Meanwhile…
Lilith and Diana were much quieter.
The two sat opposite each other on either side of the bath, silent for a long time.
In the misty rose-scented steam, Lilith leaned lazily against the edge of the tub, her raven-black hair soaked in the spring water, the ends spreading like ink on the surface of the water.
Diana had her silver-grey hair tied into a bun, her eyes complex, her thoughts myriad…
Water droplets slid down her slender swan-like neck, tracing crystalline paths on her snow-white skin;
When she looked up, her ice-blue pupils reflected the moonlight refracted by the dome's glazed tiles, as if containing the frost of the far north.
Closing her eyes, she would recall Mil’s resolute gaze when he faced the group of werewolves in Ice Lake Prison.
Perhaps, if she hadn't been so stubborn back then, Mil wouldn't have gone down such an extreme path:
“Miss Lilith, do you truly like Mil?”
Lilith chuckled, raising her chin, her water-beaded eyelashes trembling slightly, her earrings flickering in the rising steam:
“Whether I like him or not, I’m going to marry him. What, Your Highness Diana, do you regret it?”
“I just feel a bit sorry for him.”
“Heh…”
Lilith sneered, then suddenly stood up with a splash, water droplets rolling down her graceful waist, leaving glistening trails on her honey-colored skin;
She really wanted to laugh deep down…
Especially when she remembered Diana defending Mil’s plan tonight, she felt that the six members of Iron Lily had truly lost unfairly.
From the mouth of the unicorn relief on the wall, hot springs gushed forth. Diana looked up, her eyes filled with worry and sadness:
“Miss Lilith, you know about Mil using Black Magic, right?”
“Yes. It’s not that I didn’t try to persuade him, but unfortunately, it was a bit late.”
“The price of betraying the abyss is very severe, and I don’t want him to end up like that. Moreover, this is the Holy City; once exposed, his fate will be even more tragic.”
Looking at Diana’s serious expression, Lilith felt both amused and a little helpless:
“Everyone has their own destiny. From the moment you are born, your background, bloodline, and gender are already determined. As for Mil going down this path, that was his own choice.”
“It’s not fair to him.”
“Fairness? All fairness in the world is man-made. And some people simply don’t have the chance to change their own destiny…”
Lilith sneered self-mockingly, then got up and left the bath.
Outside the bath, Mil and Fafner had already come out. Mil stood with his arms crossed, looking very displeased;
Fafner sat to the side with his head down, a palm print on his face.
Lilith frowned, puzzled:
“What happened?”
“My hand slipped.”
Mil’s tone was perfunctory. Lilith didn't ask further:
“Alright… it’s getting late. Hurry up and send him back.”
…
Two hours later…
The golden morning sun spread across the rooftops of the Holy City, gathering into dazzling points of light on the holy symbols atop Saint Bahari Cathedral.
The stained-glass windows of the Cathedral split the dawn light into colorful patches, and the agate-inlaid holy emblem shimmered with golden light in the morning glow.
As Mil dragged his weary body through the archway, flocks of pigeons startled and flew past the bronze holy bell, their jingling breaking the stagnant air of the Tribunal.
The people of the Tribunal, who also hadn't slept all night, erupted in thunderous applause upon Mil’s arrival…
Mil had expected such a scene, but it was still a bit difficult to adapt to.
“Mil, that was truly magnificent! How did you guess that the Iron Lily Squad was the mastermind?”
“As expected of Mil! With just a few clues, he can deduce the cause and effect of the entire incident! He is simply the savior of the Holy City!”
“No wonder he was able to wipe out all the demons in the Holy City by himself! It’s truly convincing!”
Because they acted relatively early, except for the fifth-order paladin, everyone else hadn't had their souls transferred yet…
All were rescued.
For some reason, the more these people praised him, the more uncomfortable Mil felt…
Fortunately, this time, compared to before, the final result was successful. Although this Goblin wasn't that strong, he could still hold his own as a production team leader in the future.
Moreover, this achievement could, to some extent, raise his status in the Tribunal, providing an environment for his infiltration of the Holy City.
Things were looking up!
However, amidst the cheers, Adjudicator Kramer suddenly stood up, slammed the table, and exclaimed to everyone:
“Unfortunately… that Black Magician, Aserville, has not been caught yet. He must have an ulterior motive for doing such cruel things!”
As he spoke, his resolute gaze, filled with hope, turned to Mil:
“This person is extremely cunning, and his strength is definitely more than that of a fifth-order magician! Mil, I entrust the plan to capture Aserville to you!”
Upon hearing this, Mil sneered disdainfully:
“Heh… just wait.”
He rolled his eyes, hidden by the shadows, his back teeth grinding audibly.
“Mm! We believe in you!”
Klama spoke with conviction, and the crowd behind him applauded:
“Did you see Mil’s expression just now? He doesn’t put that Aserville in his eyes at all!”
Mil really couldn't listen anymore…
All they talked about was protecting the Holy City, being the bane of demons, or being favored by the main god…
It was too unpleasant to hear.
Seeing that it was about time, Mil made his escape under the pretext of going to school.
Next, he had to start preparing for the Tian Geng Beyond dream trial…
To improve the quality of Fafner’s dragon heart in a short time, the enlightenment fruit was still very important.
But every time he thought of Fafner, Mil got angry. The bite mark that brat left on his shoulder last night still hadn’t faded…
He said the bathroom was too stuffy, and his mind wasn't clear?
…
Meanwhile…
The funeral bells of Lainier Village startled the jackdaws, and wisteria climbed the mottled stone walls of the church. The villagers were preparing to bury the victims.
Diana led her white horse through the muddy graveyard, the night dew condensed on her armor reflecting the pale morning light.
Mr. Machilo’s body had also been brought back by the church people;
The church was filled with weeping…
These people weren't dead; their souls resided within the demonic creatures, but they had completely lost their sanity.
Exorcists in coarse hemp cloaks raised holy water, bringing them their final peace…
Whenever a demonic creature closed its eyes, the wails of family members would erupt, but they didn't know which of these creatures was their loved one?
A little boy rushed out of the crowd, hugging the Exorcist’s leg, crying out, “Mommy is still alive!” begging the Exorcist not to act…
The ghoul, restrained by chains, suddenly trembled violently, seemingly raising its head, its cloudy eyes turning towards the source of the crying, with a hint of crystal at the corner of its eye.
The Exorcist stopped, picked up the boy, and had a companion go forward to examine him…
But it was still very regrettable, not everyone could possess a will like Machilo’s.
In a corner away from the crowd, a fully armored dwarf swordsman silently watched everything;
Diana walked towards him and said:
“Are you… Mr. Machilo?”
The dwarf swordsman was startled, carrying a suit of armor, he laboriously raised his head, saw Diana’s face, and quickly knelt on one knee, giving a bow.
But he didn't dare to speak, only made two gestures, then pulled out a letter…
Diana took the letter, opened it, read it, and smiled faintly:
“I understand, I will give it to Mil for you! He will surely be relieved when he reads it!”
Originally, Machilo had intended to give this letter to Mil personally, but since he met Diana, there was no need to wait any longer;
The “dwarf” bowed again, then embarked on his journey.
The content of the letter was not complicated; it roughly stated that Machilo was deeply moved to see Mil, as a Black Magician, still diligently striving to protect the Holy City with all his might;
Thus, he was deeply touched and wanted to inherit his spirit, traveling everywhere to protect the peace of this world.
And so, a Goblin Gold Swordsman became active on the stage of Atla Continent.
