[Vol. 7] Chapter 166: Too Friendly, Way Too Friendly!
“Oh? That little girl’s got some skill. Watching her fight reminds me of an interesting old friend.”
In a secluded corner of the Azure Sky Kingdom’s team area, far from the battlefield and unnoticed by others, two young women were casually watching the rampaging monster in the arena.
Instead of showing any concern, they commented on the scene as if they were enjoying a show.
The green-haired girl sitting across from her only glanced at the eight-legged creature before shifting her gaze back to the priestess, who looked particularly amused.
She seemed to be deep in thought.
“It was you who guided them to this place, right?”
“Oh? You figured it out already? Sethlin, you really live up to your name~”
The goddess sighed helplessly.
“Splitting my focus to control a divine incarnation will never feel exactly the same as acting normally. Even though your skills in this area have improved tremendously, we’re sitting so close, it is normal for me to feel some clues."
Her eyes swept over the injured figures on the ground, people who had been trampled in the panic.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
“…Quite a few people got hurt.”
The priestess merely shrugged.
“Better than letting that thing run wild, right?”
In a crowded area like this, any battle was bound to affect innocent bystanders. In fact, she had already tried to pick the right moment before launching an attack.
Otherwise, the sheer impact of the monster’s descent would have crushed countless people on its own.
At least no one had actually died so far.
The unfortunate ones who got injured had merely been knocked over and trampled in the chaos, their panicked companions losing all sense of reason.
Honestly, if Sainz Academy couldn’t handle a crisis of this level, then Violet had serious doubts about their security, emergency response, and their ability to host the upcoming tournament.
If this was their limit, there were bound to be more casualties in the future.
Seeing the green-haired girl remain silent, her expression clouded with concern, the priestess shook her head with a sigh.
“No need to stress, Sethlin. You’re just too kind, you can’t even stand to see stray cats or dogs get hurt. Living like that must be exhausting.”
“We can’t protect mortals from everything. Just getting that thing out in the open was already a huge favor to them.”
“Besides, isn’t that how the story goes? We just need to believe in them! Look, a new hero has already stepped in to deal with the monster.”
Just then, a White-winged girl hurriedly ran toward them through the chaos.
"Her Divineness Sethlin! Over there, it looks like... Eh? Wait, isn’t that Violet? What are you doing on our side?"
"Yoho~ Long time no see, Sigrid! Even after all this time, you still feel just as... familiar as ever."
The priestess waved playfully, while the White-winged girl, who had short white hair tied into a side ponytail and looked around sixteen or seventeen, paused for a moment, scratching her head instinctively.
Her sharp eyes carried a natural mix of fierceness and cuteness, a trait that often made people wary of her.
"Familiar? That’s the first time I’ve heard someone say that. Normally, when people first meet me, they get startled and tell me not to look so fierce, or that I should act more gentle like a proper girl... And anyway, White-wings live for over a thousand years. It hasn’t even been that long since we last saw each other… wait... you’re not saying..."
As she noticed Violet’s gaze lingering suspiciously on her chest, which was almost completely flat under her formal dress, and even slightly smaller than Violet’s, Sigrid’s eyes widened in sudden realization, her face flushing with embarrassment and frustration.
So that’s what she meant by ‘familiar’?!
"Huh? I was just greeting you normally. Maybe you’re overthinking it~"
"Violet!!!"
But before Sigrid could explode at this shameless troublemaker, Sethlin sighed and waved her hand, cutting the conversation short.
"Alright, you two can catch up later. Go tell Hilda that the Winged people just need to maintain order in our own camp. The chaos over there, Sainz Academy will handle it themselves."
"Uh… Understood! I’ll take care of it right away!"
Clearly, Sigrid was well aware of a certain goddess’s true identity. Since it was a direct order, she didn’t dare to slack off.
She shot Violet one last fierce glare before hurrying off.
Among the Azure Sky Kingdom’s leaders, besides the hidden presence of Sethlin, the two officially in charge were Sigrid and Hilda, two of the [Four Wings].
The two had known each other for a long time, one excelling in combat, the other in strategy, making them a natural duo for working together.
Now that the unexpected visitor had left, the two powerhouses turned their attention back to the distant chaos.
It had to be said, Sainz Academy had put a lot of effort into security.
In just a short time, a large number of guards and rescue teams, all equipped with magical weapons and devices, had arrived from various locations. While the first responders held the monster at bay, the rescue teams focused on evacuating the crowd, especially those who had been injured in the panic and trampled during the chaos, moving them to receive emergency treatment.
Judging by how well-organized and calm they were, it was obvious that they had rehearsed situations like this many times before. They were a highly trained professional team.
But this wasn’t what Violet was focused on.
Aside from the Sainz Academy’s guards stationed at the banquet, there were two individuals who stood out as the main force holding back the monster.
One of them was the young woman who had been by Princess Carinvega’s side earlier, responsible for ensuring her safety. If Violet remembered correctly, the princess had secretly called her Gladys at the time.
When the incident occurred, Gladys had been in the Austre Empire's camp area. However, she had rushed out and joined the battle to help another girl, which meant their relationship was far from ordinary.
And that just so happened to confirm Violet’s suspicions.
Because the girl entangled with the monster, the one who had been caught in its attack and somehow became its target, was the same one who had secretly slipped a fake [Lion’s Ring] into Lenka’s pocket at the start of the banquet.
Her technique had been exceptionally skillful. Even the maid standing right next to Lenka, Mia, hadn’t noticed the ring being planted on her.
But no matter how smooth her trick was, she couldn’t possibly fool Violet, whose strength and perception were far beyond hers.
Xiao Guang had also vaguely noticed something was off, but Violet had quietly stopped her from acting on it.
At the time, Violet wasn’t sure what the [Lion’s Ring] was, nor why the girl had planted it on Lenka. Curious about her intentions, she decided to let the girl leave while secretly sending an elemental spirit to follow her and see where she would go.
And sure enough, it didn’t take long for trouble to arise.
Lenka was soon surrounded by Prince Xiluo and his men, all because of the ring that had been slipped into her pocket.
Meanwhile, the elemental spirit tailing the girl followed her all the way to a private stall in the women’s restroom, where it witnessed something truly shocking.
Inside the stall, the girl reached up and peeled a human-skin-like mask off her face. Then, she took off her faint red formal dress, the official uniform of the Imperial Royal Academy, and carefully stored it away.
In its place, she changed into a completely different outfit, a luxurious custom-made gown.
But the most astonishing part?
Even her height and body shape subtly shifted as her bones adjusted and reshaped.
By the time she stepped out of the restroom, she had completely transformed. Her appearance, outfit, demeanor, and even physique were entirely different.
She was no longer the girl from before, but a cold-faced, short-haired girl with pale blue hair.