Chapter 58: An Unexpected Alliance

“Mr. Eden, Mr. Qing Yu, it’s been far too long since we last met!” Roalsa, laughing heartily, spread her arms wide and strode towards Qing Yu and the others.

Upon reaching them, she immediately enveloped Eden in a warm embrace. When it was Qing Yu’s turn, he deftly dodged, slipping behind Aldoran.

“Miss Roalsa, perhaps that won’t be necessary.”

“Honestly, Qing Yu, why are you so cold? My heart is practically shattering!”

Despite her playful complaint, Roalsa smiled, lowered her hands, and flicked some dust from her ribbon.

She then proceeded to shake hands with Aldoran and the rest of the group.

“I truly didn’t expect to find you all here.”

“Indeed, we’re here for a visit,” Eden replied, offering Roalsa a Golden Apple.

“Hello, Miss Roalsa.”

“Oh my! A Golden Apple! How delightful! Thank you so much!” Roalsa accepted it without hesitation, taking a large bite out of the apple.

“Miss Roalsa, weren’t you supposed to report the news from the town to the Imperial Palace?” Qing Yu asked, a curious glint in his eyes upon seeing her.

“Why are you suddenly here now?”

“The message has been delivered,” she explained.

“The Imperial Palace stated they would dispatch people for an on-site investigation and would inform me once there was any news, instructing me to remain on standby.”

“Since I happened to be idle in the city, I decided to help a friend with a case investigation.”

“Do you know them, Roalsa?”

Just then, the golden-haired woman approached, stopping beside Roalsa and surveying the group.

Her gaze lingered notably longer on Qing Yu and Aldoran.

“Yes, they are my friends,” Roalsa confirmed.

“We met about two months ago. This is Qing Yu, this is Aldoran, and this is…”

Roalsa took the woman’s hand and introduced everyone to her.

The woman nodded, bowing slightly towards the group with a faint smile gracing her lips.

Her smile was subtle, imbued with a gentle, almost maternal affection, as if she were looking at children.

“My name is Olivia,” she announced, “Leader of the Star-Shine Knights.”

“So it was you!”

No sooner had Olivia finished her introduction than Qing Yu clapped his hands and exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention.

“No, no, it’s not like that,” he quickly clarified, a blush creeping up his neck.

“It’s just that I happened to see a bounty posted under the name ‘Olivia’ when I was taking on a quest in Nibelungen.”

Qing Yu seemed unaccustomed to being the center of attention, his gaze darting away.

Olivia, in particular, fixed her eyes on Qing Yu’s face, her gaze unwavering, as if intent on staring his very soul out of him, making him profoundly uncomfortable.

For some inexplicable reason, time seemed to halt in that instant.

Everyone fell silent, and even the air itself appeared to thicken, holding its breath.

“Excuse me, are you Qing Yu?”

After a long pause, Olivia leaned closer to Qing Yu and inquired.

Now, the others were even more perplexed; why would this woman named Olivia know Qing Yu?

Roalsa gazed at Olivia with an expression of utter disbelief.

Thrud’s eyes widened as she stared at Qing Yu, her mouth forming a perfect ‘O’.

Liliya, meanwhile, covered her mouth, secretly chuckling, as if anticipating a good show.

Only Eden remained unfazed, cradling a slime he had just retrieved from the Ocean Slime breeding area in one arm.

With his other hand, he munched on a Golden Apple, alternating his gaze between Qing Yu’s group and Roalsa’s pair.

“Y-yes, that’s right,” Qing Yu stammered, his mind racing to recall this woman named Olivia.

“Is there something I can help you with? Have we met before?”

No matter how hard he tried, Qing Yu couldn’t remember ever encountering this woman named Olivia.

“Excuse me, are you…”

Aldoran was equally bewildered.

She glanced at Qing Yu, who merely shrugged and mirrored her puzzled expression.

Qing Yu had been summoned from the branches and leaves of the World Tree.

From the very moment of his birth, Aldoran had used her divine authority to monitor him daily: his schooling, his meals, his baths.

