Chapter 43 Stealing from the Demon Master Mentor! Kill it!
When Ancia woke up, most of her magic power had been restored. Her mouth was filled with the bitter taste of magic power recovery potion, which was clearly not the one Eve had brought. Eve's potions had all been modified by the royal apothecary and turned into the peach flavor that the princess liked.
She must have completed the Starry Protection Array before she fell into a coma. Did she manage to defeat the monster horde that followed?
Ancia immediately got up from the mattress, lifted the tent flap, and saw several times more Papal Knights than yesterday. They were resting in an orderly manner in the camp, and priests were moving between tents, treating the wounded. On a high platform not far away, Heligalo was watching the commotion ahead.
Seemingly sensing something, Heligalo turned around and saw Ancia's figure.
He seemed to have a lot to say, but in the end he just smiled, as gently as ever, "Good day, Ancia, it's nice to see you."
It seems the crisis of the monster tide has been resolved. Ancia walked over and said in a relaxed tone, "It's only been a day, not a long-awaited reunion. It's strange to say that."
Heligalo said softly, "Yes, you're right."
He smoothly changed the subject, "The Vatican's support arrived just in time last night. Three cardinals led the knights and priests to the scene and held off the fifth wave of monsters."
Ancia: "No wonder there are so many more knights in the camp today. Didn't the original knights say that it would take a day and a night for reinforcements to arrive?"
Heligalo: "After receiving my letter, His Holiness the Pope immediately dispatched other bishops to the regional papacy of the three cardinal bishops to assist in setting up a temporary large teleportation array, so they arrived in Red Maple City in less than a day."
Ancia sighed, "The Holy See is truly profound. The magic power required for a two-person teleportation array is so high that only a mage can afford it. Yet you build such a large teleportation array that can transport thousands of people without hesitation."
Heligalo smiled and said, "Wealth is nothing compared to life."
Ancia was still not used to the way the Church of Light operated. She insisted on ascetic practices in her daily life, but when it came to spending money, she was incredibly generous and lavish.
"Never mind, my magic has almost recovered after I woke up. I'll go check on the wounded." She lightly jumped off the platform and walked towards the area with the most priests.
Before I could take two steps, a soft body rushed over and hugged me.
"Ancia! Are you alright?" Eve looked at Ancia anxiously, took her hand, and then touched her collar and ear.
"It's alright, it's alright, I've rested enough, no need to be so enthusiastic." Ancia took a step back, escaping Eve's suffocating concern.
"That's good." Eve breathed a sigh of relief, regaining her reserved and elegant demeanor, but still following closely behind Ancia.
While Ancia was treating the wounded, Eve stood in the corner of the tent watching her intently, her gaze never leaving Ancia for a moment.
"Eve, do you want to... ask Cheryl and Teacher Yesika to take a look at you?" Ancia suspected that yesterday's battle was too tiring. Princess Eve was frightened by the monster tide because it was her first time truly participating in a long and arduous defense battle.
“No need,” Eve firmly refused the suggestion. “The teachers in Gracia are quite busy; they should focus their efforts on where it is needed most.”
"Alright then, I'll go ask my mentor some questions. You find a place to rest first." After healing the last knight, Ancia put away her staff and headed straight for Gracia's tent area.
Since the Holy See of Light took on the main task of clearing out the monster tide, the teachers and students of Gracia returned to their support roles. The young and inexperienced students grew rapidly in battle, and once the monster tide was completely over, they would enter the Monster Mountain Range to continue their training.
Ancia approached Cheryl, "Mentor, I have a question I'd like to ask."
Cheryl was writing something. Hearing her voice, she looked up and saw this apprentice who made her both proud and helpless. Yesterday, under extremely harsh conditions, she etched a carrierless magic array and stood in front of the camp, protecting those behind her with her own strength. With a firm will and a kind heart, she will surely become a magic array scholar who surpasses her in the future.
"What's the problem?" Cheryl put down her pen.
Ancia: "Does the mentor know anything about the demon race? I want to know the difference between magical beasts and demons."
Cheryl: "The simplest distinction is that magical beasts are products of demonic energy, possessing only animalistic instincts, while demons, like humans, are intelligent races."
Ancia: "Can demons mimic human form?"
Cheryl: "They can simulate, but they prefer to maintain their original form. The human body is a weak existence in their eyes. Usually, powerful demons will not voluntarily simulate human form."
"I see, thank you, mentor." Ancia nodded. "Are you the teacher in charge of keeping watch tonight?"
“According to the arrangement, it’s Mortley’s turn, and I’ll be on the outside driving away the monsters.” Cheryl pondered for a moment. “Mortley isn’t very reliable. If you need anything, you can go to Yesi… never mind, come to me if you need anything.”
“Okay,” Ancia obediently agreed. “If there’s an emergency, I’ll call my mentor.”
