But the more she thought about Vanessa’s words… the more it reminded her of something.

Back in the Holy Kingdom, there were paladins sworn to protect her—loyal warriors who dedicated their lives to her service, willing to die for her sake without a second thought.

Their devotion was unwavering, and in some cases… even fanatic.

And the way Vanessa described Uriel’s reaction…

It was almost a perfect copy of how the most devoted of her paladins would speak to her.

Even the part about finding pleasure in being hurt by their chosen one…

A small chill ran down her spine.

“…That might be the case, fufu~” Vanessa replied, her nervous chuckle betraying her attempt to downplay the situation.

She twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, as if suddenly realizing just how strange everything sounded.

“I got so caught up in all the events of the day that I… momentarily forgot about what she said to her during their fight.”

Emilia blinked before clapping her hands together, a small smile forming on her lips.

“W-Well! I guess that means our leads are basically back to zero, huh?” she said, trying to lighten the mood.

Vanessa smiled appreciating Emilia’s cure effort, before reminding her of something they missed.

“We still have Senior Lucas to check up on…”

“Oh yeah…” Emilia nodded in agreement.

Lucas had been with Riley’s group when they suddenly left for their practical exams, so neither she nor Vanessa had the chance to properly assess him yet.

Thinking back, there had been some commotion earlier at the public training grounds inside Killian Hall—a place well known to be Senior Lucas’s public training ground at this point…

“If I remember correctly… I believe he’s back from his practicals,” Vanessa mused, tilting her head slightly. “Maybe we should go check him out now?”

“Maybe we should go check him out now?” Vanessa suggested.

Emilia pondered for a moment, her gaze flickering with thought before she gently shook her head.

“Right now would be a bad idea, don’t you think?” she said softly. “Senior Lucas just got back from his practical, so I’d assume he’d want some time to himself.”

Vanessa shrugged, crossing her arms.

“Training right away can’t really be considered relaxation, though~” she mused. “But I guess muscleheads tend to act that way.”

Emilia giggled at that.

“Ahaha~ Honestly, Amon and Anna act the same way whenever they have an unexpected day off,” she admitted, recalling the two warriors under her command. “Besides, if Senior Lucas does end up being the source of that light… I doubt he’d just willingly help us.”

Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

“Even if you reveal that you’re the Saintess?”

Emilia’s expression didn’t waver.

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation. “If he really possesses that much divinity, then I’m sure the Goddess has personally blessed him with such power… which means the fact that he hasn’t directly helped me yet—despite all that’s happened—suggests that he has something else in mind. If we force him to get involved, we might indirectly ruin whatever plans he’s working toward.”

Vanessa’s lips curled into a small, impressed smile.

Despite Emilia’s usual naïve and gullible nature, she was still the Saintess—a woman who commanded entire battalions of paladins and held one of the highest political standings in the Holy Kingdom, second only to the Pope himself.

In some ways, it was reassuring to see this side of her.

It was a reminder that, despite her kindness, Emilia was still a leader—someone who could think strategically, make difficult choices, and carry the weight of her divine responsibility.

Vanessa couldn’t help but feel a small sense of pride.

“So then, what do we do for now?” Vanessa asked.

She already had a plan in mind—a contingency, should things spiral out of control.

After all, as an elven princess and one of the last remaining high elves, she had access to something few in the world could even dream of.

The World Tree—the oldest and most ancient spirit to ever exist.

Vanessa was one of the few who could request something from the World Tree and have that request granted.

If she simply asked, she could obtain the missing name—the piece of the puzzle they desperately needed.

But such a privilege came with a price.

The World Tree never answered without equivalent exchange, and if she dared to invoke its power, she would undoubtedly suffer a timely punishment in return.

Pain, exhaustion, even years of her lifespan lost in an instant.

It wasn’t a decision to take lightly, but if it meant ensuring the academy’s safety, the world’s stability, and—most importantly—Emilia’s protection, Vanessa was more than willing to make that sacrifice.

However, …

Knowing Emilia, she doubted the Saintess would ever accept such a direct and costly approach. Especially if it was something that might hurt a friend.

So, for now, Vanessa would wait.

She would be patient.

But if push came to shove, and the situation demanded drastic measures—

—then calling upon the World Tree would be inevitable.

Emilia thought for a moment before nodding.

“Why don’t we go to the library?”

“The library?” Vanessa repeated, blinking in surprise. Of all the possible answers Emilia could have given, that was by far the most unexpected.

“Yes,” Emilia said with a small nod. “Well… honestly, for a while now, I’ve been sensing a strange flickering of divine energy in there, and I’ve been a bit curious about the magical tomes and knowledge stored within as well. After all, the academic library is practically the heart of knowledge in the entire continent, right?”

She hesitated for a moment before adding in a smaller voice, “…And, um, well… although I passed my written exams… I barely passed my science exam…”

“Oh.”

Vanessa barely managed to hold back a chuckle as she reached out and patted Emilia’s head, finding her reasoning—no, her excuse to study—adorable.

…

A few minutes later, after a peaceful walk through the academy grounds, the two of them stepped inside the library.

The moment Emilia took in the sight before her, her red eyes widened in awe.

“This place is huge… Are you sure this isn’t the halls of an entire castle?” she asked in amazement.

