Chapter 279: Taking the Knife

"Alright, alright, don’t get so dejected. It’s really not that hopeless."

In the sea of flowers that had already returned to its original form, Meladomir squatted down. The pink nightgown wrapped around her fair little feet as she stretched out a finger to poke Muen, who was sprawled there like a dead fish, radiating despair.

"Think carefully. All you need to do is make a trip to the Holy City and participate in that whatever-it’s-called ceremony. Whether there’s a good result or not doesn’t matter. As long as you casually bathe in the Goddess’s Holy Light blessing at the end, isn’t it all over?"

"How could bathing in the Goddess’s Holy Light blessing be that easy?!"

Muen flailed upright, grief and indignation surging.

"And just going to the Holy City is already something utterly hopeless, isn’t it?!"

"Is it?"

Teacher Meladomir tilted her small head, comforting him.

"Aiya, you don’t need to worry so much. With the concealment of Divine Favor itself, and the aura-masking that comes with the Alchemy Core, the Life Church as it is now—aside from that Pope—no one should be able to see your connection to that Withering King."

"But it’s precisely His Holiness the Pope who wants to see me in person!"

Wouldn’t he just press me flat with a single finger by then?

"That’s fine too."

"Eh?"

"Although that Pope is only a few hundred years old—compared to me, his life experience still has a huge gap—in terms of magnanimity, he can at least reach the average level of a Church Pope. He won’t do anything to you just because of that trace of Evil God’s Divine Favor in your body.

And besides, the Church itself..." Teacher Meladomir suddenly paused, as if realizing she was about to say something she shouldn’t.

"Hm?"

"Well, forget it."

Her voice turned, scarlet eyes gazing at Muen with composed ease.

"Anyway, you just need to remember one thing."

"You—"

"Muen Campbell."

"You are my disciple."

Teacher Meladomir said lightly:

"Those who don’t know that won’t be able to see the strangeness in your body. And those who do know will, no matter what, have confidence in you... or rather, in me.

Therefore, no matter what kind of strange abilities flare up from within you, as # Nоvеlight # long as you’re not walking around with the words ‘related to an Evil God’ plastered above your head while firing them off, there generally won’t be a big problem.

The power of Evil Gods is indeed terrifying, but it’s not something untouchable."

At that moment, from Teacher Meladomir’s petite body, a boundlessly overbearing aura began to rise.

Just seeing those calm scarlet eyes, that white hair lifting on its own without wind, Muen’s heart couldn’t help but give rise to an involuntary feeling of reverent awe, as though gazing up at a towering mountain.

As expected of Teacher Meladomir.

An overbearing loli. Amazing!

"So..."

Snapping back, Muen blinked, asking with excitement:

"Even if the Church sees their Holy Sword refined into Elizabeth, they’ll let it go for Teacher Meladomir’s sake, right?"

"......"

"Right?"

"......"

"Hey! Answer me, you damn lo—pffft!"

"Sigh, I really don’t know how you, as my disciple, can be this spineless."

Teacher Meladomir withdrew her gauzy disciple’s fist, leisurely wiping it with a handkerchief, looking at him with a face full of disappointment.

"Can’t you be a little more shameless? Learn from that Pink Bear?

It’s not like there’s only one Holy Sword. And since things are already like this, what can the Church even do to you?

At most... at most... they’ll just make things difficult for you a little. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’ll die!"

"Damn it, the Church’s ‘making things difficult’... that’s already terrifying enough, okay."

Muen clutched his stomach, face pale as iron.

He was just the plain and ordinary son of a Duke—before the giant that was the Church, he simply didn’t measure up.

"Sigh... if that’s how it is."

Teacher Meladomir sighed helplessly, turned around to fiddle with something for a moment, then handed Muen an item.

"Take this."

"This is..."

Muen lowered his head, astonished.

"A letter?"

"That’s right. Since you’re going to the Holy City, help me deliver this letter to that kid Hezekiah. I’ve explained the issue of the Alchemy Core fusion baptism, and the Holy Sword matter, all inside the letter. You don’t need to worry too much."

"Hezekiah... you mean His Holiness the Pope."

Muen blinked wide: "Teacher Meladomir, you’re on familiar terms with His Holiness the Pope?"

"Of course. We just met not long ago."

Hands on her hips, Meladomir said:

"That kid was so enthusiastic back then—giving me his seat on his own, presenting me things on his own—it almost made me feel embarrassed."

"Hiss..."

Muen couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air as he looked at Teacher Meladomir, hands on her tiny waist, snow-white chin raised high.

Although he knew that whether in strength or seniority, Teacher Meladomir ranked among the very top of the world, he had thought this teacher, whose true body couldn’t even leave the Academy, was just a homebound loli who liked to sleep and bury herself in research.

He hadn’t expected that even in connections, she was this outstanding!

"Then I’m relieved."

Muen looked moved, saying:

"I misjudged you, Teacher Meladomir. You really are good to me."

"Of course. Who wouldn’t be good to their own disciple?"

Teacher Meladomir patted Muen’s shoulder.

"Now that idle chatter’s finished, let’s get down to business."

"Eh? Business?"

Muen’s touched expression froze at once.

"What business?"

"It’s nothing major. Just since it’s been decided you’ll make this trip, some preparations have to be made in advance.

—Like I told you before, the Alchemy Matrices meant to be installed in your body aren’t just one, but seven."

Teacher Meladomir smiled with narrowed eyes.

"If we don’t prepare in advance, are you going to make seven separate trips?"

"S-seven... seven of them?"

Although her face was all smiles, Muen’s body couldn’t help but tremble.

"But didn’t you say before we’d wait until my body’s toughness reached a certain degree before doing the follow-ups?"

"Aiya, just like last time, the situation’s changed. And it’s not like I’ll install them for immediate use. With your current physical strength, seven Alchemy Cores would certainly drain you dry in an instant. I’ll have a special method to put them into a dormant state. Once you’re ready for everything, we’ll activate them one by one.

However..."

"However?"

"At this stage, it might be a bit painful for you."

"How painful?"

"Well..."

Teacher Meladomir thought for a moment, then illustrated vividly:

"It’s really not that painful. Compared to before, it’s just the difference between giving birth to one child... and giving birth to septuplets."

No, no, no!

That difference is huge!

Giving birth to one already left him hovering between life and death—septuplets would...

"Aiya, boy, relax."

Seeing Muen’s face gradually turning pale, Teacher Meladomir leaned close, gently wrapping her arms around his head like a kind big sister. While dragging him toward that operating table prepared at some unknown time, surrounded by knives, awls, and drills, she spoke softly:

"Think of it from the bright side. Once the Alchemy Core fully integrates with you, the benefits aren’t limited to just linking the Eternal Clock. At that point, it’ll be like a true organ of your body.

It’ll be as if you suddenly had seven extra kidneys. No difference at all.

That’s a whole seven extra kidneys!"

Turning her head, Teacher Meladomir said to Muen with profound meaning:

"How does the saying go? If you wish to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. And if you wish to open a harem, how could you not take a few extra knives?"