Goddess Kaleidoscope

The two nuns were Shanis and Romian, with Olivia following behind them. A short distance behind, several other familiar faces were also walking towards them: Fran, the son of the goddess of the hearth; Lisa, the baron's sister; and the siblings Mochishima from Viscount Map's family.

It's worth mentioning that all four children are members of the school's newly established student council. Fran, who is like a campus idol, became the first president, Lisa was the vice president, Hima was the secretary, and the only male member, Mochi, was the accountant.

The group of one man and three women might seem like a harem at first glance, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that Lisa and Hima are pulling on Fran and sticking to him on both sides, while Mochi is following behind, writing and drawing in a notebook, his attention completely unfocused on the pretty girls.

The group of people who came out of the school had come specifically because they saw Lu De there, and they quickly noticed the handsome men and beautiful women behind him.

Shanis's gaze swept across the crowd, lingering briefly on a few individuals before finally settling on Saintess Selica. In her crimson pupils, it seemed as if a silent earthquake was unfolding.

End of this chapter

That evening, the Baron's manor hosted a lavish banquet for the saintess who had traveled from afar. Ludwig was also invited to attend, along with other guests including Gulig and Winnig, who were currently visiting the town, and the siblings Mochi and Hima from Viscount Maupe's household.

In short, all the people in town with some standing were brought over to keep them company.

It's worth mentioning that before the banquet began, the young men seemed uninterested, as if they had no expectations for the level of hospitality that the local baron's family could provide. But when the chef's carefully prepared "Pine Town specialties" were served, their eyes widened in surprise.

This scene made Lu De sigh with emotion. It was truly a sight to behold when people from other worlds showed their bumpkin faces.

The dinner was a great success, and the entertainment afterwards consisted of watching a movie together in the hall using a projector that Luther had specially brought. The saintess and her entourage showed great interest in this amazing little machine.

In fact, this was not the first time the Holy Maiden and her party had seen a projector. More than two months ago, in Yanmu City in the south of the kingdom, they had seen the local theater using it to play a play called "The Cave King". Some of them took the time to go see it and found the experience very novel.

Among the crowd, Prince Liwei from the Empire showed the greatest interest in the projector. After all, in the cultural sphere, the Canary Empire had always been a leader in the human world, and its people's love for opera was top-down, second only to their love for bathing.

Growing up in this cultural environment, Li Wei was naturally influenced by his parents and relatives, and was a rather passionate opera lover. He even secretly wrote some "fan fiction scripts" in private.

Interestingly, when Li Wei first heard about "The King of the Cave," he was very dismissive, thinking that Duran was a bumpkin who had never seen a performance by their empire's top dance troupe, and that he was just trying to make such an unknown play performed by a third-rate troupe sound amazing.

But the saintess couldn't resist her interest, so she went along to take a look. As a result, she transformed into the otherworldly King Jingze on the spot in the theater, once again proving that the "law of true fragrance" is an eternal and universal truth no matter where you go!

From then on, Li Wei became a fan of the Rainbow Dance Troupe and playwright Victor Hugo. During his time in Yanmu City, he watched "The Count of Monte Cristo" eight times in total, and even considered buying the projector and recording crystal from the theater owner.

Unfortunately, no matter how much Li Wei raised the price, all the theater owners and projection teams in Yanmu City refused to sell their projectors. They even kept quiet about where the projectors were made, saying that the ownership of these machines belonged to their superior, Brothers Film Studio, and that behind Brothers Film Studio was the Black Hand Brotherhood. Offending them would not end well!

Left with no other option, Li Wei, who only made a brief stop in Yanmu City, was unable to buy the projector and recording crystal. Unexpectedly, he saw this wonderful machine again in Pine Town.

Li Wei inquired with those around him and learned that this thing was actually manufactured in Pine Tree Town, and the dwarves of the Steel Whip Clan were already preparing for mass production.

