Chapter 202: Bai Chen’s Misfortune

Nyxara immediately interjected. "Those are all maid outfits. I’m talking about normal dresses." Velena’s beautiful face remained as composed as ever.

"Alright. Then I’ll buy a few more sets of my outfit."

Both Velena’s words and her completely serious tone made Nova and Nyxara let out quiet sighs. Seriously... just how much does she like those maid outfits?

For the next four hours, Nova and his group wandered through the main attractions of the capital and went on a full shopping spree.

With the city packed due to the approaching tournament, shops and merchants were taking full advantage of the situation, raising prices wherever they could.

Although each of the women had more than enough money to buy out entire stores — and Nyxara, as a princess, could likely purchase half the kingdom if she wanted — Nova insisted on paying for everything himself.

It had been a long time since he had given them any gifts, and he wanted to use his own money this time.

Of course, they refused at first.

All of them were proud and independent women. While it was common and natural for a woman to use her man’s money, those who earned enough on their own and carried a strong sense of pride would naturally reject it.

That wasn’t a bad thing. However, if a woman believed her man had to spend money on her no matter the circumstances, even when she fully understood their situation, that was a different matter entirely.

In the end, after some back and forth, they eventually gave in and allowed Nova to pay.

What they didn’t know was that, after looting the dragon’s body, Nova had obtained a considerable number of platinum coins.

On top of that, he already had more than enough money of his own, having earned a substantial fortune as a high-ranking adventurer.

Later, when he explained where the money had come from, none of them minded in the slightest.

In return, the women also bought several sets of fine clothes for Nova. Even Nyxara prepared one for him, though she chose to hide it and show it to him later.

After shopping, they also tried a wide variety of dishes and desserts throughout the city. All of the women clearly enjoyed themselves. Even Nyxara and Velena looked genuinely delighted by the rich flavors of human cuisine.

Wherever they went, their group continued to draw a great deal of attention.

By the time four hours had passed, they finally made their way back to the agreed meeting place. Nova felt a little guilty — they were about twenty minutes late.

When they arrived at the Frosthall Hunters Guild, however, they were met with a small surprise. Bai Chen was already there... and he was talking with Theodore.

"Junior Brother Nova, you’re here!"

"Sorry, Brother Bai Chen. We’re a little late," Nova said as he greeted him, then turned toward Theodore. "I didn’t know you’d be here as well."

Theodore chuckled.

"Haha... well, this is my guild. I spend most of my time here whenever I’m in the capital."

Nova nodded. Hearing that reminded him of something he often overlooked — despite Theodore’s relatively young age and lower strength compared to other dukes, he still held considerable influence and wealth.

Asia then began telling her father about their shopping trip. Though her voice carried clear excitement, she still spoke with the elegant composure of a grown woman.

Theodore listened with a warm expression. Seeing his daughter enjoy herself so openly, rather than remaining withdrawn as she once had, filled him with quiet happiness. He knew much of that change was thanks to Nova.

After a moment, Theodore suggested,

"Why don’t we continue talking inside the guild? We have several private areas where you can relax comfortably."

Nova and the others agreed without hesitation. Remaining outside or heading to another café would only attract more attention, and they had already received more than enough for one day.

A few minutes later, the group was seated inside a spacious, luxurious private room furnished with comfortable couches.

Only then did Nova finally have the chance to properly look at Bai Chen’s attire — something that had caught his attention the moment they met. Asia and Rieka also looked surprised when they noticed it.

Bai Chen was wearing the uniform of the Twilight Order: a clean white shirt and trousers lined with golden borders and twilight order logo on back of the shirt.

At the same time, Bai Chen himself seemed completely stunned. His eyes were fixed on Nyxara and Velena, who were seated comfortably beside Nova.

This was the first time he had seen either of them, and for a Grandmaster like him, being so close to two women of their beauty was more than enough to leave him momentarily enchanted — especially since Velena was not wearing her veil.

Noticing this, Nova quietly used Reality Override to pull Bai Chen’s mind back to normal and temporarily shield him from their natural allure.

