Chapter 76

After the aftermath of the spell had completely subsided, the first words Amara said to the nobles were:

"The people are panicking, and we should step forward to appease them. I will send a message to the Holy Temple later to explain the illegal spellcasting in Mithril City. Just be fair when reporting to the royal family."

"Yes... I will announce to everyone that it was the 'Sword of the Temple' that protected everyone just now." A brave and careful young man stepped forward and took the initiative to respond obediently.

After all, the Xita family still relies on Amara to protect them, and they dare not claim any credit for her, so they can use her with confidence.

Amara nodded slightly, placed one hand gently on the hilt of the sword, and walked with her to the platform next to the city square.

The aftermath was eliminated in advance, so the impact was not very obvious in the perception of ordinary beastmen. On the contrary, the strange phenomenon caused by the collision and explosion with the barrier protecting them was seen clearly by most people. At this time, they were gathered together in confusion and anxiety, asking each other questions. It was a good opportunity to become famous.

The quality of the Xita family members is quite good. This one's eloquence is obviously well-trained. Not only did he explain the cause of the incident simply and clearly, but he also had an excellent effect of inciting the atmosphere. The result was much better than if the Sword of the Temple had spoken himself.

In this way, Amara only needs to show his face and his reputation that has been passed down for many years, and stand there silently and reliably to receive a lot of gratitude.

Presumably, in the coming period, the offerings to the local branch of the temple will increase significantly, and of course the tax rate will also be tried to increase, but that is an area controlled by the royal family.

Amara was thinking alone amid the artificial cheers, when he suddenly heard a call that was addressed to him and not to the "Sword of the Templar".

"teacher!"

A tall and energetic lion youth climbed up the stairs behind the platform and shouted before he even stood firm. He was dressed like a common mercenary, with a mismatched outfit and a sharp and silly face. He didn't look like a member of the temple at all.

"Taloya?" Amara turned sideways and saw his disciple. His expression did not change, but there was a slight surprise in his eyes.

The lion youth, Taloya, with dyed gray hair and a messy leather mail, strode towards the teacher.

He looked clumsy, but his beastly talent and training were the real wealth he had accumulated, allowing him to walk on the wooden platform with almost no noticeable footsteps.

The teacher, who was only wearing a linen robe and carrying a long sword, looked even thinner against the backdrop of his grown-up, fully armed disciples. His entire body was only black, white and gray, and he looked clean, honest and upright, which was exactly what people imagined a great figure in the temple to be.

"I came here with my nanny." Taloya subconsciously explained to the teacher who was always serious.

"Then go back with her." Amara said coldly, "Now is not the right time to go out and play."

"But I'm not a child anymore..." Taloya knew the teacher's temper very well. He didn't resist. Instead, he showed his feline side and grumbled aggrievedly, "I'm not here to have fun. I have official business to attend to."

As expected, Amara did not ask him what his business was, but only said, "Is it to be done in Xita?"

"Yes, there are a few people in the temple in the eastern part of Xita who have a bad reputation. They are probably embezzling charity funds and accepting bribes from pagans. Anyway, I was assigned to investigate and handle the matter." Taloya answered honestly.

"But now that they know you're here, they should have destroyed the evidence." The young man, who was not actually stupid, raised his big, thick hands and used his five fingers to ruffle his hair.

Amara glanced at him, then looked away, looking at the unfamiliar, simply dressed, and hard-to-remember faces below the platform, and said without turning her head:

"If you want to be an adult, then go do your own thing and don't come looking for me."

"Okay, teacher." Taloya agreed. Young people like him always have their own self-esteem, and he didn't intend to use the title of elder to attract preferential treatment and flaunt himself. He just wanted to complete the task in his own way.

"Wait." Amara called him again.

Under the puzzled gaze of his disciples, he raised his hand, untied a thin rope from his wrist, and threw it to Taloya along with the pendant on it.

The pendant fell into the palm of the young man who hurriedly reached out to catch it.

It was an exceptionally beautiful blue scale with holes in it. It had a warm texture from being rubbed for a long time, and its edges and surface were as crystal clear and slightly faded as sunburned ice crystals.

The young lion was stunned in disbelief for a moment, then he realized something and his face turned red.

"S-sorry, I mean--how did you find it?"

He asked incoherently.

"...I picked it up by chance. It looked familiar." Amaral paused and answered casually.

Even though Taloya gave the scale away at first, it was merely out of admiration for the powerful opposite sex and a little bit of romantic feelings that young people of this status and age often have. People in the temple like him who are more inclined towards combat duties have no restrictions on marriage. In short, there is nothing wrong with what he did if it is made public.

But when the gift given to the opposite sex suddenly appeared in the hands of the strict teacher and Amara returned it to its original owner, Taloya still blushed.

