How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

It's real—it's real!

As expected, this truly is Her Holiness the Goddess!!

There's no way it could be fake! Even the Flame of Divine Benediction, unique to the Goddess and the Saintess of Radiance, could be summoned at will—if that's not divine manifestation, what else could it be??

As expected of Her Holiness the Goddess—even a powerful follower of the Demon God Pillar couldn't resist in the slightest, slain instantly.

Naturally so—this is the Goddess of Radiance we're talking about!

Gazing at the angelic girl who effortlessly, as casually as clearing away dust, annihilated the enemy, Fenny's heart brimmed with boundless reverence.

The angelic girl's wings shed radiant halos and shimmering white particles, adding an ethereal, dreamy sense of sanctity to her figure.

The Goddess she had followed, believed in, and revered all her life had descended, saving her in person—Fenny was so overwhelmed with excitement and joy she could hardly describe it. She anxiously wanted to say something—there were so many things to say, yet they all clogged her throat, not a single word coming out.

No, no, this won't do—she's met the Goddess! She... she has to say something! But what... what should she say?!

Unable to calm her racing mind, her thoughts spiraled into chaos, and after a long moment of stammering, not a word came out.

Ah! She's truly witnessed the Goddess descend with her own eyes! She must express her reverence and admiration—and ask all the questions she'd been bottling up for so long!

Questions about doctrine, about the inner workings of the Church, and about the future... so many questions intertwined like tangled yarn in her mind.

After struggling to untangle it all, she finally managed to form a coherent thought.

Oh! Her identity—she hadn't even introduced herself yet!

Ah, it's been so long since Her Holiness saved her life, and she hadn't properly introduced herself—how utterly disrespectful!

Her Holiness probably doesn't even know who she saved, right??

Ah! She's being so careless! How could she show such poor manners before the Goddess?!

"Th-that! Most merciful and noble Holiness! My deepest thanks for condescending to descend and rescue your lowly, useless follower!"

"M-my name is Fenny Cassius—a descendant of the Cassius family under the Radiant Church. Ah, perhaps you don't know the Cassius family... The Cassius family... is descended from a famous Champion Knight! Um, you... might not know what a Champion Knight is... A Champion Knight is the strongest knight chosen through the grand dueling tournaments of the Radiant Church..."

"......"

Vanessa maintained a composed, courteous smile as she quietly observed the excited girl rambling uncontrollably before her.

As expected, this foolish child's intelligence couldn't be relied upon. She had mistaken her for a manifestation of the Goddess, believing her descent had saved her life.

Of course, Vanessa wasn't about to correct such a misunderstanding—in fact, this misconception worked entirely in her favor.

Come to think of it, when she transformed into Vanessa, she did descend from the direction of Saintess Selina Cathedral—perhaps that left quite the impression, making people think it was divine manifestation, especially those Church-background students.

"Miss Cassius, let's set your story aside for now—please forgive me, but I must hurry to aid others who, like you, are trapped in peril." Vanessa's voice flowed with the gentle clarity of morning dew, soothing to the heart.

"Ah—ah! I'm terribly sorry, Holiness! I've wasted your precious time—I got so excited..." Hearing this, Fenny finally snapped out of her world, realizing she had lost control, and immediately knelt before Vanessa, pressing her upper body flat to the ground, repeatedly apologizing like a completely obedient hound before her master.

"It's nothing. In the face of disaster, you fulfilled your duty as a knight—fighting to the death to shield your fellow students, even though you are not yet an official knight. That self-sacrificing spirit deserves admiration." Vanessa offered her sincere praise without hesitation.

"Heh... hehe... Ah! Y-you honor me far too much! As a descendant of the Cassius family, protecting the weak and others... that's only natural!" Being praised by the Goddess herself, Fenny's heart soared with bliss, her head wobbling like a dandelion in the wind. But she quickly remembered this was a conversation with the Goddess, hurriedly collecting herself, kneeling with a straightened posture, as if to say, 'This is merely my duty.'

Seeing this, Vanessa smiled in silence.

This foolish child—did she think all Vanessa had to say were words of praise?

Hehe, this was merely a prelude to reprimand.

Credit where it's due—what should be praised is praised, but that doesn't stop her from sneaking in a little personal message.

"But still..." Vanessa's tone shifted.

"Eh?!" Hearing this, Fenny's heart tensed, as if an invisible hand had gripped it tightly.

"Miss Cassius, as a knight, you must possess the ability to distinguish right from wrong. You should exercise your own judgment. If you blindly believe every rumor, wouldn't that make you no different from a headless knight swinging a sword without thought?" Vanessa teased gently, her smile radiant.

"E-eh?! Eh?!" Fenny's face drained of color, as if struck by a devastating blow. Her eyes lost all their earlier brilliance, turning hollow and lifeless.

W-what does the Goddess mean by that??

Could it be... she's chastising me for lacking independent judgment??

It must be so—she's clearly criticizing me!!

I... I've been scolded by Her Holiness.

Scolded by the Goddess.

Even called a 'headless knight'—isn't that just saying I'm brainless in a roundabout way??

Fenny tilted her head, devastated, kneeling there like a soulless shell—more pitiful than when she was wounded by the Fanatic earlier.

"Miss Cassius, don't lose heart so easily. A Church knight is not a flawless, perfect being—but one who recognizes their faults and strives tirelessly to approach the ideal of [N O V E L I G H T] a perfect knight." Vanessa's voice lengthened, calm and composed.

"You still have a long road ahead—but undoubtedly, you are a good child."

"U-um! Recognize faults... and change?" Fenny gazed at Vanessa with tear-filled eyes.

