Whether it was guiding Wayne onto the path of magic or teaching him magical knowledge, she was the first to do so.
Philomena’s heartbeat sped up, she narrowed her eyes and said, "But as far as I know, Wayne is a pastor of the Naturalism Church and has nothing to do with our Moonlight Church."
Chris felt extremely aggrieved, her resentment clear as she said, "If everything had gone smoothly, he should have become a disciple of the Goddess, but because his aptitude was too great, he was discovered by the High Priest of the Naturalism Church and became their student."
"Is that even possible?!"
Philomena was incredulous, and then she burst into a rage, slamming her hand on the table as she stood up: "Outrageous, that old woman dared to poach my person. As a member of the Life Alliance, has she no shame!"
Chris nodded like a pecking chicken. Since Hefei was Veronica’s mother, out of respect for her elder, she only dared to complain in her heart and had never spoken aloud.
Philomena was beside herself with anger. According to Chris, Wayne had long been marked by the Moonlight Church. If she became the High Priest, Wayne would be her subordinate. Now, she had nothing.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, almost ready to storm the Naturalism Church and demand an explanation from Hefei.
"High Priest, it’s too late to talk about these things now. Wayne has become a Silver Mage and has been exposed to Faith Magic..."
Chris whispered in an attempt to advise her, since Wayne had already become the image of the Nature Goddess; even if they took him back, it wouldn’t change anything. The blame could only be placed on the Moonlight Church’s lack of strength in Windsor, which couldn’t protect their treasures.
The comment seemed to fuel the fire, showing Chris’s resentment.
It still came down to one fact: she was the first!
Philomena walked back and forth in her office, so lustful for Wayne that she was practically salivating. To her dismay, she learned the terrible news that someone who should have been her subordinate had been poached by an ally.
Now, to take him back, she would have to pay an unimaginable price...
Paying for your own possessions, what madness. The Magic Department bullies the honest, and so do allies; when will honest people stand up for themselves?
What about the Sun Church? Do they also think honest people deserve to be bullied?
Chris tried to convince her a few more times to little effect. Philomena was in a rage and wouldn’t listen to anything.
After a while, Philomena gradually calmed down.
She had just arrived in Lundan, with unstable foundations and insufficient strength; she couldn’t afford to fall out with an ally for the Church’s sake. But swallowing this insult was out of the question; she had to think of a way to take revenge, or she wouldn’t sleep soundly out of sheer frustration.
Philomena stared at Chris, contemplating her plan for revenge.
Upon reaching the stage of Silver Mage, a mage is exposed to Faith Magic. The Life Alliance is somewhat unique; besides their own Faith Magic, they could also learn the Faith Magic of their allies, and the combination of the three forms Life Magic.
Philomena thought there was a chance.
It’s true she was a step behind, and Wayne had become the form of the Nature Goddess, but being late also has its advantages, ready to use, and after many uses, Wayne might very well expand to become the image of the Moonlight Goddess.
Philomena was not disdainful; she’d just consider that Wayne had been out practicing his skills!
"Chris, you said you tutor Wayne every night, right?"
"Once he completes these basic courses, I grant you permission to teach him the Faith Magic of the Moonlight Church, all the knowledge you can pass on to him," Philomena said gravely.
Chris felt a jolt in her heart, understanding the High Priest’s plan, somewhat eager and said dryly, "It’s not really appropriate. After all, he is a pastor of the Naturalism Church. If his teacher finds out, they will accuse us of robbing an ally."
"This is a mission from the Church. I will take responsibility for any incidents. You just do as instructed," Philomena said with a cold laugh, looking out the window.
"Besides, this isn’t robbery; we’re simply taking back what belongs to us," Philomena added.
Chris nodded repeatedly, agreeing, as taking back what was stolen was a sacred vengeance, the victim’s counterattack, nothing shameful.
Seeing Chris’s fighting spirit, Philomena continued, "But just imparting knowledge isn’t secure enough, during your tutoring sessions..."
She gave detailed instructions, with this and that, sure to make Wayne crave more.
Chris listened without much reaction; such childish schemes. What an innocent girl the High Priest must be to think these ploys were new to her and Wayne, who were already well beyond them in their everyday play.
After Philomena was done, she was somewhat satisfied; these were things she wanted to try but had never experienced, thrilling to pass on, feeling a sense of accomplishment as a mentor.
But soon, she realized something was amiss.
Logically, the innocent young girl, Chris, should have blushed and vehemently shaken her head, refusing in the face of Philomena’s carrots and sticks, until she begrudgingly agreed.
Why aren’t you blushing?
As the saying goes, if I’m not embarrassed, it’s others who feel awkward. Chris didn’t blush, leaving Philomena feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Thinking about it, intimacies between young lovers are normal, and the moves she suggested were already old hat for them.
In the end, she only revealed her own inexperience by talking too much.
Philomena cleared her throat with a light cough and concluded, "In short, you have a heavy task. Wayne is the heir of the Lando Family. Winning him over is of great importance to the Church."
Chris’s face changed dramatically: "Wayne is the heir of the Lando Family?"
Philomena was surprised, pointing at the report on the desk, "He’s the illegitimate child of the head of the Lando Family, Austin Lando. Everyone knows it. Hasn’t he told you?"
"I, I... He hasn’t mentioned it, and this is the first time I’m hearing it," Chris replied with even greater shock, realizing that it didn’t matter whether Wayne had told her; the real issue was whether he had told Veronica.
Veronica, wake up, Wayne is your brother! You can’t be together!