<p>Chapter Sixty: Lady Violet’s Misunderstanding</p>
<p>Late at night.</p>
<p>When Novella woke up from the somewhat stiff bed, she found her body feeling a bit hot.</p>
<p>She instinctively wanted to ring the bell for the maid but suddenly remembered that ever since that night three days ago when Mr. Cain “kidnapped” her from Violet Manor, she was no longer the noble Lady Violet.</p>
<p>This feeling was quite novel.</p>
<p>Novella slowly sat up, gently touching the tree-shaped mark on her chest.</p>
<p>Recently, she had felt a hint of warmth there while sleeping at night, as if a voice was tenderly calling out to her from the void.</p>
<p>Even more absurdly, she would occasionally have some blush-inducing dreams.</p>
<p>And the male lead in those dreams…</p>
<p>“Mr. Cain.”</p>
<p>Novella covered her somewhat aching chest and blushed, instinctively whispering.</p>
<p>Looking around, she found that the small bedroom did not have the reassuring figure she longed for, and she could only let out a sigh of regret.</p>
<p>In fact, staying at the house of that self-proclaimed Bloodsucker girl had made her feel somewhat awkward.</p>
<p>That person was always glaring at her chest with disdain and called her “fatty,” almost making Novella, who had never quarreled before, cry out of sadness.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>Feeling a loss of sleepiness, Novella could only get up, take the hair tie off her wrist, and tie her somewhat messy long hair into a ponytail, gently resting it on her tender, round shoulder.</p>
<p>Then, barefoot, she slipped on a pair of slippers.</p>
<p>At this moment, Novella was wearing a black nightgown that was like light silk, the straps on her shoulders slightly drooping, making her appear captivating and sweet, like a ripe melon, alluring and fragrant.</p>
<p>Her legs, while not as slender as a young girl’s, held a slight fullness, but her skin was tight, fair, and the graceful curves were proportioned enough to be called beautiful legs.</p>
<p>Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, Novella pushed open the door and walked out of her small bedroom.</p>
<p>At this moment, the magical device shop was still brightly lit.</p>
<p>Not far from the workbench, various materials and parts were laid out, paired with intermittent soft laughter; a white-haired little girl was sitting at the table assembling something.</p>
<p>“Hehe, Shaya will definitely be shocked by this brilliant idea of mine…”</p>
<p>While assembling, she kept murmuring.</p>
<p>Novella watched the focused little girl for a moment before walking to the kitchen, pouring two cups of water, and then returning to the workbench.</p>
<p>“Drink some water, okay?”</p>
<p>Although Novella appeared to be more than twenty years older than Octave, she said with a somewhat silly smile.</p>
<p>Then she casually removed a piece of mineral dust from the little girl’s hair.</p>
<p>“?!”</p>
<p>Octave reacted like a startled cat, her eyes vigilantly fixed on the woman who interrupted her work.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>Upon seeing this cow-like woman, Octave was furious.</p>
<p>She looked at her own meager chest and then at Novella, biting her lip in frustration.</p>
<p>After Novella was scrutinized like that for a while, she felt somewhat uneasy and brushed her hair back while instinctively tugging at her top.</p>
<p>After a moment, Novella, who had been troubled by Octave’s gaze for three days, hesitated and softly said, “Miss Octave, do you… want… um, that?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Octave happened to feel a bit thirsty, took the cup, and gulped down a large sip, then asked in confusion.</p>
<p>A blush appeared on Novella’s fair little face.</p>
<p>She hesitated for a moment, then averted her gaze, speaking intermittently, “I, I mean… um, breastfeeding…”</p>
<p>After saying this, she slightly arched her body, causing her melon to sway in a domino effect.</p>
<p>When Novella arrived here, she had no idea that Octave’s true identity was actually a Bloodsucker who had lived for over a thousand years.</p>
<p>From her appearance alone, this was a little girl far younger than Selly.</p>
