Chapter 102: She’s Still Sleeping

“Then I’ll be off, Baron Hall. You must come. Her Majesty said she has important matters to discuss with you.”

Tarasha didn’t see Hall reply, but she wasn’t in a hurry to press him.

In her eyes, Hall was now a high-quality man.

Besides, how could she, someone who worked in intelligence, not understand?

Leticia liked Hall and would surely invite him.

January 1st was an important day.

For the people of the Western Continent, New Year’s Eve was very important.

Because the Holy Light Era began on January 1st, and it was on this day that the Hero killed the Demon God, becoming the most powerful race on the Western Continent.

When the clock struck from December 31st of the previous year to January 1st of the next.

The seven Saintess Candidates would gather in Saint Louis.

In the Saint Michael’s Cathedral in the center of Saint Louis, under the witness of the seven cardinals and the other six cardinals, they would bestow blessings upon the entire city, praying for and protecting the nation’s fortune for the coming year.

The night would be as bright as day for a moment, and a holy halo would spread with the flapping of the white doves from the various cathedrals in Saint Louis, filling every corner of the city with that light.

This would also be a crucial point for Saint Louis’s household registration.

Every year, one could receive a blessing at least once, and the ones performing this blessing were either the Saintess herself or the seven Saintess Candidates.

In terms of scale and effect, it was a rare opportunity that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

Besides, that moment was also extremely beautiful.

Many couples would choose to confess their feelings and spend a wonderful time together on this night, the sense of ceremony was maxed out.

On a day like this, it was perfectly normal for boys and girls who liked each other to invite each other.

So Tarasha wasn’t in a hurry.

She was waiting for Hall to make a choice.

And in any case, Hall couldn’t refuse Sophia’s invitation.

Hall had to attend the banquet that day.

Because she had specifically waited at the entrance of the swordsmanship academy until Himan finished school, first explaining the stakes to Himan, and then asking Himan to relay the message for her.

Himan was someone who paid great attention to noble rules and etiquette.

As his cousin, she certainly wouldn’t want Hall to refuse the invitation of a monarch.

So now, Himan was on her and Sophia’s side.

Even if Hall had promised to accept Leticia’s or another girl’s invitation, he would have to weigh his options.

So she seemed to be giving Hall a lot of face.

After speaking, she left unhurriedly.

In the classroom now, besides Himan and Hall, there were only a few scattered students left.

Nowadays, most students were envious and jealous of Hall, and some would specifically try to curry favor with him.

After all, both Lenny and the young master of the Howard family had fallen, and Hall had been received by the Empress of Cateline.

And the western border of the Papal State bordered the Bal Empire, as well as Cateline and the ancient Kingdom of Elan.

If Hall’s relationship with the Empress of Cateline was good, he might be able to control the military power in the west of the Papal State in the future, responsible for mediating between the three countries.

Or rather, currently, the one who was not interested in the western lands was the Kingdom of Cateline, but the Kingdom of Cateline held the great weapon of the Winter Saintess bloodline.

The Papal State could, through Hall, persuade the Kingdom of Cateline to send troops together.

Furthermore, on the night the Empress of Cateline came to Saint Louis, Cardinal Russell had summoned all the children who were close to Hall for a meeting.

Anyone with a bit of political insight could read the hidden meaning in this.

Hall might be one of the children chosen by the Russell family.

No matter how you put it, as long as Hall didn’t court death in the future, it would be no problem for him to have a smooth sailing career in the Papal State’s political and military circles.

But, for most people, the problem also came.

How to get close to Hall.

As everyone knew, Hall only paid attention to beauties.

For the past three years, Hall’s reputation had been terrible.

He was constantly being attacked, but he was too lazy to bother with them.

Now they wouldn’t dare to attack Hall.

If they took the initiative to talk to Hall, he would either be perfunctory or treat them as air.

Not to mention those who had a small grudge against Hall.

The matter of Lenny’s father creating the noble alliance was being spread more and more ridiculously on campus.

Some said Hall had cut off Lenny’s thigh, and Lenny’s father had found a doctor to reattach it.

