The dispute had dissipated, signaling the end of this Witcher disaster. Raymond stood outside the chapel, looking at the light sphere in his hand, its bright and pure liquid surface reflecting his face.

A cold breeze blew down Andrey’s hallway, causing ripples on the glowing surface of the light sphere.

"You have returned, Loveday." Behind a pillar, a gaunt figure materialized in the darkness, the Star Spirit, Loveday. He kneeled on the ground, with a dull body that made him look more like a zombie.

"I have returned, Bishop Raymond, I’m sorry it took some time."

Raymond looked at the Star Spirit’s body, its skin once again dimmed, the metallic armor enveloping the body also turned pitch black. "The corruption by the Void is greater than I imagined."

Loveday bowed his head, tilting the back high. "I used the Holy Light given by Lord Raymond for some other matters. It’s okay, the erosion by the Void is still slow, to this extent, I can bear it."

"I cannot bear it." Raymond stood in front of Loveday, looking at the Star Spirit’s hunched body, his bodily functions ruined and deformed, his joints bent, his spine arched. He could no longer hold his chest out, yet still stood about one and a half meters tall. "I cannot tolerate a warrior of light tainted with flaws." A radiance gathered in Raymond’s hands, a gentle light that made Loveday involuntarily close his eyes.

Mr. Raymond was a generous bishop, and his radiance was the fiercest Loveday had ever seen. Loveday thought with delight, lowering his head, waiting for Raymond’s grace.

"Loveday, do you want to learn how to cook?"

"???" The abrupt question made Loveday look at Raymond with confusion.

However, his answer confused Raymond as well.

"Bishop, what is cooking?"

"Cooking is... the act of processing food to facilitate consumption."

Loveday suddenly understood, his face serious as he earnestly answered the bishop’s questioning.

"I do not cook, Bishop. We do not need to learn how to cook, because our way of eating may not be what Lord Raymond thinks."

Amidst his astonishment, Raymond then remembered, the Star Spirit race did not have lips.

"Our skin can absorb liquid nutrients and secrete waste from bodily metabolisms. The digestive cells beneath the skin allow us to feed continuously. Every breath is a feeding."Loveday stretched out his palm, the three-fingered hand becoming ethereal in Raymond’s view.

"A cluster of energy?"

"Yes, my lord. Star Spirits are semi-energy beings. We can partially energize our bodies, merging with the energies we need, making absorption the most efficient way to feed. Even with material substances, we can extract the energy they carry, although at a much lower conversion rate."

Raymond concentrated a ball of Holy Light and handed it to Loveday.

"I understand, Holy Light is not only your faith but also the foundation of your existence."

"There’s no energy purer than Holy Light. High-ranking Templar Warriors can even assimilate the Holy Light created within to sustain themselves, achieving self-sufficiency or even immortality." Loveday devoured the Holy Light, a bright flow of Holy Energy travelling along his skin, illuminating his limbs one by one.

"Is this why you were exiled..."

"The Dark Exile, unable to produce Holy Light, would only become the army’s worm, contaminating the Star Spirits." Loveday answered gravely, the darkness in his words vanished tracelessly during Raymond’s first act of grace.

"Well, at least I know you are a qualified Light Chaser." Thank heavens, one less chef of Holy Light.

"To battle for your glory." Loveday replied with certainty, then sighed. "However, the strength of Bishop Raymond probably doesn’t need me much."

Raymond laughed, "No, I have a mission for you, my warrior. Do you know Lyle, or should I say, the Plague Doctor?"

"The Necromancer who follows you."

Raymond scanned Loveday, estimating his strength to be around the Fifth or Sixth Lock, which qualified him as a Legion Commander, an assassin type capable of infiltrating shadow. Probably an excellent Assassin and Protector, it was just uncertain whether he would be stronger or weaker than an Inquisitor Knight.

"Lyle is a Purifier, the future of Holy Light. Don’t be surprised, your mission is to protect him from the shadows. If possible, try not to appear before him; he needs trials to grow. And I can’t always be there to guard him, lest it sets off some people’s nerves."

"Your will."

Andrey’s Witcher’s Plague came to an end, along with the execution committee’s bundling away of cart after cart of literary society members.

The instigator, Mr. Loveday, had just finished the party at Naslan.

With the ghost maid’s diligent work, food was carted from the kitchen to the dining tables. The second miss regaining her appetite was a big deal for the servants; the whole of Naslan plunged into festivity.

Although, beneath pairs of cold eyes, only four beings (beings?) were eating.

Loveday was the first to fall, possessing only a human’s stomach, he was cradled and tossed onto the bed by Mr. Ernest.

The second was Beatrice, perhaps because she had often shown off in front of her sister, and now Alianna crazily competed with her in a drinking contest. The disguise of hungering flesh and the vampire’s appetite made it a quick decision.

"Don’t stop me! I still have to manage the bar!" After bellowing at Helena’s statue for a few times, she stumbled and fell asleep in the ghost maid’s arms, never to wake up again.

Alianna and Nia started a big eater’s competition, although it quickly changed.

"Nia, here’s something tasty for you!"

"Ah~ Ow-woo." Alianna kept feeding Nia, while Nia herself was still stuffing food into her mouth.

In the end, Alianna laughed last.

Stretching her limbs, Alianna revealed a smile, touching the forehead of the ghost maid who was clearing up the mess, "You all worked hard today; tonight’s work might surpass what you’ve done in an entire year."

"Anna, everyone is happy that you can eat again." A gentle whisper came from the beautiful stone sculpture in the main seat.

"Sister." Alianna touched the statue’s arm, pressing her forehead against the cold stone surface.

The statue let out a seductive giggle, causing a momentary loss in Alianna’s gaze.

"It’s like the old Anna has come back."

Alianna sat crouching on the ground, an arm resting on the statue’s thigh, her eyes like moonlight on a lake. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"You’ll come back too, sister. Our promise, we’d share everything, whatever I have, you should have too... Loveday definitely has a way, to make you like me."

"I... I am the Soul Reaver, Anna."

"Loveday isn’t just any Spirit Summoner, sister," Alianna’s eyes housed stars, "I believe he can help you."

The statue’s voice paused for a while, then the playful tone reappeared.

"Yes, he’s indeed extraordinary. He’s Andrey’s history’s most truant Spirit Summoning Apprentice."

"But also the one with the most potential." In the dim light, both sisters let out pleasant laughter.

The Spirit Summoner with high expectations lay on his bed, his mind groggy.

Loveday felt as though his brain was definitely mixed with the alcohol, hearing everything in a blur.

Crack.

A clear sound emerged in his mind.

The only clear sound.

The sound of bone growing.