As Lirienne opened her eyes, the first thing that welcomed her was a different scene she had just seen.
The ethereal dreamscape of moonlit landscapes and whispered voices faded away, replaced by the familiar surroundings of the training room where she had been practicing with Callius.
'Ah….Right, I was training with him.' She thought.
The cool breeze of the moon was replaced by the warmth of the artificial lighting within the academy. The surreal flowers and creatures were replaced by the training equipment and golems that lined the room. It was as if she had been transported back to reality in an instant.
Lirienne blinked, momentarily disoriented by the sudden shift. She looked around, her heart still resonating with the emotions and wisdom she had experienced in her dream. She could almost feel the sorrow and anguish the voice had.
'It felt like someone I knew.' She pondered, remembering the tone of the voice. It was a voice that felt familiar, but she couldn't put a name for who it was.
As she was feeling inner turmoil, her gaze naturally wandered around the room, and there she saw the boy she was with before coming here.
He was sitting there and meditating.
"Finally awake?"
He must have sensed her gaze as his voice sounded inside her ears. Then his crimson eyes opened, revealing the burning gaze. He was looking at her intently, his gaze brimming with questions.
"Are you all right, Lirienne? How are you feeling?" However, rather than asking and bombarding her with questions, he just asked how she felt. After all, Callius knew enlightenment didn't mean everyone could overcome it.
There were those that lost their sanity and life in that period of time, and even in the game, the state of enlightenment was heavily related to one's willpower.
Lirienne's lips curved into a small, serene smile. She nodded, a sense of calm and purpose settling within her as she looked into his crimson eyes. "Yes. I am more than all right." His cold eyes didn't contain much concern, but it was the first time he asked about her well-being.
However, her demeanor didn't escape from Callius' eyes. Callius raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by her response. "You seem different," he remarked.
'What is this feeling I am getting from her?' Callius asked himself. It was different from how it was before. The aura Lirienne had, the demeanor that was shifted, and that feeling of connection that he had with her made Callius more intrigued about what happened while she was being enlightened.
Looking at him like that, Lirienne felt proud. It was the first time he was giving such a reaction to her, and it made her somehow happy.
"I think I finally understand how I can use my magic now."
As those words left her lips, Callius raised an eyebrow. "You understand how to use your magic now?"
"Yes."
"I see….That certainly seems plausible." Callius mumbled. Knowing that she got enlightened, it made sense that she was now able to understand how her magic worked. Most of the time, enlightenment made the person suddenly perceive things randomly without any reason.
"Won't you ask, how?" Lirienne asked. She wanted to see more reactions from him.
"No." But sadly, her wishes didn't come through. "Everyone's enlightenment is esoteric to them. So, even if you had explained to me, it would be hard for me to understand." Callius answered. Considering the way he got enlightened, it made sense since there was no way he could explain how he understood the mana in a better way.
"Then, let's go. It is getting late." As Callius stood up, he gestured for Lirienne to follow him.
"….." Looking at him, Lirienne didn't answer. But she could see the small light shining from him.
'This is only visible to me.' And she knew that it was only visible for her, as she couldn't see this before. 'He is my light.' As she looked at the small shadow that appeared behind him, Lirienne slowly made her way toward that place.
Only to illuminate it with a small silver light.
She still couldn't let go of that feeling of vengeance as the anger still remained, but this time she felt like she had found the answer to the feeling that had appeared inside her heart in recent days.
With her mood improved, she made her way towards her room. She was feeling tired mentally, and she wanted to rest.
Just like that, both of them left the training room and went to their respective dorms.
******
"Holy Knights are here."
Inside a dimly lit room filled with only small lighting, a husky voice could be heard.
"Tch. Why are they here now?"
The room was shrouded in eerie darkness, illuminated only by sporadic and dim sources of light that struggled to pierce through the heavy shadows. It was a space that seemed to exist on the fringes of society, hidden away from prying eyes and the judgmental gaze of the outside world.
The walls were draped with tattered and faded curtains, their supposed vibrant colors now muted by time and neglect. The air was thick with a mixture of mustiness and incense, a scent that lingered from the various rituals and clandestine meetings that had taken place within these walls.
