Chapter 55: Taking the initiative is similar, but definitely not the same...
Ancia left a teleportation anchor under the Tree of Life, activated the teleportation crystal, and was enveloped in pale golden magic, returning to the mage tower in the blink of an eye.
Cheryl looked up from the sofa in the foyer. "You came back two days later than expected."
If it weren't for the fact that the magical anchor point Ancia left in the mage tower remained stable, Cheryl would have already reached the territories of the southern kingdoms.
“We encountered some trouble in the Misty Moon Forest, and it took a while to resolve it.” Ancia’s expression was grave. “Mentor, there are traces of the Lord of Gluttony in the Misty Moon Forest. It has corrupted the Tree of Life and intends to seize the Crown of Moonlight. Coupled with the thieving demon envoy who attacked the Wedge of Radiance in the Monster Mountain Range, I suspect that the demons have recently begun to plot some conspiracy again.”
She recounted in detail her experiences in the Misty Moon Forest to Cheryl, focusing on the unusual behavior of the Gluttonous Lord's puppet upon seeing the sacred relic.
Cheryl: "Both the Wedge of Radiance and the Crown of Moonlight are sacred magical items. The Lord of Gluttony has an insatiable hunger and will instinctively want to devour their energy."
Ancia was puzzled, "But aren't light and wood elements the nemesis of dark energy?"
Cheryl: "This is true for lower-ranking demons, but for higher-ranking demons, the more you restrain yourself, the more you ignite their desire."
"What monstrous demons!" Ancia pondered for a moment, then asked, "Master, what kinds of magical items are considered holy relics?"
In her memory of the game's plot, there were only relatively common magical items. The Wedge of Radiance and the Crown of Moonlight were things she only saw after entering the game this time. Given the greedy and treacherous nature of the demons, if they wanted to obtain sacred objects for some purpose, they would definitely have more than just these two.
Cheryl: "The Radiant Wedge of the Holy See, the Moon Crown of the Mistmoon Elves, the Shadow Embrace of the Dark Night Guild, the Wild War Drum of the Orcs, the Eternal Codex of the Royal Palace... and the legendary Heart of the Siren. The ownership of the other five relics is known, but the Siren race has been wiped out by the Demons and disappeared into the annals of history. This relic vanished with them. I will investigate the Demons' conspiracy against the relics. Rest assured, now that the Radiant Wedge is in your hands, I will not let the Demons take it away."
Ancia opened her mouth, as if to say something, but was interrupted by a crisp ringing of a bell.
"Ring ring—"
The wind chimes at the entrance of the mage tower rang.
Who will come to the Mage Tower?
Ancia looked at Cheryl with a puzzled expression, "Does the mentor have visitors?"
Cheryl: "It should be Abby's lunch that has arrived."
"I'll go get it." Ancia got up and went to open the door. "Thank you, just give it to me... Heri???"
Behind the door stood Heligalo, carrying a lunchbox. He smiled, his eyes fixed on Ancia as if he wanted to see all the moments they had spent apart over the past two months. "Good day, Ancia, long time no see."
Cheryl smirked. "I had no idea the Holy See of Light started offering a food delivery service?"
Heligaluo's smile remained unchanged. "I just happened to see that the Mage Tower had ordered lunch for two people today, so I picked it up for them on my way."
Ansia: "..."
Which one is just right? Which one is on the way?
It was her first day back, and she hadn't even warmed the sofa when Herrigallo showed up at her door.
Or is it that the Holy See of Light and the Mage Tower are separated by most of the Eternal City, yet they can still deliver food on the way?
Cheryl's face darkened. "Remove your Papacy's white doves from the vicinity of the Mage Tower."
Abby the Sun Parrot: "No! No! Beautiful Miss White Dove!"
Abby was so anxious that she flew up from the bird stand, her wings flapping in the air, and a few golden feathers fell down.
Cheryl had a headache. From the youngest to the even younger, none of the mage tower members were easy to deal with; they all sided with outsiders.
Ancia took the lunchbox. "Would you like to come in and sit down?"
Heligaluo shook his head. "The Vatican has many things to attend to. I only came to see you, and..."
He didn't avoid Cheryl in the foyer and spoke directly to Ancia, "The news that you possess the Wedge of Radiance was leaked because there was a traitor in the Holy See. This news eventually reached the Royal Palace. The traces of the Lord of Greed that appeared in the Monster Mountain Range that night also came from the direction of the Eternal City."
His implication was quite clear, almost an explicit statement.
Ancia's expression turned grave. "You mean there are nobles colluding with the demons?"
Cheryl paused, her hand rubbing her temple. "Herrigalo, do you know what this accusation means? It's only been twenty years since the demons invaded human territory. We paid an extremely heavy price to drive the demons back into the abyss."
