Veronica fell silent, vaguely remembering that Hefei had once whispered to her that the Holy Maiden of the Dark Church had her sights set on Wayne and told her to be on guard.
Veronica hadn’t been on guard. A Saina alone was enough to keep her hands full; where would she find the time to worry about Anastasia? Moreover, the latter hardly ever interacted with Wayne, always sarcastically targeting Saina every time. So she had completely let her guard down, deep down even regarding her as one of their own.
Alright, alright, another one who’s a schemer.
Veronica rolled her eyes, probably feeling somewhat numb to it all, and pointed in the direction of the basement, saying, "Wayne is down there, and your good sister, Teacher Saina, is also there. They’re waiting for you, remember to set up a soundproof barrier and keep the noise down!"
Anastasia thought it was funny and couldn’t help but tease, "Wayne is your fiancé, and he’s in the same room with Saina. Aren’t you angry?"
"That’s none of your business!"
Veronica turned and went back to the living room.
She was more than angry; she was furious, enraged, fuming. But what could she do? Wayne was at a critical moment in his attempt to become a Golden Mage, and Saina was crucial. Despite her anger, she had to endure.
Anastasia didn’t take Veronica’s offense to heart and nodded to Hefei before moving towards the basement door at the end of the corridor.
After knocking softly twice, Anastasia noticed the soundproof barrier and waited in place.
Five minutes later, the door opened.
Saina stood at the door with a serious face, pursing her lips and squinting her eyes, "Anastasia, what are you here for? I don’t have time for you today. If you want to watch the spectacle, go to the Sun Knight’s place; the Dark Knight is getting thrashed!"
You speak quite sharply!
Anastasia didn’t speak; she silently took two steps back, although the pheromones captured by the doll were false signals, she could still sense the lingering fragrance on Saina’s lips.
For a moment, Anastasia fell silent.
Time, that brutal knife, had ruthlessly cut away Saina’s pride and coolness, cut so deep that she was barely recognizable.
In the past, she couldn’t have even dreamt that Saina would change .
"Aren’t you going to speak?"
"Don’t speak; it’s disgusting."
Anastasia felt a wave of nausea hit her and took another two steps back, "I came to find Mister Wayne... Never mind, I’ll wait for him at the Death Sealing Ground. Remember to have him clean up; I have a bit of a germ phobia."
"I’ve already cleaned it."
Anastasia turned to leave, and hearing the faint laughter behind her, she felt a deep sadness for Saina’s downfall. Compared to the past, she still preferred the rebellious Saina of before.
The Death Sealing Ground.
It was probably that Death corresponded with Nature, and the place guarded by the Death Knight was starkly different from that of the Naturalist Knight.
It was a desolate and silent swamp, shrouded in gloomy grey mist, with pale and faint light, a deathly oppressive color scheme. Everything about it emitted a suffocating heaviness as if even breathing became difficult upon entering.
Death had no smell, but vision could affect olfaction. From a high vantage point, the entire Death Swamp looked like a festering wound, oozing grey pus and exuding a suffocating stench.
Wayne moved through it, taking a deep breath. The scent was spot-on, making him feel as if he was back home.
Using the faint light for guidance, he found Anastasia by a black mud pit.
The mud pit, covered in dead branches and rotting leaves, occasionally roiled with bubbling mud, looking as lifeless as if Anastasia herself was looking in a mirror.
Wayne’s brow furrowed. Anastasia was still alive, but he saw Death in her, a longing for the release it provided.
Big sister, life still has so much to offer. Don’t be so negative.
Wayne had tried to persuade Anastasia without success, so he didn’t continue his futile effort. He moved behind her, maintaining a safe distance so as not to make the elegant lady uncomfortable.
"Your Holiness, you were looking for me?"
"Mister Wayne, I presume Mister Mula has already informed you, in the near future, I will be assisting you in guarding this place."
Anastasia turned around, her porcelain-rigid face eerily striking under the dim lighting, her dark beauty sending shivers down one’s spine.
She said, "Originally, the Death Knight should be guarding this seal; he left and never returned, leaving only some Divine Power. I have learned some of the Death faith’s Divine Arts and can barely take his place."
"You truly are reliable, Your Holiness."
Wayne nodded in agreement, then asked, "Have you seen the Death Knight, Your Holiness?"
"No, the Death Knight left a long time ago."
Lucky you, now you see him, still with his head intact.
After some inquiries, Wayne learned about Anastasia’s general situation and couldn’t help but marvel. This woman who plays the role of a panacea in The Sealed Land, moving wherever she’s needed, proved useful in any place she went.
Firstly, Anastasia was the Holy Maiden of the Dark Church, possessing strong personal power, and she could barely replace the vacant Dark Knight.
Secondly, she mastered a large amount of the Death Church’s Divine Arts and could guard the Death Sealing Ground if necessary.
Lastly, since she wasn’t a God-chosen Knight, there were no restrictions on her movements, allowing her free access to and from the Icebound Continent. When something went amiss in the Misty Sea of Lundan, she could rush there to put out fires at a moment’s notice.
Though she failed to save the situation and it backfired, making matters worse for herself, let’s just say she did try!
Being useless has its use too. Anastasia made her own Magic Doll shell. According to her, it’s called a Magic Mecha Doll, an independent branch of Alchemy, influenced by academic progress and with great prospects.