Camille had never approved of Natasha and Lucian's scheme to probe Saer de's reaction, feeling it was far too hasty. They should have waited until Natasha had gathered a solid base of loyal noble supporters before doing something that could easily infuriate the Church. But she rarely opposed Natasha's decisions, and she did her best to conceal the traces of their confirmed relationship.
Now, her stern and rigid face wore a slightly puzzled expression: "The Cathedral of Radiance sent a secret letter, reminding you that your overtures toward pro-Arcane Parliament nobles need to have limits. You shouldn't visit the Royal Arcane Tower of Holm too often, lest the majority of devout and loyal nobles be disappointed."
"That's all?" Natasha raised her right eyebrow. The reaction itself wasn't problematic—but the problem was that it was too conventional, revealing nothing of Saer de's true intentions.
She too felt Lucian's proposal was somewhat risky, but she understood that without crossing the line just a little, nothing around her would ever change. In a world where both the Arcane Parliament and the Church existed, all nobles would choose to wait and watch rather than blindly pledge allegiance. The current situation was like a stagnant pond—if they didn't stir it, they'd never get the support they wanted.
Camille maintained her slightly puzzled expression: "Also, they encourage you to turn Lucian Evans. By whatever means, whether through temptation or tenderness—if you can make Lucian Evans defect from the Arcane Parliament, join the Tribunal, and become a high-ranking member of the Night Watch, that would be the greatest merit. The Church will give you full support and rewards."
A quasi-Grand Archanist, a genius mage regarded as the Arcane Parliament's future—if he truly developed feelings for a devout believer, such encouragement did seem like the Church's natural response.
"This reaction is a bit odd." Natasha paced back and forth, unable to fathom what Saer de truly meant. Did he genuinely believe in her devotion, thinking he could lure Lucian over through their relationship? Or was he simply finding a convenient excuse to sweep the matter under the rug?
"That old fox's mind is really hard to read..." Natasha's left hand unconsciously rose to touch her communication earring, wanting to discuss things with Lucian. But she immediately remembered he had probably already returned to Alingne, so she stopped herself to avoid revealing the purpose of their probe.
Her slender, strong fingers slid past the earring and accidentally touched her earlobe. Natasha suddenly remembered how Lucian cherished "it," and a faint smile curved her lips while her eyes softened with warmth.
Camille turned to look out the window, seemingly unable to bear witnessing such a blissful expression. Only after a few seconds, when Natasha snapped back to her senses, did she continue: "Saer de's reaction has some issues, but it's still within reason. However, I don't recommend you continue probing like this. Be careful you don't play with fire. This kind of thing must be handled with extreme caution. Sometimes it's better to wait for changes to unfold."
"Auntie Camille, I understand. The most important thing right now is still to strengthen my own abilities and strive to master the
After Camille closed the palace doors, Natasha stood behind the desk, picked up her Feather Pen, took two deep breaths, and began writing words:
"Guardian, mercy, justice, compassion, courage..."
Word by word, the ideals of knighthood flowed from her pen. What started as smooth and sweeping script grew increasingly halting, as though she were interrogating her own heart, her faith, her path.
Gradually, the words Natasha wrote narrowed to a single focus, leaving only "Guardian" and "Courage." And the strokes grew clear, carrying an implicit firmness.
Through this process, Natasha sorted through her long accumulation of experiences, her recent confusions, the dawn she now glimpsed after confirming her feelings, and the ideas Lucian had gradually instilled in her. Slowly, she found the wellspring of her knightly spirit and faith: protection of those she loved, her family, and her people; courage against enemies, conspiracies, and killing.
"Perhaps this is my Lord."
Natasha set down the Feather Pen and looked at the page full of "Guardian" and "Courage," feeling a sense of clarity—as though the dust of her heart had been wiped away. Her past confusions and hesitations had not been entirely dispelled, but she believed that with time, she would eventually find her way out of this quagmire.
That would be the day she advanced to rank eight and took up the Sword of Truth.
That would be the day she would no longer need, as she did now, to activate the defensive Divine Arts formations in Nexes Palace's core area before daring to probe Saer de, or to stay by Lucian's side and use his "Ring of Congers" to mask their activities.
Natasha stretched her body and felt a long-absent battle lust stir within her. She picked up Pale Justice, opened the palace doors, and headed for the specially reinforced "Knight's Corridor," eager to channel her inner joy through combat.
…………
At Duke Furenburg's residence.
The conservative nobles who had been waiting for a long time saw Duke
Duke Rex sat on the sofa, his back ramrod straight, and frowned slightly: "Saint Saer de reminded Her Majesty the Queen not to visit the Royal Arcane Tower of Holm too frequently. Her overtures toward pro-Arcane Parliament nobles need to have limits."
"Just a reminder?" the white-haired Count Barady said, greatly disappointed.
Duke Rex flicked his deep crimson velvet coat: "He also encouraged Her Majesty to use various means to tempt Lucian into betraying the Arcane Parliament."
"Isn't that just feeding the lamb to the tiger?" Duke York said angrily.
In his view, Lucian would sooner or later become a Grand Archanist, a legendary mage, and enter the Arcane Parliament's Supreme Council. Even accounting for mages' long lifespans—
Did they really have to wait until Her Majesty was thoroughly ensnared before resorting to radical measures?
Duke Rex shook his head: "Saint Saer de fears that radical measures in this situation would only make Her Majesty rebel further, pushing her closer to the pro-Arcane Parliament nobles."
Duke York was a black-haired Great Knight in his thirties, unable to match the old men's patience. He couldn't help but stand up and pace anxiously: "Are we just going to let things develop on their own? Her Majesty's leanings are already nearly clear—balanced but favoring the Arcane Parliament. And many nobles on our side aren't firm. They're accustomed to following the crown and their own lords. It's foreseeable that many will gradually drift toward James, Russell, and Haisong. The balance of power will flip within the next year. We need to prepare early."