The interior of the academic library was so massive that she couldn’t even see its full extent.

She wondered just how many small chapels she could fit into this place—dozens, perhaps even more.

And the books—they were everywhere.

Towering shelves, rows of cabinets, scroll-lined corridors, and even floating books, drifting lazily in the air due to magic.

The sheer ocean of knowledge that surrounded them was overwhelming, almost suffocating in its vastness.

Yet despite the sheer number of books, everything was meticulously organized.

There was an unnatural order to the chaos, as if the library itself was a living entity, ensuring that knowledge remained accessible yet limitless.

Vanessa watched as Emilia turned in a slow circle, taking in the grandeur of the place.

She smiled.

“You don’t seem too surprised about all this, Vanessa,” Emilia noted, glancing at her companion.

Vanessa gave a small, knowing smile. “Well, I’ve been here before, actually. As a mage myself, exploring such a grand library, filled with a plethora of magical tomes—some even more ancient than the recorded history of the Germonia Empire—is a rare opportunity to behold.”

Her green eyes flickered with fondness as she continued, “The magic laced into this place is so complex that even some of the most brilliant archmages would struggle to comprehend it. Actually, the day after we formed our friend group, this was the first location I explored here in the academy.”

“Hooo~”

Emilia was a bit surprised but, considering Vanessa was a mage, it all made sense.

As she looked around, she noticed the tables placed in the center of the library, occupied by students—most of them from the magical department—deeply engrossed in their grimoires and arcane texts.

Of course, there were students from other departments as well, but the presence of magic users dominated the space.

As they walked by, a few elven students they passed lowered their heads slightly, bowing in silent acknowledgment toward Vanessa.

Vanessa, with her usual composed grace, simply gave them a small gesture to stop.

Emilia, however, remained completely oblivious to this brief interaction.

Her focus had sharpened as she walked further inside, the sensation she had been feeling since earlier growing clearer—closer.

A strange, familiar energy…

Her steps slowed, her blue eyes narrowing slightly.

‘This is… divine energy?’

What she had said to Vanessa earlier had been more of an excuse than anything else.

In truth, the divine energy she had felt before was nothing more than a fleeting sensation, a vague tingle at the edge of her senses.

But now that she was inside the library, the sensation had grown stronger—undeniably real.

It pulsed through the air like an unseen current, surrounding her, calling to her.

Without thinking, Emilia quickened her pace, her steps becoming more hurried as the presence grew nearer.

“Emilia?” Vanessa called out, noticing the sudden urgency in her movements.

But Emilia didn’t answer.

Her focus was entirely on the energy pulling her forward, guiding her deeper into the vast library.

Her heartbeat quickened as she turned a corner, her eyes darting across the sea of bookshelves and study tables—until they landed on a particular figure.

Seated alone at a table, partially obscured by the towering shelves, was a hooded individual.

The cloak she wore was dark, woven with intricate lacework that faintly shimmered in the dim library light.

It bore a striking resemblance to Vanessa’s own cloak, though this one had an air of quiet elegance, almost ceremonial in nature.

Strands of golden-blonde hair spilled from beneath the hood, catching the light as she flipped through the pages of a thick tome covered in runic letters and arcane sigils.

The air around her seemed charged, as if the very space she occupied was infused with something beyond the mortal realm.

Then, without warning, the woman snapped the book shut.

The sharp sound cut through the library’s quiet murmur, sending a shiver down Emilia’s spine.

And then—she looked up.

Two striking blue eyes, deep and unwavering, met.

Emilia froze, her breath caught in her throat. A strange sense of recognition surged through her, even though she was certain she had never seen this woman before.

“R-Reina? No… Senior Riley?”

Emilia’s voice wavered as she spoke, uncertainty creeping into her tone.

The resemblance was uncanny—too much so to be a coincidence.

Yet the moment the words left her lips, the hooded woman merely tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a soft chuckle.

“Isn’t it a bit rude to call someone you don’t even know by a random name?” she mused, her voice smooth and laced with quiet amusement.

“Eh? B-But you’re clearly—”

Before Emilia could finish her sentence, the woman reached up and pulled back her hood.

A cascade of golden-blonde hair spilled free, catching the dim library light like strands of woven sunlight.

And from beneath the shadow of the hood emerged a face—one so ethereal in beauty that it was almost dreamlike.

It wasn’t just the striking resemblance to Riley that stunned Emilia—it was something more than that.

If Reina, Riley’s little sister, was considered his female counterpart, then this woman was an even more perfected embodiment of such a description.

Her features held the same sharp elegance, the same regal air… but there was an intoxicating quality to her presence, something that seemed to draw others in without effort.

Emilia felt a strange pressure settle in her chest, as if the air had grown heavier just by standing in this woman’s presence.

Behind her, Vanessa had just caught up, stopping abruptly beside Emilia. Her green eyes widened as she took in the woman’s face.

“Reina…?” Vanessa muttered in disbelief, the name slipping from her lips almost involuntarily.

The golden-haired woman’s eyes narrowed slightly at the reaction.

“I don’t know who you two are,” she said, her voice still calm but carrying an unmistakable weight, “but don’t you think it’s rude to not introduce yourselves if you’re going to bother me like this?”

A subtle smile played at the corners of her lips a smile Emilia and Vanessa failed to notice.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep