Chapter 1263: An Apology
“If there are no objections, the meeting is adjourned.” The Sect Leader in the light looked at the elders around him. They had nothing else to say, so the light instantly disappeared and the Sect Leader left.
Since the verdict was in, the elders of the opposition had nothing to say. Actually, whether Jayad joined or not did not significantly affect their interests. One more person would not make a difference; it was merely a matter of subjective acceptance.
Since the Sect Leader had reached a compromise, they had nothing more to say. Without even saying goodbye, they left directly, in batches. After all, so many people leaving at once would be too suspicious.
The Grand Tutor, however, walked up to Jayad, patted his shoulder, and comforted him, “It’s quite regrettable that you can’t join now, but I believe your talent will not be overlooked. Leo Man will continue to train with you, so you must work harder.”
“I know, I am not discouraged. This is a good outcome for me,” Jayad said with a smile. He had quite a good impression of the Grand Tutor who had believed in him from the start.
“Indeed, it’s good to have this mentality. I look forward to the day I can baptize you. Goodbye.” After saying that, the Grand Tutor also left with the others.
Leo Man’s mood seemed very bad. She had brought in the newcomer herself, only to have her efforts rejected by the elders. Although they did not directly refuse, it was equivalent to her hitting a wall.
“I’m sorry for disappointing you. My performance today was indeed not good.” Even Older Brother Jayad went to comfort Leo Man.
“No, it’s not that there’s anything wrong with you; it’s just that the elders are too prejudiced,” Leo Man shook her head. “Luckily, the Sect Leader has spoken like this. You are already a candidate member, and now you just need to follow the procedures slowly.”
After she came to this realization, she was no longer dejected. She led Older Brother Jayad out of the room and, as they went downstairs, she saw me waiting at the foot of the stairs, as expected.
For a moment, I didn’t dare to meet Older Brother Jayad’s eyes. It was he who spoke first, asking me, “Parul, how did your talk with Safah go?”
“Well, it was okay. I’ve agreed to help him with his treatment, but I still need to find some materials,” I replied.
“That’s great. If you need any help, just tell me,” Older Brother Jayad nodded and walked over, seeming to want to take my hand and lead me back to the venue.
“I’m sorry!” I suddenly bowed deeply, not only to Older Brother Jayad but also to Leo Man, who was still somewhat dejected beside him.
“What’s wrong? Why the sudden apology? Parul doesn’t need to apologize to me,” Older Brother Jayad said. Leo Man, however, looked at me thoughtfully. She might have just realized what I had been doing earlier.
“I messed things up, regarding your joining the sect, so I’m sorry!” I apologized very seriously.
“Oh, it’s about that. Although I had a slight inkling, why? I haven’t figured it out yet. Parul must have had your reasons for doing this, right?”
Older Brother Jayad had long realized that I had been up to something, but he had not stopped me, letting me proceed. Now that he was asking, it showed great trust in me.
“Yes, I also want to hear Parul’s explanation. Can you tell us why?” Compared to Older Brother Jayad, Leo Man appeared calmer at this moment. Logically, she should have been the one most confused.
I should have given them an explanation, but after causing such a scene, I felt speechless and didn’t know how to explain this misunderstanding to them.
“Sister Parul, let me explain?” A voice came from within me. It was Lorna speaking.
Since entering the venue, Lorna had remained silent externally, only using my body to experience the atmosphere of the banquet, such as the delicious food, fine wine, and dancing. At most, she would express her thoughts or complaints in my consciousness, just like now.
The reason was that Leo Man was nearby, and it was inconvenient for her to reveal herself. Any utterance would expose her. Unexpectedly, she had decided to speak now.
“Not Parul, who are you?!” Leo Man glared sharply at my chest, then saw the face of a little girl sticking out from my chest.
“Don’t be nervous, she’s one of us. I’m a friend of Older Brother Jayad and Sister Parul. My name is Lorna Shirley, and as you can see, I’m a ghost.” Lorna introduced herself calmly, as if Leo Man in front of her wasn’t a priest.
Although she had no weapon, Leo Man subconsciously summoned a faint Holy Light in her hand, staring intently at Lorna’s face, as if she were about to strike my chest if anything went wrong.
“Are you crazy? Why are you coming out here?” I patted my chest, trying to shove Lorna back in. The problem was, I couldn’t touch her, only my own chest.
“Isn’t this a good place? Miss Leo Man isn’t carrying a weapon, and it’s inconvenient to make a move in this setting. She should be able to listen to me calmly. Besides, we were bound to meet sooner or later,” Lorna said.
I had to admit she was exceptionally clever. Indeed, in this environment, Leo Man was the most likely to listen to her calmly. Besides, Leo Man herself would not want to reveal her identity here. Fighting at a banquet in the Lord of the City’s mansion would cause great trouble.
“A ghost, and a pure soul at that. How rare,” After observing Lorna carefully, Leo Man recognized her identity. “So, what do you have to say to me?”
Since Lorna was not considered Undead, Leo Man’s hostility was not as strong, and she was willing to listen to her speak properly.
“What I have to say is not about me, but about the reasons behind Sister Parul’s actions. She might be too embarrassed to say it, so may I explain on her behalf?” Lorna made her stance clear in a few words.
“Alright, you can tell me.” The series of events had left Leo Man somewhat confused, and she decided to listen and understand before thinking.
So, Lorna explained my concerns about the Arianism sect, my worries that Older Brother Jayad might become a seed for the god-making plan, and all the efforts I had made to reduce the elders’ impression.
Of course, her narrative omitted Via, making it sound as if she and I had discussed plans regarding the Arianism sect.
One advantage of Lorna’s explanation was that she spoke from a third-party, objective standpoint. At least, it appeared objective, which was slightly better than me telling it directly, as it didn’t sound like an excuse or quibbling.
Simultaneously, Lorna had possessed me earlier and could feel my emotional changes. She understood me the deepest and was able to convey my thoughts well. Many things I was embarrassed to say were well-articulated by Lorna.
“So, you were actually afraid that Jayad would be chosen as a candidate for the Holy Spirit, which is why you took all these actions?” Leo Man looked at me with a wry smile. If that were the case, it would truly be a huge misunderstanding.
