Chapter 80: This Isn’t Just a Greeting! Miss Yalis, It’s My Declaration of War Against Veya!
Chapter 80: This Isn’t Just a Greeting! Miss Yalis, It’s My Declaration of War Against Veya!
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Lin Wei remained completely unaware of the stir outside.
He lounged in his chair, chin resting on his palm, gazing at the neat rows of two hundred Top-grade Potions lined up on the floor.
With a sigh laced with boredom, he muttered,
“So that’s it? I’m already finished?”
Originally, he’d only planned to make thirty or forty bottles—just enough to hand in and be done with it.
After all, these were Top-grade Potions. Even for him, it shouldn’t have been possible to produce them so absurdly fast.
But somewhere along the way, lost in thought and letting his mind drift, he’d finished the entire batch without even realizing it.
“Work like this really is just too easy for me now, huh.” Having finished his little lament, Lin Wei tried to shift his thoughts elsewhere.
What should he do with his time now?
Well, first things first, he could pack up the amplification potions in batches ahead of time.
That way, when he went to the Imperial Capital’s Magic Academy, he could just bring a few each day until the whole lot was delivered.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Lin Wei was pondering his next move, a crisp knock sounded at the door.
“Hm?”
Who would come looking for me at this hour?
Lin Wei instinctively glanced at the door and froze. Only two people even knew he lived here.
Aside from Afuduo, there was only Veya—and Afuduo wasn’t the type to drop by unannounced.
Which meant… the only person who could be knocking was Veya.
“Heh. Looks like she thinks she got the better of me yesterday.”
Lin Wei let out a cold chuckle, rising to his feet and striding toward the door.
Yesterday, he’d only called a temporary truce because he’d felt a little tired.
But that was nowhere near the true limit of the great Lin Wei! And now, she still dares to challenge me?
I’ll make sure she’s too exhausted to even drag herself back to the Holy See!
Sensing the faint aura of holiness from outside, Lin Wei didn’t hesitate. He threw his arms wide, ready for a sudden surprise attack. In his mind, he’d already planned it out: scoop her up, toss her onto the bed, and catch her completely off guard.
“Veya—wait, what the—?!”
But the sight that greeted him nearly made Lin Wei trip over his own feet in shock.
A face so adorable it practically radiated mischief peeked up at him, framed by a soft white robe embroidered with golden patterns. The robe hugged a slender, graceful frame, and her sapphire-blue eyes blinked at him with boundless curiosity. The way her loose robes hung around her only made her seem more precious, as if she needed protecting.
“Good afternoon, Mister Lin Wei!”
She tugged her hood back, tucking away a few stray golden hairs.
With one hand, she gave a cheerful wave—then, noticing Lin Wei’s outstretched arms frozen in midair, she paused, blinking in confusion.
Though he still wasn’t sure what was happening, Lin Wei hesitated for only a heartbeat—then stepped forward and gave her a quick hug.
“Is this some kind of new greeting?” Yalis asked, tilting her head.
“Hehe~ I might have grown up with all the strict etiquette of the nobility and the Holy See, but I’m not above a little unconventional greeting myself!”
New greeting, my foot.
This is my declaration of war against Veya!
Wait—how did she even find out where I live?!
“Miss Yalis, how did you end up at my doorstep?” Lin Wei stammered, a cold sweat breaking out across his back.
Thank goodness I was slow just now. If I’d actually hugged and kissed her, I’d have been hauled off on the spot!
“Oh? I heard from Mr. Paxson that you’d been asking him about me today. He said it sounded like you wanted to meet up.”
Finding Lin Wei’s embrace surprisingly comfortable, Yalis reluctantly let go and stepped back half a pace.
She looked up at him—someone she hadn’t seen in a while—her face full of innocent confusion.
“I waited for you at the Academy for half the day, but you never showed up. So, I had to ask around for your address and come find you myself.”
“What’s up, Mr. Lin Wei? Did you discover some fascinating labyrinth and want to invite me to explore? If it’s the one near the Imperial Capital you promised before, I’m up for it.”
“You have no idea what I’ve been through at the Holy See lately… I’m honestly starting to think about quitting as Saintess.”
Don’t you dare quit that job as Saintess!
The happiness of my and Veya’s future depends entirely on you, future Pope!
“That useless Pope gave you trouble again?” Lin Wei blurted out.
Seeing the Saintess deflate with every word, her face drained of energy, Lin Wei—who had only just recovered from his earlier fright—quickly reached out and ruffled her hair in consolation.
He couldn’t help but think: she really was pretty adorable like this.
“Ugh… Actually, the Pope has never yelled at me,” Yalis mumbled, following Lin Wei inside. With a beautiful girl in the once-spacious living room, it suddenly felt entirely different from being alone.
She sat on the sofa, hugging her knees, a small, frustrated pout on her lips. The way her pretty face scrunched up in distress gave her a whole new charm.
“It’s just… she’s been really dissatisfied with my performance lately. So these past few days, she’s kept me at the Holy See, making me copy the entire Book of Oracles of Goddess Alicia over and over.”
“And it’s not just that—my regular lessons have all been ramped up too. It’s gotten so strict I can barely sneak out anymore! There’s just no chance!”
“Ugh… What’s gotten into her? Why has the Pope suddenly become so harsh?”
What else could it be?
Just a typical case of stress relief—dumping her own frustrations onto someone else.
Lin Wei sneered inwardly, his opinion of that useless Pope sinking even lower.
She’s so pathetic she has to take it out on an innocent girl like Yalis? Not just useless, but downright rotten—barely even human!
“Probably got bullied by someone outside and now she’s taking it out on you,” Lin Wei said, not bothering to spare the Pope’s reputation.
After all, Yalis was destined to become the Saintess—and if he didn’t help stir up a bit of conflict now, how else could he strengthen her resolve to seize the position of Pope in the future?
“Huh? How could the Pope be bullied?” Yalis asked, clearly baffled.
“Looks like you really didn’t hear about it,” Lin Wei replied, shaking his head. “Yesterday, an imperial noble came to the Holy See demanding answers about a recent supply convoy that was raided. Your so-called Pope was completely helpless—couldn’t refute them, couldn’t solve the problem. If Commander Meilin hadn’t stepped in, it would’ve been a disaster.”
“There was something like that?”
Yalis’s eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, she’d been kept in the dark—sheltered and raised like a hothouse flower.
Tsk… That useless Pope must know her own reputation is a mess. No wonder she keeps Yalis away from anything that might show her in a bad light.
“That’s right. And actually, the reason I was looking for you at the Academy yesterday wasn’t to invite you dungeon-diving.”
“I’ve got something even more adventurous—and much more exciting—in mind. And it’s directly related to the recent supply raids by the demonfolk.”
Just a few words were enough to completely hook Yalis’s attention.
Seeing her curiosity piqued, Lin Wei didn’t hesitate. He laid it all out:
“To tell you the truth, those supplies weren’t stolen by the demonfolk at all. Most likely, it was human traitors leaking information from the inside.”
“The Holy See is conducting a secret investigation right now. Only a handful of people know about this—myself included.”
As Yalis stared at him, eyes wide with shock, Lin Wei patted his chest, his gaze practically sparkling with excitement.
“Oh, and I forgot to mention—these days, besides being an all-around assistant in alchemy, I’m also doing some work for the Holy See.”
“So… how about it, Miss Yalis? Want to join in on the action?”