Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 87 – The Saint
Regardless, Grandma Zoya concealed Luo Yan’s presence, and the thirty-two-member investigation team returned to Lannister.
On the way back, Grandma Zoya took the opportunity to ask Hua Qingling about Luo Yan.
After piecing together the information, she found an excuse to leave Hua Qingling in the forest and returned to Lannister with the rest of the team.
Upon arriving in Lannister, besides publicizing their successful mission, Grandma Zoya reported the more sensitive information to the highest authority.
Lannister wasn’t ruled by a City Lord, but by the Council of Elders.
Composed of twelve powerful families, each represented by a former or current family head.
Although weaker than Grandma Zoya, they were all of a similar age, their lifespans extended by special methods.
After deliberation, the Lannister Council decided to contact Yan City to learn more about the situation.
The Lannister team in Yan City had reported on the current situation, but as an auxiliary force, their understanding was limited.
For now, Lannister decided to treat “Luo Yan” as Yan City’s secret weapon.
Yan City quickly responded to Lannister’s request, but unexpectedly… it wasn’t a high-ranking official who answered the call.
When a familiar figure in armor appeared on the screen, the Lannister Council was surprised.
“Greetings, Lannister Council. I am the Knight-Captain of the Holy Church,” a muffled voice echoed from within the armor, a massive sword planted beside him. “I apologize, but Yan City, having just endured a war, cannot spare the resources to respond to your inquiry. Therefore, I will answer your questions on their behalf.”
The Council was silent for a moment, then the elder at the head of the table spoke.
“Greetings, Knight-Captain. May I assume that… Noah has taken control of Yan City?”
During such a sensitive period, even though the Holy Knights usually didn’t interfere in political matters, he couldn’t help but wonder.
“The Holy Knights do not represent Noah, Mister Norian,” the Knight-Captain turned to the elder. “If Lannister faced a similar crisis to Yan City, the Holy Knights would offer the same assistance.”
Norian—a small, wiry man with a shrewd, almost weaselly, appearance—was one of Lannister’s highest-ranking officials.
Even within the twelve-member Council, their status wasn’t equal, divided into several factions, and Norian was the most prominent among them, half of the Council’s magistrates being his loyal followers.
Of course, setting aside these political games, Norian was authorized to speak for the Council.
“If the Holy Knights can answer our questions, that would be most welcome.”
Norian exhaled, although inwardly, he was nervous.
Dealing with Yan City would have been easy, demanding information and offering aid in return.
But the Holy Knights… this was a different matter.
After reading Grandma Zoya’s report, the Council had already set its sights on “Luo Yan.”
To them, “Luo Yan” was a powerful weapon, wielding the Witch of Envy’s power.
If they learned she was Yan City’s secret weapon, and she was now in Lannister territory, they wouldn’t simply return her; they would acquire her, by force if necessary.
Or perhaps…
Not even that would be necessary.
Such intentions towards a unique individual like Luo Yan weren’t unusual, even “Noah” wasn’t above such considerations.
The reason the Holy Knights didn’t have such thoughts was because they answered directly to the Noah Holy Church, only to the Twelve Saints.
Of course, such schemes were unseemly and couldn’t be revealed to the Holy Knights.
“A girl named ‘Luo Yan’ appeared in Lannister, causing city-wide panic due to her ‘Witch of Envy’ aura. I believe you are already aware of this,” Norian said gravely.
“We want to know why ‘Luo Yan’ is in Lannister, why she carries the ‘Witch of Envy’s’ aura, and more importantly… is she harmless?”
The Knight-Captain didn’t answer immediately.
He was silent for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully.
Then he sighed.
“Saint… perhaps you should handle this,” the Knight-Captain turned to the figure beside him. “I’m not good at these… conversations.”
“Call me Elise… I am not a Saint.”
A cold voice echoed, and to the Council’s shock, a beautiful woman in a kitchen apron appeared on the screen, her expression indifferent.
“Greetings.”
Elise’s stiff, emotionless greeting was completely different from her previous playful demeanor, as if she were a different person.
But the moment she appeared, the entire Lannister Council stood up, their right hands over their hearts, bowing respectfully.
“Greetings, Saint, may your will be done.”
“…I repeat, I am not a Saint,” Elise frowned, her displeasure evident. “My name is Elise.”
So it’s Lady “Illusion”…
The Elders confirmed her identity.
“Sa… uh, Lady Elise,” Norian looked up nervously. “Your presence in Yan City… does it mean that…?”
A Saint leaving Noah for such a remote location… it couldn’t be a small matter…
And then there was the girl, Luo Yan.
Could that mysterious girl truly be…?
“I’m not a Saint, my presence in Yan City means nothing,” Elise interrupted him, her tone sharp.
“As for your questions, you don’t need to know. Just treat her as a guest from afar.”
“Huh? ‘Her’… you mean… Luo Yan?”
Norian’s face flushed, his mustache twitching. “You must understand, her appearance in Lannister has caused…”
“If you knew what almost happened in Yan City, you would realize how lucky Lannister is to have Miss Luo Yan, not Her,” Elise said bluntly.
