Diary of the Improper Monster Girl Transformation.

Chapter 384 How could that be? Haha

Chapter 384 How could that be? Haha! (Please subscribe!)
"..."

In a desolate demiplane filled with ancient texts, the last Keeper of the Secrets sat quietly cross-legged on the ground.

Bishop Ophidia of Ashes lowered her head, her eyes half-closed, in a state akin to meditation.

She wasn't daydreaming; she was thinking.

Just now, Ophidia had another dream.

This time, she dreamed of that unexpected person again.

The two of them didn't do anything special; they simply stood side by side, quietly reading in the demiplane.

Throughout the entire dream, the two did not exchange a single word, yet she felt a spiritual resonance with the other person.

"Herbert...why you?"

Why did I dream about him?
To Ophidia, Herbert was simply the most interesting of countless promising juniors.

Logically speaking, she shouldn't dream about Herbert if she didn't have any feelings for him beyond "expectations".

But then, his image appeared in his dream.

……No.

Or was it really a dream?

Since taking on their responsibilities and becoming like this, she hasn't dreamed for many years.

In her dreams, only endless knowledge tormented her soul.

Having grown accustomed to the noisy nightmares of the past, this long-awaited quiet dream left a deep impression.

Upon waking, she was somewhat puzzled, wondering if she had been dragged into Herbert's dream again... but she also knew that this was not the case.

But why?

If the first time it was because of that medicine, what was the reason for the second time?

That was clearly just his dream, so why did he become the one trapped in the dream?

She doesn't understand.

Ophidia had been pondering the reasons behind this.

What went wrong?
What exactly caused this situation?

"Mmmmmmm..."

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice someone slowly approaching her demiplane.

She didn't come to her senses until the other party signaled for her to enter.

coming!

She opened the door and said casually to the person outside, "You're here. I thought you'd have to wait... Hmm? It's you?"

Before her, the Rusty Nail Bishop, who had just entered the demiplane and was about to step forward to pay his respects, stopped in his tracks.

"Well!!?"

Rusty Nail Bishop: ?
The Rusty Nail Bishop, who was originally preparing to report to His Excellency the Watcher, was momentarily stunned.

Oops... Did I do something wrong?
He didn't know whether he should step out or pull his foot back.
Ok? ? ?
Judging from your tone, you don't seem to be in a good mood... Did I come at the wrong time?

Wait, did I arrive at the wrong time?

Should I not have come?

He hesitated for a moment, standing on one leg, and asked hesitantly, "Sir, I... uh, should I not have come? Are you waiting for someone?"

Which gentleman is she waiting for?
The Rusty Nail Bishop was embarrassed, but there was actually someone in the room who was even more embarrassed than him.

Although Ophidia made no outward movement, she had secretly clenched her teeth.

hiss!
How could I have done something so stupid?

How could they so readily assume that the visitor was Herbert?
I've been so lazy for too long that I've become so careless; this is really not right.

No, the real problem isn't even here... it's just a minor issue.

The real big question is—why did I take it for granted that Herbert would come looking for me?
Do you really believe that he will definitely come and confront you?

What if that coward chooses to hide?
Ophelia maintained a calm exterior, but her mind was racing.

Her strange silence made the Rusty Nail Bishop across from her even more uneasy.

Your Excellency fell silent... Did I say something wrong?
Did I do something wrong?
Although Ophidia didn't actually say anything, he was already sweating profusely.

After a long while, the Rusty Nail Bishop, who had finally managed to compose himself, slowly asked, "Um, Your Excellency?"

Sir, please look at me?
Kill me or torture me, it's fine, but just give me an answer!

What did I do wrong? Tell me!

Stop torturing me like this.

Give it a try.

"Ok?"

Hearing the Rusty Nail Bishop's weak call, Ophidia finally came to her senses, paused for a moment, and then said calmly, "No, it's nothing... um."

She paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head, offering no explanation and turning the page: "So, what do you want this time? Is it about those candidates again?"

call!
Although somewhat curious about the reason for the Watcher's anger, the Rusty Nail Bishop, who had finally gotten a chance to catch his breath, did not press further and simply nodded.

"Yes, this is one of the two things I want to report to you."

Ok?
After getting down to business, Ophidia regained her composure and raised an eyebrow, asking in return, "Didn't I already tell you? Whoever it is, you can decide for yourselves."

She paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that the Rusty Nail Bishop's visit must have a hidden reason. She frowned and asked, "Has something gone wrong?"

“There are some minor issues, but I have decided on the final choice and hope you can offer some advice,” the Rusty Nail Bishop said humbly.

"So, tell me, who did you ultimately choose? But I probably already guessed."

Ophidia tilted her head and said with a hint of teasing, "Someone who can make a rigid person like you so conflicted that you have to come to me for advice must be no ordinary person."

"Could it be Herbert?"

Although the question was phrased as a question, Ophidia was actually more than 90% certain of the answer.

But there was something strange about her.

Herbert had already mentioned it once before, and I had given him advice at the time, so why did he have to ask again?
"Yes, Herbert was ultimately chosen."

The Rusty Nail Bishop nodded slowly and said in a deep voice, "However, he has some minor problems."

"What could be the problem?"

"His strength is somewhat different from what we expected."

strength?

After hearing this answer, Ophelia was even more confused.

What happened to Herbert's abilities?
Didn't we say before that we should send high-level cultivators below the legendary level?
Doesn't Herbert perfectly fit this condition?

He can't possibly get seriously injured and then fall to the intermediate level, can he?
That's too much of a coincidence... I strongly suspect that he didn't want to go and was faking illness on purpose.

"……Um?"

Wait, there seems to be another possibility?
If it's not a decline in strength, then it must be—an increase in strength?
He advanced?

