Lucia and the others returned from the main city, bringing with them the plans for everyone’s future.
—
[Saintess Candidate] Yinuo, who had yet to return to her human form:
From the moment this voucher takes effect, the Saintess Candidate, Yinuo, will serve as the disciple of [The Jet-Black Witch].
She will undergo intensive training within the former site of the [Echo Territory] main city.
No faction may attempt to guide or coerce her into exercising her power under the guise of the Saintess’s mission, Divine Grace, prophecy, or divine oracle.
Should there be any violators, her guardian, Lucia, has the right to impose any form of punishment upon the involved parties without reservation.
Based on the judgment resulting from the dispute between the Kingdom’s Inquisitor Knight, Kyle, and Great Archbishop Alpha, the Saintess Candidate Yinuo’s cultivation resources will be provided by the winner, the Kingdom of Lunes.
—
[Holy Knight] Su Yue:
As a member of the new [Saint] Lucoco’s adventure party, you have received recognition from the Statue of the Goddess of Light and obtained the title of [Candidate Holy Knight].
The Trial Task: Legend—”Path of the Knight” has been issued.
Embark on your own journey!
Whether you become a solitary and fearless Hero or grow through the bonds shared with your companions is for you to write with your own hands.
When the glory of the [Holy Knight] shines upon you, it will be the time to welcome the Saint!
The [Holy Knight] is the most powerful class of knight.
Please work hard, Miss Su Yue; the Church and the Kingdom look forward to your future performance.
A knight’s edge requires honing.
From the moment this voucher takes effect, you will not be required to pay for equipment repairs within the Kingdom.
—
[Elemental Mage] Du Lin:
As a member of the new [Saint] Lucoco’s adventure party, you have received recognition from the Statue of the Goddess of Light and obtained the title of [Candidate Holy Knight].
The Trial Task: Legend—”Path of the Knight” has been issued.
Magic is a miracle of creation and the root of destruction.
Do not fear its power; embrace it with gratitude!
Believe in yourself, create those miracles, and destroy that evil!
No one needs to know your name—simply strive to climb the peak known as [Sage]!
When the glory of the [Holy Knight] shines upon you, it will be the time to welcome your Saint!
The [Elemental Mage] is ever-changing, mastering the mysteries of almost all magic.
Miss Du Lin, the Capital of Magic looks forward to your future performance.
From the date this voucher takes effect, the Magic Academy will provide you with a monthly stipend of ten gold coins to help you go further on this glorious path.
—
The hearth fire was warm, reflecting on everyone’s faces.
The air was filled with the smell of roasted sweet potatoes, a scent that only Sebas never seemed to tire of.
Lucoco wriggled out of Du Lin’s embrace and slowly crawled back to her seat.
“But why can’t you travel with me?”
“Because we aren’t strong enough,” Du Lin said with a helpless expression.
She held up the contract voucher and looked at it again, whining in a strange tone, “I have no power… Waaaah…”
“Without Coco, the System probably would have kicked us out of here a long time ago. Heh!”
Su Yue gave a long stretch and flopped onto Lucoco’s lap, unceremoniously nuzzling into the softest spot with a carefree laugh.
Lucia shook her head and chuckled.
She reached out to pat Lucoco’s head and said softly, “Your progress is already genius-level. It’s just that Coco is a bit too special.”
“Special indeed…”
Du Lin leaned back and rested her head on Lucoco’s other leg, sighing.
“It hasn’t even been that long, yet we’ve already run into two large-scale assassination attempts.”
Lucoco nodded, agreeing in her heart.
‘Yeah, I just wanted to live a peaceful life.’
“I was careless.”
Lucia sighed, looking at the pile of strange purple-black stone fragments in a nearby basket.
“Last time, I didn’t realize an Assassin had placed an anchor. I only noticed when they descended this time.”
Sebas bent over, picked up a purple-black stone from the basket, and examined it closely.
“This is just a low-grade item. The high-grade stuff can send Lord-level entities directly into low-level zones.”
“Speaking of which… Uncle Sebas!”
