Sercy’s inquiry was unsuccessful, and because of her intense language, she was chastised by her teacher and given a grounding order, forbidden from leaving the Prophet Hall during the Holy Maiden selection period.
Vigil, for not stopping her in time and being suspected of using Sercy, was also given a grounding order.
The position of Great Prophet, disdained by Wayne, was coveted by many, especially by Vigil and Sercy, as it was their lifelong ambition.
Losing to one’s own brother is not shameful, but losing to an outsider, the frustration felt by both was imaginable.
Time moved to March 15th, and Prussia tore up another agreement, one just signed last September, still warm.
The weaker party in the agreement, the small country, pitifully betrayed by Windsor and Frank, faced the mighty Prussia and swiftly surrendered with their hands raised at the speed of light.
More accurately, the mere zero seconds it took could not be called a surrender; it should be described as raising hands in a lineup to welcome them.
On Wayne’s side, he enjoyed being punished by Veronica riding on him daily.
Wayne, experienced in how to irritate Veronica, started today with afternoon tea desserts, praising Veronica’s culinary skills. As she began to smile, he switched his tune abruptly, raving about Villy as the goddess of cooking.
Wayne enjoyed it and suspected that Veronica did too; otherwise, it would be hard to explain why, despite his frequent use of this tactic, Veronica fell for it every time.
Who deceived whom was truly hard to say.
Considering Veronica’s tsundere nature, if Wayne wanted her to be proactive, he had to give her a reason, causing him to believe that he was being PUA’d by her.
The brother, feeling sympathy for his sister, did not expose her little schemes and even thoughtfully stabilized her by holding her legs.
Here we go again, huh?
Saina watched the siblings with speechlessness, seriously doubting their relationship was normal—sister controlling brother, brother actually also...
Saina cleared her throat with a light cough, interrupting the siblings’ intimate interaction.
She affirmed that Vice Commander Gavin was interested, ranking Wayne’s priority above Veronica. The allure of a Naturalist Knight was too large; suddenly, being a Holy Maiden was not so attractive anymore.
However, it was still necessary to stay on top of everything; one could not let go of either pursuit.
After all, Gavin’s interest was one-sided. Whether Wayne could become a Naturalist Knight hinged on Mula and the Goddess—the former willing to impart the Elemental Mantra knightly heritage, and the latter recognizing Wayne’s talent. Only then could the handover proceed smoothly.
Otherwise, it was all just empty talk.
In such circumstances, keeping a distance between the siblings was critical. They must not escalate their horseplay, lest it leads to physical conflict and ultimately a tragedy.
Veronica hopped off her mount, blushed, apologized, and proficiently ran upstairs.
Wayne, thick-skinned, showed no panic, adjusting his clothes and saying apologetically, "Sorry, Teacher Saina, we were just too idle. In my boredness, I teased Veronica."
You wouldn’t happen to act this way at home too, would you? Does Hefei not look after you?
Such a terrible mother, too carefree.
Saina, from the standpoint of an elder, warned Wayne that the relationship between him and his sister was not appropriate; it was showing signs of corruption. If he did not restrain himself, Wayne’s concern for his sister would certainly become problematic.
Wayne nodded in agreement, humbly accepting the advice; not that he would change—next time, he’d dare to do the same.
"Teacher Saina, the other day you asked me to ponder my future path. After considering it, I decided it’s best to stay grounded. Becoming a Naturalist Knight is not my dream; that’s too lofty," said Wayne, politely declining and smoothly shifting the blame to Tubie... the Great Prophet Tubie.
"Not to hide anything from you, after you left that day, I met a mandrill in the forest. It was perfectly in tune with nature, proclaiming itself the Great Prophet. While praising my talents, it also extended an olive branch, wanting to take me as a student," Wayne said, each sentence making Saina’s expression turn uglier. Seeing it was about time, he stoked the fire: "The way the Great Prophet blended with nature filled me with envy. I crave his knowledge, truly crave it. That is the path I ought to pursue."
Saina’s face grew stern, and on a face that resembled Austin’s, she saw Hefei’s defiant streak.
Look at the fine son you two have raised, inheriting all your flaws!
Saina’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched slightly as she said coldly, "Tubie came to find you; what else did he say?"
Wayne gave an embarrassed smile: "Actually, it wasn’t much. He praised your impeccable virtue, and some words I’m not comfortable saying, but you understand."
"Wayne, do you believe those words?"
"Teacher Saina, you are my teacher’s teacher. I don’t want to deceive you..."
Wayne paused, then spoke frankly: "Reason tells me that the Great Prophet Tubie is slandering you, trying to drive me away from you through these methods. He even threw many temptations to willingly become his student."
"And if we disregard reason?"
"Just looking at reality, after my teacher Hefei withdrew from the Holy Maiden election, you didn’t keep in touch with her, and she has not been doing well, only a bit better since last year," said Wayne with a light smile.
"You have a lot of respect for Hefei."
"Yes, I’ve always viewed my teacher as my mother. She means much more to me than Austin."
Saina’s eyes twitched; filial piety is good, but it was distressing that none of it was directed at her.
Delving into the reasons, Saina knew well; given another chance, she would not have neglected Hefei and would have moved in directly, raising Wayne as her own son.
Regrettably, it was all too late now.
Saina tried to establish a familial relationship with Wayne but failed. Twenty years of standing by idly made Wayne resistant to her, and knowing this, dwelling on it would change nothing.