“It should be about time. My helpers should be in position by now.”
After Nightmare left, Greg was just about to look down at the time when he suddenly noticed a commotion in the surrounding crowd.
People's gazes turned toward the entrance of the square, and whispers spread like a rising tide.
Following their gazes, Greg turned his head and saw the procession from the Church of Light entering.
Dozens of clerics dressed in white uniforms with gold trim marched in two neat columns through the crowd, using their bodies to carve out a wide path through the packed onlookers.
The sunlight spilled over their pristine white uniforms, reflecting a solemn and holy glow.
And at the end of that path, a figure was slowly walking forward.
Veronica wore a pure white holy robe. Her chest was as voluptuous as ever, and though the hem of her robe dragged along the ground, it remained completely spotless.
Her platinum-blonde hair shimmered softly in the sunlight, and she wore her signature gentle smile. With her eyes slightly narrowed, she exuded a holy and inviolable aura.
“As expected of the current Saintess of the Church of Light. Quite a grand entrance—”
Before Greg could finish his thought, his gaze drifted to Veronica's side, and he froze.
Standing beside Veronica was a pink-haired girl.
It was none other than Silvia.
Today, she wore a holy robe similar in style to Veronica's, making her look far more solemn than usual.
She followed closely at Veronica's side. Although her steps were relatively steady, she still seemed somewhat stiff compared to Veronica's natural, effortless composure.
Upon seeing this, the surrounding crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy.
“Who is that pink-haired girl? How is she allowed to walk right next to the Saintess?”
“No idea. I've never seen her before...”
“Could she be a newly promoted guard nun of the Church of Light? But looking at her outfit, she doesn't seem like an ordinary guard nun.”
“Could she be the legendary Candidate Saintess? I heard the Church of Light has been training candidates for the next Saintess...”
“A Candidate Saintess?! That actually seems very likely! Why else would she be walking so close to the Saintess?!”
Listening to the discussions around him, Greg's brow furrowed slightly.
He recalled that in the original game's storyline, Silvia wasn't supposed to reveal her identity as a Candidate Saintess at this point at all.
She had always kept a low profile, only gradually rising to prominence much later when the full-scale war against the Demons officially began.
Yet now, she had actively chosen to stand by Veronica's side, appearing in the public eye in such an eye-catching manner.
'Did some kind of catalyst suddenly change her decision?'
Greg wondered, trying to guess.
...
“If you want to look worthy of your status as a Candidate Saintess, you should walk with a bit more confidence.”
Veronica kept her head high as she walked forward, her face still wearing that gentle smile, as she whispered a reminder to Silvia in a voice only the two of them could hear.
Though her tone sounded like a well-meaning senior guiding a junior, Silvia could detect a faint hint of provocation hidden beneath it.
“I don't need you to remind me, Sister Veronica!”
To ensure Senior Greg would no longer be threatened by this mentally unstable, crazy woman, Silvia had to force herself to adapt to her duties as soon as possible and eventually replace Veronica.
Because once she achieved that, she could use the Saintess's authority to protect Senior Greg, making it impossible for this crazy woman to ever get close to him again!
At that thought, Silvia quickly suppressed her stage fright of being the center of attention. She straightened her back, raised her chin slightly, and began walking with confident, elegant strides.
Though her heart was still fluttering with nervousness, to the onlookers, she already exuded the grace of a future Saintess.
“Hmph, I hope you can keep this up until the end.”
Veronica glanced at Silvia's transformation out of the corner of her eye, gave a cold snort, and looked away.
To be honest, she hadn't cared much about this kind of event initially; to her, it was merely a routine public appearance, a formality to get through.
But at the thought of Lord Greg's plan being underway, and that Lord Greg might be watching her from the crowd, she unconsciously raised her own standards.
She wanted her image in Lord Greg's eyes to be perfect, reliable, and trustworthy.
Thus, she would not tolerate a single flaw today.
The procession moved through the crowd, arriving before the magnificent chair on the left side of the square.
Veronica turned elegantly and sat down. Her posture was dignified and composed, her hands folded neatly over her lap, as she calmly gazed at the execution platform ahead.
Silvia stood slightly behind her, hands clasped in front of her, keeping her back straight as she did her best to play the role of a proper Candidate Saintess.
The clamor of the crowd quieted down for a moment, but soon erupted into a commotion once more.
This time, it was because the members of the Imperial Royal Family had arrived.
An even larger guard of honor marched in from the other side of the square. The soldiers wore polished armor and held long spears, their steps perfectly synchronized.
First to appear was the Emperor of the Empire.
He wore luxurious robes and a golden crown, but his face, which should have been full of majesty, looked pale and gaunt, giving off an extremely weak impression.
He walked slowly to the larger throne and sat down. He cast a complex gaze toward the distant execution platform, then let out a soft sigh.
Following closely behind him was Crown Prince Finn.
In stark contrast to the Emperor's gaunt appearance, Finn's face wore an undisguisable look of pleasure.
Dressed in a well-tailored golden suit, he walked with light steps to the smaller throne and sat down with a flourish, crossing his legs. His posture was so relaxed that it seemed as if he had come to watch a brilliant performance rather than witness an execution.
After these two figures took their seats, two more individuals with graying hair stepped out from the ranks, standing behind the thrones of the Crown Prince and the Emperor, respectively.
One of them was an enemy Greg had already anticipated: Marcus, the Prime Minister of the Empire.
He knew from the original game's text that this man was up to no good, but this was the first time he was seeing his actual appearance.
Dressed in a dark gray robe, with a lean face and sharp eyes, he truly looked the part of a textbook evil prime minister.
While Marcus's appearance was within Greg's expectations, the other elderly man standing behind the Emperor caused Greg's expression to falter.
He was a tall, elderly man. Though his hair was white, his back was as straight as a pine, and his deep brown eyes flickered with a calm yet fierce light.
A sharp sword hung at his waist. Standing there, he was like a blade that had yet to be unsheathed—even with his aura restrained, the invisible pressure he exuded made those around him keep their distance.
'Damn it, how did I forget about this guy!'
Greg's pupils contracted slightly.
Although the old man was incredibly powerful, because he was a male character, his sprite in the original game was just an unremarkable silhouette. On top of that, there weren't many plotlines involving him, and sometimes, a few accidental mouse clicks would completely skip his story in a playthrough.
As a result, Greg had completely forgotten about this character's existence.
Only now, seeing him in the flesh, did Greg suddenly remember—this man was also a massive obstacle in his plan.
For he was Roland, known as the “Empire's Sword.” He was ranked alongside the Prime Minister, Marcus, as the strongest figures in the Empire's ruling faction, both boasting levels above LV70.
Although Roland did not side with Crown Prince Finn—pledging his loyalty to the Empire itself and refusing to swing his sword for any single individual—he would absolutely draw his blade to protect the Empire's territory and honor.
This meant that if Greg wanted to raid the execution grounds, this guy would definitely become an enemy—and a formidable one at that!
Rate on N.U.
