Chapter 256: Innocent Singer
Annottales.
The first city district.
This is the oldest district of Annottales, where it was first established long ago and has been renovated numerous times.
It is also known as the Land of Dark Light. Only the clergy and nobility of the Dark Light Church, along with their servants, can reside in the first city district.
Without a doubt, the Land of Dark Light is the absolute heart of this city of hope.
In most cities of the Kingdom of Dark Light, the buildings are designed in a style that resembles modern Europe. However, in the Land of Dark Light, located in the first city district of Annottales, there are luxurious Western-style villas and mansions everywhere.
Here, the air is incredibly fresh, the ground is clean and tidy, and there are no street stalls commonly found in other districts. Moreover, the number of patrolling enforcers and knights has noticeably increased.
In a magnificent and dazzling mansion in the Land of Dark Light, a grand banquet was taking place.
The interior decoration of the mansion was glamorous and splendid, exuding an air of grandeur. Classical music filled the air, and elegantly dressed servants with tray in hand politely served fresh beverages, desserts, and fruits.
The waiter stood on the stage, performing a magic trick with playing cards. The young people below would occasionally clap and nod in admiration.
The Kingdom of Dark Light is unquestionably a religious nation. As the adopted daughter of the Incarnation of Dark Light, Her Highness Evie, she is essentially a princess in all but name.
Her birthday celebration would naturally be grand, with almost all important figures from various realms of the Kingdom of Dark Light attending.
Hundreds of people attended this fancy banquet, and those who had the privilege to attend were all important individuals in the Kingdom of Dark Light.
Their sequence should be ranked within the top four sequences at least.
In the Kingdom of Dark Light, a high-level priest like "Pastor" holds the rank of Sequence Three, while "Saints" hold the highest rank of Sequence One. The knights known as "Divine Blades" occupy a position between the two, belonging to Sequence Two.
In the Kingdom of Dark Light, people from high and low ranks have fundamental differences that can be seen in every aspect of their lives.
Many fancy places are inaccessible to people with low ranks, while many divine laws favor those with high ranks by giving them special treatment.
In the Kingdom of Dark Light, there are three ways for people to change the ranks assigned to them by the gods.
Either they can change their natural race, or they can be promoted within the Dark Light Church, or they can become nobles.
At the banquet, people gathered together in small groups, sipping red wine and exchanging smiles as they chatted.
"So, it turns out that the priest actually did care about this matter. I didn't expect it to become such a big deal."
"He was very concerned, to the point that he was losing his hair."
The important people were talking about various interesting things, and even if they didn't find them funny, they still put on fake smiles.
Surrounded by the most people, there stood Archbishop Hulse.
He was also known as...
"The Pupil of Dark Light."
The image of this saint was completely different from that of the Left Hand of Dark Light.
He was an overweight old man wearing a loose black suit, with a thick beard. His eyes looked very cloudy, and he didn't seem like a saint in the religious realm at all.
Among the numerous saints in the Dark Light Church, they either ruled over a province or considered themselves hermits who spent the whole year in seclusion for spiritual practice. Most of them rarely attended worldly banquets or engaged in ordinary affairs.
Hulse was an exception among exceptions.
As the current "Pupil of Dark Light", he had a special role in facilitating communication between the church and the ordinary people.
Every Pupil of Dark Light has been like this.
At this moment, Archbishop Hulse was happily talking and chatting with the people around him. They discussed trivial matters and his humorous words would occasionally cause laughter among them.
Even though he was already over seventy years old, the Pupil of Dark Light remained quite talkative.
"Chris of the Divine Blade has returned, hasn't he? Why can't we see him here?"
Chris is the leader of the Knights of the Divine Blade, and people call him the "creature created by the gods."
This man had a very bad relationship with the saints, especially with Hulse. They have already become enemies and would often mock each other in front of everyone.
"Hahaha! Even though he came back, he couldn't attend the celebration. Maybe he didn't receive Her Highness Evie's invitation."
"Ah, I see. So the leader of the Divine Blade knights only has a ranking of five, right?"
In the presence of many people, both men and women, everyone was trying to please Archbishop Hulse. They used all their abilities to flatter him, showing their intense desire for his approval.
Everyone knew that Archbishop Hulse was very rich. He was the wealthiest person in the entire country. Even a small investment from him could potentially change the future of a family.
"Archbishop Hulse, long time no see."
