Chapter 23
Chapter 23: The Radiant Saint Full of Doubts
Cynthia and Sean arrived at the site of last night’s demon incident, which had been surrounded by the Knights’ magical barrier.
Inside the barrier, though it had been cleaned throughout the night, a mass of black stains still remained on the ground—like the final mark left by the burned demon.
The surrounding buildings were still under repair, with workers busily moving materials. The air still carried a faint burnt smell.
Several onlooking residents stood outside the barrier, whispering among themselves, their faces filled with unease and curiosity.
“Sean, go question those onlookers and see if you can find any clues. I’ll go to the center of the area and use magic to trace the demon’s remnants.”
Cynthia surveyed the surroundings, her gaze cold and focused as she turned to Sean.
“Yes.”
Sean nodded and turned toward the onlooking residents.
He wore a friendly smile and asked in a gentle tone:
“Everyone, how much do you know about last night’s incident? Could you tell me something about Mary?”
Seeing Sean accompanying Saint Cynthia, the residents assumed he held some high position and respectfully cooperated, speaking up one after another.
“Mary? She was a good child. Though she lived alone, she was usually very kind and often helped us neighbors with whatever she could. Her magical talent wasn’t high either. I really don’t know how she could suddenly become a demon…”
A middle-aged woman sighed as she spoke.
“Yes, Mary was usually quite quiet. We never heard of any unusual behavior from her. Last night’s incident was so sudden—we were all terrified.”
An elderly man picked up the conversation, shaking his head.
“Has Mary shown any abnormal behavior recently? Like emotional instability, or contact with anything strange?”
Sean frowned and continued his questioning.
The residents looked at each other and shook their heads, indicating they didn’t know.
Sean realized that while these residents lived nearby, they didn’t know Mary deeply and could provide limited information.
“Lady Cynthia, I think we need to investigate Mary’s residence. We might find more clues there.”
He turned back to Cynthia, relayed the information he had gathered, and offered his opinion.
“You’re right. Let’s go to Mary’s residence now. But wait for me—I’ll be done soon.”
Cynthia nodded, the magical light in her hands gradually fading.
She had just completed her magical tracing, but the results weren’t ideal.
“Since you’re investigating, how about bringing me along?”
Just then, a voice Sean found somewhat familiar came from nearby, with a tone that carried teasing and laziness.
Sean and Cynthia both turned to see Radiant Saint Heralice standing not far away, her golden hair shining in the sunlight, a meaningful smile on her face.
“This is the Ninth District, not where you should be, Heralice. Go back to your Tenth District.”
The sudden appearance of this Radiant Saint immediately put Cynthia on guard, her brow furrowing as she spoke coldly.
“Cynthia, have you forgotten? I’m the Radiant Saint. Our Radiant Knights are Messiah’s specialized department for handling demon transformation incidents. Since a demon appeared in your area, I naturally have the right to investigate, don’t I?”
Heralice chuckled lightly, responding in a teasing tone.
“Hmph.”
Cynthia was momentarily speechless. Though displeased, she couldn’t refute Heralice’s statement.
She coldly snorted and reluctantly accepted Heralice’s participation.
However, Cynthia was clear that this Radiant Saint’s personal involvement had impure motives.
Usually, for individual demon incidents like this, Radiant Knights officers leading an investigation would be sufficient—there was no need for Heralice to personally come to the scene.
Could it be for Sean? Cynthia’s brow furrowed tightly. She couldn’t help but think of the incident at the forge workshop last night.
Though she wanted to directly question Heralice about her reasons for being here, thinking about it from another angle, wasn’t she in the same situation? So she could only let it go.
“You’re Sean, right? I heard you have a very close relationship with Cynthia. I wonder what clues you’ve discovered?”
Heralice walked up to Sean, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment as she asked with a smile.
She had been wondering why a male with no magical power would be brought along by Cynthia for everything.
This young man named Sean must have some merit. From what she knew, Cynthia wasn’t shallow enough to bring a male companion on missions.
“Lady Heralice, I learned from the residents that Mary was usually kind and had low magical talent. Her sudden transformation into a demon is indeed strange. However, since these are just nearby residents, we were planning to investigate her residence for further clues.”
Sean hadn’t expected Heralice to ask him directly. After a moment’s pause, he answered honestly, though he didn’t touch on his relationship with Cynthia.
“Not bad—very clear thinking. It seems Cynthia found herself a capable fellow.”
Heralice nodded thoughtfully, a hint of approval in her gaze.
But was it just because of this young man’s analytical abilities?
Hearing Heralice’s words, especially noticing the Radiant Saint’s probing gaze toward Sean, Cynthia’s frown deepened.
“I’ve completed the magical examination here. Time to move to the next location.”
She directly inserted herself between Heralice and Sean, separating the two, and led the way toward Mary’s residence.
Along the way, Heralice kept trying to chat with Sean, acting like a gossip-loving girl, constantly asking about his identity and how far his relationship with Cynthia had progressed.
Sean could only laugh awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.
Cynthia was very displeased with Heralice’s behavior. She walked to Sean’s side with obvious annoyance, took his hand, and pulled him to her other side, keeping as much distance as possible from Heralice while coldly warning the Radiant Saint:
“Heralice, you’re here to investigate this demon transformation incident, not to investigate Sean. Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”
She glared at Heralice fiercely, her actions carrying obvious possessiveness, as if declaring that Sean was her property, her tone carrying warning undertones.
“Cynthia, you’re so nervous protecting your little boyfriend—are you afraid I’ll eat him?”
Seeing this scene, Heralice’s lips curved in a teasing smile. Far from being angry, she asked in a mocking manner.
“Ignore her.”
Cynthia used her eyes to signal Sean not to pay attention to this Radiant Saint—just pretend she didn’t exist.
Sean responded somewhat awkwardly with his eyes, indicating he understood, while thinking that these two saints must have some conflict—why did they bicker the moment they met, showing each other no courtesy whatsoever?
Heralice shrugged and said nothing more, but her gaze still lingered on Sean for a moment, as if pondering something.
Cynthia, are you hiding something?
Could this young man named Sean be concealing an even greater secret?