The town had just survived a catastrophe, the prisoners had only just been rescued, and the displaced citizens were still waiting to be resettled. If he were to leave now, all the pressing matters at hand would grind to a halt.
Letting out a long, weary sigh, he drew back his gaze from the distance and turned to face the mess in the courtyard.
Jesse returned, his footsteps slightly heavier than before.
“I have already dispatched men to track Lady Julia's whereabouts. The search party is following the path from the secret passage's exit.” He paused briefly, then added softly, “My Lord, would you like to rest for a moment first?”
Edmund did not respond to his concern, asking instead, “How many supplies are left in the town storehouse?”
Jesse fell silent for a moment before reporting truthfully, “Zane took most of the supplies from the storehouse. However, he left a small amount of funds, which can cover the daily expenses of the remaining personnel, and there is a stash of hidden supplies that he did not discover.”
“If we consolidate all of this, it should be just enough to support the reconstruction of the town.”
Edmund listened, remaining silent for a long time. He turned to look at Bai Xuan beside him and said solemnly, “As for the reward for intercepting the gemstone, the agreed-upon one hundred gold coins will be delivered to you on time. Please rest assured of that.”
His tone softened slightly, and he continued with a hint of guilt, “It is just that the town is currently short on supplies, and we truly do not have enough resources to repay your immense kindness in saving the entire town.”
He fell silent, weighing his options for a moment, before laying out his thoughts entirely: “If you are willing, I can establish a formal alliance covenant with you in the name of the White family, witnessed by the Goddess of Radiance.”
“This covenant will not restrict your freedom. No matter where you are, whenever you need assistance, all the manpower of Calais Town and all the resources the White family can mobilize will be at your disposal.”
Bai Xuan stood in place, thinking for a moment before speaking, “You are certainly generous. How exactly do you plan to draft this covenant?”
Edmund nodded slightly, turning and gesturing toward the house. “Let us discuss this inside.”
Bai Xuan did not decline and followed him into the room. The space inside was not large, with a single oil lamp resting on the table, filling the room with a dim, yellow light. On a nearby shelf, several unrolled documents were piled haphazardly.
After taking a seat, Edmund took out a clean sheet of parchment from a drawer, which was clearly a preserved item.
He spread the parchment flat on the table, dipped his pen in ink, and slowly began to write. His handwriting was steady and neat, without the slightest hint of haste.
Only after finishing all the terms of the covenant did he put down his pen and turn the parchment toward Bai Xuan. “You may take a look. If there is anything inappropriate or in need of revision, please feel free to point it out.”
Bai Xuan reached out to take the parchment, reading it carefully word by word.
The terms of the covenant were clear and detailed, explicitly outlining the guidelines for mutual assistance, the absolute lack of restriction on personal freedom, the requirement of mutual confirmation for resource allocation, and the necessity of advance notice for major operations. A designated area for signatures was left at the bottom of the page.
Bai Xuan's gaze lingered on several core terms, repeatedly weighing them in his mind. Every single clause was thorough and rigorous, containing no false promises or hidden schemes.
Understanding the situation, Bai Xuan picked up the pen and signed his name at the end of the covenant, then slid the parchment back to Edmund. Edmund took the pen and solemnly signed his own name.
Edmund stood up and said, “We will head to the church now to have the Goddess of Radiance witness and complete the final ritual of the covenant.”
Bai Xuan nodded in agreement and stood up as well. Walking out of the room, he looked at Edmund's slightly exhausted back ahead of him, silently marveling at how willing the man was to relinquish power and share benefits.
On second thought, this was a win-win deal for both parties. Through this covenant, the White family in their hour of crisis could find a reliable backer in him, while he wouldn't be tied down by the town and could gain an extra reliable source of resources and assistance. It was highly advantageous.
The two of them crossed the courtyard where shadows flickered in the firelight, stepped onto the torch-lit cobblestone path, and walked through the empty, silent streets of the Inner Town, making their way toward the church.
The church doors were already wide open, casting a gentle candlelight through the gap. The candles on the wall sconces had already been relit, their faint glow dispelling the darkness of the sanctuary.
As Edmund stepped over the threshold of the church, his footsteps instinctively faltered. The perilous scenes that had occurred here in the past flooded his mind.
But he only paused for a brief second before taking another step forward, stopping directly in front of the statue. Bai Xuan stopped a few paces behind him.
Edmund took out the signed parchment from his robes and laid it flat on the stone altar.
He took half a step back and began to chant a devout prayer in a low voice. His deep voice echoed softly within the empty church, the lingering sound slowly fading away.
The moment the final line of the prayer was uttered, the corners of the parchment on the stone altar trembled slightly.
A faint, gentle light lit up from the surface of the paper, slowly spreading along its edges like sweet rain soaking into parched soil, seeping bit by bit into the fibers of the parchment.
Specks of light lingered on the paper's surface for a moment before sinking into it and vanishing. The sacred alliance covenant was now officially in effect.
Just as Edmund was about to step forward to retrieve the covenant, a second light suddenly lit up on the stone altar.
This light was far brighter and more stable than the faint glow of the covenant from before. It slowly spread across the surface of the altar and rose into the air, drifting uncontrollably toward Bai Xuan.
In an instant, Bai Xuan was completely enveloped by this soft curtain of light, as if shrouded in a thin, watery veil. The light swirled around him for several breaths before slowly receding like an ebbing tide.
The church returned to its original brightness, and the candlelight flickered gently in the breeze, as if the extraordinary phenomenon just now had never happened.
Edmund remained frozen in his stance, his eyes filled with shock as he stared intently at the fading light on Bai Xuan. The texture and flow of this divine power were completely different from a standard covenant ritual.
He had never seen such a personalized, body-enveloping divine phenomenon. It was as if a deity was personally declaring some sort of recognition and favor.
A bold conjecture quietly formed in his heart. The Bai Xuan before him was by no means just a powerful traveler; he might be someone chosen by the Goddess of Radiance, someone constantly watched over by the deity.
Edmund buried this shock and suspicion deep in his heart, showing no outward sign of change on his face.
Bai Xuan looked down at the back of his hand, then looked up at his surroundings.
He could clearly sense that the light that had just enveloped him was much more active than the faint glow of the covenant taking effect.
Since coming to this world, his encounters with the Goddess of Radiance had happened more than once. A few doubts crossed his mind, but he did not delve into them, putting the thought aside for now.
Edmund stepped forward, took the parchment from the stone altar, and handed it back to Bai Xuan with both hands. Bai Xuan took the covenant and, without looking at it again, directly put it into his Space Ring.
“The covenant is now in effect.”
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