Upon hearing this, the cardinal stood up and nodded to Nguyen Thanh An.

They were both archmages. Although she was only the future heir to the title, Ruan Qing'an was actually in charge of the entire Lancaster family. Her high status was comparable to that of a cardinal in a branch church, so she naturally deserved respect.

"Your Excellency Dolores, you are a little late."

"I am quite busy with family matters, and I apologize for keeping Your Excellency waiting."

Ruan Qing'an nodded slightly and walked up to the high platform. After she entered, the entire courtyard became completely silent.

No one dared to utter a word, for fear of offending the young lady.

Compared to the uproar when the cardinal appeared, the crowd was now considerably quieter. Seeing this, the cardinal glanced at them subtly and smiled, "Lady Dolores's imposing presence is as strong as ever. However, perhaps if she could do one good deed a day—"

"Your Majesty Bishop."

But Ruan Qing'an suddenly spoke up, interrupting him, and said with a half-smile, "Are you criticizing my way of doing things?"

Hearing the subtle coldness in the tone, the cardinal remained calm and composed, his smile serene and kind: "If you can believe in the God of Light, it will be a blessing for Lycas, and even for the continent of Hilar."

"They probably can't bear such a great fortune."

Ruan Qing'an chuckled and glanced at the group of magicians sitting behind her. They were all like quails, and although they all thought she couldn't possibly be a good person, they shrank back and didn't dare to say a word.

The cardinal glanced at her, his smile unchanged, lifted his church robe and sat down, saying, "Please take a seat, Your Excellency Dolores."

The girl lifted her skirt slightly, nodded, and walked forward.

The hem of her dress, hanging loosely, resembled a vibrant, blooming flower, while her eyes held an unyielding arrogance: "Come here."

Aldridge stepped forward and stood behind her.

He was tall and had an extremely aggressive face. Even though he was mentally challenged, like a five or six-year-old child, you couldn't tell the difference when Aldrich wasn't smiling and was tense.

Like a vicious dog guarding behind you, it's quite intimidating.

Ruan Qing'an glanced at Eileen, who was sitting behind the cardinal, and clapped her hands: "Someone, make a seat here."

The royal family member in charge of the arrangements was also surprised that Nguyen Thanh An would bring Aldridge along. He immediately apologized and prepared to add another seat for Aldridge behind Nguyen Thanh An's seat.

But then, Eileen suddenly said, "Dolores, Aldrich isn't a magician, is he? Why don't we have him step back and wait outside in the courtyard? Why add another seat?"

Upon hearing this, the cardinal instinctively looked at Eileen.

Eileen simply kept her head down, seemingly speaking unintentionally, but her hand secretly clenched the hem of her dress...

She certainly wasn't doing this on purpose to cause trouble.

Eileen knew that her relationship with Ruan Qing'an couldn't afford to become any more strained, but if Aldrich continued to stick to her like this, what would become of their future plans...?

Just as she was thinking, she suddenly felt a cold gaze. Eileen froze and subconsciously looked up, only to meet Aldrich's eyes, seemingly because of what she had just said.

The memory of Aldrich swiftly beheading Kevin at the slave market sent a chill down his spine.

This idiot is no simple character!

Ruan Qing'an chuckled and glanced sideways at Eileen: "So, Eileen, shouldn't you sit with that group of people down there?"

"After all, you are only a mid-level mage."

She spoke slowly and deliberately, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

Upon hearing this, Eileen, who already knew that her strength and talent were no match for Ruan Qing'an, and was overly sensitive, suddenly turned pale.

Since they were outside, the cardinal naturally wanted to protect the saintess's dignity, so he took the initiative to say, "It's just a matter of position. After all, if Aldrich didn't have magical talent, this exchange meeting would probably be quite boring for him."

"Saintess Irene was merely concerned, but she was too anxious and made a mistake. Why should Lady Dolores hold a grudge?"

"Moreover, although Saintess Eileen is only an intermediate-level mage, she is a saint of the church and has her own insights into the use of light elements. She is one of the best mages and there is no need to be overly critical of her."

Before Nguyen Thanh An could speak, the Cardinal had already summoned a member of the royal family to reassign Aldrich to a new seat. The royal family member in charge of arranging the seat apologized repeatedly.

That's a definitive statement.

The royal family has already lowered its stance, and if Nguyen Thanh An were to use this as an excuse to make trouble, it would seem too aggressive, although—everyone believes that Dolores is such a wicked person.

They could sense the subtle, suppressed malice in those gazes.

Aldrich became unconsciously alert. Even after the seating arrangement was rearranged, he did not relax in the slightest. Everyone who made eye contact with him couldn't help but look away, not daring to meet the dog's gaze.

Just then, a soft hand landed on Aldridge's hand. He was startled and subconsciously looked down at Nguyen Thanh An.

She said softly, "Sit down."

"...Yes, Master."

At this moment, even children with intellectual disabilities seemed to understand what the helplessness of having no way to change something truly meant...

Seeing Aldridge there again, Eileen felt a surge of anxiety. But just then, the Cardinal turned to look at her, and when he turned his back, his eyes were no longer smiling, only cold.

A chill ran down Eileen's spine, and she fell silent.

With no further incidents, the magicians' exchange meeting quickly began. Although it was called an exchange meeting, the Cardinal and Nguyen Thanh An were the two archmages who gave the lectures in the early stages. Only later did other magicians have time to exchange ideas freely.

The highly respected cardinal was the first to appear.

But as everyone waited for the cardinal to go to the platform, the cardinal suddenly said, "Today I will talk about the element of light. However, none of you are priests of my church and you do not all know light magic. Therefore, I will ask Saint Eileen to explain the basics of the element of light."

"Ladies and gentlemen, then I shall make a fool of myself."

Eileen stood up and said, "My knowledge is limited, and I am only trying to offer a starting point. If there is anything wrong, please correct me."

Faced with Eileen's humble attitude, the mages gave her considerable respect and applauded. In addition, she had always had a good reputation and made many friends. Although her strength was not outstanding, she was quite popular.

Amid applause, Eileen sat down on the platform.

Looking at the crowd below the stage, Eileen couldn't help but feel a little excited. She had been preparing for this day for several days. Thinking of this, she subconsciously glanced at Ruan Qing'an across from her.

But at that moment, Nguyen Thanh An was talking to the cardinal.

Seeing this, Eileen suppressed her excitement and began to tell her story in detail—

As Eileen spoke, Nguyen Thanh An stood upright and ramrod straight. She turned her head slightly to look at the cardinal and chuckled.

"Your Excellency, are you planning to give her a push?"

"What does Your Excellency Dolores mean by this?"

Seeing that the cardinal was asking a question he already knew the answer to, Ruan Qing'an just smiled and didn't ask again. He was probably wondering what means Eileen had used these past few days to gain the cardinal's support.

But just as Ruan Qingan turned his head, the cardinal suddenly said, "If Lady Dolores can wholeheartedly turn to good, believe in the God of Light, and join the Church of Light, then this position of sainthood—is rightfully yours."

"Not just a branch church of the Lycas Empire."

"It's not just this small position of saintess."