But I find it very sacred.

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

Mien had sent August to Valgon early on, leading a large group of professional scholars to oversee all the preparations for the ceremony.

Everything was ready; they were just waiting for Mien and Lucia to arrive.

Lucia has mastered the skills of dismantling magic circles and has also understood all the laws of the Contract Truth Cult.

They also trained together many times.

They train together to resonate with the "Power of Contractual Truth," gradually becoming familiar and attuned to each other.

Three days before the promotion ceremony, the two also made final preparations for the spell.

So, on a bright morning, the two of them, along with the remaining five Holy Chapter scholars from the Academy, boarded a magic starship and flew to Valgon City.

This was Lucia's first time leaving the academy since entering it, not to visit the prosperous capital, but to a poor place that had also suffered from the chaos of the cult.

There's a faint feeling of returning home.

Looking down from the starship, the bright and luxurious colors gradually faded, returning to the grayish appearance of my hometown, filling me with both excitement and sadness.

She will become a saint in an environment that is both incredibly familiar and strange, and she will also face the darkness of Tantric Buddhism in her glorious moments.

Amidst the gray streetscape, glittering spots of gold reappeared; we had arrived at Valgon.

…………

The city of Vargan hadn't been this lively in over a hundred years.

The older generation of these people may never have seen so many royal nobles and military cavalry.

Since the scholars began their investigation, wave after wave of "Celestial Dragons" have entered the country.

Amidst everyone's shock and confusion, news arrived: a new Holy Maiden of Light had appeared and was about to be promoted here.

But before the saintess arrived were the "outsiders" in the streets and alleys.

Because their stay was short, lasting until the ceremony ended, they lived among the local people.

They bought food together and stayed at a hotel together.

People need to learn to treat them with respect and make sure they don't offend those they can't afford to offend, lest they bring disaster upon themselves or their families.

The people of Valgon were not ignited by the news of the location of the saint's ascension; instead, they remained even quieter.

The town of Walgane was both more bustling and more silent.

…………

Mien and his companions landed on the outskirts of the city-state, where the research scholars were based.

It was his personal order: after the Papacy and the army entered, all scholars conducting the ceremonies were to stay far away from the city streets and retreat to the outside.

In the struggle between the core powers of the empire, the small city-state of Valgon became their arena.

This isn't their stage; they absolutely mustn't steal the spotlight from the main character.

Phyllis greeted the group with only two Holy Chapter scholars. After bowing to Mien, she followed him and led them to the new residence.

While giving a brief overview of the recent situation, he lowered his head and revealed his signature fangs to Lucia.

Lucia immediately felt the warmth and kindness of an older sister, and a bright smile, just like when she first arrived at the Academy, appeared on her face.

Nevertheless, Phyllis was surprised to find that Lucia seemed different.

Perhaps her slender chest is now more upright? Or perhaps she's become more confident, no longer like the timid and confused child she once was.

Since Lucia was not yet a true saint at this moment, Mien allowed her to continue wearing the academy's attire, blending in with everyone else, so that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The group arrived at a city gate and saw several guards of the Holy See standing guard at the gate, checking those passing through.

Phyllis frowned and explained:

"This area was originally managed by the city-state's law enforcement officers, but ten days ago, the Vatican sent people to manage this nearby area."

Mien was not surprised; at this moment, a battle of power was secretly taking place in every corner of the place.

On one side, there is the hidden power struggle within the imperial high command; on the other, there is the impending plot of an underwater cult. This impoverished city-state is truly bearing an unbearable burden.

I couldn't help but sigh.

"Perhaps it's because the current Holy Maiden has left the Church and joined the Academy of Scholars, and Lucia defeated Furilla in front of everyone, so these people are always making things difficult for the scholars of our Academy."

A hint of anger flashed in Phyllis's eyes.

If it weren't for her strict order requiring everyone to follow Mien's command: "We must not clash with either side; we must exercise restraint for now,"

Her fiery temper had already made those arrogant fellows understand the "power of knowledge" of the Academy.

Upon hearing this, Mien nodded slightly: "You did a great job, Phyllis. You've all worked hard these past few days."

He led everyone over there.

"examine!"

The moment everyone passed through the city gate,

A man clad in silver armor shouted.

His name is Oscar, and he is a sergeant in the Holy Knights.

Perhaps it was this armor that gave him a sense of 'power' compared to the others dressed in elegant scholar's robes.

Oscar, as usual, strolled over with a few people and stood in front of the city gate.

News of Funila's defeat had already spread throughout the entire Church of Light.

Many members of the Vatican personally went to the stadium to watch the games.

They all went in expecting an easy victory, with the mindset of waiting to lift the trophy and celebrate.

Then I saw Funila get kicked to death like a stray dog ​​on the street.

Three Holy Light spells later, the score was exactly 3-0, and the match ended in the blink of an eye.

The champagne gushed back into the bottle.

I wanted to yell "Give me my money back!"

