Tan You was the type of person who became completely absorbed in her work. After tracing the Magic Arrays, she was utterly engrossed. She didn’t have many other skills, but her memory was excellent. Now, Tan You was comparing these new Magic Arrays against the ones stored in her mind.
At first glance, these Magic Arrays seemed unremarkable, but Tan You didn’t dare to take them lightly. How could she possibly underestimate the Magic Arrays that were capable of sealing a Divine being here?
Thinking of this, Tan You tentatively drew a few strokes on the parchment. But she quickly shook her head. "Such an archaic design. It’s certainly a challenge."
Despite her words, Tan You’s eyes grew brighter and brighter. Ever since coming to this world, Magic Arrays were what interested her most. Now that she had encountered such a challenging set of Magic Arrays, she would naturally devote herself to studying them.
With these thoughts, Tan You gradually calmed down, and the pile of scrap paper beside her grew higher and higher...
While Tan You studied the Array by the altar, forgetting to eat or sleep, the Mages of the Divine Hall of Light were nearly at each other’s throats. The cause was simple: Tan You had already been inside for almost two months.
Even Davidson had only been inside for fifty days, and when he came out, he had advanced from a two-star Mage to a three-star Mage in one fell swoop.
And now, Lilith had been inside for even longer... At this thought, the elders within the Divine Hall grew exceptionally excited.
Also excited were the members of the Edmonds family and the royal court, especially Andre. If his fiancée became a prominent figure in the Divine Hall of Light, and he had the Hall’s support, then the emperor’s throne was not entirely out of his reach.
While some were overjoyed, others were naturally filled with anxiety, such as Schubert, Sanders, and Schubert’s daughter, Moran. They had already been careful to slow their pace on the road, but the closer they got to the Imperial City, the more uncertain they felt.
This was especially true since all they heard along the way were tales of how exceptionally talented Lilith was, which only made them more nervous. Back in Kandapes, it was easy for Moran to play her part for Tan You. As long as she wore a hat and veil, no one could get a clear look at her face.
But the Imperial City was different. Moran could use sickness as an excuse for a short while, but she couldn’t possibly wear a veil every single day, could she? Catherine and the others would eventually grow suspicious.
Sanders forced a grimace. "How about... we say she’s sick?"
Schubert was also vexed. They had known people from the Imperial City were coming, so they hadn’t put up much of a fight and just came along. They had put on a complete act the entire way, traveling back at a snail’s pace, but even the longest road has an end.
Once they entered the Imperial City, what then?
Moran clenched her fists. "Rest assured, even if they discover something is wrong, I will keep my mouth shut... I’d rather die than surrender..."
"Relax, you don’t need to be so tense." A somewhat hoarse voice sounded out. Moran’s eyes lit up as she threw open the inn’s window, revealing a very familiar raven.
The raven flew through the window, and only after Schubert had carefully checked the surroundings did she shut it. "How is our lady?"
The raven opened its beak and spat out a bracelet. "Everything is going smoothly on Adina’s end. She had someone bring this transformation bracelet for you. As long as you wear it and silently think of the name of the person you want to become, you will appear as that person to others."
Everyone in the room let out a collective sigh of relief. As long as their cover wasn’t blown, there was still a chance. Moran treasured the bracelet, slipping it on. She silently recited Adina’s name, and soon, a pale, noble lady with blonde hair and blue eyes appeared in the room.
Schubert was in disbelief, even reaching out to touch her. Thankfully, it was still her daughter underneath.
Most of Sanders’s worries finally dissipated. "Sir, is our lady in any danger? It’s a shame we can’t be of any help."
The raven replied, "Just by not blowing your cover, you’re already helping a great deal. This bracelet can only be used three times a day, for one Oro hour each time. Make sure you manage your time well."
Moran nodded firmly. "Rest assured, sir. I will use it with caution."
The raven shook its wings. "I should go. There are too many eyes and ears here. If you have any concerns, you can have someone send a message to the inn. I will receive it."
Schubert gritted her teeth and finally voiced the worry she’d been holding back. "Our lady... is she... really all right?"
"Don’t worry, she’s fine," the raven comforted her. "Although our Hall has fallen into decline, we made contact with them after arriving in the Imperial City. Adina is not fighting alone. We have our own people on the inside."
Schubert let out a long sigh of relief. "That’s good to hear. It’s mainly because Lady Adina’s health is usually poor, so we were truly worried."
The raven paced back and forth on the table. "Rest assured, she won’t get into trouble that easily. Even if something does happen, it’ll be that bunch of Undead from the Divine Hall of Light who suffer first."
"The Saintess of the Divine Hall of Light is just for show, whereas the Saintess of the Dark Divine Hall is a genuine fighting force. The two can’t even be compared."
"I’m leaving. Be careful of everything while you’re with the Edmonds family."
Leaving them with that, the raven flapped its wings and departed from the inn. Meanwhile, Tan You, who was busy studying the Magic Arrays, knew nothing of this. Her research was driving her to the point of obsession.
Now, the scrap paper surrounding her was covered in densely packed numbers, symbols, and diagrams. The Dark God, who had occasionally spoken with Tan You before, had fallen completely silent.
Even a Divine being has things they don’t excel at. For example, he could no longer make any sense of the symbols and the like that Tan You was writing.
Tan You’s pen moved faster and faster across the paper, until finally, her eyes shone with a brilliant light. After a long moment, she tossed her pen aside. "I get it now. This Magic Array is a series of interlocking rings. One wrong move and the whole thing could blow up. It’s a good thing I didn’t try anything rash."
At this moment, Tan You couldn’t help but feel relieved that she hadn’t acted on her initial ideas, but had instead taken the time to thoroughly understand the entire Array. Otherwise, the moment she made a move, she would have been met with the iron fist of the God of Light.
The Dark God was a little surprised. "You’ve... figured it out?"
"Uh-huh. In theory, it should be possible," Tan You nodded slightly, then picked up her nearby scrap papers to review them carefully, making sure there were no errors in her calculations.
"I’m going to rest a bit. I’ll make my move once I’m back at full strength. Besides, you’ve been locked up for so many years, you must be used to it. A little more time won’t hurt." Tan You gave a huge stretch, her entire body aching with the fatigue of mental overexertion.
The Dark God chuckled, unconcerned. She was just a little one from another world, her age less than a fraction of a fraction of his own. He really had no reason to get angry. Besides, the fact that Tan You could chat so casually with him, showing no fear or awe despite his Divine status, was something the Dark God found quite refreshing.
"Your followers from Kandapes have arrived outside the Imperial City," the Dark God said, a hint of mischief in his voice as he watched Tan You lying unceremoniously by the side of the altar.