"Um???"

Ophidia suddenly realized another possibility and her eyes widened in shock: "Wait! You mean... Herbert has already advanced to the legendary level?"

Seeing that the other party finally understood his meaning, Bishop Rustnail breathed a sigh of relief and nodded slowly: "Yes, he has successfully advanced to the Legendary realm, but his entry into the Legendary realm does not meet our expectations for an envoy." Herbert was originally a perfect candidate for envoy, but now he no longer meets their previous requirements.

It is impossible to express the Misty Monastery's dissatisfaction with the Sun Church's neither humble nor arrogant attitude.

“However, despite this, I still want Herbert to serve as the messenger for this trip to the Church of the Sun. He is young and well-suited to undergo these trials and witness the true power of the Church of God.”

While it may be slightly unfair to others, as a high-ranking official, Bishop Rustnail, whether from a strategic perspective or from his personal preferences, wanted to give the opportunity to those who needed it most.

Regardless, Herbert is the best choice.

He is the most promising among these people, so naturally, the best resources should be used on him as much as possible.

"Although the arrival of the legends might make our stance less clear and cause the Church of the Sun to mistakenly believe that we have bowed down, this is nothing compared to this minor drawback."

"So I still hope you can understand my thoughts and let Herbert become the messenger."

After the Rusty Nail Bishop finished expressing his thoughts, he suddenly noticed the Ash Bishop's shock.

"Hmm? Could it be... that you are unaware of this matter?"

Eh?
You didn't know that?
The Rusty Nail Bishop was somewhat surprised by this. He had assumed that the Archbishop would notify the Ash Bishop first, but it turned out that the two of them had not contacted each other in advance.

Upon receiving this news, the Ash Archbishop remained silent.

The news was so sudden that it left him momentarily stunned.

Herbert, a legend?
real or fake?

"..."

After being shocked for half a minute, Ophidia finally came to her senses and shook her head slightly.

"He's really a surprise..."

It was unexpected, but not entirely unexpected.

Unexpected, but reasonable.

It's understandable, because she was certain that Herbert would one day become a legend, and she never thought that Herbert would be stuck before becoming a legend.

What was unexpected was that it came so quickly, much earlier than she had expected.

"...The last time I saw him, he hadn't yet reached the legendary level. What happened after that?"

Is it because of the "noise and silence"?

Although there is no clear evidence, the Ash Archbishop's first instinct is that Herbert was blessed during this trial and successfully advanced.

And the truth is probably not much different from this.

After thinking it through, Ophidia still didn't explain anything further to the Rusty Nail Bishop, and simply nodded calmly.
"Okay, I agree. Let's do it your way."

She didn't have any special requirements regarding the envoy's strength; whether he was a legend or not didn't matter. As long as the attitude of the Misty Monastery was made clear, everything else was fine.

For an epic-level powerhouse like her, there is essentially no significant difference between a newly ascended legendary paladin and a high-level peak cultivator.

They're all small fry.

"What about the other thing?"

After receiving a satisfactory answer, Bishop Rustnail breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "The second matter is also about Herbert."

"After he advanced to become a legendary paladin, His Excellency the Archbishop contacted me and asked me to collect materials."

"The archbishop wants to arrange a holy baptism for Herbert a month from now, and he wants to preside over it himself."

Ophidia raised an eyebrow and said jokingly, "Present it personally? The old man really favors him."

That old man really doesn't hide his favoritism towards that kid at all.

Aren't you afraid of hurting other people's feelings?
Hmm... okay, he's really not afraid.

As the strongest person in the entire Misty Monastery, and even the strongest person at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, the Archbishop doesn't need to consider other people's opinions when he does things.

Do whatever you want, without any scruples.

As long as his bottom line isn't crossed, he doesn't need to care about what others think.

"Okay, I understand. I will cooperate with this. Give me a list later and I will organize some of the materials."

"clear."

Having received permission for both matters, Bishop Rustnail did not linger any longer and decisively chose to take his leave.

"Although I don't know which gentleman she's waiting for, it's best to leave now."

Although the Rusty Nail Bishop was rigid and cold, he was not an idiot. He knew that the longer he stayed there, the more dissatisfied the Ash Bishop would become with him.

Thirty-six strategies, walking is the best strategy.

I'm leaving, your business is none of my concern.

Just after he left the demiplane, before he had gone far, he saw a white-haired boy walking towards him.

"Sir Knight Commander, are you here to see Lord Watchman?" Herbert greeted him with a bright smile.

Upon seeing Herbert, the Rusty Nail Bishop looked him over with a touch of melancholy, sensing something different about him.

Although Herbert is hiding his strength well and still appears to be only at a high level, given that the answer is already known, it is still possible to detect some subtle differences.

"Well, Herbert, I want to congratulate you... um?"

Before offering his congratulations, he suddenly paused, realizing something, and asked suspiciously, "Are you also here to see the Watcher?"

"Yes, I have something urgent to report to her, so I'll take my leave now."

Herbert smiled, didn't explain further to the Rusty Nail Bishop, simply said hello, and then naturally took his leave.

"Okay, let's talk later."

Although he really wanted to talk to Herbert more and ask him about the details of his advancement to Legendary, since Herbert had a legitimate reason, Bishop Rustnail did not stop him any further.

"and many more……"

Just as the rusty-nailed bishop was about to stop, he turned around thoughtfully and looked at Herbert's calmly departing figure.

"Is he going to see the Guardian?"

"Are you... waiting for him?"

"is it possible?"

"..."

He stood there thinking for a long time, and finally... nodded vigorously.

"Probably not!"

"Ok!"

"Is the Watcher waiting for him?"

He shook his head repeatedly at his own thoughts, then laughed self-deprecatingly.
"How could that be? Haha!"

……