Early in the morning, the Burning Red Pavilion returned to its normal operation, as if nothing had happened.

At its gate, a figure arrived, clearly not a cultivator.

He was a tall, burly man, dressed in long white robes. On his head, he wore a gold-plated mitre, common among members of the high clergy of the Church of Auranys.

This man paused for a moment, his round face and scruffy beard showing contempt as he signaled for the guards in silver armor to open the gate.

He was already a well-known figure in the city, the bishop of the Eagle Peak Valley cathedral, a cruel, lustful man more akin to a demon than a man of faith.

Entering the luxurious main building, he was immediately and respectfully attended to by an ordinary-looking attendant.

"Greetings, Your Holiness. What can I do for you?"

"Where is Lady Margareth?" he asked, flashing a fake kind smile.

"She's meeting with Young Master Qingyi upstairs, shall I call her?"

The attendant bowed, but before the bishop could answer, a sweet, mature voice echoed: "That won't be necessary."

Turning his face, the bishop saw the beautiful and elegant figures of Meilin and Margareth descending the grand staircase that led to the upper floors.

His eyes sparkled at the sight, but the sparkle soon disappeared when he saw Qingyi standing between the incomparable beauties, his hands resting on their slim, delicate waists.

The bishop's face was filled with envy and jealousy, but he soon suppressed this feeling, or at least stopped showing it.

Of course, he was unhappy at the sight.

He was already cursed enough to have been sent to that damned place, losing his position as bishop in a small but wealthy city in the divine kingdom of Auranys.

And now, he even had to watch Margareth rub up against an infidel heretic.

She might not be a member of the clergy, but she was still a genius in whom the church had invested a fortune, even sponsoring her entry into the Red Tower in the capital of the Rose empire.

She should at least have the decency to marry a good man, a follower of Auranys, someone like him. Not just any pretty face she met on the street.

"What does your holiness need?" Margareth asked, leaving Qingyi's arms, the seductive smile on her face disappearing, replaced by a cold but respectful scowl.

"Oh... some serious things happened during the last night and since Lady Margareth wasn't in her office, I took the liberty of visiting her to discuss it."

"Serious things?" Margareth frowned softly.

"Yes, I've just received a transmission from one of my men in the capital. Apparently, the king is dead and wasn't able to leave a clear heir before he passed away."

The moment he heard those words, Qingyi raised an eyebrow as Margareth and Meilin's hearts sank.

The king dead and leaving no clear heir... that was the worst of all possibilities and meant only one thing: civil war.

"Are you sure about this, Your Holiness?" Margareth clenched her fists tightly.

Why on earth did something like this have to happen right now, when things were calm and she was finding time to get back to her magical research?

"Unfortunately yes, Lady Margareth," the bishop said, shaking his head, before turning away. "Please come with me, I have something else to show you."

Margareth hesitated for a moment, exchanging glances with Qingyi before sighing and following the bishop.

The handsome young man followed right behind, also curious.

They left the Burning Red Pavilion, walking towards the port of Eagle Peak Valley, which had been completely emptied. Around fifty powerful soldiers stood guard and prevented anyone from entering.

But these were no ordinary soldiers. They wore armor so deep white that it reflected the sunlight with enough intensity to momentarily blind mortals.

These were paladins in training, future members of the fifty-thousand-strong army of the Church of Auranys.

An army so powerful that even its weakest member was equivalent in power to a false immortal.

"What is the meaning of this? Why is the port closed?" Margareth asked.

The church had no rights to that port and closing it naturally hindered Meilin's business.

"Oh... no big deal..." The bishop smiled, watching a ship dock at the port.

After a few moments, a figure left the ship.

It was a young man, no older than 17, with a noble face and short golden hair.

On his armor, he bore the symbol of Auranys and, on his handsome face, a gentle smile.

"Lady Margareth, long time no see..." The young man approached, trying to take her hand and kiss it.

To his surprise, Margareth immediately stepped back, withdrawing her hand and moving towards Qingyi.

She knew that young man. He was a golden child candidate, one of the most promising talents the church was investing in, more promising even than herself.

Reaching the fifth ring at only seventeen years old, Lucien was naturally a talent that deserved respect.

"Lucien will be spending a few weeks training on this continent and, with the possible civil war, I think it would be a good idea for him to be your personal escort, at least for a while," the bishop said.

"I recognize that Miss Margareth is powerful, but no amount of protection is enough for someone so important, right?"

"I see..." Margareth gritted her teeth, visibly unhappy.

Now she knew exactly what the bishop wanted.

Lucien had a long relationship with him, the bishop being the one who had given him the chance to become a candidate for the golden son.

Now, he probably wanted to use Lucien to keep an eye on her and gather information about her.

Was that old son of a bitch really thinking of making a move?

Margareth couldn't help becoming anxious, turning her face slightly and staring at Qingyi.

"I have a husband and I don't need any protection other than his. If Lucien manages to defeat him, I would take this possibility into consideration."

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