Chapter 48: Hero Party
Leo stepped out of the luxury suite.
Celestia followed half a step behind his right shoulder.
They walked down the wide stone corridor of the East Wing, their boots clicking firmly against the polished gray floor.
At the bottom of the grand staircase, they pushed through the tall wooden doors and stepped out into the bright morning sunlight.
The main courtyard was packed.
Hundreds of Academy cadets in colored uniforms stood in wide rows around the central stone fountain.
The air was crisp and cold.
Near the front of the plaza, the Hero Party stood together in a small circle.
Leo’s dark eyes locked onto them immediately.
Hero Noel Pendelton stood with his chest puffed out, wearing his gold-trimmed white tunic and a short silver cape.
Beside him stood Knight Captain Valerie, her short crimson hair framing her sharp face, her heavy steel chestplate gleaming under the sun.
Next to Valerie was Spiritist Maya, wrapped in her dark-blue star robes, holding a slender wooden focus wand.
Standing two steps behind all three of them was Saintess Seraphina Croix.
Seraphina had changed into fresh white temple robes, but her body gave her away.
Her hands gripped her silver prayer beads so tightly her knuckles were white.
Her knees were visibly soft, trembling with each step she took.
When Seraphina felt Leo’s gaze across the courtyard, her head snapped up.
Her sapphire-blue eyes met Leo’s dark stare.
Instantly, a bright crimson blush exploded across her pale cheeks.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She quickly pulled her eyes away, staring down at the stone cobblestones beneath her boots.
Valerie turned her head, noticing the Saintess’s stiff posture.
"Are you feeling sick, Seraphina?" Valerie asked, her sharp green eyes narrowing. "You look pale. Your knees are shaking."
Maya stepped closer, placing two fingers against Seraphina’s wrist.
"Her pulse is very fast," Maya said softly. "Her skin is burning hot."
"I... I am fine," Seraphina whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "The vault was very cold last night. I only need rest."
Noel let out a bright, cheerful laugh.
He clapped a hand onto Seraphina’s shoulder, smiling with wide, easy pride.
"Don’t worry about her, Valerie!" Noel said, his voice carrying easily over the nearby cadets. "Seraphina held the holy warding array all night. She did an amazing job! Our party is stronger than ever today!"
Noel was secretly buzzing with euphoria.
He could feel the power pulsing beneath his ribs.
After watching Seraphina arch and scream on the altar last night through his seeing crystal, his stagnant mana core had exploded in size.
His divine holy capacity had doubled in a single night.
He felt like a god.
He looked around the courtyard, eager for the next opportunity to farm power.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
Heavy iron boots stomped against the stone courtyard.
The chatter among the cadets died instantly.
A squad of twelve Church templars marched into the center of the plaza, their white plate armor and heavy shields parting the crowd of students like a sharp blade.
Walking at the head of the formation was a tall, thin man in long gray robes.
Grand Inquisitor Ethaniel Graves.
A thick white cloth was tied tightly over Ethaniel’s eyes, blinding him completely.
In his right hand, he held a heavy iron staff topped by two silver balance pans: the ancient Scale of Sins.
Ethaniel stopped five paces in front of the Hero Party.
His staff hit the cobblestones with a dull, heavy thud.
The entire courtyard went completely still.
"Saintess Seraphina Croix," Ethaniel said, his raspy voice cutting through the morning silence. "Step forward."
Seraphina’s throat tightened.
She took two slow, hesitant steps toward the blind Inquisitor.
Ethaniel lifted his iron staff.
A thin strand of white inspection mana reached out from the silver scale, touching the center of Seraphina’s chest.
Clink.
The left silver pan of the scale suddenly dipped downward by two full inches.
Ethaniel’s pale, thin lips pulled into a deep frown.
"Your core is in turmoil," Ethaniel said coldly. "A strange, foreign heat is burning beneath your skin. Your holy mana is fluctuating like a storm."
Seraphina’s heart hammered frantically against her ribs.
Her breath turned shallow.
She knew exactly what that heat was.
It was the lingering trace of Leo’s hands and mouth on the stone altar.
Her body had not forgotten a single second of it.
Ethaniel tilted his head, his blindfolded face turning stern.
"The Abyssal Void Hounds in the vault released corrupted miasma," Ethaniel declared to the entire courtyard. "The darkness has seeped into your blood and unsettled your holy foundation."
He slammed the base of his staff against the stone ground.
"By the decree of the Church of Lumina, Saintess Seraphina must undergo the Three-Hour Holy Water Cleansing in the Cathedral Under-Crypt Springs today at two in the afternoon."
The cadets whispered among themselves in low, nervous tones.
Ethaniel turned his head slightly toward the crowd.
"The under-crypt sits above an ancient fault line," Ethaniel added. "We require a strong warrior to stand guard at the inner iron gate while the Saintess completes her private cleansing."
Noel Pendelton’s eyes widened with sudden, greedy excitement.
Another private session.
An isolated under-crypt spring.
Noel’s mind raced with greedy anticipation.
If Leo was with Seraphina in the hot springs, what would happen?
His core would surge with another massive wave of divine stats!
Noel stepped forward immediately, a bright, confident smile on his face.
"Grand Inquisitor!" Noel called out cheerfully. "Lord Leo Vance fought the void hounds barehanded last night. He already saved the Saintess once. Lord Leo is the strongest warrior to guard the crypt gate while Seraphina cleanses herself!"
Valerie snapped her head toward Noel, her green eyes flashing with sharp irritation.
"Noel, what are you talking about?" Valerie demanded in a low hiss. "We are her party. I can guard the gate myself."
Noel waved his hand dismissively with a bright grin.
"You have sword practice with the third-years, Valerie," Noel said smoothly. "Leo already knows the lower vaults. It is the safest choice for Seraphina."
Ethaniel Graves turned his blindfolded face in the direction of Leo Vance.
"Lord Leo Vance," Ethaniel’s raspy voice echoed across the quiet plaza. "Will you take the duty to guard the inner gate of the sacred crypt at the second bell?"
Leo stood tall, his hands resting casually inside his dark coat pockets.
Across the cobblestones, his dark eyes met Seraphina’s wide, panicked gaze.
Her lower lip trembled.
She looked at him with a mix of desperate pleading and helpless surrender.
Leo’s lips curved into a cold, faint smirk.
"I will guard her," Leo said.