As a villain, I really don't want to be pursued by the heroine.

It would have been fine if Booker hadn't said it, but now that he said it, and thinking about how someone as strong as Rowling had died in the East Continent, Roy actually became a little nervous.

"Seriously, can't the dean come with us?"

If there is a high-level extraordinary person in charge, he can hold up the sky if it falls.

When Booker heard this, he looked a little lonely, and a flash of vicissitudes flashed in his eyes.

"I would like to, but I have a heavy responsibility and I cannot leave the Citadel even a step now."

"The so-called 'sage' is, after all, nothing more than a beast in a cage." Booker's words revealed a strong sense of self-mockery.

Can't leave the Citadel? I seem to have said before that as long as I'm in the Citadel, I'll be safe.

Roy didn't think that anyone in the world today could force a strong man like Booker to do something he didn't want to do. He just felt that there was something else going on, but he didn't dare to ask too much.

"Speaking of which, the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Tribe were able to transform some of their power into projections. Doesn't the Dean have a similar method?"

At this point, Roy actually didn't have much hope, he just asked simply.

If the [sage] could do it, he should have brought it up long ago.

Unexpectedly, as soon as these words were spoken, a reply came from the little girl deep in the soul.

"You know what, this is a really good idea! It's just the right time to let him come in and keep me company!"

Chapter 30 Curious Baby

While Phoenix waited anxiously, Booker had no choice but to explain.

"High-level transcendents can transform their own power into projections. This projection is between the intermediate and high levels and requires the consumption of soul essence."

"Most importantly, power projection requires the same source and the same carrier. It cannot be presented in a vacuum."

"The carrier that Ifrit used before was the demon race's legendary violence, the [Flame Demon Altar]. It also consumed a lot of extraordinary resources to barely present it."

"Forget it. Why bother with me?" Finney offered her opinion. "Just project your power into my mausoleum."

After making appropriate deletions and revisions, Roy conveyed Phoenix's views.

The wise man who had just given a long speech on popular science suddenly fell silent and fell into deep thought.

"Indeed, my power and Finnie's are of the same origin, and the Phoenix's mausoleum also possesses sufficient status... Is it really possible?"

Roy was overjoyed and couldn't wait to ask, "Let's try?"

The old man nodded immediately and raised his hand to condense a golden ball of light that exuded terrifying power.

The unfathomable extraordinary power far exceeded any mid-level power Roy had ever seen, and was comparable to the dying fire dragon and the projection of the Lich Queen.

Seeing the powerful force that he had fought to the death to resist being casually shrunk into a small ball, Roy couldn't help but sigh at how terrifying high-level extraordinary beings and creatures that had gained divinity were.

Then, Booker put the golden ball into his chest, and Roy's thoughts also sank into the depths of his soul.

After reaching the intermediate level, Roy could enter and leave the tombs of kings at will.

In the familiar mausoleum, Bahamut, Lilim, and Leviathan were still sleeping because their strength had not recovered enough. Only the scarlet loli was sitting at the door of her mausoleum in high spirits.

Does this count as dancing on your own grave?

Compared to what I've seen before, Phoenix is ​​a little taller, but she's only about the size of an elementary school student or a junior high school student. She's barely out of the ranks of a little girl and has entered the world of loli.

The golden ball of light was right next to Phoenix.

She just flicked her hand, the ball of light shattered, and the golden flame turned into a human shape.

"Hey, long time no see."

Booker couldn't help but feel a little excited as the fire god he believed in, the lover he had separated from life and death, finally charged forward in a true sense.

"Finny, we're finally...huh?!"

Booker opened his arms, but before he could give her a touching hug, his expression changed drastically, and he covered his face and screamed in terror.

It was at this moment that Roy, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

The person that emerged from the ball of light was not the old man that Roy remembered, nor even the young wizard in history, but a young boy whose height was not even as tall as the Scarlet Loli!

"W-Why! ​​Why did I become a child?!"

Phoenix laughed so hard his stomach hurt: "Haha! What's wrong with that? Isn't this just helping you regain your youth?"

"What the hell do you think you have about youth?! At least turn me into an adult!"

"Hey, this look is actually quite cute~ What's the point of acting so old-fashioned?"

Phoenix took the initiative and returned the hug, but due to the height difference between them, she looked like a mean sister bullying her little brother.

That’s right, the hero who saved humanity, the great magician [Sage] is now the little brother who is being molested by the loli but is helpless!

"Quack! Don't come over here..."

Unable to bear witness to such a tragic scene, Roy couldn't help laughing as he pulled himself out of the former king's mausoleum.

After returning to reality, Booker's old face turned red and sweat broke out on his forehead, as if he had fought a desperate battle with some terrifying prehistoric beast.

"Roy! Why are you just watching?!"

"Do you want me to interrupt? But I see that your dean is clearly enjoying it."

"Who's enjoying this! That stinky brat with a bad taste... Humph, even after hundreds of years, he's still annoying!"

Now Booker looks a bit like what we have seen in history.

The old wizard lost his usual composure and maturity. He blushed and defended himself, "The events in the historical projection were only caused by helplessness. Don't overthink it! I'm not a lolita complex. I just happen to like lolita..."

"I understand, I understand." Roy nodded repeatedly and made an X gesture with his mouth, but he was already very happy in his heart.