Taloya took the scales in a hurry and ran away.

[How cruel! Tsk tsk.]

"It's a necessary path for young people. It also helps No. 6 establish the traditional image of a parent who beats the cuckoo with a stick."

[You talk as if you've ever been in love.]

"A love partner is not something that you can find by just sitting at home and reading books. When you reach a certain age, he or she will come knocking on your door with a perfect face and personality and ask you to marry him or her..." Yuan Qian said sadly.

"Not necessarily. If Dust Awakens crawls out of the screen now, it would be a sudden disaster for Pink Star." The adjutant said very seriously.

Yuan Qian was actually unable to deny the feasibility of this hypothesis. After all, many works from ancient times to the present can prove that humans have never given up the fantasy of raising paper people at home, not to mention the huge destructive power that "the characters that you have carefully created come to life" brings to the author.

Yuan Qian killed the time by chatting and finally waited until the crowd dispersed.

Suddenly, Amara passed the nobles and moved forward. The latter only felt a flash before their eyes, and the powerful warrior of the Winged Clan had left them behind and glided down the platform very lightly, catching up with a outsider who passed by the square.

The sword blade that silently cut through the air did not get stuck at a hair's breadth away from the outsider as expected, but was stopped in advance by a phantom shield.

Even though she defended herself in time and perfectly blocked the first incoming attack, the subsequent blows intended to make her instantly lose her ability to resist came one after another. The outsider who was passively defending still retreated repeatedly due to the huge power gap and took several hits.

She did not lose the fight helplessly. Instead, she turned over to relieve the pressure the moment her back hit the wall, and then she kept some distance and stared at Amara.

——She was a girl whose race could not be determined, and who could only be judged to be abandoned by nature. She was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, but her vitality had been replaced by the calmness of the vicissitudes of life.

She was actually very pretty, with gray-black hair contrasting with her pale skin that never got tanned, and clear features that could be described as handsome, but the first thing Amara saw was a pair of blue eyes that were filled with strangeness and wariness.

The middle-aged Winged Clan member raised his sword and pointed it at Xiaoman from a distance.

Contrary to his decisive and heavy blows, he always looked as calm as a piece of land covered in snow, making it impossible to tell whether the light silver-gray in the strong light was stone or ice.

"Pan. I recognize you," he said.

"You participated in uncovering a human trafficking case in Jino, which subsequently led to the murder of a noble. You were suspected of murdering the former mayor of Flora. You also learned foreign magic from the lich, which violated the commandments, and entered the city many times."

"And—you are a sinner. A rebellious villain who steals souls and brings disaster."

Pointed at by the sword and harsh words, Xiaoman slowly stood up and looked into those eyes without wavering:

"I was born incomplete. So you are declaring me expelled, on behalf of the Temple."

“No,” Amara said.

He glanced at the fresh bloodstain on Xiaoman's jaw and looked at the injured warrior.

She was tall enough, with outstanding melee skills and spellcasting abilities, and could be considered a formidable enemy wherever she was placed. But in his eyes, she was still just a child, both in age and in spirit.

"You may have bad intentions, but you are too young. As long as you give up the wrong path, I can protect you in the temple and let you live a peaceful life."

Amara said calmly as he put away his sword. He seemed to have no mercy or soft-heartedness towards Xiao Man, but the lenient treatment he gave didn't sound like a lie.

...What a strange person, Xiao Man thought. The attack just now was as dangerous and ruthless as a storm with iron edges, but now it seems as if he is really considering me from the perspective of an elder.

And when he spoke, the part of his talent that determined intentions was exceptionally calm, proving that everything he said was consistent with his thoughts.

If I were a normal, well-behaved younger generation, I would feel very comfortable in front of this person, right? I could trust his every word with all my heart, just like... I trust my teacher.

Unfortunately, I am not.

"You think my actions during this period were wrong." Xiaoman looked at him and said.

"Yes." Amara said without hesitation.

"Then I'm sorry, I can't possibly listen to you. Even if you are really strong, even if you cut off my arms or legs, I will continue to run away. I will only be myself."

Xiaoman gave her answer.

In front of the Xita family members who hurriedly climbed down the platform and rushed over, an unnatural wind suddenly blew up and the battle continued.

——In the end, of course Xiaoman lost.

This was a despairing gap in power, but she had shown her indomitable spirit, even Amara looked tired.

He gently brushed off the burnt ashes from the torn hem of his clothes, pointed to a strong female noble, and said, "Please send her to the temple. And bring me a sword."

The blonde woman silently suppressed the shock in her eyes and stepped forward as instructed.

