In the morning, as Kael slowly drifted back to consciousness from his sleep, he reluctantly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Leinas's sleeping face beside him.
Her bright, long blonde hair was slightly disheveled on the pillow, falling across her face. Her doll-like features appeared a little weary, leaving a sweet trace of the previous night's exhaustion, making Kael feel pity and a desire to protect her.
Kael gently kissed her pale pink lips, a faint smile gracing the corner of his mouth. A strange, yet pleasant feeling.
Speaking of which, I seem to have been indulging myself too much lately. This can't go on, he thought. Touching Leinas's smooth, soft skin, the tender sensation was like kneading perfect dough. While Kael enjoyed the touch, he couldn't help but remind himself of his ultimate goal.
Men and women trying it for the first time were often easily addicted. Although their mental ages were no longer young—Kael with his knowledge of YGGDRASIL and the New World, Leinas with her bitter experiences—they had never had such experiences before. They truly couldn't control themselves, a human weakness Kael acknowledged.
Well... it's not actually a big deal. Kael suddenly found another reason for himself. After all, I'm successful now, so what's wrong with having some fun? Isn't this a form of reward for a God?
After finding the perfect justification, Kael embraced Leinas again, enjoying the warmth of her body, and prepared for a short nap.
Beep, beep!
Suddenly, the power of a magic message connected to his body, an interruption that forced him to open his eyes again.
Without needing to guess or sense, he knew that this must be Enri's wake-up call.
Since the last time he accidentally met Leinas in his room—a rather embarrassing incident—Enri no longer came directly to the dormitory to find him. Instead, she would remind him through a magic message first to avoid embarrassing or disturbing situations. Enri was always polite and understanding.
"Hello, Enri? I'm about to get up, wait a moment." Kael immediately answered the call, his voice slightly sleepy but still authoritative. He was about to cut the magic message connection, but suddenly he heard Enri report, "Yes God, Lady Lakyus seems to have something urgent to ask you. May I bring her to see you?"
"Lakyus?" Kael frowned slightly. If it were just about training, Lakyus wouldn't be so eager to see him, especially in the early morning. There must be another purpose, something important.
"Alright, bring her to me in the conference room."
"Yes." Enri replied obediently.
After ending the call with Enri, Kael gently nudged Leinas beside him to wake her from her sleep. "Leinas, wake up. We have a guest."
They both tidied their appearances as quickly as possible, took a quick bath, and went to the underground palace's conference room together. Kael noticed Leinas, who now looked fresher and more spirited.
Due to several delays—primarily Kael's idleness—when they arrived in the hall, Enri and Lakyus were already waiting there. Lakyus appeared impatient, yet struggled to maintain a calm expression.
"God." Enri bowed deeply.
"Your Excellency." Lakyus, with a hint of hidden nervousness, also bowed.
Kael led Leinas up the grand royal stairs, then sat on the comfortable throne. He raised his hand gently, a gesture of permission. "No need to bow."
"Yes, God!" Enri answered cheerfully.
"Thank you, Your Excellency." Lakyus added, her voice more formal. Both slowly stood upright.
Kael's gaze went directly to Lakyus, piercing through her layers of formality. "Tell me, why do you wish to see me?"
A flicker of hesitation crossed Lakyus's face. She glanced at Leinas beside Kael, then returned her gaze to the God's eyes. After a second's pause, her gaze hardened again, and she said to Kael: "Your Excellency, I wish to speak with you alone, if I may?" The request was surprising, an unexpected habit from an Adamantite Adventurer like Lakyus.
"Hmm?" Kael was slightly surprised by Lakyus's boldness.
However, the power gap between the two of them was too vast, an unimaginable chasm. He wasn't worried that Lakyus would try to play the 'Jing Ke stabs King Qin' trick—a classic story from his old world, about an assassin attempting to kill a mighty emperor. Kael shook his head inwardly. Lakyus wouldn't be able to harm him. He winked at Leinas and Enri, a gestured command.
