Chapter 152: The Train to the Cateline Kingdom

Two weeks later.

The group departed for the Cateline Kingdom.

Holy Light University had already resumed classes.

Hall was not taking leave actively. Instead, he prioritized his duties with the Black Knights, only needing to sign in for his academic attendance.

This was a prevailing trend in Saint Louis. Everyone knew about Hall Faxtius’s ten-match series against the White Knights two weeks ago.

Though he ultimately didn’t “single-handedly defeat ten opponents,” Himan had secured victory against Lenny.

Hall’s prowess was now widely acknowledged.

“A rising general star is emerging in the Western Continent, illuminating Saint Louis with his brilliance after three years of obscurity,” so reported The World’s Truth Daily.

This meant that recently, no one sought Hall for mundane tasks.

His residence received a flurry of invitations from various noble banquets, almost as if they had grown wings.

Now, with Duke Faxtius away from home, it was even more absurd. Some invitations even contained phrases like “my humble daughter XX” or similar descriptions.

The implication was clear.

Hall understood, but he initially treated these invitations casually, attending a few dinners only to find them uninteresting.

He preferred to cook for himself at home.

However, the intention of the younger noble ladies was obvious: to have him at their side.

Hall couldn’t truly act on these invitations.

It would only lead to trouble for him, and might even provide fuel for the heroines.

The invitations were flying towards him like they had wings.

Inviting whom was self-evident.

Some invitations would even explicitly state, “my daughter XX has taken a liking to you.”

He quickly realized there wasn’t much point to it.

He still felt more comfortable staying at home.

Furthermore, although those young noble girls were pretty and innocent, Lov and Lorraine would always be brought along as family.

Of course, going out alone wasn’t safe either.

After all, the Child family’s spies were everywhere.

If he kissed a noble young lady tonight, Leticia would know.

And recently, Leticia’s emotions seemed unstable.

According to usual circumstances, Leticia would have invited him once or twice within half a month, or exchanged letters.

But this time, there was absolutely nothing.

Leticia remained strangely silent.

They had met at the start of the semester.

Hall had tentatively asked Istar about the content of their cardinal’s meeting.

Leticia, however, dodged the question.

There must be a secret.

It was possible.

Saint Louis was well-connected. If he kissed a noble young lady, even just holding hands, it would likely cause a stir.

Things seemed a bit off.

Although Leticia wasn’t very proactive, she would definitely respond in some way.

Otherwise, she would communicate through letters or other means.

There was something brewing.

He recalled when he had cautiously asked Istar about the meeting content.

Istar had smiled, but her eyes held a deeper meaning.

Realizing this, Hall felt a slight unease.

However, since he had nothing else to do, he could only study the Dual Wielding skill book from Thorne.

He was almost proficient in it. From LV1 to LV9, he had mastered various basic sword techniques for dual-wielding.

At the same time, he began to research the second stage of the Demon God’s sword techniques.

Among them, the advanced version of [Sword-Shattering Form], [Dual Severance], required the learner’s Dual Wielding skill to reach [LV9].

This was a sword technique performed with two swords.

Its effect was to immediately add another [Sword-Shattering Form] strike when [Sword-Shattering Form] was cast.

This meant that even if the opponent also wielded two swords, their weapons would still be completely destroyed.

If the opponent only used one hand, he would have an overwhelming advantage.

Furthermore, the cooldown of [Sword-Shattering Form] and [Dual Severance] were not shared.

This meant that theoretically, he could destroy three weapons in a short period of time.

That was quite a terrifying ability.

Then there was Julia, who still gave him occasional “Hall, Mr. Hall, can you help me look at the wound on my thigh?” remarks, especially when they were alone.

However, Julia had indeed been taken seriously by the Black Knights management recently.

She was born a commoner and hadn’t received systematic training, yet she could fight Himan to a draw.

Her future was promising.

Aside from that, Hall’s daily activities mostly revolved around researching his past.

But unfortunately, the details of his life before amnesia were still missing.

This made Hall wonder if someone had deliberately sealed off his memories from before.

Then there was Ye Wangxue.

Ye Wangxue and he exchanged letters.

She liked the lipstick Hall had sent her.

It had a faint magical aroma, and she said she would wear it the next time they met.

