Chapter 24

Winnie had thought that even if the two of them happened to bump into each other on the street, they would most likely pretend not to know each other and go their separate ways. 

Unexpectedly, at the exit, he encountered Isatia, who was also about to leave the arena. To his surprise, she initiated a conversation with him.

This left Winnie at a loss for words. Since entering the academy, the two of them had hardly interacted. 

The only time they had exchanged words was during the entrance competition, where he had somewhat helped her. That had been their first conversation, and nothing had followed since.

Logically, their relationship was quite distant. 

Even though they were in the same class, they hadn’t spoken to each other. It wasn’t until Milian had stirred up some gossip in class, revealing their nominal engagement, that the other party had shown a slight reaction.

Winnie knew very well that Isatia was one of the most strong-willed among the destined heroines. 

Precisely because of this, she vehemently rejected having her fate arranged by others and deeply overlooked the engagement that had been decided by her ancestors.

“Don’t mention it. It’s just some trivial trick,” Winnie said, averting his gaze slightly as he looked at the cold beauty in front of him, black hair, black stockings, a black dress, and pale skin. 

Although he was being modest, in Isatia’s presence, this wasn’t humility. To her, these things were indeed just minor tricks, unworthy of the attention of a royal princess.

“Using your opponent’s light magic and the reflection of ice fragments to blind them temporarily, masking your own movements, it’s a clever idea,” Isatia analyzed, unfazed by Winnie’s deliberate modesty.

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise flashed in Winnie’s eyes.

As expected of Isatia. While others only noticed Winnie’s victory, she had observed every detail, understanding at a glance how he had won. 

She had even seen through his spur-of-the-moment tactics with clarity.

“It’s nothing special. I don’t know much, so I have to rely on these little tricks,” Winnie replied humbly, as he usually did when praised rather than insulted.

Thus, Winnie often considers himself a refined, easygoing, and appropriately modest person.

“Whatever works to win is a good method,” Isatia added as she walked toward the exit. “Even the sharp edges you’ve built to protect yourself are the same.”

Winnie stood still, watching her black, elegant figure walk away, pondering her words.

Sharp edges to protect yourself?

Winnie thought for a moment, then shook his head.

Her insight was terrifying. It felt as if no matter how small his tricks were, they couldn’t hide anything from her.

Honestly, the feeling of being completely understood by someone was unsettling. 

It was as if all his secrets were exposed, though she had only happened to run into him while leaving the arena and casually struck up a conversation.

“Tsk, that damned red-haired flat-chested brat. I spent the whole noon with her, and now it’s almost time for lunch. I haven’t even eaten yet,” Winnie asserted, glancing at the clock in the arena hall before rushing to the cafeteria for a quick meal.

—–

That evening, the card players gathered once again. As the Holy Healing Festival was approaching, everyone would gather at Saintess Selina Cathedral to spend the day together. 

Thus, they had decided to make it a day for their group to enjoy a meal.

“Watch me summon… Ah-choo!”

“Brother Fred, are you okay? You’ve had this cold for so long. Is it really fine?” Winnie asked, looking at Fred, who was playing cards with him across the table.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Just a small cold. What could go wrong? When I was a kid, I was so healthy I never caught a cold. Now, I guess I’m paying back for those times, catching all the colds I missed,” Fred said nonchalantly, wiping his nose.

“I think you should go see a priest or a healer. Even if you don’t go to the church, at least visit the infirmary,” Winnie suggested.

“It’s nothing. Besides, going to church? Brother Winnie, are you joking? That would mean going back to the Camella Kingdom. We’re too busy with our studies right now. I’ve already been to the infirmary a few days ago. The academy doctor gave me some medicine and told me to avoid drinks and alcohol for a few days. I’ll be fine soon,” Fred waved it off.

“Brother Winnie, what’s wrong with you lately? You’ve become so fussy, repeating the same trivial things over and over. Your personality’s almost like a girl’s,” Fred said with a smirk.

“I just think it’s strange that this cold has lasted so long,” Winnie replied, casting a glance at Fred.

“What’s strange about it? Besides, I’m much better now. Before, I had muscle soreness and felt weak all over, but now I don’t have any of those symptoms. I just sneeze a bit,” Fred said.

“Alright, as long as you’re fine. Then I won’t hold back this round,” Winnie said, taking a sip of the orange juice beside him and finishing it off.

“Holding back? Don’t think you’ve improved just because you’ve drawn some golden cards. Don’t forget who introduced you to this game!… Stop smacking your lips, Brother Winnie. Even when you drink water, you seem to savor it as if it has some flavor. What flavor does water have?” Fred said, his lips twitching.

“Water? What are you talking about? I’m drinking orange juice!” Winnie said, looking at Fred in confusion.

“Orange juice? There’s no color to it. Isn’t this just water?” Fred frowned.

“Big brother, before you came, I had already ordered a glass of orange juice for myself. It’s just that I’ve finished it now. If you don’t believe me, I’ll call the waiter later and have him prove it to you,” Winnie said with a strange expression.

“Alright, maybe I misjudged. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s continue playing cards,” Fred said, clearly uninterested in the discussion. To him, it was insignificant compared to their game.

“Brother, are you really okay?” Winnie asked, his brow furrowing.

Having a cold for a week and mistaking orange juice for water was not normal.

“What could be wrong? It’s all minor stuff. Alright, let’s say it’s orange juice. Maybe I misjudged. There’s no need to keep bringing it up, right? Brother Winnie, you’ve really become so fussy lately, not like a man at all,” Fred said with disdain.

