The Villain Saint is my secondary account

Looking closely at the girl's gentle and lovely face, Ye Xiao's face inexplicably turned red.

No, why would I blush? I was clearly controlling myself when I did that!

Of course, this was done to imply to the imperial guards next to him that he also had powerful backers, and it was definitely not something Ye Xiao wanted to try.

Despite saying that, Ye Xiao still slightly shifted her gaze away.

Strangely, Ye Xiao couldn't control his expression as he looked at Ella... It was clearly the same person putting on an act, he could see her in the mirror every day, and he saw what he should and shouldn't see while taking a shower... Why was that?

Ella turned around helplessly, her gaze returning to Captain Ralf. "Captain, what has my friend done wrong?"

Ralf swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly, but he finally mustered his courage, "Holy... Holy Maiden, this is, after all, a security incident in the Imperial City... Even... even if it's the Holy Temple... you can't..."

"Hehe." Ella covered her mouth and chuckled. "Captain may have forgotten what happened before I became a saintess."

Looking into those jewel-like red eyes, Ralf's memories seemed to be awakened.

Perhaps because she hadn't made any moves in the past few months, and her holy image was somewhat deceptive, Ralph had almost forgotten about her.

This woman was once the daughter of a notorious and ruthless duke!

A cold sweat broke out on Ralph's forehead in an instant. He suddenly remembered his colleagues who had their legs broken and been thrown into the slave market simply because they didn't like the other person.

Behind the girl's holy and dignified figure, there seemed to be a huge, demonic shadow.

Ralph immediately drew his sword, his eyes filled with determination and resolve, and pointed at Luo Heng on the ground, shouting righteously, "What are you all standing there for? Quickly arrest this culprit!"

"Huh?" Luo Heng covered his bruised face, completely bewildered.

Chapter Four: Hiring

"Hahaha, sorry brothers, I was just bewitched by this evil fellow's sweet talk and lost my judgment for a moment." Relf laughed heartily, scratching his head. After bowing to Ella, Ye Xiao, and the others, he roughly pulled Luo Heng up from the ground. "Gentlemen, I'm going to arrest this criminal who dares to defy the laws of my imperial city. I'll take my leave now... What are you doing? Get out of here!"

"Ugh... Ah..." Luo Heng's face turned bright red, and he gestured wildly with his hands, as if trying to say something.

But when his eyes met Ella's, in that very instant, he turned pale, shut his mouth, and trembled all over, letting Ralf lead him out of the guild hall.

"Captain...are we really going to lock that blond outsider up in jail?" a guard whispered in Ralph's ear.

"Nonsense, what else?"

"But...doesn't he have the Marquis's token..."

"Are you stupid? If we lock him up, and someone comes to pick him up, we'll say we had to do it to save him from the angry duke's daughter. The marquis might even owe us a favor."

"Um, what if no one claims it?"

“If no one’s going to take him, it means he’s nothing. Why are you even bothering with him?” Ralph tapped the guard’s helmet.

……

As the imperial guards led Luo Heng and his small group away in a large group, all the adventurers and staff in the hall focused their attention on the outstanding young woman and her "male friend".

There's a melon, a really big one!

Everyone stared intently, as if anticipating something while simultaneously fearing it.

Even Ye Xiao, a veteran of countless battles, felt somewhat embarrassed by being stared at by so many people and couldn't help but cough twice.

Ella took a white package tied with a pretty bow from the Templar Knight and handed it to Ye Xiao with both hands.

It wasn't a precious gift, of course; it was the speech draft that was to be used for cheating.

But to outsiders, it seems to have a different meaning.

In addition, Ella's eyes are always so... affectionate and charming. It's not that she wants to express any emotion, it's just that her eyes always give off that feeling.

The feeling is especially noticeable when you smile.

"Ah..." Li Cheng let out a suffocating sound as he watched Ye Xiao accept the "gift".

Ye Xiao reluctantly took the package. He couldn't explain what was inside, so he could only nod and say thank you in a tone that suggested a friendly conversation.

Ella nodded, then looked at Li Cheng and pointed to the private room next to her, "It seems a bit crowded. Would you like to find a room to chat if you have time?"

Li Cheng was stunned for a moment, then pointed to himself, "...Me?"

Otherwise, what would I have to talk about with myself... Ye Xiao patted Li Cheng on the shoulder, "Let's book a private room, and I'll put the money on my tab."

“That…that won’t do.” Li Cheng immediately puffed out his chest, punched Ye Xiao in the chest, and said in a low voice, “My sister-in-law’s affairs are my affairs. How can I let Xiong Di pay for it?”

"What are you talking about..." Ye Xiao's lips twitched, "It's not what you think..."

Li Cheng didn't say much; he knew Ye Xiao was shy. He just quickly called out to the staff.

“Ah, regarding the damage to the hall,” Ella spoke again, bowing to the approaching elf lady. “I apologize for my friends’ impulsiveness. All costs of damage and lost wages will be charged to Duke Heville’s estate. Medical expenses for all adventurers and the cost of dinner tonight will also be charged to the Duke’s estate.”

