Chapter 438: The Angel, the Dragon Maid, and the Nun

On this day, the faithful of the Radiant Holy City went mad.

They had seen the Lord’s angel walking among mortals.

The angel with crimson wings had flown past the city, leaving behind in the sky bloodstains like slashes from a blade.

After many years, the Sun God’s warrior angel had descended once more from the divine realm to relieve the suffering of all beings.

They cheered and shouted, running to spread the news.

It was as if the annual Festival of the Sun had arrived again.

For some time now, they had been in this state of excitement and fervor.

The Sun God, after a long silence, had stirred, revealed a divine sign, and sent down a divine decree.

He had even dispatched His angel to aid them in battle against the demon god’s minions.

He had not abandoned mankind.

He had never forsaken us, foolish mortals!

Our Lord above!

May glory endure forever!

May the Lord of the Burning Sun forever protect us!

Moreover, since some had first seen the crimson dragon’s silhouette, only for the dragon to vanish abruptly and the angel to appear suddenly… they naturally drew connections.

They firmly believed that this angel’s true form was a dragon of immense size!

And very likely an ancient being from legend!

The above… was the thought of ordinary believers.

Yet those high-ranking officials with access to the truth knew it was not so.

The Sun God had indeed stirred recently, but no one knew what the midnight appearance of the blazing sun truly meant.

He had not issued a divine decree, nor commanded them to wage war against the demon god’s church.

And as for the so-called “Lord’s angel,” the truth was even more silence-inducing.

They knew it was not an angel sent by the Sun God.

Should they explain this to them?

There was no need to explain, nor any need to clarify.

From the beginning, their hope that the Mist Monastery would lend the angelic battle armor was precisely to make the “angel” appear.

Now, though the process differed from their plan, the outcome still achieved their original goal—and even surpassed it.

Besides, it wasn’t that they deduced it; the other party had openly admitted it themselves.

After appearing, the angel did not linger; he swiftly flew across the half-sky of the Holy City and in an instant arrived before their tower.

Perhaps due to the aura radiating from the crimson battle armor, the Holy City’s protective barrier showed no reaction, silently permitting the “angel’s” entry.

The angel gently landed upon the tower’s high platform.

Tap.

Then, without any cryptic riddles or theatrics, the “angel” simply raised his hand to his helmet.

As the helmet was removed, a cascade of snow-white hair spilled forth, glowing brilliantly under the radiant sunlight.

It made the already bright space even more dazzling.

The handsome young angel, holding the helmet, smiled faintly at the stunned and bewildered crowd.

He nodded slightly and spoke clearly to all: “To my fellow citizens beneath the blazing sun, brave warriors who resist darkness, allow me to offer you my highest respect.”

“I am Herbert Albert of the Mist Monastery, answering the call of my ally.”

“I greet you all.”

The boy’s smile was radiant and bright, yet it made every person who saw it feel their heart jolt sharply.

Thump! Thump!

As if sensing a threat, or as if their souls had been seized by that beautiful smile!

For a moment, no one spoke.

“…”

The entire hall fell silent; all eyes locked onto Herbert, unwavering.

This young man possessed an astonishing charm.

It was not merely about his appearance, but his demeanor, even his aura!

On this young man, they faintly sensed the presence of the “Lord”!!?

He… was favored by the Burning Sun?

And from the lingering aura on him, the favor he received was far greater than that of nearly everyone present.

In fact, within the entire Holy City, only the Sun God’s Pope and a few Divine Chosen might rival this favor.

Envious favor.

He was loved by a god.

But… this made no sense!

They could see at a glance that Herbert was not a follower of the Sun God; his body carried none of the familiar feeling they knew.

Yet precisely this “outsider” received even greater favor from the Sun God than they did!!?

What did this mean?

It meant Herbert possessed qualities so astonishing that the Sun God would overlook his lack of reverence.

Perhaps talent, perhaps willpower, perhaps fate… they could not know.

But regardless, one fact was clear—Herbert had not chosen the Sun God; the Sun God had chosen Herbert.

Even if you do not believe in me, I shall still bless you.

Clearly, Herbert carried great secrets, yet they could not probe them lightly.

This enviable, even jealous, favor—if granted to any Sun God follower—would have made them a true Divine Chosen.

No…

Even though Herbert was not a follower of the Sun God, he was still a Divine Chosen.

Undoubtedly!

A god’s favor is tyrannical; He cares not whether you accept it or not.

Not all gods are as reasonable as the Ice Goddess, who would first ask Herbert if he wished to become her Divine Chosen—and if he refused, she’d let it go.

Most often, gods choose mortals as their Divine Chosen without regard for the mortal’s feelings.

I favor you—what does that have to do with you?

Whether you accept it or not, you are forced to accept this favor.

If it is a true god’s favor, it grants the chosen special abilities.

But if it is the demon god’s “favor,” the outcome may be entirely different—they will be forced onto a twisted path paved with thorns.

…

The crowd stared at Herbert in silence for a long while, and Herbert made no move to speak, quietly waiting for them.

“Cough. Cough.”

The first to recover was the Holy City’s Guard Captain; he cleared his throat twice and nodded slightly to Herbert.

“You… ah, brother of the monastery, welcome.”

He quickly recovered from his initial shock, regaining his usual composure, and gave Herbert a wry smile: “You’ve caused quite a commotion.”

Once he learned Herbert’s identity, he connected the dots to earlier mysteries.

They now knew which faction the crimson dragon belonged to—it was truly one of their own!