The "great playwright" Hugo, whom he had been hoping to meet, was actually the pseudonym used by Ludwig. Even the Rainbow Dance Company was in the area, filming a new type of play called "film." A series of surprises made Li Wei ecstatic, while at the same time he was shocked by the hidden talents in this small town of Pine.

Early the next morning, Saint Celica arrived at the temple of Rudolf with four attendants, including Prince Livy.

Having just arrived yesterday, Celica wanted to ask Rud about the Abyss Labyrinth, so they agreed to meet at the temple the next morning to discuss it in detail.

The group walked to the temple gate and stood there for a moment. They noticed that although the temple was not large, its overall architectural style was magnificent and shone brightly in the morning sun.

Serica sensed it for a moment, then whispered to her companion.

"Incredible! This temple has been blessed by the gods, and not just one. How did that master manage to do it?"

Although Celica is a saint of the Holy Church of Light, and nominally her status is second only to the Pope, and she is considered the "adopted daughter" of the Holy Lord of Light, she is ultimately just a mortal. Even when facing heretical gods, she must show sufficient respect.

Therefore, Celica reminded her companions in advance to be polite when they met Master Lud, and not to be disrespectful to an elder who had the title of "Saint".

The group stepped over the courtyard gate and, upon reaching the front yard, saw several beautiful nuns sweeping the yard with brooms and buckets. Li Wei's gaze swept over the nuns' faces, his expression unmoved, but inwardly he couldn't help but think that this master's standards for accepting disciples were quite high; each one was a beautiful young woman of exceptional skill.

Selica frowned slightly, vaguely sensing that these nuns were not simple, and she had a feeling that she could not "see through" them.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Holy Maiden and her entourage, a dragon girl with horns on her head took the initiative to greet them. She introduced herself as Romian, a disciple of Master Lude. Her master had already told them that Her Highness the Holy Maiden was coming to visit today, and if she came, they should be taken directly to the reception room.

So the group followed Romian through the main hall to the backyard. Li Wei recognized Romian's accent and casually asked, "Are you from the Empire?" Romian glanced at him and nodded.

"I did indeed flee from the Empire. My master took me in when I was most helpless."

Romian didn't explicitly state the reason for her departure from the empire, but Prince Li Wei knew it all too well. The Canary Empire, which considered itself the "Light of Humanity," was a country rife with racial discrimination. Minorities who were not the dominant ethnic group were already marginalized and oppressed, so the living conditions of demi-humans were even more unbearable.

Li Wei felt this situation was very bad, but even as a prince, there were many things he was powerless to change.

At that moment, the bright morning sun shone on Romian, and Li Wei suddenly noticed that the Argonian girl's fiery red hair was actually emitting a faint golden glow, like a burning flame. This discovery immediately stirred up waves of shock in Li Wei's heart.

In the Canary Empire, golden-red "flame hair" is a symbol of the imperial family. Only members of the imperial family can have this hair color. This made Li Wei wonder if this dragon girl who escaped from the empire was perhaps the "illegitimate daughter" of one of his relatives.

End of this chapter

Following Romian, the saintess and her entourage arrived at the temple's reception room. They had barely sat down when they saw Rude stride in from outside, followed by a cute black and white furry creature that flew in behind him.

The fluffy little thing landed directly on the coffee table, tilting its little head and staring at Celica and the others. Its adorable and endearing appearance instantly charmed the saintess and the other two girls who came with her, and they felt an urge to hug it and give it a good rub.

"Master, what is this little animal?"

"Her name is Kanna, and she's a two-and-a-half-year-old baby dragon. Due to some rather special reasons, her parents entrusted her to my care. If you want to pet her, go ahead. Just remember to share some of the tea and snacks with her later. She always tries to scam me whenever a customer comes to my place."

Hearing Lude say that the little cutie would let them pet it as long as they were fed, the girls' faces lit up with joy. Kanna also cooperated immediately and entered "business mode," jumping onto Selica's lap and rubbing against her, then letting out a soft "meow."