Candles flickered sporadically, casting elongated and dancing shadows across the room's uneven surfaces. Their wavering flames created an eerie dance of light and darkness, emphasizing the sense of secrecy that enveloped the space.
The soft, wavering glow of the candles offered mere glimpses of the faces of those who gathered there, their features often obscured by the play of shadows.
People, whose bodies were covered with robes, filled the place as they talked amongst themselves.
"First, it was Paladins, and now Holy Knights? What is the meaning of this? Care to explain?"
As a voice filled with malice sounded inside the room, all robes turned to the one that was standing on the right side of the roundtable.I think you should take a look at
"It is something I have no control over." A voice echoed. "The Captain of the Paladins is moving on his own." As the voice kept going, the robed figure nodded his head.
"So what? Don't you have higher standing than him? Just ask him to return back." Another figure was added; this time, it was a feminine tone filled with seduction.
"Sigh….I knew your tiny little mind filled with carnal desires couldn't comprehend this." The robed sighed as he turned his gaze to the source of the voice.
"What did you say?"
"I said you are nothing but a simple object that lost its purpose, divulging into its carnal desires."
"Heh…Whoever hears this will think you are different. Hadn't you just ordered three children slaves?"
"I am. It is art, my life's purpose."
"Tch! Bastard."
As the two robed people bickered with each other, suddenly, a voice filled with authority appeared.
"Enough!" As the voice echoed, a silence ensued.
"The appearance of Holy Knights and Paladins is unexpected. No matter what, something needs to be done about it." The voice that looked like the leader of the place spoke as he turned his eyes to the man that was bickering with the woman.
"Do you think it is easy to keep my position while the tension inside the Church is this high? If I randomly resummon the Paladins, everyone's eyes will be on me."
The man answered.
"Because of those terrorist bastards, now the Holy Kingdom needs to take action." He added.
"I know. Syndicate of Doom…..We will talk about that later." The leader said as he turned the corner.????????????????????????????????.????????????
"Thanks to certain someone, the Academy will also be alert now. They had already informed the Royal Family, and soon Shadows will probably be dispatched because of it." With those words, the leader implied.
"Under these circumstances, we can not proceed with the plan." And made his judgment.
"WAIT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE CAN NOT PROCEED!" However, hearing this, the robed person whom the leader was looking at shouted in response. It was the voice of a woman.
"You promised me that the blood was going to be spilled." However, after everyone's gazes turned at the woman, she got a hold of herself and calmed down.
"I did. But whose fault was this?" The leader answered. "If it was not for your idiot son, we could still move smoothly. But now that the academy has proof, the Shadows will also appear. We need to abandon the plan."
"Do you think I will let you go after all the funds I have provided to you? You will proceed with the plan." The woman didn't back down; hatred was evident in her voice. "Those low-borns will pay."
"They will. I said we are going to abandon this mission. I didn't say we are going to give up." The leader said. "Your funds are not going anywhere; neither are we. We will proceed with the second plan."
"No. You will list-"
Just as the woman was about to speak further, suddenly, an immense amount of pressure descended upon the room. The man that looked like the leader now had his one hand raised.
"Kurh-"
The woman wasn't able to comprehend as she tried to breathe. A hand was grabbing her by her neck.
SWOOSH
As the winds that the woman conjured inside the room tried to move and push back the unknown force, the man spoke.
"I had shown you enough courtesy." The leader's voice was stone-cold. "Just as the oath we made, I will let you have your vengeance unless it endangers my plans."
"Kurghk!"
"Now, we shall proceed with the second plan." The leader said as he released the force in his hand, as the crimson-colored power returned.
"Huff….Huff….." As the woman breathed heavily, she swore to herself.
"We will proceed with the second plan. Call the Zarothar back."
Just like that, the meeting went on, but the woman, whose bloodshot eyes filled with madness, smiled underneath as she heard the name Zarothar.
After all, there was one more card she could play…..
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The link to the discord server is in the description of the book.
