As Anlis entered the door, she heard a gentle voice.
“Anlis, where were you last night? Why did your awakening take so long? Did you encounter any danger? Your father went into town to look for you last night and hasn’t returned yet.”
Anlis’s mother, Lisna, looked gentle, her brow furrowed with deep, lingering concern.
In this world, everyone can awaken a Class at 18.
Predestined Classes can be changed, but one gains divine bonuses corresponding to the original one.
For instance, if one’s predestined Class is [Farmer], and one does not change it to something like [Merchant] for the sake of survival, one will be more adept at farming than other Classes and will harvest more crops.
Awakening a Class is a very quick affair; one merely needs to touch an Awakening Stone to see their class displayed on it.
Logically, it should not have taken an entire day and night.
“Well, I… I did encounter some danger, but fortunately, a kind nun saved me. By the time I woke up, it was already very late, so I had to stay the night.”
Anlis smiled apologetically and scratched her head.
She was lying.
She couldn’t exactly tell her mother that she had encountered a Corrupt Monarch, and that the Demon King was currently masquerading as a nun right behind her, could she?
“Danger? Let me see, are you hurt?”
Lisna immediately stepped forward, grabbing Anlis’s hands tightly, her eyes scanning her daughter anxiously.
“I’m fine, Mom, it just delayed me a bit.”
“That is correct, I can vouch for Miss Anlis.”
Just then, Vylian stepped into the room, her nun’s habit immaculate, radiating a pristine and holy aura that immediately caught Lisna’s eye.
“I am Vylian, a nun of the Holy Order. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
Seeing a nun standing at the doorway with such a dignified air, Lisna, Anlis’s mother, was largely convinced.
“Oh, Sister Vylian, thank you so much. My daughter has been a burden to you.”
“Think nothing of it, for the Hero, this is all part of my duty.” Vylian gently patted her chest.
“Hero?”
Lisna froze, turning to look at Anlis with bewilderment, her eyes full of shock.
Anlis felt a wave of insecurity, her fingers twisting nervously as she whispered, “The Class I awakened yesterday… is Hero.”
She had intended to tell her family slowly later, not expecting Vylian to blurt it out in front of everyone.
“Mother, please don’t tell anyone about this, I… I don’t want to attract too much attention.”
“But…” Having received confirmation, Lisna was both surprised and delighted. The corners of her mouth lifted before her expression faltered.
“I understand. I will keep it a secret. You decide when we tell everyone else.”
“Okay.”
Lisna now understood why this nun was following Anlis. She assumed the Holy Order must have learned of her daughter’s status as a Hero and specifically sent a nun to assist her.
After all, the priests in Hero parties often came from the Holy Order. With such a dignified and holy appearance, she might even be a Saint.
“So, when you encountered danger, were you fighting the Demon King’s subordinates?”
“Uh-huh…”
Anlis scuffed her feet, lacking confidence, and nodded slightly, her cheeks flushed with heat.
“My Anlis is truly accomplished. You must have defeated the enemy in spectacular fashion. You are destined to become a great figure who saves the world.”
“Mother!”
Her face turned bright red.
To Lisna, Anlis was just being shy about being praised for her achievements.
She sighed softly, her tone carrying a hint of melancholy.
“Sigh, though being a Hero is an immense honor, I would have preferred it if your Class were more ordinary, so you could live a safe and peaceful life forever.”
Lisna seemed lost in thought, a faint shadow of worry on her face before it finally gave way to a smile. “Wait until your father returns to tell him this news yourself. He will be so proud of you.”
“Yes.”
Anlis nodded solemnly, but her peripheral vision inadvertently caught Vylian, and she felt insecure again.
With the Corrupt Monarch by her side, she found it impossible to accept these words of encouragement with a clear conscience.
She hadn’t wanted to bring Vylian home, but she had no choice.
In this situation, who knew if the hateful, perverted, loli Demon King would have a reaction to these comments.
“Well, since you’ve returned safely, my heart is at ease. To celebrate your successful awakening, I shall make an exception and go buy some fancy ingredients.”
“Yay! A feast!”
Upon hearing this, a childish cheer came from nearby.
Anli hopped over, her eyes shining like stars.
“You little girl, who taught you to talk like that?”
Anlis, feeling a surge of irritation, reached out to grab her, but Anli dodged nimbly. Seeing she was about to be caught, she suddenly turned and threw herself at Vylian, clinging tightly to her arm.
The 8-year-old girl was only one head shorter than Vylian, and the two stood together like sisters of similar age.
“Sister-in-law, save me! My sister is going to hit me!”
“Cough!”
Vylian, who had been watching the show, nearly choked on her own saliva.
Anlis paused, her face twitching, not daring to look at Vylian.
Seeing her sister, she felt her nerves tighten again, barely maintaining a normal expression to hide her panic.
She was genuinely terrified that the Demon King would be petty enough to punish her little sister.
Vylian quickly regained her composure, a gentle smile still on her face as she reached out to stroke Anli’s head.
“Little one, you shouldn’t say things like that. I am just your sister’s companion. Besides, your sister is a girl, so the title ‘sister-in-law’ doesn’t fit at all.”
“Mmm~ It must be! If sister doesn’t find a sister-in-law, how can I be close friends with little Shelley!”
“Haha~”
Lisna, Anlis’s mother, laughed in annoyance as she walked over and picked Anli up by the scruff of her neck.
“You really will do anything to get what you want. Sister Vylian, I am so sorry for the trouble.”
“Hey!! Help me!”
Before Vylian could say a word, Anli was carried away by Lisna, clearly destined for a lecture.
“Child, children say the darndest things. Miss Vylian, please don’t take it to heart.”
Anlis rushed forward to explain, “My sister has a good friend, and after playing house too much, my parents told her she could only get closer to her once I found a girlfriend.”
“Of course, it was just something to tell a kid, thinking she’d forget in a few days. Who knew she’d be so persistent.”
“It’s normal for children to be energetic. However, I’m truly envious of your loving family.”
The sentence sounded like a veiled threat to Anlis, but upon reflection, since she hadn’t exposed her identity, the other party likely didn’t mean anything by it.
Vylian’s expression turned complex. Her parents had passed away when she was very young, and those years, she lived off charity until she transmigrated to this world and became the Corrupt Monarch.
Anlis could clearly perceive a hint of sadness emanating from Vylian. She opened her mouth, wanting to offer some words of comfort, but didn’t know how to start.
She stood there frozen, and the atmosphere grew stagnant.
Vylian quickly cleared her emotions, putting back on her gentle smile to break the silence.
“Well, Miss Anlis, I heard your mother say that your father has been gone all night searching for you. Shouldn’t you go back into town to look for him?”
“That is…”
Communication in this world was poor, and she worried that rushing into the city blindly would cause her to miss her father.
However, leaving a note and heading out to search didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
“You’re right, but…”
Anlis wanted to say something else, but Vylian interrupted her.
“Well, Miss Anlis, the main thing is that you didn’t mask your energy when you awakened your aptitude. While it won’t spread too far, someone in that area is bound to know. If any of the Demon King’s minions were to find out… your father might shout your name while searching for you.”
Hearing Vylian put it that way, Anlis’s expression changed drastically.
“So, it would be best to remain vigilant.”