The three girls immediately swarmed around Kanna, stroking her incredibly soft, fluffy fur. Seeing this, Li Wei and his male companion were momentarily unsure who to envy more.

Lude glanced at Kanna and thought to himself that this glutton was really going all out for a bite to eat, even abandoning the dignity of the dragon race!

After waiting a while and letting the three ladies have their fill, the two sides finally started to talk about business. Meanwhile, Connor took a large plate of butter cookies that she had "sold herself" for and ran to the side to enjoy them.

Selica's visit was to obtain information about the Abyss Labyrinth from Lud.

Regarding this demonic cave that only appeared last year, the information provided by the Holy Light Church's parishioners in the Kingdom of Duran was very limited, much of it clearly based on hearsay, and even contained obvious contradictions.

Adventurers generally say this place is extremely dangerous, filled with numerous and insidiously designed traps. However, during their previous visit to the Three-Man Tower of the Mage Organization, their chief archmage Hamilton claimed that the maze was actually very simple, and even showed them a golem he had brought out of the maze, supposedly the guardian of the first level.

When Lude heard that Hamilton had said this, he thought to himself that Celica probably didn't know that Blue Skin Fever had a long-standing feud with the Holy Church of Light. Besides, this guy had only attacked the first level and hadn't gone any deeper into the lower levels.

Although Lud didn't intend to provide much assistance to the other party, he at least didn't intend to betray them with information.

"You should all take a critical look at what Master Hamilton said. He is, after all, a great fire mage, one of the world's top experts. When he said 'very simple,' that was from his perspective."

"Master, have you ever been to that maze?"

“I’ve been there. It’s deeper than Hamilton, though not quite to the deepest part. But I’m certain that Hedtaka’s true self isn’t in the labyrinth, but there’s definitely a projection of his consciousness.”

"Projection? What's that?"

“You can think of it as an avatar, similar to a divine messenger created by a god. I’ve encountered this kind of projection in other parts of the world before. Destroying it has no effect on Hedtaka. His true body is hiding outside the world, in an area that neither mortals nor gods can reach.”

In front of the saint and her entourage, Lud shared the story he had prepared beforehand. He had been outwitting Hedtaka for many years. This demon was different from other devils; he did not crave human flesh or souls, nor did he have any interest in ruling or destroying the world. This embodiment of malice simply regarded mortals as playthings, enjoying watching humans suffer and deriving pleasure from the process of toying with them.

"Hedtaka loves playing games and making deals. He sets the rules for the games, and if you can win in his games, this devil will give you huge rewards. As a result, many people are bewitched by him."

"Master, have you fought against this demon many times?"

"Yes, there are so many that I can hardly remember them all."

“But I have searched through various scriptures of the Holy Light Church and found absolutely no information about the demon Hedtaka.”

“That’s normal. This demon is extremely cunning. He has countless aliases and sometimes even impersonates other demons or gods! I often only manage to deduce his involvement based on the style of the cases. As for the labyrinth that appeared in the Void Forest this time, I suspect it was a provocation. That guy knows I’m here, so he deliberately created this thing, hoping I would willingly fall into his trap.”

After a series of eloquent and persuasive words, the saint and her entourage believed Rudd's story and expressed their sincere respect for this saint who had spent half his life fighting against demons. They then solemnly promised that they would definitely break through the demon's labyrinth that was causing so much harm and restore peace to the local people.

After a moment of contemplation, Ludwig suddenly spoke.

"How about this! Since Your Highness the Holy Maiden wishes to conquer the labyrinth, let this old man lend you all a hand!"

"Master, are you coming too?"

"Yes, and besides me, I can find some other reliable helpers. The maze has a limit on the number of people, so we will likely have to enter in batches, and therefore we will need more than one guide."

