"Besides, the Dark God doesn’t seem to force his beliefs on people. His whole deal is being super laid-back and just going with the flow."
Tan You thought for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "And he went with the flow so much that he ended up sealed away for all these years?"
The divine being who had left a sliver of his Divine Power on Tan You felt his mouth twitch. She was definitely the first person to ever make fun of a Divine being. He had no idea how many times she’d complained about him to that... thing she called a ’system.’
"How pitiful, when you think about it." Tan You chuckled. "I should get going. I hope everything goes smoothly from here on out."
Perhaps they had been socializing too late the previous night, because when Tan You arrived at the dining room, Catherine and Dumont were not up yet. Tan You didn’t mind. While waiting for a maid to serve breakfast, she saw two blond, blue-eyed men walk into the room.
Tan You couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Come to think of it, all the younger members of the Edmonds family were blond and blue-eyed. To be honest, Tan You was a bit face-blind; they all looked more or less the same to her.
She could only tell them apart by their builds. Dennis, being a Mage, was more slender, while Danit, the warrior, was more robust.
"Lilith, congratulations on becoming the Saintess of Light." Dennis was the first to congratulate Tan You, tapping his glass against her cup of juice.
Tan You gave the two of them a strange look. ’So do Lilith and I really look that much alike? Dennis and Danit couldn’t even tell the difference?’ Then again, it made sense. Dennis and Danit had been away adventuring for years, and Lilith herself was always at the Divine Hall of Light. The siblings rarely had a chance to see each other.
Danit pushed a box toward her. "This is a level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Core I bought on my way back. If you set it in your Magic Wand, it will definitely be much more powerful."
"A level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Core! Danit, you really spared no expense!" Dennis laughed. "Do you have any money left?"
"Of course I’m not as rich as you Mages." Danit rolled his eyes. "The main thing is, it’s so hard to find a level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Core. When you finally come across one, you have to buy it no matter the cost."
"Besides, who in the world deserves this Crystal Core more than my little sister?"
Tan You raised an eyebrow and set the wooden box aside. "Thank you, Danit. I love it."
’Of course she liked it. A level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Core! She might have plenty in her ring, but who would ever complain about having too many? Especially when it was a freebie.’
Since Danit had given a gift, Dennis naturally wouldn’t be left out. He handed her a Magic Wand. "I performed well in a recent academy tournament, so I exchanged my reward for a nine-socket Magic Wand. It’s perfect, since Danit just gave you a level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Core."
Danit exclaimed, "Dennis is still the rich one! A nine-socket Magic Wand... Sister, you’ll be able to use that even when you become an Archmage, as long as you have enough level-nine Magic Beast Crystal Cores to power it."
’I really do need a wand like this. While I don’t rely entirely on a Magic Wand to get by, it’s undeniable that my combat power will be about thirty percent higher with one in hand.’
For that reason, Tan You’s smile became a little more genuine. "Thank you, Dennis. You’ve spent too much."
Dennis spread butter on his bread with a knife. "It’s not ’spending too much.’ You’re our sister; of course we’d give you any good things we find. It’s just a shame we only got back in the early hours of the morning and missed your banquet. The servants said the Third Prince escorted you home yesterday? What’s the situation with you two?"
Dumont and Catherine, who had just reached the entrance to the dining room, both stopped in their tracks. They heard Tan You say in a level voice, "He said he would speak to the Royal Consort as soon as he returned, and that he would come to formally propose after the ceremony."
Danit exclaimed, "That’s wonderful! You’ll be the Third Princess!"
Catherine’s delight was written all over her face. She strode into the dining room. "Did His Highness the Third Prince really say that to you?"
Seeing her mother’s excited expression, Tan You gave a faint smile. "Of course. Many of the guards heard him."
Sixteen years ago, a scene like this, with everyone eating together, would have been unimaginable. To think that sixteen years later, things would turn out like this.
’Especially Adina’s two brothers...’ Tan You’s gaze turned cunning. ’If they knew the gifts they so carefully prepared for their sister ended up in my hands, I wonder what expressions they’d make?’
’I’m really looking forward to that moment.’ Tan You let out a soft breath, telling herself not to be hasty. ’Even if I want to settle my accounts with the Edmonds family, now isn’t the time. It has to wait until my grand undertaking is complete.’
Catherine asked, "After you go to the Divine Hall today, will you be unable to come back for a while?"
Tan You nodded. "Yes. I have to devote myself to secluded meditation within the Divine Hall. The longer I train, the more highly the Divine Hall will regard me."
Catherine understood the priorities. Even though she wished she could finalize the marriage between Andre and Lilith right now, the prerequisite was Lilith truly becoming the Saintess. Without the secluded training in the Divine Hall, Lilith’s title as Saintess would be just that—a title, empty and undeserved.
"Then focus on your training." Catherine suppressed her impatience. "I was thinking last night... now that you’re the Saintess and about to be engaged to His Highness the Third Prince, shouldn’t we bring Adina back from Kandapes?"
At the mention of Adina, the mood shifted. Dumont’s face darkened, while Dennis and Danit’s expressions remained unchanged, clearly indifferent to Adina.
Tan You thought, ’I knew it. Someone like Catherine, who cared so much about the family’s reputation—would she really allow others to treat them like a joke?’
Tan You immediately adopted Lilith’s tone and said with a smile, "I have no objection. If my sister can be here to witness my happiness, I’ll be even happier."
Catherine smiled too. "Mama knew you were always the most obedient one. Don’t worry, Adina will definitely be here for your engagement. We’ll send more people over and, since there’s plenty of time, bring her back from Kandapes."
"Speaking of which, she’s the same age as you. Now that you’re soaring to new heights, we should start looking for a suitable match for her as well."
Dumont put down his cup. "Let’s talk about it once she’s in the Imperial City. Her health hasn’t improved at all over the years. I wonder how she’s doing now."
Dennis forced a smile. "The environment in Kandapes is nice. Adina should be recovering well, right? Why don’t Danit and I go to Kandapes this time? It’s been many years since we last saw her, after all."
Catherine immediately shut him down. "No, that won’t do. Mama still has a lot to arrange, and you two aren’t young anymore..."
Danit also refused. "I don’t want to go, Dennis. Who wants to travel that far? I’d rather use that time to go out adventuring and collect more Magic Beast Crystal Cores for my sister."
Tan You raised her cup to Danit. "Thanks for thinking of me, Danit."
"Of course. You’re my sister. I’ll always think of you. No one is more important."
Tan You smiled, too. ’Attaboy. With words like that, I’ll be sure not to leave you out when I settle my score with the Edmonds family.’