Peaceful times without unexpected turmoil always pass quickly.

 

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed since the chaos caused by the 【Faceless One】.

 

There were now fewer than ten days left until the day Edwina had mentioned—the sacred day when she would inherit the 【Judgment Holy Sword】 and the title of “Judgment Saintess”.

 

Although the sudden and inexplicable disaster had a significant impact on the Western Capital, the 【Faceless One】’ attacks had fortunately been focused mainly on the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild and the central Bright Light Temple, two major powers. The catastrophe did not manage to spread widely into the densely populated areas.

 

Later, the black flame giant, an incarnation of the 【God of False Faces and Ecstasy】, Musk, was blocked by none other than Miss White Fox, who arrived in person.

 

Apart from the area burned during the giant’s initial appearance and the casualties caused by the stampede during the panic, the foundations of the Bright Light City remained largely intact.

 

Much of this was thanks to the quick and decisive response of Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess, who led the temple’s knight order to swiftly eliminate all the remaining 【Faceless One】 outside the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild. She gave them no opportunity to spread their influence further, or the damage would have been far worse.

 

This, in fact, was the exact goal of the 【God of False Faces and Ecstasy】—to stall the temple’s forces and prevent them from aiding the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild in time.

 

This massive upheaval, which shocked the entire nation and drew the attention of all circles, came to be known as the 【Masked Demon Disaster】.

 

Yes, demon.

 

This was the final classification given to the event by Yuna Summerfield, the Bright Light Saintess, who had stood on the front lines during the battle.

 

Of course, there was no need for the demons to acknowledge it.

 

And in that battle, another hero who gained immense fame…

 

“What?! Is this… is this really true? The Bright Light Saintess… has truly decided to do this?!”

 

In the communication room of the Cecilia Merchant Guild, the golden-haired Holy Knight, dressed in full armor, exclaimed in disbelief.

 

“Yes, that’s what Yuna told me herself. You’ve probably heard about the recent 【Masked Demon Disaster】 in the Western Capital, right? If nothing changes, she’ll soon announce, in the name of the Bright Light Saintess and the Summerfield family, that she’ll lead the Knight Templars, starting from the Bright Light City, on a crusade to the east to eliminate the demonic forces causing havoc there.”

 

The black-haired priestess in a white robe paused briefly before deciding to continue speaking.

 

“The timing is set for the 【Day of Divine Arrival】. If I’m not mistaken, this isn’t some sudden whim of hers, nor is it just what’s been publicly stated that the appearance of the Mask Demon signifies the urgent need to eradicate the demon threat.”

 

“This is a premeditated and well-prepared operation. The so-called appearance of the Mask Demon just happens to give the Bright Light Saintess a fitting excuse and reason.”

 

“Edwina, your family needs to stay alert and choose your stance carefully. This might… be the start of a great upheaval and power shift.”

 

The Holy Knight’s expression in the image gradually became solemn.

 

“May I ask, Miss Violet, what do you believe is the Saintess’ true goal? To gain prestige through this fourth holy war against the demons? Overthrow the current rule of the Goddess Church? Or reclaim the prestigious position it once held in the Holy Empire centuries ago?”

 

To the golden-haired girl’s probing and uncertain question, the priestess simply shook her head.

 

“I don’t know. Though we are somewhat like partners, it’s clear that Yuna isn’t going to reveal all her plans to me either.”

 

“After all, just like our conversation now, the information I can share with you is what she doesn’t intend to hide, things that everyone will eventually find out. As for the deeper motives, whether there are other plans, how to respond, and where to take a stance… those are matters for you people of the Holy Empire to deal with~”

 

Sensing the nonchalant tone in the black-haired girl’s words, which seemed to suggest indifference to the situation, Edwina appeared thoughtful. She hesitantly asked in a soft voice again.

 

“So, Miss Violet will still…”

 

“Yes, I will indeed accompany Yuna to the eastern battlefield, but remember this clearly: I am, after all, just a traveler, an outsider.”