After a long conversation, Ludé volunteered to temporarily join the Saintess's trial team. Celica replied that she needed to discuss this with her companions before making a decision. After all, Ludé was a heretical priest, while they represented the Holy Church of Light; for Ludé to join, the approval of "higher-ups" was required, and Celica couldn't make the decision on her own.

So Celica and her companions took their leave, and Ludwig escorted them all the way to the temple gate. Only after the group had descended the hill and disappeared around the street corner did Hume emerge from the shadows behind Ludwig.

"What exactly are you trying to do by helping that Holy Maiden of the Holy Light Church conquer your own labyrinth?"

"What else could we be doing? Of course, it's to ensure they all come out of the maze alive and well. Think about it! This is the Holy Maiden of the Holy Church of Light. If something happens to her while she's with me, and then it attracts her superior, wouldn't we be completely finished?"

"Then you don't need to go in person, do you?"

"The Holy Maiden of the Holy Light Church has traveled thousands of miles to exorcise demons and protect the righteous path. Do you think it's appropriate for me, a local priest, to just stand by and watch? Besides, I only went into the maze with them to ensure they could come out alive and well. I didn't say I was going to help them clear the maze. Don't worry! I already have a plan in mind."

End of this chapter

The following morning, Celica visited again, saying that she had communicated with her other companions and the sect's leaders, and accepted Lud's joint proposal to team up and conquer the labyrinth together.

The official operation is expected to take place in a week, and the time will be mainly for preparation and waiting for the guides who are familiar with the maze to arrive.

Winter had only just ended, and many adventurers from other places were still returning to Pine Town. Lud had already sent letters to the few he had chosen, and he believed they were on their way.

However, these so-called expert guides familiar with the labyrinth are not ordinary people, but rather adventurers disguised as members of the Heroic Spirit Squad. Once everyone enters the labyrinth, they will assist Lud's actions from the sidelines.

During this period, Ludger mainly did two things.

One thing is obvious: to arrange the filming of the movie in advance. Their trip into the maze is estimated to take several days, during which time the crew will shoot some relatively simple scenes first, and then shoot the big scenes after Ludwig returns.

Another thing they did in secret was to make temporary adjustments to some of the mechanisms and structures within the maze in preparation for welcoming the saintess.

The maze is now more than two-thirds complete. The fifth floor, which is the largest, has just been finished. The sixth and seventh floors are under construction simultaneously, but it is certain that they will not be completed before the saintess arrives.

Therefore, in order to avoid revealing the truth that the labyrinth was not yet completed, Ludwig had to make the saintess and her party lose their ability to move forward before breaking through the fifth level, while trying to avoid causing any deaths and ensuring that these young people could return to the surface alive.

In other words, you have to rip people off, but you can't rip them off to the point of death!

To strike the right balance, Lude needed to thoroughly understand the background of these young people beforehand.

So he found Saintess Selica and told her frankly that this trip to conquer the labyrinth was extremely dangerous. Even top experts like Hamilton had to be very careful when entering the second level and below, while ordinary adventurers simply dared to stay on the first level of the labyrinth.

Therefore, out of necessary caution, Lud hoped to spar with the Saintess and her party first, to understand each other's strengths. Selica thought about it and realized there was some truth to it, so she nodded in agreement.

And so, the group agreed on a time and arrived together at the drill ground where the town's guards were stationed. Lude stood leisurely in the open space with his hands behind his back, and without making any move, he instantly cast a layer of holy light barrier around himself.

This instantaneous divine spell immediately astonished everyone present. Although the young masters were all self-important and indeed outstanding among their peers, anyone who wasn't a blind idiot understood what an instantaneous divine spell meant.

He thought to himself that they were indeed chosen saints. Even if they were not a major sect like the Holy Church of Light, their strength was not to be underestimated.

"Master, how do you plan to spar?"

"Just let everyone focus all their efforts on hitting me, come at me together."

"..."xN

Lude's words, spoken so casually yet arrogantly, instantly ignited the pride of the young men present, fueling their anger.