As for Hall’s reply, it was more official: first, expressing concern for her health, and then asking her to retrieve her father’s letter to him.

Hall, being an important figure in the Papal State, knew that the letter must be sensitive.

It was from her father, the Xia Emperor, and it was crucial.

So he hoped she would keep it safe.

The content of the letter from the Xia Emperor was about the marriage between Hall and Ye Wangxue, asking if it should proceed or be dissolved.

It seemed that the Xia Emperor, concerned about his daughter’s reputation, was willing to let Hall decide.

The letter also mentioned something about a “lost love” and a “broken promise” to his daughter, and also about a “new era” and “his glory.”

It conveyed that he hoped Hall could open up her era and his glory.

The marriage between them was now settled.

However, things were not that simple.

The next day, Hall received a reply from Ye Wangxue. The content of the letter was short, only a few words.

“Baron Hall, I am the child of Sophia and Lance, not some princess of Xia. I don’t want to be a princess either. I just want to be a quiet elf.”

“I hope you can reconsider. After all, a forced melon is not sweet.”

“Also, do you need me to send you a divorce letter?”

“Mm, following the mission to Cateline for a visit, I shouldn’t be staying too long.”

“Does Lov need to come along?”

“Either way.”

One accompanying personnel was allowed.

Hall couldn’t possibly bring Lorraine. She had returned to the theology academy for further studies. And her ambiguous reply to Duke Bal’s letter indicated that she saw the decision of becoming a Saintess Candidate entirely as up to him and her.

As for his eldest sister’s reply, it was very simple and clear: Margaret supported Lorraine becoming a Saintess Candidate.

“Then I’ll go with the Young Master this time too.”

Lov wanted to go with Hall.

If it were before, she might not have been suitable.

Hall agreed.

He wasn’t too worried about Lov’s safety.

No one in the Western Continent dared to attack the Papal State’s diplomatic mission yet.

“Lady Christine, are you also going to the Cateline Kingdom?”

The next day.

Maria was preparing Christine for her trip to the Cateline Kingdom.

Although it was almost the end of February, the snow in the Cateline Kingdom had probably not melted yet.

Even in April, the capital, Saint Catherinesburg, had recorded snowfall.

She had to prepare warm clothes for Christine, but the clothes couldn’t be too bulky, as it would affect Christine’s appearance during prayer rituals and meetings with Cateline politicians.

“Mm.”

“Speaking of which, Baron Hall is also in the mission. No, he’s a viscount now. I heard that Vice-Captain Sergei of the Black Knights promoted him to the commander-in-chief of the Saint Louis branch yesterday evening.”

“Oh, is that so? What’s the public opinion in Saint Louis now?”

“Of course, they’re all praising Baron Hall. Some newspapers’ wording is so flattering, they want to kneel down and lick his feet, calling him a duke who doesn’t need to inherit his father’s inheritance. Even if he successfully becomes the captain of the Black Knights, he’ll at most reach the position of marquis, and his military rank will at most be brigadier general.”

“That’s still very good.”

Christine said faintly.

“Lady Christine, the Black Knights are directly under the cardinals, and most of the most important commanding positions in the direct military agencies under the cardinals are brigadier generals.”

“Being too intimate with Baron Hall on the road will inevitably lead to gossip.”

This was Maria’s main reason for criticizing Hall today.

The Holy Train they were taking was the Papal State’s special diplomatic magic armored train—Holy No. 7.

Its safety was unquestionable.

It was absolutely impossible for a problem like the Black Rose piercing the train in Saint Olan to happen again.

But privacy and freedom would definitely be inferior to the two special trains.

“That doesn’t matter. It’s something Hall and I both know.”

“Lady Christine… actually, what I mean is that this trip to the Cateline Kingdom is just to guide the people of the Cateline Kingdom to believe in their own empress, so there’s not much presence.”

“Maria, it is precisely for this reason that I must go. If I don’t go, when I become a Saintess, will I still be able to guide the people of the Cateline Kingdom?”

“The Saintess Candidates in Saint Louis. One is Lord Roan’s person, and one is Frederick’s person. If they are not as good as Christine, whom Roan picked, now they are all stable and have an absolute advantage. Hall has a good relationship, which is something the entire Saint Louis Holy See knows. The profits from that kingdom are not obvious, and that country’s local Saintess Candidate is even completely suppressed.”

