CHAPTER 975: CHAPTER 972: "GODDESS, MADAM.

He moved his right hand, intending to use Spatial Vibration, but suddenly realized that the players’ Strength was greatly compressed in this game. Killing these soldiers would mean being hostile to the entire Kingdom.

He stepped back half a pace, trying to evade, but the soldiers pressed their advantage relentlessly, spears thrusting straight at him.

"Clang—!"

A sharp sound rang out, black hair fluttering before his eyes.

Soon after, the girl’s figure leapt down from the wall, blocking in front of Su Ming’an. She wielded her sword, deftly knocking the soldiers’ spears aside.

Su Ming’an felt a sense of the world’s changes. For years, it had always been him leading her; now it was her turn to protect him.

Before him, the girl had grown to 1.65 meters tall, her features gradually maturing. Her skin, long exposed to wind and sun, was not smooth, but her purple eyes remained stunningly attractive. Her delicate sword pressed against the soldier’s armored chest, leaving the soldier trembling.

"Soldiers. I remember curfew prohibits the killing of civilians. Who allowed you to swagger in, ready to kill?" Her voice had passed the change, clear and loud.

"Lady Taslyche, spare us! We didn’t know he was your friend, we, we thought..." The soldiers immediately knelt, begging the girl for mercy, as if she were some ferocious beast.

"You thought he was just a civilian, thought you could kill him without him having anywhere to complain—right?" Alice said coldly, "The war has bred you looting scoundrels, sending you to the disciplinary army would be too light of a punishment! You pests can never be eradicated enough no matter how punished!"

Her sword tip advanced, the soldiers went pale with fear, begging loudly for mercy.

"Go find Wendell Knight for punishment yourselves!" Alice kicked a soldier’s iron helmet.

The soldiers scrambled away, crawling.

Su Ming’an watched in astonishment as it unfolded—just a year apart, Alice had turned into such an independently decisive person. This near-pending war seemed to have brought her considerable pain.

Alice sheathed her sword, the scabbard clicking. She stepped, turned, and her movements already bore the air of a swordsman.

The dim light cast upon her face, and Su Ming’an saw the weathered marks of wind and sun, faint sunburns. Her exposed neck even had a grim scar from a blade, her gaze sharp, akin to the rocks by the sea—though she was merely fifteen years old.

But when she looked at Su Ming’an, the sword aura surrounding Alice instantly closed, the sharpness in her eyes vanished.

...

[Alice’s Mood Value has changed: 20% (Sullen) — 80% (Extremely Happy)]

...

"Sir Detective!" She rushed over to him, seeking a reunion embrace, her demeanor softening instantly. No trace of her earlier menace.

This startled Su Ming’an—just what kind of sinister sweet dumpling had he cultivated?

Thinking of her constantly escalating Darkness Value, Su Ming’an had a vague ominous premonition.

Su Ming’an extended a finger, placing it on her forehead, stopping her embrace. She was fifteen years old now, hugging her was inappropriate.

Alice reached forward with her hands, yet obeyed, not advancing another step. As if the finger pressed on her forehead was an insurmountable barrier, and she would not overstep.

Su Ming’an vaguely felt resistance, Alice’s Strength had already surpassed his.

He glanced at her panel.

...

[Name: Alice (Age: 15 years)]

Occupation: Honorary Knight

Physique: 32

Force: 28

Wisdom: 38

Emotional Intelligence: 28

Good/Evil: 10 (Good)

Faith: 0

Mood: 80% (Extremely Happy)

Prestige: 0

Martial Arts: The Way of Attack (300), The Way of Defense (100), The Way of Healing (0), The Way of Method (0).

Skills: Chess Arts (0), Calligraphy (0), Drawing Skill (0), Dance (0), Cooking (500), Tailoring (0), Medicine (70), Engineering (0), Mathematics (0), Literature (40), Etiquette (30), Military (30), Eloquence (50), Theology (100), Mysticism (60), Archaeology (80)

Darkness: 60 (Note: Do not let this value exceed 100 points)

Divinity: 50 (Note: Do not let this value exceed 100 points)

Skills: High Level Swordsmanship, High Level Cooking

Overall Evaluation: B

Favorability: 80 (Sharing Weal and Woe)

Note: It seems she has made considerable progress this year; war is the most painful yet rapid catalyst.]

