After leaving the academy, Lyn met Divine Snow Sakura at a café.
The girl seemed to have just finished a Church operation. Today, she wasn’t wearing her usual battle skirt but an exquisite light blue dress. Her legs were still clad in thin black stockings—today’s pair even more transparent—perfectly hugging her slender, long legs and revealing an alluring flesh tone.
Without showing any emotion, Lyn swept his gaze over his childhood friend’s outfit. After a satisfied glance at her beautiful legs, he sat down opposite her.
Xing Luo followed closely behind him. Noticing Lyn’s gaze, she pouted and tugged her long skirt down slightly to make her white-stockinged legs look longer. But once seated, her little feet dangled in the air…
She tried hard not to mind this difference.
Lyn paid it no mind either. After sitting beside Xing Luo, he looked at Divine Snow Sakura and said his first words:
“Did you bully Kaoru?”
“???”
Divine Snow Sakura had appeared to sip her coffee, but her eyes had actually tracked Lyn’s gaze, enjoying how the boy sneaked looks at her legs.
Hearing this sudden question, she nearly choked on her coffee. Setting down her cup, a faint “#” symbol seemed to flicker on her fair forehead as she stared at Lyn in disbelief.
After a moment, as if recalling something, she calmed down and smoothed the hair by her ear. “You’ve seen her?”
“So something happened,” Lyn said.
Earlier, while talking with Kaoru, he’d sensed something was off. But since she didn’t want to share, he hadn’t pushed.
“Sort of. Anyway, it’s none of your business,” Divine Snow Sakura replied calmly. “Kaoru and I have no major issues—just minor disagreements on some matters. It won’t affect our sisterly bond.”
“What kind of issues?” Lyn asked curiously.
“You dote on that girl so much. It can’t be over something trivial.”
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Aren’t you being unreasonable? How can I know if you don’t tell me?” Lyn shrugged.
Divine Snow Sakura gave him a deep, lingering glance. “Anyway, I just know you don’t understand.”
This blockhead could read people and be thoughtful sometimes. But his concern often missed the mark entirely. She couldn’t tell if he was clueless or deliberate.
Just then, Lyn paused thoughtfully. “Could it be jealousy?”
“What jealousy?”
Hearing the word, Divine Snow Sakura’s heart skipped a beat. But immediately, she saw Lyn’s gaze drop to her chest.
Divine Snow Sakura: “???”
“Do you think I’d disagree with Kaoru over such a trivial thing?” she nearly gritted her teeth, fists tightening.
“I haven’t even said what it is yet,” Lyn cleared his throat.
“That burden? Do you think I care?” Divine Snow Sakura snorted coldly, crossing her legs and leaning back.
The movement made her already elegant black-stockinged legs look even more exquisite. Lyn subconsciously watched her pose, as if she were showcasing them. Noticing his stare, her pink lips curled into a smug smile. Softly, she asked:
“Pretty, isn’t it? Want to touch?”
Without showing any emotion, Lyn picked up his fresh coffee with a slightly trembling hand. “It’s not like I haven’t touched them before. It’s just so-so.”
Hearing this, Divine Snow Sakura froze. Her fair face flushed slightly, but she forced calmness. Spotting his shaking hand, she gave him a strange look, a cold smirk on her lips.
“You call that ‘just so-so’?”
Lyn turned serious. “My hand’s trembling from overtraining earlier. The situation’s nothing like you imagine.”
“You only dare say this to me. Try telling Kaoru.”
“You’re a villainess—it’s different. Kaoru’s delicate. She needs protection.”
“Of course, I mean ‘delicate’ in other aspects.”
Divine Snow Sakura’s chest heaved with anger. She wanted to kick him but abandoned the idea, thinking it might be a ‘benefit’ for Lyn.
Xing Luo, who’d been quietly eating pastries, froze when Lyn mentioned touching Divine Snow Sakura’s legs. Only when the two glared at each other did she snap out of it. Blinking innocently, she asked:
“Master, what did you mean by ‘touched’ earlier?”
Both fell speechless.
After another glance, Divine Snow Sakura said calmly: “This pervert’s been scheming against me all along.”
“You’re slandering my innocence! It was just an accident during sparring. Don’t ruin my image in front of Xing Luo.”
As they spoke, complex emotions stirred. Once, they’d been close—but circumstances kept them from going further.
After bickering and explaining briefly to Xing Luo, Lyn turned serious. “Stop digressing. Let’s talk about the main issue.”
*Who do you think started digressing…* Divine Snow Sakura silently clenched her fist, used to her childhood friend’s shamelessness. Calmly, she continued:
“That fool causing you trouble has real problems. The one who instructed Norton is tied to the Abyss—and exploited his grudge with your sister.”
A complex glint flashed in her eyes at “sister,” her fist tightening, but she didn’t pause:
“Days ago, while hunting an Abyssal Follower, Norton met a high-ranking member of their group. They easily wiped out his squad.”
“He expected death. Instead, they gave him a bug—urging him, as a Church knight, to ‘eradicate evil’ by targeting you.”
“With his old grudge against your sister and his will to live, he accepted the deal.”
“Norton’s intel shows that Abyss agent specifically targeted you. The bug was bred with ancient insect art—its magic runes recorded your scent. That’s how they tracked you.”
“This means you were watched long before your deal with that Abyssal Follower you killed.”
“That’s why Norton ambushed you at the perfect moment. I suspect his handler is linked to those who attacked the Church before.”
“So think carefully—how did you catch their attention?”
“Besides the Abyssal Follower you killed, have you tangled with anyone else?” Divine Snow Sakura said gravely.
As she spoke, she activated a barrier to shield their words.
