“You… don’t really seem like a despicable person. With your abilities, why not serve the palace? I believe you’ve seen the current situation in the country. Your employer probably doesn’t stand much of a chance, hence the frequent dispatch of assassins.”

 

While stabilizing the mysterious girl in front of her with words, Lilya slowly stepped back, maintaining a seemingly relaxed posture that was, in reality, ready for combat at any moment.

 

“In that case, the palace can overlook your past actions and spare you for trespassing.”

 

“Pfft.”

 

The black-haired girl, draped in a white robe, seemed to find something particularly amusing. She suddenly couldn’t help but burst into laughter, with a posture full of flaws, appearing completely unconcerned or vigilant in front of Lilya, the intended assassination target.

 

What on earth is this person here for?

 

The princess became increasingly puzzled.

 

“Hahaha… why are you even trying to persuade me now? Who in their right mind would do that at a time like this… Whoa!”

 

The girl was interrupted mid-sentence as the bedroom door suddenly burst open. Sharp arrows, surrounded by crimson flames, shot in from outside, heading straight for the peculiar assassin’s head!

 

The black-haired girl was startled, but her reaction was not as panicky as her words suggested. She casually retracted the red staff, and almost nonchalantly used her hand to swat away the formidable arrow that a legendary expert had carefully aimed at her.

 

“What’s the deal, always popping up out of nowhere to scare people? And that arrow just now, were you planning to kill me? This is the second time, Miss Flora. You always act so casually, you might end up in big trouble in the future. Not everyone is as kind as I am~”

 

The girl tilted her head, looking at the red-haired ranger who had appeared beside the princess like a phantom, a half-smile on her face. However, Flora paid no attention to her strange words, her expression cold and focused. Another arrow, gleaming with a chilling light, was already poised on her short bow.

 

“Protect the princess!”

 

With a rush, a dozen shadow guards burst into the room, surrounding the uninvited guest. Leading them was Emily, the deputy leader under Lilya’s command.

 

These shadow guards were the elite warriors guarding the princess personally, each possessing at least the strength of a high-tier Earth-level warrior. Although their numbers were not large, their exceptional teamwork, combined with the rumored legendary expert Miss Flora and the skills of Princess Lilya herself, would likely make short work of any legendary opponent.

 

“Are you alright, Your Highness?”

 

In the presence of outsiders, Flora naturally wouldn’t directly address the princess by her name, maintaining the appearance of hierarchy.

 

“It’s okay. This person… seems to lack strong hostility and hasn’t made a substantive move against me. It’s a bit strange.”

 

“No, she’s powerful, ridiculously powerful. Don’t let your guard down, Your Highness. Call that old mouse over here too.”

 

Flora stared intently at the black-haired girl in front of her, her eyes narrowed slightly.

 

To effortlessly catch the first fiery arrow she shot with bare hands wasn’t something an ordinary legendary expert could do. The person before them might be beyond the level of a mere legend. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be something that could be dealt with just by combining legendary, Earth, Sky, and Heaven-level forces. The more firepower, the better.

 

But where did this unfamiliar strong individual come from in the capital?

 

“Okay, I’ll just…”

 

“Hey, wait, wait, wait! Alright, no more acting. Let’s come clean, it’s me.”

 

Seeing that Lilya was genuinely considering calling for reinforcements, and with Flora and the shadow guards ready to take action, the black-haired girl, who had been putting on a fierce expression, couldn’t hold it any longer. She quickly waved her hands, pressed them against her face, and removed a seemingly completely transparent mask.

 

Everyone was stunned.

 

“Vi, Violet?”

 

The princess blinked, a mixture of joy and suspicion on her face, looking completely puzzled.

 

Although the person in front of them had the same appearance, figure, hair color, and attire, in Lilya’s perception, she suddenly understood the other’s identity. Why did a stranger suddenly transform into the one she had been thinking about?

 

No, that’s not it. She has always presented herself in her original appearance. It was herself who failed to connect this appearance with the corresponding identity.

 

Was it… the effect of that mask?

 

This mysterious and unpredictable method, indeed, was characteristic of Violet.

 

However…

 

“Is it really you, Violet? I apologize for what just happened. I couldn’t be sure immediately, but if it’s you, you should know quite a few secrets between us, right?”