Even though the prisoner was rumored to be a defective person with original sin, and had recently become even more frightening due to another incident, she still picked up Xiaoman without complaint and walked towards the cathedral standing in the center of the commercial city out of awe of the power of the Sword of the Temple that was truly displayed before her.

There are prisons specifically for detaining special persons, and multiple blocking measures are used in parallel to prevent the defense breach that occurred in Flora City Lord's Mansion from happening again.

"This way we are completely safe." A priest said as he watched Amara being shackled and imprisoned with his own hands.

He was a short, plump, middle-aged man from the badger tribe, with a kind appearance and good temper that made him very suitable for a public-facing position in the church.

As he had three daughters of different ages at home, he couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy when he saw Xiaoman, who was thin, dusty, injured and unconscious, being held in strict custody.

After all, she is just a young child. Besides, she doesn't look evil or depraved at all, the priest thought.

If she could gain some weight, tie her hair up, and wear a neat knight outfit, she would be just like a good child carefully raised by our temple. When she grows up and joins the guards, she will definitely be able to charm the girls in half of the district.

Although the priest was clear-headed enough not to secretly loosen the handcuffs or commit even the slightest unacceptable negligence out of compassion, he could still fight for some appropriate treatment for her.

"Sir, should we send her food in the future?" The priest asked Amara with a normal expression about how to deal with Xiaoman.

"Of course." Amara looked at him with a hint of surprise. "She is just a child of a different species, not a monster."

After respectfully seeing off this legendary figure who was of a very high status to the ordinary members, the priest returned to the kitchen to take a look. The nun who received his gaze turned around as if nothing had happened, pretending to be busy and hurriedly searching the cabinets, allowing him to specially pick out a good meal by hand.

The priest even secretly stuffed a few colorful berries and expensive sugar balls under the dry bread, then walked out and called two other people to act as guards, and carried the plate to the special prison deep underground again.

The priest's sympathy was well expressed, but Yuan Qian's sense of guilt had nowhere to go.

"I'm going to be scolded as a hot topic now." He sighed.

[It's what he deserves.] The adjutant, who had always disliked people like Amara, was gloating over the misfortune.

"If you can do it, then go ahead!" Yuan Qian was not convinced.

Of course, Amara's actions were necessary, both from a standpoint and from a character perspective. And Xiaoman is a very sentimental child, and she will remember it deeply if you treat her a little better.

But for the subsequent plot development, Amara must not make her feel close to him like the previous characters... just like when releasing wild animals, you have to scare them or even throw stones at them to prevent them from thinking that humans are creatures that they can trust and rely on.

I have already said that I have to infiltrate the temple. If I get in with the protagonist, how can I get the real situation of the beastmen? Yuan Qian kept repenting while telling himself that this was necessary.

This is completely different from the psychological difficulty of killing a evil guy as a private person.

The memory of him taking care of and teaching Xiaoman as a teacher and living together with her for a period of time was still fresh in her mind, but now he was going to hurt her mercilessly as a stranger. Even though this plot had been decided when the meeting place was determined, Yuan Qian still felt uncomfortable when it came to the implementation stage.

[If I dare to go, will you dare to let me go?] The adjutant said meaningfully.

“…I don’t dare!”

Yuan Qian had a hunch based on his understanding that if this guy, who often acted on impulse and did not follow the script, really went to see Xiaoman for this reason, the result would most likely be that he would turn around like a slick black cat and ask for a pat on the head, and the reward he proposed would definitely be something extraordinary, such as Amara's head or something like that.

So Yuan Qian decisively admitted his mistake. He and the author had carefully maintained the plot until now, so they would not argue with the lunatic here.

[Well. Actually, you won't necessarily be scolded. The smart ones should be able to see that the reason why I locked her up is to protect Xiaoman when 'I' am everywhere. If you really feel bad, just change your clothes and go in to comfort her. You are good at taking care of children.]

"How to coax her?" Yuan Qian wondered.

[Perhaps you still remember a good thing in the mall called subconscious conversation...]

After receiving the suggestion, Yuan Qian thought for a moment and decided to give full play to his ideas. Otherwise, it would be too pitiful for Xiaoman to be injured and still dream about the devil's aesthetic scenery.

"Okay, if you have nothing else to do, then we can call it quits," he said.

[…You’ve learned a bad lesson, Mr. Actor.] The Demon King of another world said sincerely.

Revenge came very quickly. The Nirvana, which he was in charge of managing, turned around and let go of the Mithril City that was originally scheduled to visit, and ran to No. 4 who was basking in the sun with nothing to do.

Casually and coldly grabbing a handful of long pink-purple hair, the monster had a gentle smile on his face that was contrary to his actions, and looked at the girl who was frightened and lost his composure in an instant, and a terrifying crystal purple dust exploded in the bottom of his scarlet eyes.

"Shall we talk?"