 

“I can offer some limited assistance, but I won’t interfere in your Holy Empire’s internal affairs, and I definitely won’t personally exterminate all the demons. What Yuna… or rather, what the Summerfields truly want, how to deal with it, and how to handle the demons, that’s your own problem. Understand?”

 

“Haha… As expected, that’s exactly how I imagined Miss Violet would be…”

 

Seeing the Holy Knight scratch her head with a smile, her face quickly showing a “just as I thought” expression, the priestess, who had been maintaining a composed and superior demeanor, couldn’t hold it any longer. She awkwardly rubbed her nose, shaking her head in resignation to dispel the uncomfortable moment.

 

“It’s good if you can accept it. However, this means that the Church will likely have to delay the ceremony for your ascension as the Judgment Saintess. Their original reason was to have you quickly gain the full power of the Judgment Saintess in order to deal with the imminent demon uprising on the eastern battlefield.”

 

“But now, with the commanding presence of the leading Bright Light Saintess entering the scene, along with tens of thousands of elite Knight Templars from the Western Capital, the urgency of the Judgment Saintess succession has naturally decreased. Without a strong enough reason, it’s not like they can just swap out a Saintess as easily as they would with a head of cabbage, right?”

 

“That’s true.”

 

Hearing the priestess bring this up, the Holy Knight visibly relaxed, a smile creeping back onto her face.

 

“Then there’s no problem. The Church probably hasn’t yet received word of the Bright Light Saintess’s decision to march to war, and they’re still busy preparing for the succession and the summoning of the artifact ceremony. Once the news of the Western Capital’s mobilization is made public… hehe, those annoying old men will definitely be furious!”

 

After wrapping up that topic, Edwina suddenly remembered something else and quickly brought it up.

 

“By the way… a little over a week ago, on the same day the 【Masked Demon Disaster】 occurred in the Western Capital, something bizarre happened across the entire Holy Empire. It was reported that even in distant places like the Human United Kingdom, the Azure Sky Kingdom, and even the Austre Empire, a strange phenomenon known as the ‘Lightless Scene’ occurred.”

 

“It wasn’t just the light of the sun, but even candles, magical lamps, and mana crystals, anything that produced light, were extinguished almost simultaneously. Everything went completely dark as far as the eye could see. There’s no record of anything like this ever happening in any existing history.”

 

“Although the phenomenon only lasted for about ten seconds before the world returned to light, it still caused widespread discussion, panic, and even rumors that the end of the world was near.”

 

“The Holy Academy in the Angel City has held several large-scale discussions to investigate this extraordinary event, but to this day, they haven’t been able to come up with an explanation that satisfies everyone.”

 

As she spoke, Edwina’s face showed a mix of curiosity and confusion.

 

“Since Miss Violet mentioned that at the time you were battling the incarnation of the 【God of False Faces and Ecstasy】, could it be that…”

 

“Uh, well…”

 

Alright.

 

Although the priestess had already learned through Yuna about the various effects caused by her move 【Ultimate Art: Radiance】, and was surprised by the drastically different side effects compared to the game, being called out like this in person still made her feel a bit awkward as she rubbed her nose.

 

However, since Edwina was one of her trusted friends and had long been familiar with her various abilities, there was no harm in telling this Holy Knight.

 

So, Violet gave a brief rundown of the battle at that time, and also mentioned that she was using the identity of 【Dawn】.

 

Yet, instead of mocking the priestess’s childishness, the Holy Knight, reminiscent of Saintess Yuna’s initial reaction, became so excited that she nearly rubbed her hands together, her eyes gleaming as she shouted with enthusiasm!

 

“Oh! As expected of Miss Violet! You’re amazing!!!”

 

With that, she hurriedly pulled out a notebook that looked all too familiar and began scribbling furiously!

 

???

 

“Hey!? What are you writing down again, you maniac!!”