After having placated Alicia, Roel decided to go on a short break.

  The mission he had ‘taken’ with the members of the Bluerose Faction was enough to earn him a year’s worth of Academic Credits, so he didn’t have to travel around anymore. However, he did pay a visit to Principal Antonio to talk about the assault on the Braytown’s disappearances investigation team.

  With him filling in the blanks, Antonio was able to quickly clear up all doubts regarding the matter.

  The truth was that Antonio was already planning to escalate the matter regardless of the facts. He harbored great animosity toward the Fallens for the tragedy they had orchestrated four hundred years ago; there was no way he would pass on an opportunity to crack down on them.

  With the precedent of Leinster’s tragedy four hundred years ago reminding the world leaders of the possible repercussions should they turn a blind eye to the Fallens, it didn’t take long for them to come to a consensus to ramp up their efforts rooting out the Fallens.

  At the same time, Antonio had also started making preparations to awaken Astrid.

  “Hm? Those stubborn elders of the Knight Kingdom actually agreed to awaken Astrid? I thought that I would have to pay them a visit to convince them.”


  Roel blinked his eyes in surprise when he heard the news from Antonio.

  He knew that the sequestered houses descended from the Twilight Sages Assembly had always been opposed to Antonio’s plan to awaken Astrid. He was already prepared to head down to Pendor to convince them one by one, but things advanced smoother than he had expected.

  Out of curiosity, he enquired about the reason.

  Antonio let out a cheery chuckle before explaining the situation.

  “There are two key reasons behind this. The more important reason is the Savior’s current state. From the heightened activity of the deviants, it’s apparent that the Savior is close to one of his once-in-a-few-century awakenings. The Chaos Dream won’t be enough to suppress him anymore, so there’s no harm separating her from the Chaos Dream anymore.

  “As for the other reason, it’s you.”


  “Me?”


  “Indeed. The king of Knight Kingdom Pendor, Friedrich Cambonyte, has chosen to officially acknowledge you after your victory over his daughter, Wilhelmina, in the Challenger Cup. You might be unaware of it, but he has played a vital role in the founding of the Rose of Dawn too. You can consider his change of stance as a show of support toward your leadership.”


  “I see,” Roel replied with a nod.

  Wilhelmina told him during the last summer break that she would try her best to convince her father and the remnant powers of the Twilight Sages Assembly to change their stance regarding Astrid’s matter. From the looks of it, she had succeeded.

  Roel was deeply grateful to her for that.

  He proceeded to enquire about the details regarding the separation of Astrid from the Chaos Dream, to which Antonio expressed that he had practiced the procedure many times over the years and was confident about it.

  Should I say that love is truly an incredible thing? Four hundred years is long enough for a sea to dry up into a desert, but Antonio’s feelings for Astrid remain steadfast. If anything, they have only deepened over time.

  I can only say that the reticent man I have met in the Witness State is truly a staunch man.

  However, there was one thing that Roel needed to remind him about.

  “Principal Antonio, if I may suggest, you should consider going for a change in image before saving Astrid.”


  “A change in image?”


  “Yes. It shouldn’t be too hard for you. Her heart might not be able to take it if she sees that the young student she once taught has turned into a grizzled old man.”


  “You’re right. I can’t meet her in my current state…” Antonio muttered with a bitter smile.

  Having gotten his point across, Roel didn’t harp too much on the matter. The two of them finished up their conversation before returning to their respective work.

  Antonio put the leads he had received from Roel into tracking down on the Fallens whereas Roel continued searching for clues on the Six Calamities.

  Hours of reading everyday brought about considerable growth in Roel’s transcendent abilities. His fight with the Treant High Priest had also provided him with enlightenments that he needed time to digest. Amidst these days of studying and research, Roel’s second year in Saint Freya Academy was finally approaching its end.

  The summer season was already coming to an end when he parted ways with Lilian and returned to the academy, and the break started in autumn. Looking back, Roel had spent most of his second year on the Braytown’s disappearances investigation mission and researching the Six Calamities. It was much duller compared to his rowdy first year.

  Fortunately, those dull days were coming to an end.

  The International Crisis Management Symposium had concluded, meaning that Nora and Charlotte were coming back.

  This was a piece of good news that Roel had been looking forward to for a long time.

  He rarely voiced his feelings aloud, but he missed the two of them. It had been half a year since he last met Nora and a complete year for Charlotte.

  Charlotte had intended to visit Roel in the Theocracy over the New Year, but they missed each other due to his last-minute journey to the eastern border. Since then, Roel had been busy with various stuff whereas Charlotte had to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium as the successor to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy.

  Their prolonged separation only further amplified their yearning for each other, to the point where they could hardly suppress their feelings anymore.

  To Roel’s disappointment, their meeting didn’t go ahead as he had anticipated.

  The Genesis Goddess Church had been incredibly busy due to the war on the eastern border, the campaign against the Fallens, and the investigation into the Six Calamities, so Nora had to return to the Holy Capital straightaway to helm the operations. This was a downer for Roel, but he understood that he had to get their priorities straight.

  Considering the current macro environment, dealing with the evil cultists and the deviants ought to take precedence over their private affairs. That being said, Nora did send a letter over to make up for it, and that made Roel feel a little better.

  The situation was a little more confusing when it came to Charlotte.

  Unlike the busy Nora, Charlotte arrived at Saint Freya Academy during early autumn, but much to Roel’s bewilderment, she didn’t inform him of her return nor pay him a visit. It was almost as if she was treating him to be invisible.

  Unable to comprehend the situation, Roel eventually attributed it to Charlotte throwing a tantrum over their prolonged separation, so he specially prepared a gift and paid her a visit. To his astonishment, he received an unexpected answer.

  “My apologies, young master Roel. The young miss has returned to the country right after participating in the examinations, so I’m afraid…””


  That was what the Sorofyas’ butler told him in the museum of dancing butterflies, leaving him in deep thoughts.

  Is Charlotte avoiding me? Why?

  This realization brought a frown to Roel’s face as a premonition weighed down his heart. After a moment of contemplation, he came to a decision.

  “I understand. Since it isn’t convenient for Charlotte, I’ll pay her a visit instead,” Roel replied with a composed smile.

  The Sorofyas’ butler revealed a subtle change in expression, which further confirmed Roel’s suspicions. He turned around and walked away, paying no heed to the butler’s attempts to dissuade him otherwise.