...

"Why were the soldiers calling you Lady Taslyche earlier?" Su Ming’an asked.

Alice blinked: "I often went to the church to pray with Sister Nun before, cleaning for her, thus the Bishop and Priests came to know me, granting me this name. Those soldiers fear me because I’m close with Princess Avetina; she appointed me Honorary Knight."

Su Ming’an nodded.

That’s good too; a noble-style name can intidimate some petty individuals.

"But I... don’t like this name." Alice said quietly, "I still want to be Alice."

She deliberately hid the blood-stained sword behind her back, not wanting Su Ming’an to see.

Su Ming’an asked, "Why is there blood on the windowsill at home?"

Alice looked down: "I help Royal City Knights eradicate Exotic Species every night, they’ve been getting increasingly rampant lately. Do you remember Wendell Knight? He was the blond young man who sent you the lake postcard last year; now he has to deal with the war, he’s too busy to eradicate nearby Exotic Species. Recently, the Exotic Species vary in strength, one chased to my home, and I dealt with it at the windowsill."

Su Ming’an sighed inwardly; this game was becoming less and less comforting.

"Please come in. I’m sorry, too much happened this year, I couldn’t prepare Spring Heart Cookies." Alice wiped the blood from the back of her hand.

They sat in the room for a while, where Alice recounted recent events to him. The nearby battles were fierce, but thanks to Princess Avetina’s care, this small town didn’t fall into ruin like the surrounding towns.

With the town under lockdown, Su Ming’an and Alice went fishing by the nearby lake, just as a way to celebrate her birthday.

"Alice." Footsteps came from the forest, Hunter Diff approached. He seemed leaner than last year.

"Diff? What brings you here?" Alice asked.

"I climbed over the wall to come out today because it’s your birthday." Diff nodded towards Su Ming’an: "Detective, you’re here too."

Compared to last year, this birthday felt much lonelier. Sister Rita, the nun, had disappeared, Qiao Xi from fighting class was also missing, Knight Wendell was busy with the war, and Yixi from the baron’s house was being protected at home by his father. The wild child Part seemed to have joined the militia. The neighbor’s gardener Mei Mi and her family were taking refuge in the church.

Only the homeless Hunter Diff could come to celebrate Alice’s birthday. They sat by the lake, holding sparklers in their hands, as one star after another burst out, reflecting on the lake like the sky mirrored in the water.

"Detective." In the silence, Alice spoke up.

"Hm?"

"How about we get a pet?" Alice said: "I found a stray cat these past few days. If we don’t look after it, it will die."

"It’s up to you." Su Ming’an said. Alice’s mood was too repressed; having a pet might help adjust her mentality.

"What do you think we should call it?" Alice thought for a moment: "How about... Little Love, taking the first sound of my name."

"Not suitable." Su Ming’an sincerely suggested. A certain fox would jump up and make trouble.

"Then how about Little Black... no, Little Ink?"

"Fine."

Alice smiled, raising the sparkler, the brilliant light reflecting in her eyes.

She stood up, running a circle around the lake with the sparkler, its light flickering and crackling out. Su Ming’an sat on the grass, quietly watching her run. The sparks flew out like stars, each one falling into the lake, reminding Su Ming’an of a magnificent blue full moon.

"Detective! Once the war is over, let’s go see the sea together!" Alice shouted from across the lake.

She was already wearing a warm woolen long dress, cashmere wrapping her petite cheeks, her exposed nose tip bearing wet red marks, and the sword wound on her neck was covered.

The fireworks illuminated her purple eyes. If he were close enough, Su Ming’an might see that reflected in her eyes was neither the full moon, the lake, nor the fireworks, but the black-haired young man sitting on the opposite shore.

Su Ming’an raised his voice to ensure Alice could hear from across the lake: "Sure!"

"Finally, I’ve met... someone very important in my life!" Alice cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone: "In the future, let’s see every ocean there is, Detective!"

"If there’s time!" Su Ming’an shouted back.

"We must go together! By then we’ll take an airship, and Diff will come too!"