 

Seeing the princess’s restrained yet eager attempt to get closer, the priestess couldn’t help but smile slightly as if she had found something amusing. After a moment of thought, she casually mentioned, “Hmm… the 【Casket of Ascension】 I gave you earlier, make sure to keep wearing it. The strengthening effect is probably already at its limit. Also, the ‘buff’ it provides, Lilya, you shouldn’t rely too much on it. It’s not absolute invincibility, there’s a limit to what it can endure. Based on my experience, a full-powered strike from a pseudo-god should be able to break through.”

 

“Also, you should return the glasses you borrowed from me earlier. It’s been quite some time, you should have finished reading the contents by now. I didn’t say you could keep them, you know~”

 

In front of the shadow guards, Violet didn’t mention the more confidential skills of the 【Illusion World】 system and the artifact “Simulated Kabbalah Tree of Life,” but even this level of information was enough to confirm her identity.

 

After all, there were many things that not even Flora was fully aware of, let alone someone unfamiliar.

 

“It really is…!”

 

A clear excitement and relief flashed in the princess’s eyes, but fortunately, she knew to be discreet. She waved her hand, signaling the shadow guards to stand down.

 

Once the bewildered Emily and her entourage left the room and closed the door, leaving only Lilya and Flora, the princess excitedly threw herself into Violet’s arms, and their chests collided—Lilya’s ample bosom meeting the somewhat flat mound of the priestess. The latter felt a twinge of embarrassment, but the princess buried in her embrace didn’t notice.

 

“Violet, you finally came to see me! I’ve been waiting eagerly for so long. You, on the other hand, had to take a detour after entering the city. Is my attractiveness as a princess not even comparable to those ordinary folks?”

 

Uh, what exactly are ‘ordinary folks’ referring to…

 

“It’s not a big deal, and I figured Lilya would be busy during the day. It wouldn’t be right to disturb you casually. Relax, relax.”

 

Of course, part of the reason was not wanting to get involved in strange troubles, but in front of the princess, someone had to choose their words carefully.

 

“Hmph… Did you just… not hear anything strange just now?”

 

The beautiful girl with sky-blue long hair suddenly blushed, lowered her head, and her voice became a bit hesitant.

 

“Hmm? No, I didn’t hear anything. Did you say something just now?”

 

Violet had actually just stealthily entered Lilya’s bedroom not long ago. As soon as she arrived, she heard Lilya mumbling something about men and women while leaning on the table. Out of curiosity, she revealed herself and asked directly. However, she forgot that she was still wearing the 【Cognitive Obstruction Mask】.

 

“N-nothing! I didn’t say anything!”

 

Lilya seemed relieved but also somewhat disappointed for some reason.

 

“?”

 

“Women’s hearts are truly hard to understand,” the priestess mused to herself.

 

While they were caught in a peculiar awkwardness, Flora, on the other hand, straightforwardly asked without any attempt to be discreet.

 

“What was that technique just now? It’s incredible. I completely failed to link you to Violet, as if some kind of cognition was completely blocked by a special method.”

 

Seemingly confirming a speculation, Flora hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking.

 

“A law?”

 

“Oh, that… It should be, I guess?”

 

Violet casually explained the effects of the 【Cognitive Obstruction Mask】, even though she hadn’t quite figured out what the so-called laws were or how to determine them.

 

In any case, after a few simple greetings, the three friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time gradually became familiar again, sharing their experiences during this period.

 

Lilya and Flora were perhaps the only entities in this world that Violet could have an equal conversation with. After witnessing her power, others behaved with varying degrees of reverence. Violet wasn’t sure why these two could maintain a normal attitude, but it wasn’t a bad thing.

 

The priestess, having once been a human, still needed some friends, if not entirely intimate companions or peers. At the very least, she needed to be able to communicate with Violet in a normal manner.

 

This way, she could maintain some of her past mentality and not completely transform into something else.

 

However, this mode of communication also brought about a problem.

 

“Violet, the upheaval that rose to the sky and destroyed the entire Forgotten Land a while ago, was that your doing? Do you know that the kingdom has gone crazy with rumors lately, and Lilya has been busy dealing with all this mess?”

 

Miss Flora, with a neutral expression, tilted her head, and a few black lines seemed to pop up on her forehead.

 

“I remember, before parting ways at the Wanhe Fortress, I specifically told you not to cause too much commotion, right?”

 

“Oh, well…”

 

The smile on the priestess’s face froze.

 

 

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TL NOTE: Please don't skimp on the stars for the translation - it inspires me and gives me the strength to write more. Thank you~!

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