Others said that Hall had a murderous look on his face at the time and was about to cripple the young master of the Howard family as well.

There were even some who said that Hall had originally wanted to kill Lenny with one sword strike, and it was Ye Wangxue who pulled him back.

In short, those who had a grudge against Hall were now avoiding him.

Afraid of becoming the next unlucky one.

“What are you thinking, Hall? Are you going to refuse Her Majesty of Cateline’s invitation?”

Himan had not left yet.

She didn’t know why she asked this, but she was very concerned.

She added, “Did anyone else invite you?”

“Not yet.”

Hall held back.

He felt he would be hard-pressed to be in two places at once on the 31st, but according to the timeline, he could go to the Xia embassy in advance and then leave on some pretext when the banquet started.

After the banquet, he could go to Childland in District Twelve to find Leticia.

That should be fine.

If he was found out, he would just say he had been invited by Leticia and Ye Wangxue.

“No? I think the Seventh Princess hasn’t been in a good mood these past few days. Leticia is very likely to invite you. I hope you can handle it properly, Hall.”

“I know.”

The black-haired youth nodded.

But he found that Himan did not leave immediately.

She stood beside him, looking at him, wanting to say something but hesitating.

“Is there anything else? I’m going home soon. The final exams are on January 5th, right?”

Hall packed his things and was about to leave with his bag.

Her Majesty of Cateline’s banquet would probably last until past ten o’clock, maybe even eleven, or even after the turn of the hour.

“I know, but there’s no problem with leaving halfway, right?”

Hall said so.

Himan was stunned for a moment, then said, “Technically, there’s no problem.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Are you busy that night?”

“Yes, isn’t there a farewell party for Her Majesty of Cateline?”

He thought to himself that Himan was just going in circles.

But he also felt that something Himan would go in circles about must be extremely important.

Should he not listen?

If he didn’t listen, it would be as if nothing had happened.

Hall was contemplating the possibility of seeing Ye Wangxue, Sophia, and Leticia in one night.

He had no time to spare for anything else.

Moreover, in the game, some of the more important time points, such as New Year’s Eve on January 1st, and Saint Valentine’s Day on February 14th.

Were all high-risk times for Hall’s death.

At such a dangerous time, if Himan gave him another high-risk side quest, wouldn’t he be super-duper screwed?

But on second thought, if the mission Himan gave him could let him temporarily slip out of Saint Louis and see no one, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

So he said, “Himan, what is it? Just say it directly.”

But the white-stockinged female knight’s next words left him speechless.

“If the farewell party ends early and you still have time, I want to take you somewhere that night…”

“What?”

“To your aunt’s grave.”

Hall was stunned for a moment.

Only eight words remained in his mind.

This is a tough one, time to run.

After thinking for a long time in the classroom, Hall still couldn’t figure out why Himan wanted to take him to his mother’s grave on New Year’s Eve.

But that place was indeed one of the most common places to be stabbed in the entire game.

In Himan’s route, if the player, after recruiting Hall, had him replenish magic with the recruited secondary female characters every day, and did not use Hall in battle, not letting him level up.

And according to the game’s setting, if a character did not participate in battle or training for a long time, their level and stats would actually decrease over time.

Then when the difference between Hall’s game level and his pre-decrease level was greater than five, there was a chance that one day he would be called to Mrs. Faxtius’s grave by Himan.

At first, the player would just think that Himan was inviting Hall to pay respects to Mrs. Faxtius together.

But Himan would directly stab Hall in front of Mrs. Faxtius’s grave.

At that time, the player would usually be stunned.

Because the initial strategy on the forums was that the more times Hall replenished magic with the heroines of each route, the more likely he was to be stabbed.

This group of players had originally thought that by not letting Hall replenish magic with the heroines, only with supporting characters, and to minimize Hall’s interaction with heroine-type characters, they would basically not let him participate in battle training.

This was to gradually turn Hall into a magic replenishment tool, but triggering this plot where Himan stabbed Hall left the player completely dumbfounded.

