I'm really not a Sanctuary Warlock.

The Duchy of Toussaint's grandest annual festival is an ancient celebration commemorating the first king's expulsion of the abyss.

He had thought the project would be cancelled since the city of Sacred Song had just been rebuilt this year.

But the festival was not only not canceled, it was also celebrated more grandly than in previous years.

The reason is simple—the King of Toussaint is coming.

Lynn exhaled a puff of white breath, his gaze falling on the wooden platform being erected in the center of the square.

Workers braved the cold wind to nail wooden boards and hang flags, with the gold and white royal flags of Toussaint fluttering in the wind.

On the surface, this is the new king's consolation and blessing to the City of Holy Song.

Actually?

Lynn tapped her fingertips twice on the railing.

Toussaint could not tolerate "Burning Fire" continuing to rule the city.

Nora has no noble blood, no royal backing; all she holds in her hands are the hearts of the people and a group of ordinary people who have fought desperately to survive.

In this world, public opinion is never the strongest bargaining chip.

What's more, behind that little king named Olivier stood a scheming mother.

This mother and son came to Sacred Song City not just to smile and say a few polite words in front of the people.

They've come to reclaim power.

The question is, what happens after power is centralized?

Lynn looked down at the edge of the square.

The streets of the noble district are clean and tidy, the cobblestone streets have been repaved, and the manors on both sides have been renovated.

Just across the street, the rooftops of the working-class neighborhood were still covered with makeshift tarpaulins, and the stench of the sewers would occasionally waft over.

Further out, the tents in the slums stretched out in rows, set up against the city walls. In winter, it was common for people to freeze to death.

The city has been rebuilt, and order has been restored.

But nobles are still nobles, commoners are still commoners, and the poor are still poor.

Lynn was powerless to do anything about it.

He discussed it with Nora, who shook her head with a wry smile and said it was something they couldn't change.

The inspector of Toussaint came every three days to oversee every aspect of the city’s construction and ensure that everything was running in the “traditional” manner.

Tradition.

Lynn didn't like that word.

But he also knew that now was not the time to overturn the table. Ensuring everyone survived the winter was already the best possible outcome.

He took a deep breath of cold air, temporarily suppressing the chaotic calculations in his mind.

What are you thinking about?

The voice came from behind, carrying a lazy warmth.

Lynn didn't turn around.

"Miss you."

Anna walked over to him and leaned against the railing.

She wasn't wearing her saint's gown today; instead, a thick gray wool coat covered her slender figure, and her long golden hair was tied back with a simple ribbon, with a few stray strands blowing against her face in the wind.

She didn't look like a saint; she looked more like an ordinary young woman.

“You’re lying.” Anna turned her head to look at him, her golden eyes reflecting the pale winter sky.

Lynn's lips twitched.

"I was thinking about the Mingguang Festival," he confessed honestly, "and about the capital."

Anna withdrew her gaze and looked at the busy crowd in the square, remaining silent for a few seconds.

"Are you worried that Nora will be dethroned?"

Lynn nodded.

"Ah."

Anna didn't reply immediately. Her gaze lingered on the royal banner for a moment, then shifted away.

"The Queen Mother is a smart woman." Her voice was very soft, half of it carried away by the wind. "She won't do anything too ugly, but she will definitely take away what is rightfully hers."

What do you think she will do?

“Insert a city lord of noble birth to strip Nora of her real power, and give her a nice-sounding but empty title.”

"Gentle, dignified, and irrefutable."

Lynn remained silent.

This was just as he had expected.

"Does Nora know?"

“She knew better than any of us.” Anna lowered her eyelashes. “From the day she decided to take over the city, she knew it might end this way.”

The wind picked up a bit, and Anna instinctively tightened her collar.

“You want to help her,” Lynn said directly.

Anna looked up at him, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which then turned into a helpless smile.

"I think so, but we can't handle a level 99 king."

The two leaned against the railing and remained silent for a while.

The sounds of vendors hawking their wares, children laughing, and blacksmiths hammering metal drifted from downstairs.

