Maggie was surprised. She thought it would take Nesser some time to obtain a formal identity in the temple, but she didn't expect that he would be sent to her in just two days.
Harun himself brought the person over.
"Thank you for your trouble, Knight Commander."
Maggie reached out her hand to Nesser, who obediently walked to her side, and then she nodded to Harlan in acknowledgment.
"It is His Excellency the Bishop's order."
Harlan was as gentlemanly and princely as ever, his noble voice carrying a touch of gentleness that seemed to drown one in its warmth.
"...Mr. Bishop?"
A hint of wariness crossed Maggie's mind, and she asked another question.
"His Holiness the bishop instructed...this elf will also be Her Highness the Saintess's personal attendant from now on."
Harlan paused briefly, building up the audience's interest, before continuing.
Maggie's thoughts raced through her mind. She couldn't fathom Ford's intentions, but now it seemed to be nothing more than appeasement or bribery.
"Then thank you, Your Excellency."
Maggie nodded slightly. At least for Nesser, this should be considered a good thing; it would be much safer to stay by her side.
“His Excellency the Bishop said that this is someone Her Highness the Saintess brought back, and it is right for you to take care of her.”
Harlan's smile didn't reach his eyes, which inexplicably annoyed Maggie.
Ford still wasn't entirely at ease with her. Although he agreed that she could have two personal attendants by her side, he was also afraid that she might have ulterior motives and cultivate her own power within the temple.
All she needs to do now is show loyalty.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency. As a saint, I will dedicate my life to the temple."
Maggie flashed the same smile as Harlem, even the curve was exactly the same.
She was still too inexperienced to fight Harlen on her own, so she had to use magic to defeat magic.
As for why I didn't mention offering it to the God of Light earlier, it's because of this annoying guy in front of me—he is the God of Light.
Sure enough, Harlan's smile froze suspiciously for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, as if that moment had been Maggie's illusion.
"Her enlightenment is admirable."
Harlan gave Maggie an elegant aristocratic bow, and as he looked up, his azure eyes curved into crescents, making him appear even more affectionate.
"The Knight Commander is also one."
Maggie gave a forced smile; she really couldn't handle this person and just wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.
"However, the knight squire behind Your Highness looks much more dangerous than the one in your arms. I hope Your Highness will consider this carefully."
Harlan suddenly changed the subject, steer the conversation toward Perkin.
Their eyes met in the air, and the atmosphere instantly became strange.
Perkin's face was pale, and the way he looked at people was like a damp, slippery snake crawling up his ankles—cold, terrifying, and unsettling.
Harun, on the other hand, appeared as an upright and radiant paladin. The contrast between the two was stark, especially noticeable when they stood together.
"Knight Commander, you are overthinking it. I trust my men completely, so you don't need to worry."
Maggie blinked and began to lie through her teeth, but she didn't completely distrust Perkin; at least for now, their interests were aligned, and Perkin wouldn't betray her for the time being.
"In that case, I have completed the task assigned to me by His Holiness the Bishop. Your Highness, see you another day."
After saying that, Harun left.
Just as he turned around, Roy's shout suddenly reached Maggie's ears.
"Ah! That wicked human, he cast a tracking spell on you!"
Maggie paused, her gaze lingering on Harlan's figure. She remained silent, waiting for him to disappear completely.
A million possibilities flashed through Maggie's mind, all of which made her heart pound with fear.
Harun is a paladin, so it's not surprising that she can use some light magic, but what's the reason for casting tracking magic on her?
Did he doubt himself?
Maggie wasn't sure if she had given anything suspicious; she could only wait until they got back to their room to find out.
She was still lost in thought when Perkin suddenly spoke.
"He...is awful."
Perkin, who usually keeps to himself, suddenly opened his mouth, which meant that he really hated Harlan and probably had the idea of killing him.
Maggie's lips twitched. He was indeed her destined nemesis. Just seeing him once, just one glance, and she already wanted to kill him.
However, right now, let's not even talk about whether Perkin can defeat Harun, the top fighter in the Holy Knights. Even if he can, Harun cannot die.
With the God of Light dead, wouldn't humanity be completely at a disadvantage in the subsequent battle for the main gods?
Other powerful races all have gods, but humans don't. The thought was too much for her to bear.
"Can't."
With that in mind, Maggie firmly refused Perkin's offer to speak, which had finally come to her senses.
"Um."
Perkin didn't say anything more, only responding in a low, hoarse voice.
He probably knows himself that he can't beat Harlen now.
"I can teach you dark magic. The stronger you are, the better it will be for me, but you cannot attack Harlen for now."
Maggie reiterated that she was also no match for Harlan, but she had a better grasp of the bigger picture.
"Um."
Perkin was like a relentless nodding machine, responding to every single thing Maggie said, but each time it was just a simple "hmm".
Nesser listened intently the whole time, his expression suggesting he didn't understand the intricacies of the situation, but he still tried his best to comprehend it.
...
Maggie returned to her room, but Perkin didn't follow her in; instead, he stood outside the door. Nesser, however, seemed oblivious and went inside after her.
"Sister, sister, from now on I can protect you closely!"
Nesser happily circled around Maggie, extremely excited.
Knowing that he hadn't seen her for two days, Maggie could understand why he was so excited, and a genuine smile finally appeared on her face.
Her smile was even gentler and purer than Maggie's usual saintly smile.
"You should focus on practicing your magic first; protecting yourself is the most important thing."
Maggie patted his head and gave him earnest instructions.
"I know, I know, Nesser isn't a child anymore."
Nesser pouted, his tone reluctant.
When the topic of age came up, Maggie paused in her head-touching motion, then silently withdrew her hand.
[I almost forgot, this kid is 300 years older than me. What a terrible thing.]
Nesser paused for a moment, then raised his small face, tilted his head, and looked at Maggie with a puzzled expression.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Maggie was still reeling from the fact that this little brat was 300 years older than her and didn't realize that Nesser's reaction was off.
"No, it's nothing, sister."
Nesser shook his head, rested his chin on his hand, and looked down with a conflicted expression.
"Being my personal attendant is already quite an achievement for Nesser."
After encouraging Nesser, Maggie began to use her magic to examine her entire body. She still had tracking magic left by Harlen on her body, which was a big hidden danger.
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