"In that case, you two may withdraw first."
"Yes! Yes!" Leinas and Enri answered in unison. They left the hall and closed the door behind them, their footsteps clear in the silence.
Thud!
As the door closed tightly, only he and Kael remained in the hall. Lakyus seemed to let out a sigh of relief, the tension she had held finally evaporating.
She looked at Kael on the throne, her gaze slowly turning complex, filled with a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and a hint of fear. "Your Excellency, I wish to know something. Please be merciful and tell me the truth."
"..." Kael was silent for a moment. He seemed to have already guessed why Lakyus had come to him—her feelings were unconcealable. Nevertheless, he nodded without changing his expression. "Ask me."
"Thank you very much." Lakyus thanked him politely, then seriously asked, "Then, Your Excellency, I wish to know if I am now your follower like Lady Enri and the others?"
Kael couldn't help but smile when he heard this, a small chuckle. "Why do you have such an idea?" He deliberately didn't answer directly, wanting to see how far Lakyus had understood.
"Is that so..." Although Kael didn't answer directly, from his reaction, Lakyus had already gotten the answer she wanted to know. The power she had gained was too impossible.
As if accepting the inevitable reality, she appeared much more relaxed and sighed helplessly. A new destiny had drawn her in.
Looking at Kael again, she explained directly: "Because it's too obvious. Although I was originally an Adamantite adventurer, it's not easy to recover after losing power and regain mastery of high-tier Martial Arts or magic."
"Moreover, I've mastered great skills I didn't know before during my continuous training. Isn't this phenomenon exactly the same as with the members who have just joined the Church of Destiny?"
"Because it's too miraculous, so miraculous that there's no other possibility except for this reason." Lakyus concluded, her tone full of conviction. No one in this world could grant such power except a God.
"Haha." Kael couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't expected that he could keep this secret forever. After all, once Lakyus's [Templar] profession reached LV10, the skills inherent in subsequent high-tier professions like [Battle Saint], [Valkyrie], and [Holy Light Preacher]—which Lakyus had now mastered—were so powerful that New World natives couldn't master them without the aid of [Divine Power of Destiny].
It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Lakyus was a genius, and very observant.
"Then why didn't you continue to pretend? This should only benefit you and not harm you. It's not a good idea to reveal this secret," Kael asked, intrigued by her motivation.
"Forgive me, I am not the type of person who can accept the charity of others." Lakyus smiled and shrugged, but her eyes trembled slightly, revealing a rarely seen vulnerable side.
Judging from Kael's expression, if she hadn't chosen to reveal the secret on her own initiative, Kael wouldn't have disclosed it. This surprised Lakyus slightly. Since Kael didn't seem like the type of person who enjoyed charity, she believed he did this to gain an advantage from her. An exchange, not alms.
As she imagined herself being targeted by a being as powerful as Kael, Lakyus felt uneasy. The thought was unpleasant. So she continued to ask: "Could you tell me why you wanted to give me power?"
"Why?" Seeing the girl's subtle reaction, a faint blush on her cheeks, Kael couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth curl slightly. A hint of teasing came to his mind. "Well... I think you're very beautiful, and I want you to become my saint."
After this short sentence was sent to her brain for analysis, Lakyus's cheeks flushed at a speed visible to the naked eye, from her ears to her neck. She was surprised, and at the same time, embarrassed.
Currently, there was only one saint in the Church of Destiny, and that was Leinas. Through private communication with other members of the Church of Destiny, Lakyus learned some things about 'Saints' from the middle-aged women in Carne Village, the main part being the 'Responsibility of a Saint'—a position that demanded full dedication, including absolute purity and loyalty.
One or two indescribable images flashed through the innocent girl's mind, images that suddenly made her body temperature rise. She took a step back in fear, almost tripping over her dress, and said with a flushed face, "Please... please don't make fun of me, Your Excellency!"
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