Not a ruse by the God of Lust, but reinforcements summoned by their own side.

The only problem was, they hadn’t consulted them first—they’d gone straight to the front lines and slaughtered wildly.

Herbert shrugged and smiled softly: “All for justice.”

He offered no further explanation for why he had taken those actions, which might have escalated the war to greater intensity.

He merely made one point—everything he had done was solely to eliminate more of the demon god’s minions.

Yes, all I have done is for justice.

My heart and deeds are as clear as a mirror; all I have done is for justice!

Has Herbert ever harbored even a shred of selfish intent?

Never!

“I see…” The Guard Captain, hearing Herbert’s reply, found himself at a loss for words.

Should he rebuke him?

Clearly, he could not.

After all, Herbert had merely fulfilled the duty expected of any proper Holy Knight.

From that perspective, there was nothing to criticize.

Then should he praise him?

Logically, they ought to commend Herbert for “resisting the demon god’s minions” and saving his comrades.

But emotionally, everyone present was reluctant to do so.

The crimson dragon’s appearance had disrupted their original plan, rendering many preparations useless.

According to the original plan, they intended to lure the enemy deeper and seize an opportunity to deliver the Lust Cult a devastating blow.

Although this may cost the lives of some believers, it is acceptable compared to the ultimate goal.

“This…”

The atmosphere in the hall grew subtly tense, and the guard captain hesitated, not speaking immediately.

Herbert could naturally sense something was off.

But he saw through it and said nothing, making no inquiry.

If you’re going to play dumb, play it fully.

Herbert did not take pride in his “achievements”; instead, he asked with visible concern: “My lord, have I done something wrong?”

Yet he did not reflect on whether his actions had been too reckless; he thought in the most “simple-minded” way possible.

“Oh! I understand—I know where I went wrong!”

“Is it because we didn’t kill enough enemies before? Do we need to eliminate them completely? Is that it!”

Without caring how others reacted, Herbert nodded with an expression of sudden realization.

Wasn’t I killing enough? Wasn’t I killing thoroughly enough?

Though Herbert did not say it outright, his expression and gestures made his stance clear—he would return at once and finish them all if given the order.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

The guard captain’s brow twitched—he immediately realized something.

This bastard is also a killer.

The Mist Monastery is regarded as a conservative faction among many organizations.

They avoid entanglements between various divine churches, acting only to eradicate evil, quietly fulfilling their duty by guarding sealed artifacts.

The Sun Church, however, is considered an extremist faction among the orthodox divine churches.

These extremists, who tolerate no trace of evil, love nothing more than eradicating evil completely, wishing to wipe out the entire evil force.

Yet now, the conservative Herbert found these extremist Sun worshippers too cautious.

The extremists think the conservatives are too extreme; the conservatives think the extremists are too cautious.

This is quite surreal.

“Cough! Cough!”

The guard captain cleared his throat, quickly interrupting Herbert’s “epiphany,” and said sternly: “No need for that. You’ve done enough. You need rest now.”

“We have already prepared a place for your rest.”

This was also everyone else’s unspoken thought.

Just rest already!

Don’t cause any more trouble—especially don’t disrupt our plans!

“If you say so, then thank you for your kindness.”

Herbert did not resist; he nodded slightly and accepted the guard captain’s goodwill: “But before that, please allow my companions to enter Shengcheng as well.”

The guard captain nodded lightly, then said unconsciously: “That giant dragon? As for it… wait—companions?”

Were there others who came with Herbert and the giant dragon?

Were there other experts?

As he thought this, his gaze shifted to the gates of Shengcheng, where some commotion had just appeared.

At the gates, many were staring at three figures outside the city.

His eyes first fell on the two behind—tall and short, both dressed in the traditional nun’s robes of the monastery.

Though their figures were unremarkable and their robes covered nearly all exposed skin, these two nuns carried an uncanny allure that drew the gaze irresistibly.

Yet even though these two striking figures possessed enough charm to command attention, most eyes now fixed on the figure walking at the front.

It was a tall, martial woman with a single red braid tied neatly at the back of her head—a maid.

Wait, why is she a maid?

“Huh!?”

The guard captain narrowed his eyes at Valentina, sensing the aura on her—realizing this was the human form of the crimson giant dragon.

Why is that crimson giant dragon, possessing Shi Shi-level power, dressed as a maid?

Huh?

Though deeply confused, the guard captain, having seen great things, held back. He did not act rashly, but turned his gaze to the two figures behind Valentina.

“Who are they?”

On the two nuns, he sensed a faint yet unmistakable abyssal aura—they were clearly no ordinary beings.

“They are my servants.”

Herbert spoke calmly, softly: “I know your doubts. They are not ordinary humans, but outsiders from the Abyss.”

“They once committed sins, but have recognized their errors and now strive to cleanse their guilt.”

“I brought them here hoping the Radiance of the Lord of the Sun may shine upon them, further purifying their sins.”

After speaking, Herbert looked up at the varied expressions of those present.

Clearly, not everyone accepted his explanation—they instinctively resisted the Abyssal bloodline.

Yet perhaps due to Herbert’s “angelic status,” none dared act rashly; all turned their eyes to the guard captain, awaiting his decision.

Herbert then looked at the guard captain and nodded slightly, asking: “Is it acceptable?”

“After eliminating so many of the dark gods’ minions, do they deserve entry into the city?”

Is that qualification enough?

“...”

Faced with Herbert’s and the crowd’s gazes, the guard captain—who held the power to decide—remained silent, his brow tightly furrowed.

“They...”

(End of Chapter)