Chapter 48: The Southern Cross of Radiance
As expected.
Sylvia silently expressed her satisfaction in her heart, then slightly narrowed her eyes and looked at the other party:
"If I want to obtain the complete chain of the Warrior path, then what do you want me to exchange for it?"
"The Warrior path’s… complete chain?"
Anwendeika opened his mouth wide, staring at Sylvia with disbelief.
He was merely an Extraordinary who had undergone his first metamorphosis. Why would such a high-ranking figure from the Church of Radiance make such a request of him?
Seeing the change in his expression, Sylvia leaned back against the chair in a relaxed manner and finished the sentence she had left unsaid earlier:
"No, it shouldn't be the personal pronoun 'you'—it should be 'your group'."
Only then did Anwendeika let out a sigh of relief. He gave a couple of awkward laughs before answering her question:
"Uh… I'm sorry, I don't know."
"The Southern Cross Constellation does indeed possess the complete advancement chain of the Warrior path. I was informed of this when I joined them."
"But the problem is that my status within the Southern Cross Constellation is not high. I'm merely a member of a small team, completely unqualified to make such decisions."
At this point, he couldn't help but smile bitterly, while Sylvia, unsurprised, nodded slightly:
Before deciding to make contact with Anwendeika, she had already learned the details of the Southern Cross Constellation from Lakdevo.
It was an adventurer organization with a long history, dating back as far as eight hundred years ago.
They were also one of the earliest expedition groups to set foot on the New Continent.
Of course, that was during their most glorious period, when they were known as the Southern Cross Guild.
However, as time passed, countless upheavals and misfortunes led the Southern Cross Guild down a path of decline.
And during the war three hundred years ago, this colossal entity that had existed for five centuries could no longer hide its decay and collapsed amidst fire and flame.
Yet surprisingly, more than thirty years ago, this adventurer organization with a long-standing legacy was reestablished. This time, they abandoned the form of a "guild" and adopted the suffix "constellation."
Under the leadership of Commander Andrika Solores, the name "Southern Cross of Radiance" once again resounded across the Old Continent.
Although they had lost much, their most important "core spirit" and a complete Extraordinary path had been preserved.
However, Lakdevo was not optimistic about them.
After all, in the current era where steam and technology had sufficiently developed, the living environment for adventurer groups was growing increasingly precarious.
Nowadays, many adventurers had chosen to transform themselves, turning to mercenary and security work.
But the Southern Cross Constellation still upheld the spirit of exploration, seeking the fabled Old Continent.
That said, they were not entirely unchanged—now they also undertook expeditions to ancient ruins to raise initial funding for their ideals.
"Hmm... does the captain of your squad have the authority to make such decisions?"
At this moment, Sylvia began guiding the conversation.
Upon hearing this question, Anwendeika was momentarily stunned before giving another awkward laugh:
"I'm not sure about that either. He's only an Extraordinary who has undergone the second metamorphosis, but he is able to communicate with our commander."
"Hmm, I see."
Sylvia nodded slightly, then continued speaking:
"I'll send you back shortly. You're responsible for relaying the message and making the inquiry."
"Hmm... you're not allowed to reveal my identity. Just make up a reason when reporting. Once you get the result, come back here and inform me. Understand?"
A brilliant starlight flickered through Sylvia’s deep purple eyes, and Anwendeika, equally solemn, nodded heavily.
"Escort him out."
Sylvia waved at Loruze, and the bishop, catching the signal, led the somewhat uneasy adventurer out of the office.
At this time, she slowed the rhythm of her fingers tapping the desk, listening to the voice that came from Lakdevo behind her:
"Ga!"
"Master, if this path doesn't work, then we can try inquiring with the royal families and military forces of various nations."
"After all, warriors are also widespread in the army."
Sylvia nodded but temporarily rejected his suggestion:
"I don't want to engage with too many official powers for now, given the peculiarity of my identity."
"Besides, this path isn’t that important to me. The complete chain can be acquired later—"
Before she could finish her sentence, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Despite being interrupted, Sylvia showed no displeasure on her face. Instead, she called out toward the door in a light tone.
Then, the door opened, and Knight Kakilis walked in.
He struck his right fist against his left chest and spoke loudly:
"Reporting, Your Grace, the ground-level priest informed us that someone wishes to see you."
As he said this, his expression turned a bit strange.
After all, she was the Apostle of the Land!
Upon hearing this, both the priest and he had hesitated, unsure whether they should report it to Sylvia.
However, that moment of doubt did not stop him from continuing:
"The person identified himself as 'Divoman Wood', claiming to be your subordinate."
At that time, suspicion had naturally arisen between them, until the man presented a slip of paper bearing a signature—
Sylvia.
A simple four-character name, yet outlined with pure Spirituality. Not only did it manifest as a deep purple hue, but it also appeared to be in a flowing state.
As an Extraordinary, he immediately felt immense pressure emanating from it.
Before those four characters, it felt as though he were facing a terrifying presence.
And the aura released from it was familiar—
He had sensed it on Sylvia herself!
That was why he had not hesitated and chose to report the matter right away.
"Very good."
Sylvia nodded and then stood up, turning to Kakilis:
"Lead the way."
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Standing upright, Kakilis swiftly opened the door and led Sylvia out.
At that moment, Lakdevo, who was perched on the chair, tilted his head and looked with some amusement at the fervent knight.
...
Inside the confessional, which was entirely different from the rest of St. Ruls Cathedral, Divoman—who had come in person out of respect and seriousness—sat on the chair with legs spread in a bold posture, gazing around the dimly lit space with a hint of boredom.
Just then, footsteps came from behind the partition decorated with hollowed patterns.
The sound was light, indicating that the person walking had a graceful posture.
As the footsteps drew closer, a crisp voice rang out from the other side:
"You’ve found a lead?"
The moment he heard Sylvia's voice, Divoman instinctively stood up:
"Yes, Your… Grace."
"Good, very efficient."
Sylvia spoke with a smile and then continued:
"But we can leave that for later. Let's first discuss a topic that interests us both—"
"What kind of Extraordinary do you want to become?"
"A spellcaster who needs to study structured knowledge rigorously to gradually improve their power, or a fighter who combines strength and technique to unleash violent combat output?"