Chapter 85: Chapter 84: The Ladies’ Secret Talk, an Invitation

Birch Town was destined to know no peace tonight.

Thugs had brazenly attacked a noble in the middle of town!

The Sun God had bestowed a Sun Miracle, saving Reya Xavier, daughter of Yed Xavier!

A Knight Level thug escaped!

And what followed was a town-wide manhunt by the Birch Town guards!

As this string of bombshell news spread, everyone was left reeling and filled with dread.

Some tried to dig up more inside information. Others seized the opportunity to acquire assets. And still others rubbed their hands together, eager to make a quick fortune...

Of course, there were also those who turned deathly pale upon hearing the news and immediately began packing to leave—like a certain middle-aged man who lived across from the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House.

In short, the town was in a state of unrest.

But none of this had anything to do with Jon and his party.

This one attack took down a Knight Level Wanderer and an Evil Mage with insidious methods.

To lose two combatants of that caliber at once was a considerable blow, even for the Blood Eye Association.

That’s right. The Wanderer Jon had batted away like a baseball hadn’t survived. He had been unable to move from his grievous injuries, and the spreading evil mist had ultimately claimed his life. His body was later unearthed when the Trade Hall Guards were clearing the battlefield.

It was undeniably ironic. He hadn’t died at the hands of his enemies, but was instead done in by one of his own ally’s Skills.

Therefore, the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House would have some time to prepare before those ambitious schemers could muster their forces and strike again.

By the time Jon and his party returned to the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House and settled Reya in, night had completely fallen.

...

"Rest assured, Reya is all right..."

The gaunt-faced old man dismissed the Holy Light in his hand, turning to nod at the others gathered around the bed.

"When our Lord performs a miracle, it is never at the cost of a sacrifice."

"She is merely exhausted. She needs to rest."

It was Ingram. Upon seeing the Sun Miracle, the Elder Priest had immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. He set out from the church at once, catching up to the party just as they were about to arrive at the trading house.

After receiving confirmation from two different Sun Priests, Jon and Rosalind could finally relax.

The silver-haired, silver-eyed woman’s knees even buckled slightly. Jon, who was standing beside her, had to steady her before she could stand straight again.

"Thank you, Priest."

Jon bowed earnestly to the old man, and Rosalind followed suit, bowing her thanks as well.

"Yes, thank you for all you’ve done."

Seeing the two of them act with such unspoken chemistry, Ingram and Ivory both drew their own conclusions, though their reactions differed.

Ivory crossed her arms, saying nothing.

Ingram, however, simply raised a hand as if to stop their bows, his smile never faltering.

"There is no need. I watched Reya grow up; of course I had to come when I heard she was in trouble."

"Now that I’ve confirmed she is well, I cannot linger. The matters of Reya being a Divine Favored, a Sun Miracle descending upon Birch Town, and the appearance of a practitioner of Evil Magic must all be reported to the Church Court without delay."

"Joyina has never dealt with matters like this before. I must go back and help her."

With that, he beckoned to Jon.

"Perhaps Mr. Jon could see me out."

Jon, of course, did not refuse. He had a few things he wanted to discuss with the Elder Priest in private.

Rosalind had wanted to follow, but he stopped her.

"Reya needs looking after right now. I’ll be fine on my own."

Ivory chimed in at the perfect moment.

"Yes, I’m certainly not good at taking care of people. You’d better stay."

Seeing that everyone was in agreement, and since Rosalind herself wanted to spend more time with Reya, she did not insist. She simply watched as Jon and Ingram left together.

After the two men departed, only the three women remained in Reya’s room: one small, two grown.

Ivory sat on the edge of the bed. First, she tenderly stroked Reya’s forehead, then she turned to Rosalind, her expression teasing.

"That remarkable young man... he’s the Adventurer Yed told me about, isn’t he? The one who saved Reya."

Rosalind looked away, then met the gaze of the woman before her—a woman rumored to have a certain... ambiguous relationship with Viscount Yed. She answered earnestly.

"Yes, Lady Ivory. Mr. Jon... he didn’t just save Reya, he saved me, too."

Ivory’s slender eyebrows rose slightly, then her lips curved into a bewitching smile.

"So you slept with him?"

"!"

The sudden, explosive question clearly stunned Rosalind. She instinctively glanced toward the sleeping Reya.

But in the next moment, seeing the smile playing on Ivory’s lips, she realized she’d been tricked. And by letting her guard down, she had already answered with her actions.

Just as she expected, upon seeing her reaction, the alluring woman’s smile grew even wider.

"My dear girl, don’t underestimate the insight of someone who’s been around the block... The way you subconsciously leaned on him when you stood together just now—that’s not something you can fake."

"I’d bet that Priest saw it too."

"..."

Rosalind remained silent, merely lowering her head.

Before Ivory, a woman who far surpassed her in power and experience, the best strategy was to say nothing and do nothing. It was the only way to conceal her true feelings as much as possible.

Ivory didn’t seem to mind. After her initial teasing, her tone softened as if she were having a heart-to-heart with someone much younger.

"Rosalind, from the moment we first met, I knew you were a very strong girl. But because of that, you are especially vulnerable in certain respects..."

"Whenever it comes to matters involving Reya, you’re likely to do things that aren’t exactly rational."

"And it seems my assessment was correct."

’She guessed everything.’

Rosalind’s heart clenched.

But Ivory wasn’t finished.

She looked again toward Reya, who lay on the bed, her little face pale yet tinged with a peacefulness that spoke of finding a pillar of support. The girl had worn that same expression ever since Jon had carried her back to the trading house.

"But I’m not saying all this to condemn you..."

"In this life, a woman is bound to gain some things and lose others when it comes to love."

"I only hope that your relationship doesn’t end up hurting Reya, or yourself—even if your original intentions were for her sake."

As she said this, a nostalgic look appeared on the face of the Mage, a woman who always seemed so mysterious and powerful.

"Leave no room for regrets... That is my advice."

Rosalind watched the unreadable emotions flickering in Ivory’s eyes and felt a faint stirring in her heart.

But she was accustomed to hiding her true feelings behind a cold exterior. So, in the end, she said nothing, only offering a soft sound of acknowledgment.

"Mm."

Meanwhile, in a hallway of the Golden Maple Leaf Trading House, the conversation between Ingram and Jon was drawing to a close.

Just as they reached the main entrance of the trading house, the Elder Priest turned to Jon with a broad smile and said something that was both unexpected and yet perfectly logical.

"Mr. Jon, have you ever considered joining our Sun Church?"

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