This sense of humiliation was quickly brought back to the Vatican, along with detailed footage of the crushing.

Outside the Vatican, some even began to mock: the Academy of Scholars > the Holy See.

Naturally, they directed their anger at the scholars of the Academy.

After all, for over a hundred years, the power of the Holy See has always been above that of the powerless Academy of Scholars.

The more Phyllis and the others tolerated, the more they believed that the other party was incapable of fighting back, and they became even more ruthless.

Mien and Lucia were surrounded by the scholars. Phyllis, knowing her place, stepped back a step. The scholars in front frowned, stopped, and looked at them.

But Mien acted as if he hadn't heard them, and continued walking forward with Lucia and Phyllis without even glancing at them.

"I told you to stop!" Oscar, somewhat embarrassed and angry at being ignored, slung his sword over his shoulder and ran in front of the crowd.

He passed several scholars who had stopped and saw Mien and Lucia walking at the front.

As he expected, it was a refined and handsome young man and a short little girl, both classic images of intellectuals with negative fighting spirit, which put him at ease.

"Conforms to IP address."

However, from the magnificent and grand patterns on Mien's scholar's robe, Oscar vaguely sensed that his identity was not ordinary.

But the prolonged period of being bossed around and ignored by others made him give up thinking and angrily rush in front of the two: "I'm calling you!..."

The next moment, he saw Mien and Lucia's proud yet cold faces.

Before he could even think, he felt his body overwhelmed by an irresistible fear, and his knees buckled, causing him to kneel uncontrollably on the ground.

The loud "thump!" startled everyone around, and many guards who had been watching from afar rushed over.

The "Chapter of the Venerable" on Mien's scholar's robe exuded a faint magical power.

The term "Level Suppression" has the following effect: Anyone who is four levels or more below you and attempts to disobey you will immediately kneel down and bow.

"Oscar! What's wrong?!... "

Oscar stared wide-eyed but couldn't utter a sound. He knelt down and slowly bent his upper body to bow to the backs of the two men.

Mien and Lucia ignored him and continued walking forward with their heads held high.

Many of the papal guards, unaware of what was happening, rushed toward Mien and Lucia in a panic.

They all knelt down with a thud, prostrating themselves on either side to pay their respects to the two people who were passing by.

No one dared to shout anymore; they all instinctively stepped back.

Mien ignored them, but glanced at Lucia out of the corner of his eye.

He discovered that Lucia, like himself, showed no fear in the face of the armored soldiers surrounding them, walking proudly beside him.

His eyes were filled with undisguised indifference and contempt.

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

Someone has already rushed over to report what happened here.

Phyllis looked at Oscar kneeling down, a playful smile on her face, and led a group of scholars past him.

A foot stepped over his right hand, which was tightly gripping the sword. He frowned, then continued walking.

Someone nearby was immediately provoked and wanted to say something, but quickly backed away.

In the chilly atmosphere, everyone knew that the handsome young man and the little girl at the front were not people they could mess with, so they suppressed all their resentment and stepped aside.

They watched as the group of scholars who had caused them some trouble looked up and walked past them.

At this moment, with the sound of hooves, everyone's eyes lit up, as if they had grasped a lifeline, and they looked on with expectant smiles.

A man wearing a pure white cloak and cross-patterned armor rode up on horseback, slowly approaching on a silver-white saddle.

Someone shouted, "Commander Olga!"

Several people ran over one after another and explained what had just happened.

Olga frowned: Which academy of scholars is so audacious? To dare to make an officer of the Holy See's Knights kneel before her, this is not just an insult to one person, but to the entire Holy See!

He did not dismount, but slowly walked towards the group, attempting to exert pressure.

But the moment he saw Mien, his pupils suddenly contracted. As the leader, he wasn't some brainless Oscar.

He immediately recognized him as the top scholar of the Academy, Mien!

He quickly dismounted, walked to the two men, and knelt in a knightly salute.

Although he, as the leader of a branch knight order, also harbored contempt for the Academy of Scholars, his maturity allowed him to suppress his emotions and avoid causing trouble for the Holy See.

"Hello, Chief Executive Officer Mien," he said calmly.

The soldiers around him were dumbfounded. They realized that even the parents they had called in couldn't handle the situation, so they had no choice but to lower their heads and retract their attempts to regain their dignity.

"Hmm." Mien simply responded, without even looking at him, and prepared to walk past him with Lucia.

Olga stood up, her anger rising.

Even though Mien had done something so offensive to the Papacy, he still bowed to him respectfully, yet Mien still openly humiliated him like this.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed the little girl walking beside Mien, who was not particularly noticeable due to her small size.

Olga's political acumen allowed him to quickly deduce her identity—Luia, the soon-to-be saintess.

He then let out a cold laugh.

The older man had met the previous Holy Maiden.

Furthermore, during her work in the Papacy's imperial court, she clearly understood that the saint's status was no different from that of a beautifully crafted vase, and that even she herself back then wouldn't have cared about her at all.

