In the private residence in Maplewood Town, the kerosene lamp cast a warm glow across the wooden table.
The aroma of hot tea filled the room as Ansu, Freya, and Vera sat around the table, chatting about what had happened to them recently. The atmosphere was filled with a gentle warmth.
"So Sister Freya is homeless now? That's so pitiful..." Vera reached out to hold Freya's slightly cool hand after learning that her brother had burned down the other girl's home.
"But it's okay! Sister Freya has helped us so much, now it's our turn to help you!"
She gave a playful wink and flashed a bright smile. "From now on, we're family! No matter where my brother and I are, Sister Freya will always have a place to stay."
"Really?" Freya was slightly stunned, her pale gold eyes instinctively drifting toward Ansu.
To become part of the family.
To become Lord Ansu's family...
"Vera is right." Ansu nodded. Freya had indeed helped him a great deal, yet he had never given her anything in return, even if she didn't care about such things.
"Freya, don't be so polite, and don't treat us like outsiders!" Ansu said with a smile. "If you need anything, just ask."
"Alright..." Freya nodded instinctively, a warm current surging through her heart.
Lord Ansu is truly kind...
And his sister is wonderful too. Freya cast a grateful look toward Vera.
A flash of cunning crossed Vera's smile before she affectionately took Freya's arm like a close sister.
The plan was going perfectly!
She still remembered her little scheme from before. As long as she pulled Sister Freya to her side, it would be enough to counter that bad woman!
"Oh, right!" Freya remembered something and turned to Ansu. "Lord Ansu... do you know where Archbishop Paul is right now?"
Ansu frowned slightly, but before he could answer, Vera's eyes darted between the two with a subtle expression.
"Lord... Ansu?"
That honorific...
"Ah..." Freya realized her slip of the tongue and took a cautious peek at Ansu.
She had let her guard down around his sister and accidentally used that title to his face.
"I told you, you can just call me by my name." Ansu felt helpless. It had been so long, yet the little Holy Maiden still couldn't break the habit.
"Right..." Freya's cheeks flushed slightly. "An... Ansu."
Addressing Lord Ansu directly felt a bit unfamiliar.
Yet, for some reason, she felt as if the distance between them had closed a little.
Vera silently let go of Freya's arm, her gaze suspicious as she looked back and forth between the two.
Sister Freya's attitude toward her brother was truly strange. It felt like she was being a bit too respectful...
It seemed there were many stories between her brother and this Holy Maiden that she didn't know about.
Vera's gaze grew deeper.
She had to find an opportunity to have a good talk with Freya and pry some information out of her.
"Archbishop Paul is not in Benalu City at the moment." Ansu returned to the previous topic. "I've already had my men search the city. He isn't in the church prison, nor is he at the Benalu City demon hunter branch."
According to David's intelligence, shortly after the Pope died and Archbishop Paul left the city, Leonard had him detained.
"I suspect Leonard is keeping him close by." Ansu mused. For a heavyweight opponent like Archbishop Paul, Leonard likely kept him nearby for surveillance and control.
"Then he hasn't already done something to Archbishop Paul, has he?" Freya's voice was full of worry.
"Probably not." Ansu gave her a reassuring look. "Doing something to an archbishop would cause an uproar throughout the entire Church. For Leonard to do that would be career suicide. Don't worry, I've already sent people to track Leonard's movements. Once they're found, I'll tell you immediately."
"Alright..." Freya nodded, her eyes still filled with concern.
She paused for a moment, then asked, "What do we do next?"
"Get some rest." Ansu checked the time and smiled at the two of them. "Stay in town for the next few days. Before we leave, I still have one big matter to attend to."
Vera looked at Ansu curiously. "Brother, what big matter?"
"Dealing with an enemy." Ansu's gaze turned serious.
A heavyweight enemy.
Seeing that it was almost ten o'clock, Ansu instinctively reached into his pocket and stood up hurriedly.
"It's getting late. You two should go to sleep."
Once Ansu left, Freya and Vera exchanged a look, both confused by his rushed departure.
"It's so late. Is your brother going to meet someone?" Freya asked curiously.
Although Vera didn't know why her brother looked so hurried, she had seen him pull out a small, exquisite pendant before leaving and immediately realized what was happening.
"Hmph..." Her face clouded with annoyance. "Is he really going to spend the night chatting with her? Honestly..."
...
After leaving the room, Ansu walked quickly to the second-floor balcony. The night was thick, and a crescent moon hung in the dark sky.
He timed it perfectly, watching the watch hands hit exactly 22:00.
The Communication Amulet flickered slightly, and then a faint blue magical glow appeared before his eyes.
The witch's nightly routine check-in...
"Good evening..." Celia yawned. Seeing Ansu's face appear on time, a smile surfaced on her tired face.
"You've been staying up late studying magic again..." Ansu watched her helplessly.
"Oh, it's only for a few more days." Celia waved her hand dismissively. "Let me report my progress. The space barrier I can shape is getting larger and larger. I can already hide a tenth of the treasure. In another week..."
"No!" Celia looked deeply at Ansu, unable to wait any longer to reunite with him. "Five days! Give me five more days, and I'll definitely have it finished! Then I can come see you."
"There's plenty of time. You really don't need to push yourself like this." Ansu observed her fatigued face with concern. Even through the magical projection, the dark circles under her eyes were clearly visible.
"I'm not pushing myself. I've really been resting..." Seeing Ansu's expression grow increasingly dissatisfied, Celia knew she couldn't fool him, so she giggled and tried to change the subject.
"Oh, right... you've already picked up your sister from the city, haven't you?" She noticed Ansu's surroundings and realized he had arrived at Maplewood Town outside Benalu City.
Ansu nodded.
"Oh..." Celia suddenly asked, "You rescued Freya too, right?"
"I did." Ansu nodded again.
Celia's eyes flickered slightly. "So... have you settled them both in? Are they living with you?"
Ansu instinctively looked downstairs and answered truthfully, "Yes, they're settled. This is the house David and the others prepared. Maplewood Town is full of cult executors loyal to us, so it's very safe."
Celia curled her lip helplessly. "I'm asking you if you're staying in the same room as them!"
"Huh? Of course not..." Ansu quickly explained. "Vera and Freya are staying together. My room is upstairs from theirs, quite a distance away."
"Oh..." Celia stared deeply at Ansu, still seemingly a bit uneasy.
"How about this..." she asked with a smile. "Since she's staying on our cult's territory, wouldn't it be better if I, the mistress, met her in person?"
"After all, she is a guest of our cult. We should take good care of her to show our hospitality."
Ansu shook his head immediately. "That... let's not."
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