"You are still the same as before, full of energy and very talkative."
Several dukes of different races approached, respectfully greeting Archbishop Hulse.
The dukes and high priests were in the same hierarchy, both belonging to the third level of the hierarchy.
They were outside the structure of the Dark Light Church, the highest rank that people could achieve.
Among them, there was one person who caught Hulse's special attention.
That was a man in his middle age, with an ordinary appearance and calm eyes like still water - Duke Murray.
He had a special role in helping the church with its business dealings abroad, making him Hulse's most important ally.
Hulse handed the red wine he was holding to the waiter, then smiled and opened his arms to embrace Duke Murray. Among the crowd, he only embraced this person.
He patted his shoulder like a friend and said with a smiling face:
"Duke Murray, it's truly a joy to see you again. The church has recently discovered a brand new world, and we may consider sending people to spread the teachings of Dark Light. I'm sure you would be interested."
He turned his head to look at the others and exclaimed loudly:
"After all, when someone hears about the teachings and starts believing in Dark Light, they might be interested in trying the local specialties from our side. And the people from our side might also be curious about the specialties from their world. Duke Murray can help both sides fulfill their wishes!"
Everyone was very envious. Duke Murray was so lucky to be able to hold onto such a great job all the time.
Duke Murray calmly said, "Archbishop Hulse, are you referring to the world of Aliin? The Air Alliance actually discovered them first, and those naive folks must have already sent people to seize the resources. The Night Union's companies won't be far behind either... Our actions have been too slow."
Hulse let out a sigh and said,
"After all, "that person" is not interested in such matters. Oh dear, he only worries about the world's fate. He probably has no idea about our trivial issues. But in reality, for a country to function properly, resources are needed everywhere."
Hulse gently shook his head. When he mentioned "that person," he was referring to the spiritual leader of the church, the only one known as the Incarnation of Dark Light.
Duke Murray, with a calm expression, said earnestly:
"It's true, without 'that person', everyone would feel a lack of faith in their hearts, but without you, all the people in the country would go hungry."
Archbishop Hulse listened and burst into a hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! That's too much! That's too much! I'm not that amazing!"
Duke Murray's calm face brightened with a smile, then he suddenly asked, "By the way, why hasn't Her Highness Evie come out yet?"
"She?" Archbishop Hulse pondered after listening, lost in thought.
His impression of this girl wasn't very good.
After all, she was a famous girl known for her mood swings, and she was also very arrogant. Her words often embarrassed people.
Just then, they heard someone exclaim in surprise.
Duke Murray paused for a moment and said calmly.
"Look, it seems that Her Highness Evie has come out."
Archbishop Hulse and Duke Murray both turned their heads and looked towards the shimmering lights, where a woman dressed in a light-colored evening gown with golden trim stood at the center of everyone's attention.
She looked like an angel that had descended to earth, with fair and delicate skin as white as jade. Her sweet smile was intoxicating, and her short pink hair stood out in the light. Her beautiful pair of sparkling eyes were exceptionally lively and bright.
"God, oh how beautiful she is!"
"It's truly a masterpiece of the God!"
"It is our honor to meet Her Highness Evie!"
People are praising Annottales as the most beautiful girl.
It was not just flattery, but sincere admiration.
At the edge of the banquet, there was a man wearing a fitted black suit that made him look important. He patiently watched as the scene unfolded, waiting to get his meal.
"The aroma of foie gras is so strong, no matter how many times you smell it..."
Bai Yan quietly ate the foie gras, feeling sad that he couldn't indulge in excess like his character was supposed to. He had to chew slowly and savor every bite.
He gazed at the "Innocent Singer" who captured everyone's attention, and as expected, the real person looked much more beautiful than the pixelated illustration.
And sure enough, they were indeed sisters, their faces looking exactly the same.
Although the "Innocent Singer" was the only healer among the original characters of the Babel Tower, strangely enough, her chest was actually slightly smaller than that of her twin sister... He didn't understand why he was so concerned about such a thing.
Standing beside Bai Yan was his "old friend," Baroque, a senior priest of the Dark Light Church. Baroque was a middle-aged man with gray hair at his temples and a flat nose. His memories had already been altered.
He picked up the wine glass and said with a smile:
"Viscount Edmond, my dear friend, how are you? After laying eyes on her, do you think our Her Highness Evie is a perfect girl?"
Bai Yan, for a moment, didn't know how to express his thoughts.