"Indeed. No one is perfect, Miss Cassius—you needn't be so harsh on yourself. But, as a knight of the Church, naturally, you should strive to be impartial and to pursue perfection." Vanessa pressed her palms together, her warm gaze falling upon Fenny like sunlight.

"U-um, I understand. If I can recognize my faults and change... Her Holiness won't hate me anymore?" Fenny's teary eyes looked up at Vanessa, pitiful like a chipmunk begging for food.

"How could I hate you?" Vanessa pressed a hand to her large, burdened conscience, smiling pleasantly. "I love each and every one of you equally, offering the same salvation to all."

"Let our souls become purer and nobler still." With those words, Vanessa closed her eyes slightly, hands still in prayer.

Mortals pray to the Goddess—for the Goddess prays for mortals.

Fenny's face was streaked with tears.

"I—I understand!"

"Protect yourself, Miss Cassius. When you lack the strength to protect others, safeguarding yourself is a responsibility too." With that, Vanessa nodded slightly, unfurled her wings, and soared into the sky—vanishing swiftly.

"I understand, Holiness! Please watch over me! I will become a knight who discerns right from wrong!" Fenny shouted toward the sky.

Though there was no response, she knew—the Goddess surely heard her oath. The lack of reply meant the Goddess was watching her every move.

She couldn't disappoint the Goddess!

Unbeknownst to her, Vanessa had already flown far away after leaving behind those profound-sounding words—she never heard Fenny's follow-up or oath at all.

That entire speech was nothing more than a playful jab at the foolish child, nothing more.

Afterward, under the swirling black clouds, Vanessa soared like the first light of dawn to the side of the blood-red altar.

She looked skyward—those rolling dark clouds churned like a giant pair of chopsticks had stirred them into a chaotic vortex, mirroring the current situation, devoid of even a sliver of hope.

Vanessa hurled the Mithril Warhammer in her hand, spinning it like a boomerang—but before it even collided with the blood-red altar, an invisible force repelled it.

As expected, truly troublesome.

The Mithril Warhammer returned to her hand, a visible dent marring its surface. Vanessa's expression grew serious.

This Mithril Warhammer had been with her for a long time—it had smashed demons, Demon God Pillar cultists, even their familiars—yet never suffered such damage before. A testament to its durability.

Now, a single throw at the altar's barrier left it this damaged.

Vanessa tried to peer into the altar's interior—but it was shrouded in dense black fog—nothing could be seen.

She knew—the students forced to drink potions and lose control were inside. At this moment, they were completely unaware of their actions—or rather, their minds had already been corroded, lost in the irreversible transformation process—their former selves gone forever.

In this state, there was no breaking through to the altar's interior.

Vanessa attempted to draw closer—but found herself pushed back by an invisible force.

At this distance, even the Flame of Divine Benediction wouldn't reach.

Agonizing screams and wails shredded her nerves.

She looked up—the bloodied stone pillars atop the altar chained countless souls—their cries pained and pitiful.

Who would've thought—just a day ago—they had been cheerful, bright young students laughing with friends.

Vanessa clenched her pink fists, biting her lip.

Bronze Blood...

You've gone too far.

Now she finally understood—why so many Saintesses chose to perish rather than relent when fighting Demon God Pillar cultists and demons.

If this cancer isn't eradicated—the world will only continue to suffer.

Meanwhile, within the Student Council leadership—

"What did you say? Mirexia—do you even know what you're saying??"

"You want us to wait longer? How can we afford to wait?! We don't even know what that blood-red altar is summoning! Judging by the scale, it wouldn't surprise me if it's summoning the Demon God Pillar itself—and you want us to wait??"

"Mirexia, this isn't about selfishness—if anything goes wrong, the ones who'll suffer won't be limited to Carillian Academy."

"Carillian Academy has already been struck—if Bronze Blood succeeds and destroys the Order Spire, the consequences are unimaginable! Tyrelis Continent's entire order will collapse!" A cane-wielding dean's voice was grave.

"None of us want to harm our students—but what choice do we have? If we don't act, all humanity—perhaps the entire continent—will fall. There's no alternative."

"Destroying the altar's foundation is the worst of all bad options—we all know that. But what else can we do? If another way existed, would any of us choose this?"

"Mirexia—or rather, Princess Mirexia—I've always believed you understand the greater good. Don't let us down now." The dean's brow furrowed.

"So then, Mirexia, what do you propose?" The elder already stood at the array's core—calm, not rushing to refute her.

Beneath him stretched a magic array spanning the size of a field, inscribed with intricate runes—so complex, even the foremost experts would be overwhelmed.

Half the array was already aglow.

"Vice Principal, please—just a little more time." Mirexia, bearing the pressure from all present, fixed her gaze on the elder at the center.

"Time? Then tell us—who exactly are we giving time to? If you can't name anyone, no one here will heed such vague hope." The elder's tone sharpened.

"We..."

"Vice Principal, just now—rumors have spread—the Goddess manifested. Or perhaps the Saintess did. Many students claimed to have seen the Goddess emerge from Saintess Selina Cathedral, saving others before charging toward the altar." At that moment, Morinket the Boneless spoke.

"I imagine... that's what Princess Mirexia refers to."

"The Goddess of Radiance... manifested?" The elder shook his head. "In times of crisis, such rumors always surface—listen, but don't believe them. Morinket, surely even you don't believe that?"

"No... I don't. But—I personally witnessed it. A pink-haired angel soared like the first light of dawn toward the blood-red altar. She now confronts it directly." Morinket's expression was firm.

"An enrolled student?" The elder frowned. "That's far too dangerous."