Su Yue rolled over and stared at him curiously, finally asking the question she had been holding back.
“Why can you move around here without a pass? This is clearly a beginner zone.”
Sebas tossed a piece of firewood into the hearth, the flames casting shadows across his face.
“Because [Echo Territory] is where I was born. I can’t go to other beginner zones. Well… under normal circumstances, I can’t enter any restricted zones below Level 50.”
“I see!”
Su Yue realized, nodding her head.
Lucoco thought to herself, ‘Oh, so if I wanted to mess around and bully players in low-level zones, that wouldn’t work either?’
“What about Sister Lucia?”
Su Yue looked toward Lucia.
Before Lucia could answer, Sebas chuckled and pointed toward the sky.
“Because Awakened at the Sage rank and above aren’t restricted. Instead, they are directly monitored by the beings above.”
“It’s just as Sebas says,” Lucia said with a smile and a nod.
Immediately after, she stroked the brand-new [Storage Bracelet] on her wrist and looked at Lucoco with a beaming smile.
“Coco, there’s also a voucher for you.”
“Huh?”
Lucoco’s small hand was just about to tickle Su Yue’s waist, but she froze in mid-air upon hearing the news.
“There’s something for me too?”
“It’s finally here!”
Du Lin, who had been dazing off, suddenly perked up and looked at Lucia.
“Of course. Our Coco is a Saint, after all.”
Lucia took out two items and placed them in Lucoco’s arms, affectionately rubbing her cheek.
“Read the letter first…”
It was a voucher unlike the others, inlaid with brilliant crystals, accompanied by a letter.
Lucoco obediently chose to open the letter first.
—
Letter:
Respected Saint, greetings.
We respect your will and your path, and we have no intention of forcing you to do anything.
Please allow me to express my heartfelt admiration: becoming a [Saint] at such a young age while possessing a Half-Demon body is a blessing from the Goddess of Life.
This is unprecedented in history.
Your talent is far too dazzling.
Because of your appearance, the major empires have already been shaken, even driven to frenzy.
At the same time, the rats in the shadows have launched a series of operations, wishing to strangle you—a person who might one day surpass Saint Alicia.
Your journey is destined to be arduous.
Please, protect yourself well.
We have crafted an item for you that can block Appraisal Art and detection below SSS-rank.
Perhaps it can offer some assistance.
Additionally, there are ten instant-cast warp scrolls that ignore shielding.
There is also a White Crystal Card accepted by all empires.
Please forgive us, as Black and Purple Crystals are far too conspicuous.
Finally, thirty crystal coins for your journey’s expenses.
The following are messages from the other old folks.
—Oseran, Dean of the [Atlanmagic Academy]
Respected Saint, your talent is like the most dazzling star in the night sky, illuminating the endless possibilities of magic.
The gates of Atlanmagic Academy will always be open to you.
A small gift: a specially made Academy robe.
—Leglise, Great Archbishop of the [Dusk-Dawn Order]
Saint, the favor of the Goddess of Life is a glory and the hope of the Church.
The Dusk-Dawn Order is willing to welcome your arrival with the most devout heart.
Please accept this Seed of Purification.
—Relgar, Captain of the [Roston Dragon Knights]
Little Saintess, I heard you dared to take on an Assassin legion all by yourself.
You’ve got guts!
The Dragon Knights like tough characters like you!
Why not join us?
You’ll have a group of comrades who will never back down!
We don’t care for fancy etiquette here—when you come, we’ll drink and fight together!
If you win, I’ll give you the strongest wyvern we have!
—Carlos, President of the [Mithril Chamber of Commerce]
Dear Miss Saint, your radiance makes even crystal coins lose their luster!
A journey should be beautiful, so why not stop by the Mithril Chamber of Commerce?
Wealth, resources, intelligence, or perhaps some “less than reputable” trinkets—we can provide them all!
—Code Name: Dark Kite, of the [Shadow Society]
Saint, though light is dazzling, shadows have their own charm.
Your Half-Demon body is destined to be extraordinary, so why not explore the Shadow Society?
