[Vol. 7] Chapter 168: The Fourth Meeting
As shimmering light scattered through the air, a breathtaking young girl slowly descended from the sky. She wore a jet-black Lolita dress, and her deep crimson hair flowed like a cascading waterfall, dancing beautifully in the wind.
Landing gracefully in the center of the ruined battlefield where the monster had wreaked havoc, she gently extended a delicate hand. In response, the magic spear, which had fallen to the ground after its target disappeared, flew back into her grasp before dissolving into light.
She then lifted the hem of her dress slightly and gave a graceful curtsy to the surrounding crowd.
"It seems there was a small gap in the academy’s protective barrier, allowing an unwanted pest to sneak in and give everyone a fright. I am Lucine, the Headmaster of Sainz Academy, and on behalf of the organizers, I sincerely apologize for this incident~”
She continued in a calm and reassuring tone,
"Please rest assured that we have already identified and fixed all security breaches. An incident like this will absolutely not happen again tonight.”
“For those who were injured in the chaos, Sainz Academy will provide the most comprehensive medical treatment at no cost, along with full compensation.”
“And for all our esteemed guests who were disturbed, we have prepared a small gift as a token of our apology.”
With a mere wave of her hand, the battlefield's destruction seemed to melt away. All the scattered debris and shattered remains vanished as if they had never existed.
In their place, brand-new tables, chairs, carpets, and decorations materialized out of thin air. Even the damaged floors, cracked walls, and the massive hole in the ceiling that had been blown open earlier restored themselves rapidly, as if growing back naturally.
Aside from those who had personally witnessed the battle, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
As the headmaster of Sainz Academy and the highest authority of the Academy City, Lucine’s timely intervention and decisive response became the strongest pillar of reassurance for everyone present.
The first to step forward was Frederica, the Judgment Saintess and leader of the Holy Empire’s delegation, representing the continent’s most powerful nation. She smiled warmly as she responded,
“Headmaster, you are too kind. So-called prevention is impossible to achieve. Such sudden events, which are clearly malicious sabotage, cannot be foreseen or prevented by any being other than the incarnation of the all-knowing and all-powerful Primordial Light, or Her Divineness the Goddess herself. On the contrary, your academy's speed in rescue and response is quite amazing. This is a very successful case of emergency management.”
She paused for a moment before adding with certainty,
“Besides, the fact that no one actually died despite such intense chaos and battle… speaks volumes about how well everything was handled.”
Just as Frederica finished speaking, another set of footsteps approached, accompanied by the clear and melodious voice of a young girl.
"That’s exactly right. Sainz Academy’s [Eternal Day] Barrier magic is truly a magnificent miracle, and everyone here has now witnessed its power firsthand.
To be blunt, if even such a formidable defense could be bypassed in secret, then there are probably very few cities in the world that could have stopped tonight’s attack in advance.
Instead of pointing fingers at the Academy City, what we should really be focusing on… is figuring out where that terrifying monster actually came from.”
The one who spoke right after the Holy Empire’s representative was none other than Princess Carinvega, known as the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus].
Even though the two major powers had been at odds, both openly and behind the scenes. Recently, they seemed to be surprisingly united in their stance on this matter.
By the way, the reason the Judgment Saintess was the first to arrive at the scene was that she had already sensed something was wrong with the giant spider and had set off toward the battlefield. She had intended to intervene, but the academy headmaster had acted even faster.
With representatives from two of the most powerful nations leading the response, the smaller nations and academies, some of whom had originally planned to criticize or express dissatisfaction, had no choice but to hold back their complaints and follow their lead.
So, despite the fact that this was a serious incident, the atmosphere quickly turned into one of praise rather than blame. The crisis was effortlessly defused, and order was restored.
Once again, these two global superpowers demonstrated their overwhelming influence on the international stage.
Afterward, the evening returned to its usual course. Fine dining, scheduled performances, diplomatic exchanges, and discreet negotiations. Some factions also took the opportunity to discuss potential collaborations regarding the recent attack.
None of this really interested Miss Priestess, though. Her main reason for attending the banquet was simply to let Xiao Guang and the others experience the high society scene, catch up with some old friends, and maybe find something fun or someone interesting.
For instance, the elusive Academy Headmaster, who had avoided public appearances for over a month since their arrival at Sainz. Just now, though, she had clearly glanced in their direction multiple times.
As the banquet gradually came to an end, Violet parted ways with Sethlin for the time being and returned to Yulia, who had been looking after the two little ones and the maid.
After going through the usual post-event formalities, the guests slowly began to disperse, and Violet and her group said farewell to the secretary before heading home.
Their residence was in the Seventh Academic District, meaning the trip back would take some time.
However, just as they stepped out of the banquet hall, everything around them shifted in an instant.
Instead of returning to the lotus pond and stone bridge at the entrance of the [Fantasy Sky Courtyard], Violet found herself in a vast, empty white space. A place where nothing seemed to exist.
Even the companions who had been walking right beside her, Xiao Guang and the others, had vanished without a trace.
She was completely alone.
The priestess didn’t look particularly surprised. She simply smiled, lifted her gaze, and let her silver-blue eyes land on a certain spot beside her.
"Meeting like this in such an unusual way… is this a signature style of the Vampire?"
As soon as she spoke, a petite figure appeared out of nowhere in the spot the black-haired girl had been looking at.
She was dressed in an elegant black Lolita-style gown, and though she had the delicate appearance of a young girl, her presence carried a sense of ageless authority.
"Just a necessary precaution," she replied calmly. "Many forces and powerful individuals are keeping an eye on me. This is the only way to have a completely private conversation. I hope you don’t mind."
"Looks like… being an important figure comes with a lot of trouble," the priestess remarked with a playful smile. "So, is that why you’ve been deliberately avoiding me all this time?"
Her lips curved into a knowing grin as she casually spoke the other’s true name.
"Lucine Constantius, Your Divineness~"
The vampire princess, who held the prestigious titles of Strongest Vampire and Headmistress of Sainz Academy, responded with a soft smile. She gracefully lifted the hem of her dress in an elegant curtsy toward the black-haired girl.
Even though this was technically their first face-to-face conversation, her tone didn't feel distant at all, almost as if they were old acquaintances.
"Aren’t you the same, Miss Violet? Counting the incident with the Church of Truth, this is our fourth encounter, isn’t it?"
"Whether it was in the Human United Kingdom’s capital or in the Holy Empire, the Angel City, you always remained in the shadows, observing from a distance. Just as I have done until now..."
"I fully understand your caution, which is why I never exposed you. After all, beings like us are far beyond what this world was meant to contain. In fact, to some extent, we are actively rejected by the very forces that govern it."
"Simply appearing, taking action, or making too great of an impact would trigger a chain reaction of… rather troublesome consequences. As a true god, you should feel that even more strongly than I do."
"Oh~?"
The black-haired girl’s silver-blue eyes narrowed slightly.
She had to admit, Lucine’s words carried an astonishing amount of information.
In just a few short sentences, she had completely reshaped Violet’s assessment of her.
Including the space they were currently in, this almost instantly made Violet upgrade her evaluation of Lucine by several levels, nearing the level of the gods.
"So… you already noticed my presence back at the estate in Courage City?"