<p>Due to years of reading, Novella’s imagination was quite good, thus she inadvertently filled in outrageous backstories like “losing her mother when she was young” and “growing up alone without support.”</p>
<p>So at this moment, she felt somewhat motherly.</p>
<p>Octave froze for a few seconds before angrily exclaiming, “Get away, fatty!”</p>
<p>“How could Shaya be interested in a deformed woman like you?!”</p>
<p>The little girl was so furious that her face turned red, baring her sharp teeth.</p>
<p>She became acutely aware of how scheming this woman before her was.</p>
<p>“Sha, Shaya?” Novella thought for a moment and then realized something, “Is Mr. Cain’s real name Shaya?”</p>
<p>“And… what did you mean by that just now?”</p>
<p>“Shaya is Shaya, what Mr. Cain or whatever.” Octave impatiently put down the water cup and resumed assembling the magical device, “As for what I said earlier, heh, this is the first time I’ve seen Shaya bring another woman here.”</p>
<p>“If I remember correctly, aside from that maid who likes to curse behind her master’s back, I haven’t seen him get this close to any other woman.”</p>
<p>Novella was stunned.</p>
<p>Octave’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind.</p>
<p>She instinctively lowered her head to look at the ring on her ring finger.</p>
<p>Mr. Shaya… likes me?</p>
<p>So he bravely eloped with me like Rochester and Jane Eyre, rescuing me from that cage-like manor?</p>
<p>Novella’s face turned completely red, feeling her body temperature rise significantly.</p>
<p>She shyly covered her face and quickly ran back to her small bedroom, burying herself under the covers.</p>
<p>Watching the figure leave and some parts trembling, Octave angrily shook her little fist.</p>
<p>“Proud fatty!”</p>
<p>“And why does it always feel like there’s a hint of… the nurturing mother tree’s aura about her?”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>When Shaya snapped back to reality, he found himself in a strange place.</p>
<p>Before him stood a magnificent tower, even when looking up, he could only barely see the top glowing with divine symbols.</p>
<p>Not far from the tower’s entrance, a doorman in a mage robe cast a vigilant look over.</p>
<p>This was the Mage Tower, the most revered academic center in the Hiren Empire and the entire Rand continent, rivaling the academic capital of the neutral city.</p>
<p>People here were all followers of the God of Elements.</p>
<p>Shaya shook his head and stared at the passersby around him in a daze, but no one paid him any mind, seemingly unfazed by this boy who had appeared out of nowhere.</p>
<p>I… shouldn’t I be dead?</p>
<p>With this question in mind, Shaya opened the system and glanced at the status bar, then was surprised to find that his level and free attribute points remained the same as when he had left Witch Miss earlier.</p>
<p>[Name: Shaya Adelaide]<br />
[Level: LV.48]<br />
[Race: Human]<br />
[Age: 16 years]<br />
[Rank: Two-Star Extraordinary Knight / Three-Star Sorcerer]<br />
[Stamina: 120]<br />
[Intelligence: 46]<br />
[Charm: 30]<br />
[Luck: 21]<br />
[Free Attribute Points Available: 66] </p>
<p>Not killed by Beatrice?</p>
<p>Who saved me?</p>
<p>Shaya raised his head in a daze, his eyes glancing at the triangular symbol at the top of the Mage Tower.</p>
<p>Then a startling conjecture emerged.</p>
<p>Could it be…</p>
<p>“This is the Mage Tower’s royal capital headquarters, unauthorized personnel, leave quickly!” </p>
<p>The doorman had long noticed the presence of this dazed boy and stepped forward with a vigilant expression, reprimanding him.</p>
<p>In the past, there were those folk mages who had become so foolish in their practice that they tried to come here to block the door, hoping to have the elders of the council acknowledge their research.</p>
<p>But most were just madmen indulging in their own fantasies.</p>
<p>So seeing Shaya look so lost, he inevitably had some doubts.</p>
<p>Shaya furrowed his brow as he regained his wits.</p>
<p>He opened his dimensional ring and casually took out the Judgment Tower’s inspector badge, presenting it before his eyes.</p>