Respect XP freedom, those who understand will understand!

Using the Phoenix's mausoleum as a carrier, Roy obtained the projection of the Sage as he wished, and he was finally fully prepared.

The time is running out. There is less than half a month left before the auditions for the saint candidates, and it is time to set off.

Roy hugged the girl and said goodbye at the school gate.

Although Charlotte and the others planned to come to White Harbor to support them when the Saint Trial officially began, Roy was still a little reluctant to part with them at the thought of being separated for so many days.

"Don't bully Alice on the way."

"Who do you think I am? No matter how horny I am, I can't possibly touch her."

"Um, you can't touch me too much. It's not like I'm not letting you touch me."

"???"

Before leaving, Charlotte asked Roy a series of riddles that left him puzzled.

Nia and the others hugged the little maid and whispered something to her, which made Roy very curious.

Roy was very pleased: "Your relationship has become so good."

"Yeah." Alice nodded slightly, but she didn't dare to look Roy in the eye. "After all, we'll be sisters soon."

"???"

Aren't best friends between girls called girlfriends? It always feels a bit weird to call them sisters.

Roy was once worried that Alice had awakened her lesbian habit, but it didn't look like that. He was still confused about the girls' private secrets.

Heading east from the Academy City, it takes seven days to cross the river by boat, and then three days by carriage on the official road to reach White Harbor, the largest port city in the Western Continent and the only city of the Church in the Western Continent.

As soon as you enter the city, the world is dyed with pure white.

The entire city is built with pure white bricks and stones, making it seem as if one has entered a paradise described in myths and legends. Passersby, regardless of their wealth or status, all wear white-based clothing.

Clouds dance under the clear blue sky, and the endless blue sea stretches as far as the eye can see at the edge of the harbor.

According to legend, the goddess sent her loyal people to preach in the Western Continent in order to save the people who were shrouded in darkness, and White Harbor was the first stop for the church believers.

For the believers of Holy Light in the Western Continent, White Harbor is the place closest to the Goddess and the holy city they have always dreamed of.

Along the way, Roy had seen many Holy Light believers kneeling on the ground with tears in their eyes, or kissing the white tiles, or bowing their heads and praying in the direction of the church.

"Master, what are they doing?" Seeing this kind of scene for the first time, Alice turned into a curious baby.

"They are expressing their love and respect for the goddess."

"But the goddess is not here."

"One theory is that the goddess is omniscient and can see their sincerity without being there. Another theory is that they are simply expressing their piety."

"Belief......"

As she muttered the word, Alice's expression became even more confused.

Chapter 31 Alice's Faith

“What is faith?”

"It's a beautiful feeling of trusting, admiring, respecting, and cherishing someone or something from the bottom of your heart."

"Well, but it doesn't matter whether this kind of thing is true or not. It all depends on whether you believe it or not."

As the carriage passed by, one believer of the Holy Light after another passed by, and Roy racked his brains to give his own explanation.

There are indeed gods in Vizseia, but the gods he has seen so far are not omniscient and omnipotent. They have the same love, hate, emotions, and desires as humans, but they carry greater power and responsibilities.

As for the Goddess of Holy Light, she is most likely not the kind of deity who created the world.

It would be troublesome if Alice suddenly believed in the Holy Light.

Fortunately, the maid only asked casually and soon lost interest in the people on the street.

Strangely enough, the Church of Holy Light is quite different from any religious organization he has known in his past two lives.

Even cults want to expand their organizations as much as possible, spread their beliefs, and increase their influence. They wish everyone would believe in their gods and regard their beliefs as the truth.

But the Church of Holy Light is very Buddhist.

After taking control of the Eastern Continent, the Church of the Holy Light did not advance into the Western Continent. For two epochs, it had only established a base in White Harbor, and the churches that spread across the continent were primarily providing basic medical and educational services, with no further expansion.

Respect is mutual.

Instead of fanatically forcing others to believe in themselves, Roy helped the people of the Western Continent free of charge. From this point of view, he still had some good feelings towards the church.

But whether the church is trustworthy is a question mark.

As the [Sage] said, there are many factions within the church, and there are even serious differences between the Western Continent and the Eastern Continent.

Roy was not so far as to extend his favorability towards a particular policy to the entire church.

Alice was dazed sometimes, and he was actually quite worried that Alice would be brainwashed by the church and used as a tool by the church.

Little do they know that this worry is actually unnecessary.

Roy talked for a long time, but Alice remembered very little.

Faith is a beautiful feeling.

Use kisses to express devotion to faith.

It’s very similar to being in love!

While Roy was observing the street, Alice pouted at him and blew him an awkward kiss.

It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t know about it, after all, it’s just an expression of my piety!

"Alice, did you say something?"

"No."

Peeping at the boy's expression, the blonde maid's face showed a look of beautiful satisfaction, just like those believers praying devoutly in the sun.

------

White Harbor has a rich history.

Legend has it that during the Third Age, the Church formed an alliance with various forces here to form a coalition army, so White Harbor is also known as the Port of Hope and the City of Victory.

Many people living in White Harbor are not only the rare believers of the Holy Light in the Western Continent, but also have an innate sense of superiority, believing that it is thanks to them that the hope of victory has been brought to the Western Continent.

Even when facing nobles, church believers would not show special respect to them, but would treat everyone equally.

For example, going into the city.