Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 196 - 183: The Cleansing of Holy Light

Returning to Cassandra was three days later, when they set foot again on this city adorned with clouds and black structures, inhaling the cold, damp air, the three of them relaxed considerably. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Lyle, William and I are heading back to the manor now, don’t forget to attend the banquet, you should receive an invitation tomorrow, and don’t worry about the attire, I’ll arrange everything," said Kevin with a looks of exhaustion on his face, reflecting the hardships of their journey. Especially for Kevin, an ordinary, fortunate noble’s son who had glimpsed the mystical, he’d begun to dip his toes into that enigmatic world, a threshold far higher for him than others. With a mortal’s body, he duped the divine.

After bidding them farewell, Lyle went to the security office to report the results of their commission to Mr. Gareth.

"You’ve worked hard, Little Butler," Mr. Gareth said, seemingly in a good mood. He even paused his work to hold a cup of tea and chat with Lyle.

"By the way, this is for you," Gareth said, pulling out an austere nanmu cross with peculiar light spots from his desk drawer.

"Miss Karen Pembai has resigned from her post as a sheriff, and there seems to be a big event brewing within the church. She entrusted me to give this to you."

The small cross, resting in Lyle’s palm, radiated a warm and soothing power.

"Miss Pembai’s intention seems to be that this cross is an invitation to some sort of grand ceremony, but she left in such a hurry that she didn’t make it clear, though it probably has something to do with your Purifier status," explained Mr. Gareth.

Thanking Mr. Gareth and tucking the cross away, Lyle returned to his cottage after ensuring there were no further arrangements.

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Lyle was the first to arrive at the Cup of Opulence, sitting alone on a velvet armchair in the main hall, across the table from the seat Alianna often chose, before the sun had set.

During the day, the Cup of Opulence was quiet, with the sunlight blocked by curtains, casting only a small patch of brightness on the beautiful marble floor. It made Lyle realize that despite the Cup of Opulence being dominated by the brilliance of crystal and colored glass at night, it scarcely received any direct sunlight, as if the sun was shunned.

Alianna was a Lich, as were Mr. Gentleman and Mr. Dragon, and this magnificent chamber was adorned with the wealth of the deceased, as was the whole of Andrei. A brief chill passed through his heart, but Lyle quickly dispelled it.

The folks at the Cup of Opulence and Andrei Academy showed kindness towards him, even if their methods were clumsy, tinted with the unique humor of the dead. Thinking back to the times he spoke with the members of Andrei, he finally grasped their subtle messages. A sense of belated humor echoed in his mind, as the corners of his mouth beneath the mask curled up involuntarily.

Lyle naturally leaned back in the soft chair, the magic of Andrei and the others’ kindness rendering his fear and discomfort towards death insignificant. He had long become part of Andrei, as a living person.

Besides, there was Alianna. The first time he saw her under the moonlight, the indelible memory of her singing voice, and the scenes at the Cup of Opulence all swirled in his mind, ending with the only glimpse of a pale blue flame in the darkness.

As night deepened, Mr. Dragon and Mr. Gentleman arrived at the chamber one after the other. Surprised to see Lyle there early, Mr. Dragon, a very busy man, made small talk and then excused himself. Mr. Gentleman sat on the balcony, picking up the flute he used as a Magic Wand, and began to play melancholy, lingering notes.

"Mr. Gentleman seems in fine spirits today," Lyle observed.

Hearing Lyle’s voice, Mr. Gentleman looked into the unseen distance, "This is a tune from my homeland."

"And Mr. Gentleman’s homeland is...?"

"Gone. Now, there is only a different city with the same name..."

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An entire evening’s wait, and by midnight, the Cup of Opulence still saw no sign of Alianna. He had indeed been too eager; she must still have been healing. He wondered how serious her injuries were—the mention of soul damage alone sounded quite dire.

Feeling powerless, Lyle even entertained the notion of praying to the deities before laughing off the absurd idea. But speaking of deities, that brought to mind the holy light.

It seemed he still had the chance to pray with Sister Aryan, and although the oppression in his heart had almost been smoothed out, Lyle decided to leave the Cup of Opulence. He did not want to be defeated by the secrets hidden within him. He was a human, whereas the people of Andrey were Liches.

Even though the howling of the night wind through the corridor, even though he knew that Andrey Castle was actually worse than a city of the dead, Lyle still maintained a peaceful state of mind.

Standing before the familiar white gate, which appeared to be newly replaced, even the wooden door itself seemed imbued with a warm force. Had Mr. Raymond blessed the door?

Lyle gently pushed open the door and quickly spotted the figure in prayer on the chapel bench, as well as Mr. Raymond at the lectern, making flash bombs.

"Plague Doctor!" Mr. Raymond noticed the visitor, got excited, and the golden sphere in his hand exploded, releasing a visible ripple of holy light that spread in every direction, turning all the touched matter golden.

Watching the scene, Lyle politely closed the door again.

"Come in and have a seat if you’re here," said a thick arm glittering with gold, grabbing the turning Lyle and "enthusiastically" "inviting" him in.

Lyle faced his pure and good-natured senior, and greeted him politely.

"Peace be with you, Mr. Raymond."

"Yes, yes, yes, Plague Doctor, have you finally decided to leave the darkness and come to the light? Come on, sign here, and you’ll be one of my people. From now on, at Andrei Academy, you hit whomever you want, I mean it, start over if the call wasn’t fervent enough!"

Lyle ducked the application form that was nearly stuck to his face, "Actually, I came to see Miss Aryan. I have some troubles I hope to share with her."

Raymond looked at Aryan, who was sitting as the Golden Knight.

"If it’s trouble, the nun is indeed better at soothing the soul than I am," Mr. Raymond specifically asked again, "Is it really a trouble that can’t be solved with force? Plague Doctor, you must know, force can resolve many things, and my force, it can eliminate a lot of the sources of your troubles."

"Mr. Raymond’s concern is appreciated." The source of my troubles is myself.

Raymond stepped back to show he would not interfere.

Aryan finished her prayers, patted the seat beside her, and invited Lyle to sit down. Blessings of holy light began to manifest on him, and regardless of their power, were quite suited to healing the mind with their soul-cleansing effect.

Lyle felt the warmth of the holy light, like a mixture of the gentle touch of the sun accompanied by a soft breeze.

"My trouble comes from my identity, as you know, Miss Aryan."