Jiang Lin’s appearance drew some attention.
It wasn't because he was particularly famous, but simply because his face was too striking. Several contestants waiting in line instinctively glanced over, their gazes lingering for a moment on his flawless face before shifting away.
The three elves behind him also caused a brief stir.
While there were elves in the Royal Capital, they were relatively few in number; seeing one or two on the street was usually considered a rarity. Seeing three pop up at once, each more beautiful than the last, was indeed a rare sight.
However, the citizens of the Royal Capital were well-traveled and knowledgeable, so they didn't make a big fuss. A few young contestants cast curious glances before looking away to continue their own business.
Jiang Lin walked up to the registration desk, picked up a quill, and wrote down his name and academy. The staff member took the sign-in book, verified the entry, nodded, and then pulled a wooden plaque from the drawing box to hand to him.
“Ring 17, the first match the day after tomorrow in the morning. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Jiang Lin took the plaque and tucked it away before walking out of the registration office.
“Registration’s done. What’s next?” Fenrir caught up, carrying his greatsword. “Should we look for a place to stay? Or wander around?”
“Let’s look around first. I’ll show you the Royal Capital of our human kingdom.”
Jiang Lin led the three through the crowds at the edge of the arena and headed toward the central commercial district of the Royal Capital along the main street.
The scale of the commercial district here far surpassed that of Clearwater City.
The streets were wide and straight, lined with shops on both sides whose signs were gilded by the morning sun. Steam rose from breakfast stalls at the alley entrances; the wheaty aroma of baked flatbreads, the savory scent of meat broth, and the sweetness of freshly baked bread intertwined in the air, forming a tantalizing draft that piqued everyone’s appetite.
Fenrir’s feet almost instinctively veered toward the nearest roast meat stall.
The stall owner was a middle-aged man wearing a greasy apron. The meat skewers on the iron skewers sizzled over the charcoal fire, and oil dripped into the embers, sending up small sparks.
“Boss, twenty skewers!”
“Coming right up!”
A moment later, Fenrir was clutching a large handful of skewers, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster hoarding food.
Alicia watched his unrefined behavior and let out a silent sigh, yet she still quietly bought a small bag of roasted chestnuts, holding them in her hands and peeling them slowly.
Elune was drawn to a stall selling sugar painting by the roadside.
The old artisan held a copper ladle, his wrist turning lightly as the scalding syrup traced the shapes of birds, fish, and flowers on the iron plate.
She stood before the stall for a long time, only realizing she had lingered too long when the artisan looked up and smiled at her.
She bought a sugar butterfly and held it carefully between her fingers. Once the syrup solidified, it was as thin as a cicada’s wing, and the morning light refracted through the amber sugar coating, creating a seven-colored halo.
She looked at it for a while before extending the tip of her tongue to give it a light lick. The sweetness dissolved on her tongue, and her eyes curved slightly like two pale purple crescents.
The four of them strolled and shopped as noon approached. They eventually found an elegant little restaurant in a quiet alley.
The storefront wasn't large, but it was kept very clean.
Fenrir found himself in a bind facing the menu, as he hadn't heard of any of the strange and exotic dish names. In the end, he simply said to the owner:
“Just bring out one of every best meat dish you have.”
Looking at Fenrir ordering food, Jiang Lin smiled, but he felt as if he had forgotten something.
He began to search his memory.
It seemed that whenever he came to a restaurant like this to order, he would always order a grilled fish.
Right, speaking of grilled fish...
Where was Little Black?!
At that thought, Jiang Lin’s eyes widened.
Yeah, where was Little Black?!!
Sensing Jiang Lin’s abnormality, Elune looked over in confusion.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Little Black...”
“Little Black?” Elune blinked. “That black cat?”
As she said this, she also froze.
Originally, Jiang Lin had drifted over from the East Continent together with Little Black. But now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Little Black since they left...
“We left in such a hurry... I think we forgot it!!”
The air at the table stagnated for a moment.
Fenrir, who had a rib in his mouth, stopped chewing, and grease dripped from his chin onto the plate. Alicia’s fingers also stopped peeling chestnuts; she looked up at Jiang Lin with an indescribable expression.
“Did we... leave Little Black behind in the West Continent?” Alicia confirmed.
“...Yeah.”
Fenrir’s expression was complicated. “Teacher Jiang Lin, you even brought the three of us back, so how could you forget that cat?”
“I was in a hurry to return to the East Continent, so it really didn't cross my mind.”
