Chapter 2463: A Demand

When Xia De returned to the "Radiant Emissary," Megan immediately pulled him off to a secluded cabin and told him that Vanessa was about to advance to the thirteenth ring, and Miss Miss Feilian An Na's deductions regarding this.

"What?"

Xia De was so surprised that his voice grew much louder:

"The fact that Vanessa is about to advance doesn't surprise me all that much, but how could you tell Miss Miss Feilian An Na about the things between you and me? This is..."

"Yes, yes, privacy."

The wise Great Witch nodded perfunctorily:

"But that is Miss Miss Feilian An Na, and besides, do you think that if you don't say anything, she won't be able to tell? Our means of perception can very easily discern whether a young lady is still pure. In the past, Miss Jia Lin Na and I weren't seen through because even Speaker Yi Sha Bei La..."

She paused briefly:

"I mean the current Speaker Yi Sha Bei La is only two rings above us, so for now she can't see through our disguise. But Miss Miss Feilian An Na is a demigod—if even Amelia's unicorn can see through such things, how could she possibly not have noticed something amiss?"

Megan once again brought up little Lian Na as an example.

"But I..."

"Yes, yes, I know, our Knight Hamilton doesn't want the highly respected Miss Miss Feilian An Na to think you're actually some kind of playboy, right?"

Megan said with a smile as she looked at him:

"Or is it that you've had intimate relations with us, yet you completely refuse to acknowledge it?"

Xia De immediately retorted:

"Of course not. If you're willing, I can tell everyone around me about this. Miss Miss Feilian An Na and the others actually know there are many young ladies by my side; I just don't want... well, if they know, they know."

Only then did Megan nod with satisfaction:

"In the eyes of those two ladies from the Fifth Epoch, your way of doing things befits your own strength and status. Oh, look at that expression on your face. Fine, let's get back to the main topic—still about Vanessa."

She crossed her arms over her chest, leaned against the wall, and looked at Xia De:

"Don't worry about her. Her spirit isn't as good as yours; she's gone back to catch up on sleep now, and you'll see her at noon. However, regarding the matter of her soon advancing to the thirteenth ring, we discussed it and decided not to tell the others right away.

After all, we can't explain why this is. Everyone knows each other well. If Vanessa says she suddenly grasped the direction of the thirteenth ring, not to mention Speaker Yi Sha Bei La, even Xi Wei and the others wouldn't believe it."

"So, Miss Miss Feilian An Na made an alchemical item to temporarily conceal her power, did she?"

Xia De asked. Megan nodded, somewhat surprised:

"You guessed it? Yes, but we don't plan to keep it hidden forever. We'll wait until the next Chosen battle opens and everyone gathers around you again, then Vanessa will inform everyone that she's about to advance. That's at least two months away... it won't be just one month, will it?"

"That sort of thing isn't up to me."

Xia De said. Seeing Megan's somewhat disbelieving look, he added with an assurance:

"At least for one month I won't be wandering off to other cities—no, it's one and a half months. I can't use the Time Key for one and a half months. During this time I want to rest properly, and besides, I still have to receive the visit of Mi Mi Ya's master."

But he didn't completely shut the door on it either:

"If trouble comes looking for me on its own, then that's another story."

Megan sighed:

"Honestly, you need to take better care of yourself. You probably have no idea how terrifying Yi Lu Weiya's expression was when you 'died' on Sunday."

She stepped forward and embraced Xia De. Xia De thought she would say something like "be careful" or "I'm by your side," but instead he heard Ao Dai Li's voice from behind him:

"Last night, what exactly did you do with Vanessa?"

The arms wrapped around Xia De "grew" Ao Dai Li's body from behind. Ao Dai Li's body pressed against Xia De's back, and her head emerged from behind his neck. The sisters' fingers interlocked, enveloping Xia De between them:

"There's still over an hour until lunch, Xia De. Show us a demonstration."

So when they ate lunch that noon, Xia De and Megan were the last to arrive.

However, at the lunch table, Yi Lu Na also showed up unexpectedly. After Sunday's decisive battle, Xia De had rested for a few days, but Yi Lu Na still looked very busy.

When Amelia at the table curiously asked what she was doing, Yi Lu Na finally began to complain:

"Countless reports—yes, every Ring-warlock present in the ritual site at the time has to submit a detailed report. These reports involve several evil gods, so the knowledge contamination they carry means they definitely won't be made public, but they still have to be filed and sealed."

She viciously cut into her veal steak, as if facing those yet-to-be-written blank documents:

"If it were a normal report, the Church would assign me an assistant, and I could dictate while she records. But when it involves these matters, even mechanical typewriters can't be used. Oh, I'm already starting to miss Tuo Bei Si Ke—at least when I was at Black Stone Security Company, those annoying reports didn't have to be written by me."

Those were all written by her squad captain.