<p>“Judgment Tower affairs, unauthorized personnel, leave quickly!”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>After leaving the Mage Tower, Shaya checked into an adventurer’s inn.</p>
<p>After declining three waves of visiting escorts, he felt that moral standards were declining.</p>
<p>“A half-elf girl, a bearfolk girl, and even a little person girl, how shameful, what kind of otherworldly customs guide is this?”</p>
<p>Shaya sighed and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.</p>
<p>He didn’t hurry back to the academy because he did not wish to attract the attention of those people to Deyora until the “Sun” plan was set in stone.</p>
<p>Actually, aside from her, Shaya didn’t really care about anyone else in this world.</p>
<p>And when he had gone back to the school to make clothing for Witch Miss, he had asked Sital and Dean Lucius to take a bit more care.</p>
<p>It was only then that he learned from his mentor that the inspector badge was arranged by a high-ranking official from the Judgment Tower who valued his potential.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>After resting for a while, Shaya’s scattered thoughts returned.</p>
<p>Then he went to the washroom, opened the door, and stood in front of the mirror, unbuttoning his shirt.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a long and well-defined body appeared in the mirror, muscles bulging clearly, filled with explosive power.</p>
<p>But when Shaya put on his clothes, it seemed impossible that he was such a muscular man; he even looked a bit skinny.</p>
<p>But at this moment, Shaya’s focus was not on his perfect physique.</p>
<p>His gaze fell on the central area of his chest.</p>
<p>In that spot, a blood moon symbol had appeared at some unknown time, surrounded by strange patterns.</p>
<p>Upon closer inspection, it looked like a command seal growing on his chest.</p>
<p>Am I Beatrice’s master?</p>
<p>It seemed impossible to think.</p>
<p>Looking at the surrounding strange patterns of the blood moon mark, there were neatly arranged nine lines.</p>
<p>Nine blood-colored patterns encircled the blood moon.</p>
<p>“What on earth is this?”</p>
<p>Shaya pondered and asked Miss Jin.</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, a familiar voice resonated from within.</p>
<p>“This is the symbol of the Goddess of the Bright Moon. Being marked by this means you have received her attention.”</p>
<p>Miss Jin said weakly.</p>
<p>It was unclear if it was due to her previous serious lack of water, but she seemed to lack energy.</p>
<p>Upon hearing this, Shaya’s eyes lit up.</p>
<p>When leaving the Dark Plains, Beatrice had clearly looked like she wanted to kill him; after all, Shaya had played tricks on a deity at that time.</p>
<p>And it appeared that this mark likely had some sort of tracking effect.</p>
<p>This meant that for a long time in the future, Shaya would be subject to the endless pursuit of the Goddess of the Bright Moon and her forces.</p>
<p>What could be more exciting than this…?</p>
<p>Shaya couldn’t help but grin widely.</p>
<p>“By the way, have you digested the memories from the black mask yet?”</p>
<p>After a while, Shaya thought about it and proactively asked.</p>
<p>“I’ve gathered part of it,” Miss Jin said softly, “but that organization seems to have a powerful anti-surveillance mage, able to cut off critical parts of the memory.”</p>
<p>“What did you see?”</p>
<p>Then, Miss Jin manifested two critical nodes from the black mask’s memory before Shaya.</p>
<p>The first segment was a scene where the black mask met a mysterious person, who wore a black cloak with a broken sun symbol embroidered on the collar.</p>
<p>At that moment, he was speaking to this vice president of the Night Shadow Association in a stern tone about something.</p>
<p>But due to the interference of the mysterious power Miss Jin mentioned, the conversation was entirely unintelligible.</p>
<p>Only at the end of the memory could one vaguely hear words like “divinity” and “purification.”</p>
<p>After watching this segment, Shaya took a deep breath.</p>
<p>Just as the letter from Yalin had mentioned, the underground altar of Violet Manor was intricately linked to the “Sun”!</p>
<p>Then, the second segment appeared before his eyes.</p>