Jiang Lin was silent for a moment before adding, “Besides, during that time, that fellow was often out wandering on its own and spent less and less time with me, so I didn't realize it wasn't there.”
Elune took a small sip of tea and didn't speak. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
With that cat’s survival skills, nothing should happen to it even if it stayed in the West Continent. But... Jiang Lin would have to go back to the West Continent to pick it up. That meant Jiang Lin would have another chance to return to the West Continent with her!
This was a good thing!!
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, in the West Continent.
Silver Moon Kingdom, Silver Moon City.
Little Black’s mood was not beautiful.
It crouched on a branch of the ancient oak tree at the entrance of Silver Moon Academy, its amber cat eyes half-squinted. Its tail flicked back and forth behind it, signaling its current state of extreme displeasure.
When Jiang Lin left with those three elves, it had been on the windowsill of the Silver Moon Academy kitchen, enjoying a fried fish it had just swiped. It had been so busy eating that it hadn't noticed Jiang Lin and the others leaving.
By the time it had licked its paws clean and leisurely strolled to the academy gate, the four of them were long gone.
It waited for a full day.
Then two days.
Then three days.
Finally, it confirmed one thing: that bastard Jiang Lin had forgotten it!!
It was a dignified evil god. A veteran stray cat who had lived for countless years, who had been beaten alongside Jiang Lin in Boulder City, frozen on Frostbloom Peak, and drifted across the Endless Sea.
What kind of storms had it not seen? But being forgotten in the West Continent by its own Pope was a first.
“Meow-dammit...”
It cursed in a low voice, its tone carrying a restraint and helplessness unique to those who had seen much of the world. “I am an evil god after all. Even if I’m currently inhabiting a cat, I shouldn't be this lacking in presence.”
It jumped down from the branch and strolled leisurely toward the exit of the academy along the tree-lined path, deciding to find some food in Silver Moon City first before contemplating the next step of its cat life.
It had been to the commercial streets of Silver Moon City a few times and was quite familiar with the terrain. It skillfully circled to the back of a grilled fish shop and crouched at the kitchen door, watching the kitchen maid who was preparing ingredients with its amber eyes.
The kitchen maid was a young elf. When she looked down and saw the black cat, she was stunned for a moment. Then, she recognized it as the cat that had been following that golden-haired human recently.
“Oh, why are you here alone? Where is your master?”
Little Black flicked its tail and didn't answer. Of course, it couldn't answer in Elvish, but it watched the maid with its amber eyes, sitting in a posture somewhere between helpless and elegant, the tip of its tail lightly tapping the ground.
The kitchen maid hesitated for a moment before finally cutting a small piece of grilled fish from the cutting board and crouching down to place it before the cat.
Little Black finished eating elegantly, licked its paws, and then walked away without looking back.
In the days that followed, Little Black’s routine became extremely regular. During the day, it wandered the streets of Silver Moon City, basked in the sun, teased pigeons, and occasionally went to the academy to listen to a few classes.
It found that the things those elven tutors taught were actually quite interesting. Although as an evil god, it didn't need to listen at all, pretending to listen intently allowed it to score snacks from the students.
In the evening, it would punctually appear at the back door of that grilled fish shop, waiting for the maid to feed it.
Speaking of which, Jiang Lin should have reached the East Continent by now. It wondered if he had realized he had left it behind. But given that guy’s personality, even if he did find out, he would probably just say something like, “Forget it, I’ll go pick it up next time.”
At that thought, Little Black’s mood became less than beautiful again.
But on second thought, the West Continent was quite nice. The climate was pleasant, the food was exquisite, and the elves were generally friendly toward cats—unlike certain human brats who would throw stones at a black cat on sight.
Perhaps this was the arrangement of fate, allowing it to spend its cat life on this ancient and elegant continent.
...
Back in the Royal Capital of the distant East Continent, at the table of that small restaurant.
“Forget it, what’s done is done. Let’s eat first. I’ll go pick it up next time. Once my rank is a few tiers higher, I should be able to cross the Endless Sea much faster.”
The others looked at each other and felt that being anxious wouldn't help now, so they might as well eat.
The food arrived faster than expected.
The owner first brought out a large platter of fragrant grilled ribs. The surface of the ribs was brushed with a layer of amber honey glaze, glistening enticingly under the sunlight. Following closely behind were a tender oxtail soup, grilled fish sprinkled with herb crumbs, a dish of chilled seasonal vegetables in fruit vinegar, and a large bowl of steaming cream of mushroom soup.