“…Fine. If you get sick later, don’t come to me,” Winnie said, feeling frustrated as Fred continued to ignore his concerns. He focused on the card game, no longer paying attention to anything else.

—

Time flew by, and the Holy Healing Festival arrived.

Normally, everyone would have a peaceful festival, but this year was different. 

Some cockroaches and pests had decided to stir up trouble, making the lantern a bit uncertain.

To ensure the students’ safety, the academy had stationed several combat instructors in Saintess Selina Cathedral to protect the students and weed out the hidden parasites in Carillian Academy.

On this day, students from all grades had to gather at Saintess Selina Cathedral, followed by a five-day vacation, and then the final exams.

Saintess Selina Cathedral was located in the central area of Carillian Academy, close to the Order Spire. It was built during the middle of the ancient empire and named after Saintess Selina Varelis, who had blessed the academy’s sacred bell.

This saint had made significant contributions in history, developing many healing spells of the “Saint’s Envoy” category. 

She had led the Church of Radiance in driving out demons, ensuring the survival of humans and many other light races. 

She was beloved by the empire’s people and many other races, earning her the title of Saintess Selina.

Carillian Academy, in honor of this saint, had named the Church of Radiance within the academy after her, as the academy’s sacred bell had been blessed by her.

Upon arrival at Carillian Academy, one will understand why so many students were drawn to it. 

It wasn’t just the strong faculty but also the deep historical heritage. 

The academy had never been ravaged by war, so many buildings from the ancient empire were still well-preserved, even better than those in the self-proclaimed successor of the ancient Carillian Empire, the Tyrell Empire.

Now, the ancient empire’s royal family, the Carillian family, had long been extinct, and the Varelis family was virtually non-existent. 

However, the traces they left behind were perfectly preserved in Carillian Academy.

Saintess Selina Cathedral was enormous. Many first-year students had heard of it but had never seen it. 

Today, they were finally able to testify it, and they couldn’t help but be surprised.

Looking at the church made of holy silver jade, shaped like a winged crown, it seemed like the residence of a goddess from heaven, with the halo of the sky’s outline.

When Winnie, in awe, asked the church’s maintenance staff how large the church was, they explained that this was only the front hall. 

There was an entire complex of buildings behind it, surrounding the central statue of the goddess like a halo.

Even after a thousand years, the jade remains as pristine as when it was first built, showing no signs of wear.

Damn, this is too extravagant. The ancient Carillian Empire was really rich.

Winnie was deeply impressed. The materials used to build this church were holy silver jade. 

Do you know how many pieces of holy silver jade there are on the Terraria continent?

This is a treasure of art, and it also reflects the incredible power of the ancient empire.

Indeed, the church was not usually open to the public. It was only opened when high-ranking members of the Church of Radiance visited Carillian Academy, allowing these clergy who served the goddess to reside there.

Winnie and his classmates were among the last groups of first-year students to enter Saintess Selina Cathedral. As they stepped through the holy silver jade threshold, a sense of sacredness and solemnity washed over them.

Even Shikondel and Milian, who weren’t even human race, couldn’t help but be amazed.

Deep-rooted cultures often shared certain sentiments, making people unconsciously immerse themselves in the historical depth.

The front hall was cross-shaped, divided into the center and four sides, with intricate pathways inside.

As they entered the sacred jade hall, everyone felt as if they had been purified. 

The accompanying maintenance staff smiled and said they had received the “Saint’s Blessing” and the “Goddess’s Gaze,” and their fortunes would be very good this year.

But was this true?

Winnie thought it was just talk. He knew what was going to happen here.

For devout Radiance believers, no one dared or wanted to cause trouble here.

Firstly, because beauty was a shared pursuit in everyone’s heart, and no one liked to destroy this historical beauty. 

Secondly, this was the place where the Goddess Of Graceful Radiance watched, and Saintess Selina’s soul rested. Although Selina’s body was not buried here, no one wanted to disrespect the honorable saint.

Winnie also saw some students with church backgrounds behaving exaggeratedly.

After entering the long-awaited Saintess Selina Cathedral, they were extremely excited but kept their voices low, glaring at classmates who spoke loudly, telling them not to disturb the saint’s soul resting here.

After asking the staff if this would disturb the saint or the goddess, they prayed devoutly toward the cross hall.

Winnie also saw a familiar figure among them, Fanya, who had just competed with him for rankings the day before. 

She seemed to have moved on from the shadow of being defeated by a fake descendant of the goddess, or perhaps her attention was no longer on it.

After entering, she was so excited she could barely walk, wanting to cheer but quickly covering her mouth to keep quiet.

The corridors of Saintess Selina Cathedral were lined with portraits of past saints. 

Fanya truly demonstrates what it meant to be an overly devout Radiance believer, performing the highest level of prayer and kneeling at each saint’s portrait.

Winnie found this amusing, but given the solemnity of the place, he restrained himself.

But really, was Saintess Selina Fashuris’s soul really resting here?

This was a matter of opinion. Winnie didn’t believe it. When people died, they were dead. 

Even gods couldn’t remain in the world permanently, only occasionally appearing to make their presence known. 

How could human souls remain in the world after death? If the saints’ souls were still here, how could they allow the Varelis family to be treated so poorly?

But honestly, if one could live in such a luxurious hall after death, it wouldn’t be a bad deal.

Winnie thought.

The first-year students who had never been to Saintess Selina Cathedral were the first to enter, followed by the upperclassmen.