What about this little girl who may or may not even be an adult?

However, this vase was taken away by the Academy of Scholars this year.

They not only took it away, but also smashed the Vatican's vases, humiliating them.

Standing next to Mien at this moment, he felt as if he possessed the same sacred authority of the empire as Mien, unaware of his true position.

I can't afford to mess with Mien, but I can't afford to mess with you either.

So he remained silent, but as Mien and Lucia passed by, he glanced at Lucia.

His eyes revealed absolute pressure and surging anger, accompanied by the oppressive aura of someone who had been through many battles. This was enough to frighten an adult male to his knees, but it wouldn't frighten a young girl.

The next moment, Lucia noticed his gaze and came over.

However, to his surprise, although Lucia looked up at him because of her short stature, her eyes held the contempt of someone in a superior position.

Responding to himself with a cold gaze, as if he were seeing some despicable and contemptible villain.

Olga was caught off guard and stood there in shock, her dignified expression shattered, and she was overpowered by Lucia.

When he came to his senses and tried to regain his composure, Lucia had already turned her head away indifferently, too lazy to pay any attention to him.

Olga stood there, mouth slightly agape, unsure how to react.

Those around them were also at a loss.

As Mien led the group further and further away, Olga clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and said to everyone:

"What are you looking at me for?! Go do what you're supposed to be doing!"

He mounted his horse and rode away.

…………

"Phyllis".

"My Lord".

"From now on, you don't need to tolerate them anymore; your mission is complete."

"Yes."

Asking Phyllis and the others to be patient and even wait for these people's offenses and disturbances was also part of Mien's plan.

The Academy of Scholars had already voluntarily withdrawn after the Papacy and the Royal Family entered, and had even been giving them the runaround. For them to still be causing trouble like this, both Bishop Phil and Rachel should give themselves an explanation, both morally and logically.

Furthermore, he should assure himself that he has ordered his subordinates never to offend anyone from the Academy again.

All of this was in preparation for a much larger "plan" a few days later.

The purpose of enduring these minor disturbances now is to avoid life-threatening situations in the "greater chaos" to come.

Although Lucia didn't understand what Mien meant to Phyllis for a moment, she felt trust and reassured by Mien's actions just now.

Just as Shanara and the others said, Mien always stood at the forefront, protecting everyone in the Academy.

As they entered the city and ventured deeper into it, Lucia's expression softened considerably.

The familiar aroma of rye bread, the calls of vendors, and the passing women made her feel as if she had returned to Tin Can Street, even though no two scenes were the same.

She was no longer walking in the turbulent environment of the empire's upper echelons, but in quiet and simple streets and alleys.

Her gaze regained its former kindness, simplicity, and purity, transforming her back into that girl busy making a living.

She subtly shed the 'protective coloration' she had been wearing, wanting to blend in with them just like she had a few months ago.

But Lucia soon discovered that she couldn't do it.

She noticed the respectful glances that quickly disappeared into the distance.

Realizing that he was no longer wearing those tattered, drafty linen clothes, but rather a fine, clean scholar's robe, he walked among a group of scholars.

A hint of sadness flickered in his eyes.

Soon, after walking only a few steps, the group began to see people from many other factions:

Imperial officers, papal priests, members of royal families...

They walked freely through the city of Vargan, just like themselves, talking in taverns, buying snacks on the street, and chatting with their companions as they ate.

Everyone looks at themselves the same way they look at others.

A hint of fear was subtly revealed in his friendly gaze, expressing his submission.

In the bustling environment, everyone seemed to be at peace, but in reality, they were far apart, existing in two different spaces within the same world.

This caused Lucia's straight back to gradually bend slightly.

Now she has adapted to her identity and learned how to deal with the noble lords in the empire.

But they didn't know how to face these people.

Amidst everyone's avoidance, I always felt that my confidence and sense of deservement were being stripped away...

Phyllis sent the rest of the group back to their camp first, and then went alone with Mien to a nearby tavern.

It's a good time to grab a bite to eat, and it will also make it easier to give a detailed explanation of the current situation.

They found a seat deep inside and sat down. The servants were not surprised and served them with practiced ease before leaving.

People have become accustomed to the presence of various royal personnel.

Phyllis glanced around and sighed.

"They're working so hard."

Mien took a sip of bitter barley tea.

Phyllis continued, "Ten days ago, only researchers were active here. Although they were equally wary, they were not bullied, which perhaps gave them some extra trust."

But with the arrival of these people, things changed a lot.

Phyllis hadn't finished her introduction yet.

A furious shout came from the side: "What did you serve me?!"

A soldier spat his food on the ground and cursed:

"Is this something we can eat?!"

He stood up as he spoke, ignoring the man's apologies and attempts to forgive him.

He walked over angrily.

(It took me some time to work out the detailed outline today; I'll make up for it later, up to 5k per day.)