<p>This segment was very brief, containing only one clear image.</p>
<p>It was a place resembling a cave deep underground, filled with stagnant water and filthy sludge.</p>
<p>At the end of the view, one could vaguely see vines and roots deeply embedded in the stone walls, drawing some sort of nourishment, as if after a giant tree had broken, the roots still stubbornly survived.</p>
<p>But none of that was the focus.</p>
<p>The focus was that on that half-dead giant tree, he saw a face.</p>
<p>That face was peaceful and tranquil, eyes closed, although made of the same material as the roots, its exquisite features could still be discerned.</p>
<p>Shaya was stunned.</p>
<p>Because that face looked exactly like Lady Violet.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>In the Heretic Tribunal’s Chief Justice’s Chamber.</p>
<p>After reviewing the case files in hand, Chief Justice Nidro wrapped up a long day of work, took off his glasses, and rubbed his somewhat sore eyes.</p>
<p>In recent months, the proportion of extraordinary cases related to heresy in the Hiren Empire had clearly increased, which greatly troubled him.</p>
<p>He sighed lightly and then seemed to suddenly remember something, ringing the bell beside him.</p>
<p>Then, a refined young man with a monocle walked in through the door.</p>
<p>“Sir.”</p>
<p>The secretary-like young man said softly.</p>
<p>“Have you verified the complaint letter we received from Mevis last time?”</p>
<p>Chief Justice Nidro picked up a nearby cup of water and took a sip.</p>
<p>The secretary nodded: “We indeed found the blood moon mark on the victim, Angelica, and afterwards dispatched the Vatican knights for covert surveillance on the suspect, Shaya.”</p>
<p>“His alertness is quite high; we’ve hardly succeeded in tracking him, and he seems to leave the Upper City from time to time without revealing what he’s secretly up to.”</p>
<p>“That’s almost certain.”</p>
<p>A gratification appeared on Chief Justice Nidro’s expression.</p>
<p>Since the bloody moon tragedy from years ago, he had been continuously chasing down information about the Blood Moon Cult and its leader Mansfield.</p>
<p>In fact, many years ago, it was permissible to have lunar faith in the Hiren Empire, but since the bloody moon incident, all followers of the Goddess of the Bright Moon had vanished.</p>
<p>After all, no one wanted to be associated with a cult.</p>
<p>“The key issue now lies in how big of a catch this Shaya is, and whether it’s worth casting the net.”</p>
<p>Chief Justice Nidro muttered to himself.</p>
<p>“Then, sir, how should we discern the status of the Red Moon members within the cult?”</p>
<p>The secretary inquired.</p>
<p>Nidro smiled at him and slowly explained: “The rank is not determined by them but by that existence.”</p>
<p>Saying this, he pointed out the window.</p>
<p>That bright white moon shone with a cold light.</p>
<p>“Once they receive her gaze and are favored, a ‘blood moon’ mark will automatically appear on their bodies, which distinguishes the members’ ranks within the cult.”</p>
<p>“Counted by the number of patterns surrounding the mark, the least is one pattern, then gradually increasing; the more patterns, the deeper the love received from the goddess, thus the higher their status within the cult.”</p>
<p>The secretary nodded: “Then, how many patterns does Mansfield have?”</p>
<p>“That one.” Upon hearing that name, Chief Justice Nidro’s expression became somewhat inscrutable, “He is the current leader of the cult, naturally receiving the most favor from the goddess, with a total of seven blood moon patterns.”</p>
<p>“With this status, he can even temporarily borrow a sliver of the goddess’s authority; that is why he leads the Red Moon cult, which is the hardest to eradicate.”</p>
<p>“Then, is there anyone with more patterns?”</p>
<p>The secretary asked.</p>
<p>“Impossible.” Chief Justice Nidro chuckled softly, “Beyond that is nine patterns.”</p>
<p>“If there really were such a person, they would probably be the goddess’s own son, right?”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>At the same time, far away at an adventurer’s inn in the royal capital, Shaya sneezed.</p>
