"I saw…"Under Lucia's questioning, Kurose Akira recalled the scene he had witnessed moments ago. He spoke softly, "A golden sun. A group of winged beings—but I couldn't see their faces clearly."
Hearing his description, a chill flickered through Lucia's eyes as she fell into deep thought.
At the same time, a faint glimmer flashed through Kurose Akira's gaze.
Ahem.Saintess, your toes are still hooked under my chin!
Thankfully, that pair of jade-like feet—untainted by dust—were soft, fragrant, and tender, causing no discomfort at all. Still, such blatant disrespect toward the guildmaster absolutely deserved severe punishment!
"Are you certain?"Lucia narrowed her eyes slightly as she slowly withdrew her foot. Her golden-red pupils locked tightly onto Kurose Akira, a trace of worry surfacing within them.
"What's wrong?"Kurose Akira sensed danger in the air. He didn't know what exactly had happened, but it was likely connected to the visions he'd seen in the illusion.
"The holy medicine cleansed your body, but your soul was rejected by Him—to the point that it even drew the descent of a Holy Arbiter." Lucia's voice was icy. "What is hidden within you that could provoke such disgust from Him?"
"Holy Arbiter?"Kurose Akira frowned deeply. A bad premonition surged in his heart. Could it be… the corrupted lustful demonic power left behind by Idis?
At the same time, confusion filled his mind.Just who exactly was this 'He'?
The God of Light?
Lucia pondered for a moment, then said coldly, "Don't worry. I've already severed the connection with that existence. However, that also means the soul-cleansing portion of the Holy Light Elixir was forcibly interrupted. It only completed the purification of your physical body."
"Just cleansing the body is already pretty good."Kurose Akira muttered quietly as his gaze shifted to his status panel.
Displayed on it were the following effects:
[Blessing of the Lord of Light: A sincere blessing bestowed by the Lord of Light himself, granting you divine power aligned with the Law of Light. Light magic power +100%, Light mana regeneration speed +100%! (30 days)]
[Holy Elixir Baptism (Body): Your physical body has been baptized by holy medicine. All attributes +50, Dark resistance +30%! (Permanent)]
[Wretched Blasphemer: Your existence has drawn the attention of a Holy Arbiter! Beware! (30 days)]
"?"When Kurose Akira saw the [Wretched Blasphemer] status, his brows knitted tightly.He'd drawn the attention of a Holy Arbiter?Those winged beings… were they the Arbiters?
…Angels?
As his thoughts churned, his gaze returned to Lucia. She was still immersed in contemplation, clearly harboring deep concern over him.
"This was my oversight," Lucia continued. "I didn't expect your soul to attract the notice of a Holy Arbiter. But rest assured—descending onto the Magic Continent is no easy feat for them. The conditions can only be met in places where sunlight is at its strongest, and even then, they can only remain for three minutes."
"Oh, that's not too bad then."Kurose Akira let out a quiet sigh of relief. Places of extreme sunlight weren't easy to find—and even if he did encounter one, he could simply stay far away.
"However…"Lucia suddenly stepped closer.
The distance between them shrank until they could almost feel each other's breath. Through the translucent white veil, her golden-red eyes stared directly into Kurose Akira's, as if trying to peer straight into his soul.
"What exactly is hidden within your soul?" she asked softly. "Why did it draw His attention? I'm truly curious."
"Uh…"Kurose Akira hesitated before asking cautiously, "If I really were a demon… as the Saintess of Light, you wouldn't try to purify me, would you?"
"I've said before— even demons can be embraced by the Light," Lucia replied gently. "If you were a demon, I would guide you in my own way toward the righteous path. A lost lamb deserves salvation. That said…" Her tone cooled. "My patience is limited."
"..."
Gulp.
Kurose Akira swallowed hard. He knew very well that when the Church of Light punished heretics or demons, they used methods such as Light Baptism—or purification by holy flames.
And those were merely standard measures.
Let alone the methods of a Saintess.
Better to bury that corrupted lustful demonic power deep within his soul!
As expected—Darkness and light could never coexist!
Except for Ivsha.
"Since the baptism is complete, get up now," Lucia said as she took a step back. "Leave all the remaining holy medicine to the little nun."
"Mm."Kurose Akira responded and stood up.
Brilliant holy radiance suddenly burst into Lucia's field of vision, causing her delicate brows to crease beneath the veil.
But the light only flashed for an instant before Kurose Akira wrapped himself in a towel. He stepped out of the tub and sat off to the side, quietly waiting for Ivsha's baptism to conclude.
Lucia glanced briefly at him, then turned her gaze back to Ivsha.
As she studied Ivsha's snow-white, jade-like skin, a trace of confusion arose in her heart.
She couldn't understand why Ivsha—a succubus—could absorb the power of Light so smoothly.
Shouldn't the Light restrain demons?Even demons who worshipped the Holy Light shouldn't be capable of this.
Even Saintesses themselves would show faint traces of pain when undergoing a holy elixir baptism. Yet Ivsha's expression had only shifted subtly at the very moment she stepped into the Light…
Lucia's thoughts spiraled.
Her gaze couldn't help drifting back to Kurose Akira once more.
Could it be because of… him?
Meanwhile, Kurose Akira was fully focused on browsing the player channel, completely unaware of the complex meaning behind Lucia's gaze.
He muttered casually to himself, "Two more demon lairs destroyed already?"
As he spoke, he opened a bottle of milk, took a sip, and continued leisurely monitoring other players' activities.
"Hm? A guild ranked up to A-rank?"
A stream of messages flickered across his vision—players congratulating someone on becoming an A-rank guild.
He couldn't help but feel puzzled.The world's first A-rank guild… and it only took three and a half months?
Just as he was lost in thought, Lucia quietly appeared in front of him.
Before he could react, her toes hooked lightly under the towel concealing the holy radiance—and yanked it away.
"What are you doing?!"Kurose Akira froze, completely bewildered by the Saintess's sudden action.
"There's been a question bothering me since earlier," Lucia said coldly as she stared at his radiant holy light. "Why is it that… yours glows?"
"People's constitutions aren't all the same. Is glowing really that strange?"Kurose Akira said speechlessly, reaching down to grab the towel and cover his sacred artifact again.
But Lucia barked sharply, "Don't move. Let me—let me take another look!"
"..."Kurose Akira frowned slightly. He knew glowing was unusual, but in a magical world, was it really that rare?
Before he could respond, Lucia was already staring intently at his holy light, her curiosity clearly intense.
She even extended her jade foot and gently tapped against the scorching radiance—
Making it burn even brighter and hotter.
"So that's why you drew the Holy Arbiter's attention!"Lucia's tone suddenly turned grave as she stepped her foot directly onto the blazing holy light.
"?"
Hiss—Easy… easy!
"You actually possess power of the same origin as the sun," Lucia said slowly, her voice tinged with astonishment. "How unexpected~"
"Huh?"Kurose Akira stared at her in confusion.
So it wasn't Idis's corrupted lustful demonic power that attracted the Holy Arbiter—
It was his… [Sunny and Cheerful] trait instead?