Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Continue Studying
"Because I’ve been performing well and I’m pretty talented, I got noticed by the higher-ups at the Judgment Court. They gave me a promotion and a raise."
As he had dinner with his sister, Lloyd summarized his work from the past month.
Of course, he was only painting a rosy picture. He described the Holy Judgment Court as a comfortable, blissful paradise, never once mentioning the dangers. It sounded less like he was going to a job and more like he was on vacation.
As Evelor listened, she began to choke up and sob.
"SOB... Yi, you’re just so amazing! If Mom and Dad knew, they’d be so proud of you!"
Her feelings were infectious, and Lloyd’s own voice grew thick with emotion as he nodded emphatically.
"Mhm! Things are only going to get better for us from now on!"
The heartwarming dinner soon came to an end. For the two siblings, who weren’t picky eaters, Lloyd’s cooking was more than enough.
They cleared the table together, washed the dishes together, and finally snuggled onto the sofa to continue their conversation.
"I’m planning to save up some money. Then we can buy a house, and a storefront too. You’ve always wanted to open a cake shop, right?"
"Hehe, you still remember my childhood dream, Yi?"
Evelor’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled, looking exceptionally happy.
But then she added:
"It’s alright, though. I’m saving up money myself. You should just save your salary. When you get a girlfriend, get married, and start a family, you’ll definitely have a lot of expenses, and then..."
As she spoke, she drifted off into a pleasant fantasy about the future. Her little feet, propped up on the sofa, swung happily back and forth, like sweet ice cream cones beckoning.
This time, Lloyd didn’t rush to interrupt. He patiently listened until she had planned out everything, right down to a job for his future grandson, before he finally had to cut in.
"Alright, alright. Let’s focus on the present for now..."
’If I don’t stop her, she’ll probably map out our entire family tree...’
Lloyd then said,
"I’d like to invite Miss Desda to dinner to thank her for all her help over the years. Could you help me arrange it?"
Evelor nodded. "Of course, no problem. Actually, Miss Desda was just saying the other day that she hasn’t seen you in a while."
"It has been a while... By the way, has Miss Desda given up on that folklorist business yet?"
"Hmm... She’s not that interested in it herself anymore. It’s mostly to help her butler, Mr. Randolph, so she’s handed the task over to me..."
"Is that so? No wonder you’ve looked so tired these past few days."
"It’s okay. As long as I get to see you every day, Yi, I don’t feel tired."
As she spoke, Evelor shifted, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees with a slight tilt of her head.
Her emerald eyes narrowed, revealing a flirtatious charm that belied her youthful appearance. The stark contrast was surprisingly alluring.
This certainly wasn’t the first time Lloyd had seen this mature side of his sister, so he paid it no mind and moved on to other topics.
The siblings chatted until late into the night before finally heading to their own rooms to sleep.
............
Lloyd spent the next two days following his usual routine.
He would first finish his regular duties—executing Demons, harvesting Madness and collecting bounties—then borrow books from the library to continue his studies.
He didn’t rush to have an [Audience with the Saint], which meant learning knowledge from the [Veto] system via the [Thought Realm].
It wasn’t that he was chickening out; he just felt his progress was a bit too rapid. His foundational knowledge wasn’t solid enough and needed more reinforcement.
This was especially true for Mysticism, a subject he was currently lagging behind in and needed to work on.
Since he’d decided on a well-rounded development with no weak spots, he couldn’t afford to neglect any area—especially since Divination and Orbits, both part of Mysticism, were very important skills.
He was currently focusing on Orbits. With the help of his high [Cognition] and [High-Efficient Learning], he was progressing quickly and had already accumulated a few skill fragments. With a bit more effort, he should be able to acquire an Orbit-related skill.
In any case, he definitely wasn’t chickening out.
It was probably because he hadn’t returned to the [Thought Realm] that the [Saint Statue] in the filing cabinet no longer cast its gaze upon him, nor had it undergone any further changes.
After executing two more Level-3 Demon Ghosts today, Lloyd had accumulated another batch of Madness Value. He invested the five points he’d just earned into his [Spiritual Power].
[User: Lloyd]
[Status: Normal]
[Madness Value: 33/2500, Limit: 6500]
[Rationality: 65]
[Spiritual Power: 65]
[inspiration: 40]
[Cognition: 60]
[System: Twist LV2, Veto LV1]
[Mastered Skills: High-Efficient Learning; Probe; Divination LV3; Dizziness Resistance LV4; Precise Dissection LV4; Twisted Realm LV3; Swordsmanship LV4; Aggressive Speech LV2]
These Attributes highlighted a balanced development, with points spread evenly among them, befitting the profile of a progressive, highly-educated young man.
Tonight was the dinner with Miss Desda that Evelor had helped arrange. Lloyd left work a little early and headed to a century-old restaurant in the South City District.
Of all the restaurants Miss Desda found acceptable, this was the most affordable one—Evelor’s choice, of course.
Lloyd arrived at the restaurant first. After waiting a few minutes, he saw his sister walk in with a stunningly beautiful young woman.
Today, Miss Desda had chosen to style her hair short and pink. She wore a simple yet expensive maxi dress that revealed her slender, elegant calves. Her youthful, beautiful, and sweet appearance instantly brightened up the quaint old restaurant.
Lloyd breathed a secret sigh of relief...
’Miss Desda’s style is actually normal today.’
’In his mind, she actually ranked higher than Weiya, second only to his sister. Her only fault was that her fashion sense could be a bit too... "avant-garde."’
’He clearly remembered the last time he’d seen her: she had an earthy-gray mushroom cut, her face was as pale as a corpse, and she wore zombie-style makeup. It had scared him into thinking a Resident Evil instance had just opened up.’
’But she had explained that it was a popular trend from the City of Serenity, and that she was working as a fashion critic back then...’
’Thankfully, as a folklorist, Miss Desda was back to being a total knockout.’
Following behind Miss Desda was Mr. Randolph, a quintessential butler outfitted in a suit, top hat, pocket watch chain, bow tie, and monocle.
Back when he’d last seen the butler, Lloyd was just a regular university student, not yet initiated, so he’d only found the man a little strange.
His posture when he walked was particularly odd. It didn’t look like his legs were supporting his body as he moved forward; it was more like his body was dragging his legs behind it.
But seeing him again today, Lloyd could finally confirm his suspicions.
Like the Chief Judge, the man floated when he walked...
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