<p>“Who’s talking behind my back?”</p>
<p>He muttered.</p>
<p>Late at night.</p>
<p>When Novella woke up from the somewhat stiff bed, she found her body feeling a bit hot.</p>
<p>She instinctively wanted to ring the bell for the maid but suddenly remembered that ever since that night three days ago when Mr. Cain “kidnapped” her from Violet Manor, she was no longer the noble Lady Violet.</p>
<p>This feeling was quite novel.</p>
<p>Novella slowly sat up, gently touching the tree-shaped mark on her chest.</p>
<p>Recently, she had felt a hint of warmth there while sleeping at night, as if a voice was tenderly calling out to her from the void.</p>
<p>Even more absurdly, she would occasionally have some blush-inducing dreams.</p>
<p>And the male lead in those dreams…</p>
<p>“Mr. Cain.”</p>
<p>Novella covered her somewhat aching chest and blushed, instinctively whispering.</p>
<p>Looking around, she found that the small bedroom did not have the reassuring figure she longed for, and she could only let out a sigh of regret.</p>
<p>In fact, staying at the house of that self-proclaimed Bloodsucker girl had made her feel somewhat awkward.</p>
<p>That person was always glaring at her chest with disdain and called her “fatty,” almost making Novella, who had never quarreled before, cry out of sadness.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>Feeling a loss of sleepiness, Novella could only get up, take the hair tie off her wrist, and tie her somewhat messy long hair into a ponytail, gently resting it on her tender, round shoulder.</p>
<p>Then, barefoot, she slipped on a pair of slippers.</p>
<p>At this moment, Novella was wearing a black nightgown that was like light silk, the straps on her shoulders slightly drooping, making her appear captivating and sweet, like a ripe melon, alluring and fragrant.</p>
<p>Her legs, while not as slender as a young girl’s, held a slight fullness, but her skin was tight, fair, and the graceful curves were proportioned enough to be called beautiful legs.</p>
<p>Looking at the bright moonlight outside the window, Novella pushed open the door and walked out of her small bedroom.</p>
<p>At this moment, the magical device shop was still brightly lit.</p>
<p>Not far from the workbench, various materials and parts were laid out, paired with intermittent soft laughter; a white-haired little girl was sitting at the table assembling something.</p>
<p>“Hehe, Shaya will definitely be shocked by this brilliant idea of mine…”</p>
<p>While assembling, she kept murmuring.</p>
<p>Novella watched the focused little girl for a moment before walking to the kitchen, pouring two cups of water, and then returning to the workbench.</p>
<p>“Drink some water, okay?”</p>
<p>Although Novella appeared to be more than twenty years older than Octave, she said with a somewhat silly smile.</p>
<p>Then she casually removed a piece of mineral dust from the little girl’s hair.</p>
<p>“?!”</p>
<p>Octave reacted like a startled cat, her eyes vigilantly fixed on the woman who interrupted her work.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>Upon seeing this cow-like woman, Octave was furious.</p>
<p>She looked at her own meager chest and then at Novella, biting her lip in frustration.</p>
<p>After Novella was scrutinized like that for a while, she felt somewhat uneasy and brushed her hair back while instinctively tugging at her top.</p>
<p>After a moment, Novella, who had been troubled by Octave’s gaze for three days, hesitated and softly said, “Miss Octave, do you… want… um, that?”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>Octave happened to feel a bit thirsty, took the cup, and gulped down a large sip, then asked in confusion.</p>
<p>A blush appeared on Novella’s fair little face.</p>
<p>She hesitated for a moment, then averted her gaze, speaking intermittently, “I, I mean… um, breastfeeding…”</p>
<p>After saying this, she slightly arched her body, causing her melon to sway in a domino effect.</p>
<p>When Novella arrived here, she had no idea that Octave’s true identity was actually a Bloodsucker who had lived for over a thousand years.</p>
<p>From her appearance alone, this was a little girl far younger than Selly.</p>
