Chapter 45: Lyra

Selvia was still lying motionless, no longer breathing, but her entire body was now surrounded by a liquid-like substance radiating a gentle blue light. That light wasn’t dazzling; instead, it was soft, like the calm surface of the sea on a sunny day. Lathel’s gaze didn’t just rest on Selvia—he was also examining her information panel. ... Name: Selvia Aquelis Role: ???? Main Heroine Status: Married (Lathel’s legal wife) EXP Output: ⭐ 67.5/s Talent: ???? Tear of the Tide (Rank S – Sealed) Gift: Life Ring Affection: 91% – Loyal ???? ... "Twenty percent, huh?" Lathel smirked. "Looks like... I’ve just found the way to help Selvia fully awaken her S-rank talent." At that moment, Selvia began breathing again, but her breaths were still faint—like a small candle flickering in the middle of a raging storm, liable to be snuffed out at any moment. Lathel didn’t bother to care. He opened the system interface, frowning as he asked, "How much is a disguise card?" [???? The Disguise Card costs 2,000,000 EXP. You may only purchase one card per day.] "Buy a disguise card," Lathel ordered without the slightest hesitation. [???? 2,000,000 EXP deducted. You have 6,048,000 EXP remaining. Disguise Card purchased successfully. The item has been automatically placed in your Storage Space.] Seeing the card, Lathel’s face showed a satisfied smile. Then, without sparing Selvia another glance, he exited the carriage. "Agh! Ah!" Mira was still writhing on the ground, but judging by her face, Lathel could tell the pain she was enduring had eased considerably. Her body was also beginning to recover at a terrifying speed—so fast it was visible to the naked eye. Her limbs began returning to normal, her skin turning fair and soft like a baby’s, and the features of her face growing clearer and more refined. After a while, nothing abnormal remained in Mira’s body. At that moment, a system notification appeared in front of Lathel. [???? Congratulations! You have successfully helped Mira evolve.] Name: Mira Role: ???? NPC | Lathel’s Maid | ??? Rank: None Talent: Insightful Gaze (Rank C | Level 1) Beauty Score: 83 ✨ Affection: 87% – Loyal ???? Lathel’s eyes lingered on two details: her talent and her role. "System, has Mira’s role changed in any way?" Lathel asked, frowning. [???? Master, because Mira has awakened and gained a new talent, her destiny has changed. Her main role is still an ordinary NPC, but she may gain other roles if fate leads her to certain opportunities. However, her primary role remains NPC. If you sleep with her, her (EXP) feature will be activated.] Upon seeing the system notification, Lathel’s lips curled into a greedy smile. He glanced at Mira and said quietly, "Display her talent information." [???? Talent: Insightful Gaze | Rank C | Level 1 Description: With items: Able to see more detailed information, including hidden effects or basic history of an item.With living beings: Able to sense basic emotional states (happiness, sadness, anger, fear) and roughly estimate the opponent’s danger level (weaker, equal, or slightly stronger). *Note: If Mira’s mental state is not strong and resilient enough, she is susceptible to disturbance by mysterious entities or negative emotions.] Lathel stroked his chin, nodding lightly, a look of satisfaction on his face as he muttered, "In other words, she’s basically a scanner now, isn’t she?" The system didn’t reply, but Lathel didn’t need an answer. "Use the disguise card," Lathel commanded. Immediately, the card appeared before him, radiating a gentle pink light. That glow enveloped Lathel’s entire body, creating countless wounds all over him, blood flowing as if he’d been truly injured. Some of the wounds were so deep you could see bone within, blood pouring out like a torrent. Lathel nodded with satisfaction, then took out a magic scroll, released the safety latch, and hurled it high into the air. BAM! The tail end of the scroll exploded, propelling it skyward like a rocket. BAM! When it reached more than two hundred meters up, it burst like a firework, transforming into the shape of an insignia and shining brilliantly against the dawn. With that done, Lathel scooped Mira into his arms and carried her into the carriage. He sat down in a comfortable spot, one arm around Mira, the other around Selvia, then pretended to faint, leaning back against the wall of the carriage, letting the (fake) blood from his wounds smear onto both Mira and Selvia. ... At the same time, about twenty miles away from Lathel’s location, a beautiful woman was examining several herbs she’d just gathered. Her jade-green hair cascaded like a waterfall, shimmering in the early morning light. Her deep emerald eyes brimmed with wisdom and intelligence, yet also held a sorrow that words could not express. Her skin was as white as snow, flawless, and her beauty was such that even the surrounding flowers seemed to pale in comparison. Combined with the lazy and slightly melancholic expression on her flawless face, she resembled a living work of art crafted by Mother Nature herself. BAM! Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed. The girl frowned and looked up at the sky. There, a royal insignia burst into dazzling light against the dawn, shining for a moment before slowly fading away. "Ah!" She seemed surprised, mumbling, "That’s... a royal distress signal. Could it be that a member of the royal family is in danger nearby?" She waved her hand, and a crane appeared—its feathers shimmering like jade. It stood nearly two meters tall, with a wingspan of over five meters. Its plumage was primarily a glossy, pitch black, sweeping from head to tail, giving it an aura both regal and mysterious. At its neck and belly, the feathers turned pure white, a stark contrast that accentuated its form. Most striking of all were its wings and tail. The feathers there were a blend of deep black and radiant gold, glittering like precious metal. Though enormous, this creature exuded a sense of divinity and nobility. The girl climbed onto the crane’s back and spoke softly, "Take me there." Krit! The crane let out a pleasant sound, clear as a ringing bell, then spread its wings and soared toward the place where the royal insignia-firework had appeared. A distance of twenty miles was nothing to such a beast—it covered the space in barely five minutes, soon arriving at Lathel’s location. The girl frowned, glancing down below, her gaze turning cautious. "Royal knights..." she murmured. "That carriage... a royal insignia. Could it be someone from the royal family inside?" "Azure, scan the area for any dangers," she said. Obediently, the crane nodded, then spread its wings wide. Whoosh! A fierce wind burst outward from their position, sweeping over two thousand meters in all directions. Krit! Kru! Azure shook its head, its lively expression nearly human. The girl read Azure’s look and call, then glanced down again, saying, "Let’s go. We’ll see what’s happened." Whoosh! Azure followed her command, gliding gently down to the ground. The girl looked around, her expression growing more disturbed. The corpses of royal knights lay everywhere, each one stabbed through the heart and with their throats slit. Even the horses they’d ridden had all been killed. Signs of battle still marred the ground, but... it was as if she sensed something, causing her brows to furrow. She walked to the side of a knight’s corpse, picked up a black badge from the ground, and examined it closely. "This is... a Church badge." She murmured, "Could it be that a Judicator attacked the royal family?" With the badge still in her hand, the girl approached the carriage. "Royal protective magic." She immediately recognized the magical sigils encasing the carriage, knowing what must have taken place here. With a wave of her hand, the magical runes gradually faded and then disappeared completely. Crack! The carriage door swung open on its own, and she slowly stepped inside. Whoosh! Suddenly, a sharp black object shot toward her head. Yet she showed neither fear nor surprise; her face remained calm, touched by a lingering sadness. Clang! The spear’s razor tip stopped inches from her face, blocked by an invisible barrier. The metallic clash rang out. "Stay back!" A young man’s voice rang out, filled with anger, yet tinged with fear and worry. She turned her gaze toward her assailant, her eyes showing a hint of surprise. It was an extraordinarily handsome young man with golden hair and sharply defined features. Despite his bare chest being covered in blood, he still clung tightly to the two girls beside him, his determined face radiating an aura of masculine strength. He gripped the spear tightly, anger blazing in his eyes—but she could also see that his voice, and the hand holding the weapon, were trembling. As if he was deeply afraid, yet was mustering every ounce of courage to protect the two girls beside him. The girl spoke softly, "You are... Lathel, Prince of the Kingdom of Terith, aren’t you?" Lathel feigned surprise, his gaze full of caution as he struggled to suppress his fear and anxiety, his voice shaking as he replied, "Who... who are you?" The girl tilted her head and replied, "I am... a professor from the Magic Academy, Lyra."