NOVPUBOn the far northwestern part of the Northern Continent.
The northern part of the Aestheland Kingdom.
Sunlight pierces through the dense canopy, dancing with the golden dust scattered in the air, casting a soft glow on the forest in the early morning. As the morning fog slowly dissipates, this city-state gradually awakens.
Capital Gedalia and the surrounding fairy-tale forest and lakes are deeply integrated. Whether it’s architectural style, city planning, or the lifestyle of the residents, they all maintain a harmonious relationship with nature, preserving natural features while reflecting the wisdom of modern craftsmanship.
People on the streets are starting their busyness. Some messengers riding huge bird mounts rush past, their light armor gleaming in the sunlight.
Water flows in wooden waterways, coursing in every corner of the city, nourishing this land.
In this giant kingdom, tolerance thrives. Along the way, one could see residents with drastically different racial features, yet they don’t feel surprised at each other.
Aestheland is, after all, a federal kingdom composed of multiple autonomous races, which decides their culture stands in stark contrast to the relationship with the Protoss Empire.
Even though they are not as advanced as Protoss in Magical Engineering, they are quite formidable in pure Magic and martial arts due to the incredibly deep inheritance and diversity of Magic text. It is one of the few powerful nations in the Northern Continent that can directly withstand the Protoss Empire.
In the depths of this city, next to a clear lake surrounded by forests, stands a towering temple.
Suddenly, a faint shaking sound came from the quiet sky above the temple. Following closely behind was a low humming sound, and as the sound gradually amplified, a medium-sized passenger dragon slowly descended from the sky. Its wings fluttered, stirring up the fallen leaves and dust on the ground.
Finally, the dragon stopped steadily in front of the temple, from where a few figures jumped down.
The Priest at the forefront has a spotlessly white robe, with golden lines embroidered at the edges. He walked in front leading the way.
Behind him followed an Executioner in heavy armor with a red cloak and a Paladin shining in a full set of silver-white armor.
The three of them clearly held high positions in the Church, and passing clergy greeted them, all showing utmost respect to the last guest figure.
"Miss Hyperion, we are taking you to meet Lady Saint."
The Priest said respectfully.
"..."
Hyperion looked at the temple with a complicated expression.
At this moment, she had already shed her disguise and returned to her original silver-haired amber-eye appearance.
"Ah, alright."
Hyperion sighed and followed the three familiar figures into the magnificent temple.
As for why she ended up together with the three of them upon her arrival on the Northern Continent, it all started with the shipwreck.
Hyperion would never have guessed that her and Lanci’s journey to the Northern Continent would be wildly off course. She ended up drifting to the disaster zone, had to bypass that area, and then directly arrived on the border of the Aestheland Kingdom.
At first, she was suspected of being a smuggler or spy from the Protoss Empire by the local residents. Fortunately, her escape ability was strong, and she quickly got rid of the guards.
Then she learned about the odd version of the Northern Continent at the moment, and she found that as a person without an identity, she could hardly move in the Aestheland Kingdom.
So she just went straight to the temple of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny on the border city-state, asking to meet the three of them.
The three had become quite famous in the Aestheland Kingdom at this point. It seemed that after the Shadow World incident, they not only advanced to the Sixth Order but also became the main force of the clergy to clean up the heretical movements within the kingdom.
With the help of the border city-state church’s priest, the three rushed to the border town overnight after hearing that the close friend of the mind guide from the South Continent had arrived.
After finding Hyperion, they invited her to the temple of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny in the Royal Capital of Aestheland.
Aside from helping her with the official identity in the Royal Capital of Aestheland, there was also an order from the Saintess.
The Saintess wanted to meet this half-demon.
"By the way, Lady Saint, why do you want to meet me?"
Walking in the temple, Hyperion asked with some apprehension.
The echoing footsteps in the vast hall roused her anxiety.
She was continually worried whether Lanci had committed too serious a sin... Whether the Saintess was seeking her to settle a heavy score...
"Rest assured, the Lady Saint only learned that you are a silver-haired, amber-eyed half-demon, and informed us to bring you to her."
The priest spoke in his normal gentle manner.
"That’s a relief."
Looking at the trio now, Hyperion felt they had returned to normal, a symptom of Lanci’s late-stage condition–disconcertingly, they appeared to have recovered.
As long as it wasn’t about taking a fall for Lanci it would be fine, she honestly couldn’t shoulder such a heavy responsibility.
She also had no idea how Lanci, the root cause of everything, was faring.
Hyperion worried all day.
The Great Love Poet comforted her, saying that Lanci would definitely be alright, after all, if Lanci died, the Great Love Poet would also cease to exist.
With the Great Love Poet within her, she could always find Lanci. He would react to Lanci’s presence once within a certain distance, but if Lanci was currently within the Protoss Empire’s territory, she wasn’t sure how she would infiltrate the boundaries.
The four journeyed through the solemn space within the temple. Splashes of light occasionally dappled the surroundings, beaming in through the variegated glass dome, creating splendid shadows.
The towering stone pillars lining the hall were adorned with exquisite reliefs, each sharing its old story.
Finally, they arrived at a massive gate deep within the temple.
The gate seemed to be interwoven with pure white jade and deep grey stone, carrying a refreshing aura even before stepping inside.
The guard at the gate saluted the clergy and Hyperion, then knocked on the stone door.
"Lady Saint, Miss Hyperion is here."
"Come in."
A soft frosty voice drifted from within.
Hyperion soon bid the three priests temporary goodbye and pushed open the rather heavy door.
The tall and wide hall before her appeared like an exquisite private library, surrounded by canonical texts of the Church.
In the center, on a couch in the meeting area, sat a white-haired, silver-eyed female.
Her face was as impeccable as a sculpture, posing with the elegance of an elf bathed in moonlight. Only her breath proved that she was not a perfect artwork, but a living being.
To Hyperion’s great surprise, she was not camouflaged. Even though some might be unsure of the Saintess’s race, Hyperion recognized at first glance-
The Saintess was also a half-demon. There were no horns on her head, the only demonic feature was a slightly sharp ear tip.
However, Hyperion had never seen such a beautiful demon. Rather than calling her a demon, she could be defined as a pure snow elf.
"Many years ago, before I became the Saintess of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny, people used to call me the Bingxue Witch, once a member of the Great Demon Clan."
It seemed like she had recognized Hyperion’s bewilderment, she spoke lightly.
Despite her gaze containing arrogance and indifference, resulting in physically drawing away from her, it also carried deep warmth that temporarily drew Hyperion in.
"Lady Saint, may I ask why you summoned me?"
Hyperion asked straightforwardly, as long as it didn’t involve Lanci, it was okay.
"Before that, I have a question."
The Bingxue Witch gazed at Hyperion,
"What is your relationship with Isatia, or Talia?"