Fenrir was the first to pick up his knife and fork. The meal was enjoyed by all.
When paying the bill, Jiang Lin discovered that this meal was actually quite a bit cheaper than the three rooms from last night.
At this moment, Jiang Lin remembered that the last time he had eaten in the Royal Capital was with Big Guy and the others he had met while on an apostle of god mission in Emerald City. Big Guy had said he spent most of his time in the Royal Capital and had even left him an address, telling him to definitely look him up for a drink when he came to the city.
He hadn't seen the man in a long time, so he could go pay a visit during this trip. He rummaged through his spatial ring for a while and finally found that slip of paper, already creased, among the pile of cluttered items. A charcoal note on it recorded an address: No. 17 Oak Street, East District.
It was already afternoon when they stepped out of the restaurant. The sunlight was much softer than in the morning, and the wind carried a hint of winter’s chill. There were fewer pedestrians on the street than in the morning, and the sycamore trees lining the stone road had lost almost all their leaves, their bare branches tracing sparse lines in the pale gold sunlight.
“Are we still looking around this afternoon?” Alicia asked. “Or should we find a place to stay first?”
Jiang Lin thought for a moment and was about to answer when he suddenly remembered something.
After completing the Demon Lord Trial quest previously, he still hadn't claimed the rewards given by the God of Holy Light. The opportunities for exclusive holy art comprehension, talent awakening, and the apostle advancement assessment were still sitting in his quest list.
Although a series of events following his emergency departure from the demon territory had prevented him from attending to this, since he was now in the Royal Capital, the Royal Temple was the largest and highest-specification temple in the entire Saintas Kingdom. It was the perfect place to claim his rewards.
“I need to go to the Temple. I haven't claimed the rewards for some previous quests yet,” he said. “Then we’ll find a place to settle down.”
“The Temple?” Fenrir shouldered his greatsword, curiously eyeing the highest dome among the white stone buildings in the distance. “The place where the seven righteous gods of your human race are enshrined?”
“Yes.”
“Can we go in?” Elune asked softly. “Are elves allowed too?”
“The Temple itself is open to all races. The Statue Hall allows anyone to enter and pray.” He paused. “But you can just wait for me in the hall; it won't take long.”
The group walked along the main street toward the Temple in the center of the Royal Capital. The Temple was located in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Royal Palace, and occupied an entire block. The white stone walls shimmered with a warm glow in the winter sun, and the massive Saint Brilliance emblem above the main entrance shone brilliantly against the deep blue sky.
As they drew closer, the magnificence of the structure became even more apparent. The main entrance was carved from a single block of white marble, and six stone statues of sword-wielding paladins stood on either side of the porch. Each was three stories high, and every plate of their armor and every fuller on their blades were carved in exquisite detail. Pale blue magic crystals were embedded in the eyes of the statues, flickering with a faint light in the sun as if they might come to life at any moment.
Even Fenrir, who had seen countless exquisite elven buildings in the Silver Moon Kingdom, couldn't help but let out a low exclamation of praise. “Your human temple... is indeed built with quite some grandeur.”
A middle-aged deacon wearing a white holy robe with gold trim stepped forward. His gaze swept over Jiang Lin and landed on the inconspicuous silver badge on his chest, and his attitude immediately became a bit more respectful. “Lord Paladin, how may I be of service?”
“I need to use the Statue Hall to claim rewards bestowed by divine grace.”
The deacon’s expression grew even more solemn as he stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation. “Please follow me, sir.”
Jiang Lin turned back to the three elves. “Wait for me in the hall for a moment.”
He followed the deacon through a long corridor and into the Statue Hall. Seven statues were bathed in the light filtering through the stained-glass windows of the dome. Jiang Lin sat cross-legged before the statue of the God of Holy Light, closed his eyes, and sank his mind into the apostle park within his body.
A gentle yet vast consciousness enveloped him.
In the next moment, he “saw” the line of text condensed from holy light.
【Quest “Abyss Corridor Invasion” completed】
【Distributing rewards: holy light origin (massive)】
A surge of holy light energy, so pure it was hard to describe, gushed out from the depths of the mark like a warm golden river. It flowed slowly through his body, soaking his meridians, tempering his flesh, and strengthening his bones. He could feel his magic essence becoming more condensed, and within the golden glow, faint silver patterns began to emerge.
...
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