Duke Heville probably wouldn't mind such a small amount of money, Ella thought mischievously.

"Holy...Holy Maiden!" The elf was overjoyed. Originally, with the guards gone and no one to arrest the troublemakers and compensate them, the guild might have deducted the repair costs from their wages. But the Holy Maiden's generosity instantly solved their predicament, and they were extremely moved. "We are so grateful!"

"Whoosh!!" "Long live the Holy Maiden!!!" The adventurers, who had fought a battle and even received free drinks, were even more excited.

The hall, which was in complete disarray, was now transformed into a sea of ​​joy, like a carnival in full swing.

……

The Adventurers' Guild Hall's catering service was intended for ordinary adventurers. Nobles from the imperial city usually ate in their manors and rarely ate out. Therefore, the Holy Maiden was a "distinguished guest" they had never received before.

The brick-walled private room and its not-so-luxurious decorations actually seemed rather simple compared to Ella's attire.

However, the elf ladies discovered that this duke's daughter, who was rumored to be somewhat arrogant and haughty, seemed more approachable than they had imagined. She didn't show much pickiness or disdain for the guild's less-than-ideal tables, chairs, and food. Instead, she naturally covered her mouth and chuckled, chatting and laughing with the group of adventurers who were disheveled and stained, without any airs.

The elf with the golden ponytail put down her plate and saw the saintess smiling at her. She blushed and returned the smile with a friendly one before excitedly leaving the room.

Outside the room, six Templar Knights stood silently at the door like statues, not uttering a word.

"Such good manners... Your Excellency." The elf girl stroked her heart, which was pounding like a deer. Even the imposing presence of the passing Templar Knights did not diminish her warmth and joy.

Inside the room, Ella reluctantly shifted her gaze from the doorway back to the table.

Holy crap, the dish that the elf lady just served was way too big and not white enough.

"Your Holiness, is there something you need from us that you've specially invited us?" Li Cheng tried hard to keep his eyes from wandering.

Li Cheng likes to talk nonsense when he is in the presence of a beautiful girl, but once she becomes a "goddess" in his mind, he will start to stutter.

Fortunately, thanks to Ella's friendly and approachable demeanor, Li Cheng was finally able to speak in a complete sentence.

“Yes, Mr. Li Cheng, I do have something I would like to ask you for a favor,” Ella said gently. “We have met once before, and I remember you weren’t so reserved last time.”

"Hahaha, that's..." Li Cheng recalled what he had said when he first met Ella a few days ago, and felt so embarrassed that he wanted to slap himself twice.

"I would like to hire you all to investigate several recent disappearances in the capital." Ella said, her expression slightly serious and her demeanor dignified.

"A missing persons case?" Li Cheng stroked his chin. His admiration for Ella didn't mean he would disregard the safety of his friends, so he still thought carefully when he heard about mission-related topics. "I think I've heard about it too. May I ask, Your Excellency, why are you investigating this matter, and why did you hire us to investigate?"

Chapter Five: The Saintess's Mission

Ella nodded, cleared her throat, and parted her thin lips slightly: "Mr. Li Cheng, have you heard of the evil god summoning ritual that took place in the Imperial City seven days ago?"

"Uh, I'm new here and haven't heard of this before." Li Cheng scratched his head sheepishly.

"It was a dark cult called 'The Dark Shepherds,' which gathered hundreds of its members and innocent victims in a dungeon on the outskirts of the imperial city for a blood sacrifice in order to summon an evil god recorded in a book of sorcery."

"This incident was widely reported on the surface, but because the believers involved included many nobles and residents of the imperial city, the royal nobles deliberately concealed and suppressed the spread of some details of the incident."

"One detail is that when the sanctuary arrived at the scene, they did not find the book that recorded the contents of the ritual to summon the evil god. In other words, the book was missing from the scene."

After Ella finished speaking, she gracefully picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

Then she was surprised to find that the tea, which had a bitter taste and was full of dregs, was surprisingly hard to swallow, and her expression immediately became tense.

It's strange. Why can Ye Xiao drink the same tea with relish, but Ella can't drink it at all?

This was the first time she had ever realized that, despite being the same person, the two bodies had different dietary preferences.

Could it be that Ella's palate has become too picky from drinking expensive, high-end tea every day...?

However, it would be rather unseemly to spit it out, so Ella forced herself to swallow the mouthful of tea with tea leaves still attached.

"Missing...?" Li Cheng scratched his head. "Does the Holy Maiden mean she wants our help to find that book?"

“No, I don’t want you to get too involved.” Ella’s expression turned slightly serious as she subtly pushed the cup of unpleasant tea toward Ye Xiao. “Actually, I have to warn you all first that anything involving evil gods is extremely dangerous, including that book that records evil magic.”

