Chapter 22: You’re not useless

Chapter 22: You’re not uselessThe Judicator gently tapped her fingers in the air as if she were playing an invisible piano. However... Ting! Ting! Ting! Piano notes rang out as though she were truly playing, each sound transforming into countless waves radiating through the room. "AGH!" Viviane clutched her head, feeling as if it were about to explode, blood streaming from her ears and nose in thin rivulets. She gritted her teeth, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her body trembled violently, then collapsed to the floor, curling up like a shrimp. "A Saintess must maintain composure in all situations, do you understand?" The Judicator spoke, her voice utterly calm and devoid of emotion. "No!!!" At that moment, the maid whom Viviane had just slapped rushed over and held her tightly. "Please, Judicator... The Saintess was just too angry, that’s all," the maid cried, begging, "Please, don’t hurt the Saintess." "Ah!" The Judicator looked at the maid begging for Viviane’s sake, a little surprised. Her fingers paused in midair, and the piano notes came to a halt. Viviane seemed to be released, clutching her head and gasping for breath, "Ha... ha... ha..." "Saintess... are you all right?" the maid asked worriedly. Viviane couldn’t answer, her head still throbbing, though at least the bleeding had stopped. Clack! Clack! Clack! The sound of high heels striking the floor echoed. Each step was like a nail driven into Viviane’s heart. Her body trembled, sweat pouring down in large beads. She swallowed hard; her throat felt so dry, it was as if she hadn’t drunk water all day. Though pain and fear closed in on her like darkness, she still forced herself to kneel on the floor, not daring to move. The maid stared in shock, wide-eyed. She didn’t truly understand just how terrifying the Judicator was. However, if the Judicator could make someone as proud as Viviane tremble in fear—to the point that, even severely injured, she remained kneeling in silence—then the Judicator’s rank was clearly far above that of the Saintess. The maid pressed her lips together, also kneeling on the ground, bowing her head, not daring to make the slightest disrespectful move. Clack! Clack! Clack! The sound of high heels grew closer and closer, stopping only when the Judicator stood before the Saintess. "A melody that has become warped is difficult to restore," the Judicator said. "However, it still has a chance to be reborn, to become a perfect composition." "Of course, to become a perfect composition, it needs a brilliant musician." The Judicator produced a white lily, the flower as beautiful as if it had been painted, emitting a miraculous pure light, making anyone who saw it feel a sense of salvation. She touched the flower lightly to Viviane’s head, and a beam of light appeared where the flower made contact. "The composer has appeared, yet he has only just placed his hand upon the keys." "Viviane, whether you become a perfect composition or a discarded scrap of paper depends entirely on your choice." "Remember this... this is your opportunity—a blessing that many others would covet like a pack of hungry wolves." "I hope... you... won’t disappoint me." The Judicator vanished, leaving behind white lily petals drifting through the air. Viviane slowly raised her head, her mouth opening as if to speak. But a torrent of information pierced into her mind, making her clutch her head once again. "AAA!!!" Viviane screamed in agony. The maid rushed to hold her tightly, "Saintess... Saintess..." Viviane couldn’t hear anything. She gritted her teeth, the pain unbearable. Yet now, she could see the information embedding itself into her mind. Viviane murmured unconsciously, "That person... fate... Lucien... Lathel... Saintess... Saint’s Son..." "AGH!!!" She suddenly clutched her head and screamed, then fainted. "Saintess... Saintess..." ... Outside, on the rooftop of the cathedral. The Judicator stood on the church’s watchtower, gazing into the distance. "You decided to choose her, Elisova?" At that moment, a man’s voice sounded. The voice was like a melody, rising and falling, drawn out like someone reciting poetry. Behind the Judicator Elisova, a man appeared—his attire somewhat similar to hers. However, the mask he wore only covered the upper half of his face. "She is one of the essential notes for this symphony," Elisova said, waving the white lily like a conductor leading an orchestra. "Oh! I see..." The young man replied, his voice now laced with a hint of sarcasm, as if he were reciting a fable. "A deer tries to become a wolf, but without fangs—what a pity." "However... I can turn that deer into a tasty meal for the little wolf we are nurturing." At those words, Elisova paused her motion. With a flick of her wrist, the lily disappeared, and she spoke with a trace of weariness and doubt: "Vladirovic, is he really the one we’ve been searching for?" Vladirovic didn’t answer right away. He simply bowed, spinning his hand before placing it on his chest with the elegance of a gentleman. "Even if you don’t believe it, His words are never wrong." Vladirovic’s tone was filled with reverence, as if he were speaking of the one he respected most in this world. "Elisova, all we need to do is trust—give our faith and devotion to Him..." "He... will lead us down the path to perfect happiness." As he finished speaking, Vladirovic turned into motes of light, and finally disappeared completely. Elisova gazed into the distance, sighed softly, and then vanished as well. ... Early the next morning, as the sun just rose, dew still clung to the green leaves, reflecting the sunlight, glittering like precious gems. At that moment, sudden gusts of wind swept in, carrying countless motes of light through the air, darting toward a tree hollow. "It’s almost complete." Irelia suddenly spoke, glancing at Lucien with a smile. "I’ll distract the beast, you grab the relic, and then we’ll meet at the old cave." "No!" Lucien immediately objected. "That’s too dangerous, I’ll be the bait, I’ll—" "Are you stupid?" Irelia cut him off. "You’re injured, you can’t even run fast—how would you escape that bear?" "I’m an Awakened now. I’ve reached Initiate – Mid-stage. Even though I can’t defeat that bear, I can easily escape from it." Hearing that, Lucien lowered his head, clenching his fists so tightly they turned white. He gritted his teeth until he was shaking, his face full of guilt and frustration. "I’m sorry... I... I’m too weak." "Tsk!" Irelia clicked her tongue. Whap! She slapped him hard on the back, laughing, "Don’t overthink it. Everyone has their own role to play. Going after the relic is dangerous, too." "I don’t know what it is, so you need to be careful. There are relics that, when they appear, attract all sorts of bizarre things." Lucien nodded lightly, though he still felt deeply unsettled inside. He knew Irelia was only trying to comfort him, but he didn’t want to cause her any trouble. If he acted as bait, and failed to escape in time, Hurriclaw could end up endangering her. In that case, both of them would be at risk and still fail to obtain the relic. Lucien took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions, then said, "All right! I... I understand." Irelia glanced at Lucien, smiling, "Don’t overthink it. I’ll be the bait this time, and next time, it’ll be your turn." Lucien nodded, saying resolutely, "Thank you. I will definitely become stronger." "That’s right. That’s how a man should be," Irelia laughed. BANG! Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed out—a shockwave burst from the tree hollow, sending a wild gale surging all around. "It’s done!" Irelia said. "Split up—don’t move together. Wait for me to draw it away, then you grab the relic and run, got it?" Lucien stood up, about to leave, but suddenly remembered something and asked, "Irelia, do you trust me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll just take the relic and run?" Irelia smirked, "I trust you." Hearing that, Lucien stared at Irelia in surprise. He then gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with resolve, "I promise I won’t let you down." He turned and left. Irelia also smiled, nodding gently. Then, her gaze shifted to Hurriclaw. It seemed to sense the relic’s completion and awoke. When it stood up, it was over three meters tall—from a distance, it looked like a small mountain. Irelia suddenly shivered, sensing something was off, but quickly shook her head, refusing to let her thoughts wander. "Irelia, you can do this," she reassured herself. "You’re not useless... Your fate... must be in your own hands."