<p>Due to years of reading, Novella’s imagination was quite good, thus she inadvertently filled in outrageous backstories like “losing her mother when she was young” and “growing up alone without support.”</p>
<p>So at this moment, she felt somewhat motherly.</p>
<p>Octave froze for a few seconds before angrily exclaiming, “Get away, fatty!”</p>
<p>“How could Shaya be interested in a deformed woman like you?!”</p>
<p>The little girl was so furious that her face turned red, baring her sharp teeth.</p>
<p>She became acutely aware of how scheming this woman before her was.</p>
<p>“Sha, Shaya?” Novella thought for a moment and then realized something, “Is Mr. Cain’s real name Shaya?”</p>
<p>“And… what did you mean by that just now?”</p>
<p>“Shaya is Shaya, what Mr. Cain or whatever.” Octave impatiently put down the water cup and resumed assembling the magical device, “As for what I said earlier, heh, this is the first time I’ve seen Shaya bring another woman here.”</p>
<p>“If I remember correctly, aside from that maid who likes to curse behind her master’s back, I haven’t seen him get this close to any other woman.”</p>
<p>Novella was stunned.</p>
<p>Octave’s words echoed repeatedly in her mind.</p>
<p>She instinctively lowered her head to look at the ring on her ring finger.</p>
<p>Mr. Shaya… likes me?</p>
<p>So he bravely eloped with me like Rochester and Jane Eyre, rescuing me from that cage-like manor?</p>
<p>Novella’s face turned completely red, feeling her body temperature rise significantly.</p>
<p>She shyly covered her face and quickly ran back to her small bedroom, burying herself under the covers.</p>
<p>Watching the figure leave and some parts trembling, Octave angrily shook her little fist.</p>
<p>“Proud fatty!”</p>
<p>“And why does it always feel like there’s a hint of… the nurturing mother tree’s aura about her?”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>When Shaya snapped back to reality, he found himself in a strange place.</p>
<p>Before him stood a magnificent tower, even when looking up, he could only barely see the top glowing with divine symbols.</p>
<p>Not far from the tower’s entrance, a doorman in a mage robe cast a vigilant look over.</p>
<p>This was the Mage Tower, the most revered academic center in the Hiren Empire and the entire Rand continent, rivaling the academic capital of the neutral city.</p>
<p>People here were all followers of the God of Elements.</p>
<p>Shaya shook his head and stared at the passersby around him in a daze, but no one paid him any mind, seemingly unfazed by this boy who had appeared out of nowhere.</p>
<p>I… shouldn’t I be dead?</p>
<p>With this question in mind, Shaya opened the system and glanced at the status bar, then was surprised to find that his level and free attribute points remained the same as when he had left Witch Miss earlier.</p>
<p>[Name: Shaya Adelaide]<br />
[Level: LV.48]<br />
[Race: Human]<br />
[Age: 16 years]<br />
[Rank: Two-Star Extraordinary Knight / Three-Star Sorcerer]<br />
[Stamina: 120]<br />
[Intelligence: 46]<br />
[Charm: 30]<br />
[Luck: 21]<br />
[Free Attribute Points Available: 66] </p>
<p>Not killed by Beatrice?</p>
<p>Who saved me?</p>
<p>Shaya raised his head in a daze, his eyes glancing at the triangular symbol at the top of the Mage Tower.</p>
<p>Then a startling conjecture emerged.</p>
<p>Could it be…</p>
<p>“This is the Mage Tower’s royal capital headquarters, unauthorized personnel, leave quickly!” </p>
<p>The doorman had long noticed the presence of this dazed boy and stepped forward with a vigilant expression, reprimanding him.</p>
<p>In the past, there were those folk mages who had become so foolish in their practice that they tried to come here to block the door, hoping to have the elders of the council acknowledge their research.</p>
<p>But most were just madmen indulging in their own fantasies.</p>
<p>So seeing Shaya look so lost, he inevitably had some doubts.</p>
<p>Shaya furrowed his brow as he regained his wits.</p>
<p>He opened his dimensional ring and casually took out the Judgment Tower’s inspector badge, presenting it before his eyes.</p>