As she spoke, she moved the small bowl of vegetable soup that Ye Xiao had spent a long time scooping with a small spoon in front of her. "It's just that the recent disappearances are somewhat similar to the disappearances of residents in the settlements outside the imperial city before the evil god summoning ritual. I suspect that there may be remnants of the dark cult secretly trying to use that book to continue their evil deeds."

"Therefore, I would like to entrust you with the task of collecting and investigating information about the missing persons. I want to inform you about the matter in the scriptures, but only to let you know that there are very dangerous factors lurking behind this matter. Therefore, I hope you will only collect information for me, and the subsequent actions will be carried out by the Holy Church."

“I think I understand now. Thank you for your frankness, Holy Maiden. But… why did the Holy Maiden choose us?” Li Cheng asked, puzzled.

“Because of the Pilgrimage Festival, the church has been dealing with a lot of affairs and is short-handed recently, and we are worried about how to find additional help,” Ella said, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of the soup bowl. “On the other hand, although it is not strict, this commission does have some confidentiality requirements. Seeing that you are all quite familiar with Mr. Ye, I think you are quite trustworthy. In addition, I guarantee that the reward for this commission will satisfy you.”

Ella hopes to cultivate a team that operates outside the Sanctuary to help her with non-dangerous but tedious tasks, such as intelligence gathering or material collection. Compared to some unfamiliar adventurers, her old friends are obviously more reliable.

Later, we can use the saintess's name to entrust them with some tasks that the system will reward generously.

[Team Mission Triggered: Investigate Clues in the Missing Persons Case]

[Mission Briefing: The Holy Maiden of Light requests your assistance in continuously gathering information about the missing persons cases occurring in the residential settlements outside the Imperial City.]

[Task Difficulty: Easy]

[Quest Rewards: 100 Gold (decreases based on client satisfaction), 300 Universal Points (decreases based on completion), 200 Order (?) Reputation (decreases based on completion)]

"Holy crap, a hundred..." As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Cheng realized he might have been a bit impolite and quickly covered his mouth. To him, this reward was a bit too outrageous. The most he had ever received from completing so many tasks was a dozen or so silver coins. This was the first time he had seen a task that directly rewarded gold coins in such a large quantity.

Ye Xiao, who had already formed a team, also saw the mission notification and was completely dumbfounded.

Is it true that Ella can give quests to players?

There are also general points rewards from the system, which shows that the system recognizes the legitimacy of the tasks issued by Ella.

Is there a way to farm universal points?

Ye Xiao almost immediately thought of this operation, but after looking at the small reward given by the system, he thought it seemed a bit too little. Their team of more than a dozen people only shared 300 universal points after completing this task, which was barely enough to make a difference.

However, it is still worthwhile to study how the content and format of the tasks affect the system rewards.

There's another "Cult reputation" that Ye Xiao doesn't know what it is. He'd seen rewards like the Temple of Light reputation or the reputation of a certain Holy Church in his previous life, but he didn't quite understand what this "Cult (?)" referred to yet.

Ye Xiao tacitly picked up the teacup that Ella had moved over and took a sip. Suddenly noticing the subtle glances from everyone, he couldn't help but cough lightly.

“Thank you for your generosity, Holy Maiden. We will accept this commission.” Li Cheng stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ella.

“No, no, I should thank you all,” Ella smiled and nodded. “Taking this job has been a huge help to me.”

"In addition, I have a small request, I wonder if Your Majesty can grant it."

"What request?" Ella asked curiously.

"Your Holiness, could I have your autograph?" Li Cheng eagerly opened his palm, revealing a handkerchief and a quill pen.

"Huh, did you take this out of your spatial ring?" Ella asked, feigning surprise.

In reality, her lips were already twitching uncontrollably—don't waste universal points on this useless stuff in the system shop, you bastard!!

"Haha, it's a similar tool." Li Cheng chuckled, blushing.

Ella smiled and accepted the handkerchief, signing her name in delicate handwriting with a quill pen. Her handwriting style was inherited from her predecessor, so her elegant handwriting had a noble air.

The otherworldly characters that Ye Xiao wrote were almost like scribbles; the system was only responsible for helping players recognize characters, not for helping them practice writing.

Li Cheng took the handkerchief, carefully folded it, and stuffed it into the inner lining of his armor.

"Are you chasing after celebrities in this other world?" Ye Xiao looked at him speechlessly. "How about I sign one for you too?"

"Get lost, who cares about your lousy signature?" Li Cheng snorted.

"Um... Your Majesty... could you sign one for me too?"

Suddenly, a slightly rough voice came from the other side of the table. Ella looked over and saw a burly man with a sleek head taking out a delicate handkerchief that he clearly wouldn't carry with him, looking at her expectantly.

"Don't waste your general points!!" Ella roared inwardly, but still smiled and accepted the handkerchief with trembling hands.

"Ah... Your Majesty, can I also..." "Your Majesty, please, I want to too..." The next second, voices rose and fell.

So much so that Ella's smile froze.

It’s not over yet!