Alice seemed to deliberately not run back, shouting across the lake to Su Ming’an. Both raised their voices, shouting back and forth as if it were some interesting game.

Fireworks, one after another, dropped into the lake, falling into the reflection of the blue full moon on the lake’s surface.

Finally, Alice lowered her voice, saying something softly, but Su Ming’an couldn’t hear.

...

Afterwards, Su Ming’an accompanied Alice to a church.

"Buying redemption tickets, is that how we can heal Black Mist Disease?" people whispered among themselves.

"I’ve bought several redemption tickets, but the deity still hasn’t favored me. Maybe my faith isn’t strong enough..."

The church was filled with refugees. Some were sick, wailing on the ground. Others bore burn marks or bullet wounds, left waiting only for death. This hellish scene was even worse outside the church.

It was the first time Su Ming’an had seen a war like those of the Middle Ages. The warfare during this period was extremely brutal, with numerous deaths each day, not to mention the plagues it bred.

Inside, it grew slightly quieter, and the wailing ceased.

Alice stood under a statue praying; as an Honorary Knight, she came to the church to pray every day.

"To the merciful God."

Her expression was compassionate and gentle, her voice like a stream.

"Only if we act justly and show mercy will your gleaming light grace the earth."

"Let righteousness roll on like a river, let your mercy fall like rain."

"Please end the war, end the plague, may you... bestow your grace upon us."

She sincerely hoped for the deity to bestow blessings, ending the plague. In this ignorant era, the people had no other way but to put their hopes in the deity, praying repeatedly.

It was the first time Su Ming’an had seen Alice pray.

Seeing her high "Theology" and "Divinity" attributes on her panel, Su Ming’an had already realized her skill in these matters. Yet, witnessing her pray, Su Ming’an was still shocked by her presence.

The fifteen-year-old girl exuded a sense of solemnity, compassion, and divinity. In that instant when she entered the church, it felt as if she had transformed from Alice into a true nun. No, she was far more striking than a nun; he could sense a divinity in her unlike that of ordinary people, like an angel singing hymns.

Yet the moment Alice ceased her prayer, the familiar feeling returned; she seemed to become Alice again.

"Detective, shall we go?" Alice smiled at him: "Everyone comes to pray daily, maybe one day the deity will bestow blessings?"

Su Ming’an nodded. Even though he knew the deity was a bastard who didn’t care about the people.

But at that moment,

the statue began to glow.

"This... this is...?" The white-haired bishop was utterly shocked.

Brilliant colors shot from the statue, landing on Alice. She stood there, baffled, not knowing what had happened.

"The statue hasn’t done anything for decades, and now it finally reveals itself... it’s the Oracle, the Oracle has finally arrived! It’s you, it’s you!" The white-haired bishop clutched Alice’s shoulders with an expression of joyful tears. The nuns were also ecstatic.

"What’s happening? Bishop Grandfather." Alice was bewildered. She was familiar with these priests and nuns, but had never seen such a sight.

"Alice!" The bishop looked at her solemnly: "Whenever the world is on the brink of collapse, the great deity deems humanity cannot overcome the crisis, and He chooses a person as His Agent to help humanity through. This person is called the Divine Son or Goddess. The last Divine Son was said to be several hundred years ago, when war nearly destroyed humanity, with the Divine Son finally stopping the war under the deity’s guidance."

"You... you mean? But I’m just an ordinary person, I’m not smart, I can’t even compare to others in swordsmanship..." Alice’s face was pale.

"—You are the Goddess of this generation, Lady Taslyche!" The elderly man led the knee, bowing down.

And then, the priests and nun sisters familiar with Alice all knelt together. It seemed she was no longer the girl who cleaned with them, but the Goddess—Goddess Taslyche.

Under the radiant light, everyone bowed down, like puppets pulled by strings, fervently worshipping the girl standing in the light.

Even the bishop she once revered knelt before her, merely because of a single beam of divine light from the statue.

The young girl turned her head, bewildered, looking at Su Ming’an.

"Detective...?"

Su Ming’an saw Alice’s eyes—those brilliant, beautiful purple eyes.

She seemed to be saying,

She wants to be Alice.