There were also other routes where he was stabbed at his mother’s grave, and most of the time it was very nonsensical.

Of course, he would also find time to offer a bouquet of flowers every year, but with Himan, it was better to forget it.

“I might not have time. If I have time, I’ll consider it, Himan.”

First, he had to stabilize the situation.

Leave some room for maneuver.

“Alright. Are you still reading those books?”

Himan was still thinking about what had happened in front of the middle school library a few days ago.

“Yes, why not?”

Hall thought that by saying this, Himan might voluntarily give up the invitation.

“It’s useless for you to read those things! Do you really think that Leticia, Christine, and the others, and all those outstanding girls, are the same as in the books? That kind of awkward conquest method is completely useless!”

Himan emphasized.

“Did you misunderstand something?”

This time, the black-haired youth became serious.

“Mm?”

Himan, wearing a school uniform skirt and white stockings, raised her eyebrows.

She thought to herself that he had finally decided to explain to her.

If he had a reason that could convince her, then she would forgive him.

“I don’t read those books to conquer girls. The heroines in the books are different from Leticia and the others. Isn’t that an obvious fact?”

‘It’s a good thing you know that. So why on earth are you reading those books?’

“I like to read them.”

Hall answered immediately.

“?”

“I was lying to you that day, Himan. Actually, I really like to read this type of romance novel.”

“?!!!”

The girl took a step back, a little unable to accept it.

Himan, as a woman, didn’t even like to read these.

How could Hall like to read them?

“You’re lying to me again!”

“I’m not lying to you.”

Hall looked at the agitated Himan and thought to himself that her agitation meant she was eighty percent convinced.

The best way to keep a distance, as proven by Ye Wangxue.

Just being a scumbag wasn’t enough.

You had to be a bit of a pervert too.

Himan left in a huff.

Hall didn’t pay much attention.

He was still thinking about whether to run away quickly or go to the various places one by one.

And so he returned to the Faxtius estate.

A day passed.

On the morning of December 30th.

Hall hadn’t figured out a plan.

He had brought Leticia’s and Ye Wangxue’s invitation letters home.

After repeatedly looking at them, Leticia’s letter indeed only said she wanted to spend New Year’s Eve with him.

Ye Wangxue’s time was also at eight o’clock that evening.

As for the farewell party, it was the kind where it didn’t matter if you were there when it started.

“Young Master, do you have any invitations for tomorrow night?”

“Yes, I have three invitations now.”

Hall didn’t hold much back from Lov.

He told her about Leticia’s, Ye Wangxue’s, and Himan’s, and also Sophia’s invitations.

“Oh, I see. It is indeed difficult, but it’s not without a solution, Young Master.”

Lov suggested, “Young Master, the decision is ultimately in your hands. No one can force you if you don’t want to go. If you don’t go, it’s actually fine.”

“It’s very much not fine.”

Hall really wanted to say that.

But Lov continued, “However, it’s best to either not go at all, or go to all of them. But does the Young Master have a reason to refuse all of them that night? If it’s just studying, or practicing swordsmanship, it’s definitely not possible.”

“Lov, you’re right.”

Hall felt that Lov’s thoughts were highly consistent with his.

Either go to all of them, or go to none.

“But in reality, Young Master can only choose to go. If you don’t go, Miss Himan will definitely nag you again.”

Hall really wanted to say that was true.

He definitely couldn’t skip Sophia’s farewell party.

But then Lov said.

“However, there is actually a situation where Young Master doesn’t have to go, and that is if Young Master is sick. But that’s not very good…”

“That makes sense, Lov.”

A word that woke him from his dream.

If he was sick, wouldn’t he not have to go?

After all, if he didn’t handle tomorrow night well.

It would be much more serious than being sick.

“Hiss!”

The time was the morning of the third day.

December 31st.

Hall had taken a cold shower in the snow yesterday and then slept without a blanket at night.

When he woke up, he was completely fine, alive and kicking.

He remembered that he had an A+ constitution.

The definition of an A+ constitution could basically be understood as that he was immune to any disease that could be explained by basic biology.