“Stop scheming, Norian, don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. I’ve been watching you all these years, I just haven’t bothered to interfere.”
Elise’s words silenced Norian, who stammered, sweat dripping down his face, but he didn’t dare argue.
If this were any other day, the Elders who opposed him would be mocking him mercilessly, but not now.
…Facing the Fourth Saint of the Twelve Saints, no one could do better than Norian.
The Twelve Saints of Noah weren’t revered just for their status, but for a much simpler reason… their power.
Over ten of the Twelve Saints were “Destruction” level ability users, and even the remaining two were just a step away.
And unlike Grandma Zoya, who had barely reached “Destruction” level, the Saints were truly humanity’s pillars.
Even Old Man Sword, compared to the Twelve Saints, was only around mid-tier in terms of strength.
A single Grandma Zoya was treated as an honored guest in Lannister, her suggestions taken seriously by the Council, let alone the Fourth Saint.
Fortunately, the Saints didn’t care about political struggles. They were called “Noah’s Saints” simply because they resided in Noah.
If Lannister replaced Noah, they would simply be called the “Lannister Saints.”
However, it was precisely because the Saints didn’t care about politics that “Illusion’s” presence in Yan City had made Norian so nervous.
This was why Elise had been reluctant to reveal her identity. Even Lannister’s highest authorities reacted this way upon learning of a Saint’s travels, let alone others.
After silencing Norian, Elise’s tone softened.
“Don’t worry, as long as you treat Miss Luo Yan like an ordinary person, she’s harmless—and I’ll be coming to retrieve her soon.”
“Yes, as you command, Sa… Lady Elise.”
Norian could only agree.
“E-li-se,” Elise frowned, emphasizing each syllable. “Not Saint. I am not a Saint.”
…Just drop the act, we all know who you are.
Norian suppressed his urge to retort. They were all aware of Saint Illusion’s peculiar habit.
Whenever she traveled using a “phantom puppet,” she would create a detailed backstory for it, from birth to the present.
—Although these backstories were rarely relevant, once Illusion’s true consciousness took over, it was easy to tell.
“One final warning, don’t try anything with her, absolutely not,” Elise’s expression turned serious. “I’m not protecting her, I’m protecting… you.”
Seeing her serious expression, Norian understood the gravity of the situation and replied,
“Rest assured, Lannister will follow your instructions and treat this young lady as an ordinary guest.”
Elise nodded, then closed the communication channel without any further pleasantries.
…She wasn’t one for pleasantries.
As the Saint’s image vanished from the screen, the Council members breathed a sigh of relief.
Even just an avatar, a mere image, the Fourth Saint’s presence had been incredibly oppressive, especially since she seemed to be in a bad mood.
Unfortunately… the chaos and the heavy losses caused by this girl named “Luo Yan” would have to be borne by Lannister.
Lannister was wealthy and could afford it, but it would still hurt, especially having to hire Grandma Zoya.
A “Destruction” level ability user’s services didn’t come cheap.
“Inform Grandma Zoya that we’ll allow this… Miss Luo Yan… to enter Lannister, and arrange accommodation for her,” Norian rubbed his temples. “A girl who carries the ‘Witch of Envy’s’ aura… A terrifying thought.”
“Is this wise? Why not maintain the status quo?” another Elder frowned. “There could be serious risks… Lannister has people from various mega-cities; any incident could trigger a diplomatic crisis.”
“The Saint herself guaranteed her safety and even asked us to treat her well. Do you want to argue with her?”
Norian glanced at the Elder. “Sir Snow, if you have the courage to face Lady Illusion, I can risk contacting her again.”
Sir Snow thought for a moment, then shrank back.
“I have no objections.”
This wasn’t cowardice, but respect for the Saint.
Constantly disturbing her rest wouldn’t be appropriate…
Illusion had already been a renowned expert before the Witch of Absolute Death war, her actual age far greater than any of the Elders present.
Therefore, her reprimands felt like those of an elder scolding a child… It was a strange dynamic.
“Anyway, let’s leave it at this for now and see what the Saint decides,” Norian shook his head. “She said she would come to Lannister soon to retrieve this Miss Luo Yan… That will be another headache…”
Hosting a Saint, even if she denied being one, was a troublesome affair.
“I’m curious about this mysterious girl… what kind of person could cause so much chaos…?”
A strange thought crossed Norian’s mind, which he quickly dismissed.
It was best… not to meet her…
…
Meanwhile, in the forest outside Lannister.
Luo Yan and Hua Qingling sat on the ground, reunited after a long separation.
…They mostly talked about Hua Qiling’s embarrassing childhood stories.
Of course, they also discussed more serious matters.
Hua Qingling, having only received fragmented messages, struggled to understand the full picture of what had happened in Yan City.
And Luo Yan, who knew the most, gave her a detailed account, including the cause and the truth behind the war.
After listening silently, Hua Qingling could only sigh.
She didn’t want to regret not being in Yan City, but the war, although unexpected, had been inevitable.
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