NOVPUBHesintos looked at Ryan and said seriously.
In his clear eyes, it seemed as though the entire sky was mirrored—deep and lucid, carrying an indescribable determination and confidence.
He was both dissuading Ryan and informing him. If Ryan still intended to embarrass the professors of Saint Kray Temple, igniting conflicts within the empire, then Hesintos would be sure to stand in Ryan's way.
"..."
The Ninth Army God, Purple Crystal Ryan, knew that the appearance of Hesintos essentially signaled the end of this dispute.
"Hesintos, why did you become the War God?"
Ryan pondered for a moment and suddenly posed an unexpected question.
It was as if Ryan had always harbored confusion about Hesintos's actions.
"You saw me being reprimanded by Holy Bardo earlier, didn't you? He asked me the same question."
Hesintos clearly didn't understand why Ryan was asking him this.
"It's not the first time you've been scolded for your decisions, and you're far from decisive."
Ryan directly criticized him.
In his view, even allowing the Tenth Army God, Red Tourmaline Julius—a reckless fighter full of ambition—to act as commander would feel more like a true War God than Hesintos.
"... What? Could this be a test from Holy Bardo? Oh, or is he just looking for an excuse to dismiss me!"
Hesintos stared at Ryan with a startled expression, suddenly seeming to grasp something.
"No."
Ryan's face subtly shifted, and he shook his head.
He found conversing with Hesintos quite frustrating.
Even when he intended to mock Hesintos, there was no sign that Hesintos acknowledged the insult.
"I can't be bothered to waste energy arguing with you. To be fair, besides your personality, your strength is indeed undeniable."
Ryan raised his hand slightly, deciding to let go of his contention with Professor Landry for today. He'd pretend they hadn't met.
"Haha, thank you for the praise."
Hesintos clapped and laughed, showing gratitude that Ryan was willing to grant him this courtesy.
"..."
As Ryan watched Hesintos blissfully thank him without catching the deeper meaning, he remained silent for a moment,
"Forget it, it's pointless talking to you. If I were strong enough to defeat you, I'd certainly challenge you like Julius. Unfortunately, unlike Julius, I have a clear understanding of my own strength."
Ryan had no intention of continuing the discussion with Hesintos and glanced toward the banquet hall's exit to prepare to leave.
"It's fine. It's my fault; I've been too unreliable, haha..."
Seeing his opponent's exasperated gaze, Hesintos laughed cheerfully.
After exchanging a few more words, Hesintos bid farewell to Ryan and turned back to signal that Professor Landry and the others were now free of trouble.
The blue-and-white coat draped over Hesintos's tall figure, its silver embroidery flowing like shimmering water. His trousers, stitched with black-and-white sections, stood in stark contrast to the attire of the other guests present.
"Thank you, Lord Hesintos."
Ursula and Elsa quickly bowed and expressed their gratitude.
Lanci also gave a slight bow in acknowledgment.
"A minor matter."
The First Army God Hesintos glanced toward the distant second-floor corridor, where the concealed figure of High Priest Violet had retreated,
"Even if I hadn't acted, Violet wouldn't have stood idly by. Sigh, just imagining the way the two of them argue actually terrifies me."
He explained to the group.
"Was Headmaster Violet upstairs earlier?"
Nyla asked Hesintos.
"Of course, she came with me. If I hadn't stepped in, she would've. Violet would never yield to Ryan."
Hesintos spoke with evident exasperation.
"Ah, so that's it."
Nyla's gaze followed towards the second floor.
As Headmaster Violet's secretary, Nyla was deeply familiar with the friendship between Sea First Military God Hesintos and Sixth Military God Violet. They had been friends for many years, both emerging from the same orphanage, and no one had expected them to become the empire's hero and High Priest respectively.
"Enjoy the festival! Forget about the troubles from earlier!"
Not wanting to linger further, Hesintos waved at the group and wished them well.
"Goodbye."
"Thank you for your help today, Mr. Hesintos."
"Hmm~"
Hesintos hummed a tune as he strolled away in another direction, disappearing into the crowd.
The surrounding nobles who had been watching gradually dispersed. The flow of people resumed, no longer restricted to one spot—lingering here would be neither polite nor entertaining anymore.
The one thing they hadn't anticipated was that Hesintos would be the one to resolve the matter. Fortunately, the First Army God Hesintos had been present today.
"Lord Hesintos has always been like this."
Secretary Nyla explained to the still somewhat dazed Elsa and Ursula, as it seemed to be their first close encounter with the legendary First Army God Hesintos.
"Overall, he's an approachable person, yet his strength is unparalleled, which is why everyone trusts him."
She explained to the three.
"Indeed, very powerful."
Lanci nodded in agreement.
"Oh? Professor Landry, you could actually sense that?"
Ursula asked Lanci with curiosity.
At that moment, her expression seemed to brighten as if the storm had passed, returning to her usual carefree demeanor.
A near-disaster had instead left her unexpectedly refreshed, or perhaps seeing things firsthand had made her come to terms with reality.
Recognizing that her brother was under Mind Control, she no longer dwelled in lucky illusions or past memories.
At least she had Professor Landry to support her.
In him, she rediscovered a long-lost sentiment she had once only felt in Marquis Ryan. 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