"This isn't formalism; these records will be of great help to people in the future."

Yi Lu Weiya reminded her with a smile. Yi Lu Na certainly knew this, but that didn't stop her from complaining:

"I actually envy Xia De. I want to find a place to hold a cat and look at the scenery, or just lie down properly for a whole day."

"I think he's certainly done enough lying around these past few days—and certainly done enough of other things too."

The purple-eyed Miss said softly, and only a few people at the table knew what she was talking about.

To prevent this line of discussion from continuing, Xia De hurriedly changed the subject:

"Yi Lu Na, when are you planning to return to Tuo Bei Si Ke? Yi Lu Weiya and the others are leaving soon too."

"Moon Bay Parish isn't willing to let me leave right now."

She placed a slice of tomato on the cut piece of meat, then speared them both together with her fork:

"The local parish wants me to stay a while longer. After all, although the great battle is over, they're short-handed here. The thirteenth-ring Mr. and Ms. all have their own parishes to guard, but I don't, so if I said I wanted to stay, I actually could."

As she spoke, she shook her head:

"But I refused. You and Yi Lu Weiya will be heading back soon too—what would I stay here for? If I want to see the sea, I can come over anytime. Speaking of which, Miss Jia Lin Na... Teacher has already gone back, hasn't she? I still have some questions I wanted to ask her."

She generally wouldn't call that Duchess "Teacher," but Miss Miss Feilian An Na was also present now, and she didn't want to appear rude.

"Yi Lu Weiya plans to return to Tuo Bei Si Ke via Sa La Di Er County on Saturday, together with A Gao Jie Li Na, Miss Miss Difa, Duo Luo Xi and the others. When the time comes, not only the Young Lady maids, but my other friends will also head back together."

That referred to the doctor and the priest.

"Miss Miss Feilian An Na and Fei Ou Na aren't taking the train. They'll return to Tuo Bei Si Ke with me on Friday using other means, then stay at Number Six Saint Delan Square for a few days."

"I'm also leaving around the weekend—once I've finished dealing with those reports."

Yi Lu Na looked quite troubled, but these reports that required her own handwriting couldn't even be delegated to Miss Miss Difa:

"The only good news right now is that I'm probably about to advance to the Ninth Ring."

She did not bring up the matter of the Sublimation Words, but rather shyly asked the purple-skirted, blonde-haired demigod:

"After we return to Tobesk, Miss Felianna, may I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course."

Miss Felianna agreed with a smile, and the others assumed Yi Lu Na simply wanted to ask questions about Ring Sorcerers.

But what the eighteen-year-old Miss had on her mind was Xia De's staff and the matter of the Reviving World Tree. Compared to Xia De's future, Yi Lu Na did not think her own current affairs were particularly important.

Of course, Yi Lu Na had not come today specifically to complain about her reports. After lunch, the witches tacitly did not disturb Xia De, letting Xia De, Yi Lu Na, and Luvia go together to Xia De's room to talk.

"Xia De, the Church wants to know what the God-Summoner needs. Before the Moon Bay battle, it was agreed that if you stepped in this time, regardless of win or loss, the Wushen Sect would owe you a favor. Now it's time to cash that in."

"Too great a merit isn't always a good thing either."

Luvia still looked at Xia De with a smile:

"This time a few Philosopher's Stones won't be enough to send you off. I think aside from asking for Yi Lu Na·Beaith herself, whatever else you want, the Church will find a way to satisfy."

Yi Lu Na's face immediately flushed red, and she softly said, "Oh, Luvia, stop teasing me," though what she was really thinking, everyone knew.

"I've already thought it through."

Xia De was not troubled by this question:

"Yi Lu Na, please tell the Church for me — I hope the Wushen Sect can help me ask the True Gods a question: if I wish to seek power, where should I go."

This was essentially asking where in the material world to look for the next drop of divinity. Others might not understand, but Xia De was quite certain the gods absolutely knew what he meant.

However, he added one more line:

"I don't require all five True Gods to answer; just one of them telling me the answer will do."

Yi Lu Na did not comment on Xia De's request, but very seriously noted it all down:

"Then besides this, is there anything else?"

"Hmm... it seems there's nothing else I particularly need."

Luvia then said with a smile:

"Yi Lu Na, put it this way: the God-Summoner requests the gods to grant him revelation; beyond that, whatever the Wushen Sect wishes to give him is fine, and not giving is fine too — after all, all of this is for our civilization and our world."

"I get it, I get it — the more the God-Summoner acts as if he doesn't care, the more the Church must show its generosity."

Yi Lu Na nodded understandingly:

"Xia De isn't short on relics for now, and keeping too many relics at home is a bit dangerous. So besides special materials like Philosopher's Stones, how about knowledge? I know the Church has many undeclassified texts, those records about the ancient epochs — some I can't even access myself. Perhaps you'd be interested in those."