Chapter 199: Lance Just Knew that Doing Good Resulted in Good

Fenix gazed at Lance, his voice trembling as he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Since there was still a chance, he would fight for it with everything he had, if only for the sake of his younger sister, Phyllis.

"I need to make this clear upfront. Because you colluded with the Church of Resurrection, attempted murder, and tried to orchestrate a massive disaster, a long prison sentence is inevitable. However, if you willingly confess, show good behavior, and redeem yourself through cooperation, you might secure a sentence reduction. When the time comes, just ask for me while you're in prison, and I'll personally handle your legal defense."

Lance laid out the facts plainly regarding the minimum sentence Fenix would face. Committing such crimes meant jail time, regardless of whether he chose to side with Lance or not.

"As for your sister, if she is truly innocent, she can seek refuge with High Priest Lawrence after undergoing a rigorous vetting process by the Church of the Goddess of Fate. I'll arrange for her to transfer to Ikerite University, so you won't have to worry about her. Naturally, Dean Lawrence will also provide her with extra care and protection."

Fenix pressed his lips tightly together and clenched his fists. The plan Lance proposed was undoubtedly the best possible outcome for him and his younger sister. Compared to the scenarios the Poet of Boundless Love had previously described, Fenix couldn't imagine how Lance could possibly be any more merciful.

Any rational person would know to trust High Priest Lawrence over Cardinal Ivanos. However, Fenix was still worried. He feared that once he was imprisoned as a serious offender, his sister would face gossip and a miserable existence at Ikerite University. The mere thought of it filled him with deep self-reproach.

Lance continued speaking, laying out the details for Fenix, "Everything I've mentioned is a matter of official procedure. As long as you don't deceive Dean Lawrence and show sincere remorse for your actions, all of this will come to pass."

Cardinal Ivanos actually had a rather twisted sense of humor. Lance knew that if the planned attack had actually succeeded, Fenix's sister, after undergoing the necessary scrutiny in the capital of Hutton, would likely have ended up under the protection of the kind-hearted Lawrence anyway.

However, having an older brother who was a cultist, a murderer, and a terrorist who had killed students from the Sages' College, as well as innocent civilians, would brand and label Phyllis for life. It would leave the poor, solitary girl unable to hold her head high in Ikerite, condemning her to a life devoid of happiness and filled only with the malice and accusations of others.

Perhaps this was precisely one of the other outcomes Ivanos had hoped for. Lance did not accept that. He desired a happy ending for everyone. Therefore, he would not let the malicious cardinal get their way in the slightest.

Lance solemnly said, "Fenix, rest assured. No matter what sins you may have committed, I promise you that your sister will not face any unfair treatment at Ikerite University. The school absolutely does not tolerate any instances of students bullying one another."

Fenix looked up in surprise. A glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. Under normal circumstances, even if someone like Lawrence had offered such a promise that sounded like the empty rhetoric of an administrator, he would still have been unable to shake his anxiety regarding his sister.

After all, no one could truly guarantee that other students wouldn't bully his sister in private. Some forms of discrimination, which were rooted in deep-seated malice, were impossible to simply erase.

However, if the promise came from the man standing before him, then it was truly, utterly trustworthy. No irrational student would dare commit an act that Lance deemed "incorrect," "unfriendly," or "in need of correction."

His love, though chaotic and twisted, was all-encompassing. He could offer sanctuary even to those deemed outcasts—anomalies rejected by humanity and marked for elimination. He would treat them no differently from the rest.

In Fenix's eyes at this moment, the warm light cast a radiant glow upon Lance's silhouette. It was as if the youth before him stood upon a sacred, distant shore, extending an olive branch toward him.

Fenix could hardly find the words to describe the magnitude of this gift: a chance at a new life. He had long dreamed of and yearned for the day when he and his sister could make a clean break from the Church of Resurrection. He wanted to let his sister live a life free from danger.

Unfortunately, he had never dared to truly imagine it, let alone dream that such a day might actually arrive. He had grown numb, nearly extinguishing that hope altogether. The very thing he thought he would never possess was now, in reality, right before his eyes.