She could even precisely state how many erotic novels Qing Yu had read, what genres he preferred, and where he most often hid his books.

Aldoran knew exactly when and how often Qing Yu ‘generated power himself’—every detail was clear to her.

One could even say Aldoran understood Qing Yu better than his own parents.

Moreover, Qing Yu had only lived in Midgard for a few months, and during that entire time, Aldoran had remained constantly by his side.

Qing Yu had never left her for even a single step, always staying close.

It should have been utterly impossible for this Midgardian woman named Olivia to know Qing Yu.

‘Could Olivia have somehow cuckolded her by getting involved with Qing Yu in her absence?’

‘Or perhaps, during that wedding banquet, she had forced Qing Yu when he was away?’

‘If that were truly the case, the sin of defiling a goddess would be unforgivable…’

With these thoughts, Aldoran couldn’t help but scrutinize Olivia more intently.

Noticing a subtle shift in Aldoran’s demeanor, Qing Yu gently patted her shoulder.

“Aldoran, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, don’t worry.”

“I was also a guest at your wedding,” Olivia quickly interjected, sensing the tension.

“Perhaps because of the sheer number of people that day, you both didn’t notice me.”

Seeing Aldoran’s scrutinizing gaze, Olivia hastened to explain.

“I also had the honor of sharing a drink with Lady Aldoran that day,” she continued.

“It was then that I learned the names of both you and Lord Qing Yu. However, I departed halfway through the banquet.”

Aldoran pondered for a moment, still unable to recall the woman before her.

She surmised it was likely due to the multitude of nobles who had approached her for drinks that day, causing her to overlook Olivia.

Nevertheless, Aldoran’s gaze remained wary.

“Wait, wait, Lady Aldoran, Lord Qing Yu?” Roalsa interjected, utterly bewildered.

“Olivia, what are you talking about?”

She had assumed Qing Yu and his companions were merely ordinary people, but Olivia’s words suggested a much more noble status for Qing Yu and Aldoran.

“That’s right, Lady Aldoran and Lord Qing Yu are, er…”

The quick-tongued Thrud nearly blurted out the truth, but Qing Yu swiftly clapped a hand over her mouth.

He then shot a meaningful glance at Olivia.

Aldoran had repeatedly warned them not to casually reveal their identities, as she disliked the feeling of being scrutinized by too many people.

“What’s going on? Qing Yu and Aldoran, you two—” Roalsa tilted her head, looking utterly perplexed.

“No, no, it’s just that Qing Yu and I have known each other for a very long time,” Olivia said, nodding, having deduced the situation from Qing Yu’s actions and expression.

“Perhaps I’ve changed so much that he didn’t recognize me today.”

“Old friends?” Roalsa still harbored doubts.

Olivia was thirty-two, yet Qing Yu appeared to be only in his teens; how could they possibly be old friends?

Liliya and Thrud also wore skeptical expressions.

Just as Thrud was about to speak again, Eden stuffed a slime into her mouth, causing her to emit muffled “woo-woo” sounds as the slime wriggled incessantly.

“That’s right,” Olivia chuckled, her smile as warm as summer sunlight.

“You could say I was like an older sister from next door; Qing Yu lived right beside my house when he was a child, and we were very good friends.”

“That’s why I made a special trip to his wedding, where I had the pleasure of meeting Lady Aldoran.”

“So, Lady Aldoran is—”

“Lady Aldoran is a noble, so as Lady Aldoran’s wife, it’s only proper that I address Qing Yu as Lord Qing Yu.”

“I see, well, that explains it then.”

Though a lingering sense of doubt remained, Roalsa reasoned that Olivia and Qing Yu were good people.

Even if there were some hidden circumstances, it was their private affair, and she decided to let it be.

Roalsa, however, was not one for excessive formalities.

Given their casual address during their journey to Alastor, she didn’t take these new titles to heart, still considering them her good friends.

“Then please, everyone, continue your tour,” she said.

“Olivia and I still have some matters to attend to.”

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, a knight emerged, tapped Roalsa on the shoulder, and whispered something into her ear.