*
As night fell, the soup pot on the campfire simmered, and the aroma of cooked meat mingled with the spices added by Skalk, slowly drifting into the tent.
Ancia ladled out a bowl of soup and handed it to Princess Eve. "Eve, would you like to try some?"
Eve was still sitting close to Ancia, smiling broadly, and wanted to take it, "Okay."
However, her outstretched hand missed its target. Ancia took the bowl of soup back and shoved it into Skalk's hand.
Eve looked at Ancia blankly, "Why?"
Ancia drew her dagger and held it against Eve's neck, calmly saying, "You're not Eve. Tell me, where is Eve?"
"Pfft—cough cough cough cough..." Skalk choked on his soup.
Eve kept her head still, glancing downwards at the sharp dagger. "When did you find out?"
“From the moment you started acting with all the flaws, she couldn’t possibly be that kind of person.” Ancia looked at the girl with the eerie smile. From the moment the girl admitted it herself, a line of red names quietly appeared in her vision, and [Eve (????)] appeared out of thin air.
"Oh dear, I originally just wanted to steal the stuff and leave quickly, but I couldn't find the spatial jewelry on your body. The longer I stay, the bigger the flaws will become." Eve's appearance gradually changed, and a humanoid form appeared on the spot.
They are high-ranking demons. The Holy See's intelligence was correct; high-ranking demons have indeed left the abyss.
Its body is long and slender, its skin is dark, and its presence is extremely low; one might easily overlook its existence if not careful.
"Demons are the most trustworthy race. How about we make a deal? You give me the Holy Relic of the Church, and I'll tell you the whereabouts of that human girl." Its fingers rested on the dagger, gently pushing it outward by an inch.
"The Holy See's sacred relic is with you?" Ellan's expression turned grave, and he tightened the bowstring he was holding with two fingers. "Ancia, it can't be given to the demons!"
"The demons invaded the Augustinian Empire last time in order to seize the sacred relics of the Papacy and the Imperial Palace," Skark said in a deep voice.
"Poor little girl, I don't know where she's lying now. If I release demonic energy and accidentally lure the monster horde to where she's sleeping..." The demon had a frivolous smile on its face, and the cold blade was pressing against its skin. With the slightest pressure, it could draw blood, but the smile on its face became even more insane.
“A fair contract,” Ancia said without hesitation. “The transaction will be witnessed by your demon race’s fair contract, and those who violate it will die.”
"You actually know about the Fair Contract? Interesting." The demon leaned forward, a thin stream of bluish-purple liquid flowing down his blood groove.
A deep purple light emerged from its heart, splitting in two and falling into the palms of the demon and Ancia, transforming into entwined, intangible threads that connected them together.
The contract was established, and Ancia learned the other party's identity: the Thief Demon.
"Tell me where Eve is first." Ancia put away her dagger and wiped away the demon blood on it.
Since there's a fair contract in place, it doesn't matter who provides the items first. The demon shrugged and suggested a nearby location.
“Skark, Ellan, please go and bring Eve back,” Ancia said amidst their worried gazes. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Before Erlan could say anything more, Skalkra pulled him away, saying, "Let's go, let's go. Ancia is right."
Unbeknownst to anyone, the little incident that occurred in this corner went unnoticed. As they walked into the busy camp, they could still hear the one-sided, furious conversation drifting over.
"You're just going to listen to her like that? She's a high-ranking..."
"Hey bro, it's the weakest of the high-level demons in terms of attack power. Ancia won't be in any danger, otherwise I would have already... hmph."
The Thief Demon's expression darkened, but he didn't refute Skark's words. He dropped his smiling demeanor and urged, "Where's the sacred relic?"
The Wedge of Radiance appeared out of thin air in Ancia's hand, causing the Thief Demon to raise his eyebrows. "It's on you? Then why can't I steal it? My thieving skill can clearly pass through spatial jewelry."
Do you think you can steal it? That's the invincible system inventory.
Ancia tossed it over, saying, "Catch it."
There was no need to distinguish between real and fake; the pure power of light shone brightly in the eyes of the demons, and the Fair Contract also indicated that this was the item they wanted for trade.
The moment the Thief Demon received the Wedge of Radiance, it immediately let out a shrill scream. White mist rose from the point of contact between it and the sacred object. Its own strength was not strong; it had become a high-ranking demon by relying on its talent for theft and simulation. Under the burning of the sacred object, it lost half its life.
Having obtained the sacred relic, the thieving demon dared not take it any further. He glared at Ancia with hatred and prepared to disappear into the darkness.
"Mentor! Kill it!" Ancia shouted.
The demons must die!
A powerful white light shone from the outermost edge of the camp, heading straight for this corner.
Before the white light arrived, a jet-black dagger emerged from the darkness and pierced the heart of the thieving demon.
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