After coming to his senses, Hall had thought of cutting himself with a knife, but if the wound was too big, it would be overdoing it.

If the wound was too small, the healing power in his body could quickly repair it.

Besides, Christine would definitely attend Sophia’s farewell party.

No matter what, a small injury couldn’t make him absent.

Silently accepting the inescapable reality.

He began to make a time management plan.

But on this morning, Lorraine came back to the Faxtius estate for the holidays.

He had thought that Lorraine would suggest he spend the evening with her, but to his surprise, after seeing him when she came home, Lorraine just greeted him a few times and then hid in her room, doing who knows what.

And at this moment, there was someone else who was busy.

It was Mandosha Flower.

The Salvation Church also had the custom of celebrating the New Year.

They called this day the beginning of darkness.

Although they took it very seriously, they did not celebrate.

As a member of the Salvation Church, December 31st was a day of fasting.

But this rule only applied to the grassroots members.

Mandosha Flower usually did not follow the rules.

On December 31st, she ate whatever she wanted.

What’s more, she had a guest to receive.

“I heard the Red Queen came to Saint Louis a few days ago?”

Underground street, District Eleven.

Mandosha Flower was sitting in the private room on the second floor of the small restaurant where she had eaten with Hall last time.

But now, the person opposite her was not Hall, but a woman dressed entirely in black.

The woman’s face was somewhat demonic and gorgeous.

Her ears were as pointed as the Red Queen’s, and her skin was so pale it was as if she hadn’t seen the sun in countless years.

She had a different kind of beauty.

Anyone with a little experience would think she was not human.

“She came. She had something to do. You guys are very well-informed.”

“Naturally. Although we are in a remote corner, Her Majesty the Empress’s eyes are all over the continent. There are many more of my kin like me. You don’t need to be surprised.”

“I’m not that surprised. Do you vampires care so much about the Red Queen?”

“To privately bestow the blood of our noble vampires upon a human is a taboo. She should be brought back to the clan to accept the empress’s judgment.”

“I guess your empress doesn’t want her, right? Besides, our Salvation Church will not allow a Sage to be handed over so easily. We are not like the vampire race, who are born with powerful magic talent and constitution. A Sage who can learn ninth-tier magic is very precious to us, you know, Parousia.”

Mandosha Flower said casually.

The vampire woman, called Parousia, just held the wine glass with her pale, slender hand.

“A vampire who can learn ninth-tier magic is also very precious.”

“Then the Red Queen shouldn’t die even more. We are partners now, right? The Sage behind you should be specially responsible for liaising with human forces. She sent you thousands of miles to Saint Louis to contact me, without being noticed by the Church at all. She must have paid a considerable price.”

Mandosha Flower’s words made the vampire viscountess Parousia very difficult.

She felt that this Sage of the Salvation Church was indeed as shrewd as the rumors said, and even had some understanding of the methods vampires used to avoid the Church’s eyes and enter Saint Louis.

This person…

Was she really around twenty years old?

A human of around twenty should not have this level of strength and experience at the same time.

“I’m just a viscountess. For someone like me, who is in the middle of the clan, to enter Saint Louis, the price is the smallest. Otherwise, the one talking to you now would be my Prince.”

You can’t lose momentum in a negotiation.

Parousia hardened a bit.

Then she returned to the main topic, “We can talk about the ‘Red Queen’ in the future.”

“The matter we want to talk about this time is that the Church seems to be doing something in the Demon God’s Labyrinth. If the Church successfully reaches the one hundredth floor and collects all the keys, and opens the door to the bottom of the Demon God’s Abyss, something very terrifying will happen. Your Salvation Church will surely be destroyed.”

“Your Empress is also very afraid, isn’t she? But I can’t interfere in the Demon God’s Abyss Labyrinth.”

Mandosha Flower continued, “On the contrary, can your Empress observe the abnormalities in the Demon God’s Labyrinth from this far away?”

“We can only roughly sense it, we don’t know the specific situation. But our most crucial thing right now is to find someone.”

“Who?”

Mandosha Flower’s eyes changed.