Roalsa then looked up, preparing to return to the breeding area.

“Excuse me, Big Sister Roalsa, could you let us go inside and take a look?”

Just as the two groups were preparing to part ways, Eden, still munching on his apple, spoke up.

He tugged at Roalsa’s skirt, gazing up at the woman who towered over him by two heads.

Eden’s eyes fluttered, his golden pupils like the midday sun, shimmering with tiny glints of moisture under the bright light.

His snow-white hair further enhanced his appearance, lending him an aura of sanctity.

Even Roalsa, renowned for her eloquence, found her tongue somewhat tied at that moment.

“You truly are adorable, Eden,” Olivia interjected, coming to Roalsa’s rescue.

“However, let us handle this matter. It’s hardly Roalsa’s style to send cute, delicate boys into danger.”

She gently pushed Eden’s hand away, offering him a warm smile.

For men without magic circuits, attempting to apprehend a band of vicious mountain bandits would be tantamount to suicide.

This was especially true for someone like Eden, who appeared even more delicate than an average man, seemingly ready to topple with a mere gust of wind.

Unless, of course, it was someone like Qing Yu, a deity chosen by the Mark of Destiny.

“It’s fine, really,” Eden insisted, refusing to give up, and once more grasped Roalsa’s skirt.

“Won’t Big Sister Roalsa and Big Sister Olivia be there to protect me?”

“This isn’t a game, Eden,” Olivia continued to persuade him.

“If something goes wrong, it could cost you your life.”

Even Roalsa, having collected her thoughts, began to advise him.

“That’s right, Eden,” Roalsa added.

“If you truly wish to help us, then after we solve the case, how about you treat us to a table at the tavern?”

“But I just want to go and see with my two big sisters~”

Eden’s voice sent a delightful shiver through Roalsa’s heart.

“Then, if I were to request to join, would that be permissible?” Aldoran interjected at that precise moment.

Both Olivia and Roalsa were taken aback, seemingly not expecting Aldoran to speak so suddenly.

Only Eden remained unaffected, looking at Aldoran with a grateful smile.

Aldoran, of course, had her own intentions behind her words.

“Perhaps I could be of some assistance to you both.”

“You all should continue to enjoy the sights of Alastor,” Roalsa said, waving her hand dismissively, a cheerful smile still gracing her lips.

“Leave the protection of the people to us.”

Olivia, likewise, had no desire to disturb these two deities chosen by destiny, and thus echoed Roalsa’s sentiment.

“It’s quite alright, really,” Qing Yu asserted.

“Aldoran, Thrud, and Liliya are all very strong individuals; we can certainly be of assistance.”

As he spoke, Qing Yu subtly winked at Liliya and Thrud.

Thrud confidently thumped her chest.

Liliya, however, appeared somewhat reluctant until Qing Yu leaned in and whispered that he would trade a hundred wild chickens for her cooperation, at which point she immediately beamed with joy and agreed.

“Hmm…”

Roalsa and Olivia still seemed hesitant, with Olivia, in particular, wearing a troubled expression.

“Please rest assured, we won’t hold any of you back,” Aldoran stated, turning to Roalsa.

“Miss Roalsa, you can attest to that, can’t you?”

Aldoran looked at Roalsa, her gaze seeking confirmation.

“Ah, yes, that’s true, your strength is considerable, but…”

“There are no ‘buts,’ Miss Roalsa,” Aldoran interrupted, stepping forward.

“We are all volunteering our help, and with our assistance, the case might be solved much faster.”

“At that point, it would benefit everyone: the city’s residents, travelers, the farms, and even yourselves, wouldn’t it?”

Aldoran advanced, speaking each word with deliberate clarity.

Indeed, Aldoran’s reasoning was impeccable, leaving virtually no room for argument.

Furthermore, since they were volunteering and the Knight Order was short-staffed, taking them along seemed perfectly acceptable.

After a moment of careful consideration, Roalsa and Olivia exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison, clearing a path for them.

“In that case, we gratefully accept your assistance.”