Fenix finally understood the source of the burning heat rising within his chest. It was like a smoldering ember that had suddenly flared into a blazing crimson flame.

To put it another way, it was as if a deep faith had been ignited within him. It was a feeling that allowed him to surrender everything, free from worry, and simply sleep in peace. There was no anxiety, no fear, no trembling or weeping in the dark, and no waking with a start from nightmares of losing everything.

He would willingly and wholeheartedly entrust his very life to this protector.

"Mr. Lance, I..." Fenix said, his voice trembling. With a joy so intense it felt as though it might tear his chest apart, he voiced his innermost resolve.,"I pledge my loyalty to you!"

Lance nodded with satisfaction. "Excellent."

He had recruited yet another outstanding prospective student. As a headmaster, he felt a duty and obligation to save more young men and women who had strayed onto the wrong path.

He was determined to recruit more members for this inaugural class during his trip to the Northern Continent to confront the Church of Resurrection. He would not allow this evil cult to ruin any more young lives! Justice was on his side!

"Now, let's keep the details of our conversation between us. Don't tell anyone else, not even High Priest Lawrence. Understood?"

Fenix nodded. "Of course. As far as anyone knows, we've only met once and that was simply because you captured me."

While standing beside Lance, Hyperion stole a glance at him. She suspected that Lance's objectives for this trip to the Northern Continent had just multiplied and become even more absurd...

***

Hours later, the rain was tapering off, though the sky remained overcast, obscuring any glow of the sunset. Talia's wooden loft looked especially beautiful on a rainy day.

The patter of raindrops harmonized with the tranquility of the apartment. Each drop lent a leisurely rhythm to the space, allowing one to feel the pulse of the rain and the breath of nature.

The glass skylight was set into a ceiling of wooden planks and angled beams, and it was covered by the rain, transforming into a vast, transparent canvas. Tiny droplets tapped gently against the glass, merging, flowing, and scattering. They reflected the night sky, creating an ever-changing watercolor painting.

The delicate wood grain on the walls appeared deeper and richer in the soft lighting. Accompanied by the sound of the rain, the warm-toned decor and furnishings seemed to wrap one's soul in a cozy blanket. At that moment, the loft felt like a secluded world apart from the outside, where only the sound of raindrops on the skylight remained, allowing one to immerse oneself in this fleeting peace and harmony.

Talia had been called downstairs again to help out as the shop's front-facing temporary hostess.

Meanwhile, Lance and Hyperion remained in her apartment. Her living space now held two additional chairs alongside her own lounge chair—one for Lance and one for Hyperion.

Ever since Hyperion's arrival, Talia seemed to have tacitly accepted Lance's presence in her home as well.

"We've secured another encrypted copy of Proof of Resurrection – Destruction, plus the spell cards Grand Puppet Theater and Spark of Destruction. These all had belonged to the Cardinal of Destruction's faction. Truly, those who do good deeds are rewarded."

Lance examined the enchanted cards in his hands, marveling at these unexpected gains. He had obtained them all from Fenix.

Fenix was still locked away in the storeroom. Come tomorrow morning, when Dean Lawrence returned to the university, the cultist could be handed directly over to him, avoiding any potential complications.

Rather than letting the Kingdom of Hutton confiscate his enchanted cards, Fenix had chosen to hand them all over to Lance. Unbinding those two Pink Divine cards had cost a significant amount of time and expensive materials.

Moreover, the process of unbinding them from his soul not only left Fenix in a weakened state, but also rendered some of his card slots unusable for an extended period. Such was the price of unbinding Pink enchanted cards.

Although the Cardinal of Destruction had the Fire Primal Tablet and embodied calamity and incineration, it was a stroke of coincidence that Lance was also a card maker with considerable expertise in fire attributed magic.

"These two cards are far too dangerous. I'll keep them safe myself."

Aside from handing Proof of Resurrection – Destruction to Hyperion, Lance kept the other two Pink cards, Grand Puppet Theater and Spark of Destruction, for himself. Neither the card for manipulating the masses nor the one for self-detonation was suitable for her.

Hyperion couldn't shake the feeling that having those two cards end up in Lance's hands wasn't exactly a good thing.