Chapter 33: After Everything’s Settled, Leaving Behind Glory and Fame

After returning to the surface from the underground ritual site that had lost all exploratory value, the surroundings were still illuminated by the brilliant radiance of the “Eternal Shield of Light,” turning night into day.

Miss Vilyric didn’t plan to keep this thing in the Disaster Forest; it was too eye-catching and felt like it would attract a heap of trouble.

As the name suggests, if Vilyric didn’t lift it, this grand barrier that enveloped the entire forest and illuminated much of the Bolt Kingdom would remain forever.

Thus, under Edwina’s slightly regretful gaze, the Priestess retracted the barrier, allowing night to return.

After reburying the deep pit that was a thousand meters down and clearing the traces left behind, the group of six directly left the Disaster Forest.

Clearly, throughout the journey, Edwina and the others, especially Mr. Epunya—who knew the least about Vilyric—had a complex mix of emotions: excitement, disbelief, a sense of being in another world, and deep respect all intertwined, making the beastman’s expression rather comical.

It wasn’t his fault; anyone who witnessed the clash and battle between gods would likely react that way, let alone the fact that Vilyric had used several high-level spells right in front of them that ordinary people would be affected by.

Experiencing temporary mental turmoil was quite normal; once they calmed down, they should return to normal—after all, she was a legendary powerhouse.

After finding a suitable place to rest for the night, the next day, the group rode the earth dragon that had been left outside the Disaster Forest back to Anilo City.

Since there was no rush, Vilyric slowed down a bit this time, taking the opportunity to enjoy the local customs and scenery.

By the time they arrived at their destination, three days had passed.

Vilyric didn’t spread the news that the “Southern Disaster” had been quelled; first, she wasn’t sure if the remaining “seeds” scattered across the Unreachable Lands had been snuffed out for good, giving rise to another “Phantom Cloud” possibility, plus there was no need to.

Upon returning to Anilo City, a rather sentimental Epunya re-entered the Adventurer’s Guild, while Vilyric and the others went straight to find the envoy group from the United Kingdom that had been waiting here as agreed.

From the pace they had traveled, it seemed they must have just arrived in Anilo City not long ago.

Then, Edwina took over, briefly explaining to Envoy Group Leader Miss Philena the essential process of subduing the “Southern Disaster.” Whether she believed it or not, Vilyric had done her part and took her pet back to rest.

Since the obstacle had been removed, the group would likely set off again soon; they had wasted enough time already.

That night.

Vilyric was in the room arranged by Philena, adjusting the nightlight as she leisurely read a hefty tome, with a palm-sized stone statue exuding a faint green light sitting on the table.

On the nearby double bed, the golden-haired Little Dragon Daughter was curled up with her eyes half-closed, gently snoring.

Knock, knock, knock.

A soft knocking sound came from outside the room. Vilyric sensed who it was without needing to look.

She set down the book and pressed on the statue’s head, causing the green light to quickly dim and return to its original gray-black color.

“Come in, the door’s unlocked.”

This place was a lodging exclusively for the envoy group, and this room was a luxurious accommodation provided for high-ranking officials; ordinary folks couldn’t even get close, so Vilyric was completely unconcerned about any fools barging in uninvited.

The knocking stopped, and moments later, two beautiful girls with varying lengths of white hair opened the door, revealing their delicate faces, dressed in matching loose sleepwear, their pale skin peeking out from below.

Especially the two sets of curves that would make the Priestess gnash her teeth were partially exposed without any defense. If this were a male’s bedroom, it might easily lead to a flurry of thoughts.

“Sorry to interrupt, Lady Vilyric, and… uh, sorry to disturb you, Lady Xiao Guang?”

As Layla entered first, she locked eyes with the Little Dragon Daughter, who had just opened her eyes and was looking toward the entrance, making the atmosphere instantly awkward.

“Hmph, it’s you guys… No worries, I don’t need to sleep every day; I just had nothing to do. Are you here to play ‘Three-Person Fight Tiger’?”

‘Three-Person Fight Tiger’ was actually just a modified version of the game known in this world as Landlord. Since there was no concept of “landlord” here, and most countries were still in a medieval feudal structure, a term that easily spread rebellious thoughts was naturally not allowed.

So, it was changed to battling magical beasts.

That was Vilyric’s guess.

Though she often lost more than she won, it seemed that one certain Little Dragon Daughter still had a fondness for this game.

Layla showed a troubled expression.

“That… sorry, we actually have something we want to discuss with you, Lady Vilyric. Can we play tomorrow?”

“Not playing a game? Tsk, well, talk away. I’ll find another place.”

Seeming uninterested in the topic about to unfold, the Little Dragon Daughter felt a certain degree of trust in her two playmates she’d been hanging out with for over a month and directly returned to her pet space to sleep.

Layla and Renée had naturally seen Xiao Guang’s sudden disappearing act before, so they weren’t surprised. Rather, they were quite grateful that the Little Dragon Daughter chose to avoid any suspicion.

So, the sisters closed the door and moved neatly to the side of the curious Priestess, appearing as if they had something to say.

“What’s up? That expression—do you have something on your mind?”

Seeing the two girls’ serious faces, it must be something significant they wanted to discuss.

Exchanging glances, the more extroverted older sister finally opened the conversation.

“It’s like this, Lady Vilyric; you know that when you helped us, something special happened to me and my sister… not only did our strength see a significant boost, but…”

“And then what?”

Renée picked up on her sister’s sentence.

“And after that, strange and unfamiliar scenes and figures occasionally pop into our heads. We don’t know what they mean, and it doesn’t seem to affect our physical condition, so we didn’t tell you…”

The sisters lowered their heads in shame simultaneously, seemingly unable to meet the Priestess’s gaze. However, Vilyric didn’t seem upset; instead, she smiled nonchalantly.

“What’s the big deal? Everyone has a few secrets of their own; you’re not my slaves, so you don’t need to report everything to me. So, why suddenly tell me now?”

“Well… actually, a few days ago, at that weird beast-fighting arena, my sister and I heard a woman’s voice from the sky saying some rather intriguing things.”

“A woman’s voice?”

Vilyric immediately understood.

The voice that Layla referred to should be the fragmented will of the Earth Mother Goddess, Xi Fu. Although at the time, her main body was facing off against Vilyric, it would be unsurprising for her to communicate with the sisters in a space she created herself, considering she could multitask.

After all, even the Xi Fu fragment sealed in the stone statue by Vilyric could transmit thoughts through mental messaging. How much more a pseudo-god level fragment from the Southern Disaster that had wreaked havoc for centuries?

   

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