city, but these scattered forces were quickly suppressed by the Yan City Anomaly Investigation Bureau.

“Miss Luo Yan…”

Norian silently repeated the name in his heart. What kind of relationship did this mysterious girl, who suddenly appeared in the forest outside Lannister, have with the Primordial Demons?

“The Saint has really caused us quite a bit of trouble.”

Norian sighed.

“You can tell Illusion in person, maybe she’ll feel guilty.”

A raspy voice sounded from outside the door, and then an old woman tremblingly pushed the door open.

Even though she was attending a noble banquet, Granny Zoya was still dressed in her usual simple attire, but with her status… no one dared to criticize her attire.

“She’ll only tell me ‘good work,’ and then tell me to hold on for a while longer with a blank expression.” Norian said with a wry smile. “The Saint is concerned about the safety of the entire human civilization. The survival of a single city naturally wouldn’t catch her attention.”

“Speaking ill of a Saint in private is disrespectful, Norian,” Granny Zoya raised an eyebrow. “However, what you said is indeed true. Illusion’s temper… is still as strange as ever.”

As someone from almost the same era as Illusion, Granny Zoya had witnessed her growth and therefore knew how terrifying Illusion was.

Even among “Destruction” level ability users, there were differences in status and strength.

If Granny Zoya was at the bottom of the “Destruction” level, Illusion’s strength was already approaching the ceiling, much stronger than the old Sword Saint.

Perhaps only Mister Nine, before his death, could have been confident of defeating the current Illusion.

“So, let’s focus on the banquet for now,” Granny Zoya said cheerfully, her hands behind her back. “It’s good to relax occasionally, even as the Chief Magistrate of Lannister.”

Hearing this, Norian smiled faintly and shook his head.

He stood up and walked to the window of the room.

The lounge that Count Spencer had prepared for Norian was, of course, meticulously arranged. There were no eavesdroppers here, and the environment was very similar to the style of Norian’s residence.

Even the layout and size of the room were deliberately designed according to Norian’s preferences, so as to maximize the relaxation of this most powerful person in Lannister.

It could be said that this room was designed specifically to receive him.

Even though Norian might only visit once every ten or even several decades.

There were two windows in the room, one facing outwards and one facing inwards.

The outward-facing window could be turned into a French window at any time, overlooking the entire Lannister.

The inward-facing window could provide a bird’s-eye view of the entire banquet hall.

The banquet hadn’t officially started yet, but many of the nobles attending had already picked up their pre-dinner drinks, savoring them while socializing.

Many minor nobles were trying to get closer to the major nobles. This was a rare opportunity, and they also wanted to make more connections for the future development of their families… and their personal development.

“Heh, I was indeed wrong just now,” Norian watched for a while, then closed the window, out of sight, out of mind.

“These nobles haven’t changed in hundreds of years, but rather regressed—the Constantine family at least plotted to use the power of the nobles to seize control of the Council of Elders. This generation of nobles is left with only this unsightly groveling and incompetence!”

“That’s because the Constantine family was wiped out by the previous Chief Magistrate of the Council of Elders… And, you’re also a noble, Norian.”

“…Just a declining noble. My family’s glory is long gone, and I’ve never thought of polishing the dust-covered family crest again. I won’t try to hold onto something destined to disappear…”

Despite his words, Norian still felt some emotion when mentioning his family.

“Of course, Norian, I know you don’t like these things.” The smile on Granny Zoya’s face never faded; it seemed she was always this cheerful.

“So, in addition to the nobles, I also invited some outstanding young talents—even commoners, as long as they have sufficient qualifications, I sent them invitations.”

“Oh?” Norian’s interest was piqued. “What kind of young talents are they?”

“Basically, they are all ‘Peril’ level ability users under the age of seventy. Not only are there locals from Lannister, but also many guests.” Granny Zoya raised an eyebrow. “You always prefer dealing with young people, it’s always been like this.”

Although it sounded a bit outrageous, in reality… “Peril” level ability users under seventy were indeed worthy of being called “outstanding young talents.”

The physique of high-level ability users was much stronger than that of ordinary people. A seventy-year-old “Peril” level ability user was only equivalent to an ordinary person in their early thirties. For Granny Zoya, who was several hundred years old, and Norian, who was one hundred and fifty, they were indeed young people.

As for the relationship between Granny Zoya and Norian…

Ever since Norian could remember, Granny Zoya had been a revered figure in Lannister. Their relationship was somewhere between elder and junior, and also friends, a kind of mentor and friend.

“This is finally some good news after all these days.”

Norian smiled knowingly. Compared to the increasingly decadent Council of Elders and the increasingly rigid Lannister nobility, he got along better with these young people who often dreamed of changing the world.

Being with young people always allowed him to be infected by their unique vitality, making him feel younger.

However…

Norian suddenly remembered something.

“That Hua Qingling who knows ‘Luo Yan’… you didn’t invite her too, did you?” Norian frowned slightly.

Norian had a deep impression of Hua Qingling, not only because she knew the mysterious girl who caused the chaos, but also because she was a “Peril” level ability user under forty.

Even in all of Lannister, there was no younger “Peril” level ability user than her…

“Of course, the list was finalized and the invitations sent out before the trip to the forest outside the city.” Granny Zoya nodded. “I didn’t think it was necessary to change it, so I didn’t withdraw her invitation.”

“But… won’t she bring ‘Luo Yan’ out…”

Norian was still hesitant.

“Don’t worry about that,” Granny Zoya smiled slightly. “I believe that little girl will know her limits, and… Shivis has already told me that she’s only accompanied by a young man.”

Shivis was the scarred woman driver that Granny Zoya sent to pick up Hua Qingling. Of course, she wasn’t just there to pick up Hua Qingling.

Otherwise, why would Shivis have left so hurriedly after dropping off Hua Qingling and Luo Yan?

“You-, Young man?”

“Yes, Shivis said it was a handsome young man. It seems it’s not ‘Luo Yan’.”

“If that’s the case… then it’s fine.” Norian’s heart, which had just risen to his throat, settled slightly, and then he teased, “However, Granny Zoya, it seems you have one less target for promoting your youngest son.”

“She was never a target. I know my limits. My Kyle is not worthy of such a person, even if I am his mother.”

Granny Zoya wasn’t embarrassed at all when this embarrassing matter was brought up; on the contrary, she seemed inexplicably proud.

It was unclear whether she was proud that she could still have a young son at her age, or proud that her young son wasn’t worthy of Hua Qingling…

“Now that you mention it, I can’t wait any longer.”

Norian stood up again and walked impatiently towards the door. “I have to go and interact with these young people quickly. This is a rare opportunity…”

Norian was usually very busy, and there were very few young people in the Council of Elders.

Moreover, opportunities to gather so many outstanding young talents weren’t common. After hearing Granny Zoya’s arrangements, Norian had been itching to go.

Just as Granny Zoya said, even though he was already in a high position, Norian was still the same as before.

Looking at Norian’s departing back, Granny Zoya was momentarily lost in thought, recalling the first time she met Norian.

“This kid… after so many years, he’s still the same.” Granny Zoya shook her head helplessly and followed him. “Alright, I’m already an old woman, and I still have to run around with you youngsters…”