Assimilation

Era of Order, Year 1138.

"Please hold on, ma'am," the guard at the gate intercepted the travel-worn Luo Lun and said, "Ma'am, if you wish to enter the academy, please show your identification."

"Uh..."

Luo Lun's fingers instinctively reached into the inner pocket of her cloak, only to realize that she had no identification to show.

The last time she entered the academy, Mida had flown them in from above, and the academy's defensive barrier had simply opened for them.

"What about the giant gentleman from before? He should still recognize me..." Luo Lun asked the guard.

When she left the school, she had chatted with that giant for a bit. He was quite friendly and accommodating.

If it were him, he would probably let her in.

"You mean Mr. Andor? He was injured in battle during the previous attack on the academy by the Twilight Apostles, so the headmaster told him to rest for a few days... Because of that, the screening process for entering and exiting Olifendo has become much stricter lately. Alright, ma'am, please show your identification, or we cannot let you into the academy."

The guard's gaze toward Luo Lun grew increasingly vigilant, and his hand quietly tightened around his staff.

If it weren't for the fact that she really didn't look like a bad person, he probably would have already called his companions to surround Luo Lun.

Luo Lun never expected to find herself in such an awkward predicament.

To think that the dignified leader of the Blood Covenant was actually stuck at the front gate, unable to enter a school...

She could, of course, use some unconventional methods to get in, but she really didn't dare take the risk. Olifendo's detection arrays were not just for show; if she were discovered and things blew up, it would be extremely troublesome.

"Please... help me notify someone..." Luo Lun said, biting the bullet.

She didn't have to wait too long before Liana came galloping over in a carriage pulled by an earth dragon.

After explaining the situation to the guard, Liana brought her inside.

"Have Mr. Xia Lun and the others returned?" On the way, Luo Lun looked at the academy buildings speeding past the window and asked Liana.

"Yeah, they're back," Liana replied without looking back as she drove the carriage from the front.

Luo Lun felt a massive headache coming on.

She originally wanted to resolve the matter and rush back before Xia Lun and the others returned... but she ended up getting caught by those guys instead.

At this moment, Luo Lun felt like a child who had failed to clean the house before her parents came home and was caught red-handed.

Luo Lun took a deep breath.

With the earth dragon's speed, they quickly arrived back at the manor.

Aina was sitting on the sofa, holding a steaming cup of floral tea, looking just like an ordinary housewife. Xia Lun, meanwhile, was leaning against a nearby bookshelf, flipping through a poetry collection.

"I have something to say."

Upon seeing Aina, before the latter even had time to speak, Luo Lun said with a solemn expression.

Xia Lun and Aina exchanged a glance.

Luo Lun quickly recounted everything—how she had taken on a mission these past few days, how she was captured, and the conversation she had overheard between the Twilight Apostles.

"The Holy Sword? Those guys are looking for that?" Xia Lun looked slightly surprised. "Logically speaking, I am the only one who can use the Holy Sword. What do they want with it?"

"Xia Lun, you are no longer the Hero blessed by the Goddess. Logically speaking, you shouldn't be able to use it either," Aina reminded him.

"Oh, really?" Xia Lun didn't seem to care much.

"Now that you have a new sword, you just abandon the old one... Xia Lun, I didn't expect you to have such a talent for casting things aside after you've had your fun." Aina narrowed her eyes, her fingertips lightly tracing the rim of her teacup.

"Of course not, I actually still like that sword a lot," Xia Lun hurriedly explained.

"Is it because it was a gift from the Goddess? Is that why you care so much?" Aina's eyes narrowed into slits, her gaze becoming even more dangerous, and the smile on her lips grew even brighter.

Xia Lun: ...

What a troublesome woman.

A good sorting out tonight would fix this.

"However, that Holy Sword is not in my hands right now," Xia Lun said to Luo Lun, pulling the topic back on track. "The Holy Sword was lost a long time ago."

"I'm sorry... for causing you trouble." Luo Lun lowered her head slightly, feeling somewhat ashamed. To escape, she had directly used Xia Lun as a decoy.

"There is nothing to apologize for. I actually hope they do come knocking on our door." Xia Lun's gaze was gentle, carrying a comforting power. "Ensuring your own safety is the most important thing."

Luo Lun remained silent, a hint of gratitude showing in her eyes.

Xia Lun turned his head again and looked at his wife.

"What are you looking at?" Aina's tone rose.

Xia Lun smoothly replied, "I was just admiring why my star is so dazzling today, to the point of making the sunlight outside the window pale in comparison."

Aina was slightly taken aback. "Xia Lun, you can actually say something like that?"

"Just learned it." Xia Lun slowly closed the poetry collection in his hand.

Aina chided playfully, "So unserious."

As husband and wife, Aina could guess what Xia Lun was thinking with just a single look.

"I don't have a clue about the Holy Sword's whereabouts either. The thing seems to have vanished out of thin air." Aina's tone also revealed a bit of confusion. "Perhaps it was sealed away by someone."

"Still, it's a miracle those guys actually just let you go like that." Liana crossed her arms, leaning against the sofa in a casual and uninhibited manner, and sighed. "Who knows what those lunatics might do."

"Actually... I think they are quite normal." Luo Lun pondered for a moment, recalling Ovia, the leader who had a somewhat scholarly air in her speech. "I feel like it's still possible to communicate with them."

"Hey! No way, Luo Lun, have you been brainwashed by those guys? You can't have thoughts like that." Liana's eyes widened. "They are cultists! You haven't had deep contact with them, so you don't know, but those guys' minds have been completely assimilated by the Evil God. They are nothing like us!"

Liana felt very strongly about this. After all, a thousand years ago, she had faced an Evil God directly and had even shot an arrow at it.

Just this one feat was enough for her to brag about in taverns for a lifetime.

"Yeah, those guys are so bad." Mo Lini nodded in agreement. "They tore down my house!"

Tearing down houses...

Luo Lun thought about it and realized she seemed to have torn down quite a few houses herself.

First, she fell straight from the sky and smashed Liana's house. Then, she caused a ruckus at the Norman family's manor, smashing through several layers of ceilings.

No, that didn't seem to be the main point.

"Even though they act normal, their souls have already been completely twisted." Liana warned Luo Lun solemnly. "You absolutely must not truly believe their words."

Luo Lun was not someone without a sense of propriety: "I know, I will be careful."