Inside a luxuriously decorated room in the manor.
Leon sat on a lounge chair, dots of white light blooming from his body.
The radiance flowed around him like a mist, making it look as though he were draped in a layer of starlight.
After an unknown amount of time, the white glow gradually dimmed and eventually vanished into the air.
Leon, who had been sitting upright, opened his eyes and looked at his divine spell interface.
-
【Divine Spell Casting Rating: Poor】
【Holy Light Meditation EXP +1】
【Holy Light Meditation Lv1 (67/100) → Holy Light Meditation Lv1 (68/100)】
-
“Only a 'Poor' rating...”
Leon was slightly disappointed.
He had thought that after absorbing Miles’s insights regarding Holy Light Meditation, he would be able to achieve at least an 'Average' rating every time he practiced it.
He hadn’t expected it to still be 'Poor,' and the lowest grade of 'Poor' at that, yielding only 1 experience point.
Leon couldn't quite figure out how to get a higher rating for a divine spell like Holy Light Meditation.
Unlike other divine spells, Holy Light Meditation required persistent execution. Once cast, it slightly increased one's mental strength or rapidly restored exhausted mental energy.
Because of its nature as a continuous practice, it was inherently difficult to get 'audience feedback.'
After all, who would stare at him for hours just to watch how he meditated?
Without 'audience feedback,' it was difficult to obtain a high rating.
Could it be that he could only rely on slow, patient persistence?
Of course, compared to other priests, being able to steadily gain divine spell experience—ensuring a higher growth in mental strength with every meditation session—was already quite formidable.
But since he had a divine spell interface, getting only a 【Poor】 rating and +1 experience point each time was truly frustrating.
Pondering this, Leon walked out of the room. Old Hunter was already waiting outside the door.
“Young Master, dinner is ready.”
“Mm.”
Leon entered the dining room and glanced around. Just as he was about to speak, Old Hunter said:
“Miss Alicia hurried out right after choosing her room in the manor.”
Leon nodded slightly and instructed Old Hunter to keep a close eye on Alicia.
Although he felt it wasn't right to second-guess his savior, he still felt that Alicia’s reactions were a bit slow. She seemed a bit dazed when she spoke, and he feared she might be easily deceived.
Especially now that she had changed out of her old, dirty clothes and into the noble lady’s dress provided by the manor. Her previously obscured features were now clearly revealed, showing her to be a pure and beautiful young girl of about sixteen or seventeen.
She would be an even easier target for unwanted attention now.
“Yes, Young Master,” Old Hunter replied first, then added with a chuckle, “Has the Young Master taken a liking to Miss Alicia? Speaking of which, you are at that age...”
Leon rolled his eyes. Just as he was about to retort, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the dining room.
Looking up, he saw Alicia. Her face was smudged with dirt, and her noble dress was stained with dust, but she had a smile on her face.
She rushed up to Leon and handed him something:
“Saving... life... thank... you!”
Leon looked at the book in her hand, titled 《Hand of Divine Spells》. His mouth hung open in shock.
If he remembered correctly, 《Hand of Divine Spells》 was a Silver-rank divine spell of the Sacred Light Church.
In the entire city of Solainem, it should only be kept in... the Solainem Sacred Light Cathedral presided over by Bishop Miles...
Old Hunter clearly recognized the manual as well. His eyes widened. “Miss Alicia, where... where did you get this divine spell book?”
“City... center... big... church,” Alicia said.
Old Hunter hurriedly asked, “No, no! I mean, how did you get it?”
Alicia thought for a moment, not quite understanding Old Hunter's question, but she answered anyway: “Climbed wall... went in... found... took.”
Climbed the wall? Took it?
Isn't that just stealing?!
Old Hunter lost the composure expected of a Douglas family butler. He slapped his forehead, feeling a massive headache coming on.
Leon’s lips also twitched. After a long silence, he finally asked:
“Alicia, did you take it directly without asking the priests at the cathedral?”
Alicia nodded and said, “Priest... said... church... is home... no... blame.”
Despite her stuttering, Leon understood what she meant.
The priests of the Sacred Light Church often said that the cathedral was the home of every believer, a place where they could let down all their guards and where no one would blame them.
However, in Alicia's eyes, if it was her home, she could do whatever she wanted.
Taking the 《Hand of Divine Spells》 was just like going home to pick up an item; no one would blame her.
Having followed Alicia’s train of thought, Leon fell silent.
It felt... strikingly similar to a boss in his past life saying 'treat the company like your home,' only for an employee to actually break into the boss's office to take a nap on the floor.
Leon looked at Alicia and asked, “Then, giving it to me is...”
Alicia stared at Leon with her emerald eyes. “Gray mist... light... Granny Taylor... saving life... kindness... repay! Gratitude!”
“Are you saying that to repay me for saving your life in the gray mist, you specifically went to get the 《Hand of Divine Spells》 to show your gratitude?”
“Mm!” Alicia nodded heavily. “Pea... soup... you said... saving life... reward!”
Leon remembered now. He had given Alicia a bowl of thick pea soup earlier, and fearing she wouldn't accept it, he had called it a reward for saving his life.
He hadn't expected Alicia to remember those words so clearly.
Meanwhile, Old Hunter finally snapped out of his state of shock, panic, and regret.
He spoke up hastily, “Young Master, this 《Hand of Divine Spells》...”
Leon interrupted him. “I’ll accept the 《Hand of Divine Spells》 for now. Thank you, Alicia.”
Alicia responded with a silly grin.
Old Hunter’s eyes widened. “Young Master...”
“No rush.” Leon pulled out a chair at the dining table and sat down. “Since things have already come to this, let’s eat first. I happen to be hungry.”
“Alicia, it must have taken a lot of effort to get this divine spell book. Sit down and eat with us.”
Then, Old Hunter watched as the two of them sat down one after the other and began to enjoy their dinner.
This gave Old Hunter an illusion—as if Alicia had just gone for a run outside and come back with a bit of dust on her.
As if the Young Master had simply finished his divine spell practice and come to the dining room for dinner as usual.
As if nothing had happened... if only that book, 《Hand of Divine Spells》, weren't sitting right there on the table!
...
While eating dinner, Leon asked:
“Alicia, although the cathedral has windows, they’re only about the size of a washbasin. How did you climb in?”
Hearing this, Alicia wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
“I can... flatten... go in.”
“Flatten?” Leon looked at Alicia.
“Like... this.”
Alicia began to mumble some sort of incantation. Surprisingly, she didn't stutter at all while chanting.
Once the incantation was finished, Alicia instantly transformed from a young girl into a paper person—a literal paper person.
Her entire body flattened, turning into a thin sheet, as if she had been pressed from three dimensions into two by a machine.
Old Hunter, being well-traveled, recognized her move. “The rogue technique, Paper Shadow Evasion?”
Old Hunter was astonished. Paper Shadow Evasion was a Silver-rank technique. Was Alicia actually a Silver-rank artifice rogue?!
Leon, however, sensed a peculiar surge of divine power when Alicia executed 【Paper Shadow Evasion】.
It wasn't the strange ripple belonging to the God of Sacred Light, but rather...
“The God of Thieves?”
Rate on N.U.
