I find it very sacred to pick someone up and make them a saint.

"How's the situation around us?" Mien asked Phyllis.

Whether out of anger or shyness, Phyllis tossed her head, her red hair brushing past Mien, and strode away with her long legs.

Approaching the outsiders lingering in the factory, he said somewhat irritably:

"Thank you for your help. Now that Chief Mien is out of danger, we won't keep you here any longer. We still have some important matters to discuss."

These people are still in shock, their decades-long medical careers dealt a devastating blow.

Mumu left one after another.

"Chief Mien, this..." asked the Holy Chapter Scholar beside him.

Mien sighed and smoothed the hair at her temples. "It's hard to explain right now. Let's talk about it when we get back."

Phyllis returned, bowed respectfully, but her gaze was icy cold, a stark contrast to her former self.

It was as if the person who confessed their feelings to their lover before their death had been killed by themselves.

From this day forward, their relationship will be nothing more than a cold superior-subordinate one.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lucia standing to the side. Lucia gave him an apologetic smile, her bright eyes looking at him, which erased the slight chill from her face.

"Chief Mien, what just happened?" Phyllis asked.

Mien sighed, shrugged, and explained the general situation, but omitted some important information.

Phyllis frowned upon hearing this, her disgust for Rachel and Phil intensifying as she recalled their earlier actions.

"What's the situation in the city-state now?" Mien asked.

Phyllis nodded, let out a sigh of relief, and reported the surrounding situation clearly.

"It's been completely resolved. The remaining magic arrays have been purified, and there are no more people among the populace who have been cursed. It seems that this incident involving the esoteric sect has finally come to an end."

Upon hearing this, Lucia's face lit up with a warm, joyful expression.

A hint of worry flashed across Mien's brow:

"It's not completely resolved yet."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Do you remember what Quinn from Tin Can Street and Paul from here said?"

"It was a mysterious woman who taught them the secret arts of the Contract Truth Cult."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they immediately understood what Mien meant.

"To this day, we have not been able to find any trace or clues about that person."

As long as she isn't captured, there's a high chance of other troubles arising. Even if the Contract Truth Cult is suppressed, other secret cults will emerge.

Tension

Mien felt that what she had said was a bit of a downer.

The Academy was clearly the biggest contributor to the Valgon Castle incident, so how can only others be laughing and returning in triumph?

Then a bright smile appeared on his face, and he said cheerfully:

"However, we have resolved the esoteric incident this time, and everyone in the Academy of Scholars has worked hard."

We saved everyone in the city-state. We fulfilled our duty perfectly and, since three months ago, we have won a hard-fought battle against the Tantric sect!

We'll talk about the rest later. Just cheer for yourselves in your hearts!

Now, let us return to the Academy with our heads held high, and I will bestow upon each of you the honors you deserve.

These words quickly dispelled the gloom in everyone's hearts, and they were completely freed from the catastrophe, sending messages to every scholar in the city.

Mien took Lucia's hand and led the group out of the abandoned factory.

The soldiers and knights outside the city had long since withdrawn, leaving the area completely empty.

Instead, scholars from one academy after another waited outside, many still stationed in the streets and alleys.

Mien walked out with a smile and into the block.

Surprisingly, even though Phil and Rachel had been gone for quite some time, the people on both sides of the road did not disperse and remained standing there.

Many scholars stood with them.

As Mien and his group passed by, the scholars emerged from the crowd and joined the main group.

Soon, a large crowd gathered behind Mien, all dressed in indigo robes, walking past quietly and solemnly.

Along the way, the people watched them silently.

Because Lucia had changed into a scholar's robe instead of a saint's white dress, no one cheered or bowed for her.

Some people lowered their heads and clasped their hands in prayer.

Some people murmured hymns of praise to the Goddess of Light again, and many others chanted them softly together.

The eulogy was the same as the previous one for Phil and his companion, but the tone was low and gentle, like a breeze across a lake, making it all the more sacred.

Amidst a chorus of blessings, sunlight streamed down, like the gentle caress of the goddess of light, touching Mien and his companions, as well as the people of this place.

"Teacher..." Lucia looked at Mien in surprise. She hadn't expected everyone to treat them like this.

