The sudden impact immediately increased the pressure on the guards of the merchant guild stationed at the exhibit.

They had just managed to suppress the most intense waves of impact and were preparing to cover the 【Bewitching Orb】 with a red cloth and send it to a safer location, when they were once again held back by a group of attackers who seemed almost frenzied.

Although in terms of strength, the well-trained and well-equipped guards of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild were clearly superior, they had their reservations. They did not dare to use lethal force against these high-profile customers.

Additionally, they needed to allocate a considerable portion of their members to maintain order and prevent the sales event from collapsing, which would tarnish the guild’s reputation.

In this situation, the guards were naturally hindered. However, as time passed, they seemed to have gradually recovered from their initial shock, realizing that the situation was far from as simple as it appeared and began to take targeted measures, forming formations to hold their ground while awaiting reinforcements.

After all, this was the main venue of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, the ancient castle of the Bright Light Saintess. As long as they could hold on temporarily and wait for reinforcements and the arrival of truly significant figures, the turmoil would eventually be quelled.

“Why hasn’t Mingli returned yet? Could he really have slipped away by himself again? Where is the President?!”

The voice of dissatisfaction came from the leader of the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s guard team. She was a tall and elegant woman clad in silver-white armor. Unlike ordinary humans and most creatures, her long hair appeared to be composed of golden light, presenting an unusual, almost ethereal quality. Her skin was also notably fairer than usual.

But what was most extraordinary was her pair of eyes, as magnificent as gems. While for others, “gem-like” might merely be a compliment describing their clear eyes, she truly possessed eyes that were almost sculpted from sapphire, an unforgettable sight.

The Lightborn Tribe, a revered and extremely rare mystical race within the Holy Empire.

The origins of the Lightborn Tribe have always been a mystery. Some say they are divine creations sculpted from celestial spirit stones by the Goddess of Light, imbued with life. Others claim they are a hybrid of humans and another unknown species, but no explanation has yet been convincing enough.

Regardless, the excellence of the Lightborn Tribe is widely acknowledged. Though few in number and without a fixed settlement, their members are dispersed throughout the vast territories of the Holy Empire, living their leisurely lives. They naturally possess a profound affinity for light, exceptional magical or martial talents, and a lifespan as long as most mythical beings.

One peculiar aspect is that Lightborn Tribe members never join the temples or study faith-based magic. While they also respect the Goddess of Light, their reverence is seldom expressed verbally as it is among other creatures. In short, they are a mysterious race whose thoughts are hard to decipher.

To be honest, despite hearing many rumors about the Lightborn Tribe, this was the first time Violet had seen a member of this race within the Holy Empire. It was precisely due to the presence of this Lightborn Tribe captain and her extraordinary strength and steady command that the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s guards were able to maintain control over the riotous crowd effectively.

With her exceptionally keen hearing far surpassing that of ordinary people, Violet had already picked up on all the various noises below. Noticing the stalemate near the exhibit, she suddenly had a realization.

“Ming Li is the auctioneer from earlier? Is he also from the Spirit Veil Tribe? Did you inform him in advance to delay the arrival of reinforcements?”

If not for this, Violet couldn’t think of another reason why, despite the massive chaos in the ancient castle of the Bright Light Saintess, which was hosted by the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild, only the internal guards were involved in suppressing the turmoil while external Knights Templars had yet to arrive.

“Heh… Miss Dawn, your sharp insight immediately sees through my setup. Yes, this chaos was indeed part of the plan with Her Highness Yuna. However, if we end it too soon, our goal of drawing out the snake would be difficult to achieve.”

“Drawing out the snake…”

“Hmm, considering the time, it should be about time for them to make an appearance.”

As soon as Mr. Diviner finished speaking, an unexpected anomaly occurred within the once orderly and well-coordinated Spirit Veil Merchant Guild’s guard team!

One of the guards, who was supposed to be protecting the side of the Lightborn Tribe girl with a round shield, suddenly froze. At a certain moment, he staggered and forcefully thrust his short sword towards the girl’s blind spot, aiming directly at her waist and abdomen!

“!?”

However, as a member of the Lightborn Tribe, her reaction speed and bodily coordination were astonishing. Even when attacked from behind, she managed to anticipate the strike and instantly react.

She swiftly twisted her body and used the relatively tough area of her armor to block the sword, though the sudden adjustment caused her to become somewhat unsteady, she was not actually injured.

“Hey! What’s going on here!”

The Lightborn Tribe girl’s angry shout hit the offending guard’s head like a heavy blow. Only then did the guard snap out of his daze, almost instinctively dropping his short sword and shield, and retreating several steps in fear.

“Eh?! No, that’s not it, Lady Amy, I don’t know what happened just now… It wasn’t my intention at all!”

“Damn it! Are you an idiot?! Why would you drop your weapons in the middle of a fight! Tsk…!”

Although she barely avoided the inexplicable backstab from her teammate, the unexpected internal strife caused the guard formation to crumble instantly. Especially the Lightborn Tribe girl, Amy, who was forced to react hastily. Her unbalanced posture and exposed side left her in a perilous situation almost immediately.

Although she barely managed to hold her ground with her impressive abilities, such an excellent opportunity would naturally not be easily missed by those with ulterior motives.

“Hehe, even the descendants of the Lightborn Tribe can be so comically awkward. It’s truly laughable. Since you’re so useless, I’ll just take the treasure for myself~”

A vague, almost imperceptible figure suddenly appeared on the exhibit, accompanied by a fairy-like, enticingly sweet laugh. The figure boldly reached for the treasure, which had been covered by a red cloth again but still emanated a powerful, irresistible charm.

“Tsk, I knew it…! Stop her quickly!”

While Amy barely managed to fend off several simultaneous attacks with her sword, dealing with the foolish, bewitched guards, she shouted loudly to her comrades stationed inside the exhibit.

Naturally, the guards couldn’t just stand by. Before Amy’s words had even finished, seven or eight long swords were simultaneously swung at the elusive figure that had somehow managed to get close. Two guards even threw themselves at the figure, trying to tackle and push away the despicable thief.

However, another burst of the sweet laugh accompanied the red cloth being lifted and the charm gem glowing with pink light.

Out of the seven or eight weapons, half inexplicably turned towards their own companions, with one even leaping up and knocking two guards in mid-air aside, sending them crashing to the ground in a chaotic tumble.

“Hehe, thank you all. If it weren’t for you brave big brothers rescuing me, I would have almost been caught by the bad guys just now~”