Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Thank You for Thinking So Highly of Me
The first two gifts had been so valuable that Lloyd was naturally full of anticipation for the third. He eagerly opened the exquisite gift box.
Inside was a palm-sized Saint Statue. It was carved from a material as pure and white as snow, as flawless as suet jade. It emanated a soft, warm glow that was incredibly refreshing to behold, clearly some kind of priceless substance.
The craftsmanship, however, didn’t match the material. It wasn’t just crudely made; it was as if the carver had completely given up. You couldn’t even make out a basic human form. It barely qualified as a rough draft, so how could it be called a statue?
’They don’t expect me to carve it myself, do they?’
Lloyd wondered, reaching out to take the embryonic Saint Statue from the box.
At first touch, the pristine white material felt hard and cold, like some kind of unique jade.
But after just a few more seconds, it began to radiate warmth, and its texture softened. Lloyd almost suspected he wasn’t holding a sculpture at all, but a girl’s hand—warm, delicate, and smooth.
"Such a strange texture... What is this material?"
Lloyd couldn’t help but ask.
Weiya examined it, then shook her head.
"I’m not sure. The Chief Judge gave it to me directly. All I know is that it’s incredibly valuable, so you must treasure it."
"And your Saint Statue? Is it like this one?"
"No. In the Eighteenth District, every Judge, or military officer of equivalent rank, has their own Saint Statue, all of which are personally crafted by the Chief Judge. Each one is unique. This allows for a better connection with the Saint and makes it easier to attract the Saint’s attention."
Weiya’s explanation made Lloyd’s brow furrow as he groaned inwardly.
’The Saint’s attention is the last thing I need right now...’
’I’m a "bad student" with ulterior motives. All I want is to sit in an inconspicuous seat, like in the back row by the window, terrified the "teacher" on the podium will notice me and call on me to answer a question.’
’And what happens? I get moved straight to the front row.’
’And judging by how special this material is, I’m probably in the dead center of the front row...’
Lloyd chose his words carefully and asked tentatively,
"I feel... I’m still a newcomer. Isn’t it a bit much to use something so valuable right from the start? I feel completely overwhelmed by the favor. Could I possibly trade it for a more standard one?"
Weiya stared at him, a flicker of confusion in her beautiful eyes. She retorted,
"What a strange thing to say. The Chief Judge has high hopes for you; that’s why he allocated such excellent resources to you. You can’t let down his expectations."
’So much for trying to change seats...’
Weiya, oblivious to Lloyd’s thoughts, continued,
"Don’t feel pressured. With the talent you’ve demonstrated, you’ll undoubtedly complete your Enlightenment without any trouble."
Lloyd nodded, then shook his head with a sigh.
"Alas... sometimes, I truly wish I weren’t so talented."
He was being completely honest, but Weiya just thought he was being arrogant again. She, too, shook her head in resignation.
"There you go again..."
"I’ll go prepare the Orbit required for your Enlightenment. It should be ready by tomorrow."
With that, she unceremoniously snatched the kitten and left Lloyd’s office.
The moment she was gone, Lloyd hurried to the filing cabinet, pulled open the bottom drawer, and tossed the Saint Statue inside. He slammed it shut and turned the key several times.
He had no intention of carrying that thing around in his pocket.
Putting aside the whole "establishing a connection with the Saint" business, just carrying something with such a... unique texture would make him feel like some department store clerk from Sakai Town.
’And as it happens, I have a cat of my own...’
Lloyd shook his head violently, trying to cast off these bizarre thoughts. He forced himself to calm down and took out the Chief Judge’s journal.
He was already past the point of no return. Any more delays or refusals would only arouse more suspicion.
This was a lesson he’d learned from the mole, Williams: when you’re an infiltrator, the biggest mistake is to act out of character for short-term safety, as it only invites suspicion.
Unfortunately, Williams had only been a common Priest and never had his own personal Saint Statue. His Audience with the Saint had been conducted using the large statues in the prayer rooms, so Lloyd had no idea what to expect from using a personal one.
For now, he could only take it one step at a time and prepare for the worst.
’My situation is much better than a real mole’s,’ he thought. ’Even if I’m exposed, I have a clean record. Getting mixed up in this was a complete accident, and I’ve been working hard to fight the forces of darkness and make a contribution to society...’
’The Veto Saint will probably give me a chance to explain, right? I’ve never met her, but she doesn’t seem like the unreasonable type. Of course, I’ll probably lose this respectable job, and I might even get sent to prison to make license plates...’
’So it’s best if I’m not found out. In that case... can you please try a little harder? Or maybe, could you learn *how* to try?’
Lloyd directed this last sentence at his panel.
Unfortunately, the panel offered no response.
............
The contents of the Chief Judge’s journal weren’t very long. With the help of his high Cognition and High-Efficient Learning, it didn’t take Lloyd long to finish it.
It primarily detailed the experiences and insights from the first three stages of Transcendence. The first stage, Enlightenment, was covered in the most exhaustive detail, supplementing many points and precautions not found in standard texts. It provided a comprehensive analysis of potential problems and offered various solutions.
Overall assessment: Extremely high quality! Packed with solid information! Concise, easy to understand, and definitely worth a like, subscribe, and share.
Compared to the Chief Judge’s insights, the mole William’s understanding was like the difference between someone who only watches game streams and a true hardcore veteran.
’He really does think highly of me...’
Lloyd thought with a pang of guilt, carefully stowing the journal away.
After that, he practiced his Swordsmanship as usual, then went home. The next day, he came in early as he always did.
Experience from other infiltrators taught him that the more critical the moment, the more important it was to not lose his composure.
Lloyd first dealt with today’s Level-3 target, earning a bit of Madness Value, before resolutely walking into Weiya’s office.
"HUFF... I’m ready. Take me to the place for my Enlightenment."
Weiya nodded and led Lloyd into a private elevator, heading for the seventh floor of Tower Nine.