<p>“Judgment Tower affairs, unauthorized personnel, leave quickly!”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>After leaving the Mage Tower, Shaya checked into an adventurer’s inn.</p>
<p>After declining three waves of visiting escorts, he felt that moral standards were declining.</p>
<p>“A half-elf girl, a bearfolk girl, and even a little person girl, how shameful, what kind of otherworldly customs guide is this?”</p>
<p>Shaya sighed and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.</p>
<p>He didn’t hurry back to the academy because he did not wish to attract the attention of those people to Deyora until the “Sun” plan was set in stone.</p>
<p>Actually, aside from her, Shaya didn’t really care about anyone else in this world.</p>
<p>And when he had gone back to the school to make clothing for Witch Miss, he had asked Sital and Dean Lucius to take a bit more care.</p>
<p>It was only then that he learned from his mentor that the inspector badge was arranged by a high-ranking official from the Judgment Tower who valued his potential.</p>
<p>“……”</p>
<p>After resting for a while, Shaya’s scattered thoughts returned.</p>
<p>Then he went to the washroom, opened the door, and stood in front of the mirror, unbuttoning his shirt.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a long and well-defined body appeared in the mirror, muscles bulging clearly, filled with explosive power.</p>
<p>But when Shaya put on his clothes, it seemed impossible that he was such a muscular man; he even looked a bit skinny.</p>
<p>But at this moment, Shaya’s focus was not on his perfect physique.</p>
<p>His gaze fell on the central area of his chest.</p>
<p>In that spot, a blood moon symbol had appeared at some unknown time, surrounded by strange patterns.</p>
<p>Upon closer inspection, it looked like a command seal growing on his chest.</p>
<p>Am I Beatrice’s master?</p>
<p>It seemed impossible to think.</p>
<p>Looking at the surrounding strange patterns of the blood moon mark, there were neatly arranged nine lines.</p>
<p>Nine blood-colored patterns encircled the blood moon.</p>
<p>“What on earth is this?”</p>
<p>Shaya pondered and asked Miss Jin.</p>
<p>After a moment of silence, a familiar voice resonated from within.</p>
<p>“This is the symbol of the Goddess of the Bright Moon. Being marked by this means you have received her attention.”</p>
<p>Miss Jin said weakly.</p>
<p>It was unclear if it was due to her previous serious lack of water, but she seemed to lack energy.</p>
<p>Upon hearing this, Shaya’s eyes lit up.</p>
<p>When leaving the Dark Plains, Beatrice had clearly looked like she wanted to kill him; after all, Shaya had played tricks on a deity at that time.</p>
<p>And it appeared that this mark likely had some sort of tracking effect.</p>
<p>This meant that for a long time in the future, Shaya would be subject to the endless pursuit of the Goddess of the Bright Moon and her forces.</p>
<p>What could be more exciting than this…?</p>
<p>Shaya couldn’t help but grin widely.</p>
<p>“By the way, have you digested the memories from the black mask yet?”</p>
<p>After a while, Shaya thought about it and proactively asked.</p>
<p>“I’ve gathered part of it,” Miss Jin said softly, “but that organization seems to have a powerful anti-surveillance mage, able to cut off critical parts of the memory.”</p>
<p>“What did you see?”</p>
<p>Then, Miss Jin manifested two critical nodes from the black mask’s memory before Shaya.</p>
<p>The first segment was a scene where the black mask met a mysterious person, who wore a black cloak with a broken sun symbol embroidered on the collar.</p>
<p>At that moment, he was speaking to this vice president of the Night Shadow Association in a stern tone about something.</p>
<p>But due to the interference of the mysterious power Miss Jin mentioned, the conversation was entirely unintelligible.</p>
<p>Only at the end of the memory could one vaguely hear words like “divinity” and “purification.”</p>
<p>After watching this segment, Shaya took a deep breath.</p>
<p>Just as the letter from Yalin had mentioned, the underground altar of Violet Manor was intricately linked to the “Sun”!</p>
<p>Then, the second segment appeared before his eyes.</p>
<p>This segment was very brief, containing only one clear image.</p>