In that confrontation, the Papacy suffered heavy losses, yet Heligaluo's tone remained unusually calm. "The last war completely reshuffled the Empire's power structure, and now someone seems intent on overturning it once again. Hyenas only pursue blood-stained profits, having long since forgotten racial hatred. However, these movements only indicate that there are treacherous individuals among the nobles, and that this person holds a high position. It doesn't necessarily mean that war will break out again. Ancia now possesses the Wedge of Radiance, which will attract the attention of the demons, so we should be even more vigilant."
Ancia sighed, "Not only that, the Moon Crown is also in my hands."
Heligaluo paused for a moment, then nodded. "I see. It seems you've also resolved the issue of the Tree of Life's disease. The Moon Crown is a gift from Elran as a token of his gratitude? He really is..."
He said nothing about Erlan, but his smiling gaze seemed to know everything.
Ancia coughed lightly, "Yes, the Lord of Gluttony corrupted the Tree of Life and tried to seize the Crown of Moonlight, but his plot failed and he escaped."
Heligalo: "I understand. If any nobles make any further trouble, I will inform you immediately."
He had been out long enough and couldn't stay any longer. After a brief chat, Heligalo gently reminded him, "The food is getting cold, eat it quickly, I'm leaving now."
Ancia and Cheryl sat facing each other at the table eating. As they ate, Ancia slowly stopped, her silver fork still stuck in a piece of steak, untouched for a long time.
Cheryl couldn't help but look at what her apprentice was doing. She glanced up and saw Ancia deep in thought, and then carefully spoke.
Ancia: "Mentor, you said you would investigate the demons' conspiracy against the sacred artifact. Heligalo said he would inform the nobles of their movements. It seems that I only need to stay quietly in the mage tower and Gracia, and all the troubles will be solved by you."
But is that really the case?
“I won’t spend my whole life just traveling between the Mage Tower and Gracia. I want to travel to other parts of the Miracle Continent. The Thief Envoy will come looking for me because I’m in the Monster Mountain Range. The Lord of Gluttony will corrupt the innocent Tree of Life. The remaining relics are also closely related to my friends. If the demons’ conspiracy really involves them, I will definitely not stand idly by.”
“Mentor, I want to take the initiative in the face of unknown conspiracies, rather than passively waiting for the day they come.”
The flame of the wall lamp reflected in Ancia's dark eyes, like a blazing fire.
She never forgot her purpose in entering the game: to complete the story and achieve happy endings for all five male leads before she could go home.
In Westfall, players only need to control their character to complete the academy missions in Gracia and then quickly defeat the Demon King in the abyss to complete the story. However, after playing the game for so long, Ancia has already noticed the subtle differences between this game and Westfall. Whether it is the fate of other NPCs or the personalities and pasts of the male protagonists that have not been shown in the game, they are gradually separated from Westfall.
Ancia could no longer regard these people as mere game NPCs. Although the system was unreliable, it made a lot of sense.
This is no longer the game world she remembers. Miracle Continent is similar to "Westlife", but it is by no means the same.
Therefore, the demons' restless advances and the undercurrents beneath the Eternal City can no longer be viewed through the same lens. She must seize the initiative and nip any possibility of her returning home in the bud.
At the very least, none of the male protagonists can get into trouble, and she must enter the abyss in the year Gracia graduates and defeat the Demon King.
The Wedge of Radiance and the Crown of Moonlight are now in her hands. The matter between Heligaluo and Ellan seems to be over, but given Heligaluo's character, when the time truly comes for the Church of Light to resist the demons, he will definitely stand at the forefront.
The once neutral Misty Moon Forest has now forged an irreconcilable feud with the demons. Whenever the Lord of Gluttony appears, Ellan's arrows will be aimed at its heart.
She needs to take the initiative.
Cheryl was only surprised for a moment before simply saying, "Okay."
This time, it was Ancia who was stunned. "Isn't my mentor going to try to persuade me or anything?"
Cheryl swallowed her food and snorted through her nose. "Would it have made any difference if I advised you? I also advised you not to be so reckless, did you listen? The white doves of the Holy See are almost blocking the sunlight from the sky above the mage tower."
Abby: "There aren't that many! Miss White Dove only has one!"
Cheryl put down her knife and fork and looked over calmly.
Abby buried herself in her wings.
Cheryl: "Eat up. You've been in the Misty Moon Forest for so long, and the elves haven't given you anything good to eat. You've gotten so thin."
Ancia couldn't help but laugh, "Mmm!"
The character's figure has changed; it's clear that her mentor missed her. She's lucky to have such a good mentor in the game.
Data is virtual, but care and love are real.
As darkness fell, Ancia left the mage tower and slowly walked towards an inconspicuous tavern on the street corner, which was the entrance to the Dark Night Guild's stronghold in the Eternal City.
The Dark Night Guild is a mixed bag of people with excellent information. It's a gray area beyond the reach of the Holy See and the Royal Family, and the best place to obtain intelligence on the dark side. She can start here. In this lawless place, she is most likely to discover clues about the activities of the demons.
But as Ancia turned the corner, a familiar female voice came from a carriage parked on the side of the street.
"Little Ancia, is your destination also the Dark Night Guild?"
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