Mien's face remained expressionless as he continued to hold her hand, leading everyone forward amidst the blessings.

The warmth from her palms brought a sense of reassurance, and Lucia smiled as she looked away, quietly accepting the blessings from the people.

…………

In the crowd, a woman covered from head to toe in a large gray robe waited, her hood gleaming with murderous intent.

She is the mysterious woman described by Quinn and Paul.

A moment ago, her gaze swept across Phil and Rachel's faces.

Even as his killing intent surged, he still gripped his dagger tightly and held back, waiting for the true culprits who had ruined everything—that man and the Holy Maiden of Light!

A faint, dark magical aura swirled within the gray crowd, concealing immense power.

"If I can kill one of them, it won't be a complete loss if I die here." She silently made up her mind.

While all the scholars were silently accepting the blessings of the people, they were all distracted, and no one noticed it at first.

She moved forward step by step in the crowd, gradually inching her way to the second row at the front.

The dagger slipped from her sleeve and dangled beneath her, out of sight of others.

Just as the group was about to reach her, she suddenly pushed through the crowd and rushed out.

But the moment she made a move,

A child who had been squeezed between people's legs immediately shouted:

"Watch out!! Your Majesty!..."

The shout broke the silence, startling everyone around.

The mysterious woman had just squeezed out of the crowd when she paused.

But with the arrow already on the bowstring and several eyes focused on her, she had nowhere to retreat and accelerated her charge.

Dark magic clung to the black dagger, gleaming with a holy light, as it pierced through the crowd.

The scholars who were closest wanted to physically stop them.

But the woman also imbued herself with black magic, and suddenly accelerated like a shadow, passing through the group and arriving in front of Mien and Lucia.

A blazing holy light suddenly burst forth, blocking the two of them like a scorching sun.

Phyllis unleashed the light magic "Divine Flame," instantly colliding with the object at that moment.

After the battle at the factory, Mien and Lucia were exhausted and had no chance to fight back.

Mien immediately pulled Lucia behind the others; at a time like this, not causing trouble was the greatest help they could offer.

Phyllis's eyes also burned with holy flames as she blasted towards the dark, powerful attack.

The two collided in the blink of an eye, and a powerful energy exploded outwards.

Fortunately, the assassin's magic was contained and controlled by Phyllis, so he did not attack the surrounding civilians.

Immediately, a powerful commotion erupted, and cries of alarm spread outwards, gradually reaching Phil and Rachel in the distance...

The profession of assassin is almost doomed the moment it is discovered by the main force.

Moreover, the two are not that different in strength; Phyllis is a 7th-tier mage, and she is about the same level.

The attack was largely contained, and the remaining aftershocks were no longer capable of causing casualties.

Phyllis gave her no chance to escape and immediately engaged her in battle, unleashing several holy flames from different directions.

The group of Holy Chapter scholars immediately formed a defensive formation, attempting to surround her.

However, the mysterious woman panicked for only a moment. Her assassin instincts kept her calm, and she immediately darted to the side at lightning speed.

Several battles had broken out in the blink of an eye.

Some of the Holy Chapter scholars were injured but were immediately rescued and the siege continued.

Seeing that Phyllis and the others' attacks were getting fiercer, the mysterious woman gritted her teeth, and the black dagger burst out with powerful energy, while gray magic flowed like a ghost.

Her figure became increasingly blurry, and in the haze, she suddenly charged out through a gap in the encirclement, leaving only a fleeting afterimage.

Phyllis was startled and immediately rushed to stop him, unleashing a burst of holy flame.

The woman didn't try to block, but instead tried to dodge, and was hit while turning to the side.

With a roar, she was injured, but her speed did not decrease, and she escaped with all her might.

Phil and Rachel were still riding up with their men from a distance, but they were still some distance away.

Everyone frowned nervously, on the verge of letting her escape.

But in an instant.

Suddenly, a thin beam of holy light pierced through her body from the sky.

People looked up and saw a tall, graceful figure wearing magnificent golden armor, with a white cloak fluttering in the wind.

She was wearing a helmet that covered half of her face, so her features were not visible, but she still looked beautiful and elegant.