The Innocent Singer was indeed very beautiful, undoubtedly the most beautiful girl out of ten thousand.
But he had indeed seen people who were no less outstanding than her.
So, if he were to say she was perfect, it would definitely be insincere.
"She is indeed very perfect."
And then Bai Yan felt compelled to lie, but lying didn't cost him anything anyway.
"Being able to see Her Highness Evie today is truly an extremely honorable thing for me, I am very thankful to you, Baroque," he said with a smile, trying to hide his true feelings.
Baroque chuckled and said, "We have been friends for a long time, please don't say such things."
He and Pastor both held the rank of senior priests, but in reality, his extraordinary power was only at the level of a Potential Crown. His spiritual plane was within the realm of the material world.
So poor Baroque was being toyed with by Bai Yan, completely unaware that his memories had been altered.
Bai Yan continued, "I'm just not sure if I'll have a chance to have a one-on-one conversation with Her Highness Evie."
Baroque immediately showed a worried expression, finding this situation to be very challenging.
"This, Edmond, may not be easy for you to achieve considering our backgrounds."
He actually wanted to say "considering your status," but he was afraid that his words would embarrass Viscount Edmond, so he added a clarification afterward.
Baroque continued to explain, "Her Highness Evie is the most beautiful gem of this city. Her position is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Some even wonder if she will become the youngest saint. That's why it's rare for ordinary people to have a chance to meet someone like her in private."
Baroque paused for a moment, revealing a smile that men understand very well.
"Edmond, I advise you to forget about her. Sooner or later, she will officially join the church, and romantic relationships like that are not possible for Her Highness Evie."
Bai Yan smiled slightly, he did have a way to have a private conversation with the esteemed Her Highness Evie.
Even to the point where she would come to him on her own.
Bai Yan had to follow the path through Evie in order to find the "key" to the Ultimate Ritual required for becoming a god.
If he remembered correctly, the "key" was actually hidden underground in the Temple of Dark Light.
And that large palace called the "Temple of Dark Light", which was the place where the Incarnation of Dark Light and the divine servants resided, it was almost impossible to infiltrate.
Only the Incarnation of Dark Light's adopted daughter, the Innocent Singer Evie, who also resided there, had the chance to secretly help him retrieve the "key".
--
The feast came to an end.
After returning to the temporary room inside the grand mansion, Evie sat silently in front of the dressing table. Her once radiant smile had completely vanished, replaced by an expression of arrogance and impatience.
The maids all felt very afraid of her and carefully helped the young girl remove her makeup, fearing that the "princess" might become angry.
The princess was known for her unpredictable moods, often getting angry for no reason. Sometimes, she would even violently lash out at her servants, causing them great pain. This was a well-known fact to everyone.
And she knew how to enjoy herself very well, always indulging in the pleasures of life every day. She was completely different from the other saints in the high ranks of the Dark Light Church who were accustomed to a life of austere devotion.
In conclusion, Evie's reputation has never been very good.
Evie looked at herself in the mirror and suddenly said, "It's really strange, why do I always feel like someone is touching my head lately..."
Kaluoer, is that how things are over there?
Evie took a deep breath and said, "Did you bring all the delicious food?"
The maids nodded and quickly brought many delicious dishes. Evie picked them up without showing any expression and enjoyed each one.
Just now at the banquet, she was talking and smiling the whole time, her face almost twitching from smiling so much, but she didn't even eat a single thing.
My stomach is so hungry!
Right at that moment, her loyal maid entered and said:
"Your Highness, someone just delivered a message for you. They say there is something very important they need to discuss with you, hmm, and they would like to meet with you privately, just the two of you."
Evie asked casually, "Who is it?"
"Once upon a time, there was a young nobleman who had just arrived from a faraway place. His name was Edmond."
Evie stood frozen for a moment, then smirked and said, "Really? Just some countryside nobleman? Now every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks they can have a private audience with me, huh?"
"Let him go!"
She suddenly became angry and shouted impatiently.
This sudden shout startled all the other maids, and they trembled with fear.
Only the personal maid, who was already accustomed to such behavior, simply nodded and turned to leave. However, just before she walked away, she added one last thing.
"By the way, he said something about something related to 'Kaluoer'."
"Wait a moment!"
Evie stood up from her seat with wide-eyed astonishment.
Kaluoer! It's her! Is it really her?
