Positive little sun, magical girl, I am awesome

The residents of the city were completely unaware of the tense atmosphere at the city gate; the streets were bustling and peaceful, brimming with the vitality of daily life.

Therefore, when the figure dressed in a pure white robe suddenly appeared in the marketplace, it attracted many curious or awe-inspiring glances.

A passerby saw the slender priest at the front staring in astonishment at the tall girl in front of him.

“Lilith, you…”

Bishop Aldington then noticed that Lilith had never sheathed her sword; the beautiful rapier had been held in her hand the entire time, carried by her side as they walked.

He struggled to shift his gaze from the sword hilt, meeting the girl's clear yet icy blue eyes once more.

"It seems that Greta's studies aren't easy either." He didn't directly answer Lilith's sharp question, but instead asked her, "Have you ever regretted your choice?"

The young man shook his head without hesitation: "No matter what race you look at it from, my life has only just begun. It seems I'm not at the age to look back on my life choices yet. It's too early to regret it now, sir."

Aldington chuckled; what a sharp-tongued little girl.

In a few words, the bishop had recovered from his initial astonishment, a gentle smile etched at the corners of his eyes:

"Yes, you are rising like the sun, while I am growing old day by day. This means I can't protect you forever. That's why I didn't want you to take any chances with danger, but I didn't expect you to misunderstand."

Lilith wasn't buying it. "I can protect myself."

"What about the others? Your friends, like the child who got injured today, do you care about him?"

"..."

"Can you guarantee that something like today won't happen again? I know your swordsmanship is excellent, but life is like the tide, it always rises and falls. People get tired, run out of energy, and make mistakes. Even gods need to close their eyes and rest."

Upon hearing the last sentence, Lilith's eyes involuntarily flickered: "...Is that so?"

Are all gods like this?

Bishop Aldington seemed oblivious, patting Lilith on the shoulder to signal her to continue leading the way, his tone as gentle as if he were indulging a child's whims.

“I’m glad you’re wary. It seems that Princess Catherine has a great influence on you… no, I should say that you have a great influence on each other.”

He had seen the princess cautiously lying low when she first arrived in Highgarden, and he also remembered Lilith's mischievous and unruly childhood. Just now, the two figures, one in gold and one in silver, standing at the city gate, though with vastly different temperaments, had both shed their youthful naiveté and revealed an undeniable sharpness.

Standing side by side, they formed their own world, easily attracting everyone's attention without needing to say a word.

"The two beauties of Goredia truly live up to their reputation." He praised them generously and made no attempt to hide his interest in Lilith.

The wariness in Lilith's eyes slowly faded amidst the praise. She seemed to have been persuaded by the bishop's words, but her tone remained stiff: "It has nothing to do with Your Highness. It's just that I've grown up and no longer like to be fooled like a child. If I've misunderstood, I apologize to you."

Bishop Aldington's eyes were filled with emotion: "Yes, you've grown up in the blink of an eye... It was my fault."

He paused as if considering, then finally nodded and admitted, "It is true that we came to Gretia to investigate the Dream Plague, but... the Church does have other purposes for this trip."

Lilith turned to look at him.

“It’s not what you think. What happened outside the city was indeed an accident,” Aldington quickly added, this time in a much more serious tone.

"After I visit your injured companion, perhaps I can also visit your mother, Mrs. Melissa Taylor?"

Lilith couldn't help but frown. Regardless of the Church of Light's true intentions, she didn't want to involve more people around her, and instinctively wanted to find a reason to refuse.

But Aldington saw her resistance and simply walked forward on his own.

"Haven't you been home to visit Earl Taylor for some time now?"

"I think you're unaware of this, but the lady's residence has seen quite a few new guests these past few days."

"……what?"

……

"Miss!"

"It's the young lady who's back."

Deep within Green Willow Lane, the black gate, carved with a majestic dragon head, was slowly opened. The knights who remained in the front courtyard saw the newcomer and stepped forward to greet her, bowing and welcoming their young mistress home with bright smiles. Some of the more outgoing ones even wanted to challenge her to a duel.

The gloom in Lilith's heart was somewhat dispelled by the warm atmosphere of returning home. She smiled and nodded in response, but she also realized something was amiss.

The difficulty of the magicians' coursework increases in stages, and the final week of the senior year is not easy. Lilith didn't have time to come back for several days off. At this moment, she was surprised to find that there were more and more knights in the manor. The once green lawn in the front yard was almost turned into hard ground by the knights' boots.

Her heart pounded, and she couldn't help but glance at the person beside her.

Just as he had said, after visiting Ian at the clinic with her, Bishop Aldington headed straight here with a clear purpose.

But the bishop remained calm upon seeing the large group of silver-armored knights and did not ask any further questions.

...Who exactly was he after? Lilith was now genuinely confused.

When she was led by a maid to the drawing room and saw the person opposite Catherine, she was even more confused.

"...Anqi? What are you doing here?"

The girl who jumped up from her chair at the sound of footsteps—who else could it be but Angie Russell? What was she doing at the Taylors' house? When did the Russell and Taylor families become so close?

"me--"

Angie has gained a lot of weight compared to six months ago. Her cheeks are no longer sunken, and her eyes have become bright and lively again, resembling the proud and radiant appearance that Lilith remembers.

But looking at the white-robed bishop beside Lilith, she was so nervous that she couldn't even utter a complete greeting.

“By the light above.” Bishop Aldington stepped forward, his tone relatively amicable. “Miss Russell, I think you know why I have come.”

Lilith noticed Catherine secretly closing her eyes and raised an eyebrow: What's Angie doing? She managed to catch Catherine completely off guard.

Bishop Aldington continued, “The majesty of the Church of Light cannot be challenged, Miss Russell. How will you explain this to your grandfather when he returns? Even if you harbor resentment towards the Church because of what happened before, you shouldn’t have abducted a prospective chosen one who was about to be guided by the priests—”

Lilith's mouth dropped open.

"—A total of 261 people."

"Taking away the young master?!?"