Chapter 423 - 137: Holy Light: The Silver Radiance Angel Descends

Chapter 423: Chapter 137: Holy Light: The Silver Radiance Angel Descends

"What’s the rush?" Ophelia stood behind her with her arms crossed, her form-fitting attire outlining the athletic curves of her body. "It’s only a three or four-day trip to Saint Roland City from here. We have plenty of time."

Avril, on the other hand, stood quietly to the side, holding a copy of the *Holy Light Prayer*. She said softly, "He should be here soon. I heard our senior has been busy strengthening that new Skeleton Flying Dragon he acquired..."

Just then, a figure strode over from the distance.

"Sorry, I’m late."

Lynch was wearing a Shadow Shelter Robe, with the Raven Staff hanging from his waist. He looked to be in high spirits.

However, before he could get any closer, another figure—this one clad in blue—darted over from the distance.

"I’m here, I’m here! Sorry, girls, I’m late."

Eleanor ran over, her face flushed with excitement.

She wore a silver-white uniform from the Imperial Capital Academy, and her long, ice-blue hair was tied into a ponytail. Her pretty face was flushed with excitement.

"Eleanor?" Lynch paused. "What are you doing here!?"

"Ah, well..." Eleanor clearly hadn’t expected to run into Lynch here, and she looked a bit embarrassed.

She immediately slowed her pace as she approached and greeted him politely. "Lord Lynch. Are you here to see Avril and the others off for their exam?"

"Er..." Lynch glanced at her academy uniform and couldn’t help but ask, "Don’t tell me you’re a graduating student from the Imperial Capital Academy."

"Of course!~~" Eleanor blinked her big eyes, acting as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "It’s the three-academy joint exam. Isn’t it perfectly normal for me to hitch a ride on Avril’s airship to take it? Alright, Lord Lynch, you can go back now. Just leave Avril and the others to me!~~"

As she spoke, she even patted her chest, looking like a confident big sister.

"Er..." Lynch glanced at Avril and the others and said in a low voice, "Eleanor, did no one tell you that I’m also taking the graduation exam?"

"What?!"

Eleanor was stunned for a moment. Then, as if an unbelievable thought had struck her, her eyes went wide. "Wait! Lord Lynch... W-what did you just say?? You’re also a graduate this year?!"

"That’s right~ I’m a student of the Undead System at Hurst Royal Academy. I’m graduating this year. Is there a problem?" A smile played on Lynch’s lips.

"Oh my god~!" Eleanor looked as if she’d been struck by lightning, completely dumbfounded. "Y-you’re a student too? And in the same year as us? H-how is that possible! Avril and Lilith always call you Senior, don’t they? I thought you were at least an old-timer two years ahead of us..."

She was so excited she became incoherent, circling around Lynch. "You’re so powerful, but you haven’t even graduated yet? This... this is just unbelievable~!!"

"Er..." Lynch looked at the girl, whose face was red with excitement, then turned helplessly to Avril. "Do I really seem that old?"

Avril covered her mouth and chuckled. "Senior, you’re not old, just very mature."

"Exactly, exactly," Lilith chimed in, sidling up with a mischievous grin. "Who would have thought that our famous Baron of Lakefront Town and leader of the Dawn Battle Group is actually still just a student who hasn’t graduated yet~!"

"Alright, alright, stop messing around." Lynch waved his hand helplessly. "Since everyone’s here, let’s get going. For this three-academy joint exam... I want all of you to do your best~ Show them what the Dawn Battle Group is made of!"

"Yes, Senior!"

"Take off!"

At Jinke’s command, the Goblin Airship roared to life. Its massive rotor blades began to spin, accelerating until they were just a blur.

Propelled by the lift from its rotors, the huge airship slowly ascended, climbing higher and higher into the sky.

******

「Several days later.」

The Goblin Airship, the *Dawn*, cruised steadily beneath the clouds. The engine’s roar was painfully loud, and the exhaust pipe at the tail was constantly CHUG-CHUG-CHUGGING, spewing black smoke.

The black smoke trailed a long, dark line across the azure sky, clearly visible even from a great distance.

Lynch sat in a specially-made seat inside the airship, his face a little pale. The vibrations were so bad his head was throbbing.

’I swear,’ he thought, ’next time I go out, I’d rather ride my Skeleton Flying Dragon in the cold wind than ever take this damn airship again.’

’If I weren’t bringing Avril and the others to the exam—there were too many people to fit on a Skeleton Flying Dragon’s back—and if my mentor, Annabella, hadn’t specifically instructed me in her letter to keep a low profile at first, only to make a stunning debut later and put the Imperial Capital Academy in their place, I would have summoned Xuan Yi long ago and had my main body WHOOSH over there in an instant.’

"Wow! Look, you guys, is that the East Sea? The water is so blue, it’s magnificent!~"

The young fire mage, Lilith, was practically draped over the railing. Her pale gold hair whipped about in the sea breeze, and she gestured excitedly like a little girl who had never seen the world.

Even the usually quiet Avril forgot her reserve. She gripped the railing tightly, craning her neck to look down. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Even the ever-calm Ophelia couldn’t resist leaning over to look, clicking her tongue in amazement.

"That’s the eastern coast down there."

Eleanor was leaning halfway over the railing, her ice-blue ponytail bobbing cheerfully in the air with the airship’s lurching.

She proudly took on the role of tour guide, her clear voice chattering away. "I heard from my grandfather that the Canglan and Amber Provinces here are part of the Empire in name only. In reality... they’ve long been the domain of the Free City States."