Anna suddenly turned around, facing Lynn, with her back against the railing and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Let's go for a walk."

Lynn was taken aback.

Anna's expression held a kind of anticipation he rarely saw.

Those eyes were bright and sparkling, like a child being allowed to go out and play for the first time.

Although her facial expression still maintained the air of a saint, the slightly upturned corners of her lips betrayed her.

Lynn suddenly remembered that Anna had grown up in church and probably had never been to a market.

"Okay." He straightened up. "Let's go."

Anna's lips curled up slightly again, but she quickly suppressed it.

The winter air immediately enveloped us, carrying the aroma of charcoal and roasted chestnuts.

Colorful lanterns hung along both sides of the street, and even though it was daytime, people were already stuffing candles into the lanterns in preparation for the evening celebration.

Anna followed half a step behind him, her eyes darting left and right.

An old man selling sugar paintings is boiling syrup in a copper ladle, and amber-colored lines outline a cat with its tail curled up on a stone slab.

Anna slowed her pace, but Lynn didn't notice.

He took three more steps before realizing that the person beside him was gone.

Turning around, Lynn found Anna standing in front of the sugar painting stall, staring intently at the sugar cat.

The old man noticed that there were guests and looked up to greet them with a smile.

"What does the girl want? Cats, birds, flowers, we can draw them all. The special edition for the Mingguang Festival also includes a small sun."

Anna did not answer immediately.

Her gaze moved back and forth between the several sugar paintings that had already been made on the stall, finally settling on a bamboo stick with a star painted on it.

"How much...is this?"

Lynn walked back and took out ten copper coins from his pocket and placed them on the stall.

"Two, please. One star, one sun."

The old man took the money and quickly handed over the sugar painting.

Anna took the star-shaped sugar painting, held it up to her eyes and examined it for a while, then gently licked the edge.

It's a little sweet.

Lynn, biting into the sun-shaped sugar painting, almost burst out laughing at her expression.

"Is it tasty?"

Anna ignored him and continued licking her sugar painting.

"good."

The two strolled slowly through the market. Anna paused for a few seconds at each stall, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

Spices sellers, straw sandal weavers, knife sharpeners, portrait painters...

"Want to try that?" Lynn pointed to a ring toss game booth in front of them.

Anna's gaze followed.

Various small prizes were placed on a circle of wooden stakes.

Several young people were throwing rings, laughing and joking, but very few managed to get them to land.

“What is this?” Anna asked.

“Ring toss. Throw the rings out, and whatever you ring onto, you win,” Lynn explained.

Anna looked around for a while, her gaze finally settling on a plush white kitten plush toy.

She walked straight over.

The stall owner was a young man who, upon seeing a new customer arrive, enthusiastically handed over three bamboo rings.

Anna took it, weighed it in her hand, and then threw it in a near-perfect throwing motion.

The first loop landed precisely on the wooden sword furthest away.

On the second lap, it landed steadily on the base of the white cat plush toy.

The third ring landed precisely on the tip of a carved wooden box in the corner.

Three shots, three made.

The stall owner was stunned.

The young people watching were also stunned.

One of the young men had just missed all six hoops he threw and was jokingly complaining about his clumsy hands when he saw Anna's move, and his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit a fist.

Anna calmly accepted the white cat plush toy, the carved wooden box, and the wooden sword from the first trap from the stall owner.

She handed the small wooden sword to Lynn.

"for you."

Lynn looked down at the wooden toy sword in his hand, which was no bigger than the palm of his hand, and remained silent for two seconds.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Anna had already walked away with her cat plush toy.

Lynn followed and tucked the wooden sword into his belt.

Oh well, it was a gift from the Holy Maiden after all.

The two continued walking through the market.

Anna, holding the doll in her arms, moved with noticeably lighter steps.

She even started pointing to some stalls and asking Lynn what that was and what this was.

Lynn answered questions, occasionally throwing in a few personal remarks to tease her.

After walking half a block, Anna suddenly stopped.