A rose-like gold seemed to be flowing in the depths of her pupils.

“It’s hard to say who exactly. We’re not sure either. But he must be a human, and he has the following characteristics.”

Parousia at this moment took out a scroll from her magnificent cleavage.

The scroll had no words on it when it was spread out.

Only when she bit her lip and dripped vampire blood onto the paper did words appear.

First, this person is very likely a human male.

Second, this person carries the aura of the Demon God.

Third, this person may have already learned the Demon God’s sword technique.

Fourth, this person’s talents in all aspects must be top-notch.

Fifth, this person has been to the western Demon Lord domain for at least a period of time in the past.

Sixth, this person is very likely in Saint Louis right now. If not in Saint Louis, then he must be in the Papal State, because this person has recently entered the Demon God’s Abyss and has come into contact with the Demon God’s Spring at least once.

“Isn’t that the same as saying nothing? Or is it that Viscountess Parousia suspects that this person is within my jurisdiction?”

Mandosha Flower’s meaning was self-evident.

Parousia immediately nodded.

She knew very well.

Just the fact that this person carried the aura of the Demon God was enough to narrow down the scope.

The aura of the Demon God and the holy aura of the Holy Church were mutually exclusive.

If someone carried it, it would be very easy for some specialists in the Judgment Bureau who were specifically responsible for arresting heretics who delved into the power of the Demon God to discover it.

On the contrary, within the Salvation Church, there was a mix of good and bad, and a large number of personnel who had learned heretical arts and were mutually exclusive with the holy aura.

The reason her Prince had chosen to have her contact Mandosha Flower first was because the scope was almost locked down to this area.

They had to find this person who might have been chosen by the princess as a contractor as soon as possible.

But the secret about the princess’s contract could not be told to the Salvation Church.

It was something that could drive people mad.

For this reason, when the princess first escaped, she had even been killed by the Demon Lord of the northern Demon Lord domain.

“Then I’ll look for him?”

Mandosha Flower thought for a moment, “But there should be a reward for helping someone find someone, right?”

“Miss Mandosha Flower, feel free to name your price. The Prince’s offer is a legendary-grade weapon of your choice.”

This price was very high, especially for the Salvation Church.

“Add another twenty thousand gold coins.”

Mandosha Flower said faintly.

“That… alright. Although it’s a bit of a stretch, I will go back and ask the Prince for instructions later.”

Parousia was afraid that Mandosha Flower would hold the person hostage after finding them.

She understood that the Salvation Church needed operating funds.

“Mm, please rest assured. I will do my best. Then when does Miss Parousia plan to go back?”

“In a few days. Since I’m here in Saint Louis, I have to bring back some useful things.”

Three in the afternoon.

Hall was preparing to go out after being tidied up by Lov.

But before he went out, Lorraine brought him a cup of black tea.

And said, “Brother, are you going out? Drink this to warm yourself up.”

“Alright.”

If it were before, he definitely wouldn’t have dared to accept it.

But with the experience from last time, he knew he could resist it with his divinity.

And the weather was so cold.

As long as no woman stripped naked to tempt him, the drug’s effect would not activate.

Then he took it and drank it all in one go.

The taste was very normal.

“Mm, brother, was it good?”

“It was alright.”

Hall faintly felt a wave of heat rising in his body, but it was no problem, he could suppress it.

Ordinary succubus material, not very effective.

“Oh, then brother, you can go now.”

Now Hall was completely at ease.

Because if Lorraine had given him a strong drug, she definitely wouldn’t let another girl benefit.

This time it was probably because she had failed last time, so she was testing him, right?

He just had to pretend he didn’t know.

So Hall set off.

And Lorraine watched his back, standing in the light snow and muttering.

“Brother does seem to have a very high divinity. So this time, I added something extracted from the monster crystal core from last time…”

Soon, Hall, who didn’t feel anything wrong, arrived at the embassy.

But he was told by Uncle Zhou.

“Prince Consort Hall, isn’t the appointed time at eight in the evening?”

“The princess is currently taking a nap.”