Once Bai Chen had recovered, Nova introduced Nyxara and Velena to him. In return, he briefly explained Bai Chen’s identity to the two women.

For now, he chose not to reveal that they were demons. Doing so would only frighten Bai Chen unnecessarily. There would be a better time for that later. After all, Nova regarded him as a brother, and Bai Chen had helped him during several critical moments in the past.

Once the introductions were finished, Nova turned back to him and asked the question that had been on his mind from the start.

"So, Brother Bai Chen... what’s with that uniform?"

Bai Chen’s expression turned sorrowful as he began to explain.

According to him, after leaving Asia and Rieka safely at the Frosthall Hunters Guild, he had immediately gone to the Twilight Order to request backup. His intention had been simple — to gather reinforcements and return to help Nova.

But when he arrived and told them his story, no one believed him.

The officers claimed that their seniors had already departed for the battlefield. If Bai Chen had truly survived such a battle and returned alone, then his story was far too unbelievable. In their eyes, he was simply lying.

And lying to the Twilight Order — one of the prime orders of the world — was not something taken lightly.

As a result, he was arrested on the spot.

Fortunately, his so-called crime was not considered severe enough for harsh punishment. A senior officer decided to give him a chance to "repent"... by forcibly recruiting him as a new member.

By pure coincidence, the Twilight Order had been conducting recruitment for new members at the time. Nova vaguely recalled that Asia’s uncle, Enzo, had once invited him to join as well three years ago.

Bai Chen’s voice grew more miserable as he continued.

"Sob... sob... since then, they’ve made this old one train tirelessly and overworked me without rest... sob... they didn’t even believe that this old one is a miracle doctor..."

After listening to his story, the group didn’t know whether to laugh or feel sorry for him.

The situation was almost comical in its absurdity, yet none of them could deny that Bai Chen had suffered because of his attempt to help Nova. Seeing Bai chen look so exhausted and wronged, Nova felt a deeper sense of guilt settle in his chest.

Bai Chen had gone out of his way for his sake... and ended up trapped in the clutches of the Twilight Order because of it.

"I’m really sorry, Brother Bai Chen... because of me, you had to suffer so much."

Nova’s voice carried clear guilt.

Even Nyxara and Velena felt a twinge of sympathy for Bai chen. Nyxara, in particular, couldn’t help thinking that anyone who had gone through so much for her husband’s sake must be a good person at heart.

Bai Chen quickly shook his head, his expression softening. "It’s alright, Junior Brother... this old one doesn’t mind suffering a little for your sake."

He paused, then added with genuine warmth, "No... this old one is simply happy to know that you are safe."

Nova felt a quiet warmth spread through his chest. In a world as harsh as this one, it was rare to meet someone so sincere.

After a moment, he asked, "So... are you planning to participate in the tournament or not?"

Bai Chen let out a small sigh. "This old one doesn’t know if they will allow me or not."

Asia immediately spoke up with a bright smile.

"Don’t worry, Big Brother Bai Chen. I’ll contact Uncle Enzo. Although his rank isn’t high enough to remove you from the Order, he should at least be able to help you get permission to participate in the tournament."

Nova nodded in agreement. "That’s right. Asia will contact Vice Commander Enzo. He should be able to help."

Rieka also added a few words of encouragement, thanking Bai Chen for everything he had done. Bai Chen’s eyes softened with gratitude.

"This old one is truly grateful for Sister Asia’s help... I really did want to participate in this tournament together with all of you."

Asia chuckled lightly. "Don’t worry. You’ll definitely be able to take part."

Bai Chen gave a small nod, then stood up.

"Alright... my break time is over. I have to return now."

Nova felt a bit of regret at how short the meeting had been, but there was nothing he could do for the moment. The Twilight Order was not only the most powerful order on the human continent — it was one of the strongest forces in the entire world.

And Nova still had unfinished business with two particular members of that Order. He would definitely kill them—but for now, he simply wasn’t strong enough to do so.

In the end, Bai Chen left the room. Once the door closed behind him, a slightly uncomfortable silence settled over Nova and the women.

**

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