Chapter 116: Brian Chose to Stay, Avril’s Achievement

No one knew what Brian, this outsider, had talked about with Lord Angel.

But in Liz’s eyes—

When the great doors opened once again,

and Uncle Brian’s figure walked out from inside the church,

those grey-blue eyes of his actually revealed a rare trace of relief!

He stood beneath the porch.

He took in a deep breath of air mixed with the fresh scent of pinewood.

As though he had set down a thousand-pound burden from his shoulders…

“Uncle?” Liz called softly, filled with concern.

Brian turned toward her, his gaze gentle: “The talk… finished.”

He spoke succinctly: “As you… said.”

Just a few short words.

Yet they surpassed a thousand words of praise.

A surge of indescribable comfort welled up within Liz’s heart.

She understood Uncle Brian’s temperament all too well.

He never trusted others easily, let alone recognized them.

For him to say such words—

it meant the radiance and greatness of Lord Angel

had truly shone into the hardest corner of this iron-blooded knight’s heart!

Those troubles that had once plagued him,

he had likely found new answers to them in his conversation with Lord Angel~~

“Uncle, I have always believed you would understand me, and also understand Lord Angel.”

Tears welled in Liz’s eyes.

It was the excitement of having a lifelong belief she upheld finally acknowledged by a respected elder.

Brian silently reached out.

He gently patted the top of Liz’s head again and said directly: “I will… stay.”

“Really?!” Liz grew even more delighted.

There were too many things she had never spoken aloud, things she wanted to confide in this elder who was like a father and a mentor.

Their brief reunion earlier was far from enough to fill the long gap that had separated them.

But Brian added, “For some… days.”

He had already reached a mutual understanding with His Lordship Angel.

In the future, His Lordship would act with greater caution,

avoiding events as conspicuous as that incident at Lemon Port.

As for Brian—

he would devote himself to securing more time for His Lordship to recover His strength!

“That is already wonderful.”

The heroic features of Liz’s face blossomed into a bright smile.

She did not feel much disappointment simply because her uncle would stay only for some days.

After all, she only looked young; her mental age was not truly so immature.

Of course she knew a formidable figure like her uncle was incredibly busy.

For him to spare time to stay for a while was already very good.

“I will arrange a residence for you right away!”

Next—

Liz selected for Brian a secluded wooden cabin near the stream.

The dwelling was simple and tidy; pushing open the window revealed verdant trees, accompanied by birdsong and the murmuring stream.

She did not deliberately arrange his lodging next to her own.

Holy Light Town was not large to begin with; they were only moments apart on foot.

The connection of hearts far surpassed the significance of living side by side.

Brian had no demands regarding the residence.

To him, anything that sheltered him from the wind and rain was enough.

He had once remained for seven days within a pile of corpses, accompanied by death and stench.

Since then, no environment in this world could truly be called ‘harsh’ in his view.

However—

When Brian stepped into this pine-scented, nature-blended cabin,

his battle-hardened heart still relaxed instinctively.

Outside the window,

the distant laughter of children chasing one another drifted in.

Mixed within were the warm, gentle calls of mothers beckoning their children home.

There were no endless political schemes like in the Imperial Capital,

nor the ever-present pressure of war.

Brian suddenly realized—

this land protected by Holy Light might truly be the retirement haven he had long yearned for deep within his heart.

No need to stay vigilant against hidden daggers at every moment.

No need to worry whether the next second would bring the collapse of the heavens.

Because He was here!

His Lordship, who was exalted above all, guarded this place.

Ordinary Undead Legions could not possibly disturb the peace of this land.

Yet this thought passed in a fleeting instant.

Brian lightly shook his head, a trace of complexity flashing through his eyes.

He was still the Deputy Commander of the Black Rose Knight Order.

Under his command were countless soldiers who had lived and died alongside him—brothers in all but blood.

Abandon them and enjoy peace here alone.

Brian asked himself and knew he could not do it.

However, for the Empire to send him on a long journey this time…

It was very likely meant to let this stubborn mule stay away from the center of power for a while, so that the higher-ups could enjoy some peace of mind by not seeing him.

In that case, he might as well treat this period of time…

As a rare vacation in his long life of military campaigns.

……

In the days that followed,

the atmosphere on the training field of Holy Light Town changed dramatically.

Brian Price—

this Seventh-tier Sanctuary Knight of the Empire personally took over the drilling of the town’s guard squad.

His methods were entirely different from Liz’s past experience.

His strictness, efficiency, and ruthlessness went far beyond what anyone had imagined!

He gave no lengthy speeches; every command was precise like machinery.

From the most basic sword-grip posture and exertion techniques,

to squad coordination and formation transitions,

and even strategies for dealing with different types of undead creatures.

Brian’s guidance directly struck the core!

Often, with just a single sentence, he could break open the key point that Liz and the others had trained for years yet never fully grasped.

His perspective

had already far surpassed the boundaries of ordinary knights.

It was infused with his profound understanding of the essence of power and the laws of the battlefield.

The training intensity was immense.

Repeated slashes under the scorching sun, refined footwork practiced in the mud,

and even simulated confrontations against the oppressive spiritual presence of powerful undead.

But—

whether it was veterans like Liz and Ulf,

or the energetic young people handpicked for excellence,

not a single person complained!

Their gazes were firm; their sweat shone like crystal, reflecting the radiance of their faith.

Because they understood deeply:

every drop of sweat shed today, every moment of tempering,

was for the sake of better protecting the homeland behind them!

To protect the ever-burning Holy Light above the church spire!

This belief born from the desire to protect granted them endurance beyond their limits.

Brian observed silently.

His cold, rigid lips would occasionally curve slightly.

These people did not possess exceptional talent—some were even below average.

But the sincerity and unity from deep within their hearts, the pure resolve to fight for protection—

these were qualities he had long not seen

in the Imperial Capital’s legions filled with prodigies, each with their own ambitions…

Meanwhile,

good news arrived from the mine in the northeast of the town as well.

Avril, the newly appointed Divine Blessed, lived up to what Lord Angel had entrusted to her.

After two days and two nights of tireless study and experimentation,

she successfully designed and constructed a unique silent magic array.

The ingenious core of this array lay in—

its ability to shield and distort the rhythmic mining sounds

within a certain range,

preventing them from spreading deep into the ore vein,

thus avoiding the disturbance of iron-ore insects that relied on sonic vibrations to navigate.

Even more surprising was—

Avril had creatively solved the problem of energy supply!

She connected the core of the array to the town’s abundant Holy Light power,

allowing the array to sustain itself.

As long as it remained within the protection range of Holy Light and was operated by someone with Holy Light affinity, the array could run stably.

Furthermore, the array core was designed to be movable.

As the tunnels extended, one only needed to adjust the core’s position slightly

to ensure the safety of the new work area, without requiring Avril to be present constantly.

Avril poured her heart into this, even performing beyond her usual limits.

Her source of motivation came from Lynn—the Lord Angel who had granted her rebirth and purpose!

The Name of Divine Grace was not only glory but responsibility.

She longed to resolve the mine’s problem as soon as possible,

so she could devote herself entirely to the next task assigned by Lord Angel!

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