Anthelia's body stiffened for a moment, all the thoughts in her mind vanishing in an instant, leaving only the intense impact on her senses and heart.
Warmth, softness, a deep sense of security... It was as if she were completely enveloped in a cloud, and the troubles that had been plaguing her were instantly swept away.
“If you're tired, rest well in my arms,” the youth's voice was gentle as he softly stroked Anthelia's back.
That was the Holy See himself! The great Holy See!
No matter how heroic the knights were, even if their hearts were forged of iron, they would let down all their defenses in a moment like this to enjoy peace of mind and body.
Just like Anthelia right now, who was completely immersed in this embrace.
“Everyone, I want to become a knight too!”
“Me too! I'm going to become a knight as well!”
“Hmph! Just like the angels surrounding the Lord, only the most heroic knights are qualified to guard the Holy See. You really think you can compete with me?”
“You... you clearly failed the knight exam last time!”
“...”
Watching this scene, the people inside the classroom whispered amongst themselves.
If the Holy See was only indulgent toward Amore, they might have thought he was simply a great and merciful Pope.
But if the Holy See bestowed his love and favor equally upon any devout knight, then they wanted to become such a knight even more.
Lu Li certainly never expected that his small gesture would cause applicant numbers for this year's knight examination to explode completely beyond capacity.
This was an unprecedented first. Even Dean Soren found it strange; everyone's enthusiasm was remarkably high!
Meanwhile, regarding the crop named “potato” that Lu Li had described, Julia had specifically arranged for a squad of knights to set out and search for it.
As for Julia herself, she began handling the issue regarding the mineral veins, though she recently happened to run into another matter.
“You mean... an embassy set sail from the Eastern Continent half a year ago, crossing the ocean laden with gold, silver, and treasures to celebrate His Holiness Sylvester's birthday?”
Lu Li was quite shocked when he heard this news. Although ocean-faring merchants existed in this era, people were more inclined to call them brave adventurers.
O brave adventurers from afar! Are you willing to sell your treasure...
After all, how could a voyage lasting several months or even years avoid experiencing great storms? It was only natural that people with such legendary experiences were called brave adventurers.
“Yes, Your Holiness. They do not yet know that His Holiness Sylvester has returned to the embrace of the Lord,” Julia answered.
Lu Li's mind began to spin rapidly, though what he was considering wasn't whether ocean voyages belonged in this era at all, but rather...
“Has the embassy arrived?”
“Leave the task of receiving the embassy to me!”
With a smile on his face, he casually asked, “By the way, this counts as official business, right? Taking time off from the academy means I won't have to make up missed classes, right?”
However, the moment the words left his mouth, Lu Li felt a death glare from the Cardinal.
“What trick are you trying to play this time?” Her expression was full of vigilance.
“No, no, no, I'm just taking leave! Rest assured, I won't fall behind on my classes.”
“Then why did I hear that you failed your last exam again and wrote bad jokes on your paper?”
“Uh... you must have misheard. What I wrote definitely wasn't a bad joke.”
Lu Li broke out into a cold sweat. Only that old geezer Soren knew about him writing bad jokes on the exam paper. As expected, those two were in cahoots!
Julia couldn't help but sigh. She witnessed all of Lu Li's sacredness and greatness as the Pope, but sometimes, the boy was so childish it gave her a headache.
Yet perhaps it was precisely because of this that he was so deeply loved by so many people.
In short, when the honor guard bearing the Black-and-Gold Dragon Flag processed along Vipris Avenue toward the Holy Court, Lu Li finally succeeded in securing sick leave, just as he had wished.
Don't ask why it was sick leave, because Lu Li had secretly asked that old-fashioned theology professor—only sick leave didn't require makeup classes.
And at this moment, wearing his tiara and clad in his holy robe, he sat atop the grand throne, bored out of his mind while waiting for the audience with the embassy.
When Zhaoyun stepped into that sacred hall for the first time, this was the scene that met her eyes.
A young boy sat on a massive throne yawning, making it hard to imagine that his feet couldn't even touch the ground firmly.
Even so, his noble, languid demeanor felt entirely natural. Instead, it made one feel that this was the way things ought to be—especially when he slightly turned his head with a look on his face that said “So you've arrived,” his movements elegant and unforced, as if he had been born to sit upon that throne.
Zhaoyun had never seen a boy like him. Unlike the young masters of noble families in the East, he lacked that innate arrogance, making others feel he was holy, peaceful, and warm...
Yet it was precisely such a wonderful youth who managed to stir up the inferiority and resentment buried deep in her heart. When such feelings remained buried for too long, once triggered, they would give rise to far too many uncontrollable, sinful thoughts.
Just like right now, as she fantasized about that boy—the lofty sovereign of the Holy State—pressed beneath her, moaning in pleasure.
Oh? An expert in our midst?
Lu Li naturally sensed the malice directed at him. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he turned his gaze toward her.
The young woman was attractive, with black hair and dark eyes—a typical Eastern beauty, though her brow lacked gentle warmth and held a trace of heroic spirit instead.
“Who is she?” Lu Li raised his hand and pointed at the young woman at the center of the delegation, asking casually.
He was all too familiar with the look in her eyes as she stared at him, for he once harbored that exact same look himself.
“Replying to Your Majesty, this is Princess Zhaoyun, the Third Princess of our Dayong Dynasty,” Ambassador Zhang Lan bowed in greeting, using traditional Eastern etiquette.
Lu Li nodded slightly and proceeded to converse with her for a while.
Just as Lu Li had expected, the current Dayong was another dynasty that did not exist in the memories of his past life. If he had to find a similar one, it was perhaps somewhat close to the Ming Dynasty.
Not Wuthering Waves, mind you.
“I have a general understanding of your intention. As for the alliance, I will consider it.”
As Lu Li spoke, his gaze fell upon Zhaoyun once again, and a bright smile surfaced on his face. “However, I really don't like the look in her eyes.”
The youth's smile was as warm as sunshine, yet the words he uttered sent a chill straight through Zhaoyun.
In that instant, everyone's gaze landed upon her face. Zhaoyun's expression shifted repeatedly, a swell of anger rising alongside the suffocation in her heart.
She hadn't done anything at all; she had merely glanced at this man.
So even the emperor of the Holy State was no different from those back home. They only saw her as easy prey, wanting nothing more than to pick on her.
Vulgar, despicable, vile...
Yet if Lu Li were to know what she was thinking, he would surely burst out laughing from the bottom of his heart.
The truth was the exact opposite of his words: far from disliking that look, he absolutely adored it.
Because that was the look of ambition.
You could lack power, lack money, and lack dreams, but you could not lack ambition.
Power might collapse, money might scatter, and dreams might shatter, but ambition never would.
Ambition was like a vigorous flame that only burned hotter and brighter, consuming every path of retreat, devouring cowardice, and burning away all unrealistic fantasies—
Either consuming the entire world, or being burned to ashes by the flame.
Rate on N.U.
