Chapter 191: Dramatic Change

Ignoring the surprised gaze of the Light Tribe Girl, Miss White Fox extended her palm that cradled the floating light orb. The orb eagerly dove into Miss Ella’s collar, merging into her skin and vanishing without causing her any discomfort.

Then, Xī handed the small golden gem, shaped like a perfect half-vertex, to the utterly baffled Ella.

“This thing, you should find a non-transparent bag or fragrant pouch to carry it around. You can probably figure out its value, but don’t let anyone see it, and certainly don’t think about selling it… It’s not something you can sell; doing so could bring real danger upon you.”

After a moment’s thought, Miss White Fox shook her head helplessly.

“Well, let me explain clearly: this gem is primarily for replenishing energy to the light orb you just received, which can save your life in critical moments. Though those guys in the Holy Academy probably won’t dare to do anything outright, given today’s events, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“Also, if you’re interested, you can track the movements of the Longbeard family. It will protect your safety as long as you don’t act too rashly, and there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“The light orb protecting my safety…? And this gem…”

Ella hesitated, her mouth opening as if to say something, but she eventually decided against mentioning the striking similarity between this gem and the core inside her body. For the Light Tribe, that would be akin to the relationship between magical beasts and their cores, or between humans and their hearts—one of the most critical secrets.

After all, this Miss Xī was merely someone she was meeting for the first time. Although she had gathered some information through gossip, she was still unclear about how the other party had come into possession of this item.

Even though this noble girl seemingly had no reason to deceive or schemed against her, one must always be wary; Ella wasn’t a naive rookie anymore.

Seeing that the Light Tribe Girl was at a loss for words, Miss White Fox seemed unfazed and continued with her instructions.

“You should know about the situation in the eastern part of the Holy Land. As a member of the military personnel, I will soon be leaving the Holy Capital to follow the battlefront, and this might be our last meeting for a while.”

“Once again, don’t worry too much about safety; as long as you don’t act impulsively or wander into extremely dangerous areas, that light orb should be enough to keep you safe.”

“As for funds, the fifth-tier magic crystal I gave you before can probably be exchanged for at least three million Holy Coins. If you don’t have a way to sell it, you can approach the Lingyin Merchant Association or Cecelia Family in the Holy Capital and ask them to help auction it off; you might even make a little extra from it. This money should cover your research expenses for at least six months.”

“Well… if I’m really in urgent need of funds and I’m still not back…”

After some thought, Miss White Fox reached into the void beside her and, after searching for a bit, pulled out a delicate, exquisitely crafted black and gold card made from some unique magic crystal and offered it to Ella between her fingers.

“This… is probably a VIP card? I’m not too clear on the specifics, but if you’re really in need of money, you can take this to the Lingyin Merchant Association and tell the person in charge there… just say Xī sent you, and you should be able to borrow some funds.”

Seeing the look of confusion and hesitation on Ella’s face, Miss White Fox hurriedly added with a smile.

“Don’t worry; this money will of course be counted as mine.”

“…?”

Feeling overwhelmed by a barrage of instructions from Miss White Fox, and staring at the lively little fox engraving on the card for a moment, Ella looked up at Xī’s face, which was almost identical to the white fox mask she wore, and after a moment’s contemplation, shook her head.

“There’s no need; five million Holy Coins is plenty. This kind of obviously precious item, Miss Xī should keep it safe. Everything needs to have a fair exchange, and taking too much… would make my conscience uneasy.”

“Oh, I see…”

Seeing this, Miss White Fox didn’t insist, taking back the card and patting the Light Tribe Girl on the shoulder.

“Alright, that’s settled then. If you run into any insurmountable problems, try seeking help from the Cecelia Family; they will assist you as much as they can.”

“Well then, I shall take my leave today, Miss Ella. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your efforts next time.”

Waving, Miss White Fox turned around, followed by the blonde girl who had been silent the whole time, like a bodyguard, as they walked away.

The silhouettes of the two girls soon disappeared into the night beyond the dormitory area.

Only after watching them fade from view did Ella lower her gaze once more to the strange, transparent golden gem lying quietly in her palm, reminiscent of a light attribute magic crystal but of a quality far exceeding fifth tier.

A flash of bewilderment crossed her sapphire-like eyes, which were surrounded by dark circles, before a wry smile appeared, leaving her with a final murmur swallowed by the night.

“Xī… what exactly is your background? And where do we truly come from…?”

…

A night passed without a word, and soon it was the next day.

Today marked the fourth day since Miss Vilyric and the Saint of Bright Light-led western Expeditionary Army arrived at the Holy Capital, City of Angels.

Due to the sudden visit from Holy Knight Claycius yesterday, Miss White Fox, who had been preoccupied with concerns, drove early to the military camp outside the city, eager to see what urgent matter required her attention.

However, before she arrived, she encountered Edwina, who seemed to be rushing in with urgent news from the front line.

“The front lines suffered a major defeat, and the eastern battlefield is in crisis?”

Inside the temporary carriage solely for the Cecelia Family, Miss White Fox, having just heard this news, couldn’t help but express her surprise and confusion.

“Is that true? Aren’t there still two main Knight Orders stationed over there? With the protection of the Holy Castle, even if they faced defeat, they shouldn’t collapse immediately, right? Moreover, it was said there that the demons were only lingering in the initial two provinces and had no intentions of expanding… How come the Province of Fran is suddenly in such peril?”

Now dressed in battle attire, Holy Knight (female) showed an unusually grave and serious expression, resting her hand on the sacred sword at her waist, providing a low voice explanation in the enclosed carriage meant for only her and Miss Vilyric.

“It’s hard to say right now; the changes came too quickly and unexpectedly, catching almost everyone off guard. Just yesterday morning, the Holy Capital received a message about the demons’ movements from the frontlines, and by the afternoon, the Holy Castle was hit by a massive attack. This morning, all six border cities centered around the Holy Castle went silent—likely, they have already been captured by the demons.”

“Although… we raised our alert regarding the demons’ sudden actions and made corresponding preparations, based on the morning’s situation, we probably underestimated the strength and resolve the enemy deployed in this operation. Everything happened so fast… it’s truly…”

“If the Holy Castle falls, not only will the tens of thousands of main forces led by the two Knight Orders on the front lines be left isolated and helpless, but the entire Province of Fran will also open its gates, falling into chaotic warfare.”

Taking a deep breath, the Holy Knight pointed at the map of the entire Holy Empire that was laid across her lap, particularly marking the two provinces already shaded in black, Sano Province and Keller Province, and the Province of Fran, which was nearly as large as the sum of the two, blocking them like a gate.

“Fran is one of our nation’s most economically and militarily robust provinces in the eastern region, with a densely packed population that accounts for nearly one-tenth of the country. If this province falls, the gap between us and the demons will rapidly shrink, plunging our situation into distress. Should the Province of Fran continue west…”

She directed her hand toward the small golden area situated west of the Province of Fran, bordering on its borders, and spoke solemnly.

“The flames of war will head straight toward the Holy Capital.”

   

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