We don’t ask about origins, only strength.
There are no tedious rules here, only endless possibilities.
If you wish, you could even topple an empire.
Don’t believe all the sweet talk from those old geezers; their schemes aren’t even as tasty as the skewers at our night market!
Finally, I offer you a dagger.
You’ll like it.
…
Various messages like these filled two whole sheets of paper.
‘Is this still Estella? Didn’t they use to say being a Saint was hard work? Was the official info a lie?’
After reading the messages, Lucoco’s face was filled with confusion.
It was mainly because there was too much freedom, and the benefits were a bit overboard.
Perhaps her brain had truly short-circuited, because she looked down at the two girls using her lap as a pillow and asked, “Do I smell good?”
“Yes!”
Su Yue nuzzled her head vigorously.
“Like milk!”
Du Lin lay flat, took a deep breath, and reached out for the letter.
“Let us see!”
“Oh…”
Lucoco handed her the letter, still looking dazed.
“Coco, give me the bracelet for a moment.”
Lucia shook her head helplessly and slid the bracelet off Lucoco’s wrist.
“Okay.”
Lucoco obediently handed it over, then propped herself up with her hands behind her back, gazing at the starry sky outside.
Maybe she still hadn’t processed it, or maybe she was screaming wildly in her heart, ‘Lick away! Hahahaha!’
Su Yue and Du Lin put their heads together, clicking their tongues in wonder as they read the letter’s contents.
Even Sebas leaned in curiously to watch.
Su Yue: (Shocked) “Look, thirty crystal coins! Du Lin!”
Du Lin: (Exhaling a long breath in admiration) “What a massive sum. Poor folks like us would have to work for who knows how many years.”
Sebas rubbed his chin.
“The Dragon Knights’ wyverns are actually quite good. They have the right amount of fat and the meat is tender. You should check it out.”
“These invitations are their way of showing sincerity, but Coco, you must choose your own path.”
Lucia stuffed all the items mentioned in the letter into the bracelet and put it back on Lucoco’s wrist.
Lucoco finally snapped out of it.
She rubbed the bracelet, gave a quiet “mm,” and then opened the crystal-inlaid voucher.
***
[Saint] Lucoco.
Holding this voucher allows you to move freely in all areas and use any facility of the Church of Life.
You may also mobilize the forces of the Order at the Priest level and below without needing to apply.
—Yggdrasil, Goddess of Life
***
When she saw the signature at the end, Lucoco’s hand shook so hard she almost dropped the voucher into the hearth fire.
She scrambled to catch it and shoved it directly into her Player Bag.
This thing was definitely not something she could let others see casually.
Seeing Lucoco so nervous, Du Lin rolled over and scrambled up, leaning in sneakily.
“Coco… let big sister have a look?”
“It’s better if you don’t, Sister.”
Lucoco’s breathing was rapid, and she hadn’t calmed down yet.
Seeing how curious Du Lin was, she unconsciously flashed a mysterious smile.
“Hiss… Now I’m even more curious! Hurry up and let me see!”
Du Lin threw an arm around her shoulder and rubbed her face against hers.
“Don’t regret it,” Lucoco said, narrowing her eyes.
Du Lin was so curious she felt like she was being scratched by a thousand claws.
“Hurry! I can’t wait anymore!”
“Don’t let anyone else see.”
She actually pulled the voucher out again.
“Okay!”
Du Lin snatched it, hid in a corner, and carefully opened it.
“I want to see too!”
Su Yue rolled across the ground and darted over.
Sebas moved like a flash, grabbing Lucia and Lucoco and disappearing instantly.
In the next second…
*Ah!!!! My eyes!!!*
Like a million-lumen searchlight, a blinding radiance erupted from inside the blacksmith shop, illuminating the night sky.
As the light faded, two charred, humanoid objects rolled onto the ground, puffs of green smoke rising from their mouths.
“Sigh.”
Lucoco shook her head, walked back into the blacksmith shop, and picked up the voucher from the floor.
Then, she began to cast her heals…