“The Pope’s orders, these are all very important.”

Facing Christine’s flawless beauty, Himan always felt she had nothing to say.

Himan was feeling sorry for Hall, but in Christine’s heart, what was important was that she had to go to Cateline for her things.

“Tomorrow, we’re going to the Cateline Kingdom. It’s my second time visiting that country.”

Himan recalled the winter break when Hall’s reputation had just collapsed.

She had traveled to Cateline alone to calm her agitated heart in the cold northern country.

And now, she would travel with Hall and the mission to the northern country again.

Perhaps, she could gradually repair these relationships that were actually unimportant.

That voice was speaking to her.

‘You lost something important here, you must go and find it.’

This was an opportunity, she thought to herself.

Her mother had also asked her these past few days how her relationship with Hall was and had said she regretted not inviting Hall over during New Year’s Eve.

But Himan was still quite stubborn in front of her mother.

She said that she and Hall had both realized their mistakes, and she would invite Hall over for her twentieth birthday.

“Hall was born three days before your birthday, Himan.”

Mrs. Von Braun said so.

Himan thought about it and realized it was true.

Although she always referred to herself as his cousin, Hall was indeed born three days before her.

But originally, Hall should have been born after her.

She was the legitimate older cousin.

Hall’s mother had given birth prematurely that year.

She had only carried Hall for eight months before giving birth to him.

“I know, Mother.”

“And there’s Hall’s marriage contract. You still have to be constantly on guard. Remember, that Eastern marriage contract is not suitable for Hall. You are his cousin, and you must carefully vet every girl for him. But… Mother, what if we argue?”

Although the conversation with Hall that day had gone smoothly, Himan was still a little tired.

She didn’t want to argue with Hall.

“Why would we argue?”

“He likes to talk to pretty girls. He will surely be unconvinced. If I stop him from talking to pretty girls, we will naturally argue…”

Himan said with a pout.

“So you have to make Hall realize that you are also a pretty girl, and make him only talk to you. The pretty women outside are all liars. The prettier they are, the more they will lie. They will trick Hall away. You have to protect him well.”

Her mother’s rhetoric made Himan accept it.

Originally, she had wanted to ask why she had to make Hall realize that she was also a pretty girl, and why it was better for Hall to only talk to her.

But in the end, she did not speak.

She just quietly accepted her mother’s words.

“If Hall argues with other girls again, you tell Hall that the prettier a woman is, the more she will lie. Only you will not lie to him.”

“Of course I won’t lie to him.”

Himan muttered to herself, “I’ve already said it. Never.”

Another day passed.

In the early morning.

Hall woke up very early.

He gathered at the Saint Louis Holy Train West Station before ten o’clock.

He and Lov were familiar with the place.

Lov had dressed him up, but today he was not wearing the White Knights’ armor.

Instead, he was wearing the Black Knights’ armor of Saint Louis, which had been awarded to him by the commander-in-chief of the Knight Order yesterday.

Because it was a uniform issued to him when he was promoted to vice-commander of the Saint Louis Black Knights.

They arrived at the station at eight-fifty in the morning.

It was almost an hour early to enter the station, but he had never expected it.

In this mission, which had less than twenty people, he was still the last to arrive.

Then he greeted Himan, who had also arrived early.

He found that Himan was wearing an elegant light purple long dress that matched her tall figure.

She had also specifically changed into a Saint Louis gauze dress and was wearing six or seven-centimeter pure white high heels.

She was almost as tall as Hall.

“Did you put on makeup this morning?”

“Mm, yes. How does it look?”

“It’s alright. It is a little different from usual.”

Himan didn’t usually wear much makeup.

Hall knew this.

“Does it look good?”

“…It’s alright.”

Although Himan was indeed a beauty, he was used to seeing her.

“What do you mean, ‘it’s alright’? Hall, what do you think compared to… to Ye Wangxue?”

“About the same.”

“What do you mean, ‘about the same’?”

Himan was a little dissatisfied with this answer.

She had gotten up very early and had even gone to the most popular makeup artist in Saint Louis.

“But Hall is a ‘Mr. Almost.’ There are many others.”