<p>It was a place resembling a cave deep underground, filled with stagnant water and filthy sludge.</p>
<p>At the end of the view, one could vaguely see vines and roots deeply embedded in the stone walls, drawing some sort of nourishment, as if after a giant tree had broken, the roots still stubbornly survived.</p>
<p>But none of that was the focus.</p>
<p>The focus was that on that half-dead giant tree, he saw a face.</p>
<p>That face was peaceful and tranquil, eyes closed, although made of the same material as the roots, its exquisite features could still be discerned.</p>
<p>Shaya was stunned.</p>
<p>Because that face looked exactly like Lady Violet.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>In the Heretic Tribunal’s Chief Justice’s Chamber.</p>
<p>After reviewing the case files in hand, Chief Justice Nidro wrapped up a long day of work, took off his glasses, and rubbed his somewhat sore eyes.</p>
<p>In recent months, the proportion of extraordinary cases related to heresy in the Hiren Empire had clearly increased, which greatly troubled him.</p>
<p>He sighed lightly and then seemed to suddenly remember something, ringing the bell beside him.</p>
<p>Then, a refined young man with a monocle walked in through the door.</p>
<p>“Sir.”</p>
<p>The secretary-like young man said softly.</p>
<p>“Have you verified the complaint letter we received from Mevis last time?”</p>
<p>Chief Justice Nidro picked up a nearby cup of water and took a sip.</p>
<p>The secretary nodded: “We indeed found the blood moon mark on the victim, Angelica, and afterwards dispatched the Vatican knights for covert surveillance on the suspect, Shaya.”</p>
<p>“His alertness is quite high; we’ve hardly succeeded in tracking him, and he seems to leave the Upper City from time to time without revealing what he’s secretly up to.”</p>
<p>“That’s almost certain.”</p>
<p>A gratification appeared on Chief Justice Nidro’s expression.</p>
<p>Since the bloody moon tragedy from years ago, he had been continuously chasing down information about the Blood Moon Cult and its leader Mansfield.</p>
<p>In fact, many years ago, it was permissible to have lunar faith in the Hiren Empire, but since the bloody moon incident, all followers of the Goddess of the Bright Moon had vanished.</p>
<p>After all, no one wanted to be associated with a cult.</p>
<p>“The key issue now lies in how big of a catch this Shaya is, and whether it’s worth casting the net.”</p>
<p>Chief Justice Nidro muttered to himself.</p>
<p>“Then, sir, how should we discern the status of the Red Moon members within the cult?”</p>
<p>The secretary inquired.</p>
<p>Nidro smiled at him and slowly explained: “The rank is not determined by them but by that existence.”</p>
<p>Saying this, he pointed out the window.</p>
<p>That bright white moon shone with a cold light.</p>
<p>“Once they receive her gaze and are favored, a ‘blood moon’ mark will automatically appear on their bodies, which distinguishes the members’ ranks within the cult.”</p>
<p>“Counted by the number of patterns surrounding the mark, the least is one pattern, then gradually increasing; the more patterns, the deeper the love received from the goddess, thus the higher their status within the cult.”</p>
<p>The secretary nodded: “Then, how many patterns does Mansfield have?”</p>
<p>“That one.” Upon hearing that name, Chief Justice Nidro’s expression became somewhat inscrutable, “He is the current leader of the cult, naturally receiving the most favor from the goddess, with a total of seven blood moon patterns.”</p>
<p>“With this status, he can even temporarily borrow a sliver of the goddess’s authority; that is why he leads the Red Moon cult, which is the hardest to eradicate.”</p>
<p>“Then, is there anyone with more patterns?”</p>
<p>The secretary asked.</p>
<p>“Impossible.” Chief Justice Nidro chuckled softly, “Beyond that is nine patterns.”</p>
<p>“If there really were such a person, they would probably be the goddess’s own son, right?”</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>At the same time, far away at an adventurer’s inn in the royal capital, Shaya sneezed.</p>
<p>“Who’s talking behind my back?”</p>
<p>He muttered.</p>
