Chapter Sixty-Six: The Blurry Shadow of Enchantment

The sudden impact instantly heightened the pressure on the guards of the merchant association protecting the display. They had just managed to suppress the most intense waves of assault, preparing to cover the Enchantment Pearl with a red cloth and temporarily send it to a safer location, when they were once again hindered by this seemingly mad group of attackers.

Although the Lingyin Merchant Association guards were clearly better trained and equipped, they were wary of going all out against such distinguished customers. Additionally, they needed to allocate a significant number of members to maintain order in the venue, preventing the sale from collapsing and turning the association into a laughingstock.

With this tug-and-pull, the guards found themselves temporarily tied up, but after a moment, they seemed to regain their senses from the initial shock. They realized this situation was far from simple and began to devise a targeted response, forming a defensive formation while awaiting reinforcements.

After all, this was the Lingyin Merchant Association’s home ground, the ancient castle of the Saint of Bright Light. As long as they could hold out for the time being, waiting for reinforcements and those real big shots to arrive, the unrest would naturally settle down.

“Where’s that brat Mingli? Is he really trying to sneak off by himself again? And where’s the President?!”

The guard captain of the Lingyin Merchant Association, a tall and striking beauty in silver armor, expressed her discontent. Unlike ordinary humans and most creatures, her long hair shimmered as if it were condensed from golden light, displaying a strangely tangible yet intangible appearance, and her skin was even fairer than others.

But the most peculiar feature was her gem-like, radiant eyes. While others may have been praised for having “eyes as clear as gems,” she truly possessed an almost sapphire-like gaze that was unforgettable at first sight.

The Light Tribe, the most respected and exceedingly rare magical race within the Holy Empire.

The origins of the Light Tribe have always been a mystery. Some say they are divine creations sculpted from heavenly spirit stones by the Light Goddess, while others claim they are a kind of half-breed human. Yet, no one has ever come up with a convincing answer regarding which creatures’ bloodlines might have mingled in this mix.

Regardless, the excellence of the Light Tribe is an acknowledged fact. Though their numbers are few and they lack a fixed settlement, members of the tribe often blend into various corners of the Holy Empire, living leisurely lives. However, their affinity for light exceeds that of normal individuals, and they possess outstanding magical or martial talents, with lifespans comparable to most mythical beings.

One strange point, however, is that members of the Light Tribe never join the temple nor learn faith-based magic. While they respect the Light Goddess, they don’t express it in the same verbal way as other beings—essentially, they are a race without a clear understanding of their own thoughts.

To be honest, although I’ve heard many rumors about the Light Tribe, this was Vilyric’s first time encountering a member of the tribe within the Holy Empire. It seemed this captain’s formidable strength and steady command were precisely what allowed the Lingyin Merchant Association guards to keep the riotous crowd in check.

With her beyond-human acute hearing, the various commotions below had long reached Vilyric’s ears. Seeing the stalemate near the display, she suddenly realized.

“Mingli was that auctioneer just now? Is he also a Lingyin person? Did you tip him off so he could delay the arrival of reinforcements?”

If not, Vilyric couldn’t fathom why such a massive chaos would erupt in the ancient castle of the Saint of Bright Light, presided over by the Lingyin Merchant Association, yet only the internal guard was attempting to suppress it, while external temple knights took their sweet time.

“Hehe… Miss Xī, you truly have a keen eye; you’ve seen through my setup at once. That’s right, this chaos was part of the plan that Princess Yuna and I devised, but if we stabilize things too early, the purpose of drawing them out will be hard to achieve.”

“Drawing them out, huh…”

“Yes, if I calculate the time, it’s about time for them to show themselves.”

No sooner had the Oracle finished speaking than an unexpected change occurred in the once orderly and synchronized Lingyin Merchant Association guards!

One of the guard members who should have been beside the Light Tribe girl with a round shield to protect her suddenly froze, swaying as he thrust his short sword forcefully towards the girl’s blind spot, aiming directly at her midsection!

“What!?”

However, as a member of the Light Tribe, her reaction speed and physical coordination were astonishing. Even while being backstabbed, she seemed to have an instinctual sense and instantly turned, using the armored area of her gear to absorb the blow. Though she stumbled slightly due to the sudden shift, she wasn’t truly harmed.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

With a mix of annoyance and anger, the Light Tribe girl shouted, landing a heavy blow on that guard’s head. Only then did he snap back to reality, instinctively dropping his short sword and round shield as he staggered back in fear.

“Eh?! N-no, it’s not like that, Lady Amy! I don’t know what just happened… That was never my intention!”

“What the—! Are you an idiot?! Why would you drop your weapon in a fight?! Ugh…”

Though she barely avoided her teammate’s inexplicable backstab, the sudden internal chaos left the guard formation full of vulnerabilities, especially for Amy, the Light Tribe girl. Her destabilized posture and lack of defense put her in a rather dangerous position.

While relying on her own exceptional strength to barely hold on, some opportunistic individuals naturally weren’t going to miss such a golden chance.

“Hehe, it’s hilarious to see the descendants of light in such a pathetic situation, it’s truly laughable! Since you all are so useless, I’ll gladly take that treasure~”

A hazy shadow, appearing almost ethereal, alongside a fairy-like, tinkling laugh, unexpectedly emerged at the display, brazenly reaching for the already covered Enchantment Pearl that still exuded an infinite allure.

“Tsk, I knew it… Stop her!”

Struggling to fend off several simultaneous attacks, Amy shouted to her comrades guarding the inside of the display.

Naturally, those guards couldn’t just stand by idly. As soon as the captain spoke, seven or eight long swords slashed towards the shadow who had somehow gotten close, while two others pounced forward, determined to tackle the dastardly thief.

However, with another burst of laughter and the red cloth being lifted, the Enchantment Pearl shone brightly, and inexplicably, half of those weapons turned towards their own companions. One even leaped up and knocked into two guards in midair, sending one rolling away like a tumbleweed.

“Hehe, thank you so much! If it weren’t for the big brothers saving me just now, I would have nearly been caught by the bad guys~”

   

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