“The Young Master said ‘almost the same,’ so it’s very good. Lov, Himan was planning to keep pestering him. Before, she might have provoked a fight over these things.”

“Good morning, Viscount Hall.” Christine came at the right time and waved at the two of them.

At this moment, everyone in the VIP area of the station looked over.

“Good morning, Saintess Candidate Christine.”

“Mm, good morning, Christine.” Hall smiled slightly.

He had not forgotten that when he was focusing on the Saintess route, the Saint Gregory faction also showed no signs of trouble.

“Almost the same means almost bad, Miss Himan.” Hall was amused and quickly helped her out.

But the most important thing now was not Miss Himan.

The two of them had both dressed up specially for Christine.

“That doesn’t represent the White Knights greeting Her Majesty of Cateline, does it?”

It represented not only the White Knights, but also the Papal State itself.

Himan answered Christine.

The significance of her trip was far more than that.

“Oh, I see. Then the White Knights didn’t wear their armor, did they?”

She looked at them with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Viscount Hall, you, who clearly represent the Black Knights, both of you agreed in advance not to wear armor, didn’t you?”

“How could that be? We just simply feel that as representatives of the Papal State, wearing black armor and the White Knights’ uniform would be too ostentatious. If it were too formal, it wouldn’t be very good.”

Hall shrugged and said.

“What’s more, Miss Himan is also very beautiful today. But Miss Himan, are you greeting Her Majesty the Empress this time?”

It also represented their Von Braun family. If they were too formal, it wouldn’t be very good.

Hall, Viscount Hall, you clearly represent the Black Knights. You all agreed in advance not to wear armor, didn’t you?

The question hung in the air.

But actually, Hall knew that talking to them would easily lead to trouble.

But Hall looked at the people in the VIP waiting area.

He knew most of them from his game memories.

“It’s ridiculous that among these twenty people, there’s an diplomat who specialized in running errands for Saint Gregory in the game. It’s completely unlike an official visit. They’re just pushing the exploration of the Demon God’s Labyrinth. Ten floors is not a problem.”

Hall muttered to himself.

Including Maria, Christine, and him, plus Lov and Himan, the total number of people was seventeen.

There were three deputy knight captains, and even Saint Gregory’s private soldiers who did dirty work.

It was truly an impressive mission.

This mission’s lineup, without considering the existence of a Demon God’s Labyrinth at level eighty.

This was a person from the ancient Kingdom of Elan, and also Saint Gregory’s.

According to the game’s background, he was born in an arena.

Before he was fifteen, he had fought beasts bare-handed.

This kind of s*ave, even if he won true freedom, was still a s*ave.

But Pinare was given to Saint Gregory by Saint Gregory.

Then he was given to Saint Gregory by Saint Gregory, and he was given a lot of resources.

His swordsmanship talent was a very high [S-], and his level cap was quite high.

In the plot, the boss would appear at level ninety-two.

Besides having very low sanctity, his attribute evaluation was [S-], and his constitution was also [A].

This kind of ancient Elan person would usually work as a border guard for the ancient Kingdom of Elan.

His growth could almost be compared to Sergei, the acting vice-captain of the Black Knights.

However, what made Hall feel even more troublesome were Saint Gregory’s private soldiers.

Every time they went on a mission, they would carry precious and ancient weapons from their clan.

“Arjo died last time. Was he brought back as a fighter?”

Hall couldn’t help but guess.

Before he returned to Saint Louis, he had thought that Arjo’s death would cause a huge stir.

But Saint Gregory’s reaction was calm.

He couldn’t even see any related reports in the newspapers.

But Pinare just sat on this train.

His expression was calm when he met Hall’s gaze.

This guy, who had at least stained himself with hundreds of lives, was very calm.

Hall planned to guard against him.

When Christine took the Saintess route in the game, the Saint Gregory faction was one of the biggest obstacles.

Soon, after some pleasantries, the group saw the Holy Train, covered in a layer of magic crystal armor, enter the station.

Then, before ten o’clock, they all boarded this Holy Train, which had a total of eight carriages and was heading north.

And after this train departed.

Pinare, sitting alone in the last carriage, took out an old pocket watch from his sleeve.

“There are eight hours until the operation begins.”