Hm? What’s going on?

Standing in the student lineup, Vinny suddenly noticed something strange—his Virtue Points had quietly increased by 160 without him realizing.

From 6,744 to 6,904.

And according to the system prompt, the increase had happened during the rehearsal.

Hmm... could it have been when he was watching that redhead in silk tights? That was probably the only time his attention had been diverted enough to miss the notification.

Weird. Which female lead’s emotional fluctuations triggered that?

Aesphyra? Doesn’t quite fit. Aesphyra might be generous toward Vanessa, but when it came to him? Her Virtue Point bursts never went above a hundred. Stingy as hell.

Then again, that suited her character. That love-happy ocean witch only ever acted soft with girls. Toward boys? Sorry. Kindly and consciously keep a five-meter distance—no touching, no brushing against her clothes, or she’d have to scrub herself raw the moment she got home.

Besides, Aesphyra hadn’t had any opportunity to give him a Virtue Point burst. He hadn’t tried to trigger one, and that cheapskate would never give him anything for free anyway.

Could it have been Mirexia?

But as far as he remembered, he hadn’t done anything to make Mirexia’s emotions fluctuate that much just now...

Vinny scratched his head. This was weird. He couldn’t figure it out at all.

“Ah, that’s enough, Salphen. It’s not like we don’t know the situation at Carillian Academy. They were key in containing the Demon God Pillar. Loyal followers of the Goddess, through and through. What’s the point of saying all this?” On the other side, the amiable bishop quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

But... why wait until after Morinquette explained himself to chime in? There were plenty of better moments to intervene.

Well—those who knew, knew. Everyone present understood, but no one would say it out loud.

“I hope you’ll reflect on how to properly treat the Goddess’s servants and the Pope’s envoys!” Even with a way out offered, Salphen kept his nose up high.

Vinny, by now, had pieced together what was going on.

This whole act—they were trying to pressure Carillian Academy and seize the initiative for ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) whatever came next.

Classic good cop, bad cop routine. They were obviously working together.

That Hauchkai bishop still hadn’t said a word. Nor had he interacted with his own kin—not since that single glance exchanged with Luna when stepping off the carriage.

If Vinny hadn’t been watching him the whole time and happened to catch it, he would’ve missed it entirely.

“Alright, Salphen. We’re all faithful believers of the Goddess here. This crisis with the Demon God Pillar—it was thanks to Carillian Academy that it didn’t spread any further. Even the Goddess herself looked upon their bravery with favor. Really, your words are rather ill-timed,” the amiable bishop corrected his posture, then turned to Morinquette with a smile.

“Apologies, Chief Instructor. Bishop Salphen’s temperament is... well, I’m sure you’ve heard. He’s a rather direct man, and so are his words. I hope you’ll forgive him. Our visit today was guided by the Goddess’s will and divine inspiration—to commend your efforts in resisting the Demon God Pillar and its cultists, and to offer support.”

“Your valiant efforts were acknowledged by the Goddess herself—she even manifested because of it. Truly admirable... and a bit of a shame, too. A shame that we weren’t blessed with the fortune to witness her descent ourselves,” the bishop said with a wistful shake of his head.

“Let us never forget—we are kin, comrades on the same front. Fellow devout of the Goddess. If you need anything, do not hesitate to reach out. We will support you to the fullest,” the bishop added with a warm chuckle.

“Your words are appreciated. I shall take them to heart. Honored Bishops, this way, please.” Morinquette gestured forward, leading the three bishops through the open gates of the academy, with instructors and students lined respectfully on both sides.

The Radiant Cross Knights surrounded the bishops like stars escorting the moon.

To be guarded by the Radiant Cross Knights in such fashion—this honor belonged to high bishops of the Radiant Church alone.

“That must be Her Highness Mirexia, yes? I’ve heard tales about you—truly, a young hero,” said the bishop walking in the center, stroking his beard as he addressed the student council president.

“You flatter me. I only benefit from my lineage and family,” Mirexia replied with respectful humility.

Having the Princess of Camella Kingdom receive the visiting dignitaries? Perfectly appropriate.

Noble in both bloodline and upbringing, Mirexia knew exactly how to converse with people of this caliber. She had been trained for this since childhood—it was one of her many talents.

Morinquette and Mirexia walked with the bishops at the center, flanked on all sides by knights.

Vinny’s gaze occasionally flicked toward Luna—yet that Hauchkai bishop made no effort to greet her, and Luna herself didn’t approach either. Aside from that one glance earlier, they acted like total strangers.

Were they on bad terms in the family? No, probably not. That bishop seemed to be one of Luna’s elders—and a close one at that. From what Vinny remembered of the original plot, Luna held a high status in the Hauchkai household—most likely even the heiress, the next family head.

So why the cold shoulder?

Then it hit him—maybe they were intentionally avoiding attention.

After all, many students here didn’t know who Luna really was. If that bishop had acknowledged her with familial titles, it would’ve drawn massive attention.

And maybe Luna didn’t want that kind of attention. Maybe she even resented relying on her family’s prestige.

So she chose to keep her distance—like she didn’t want anyone to know they were related.

Realizing this, Vinny found himself liking her a bit more.

Putting aside whether she recognized him back then or not—even if it was all a ruse—the fact she didn’t flaunt her family background was something he could respect.

Morinquette, while powerful and experienced, wasn’t particularly eloquent. That’s where Mirexia’s role really shone.

As student council president and a princess, her status naturally earned respect from the bishops. If someone else had been president, they’d likely be trembling with nerves right now—crushed by the sheer disparity in identity and presence.

But Mirexia wasn’t just the president of Carillian Academy—she carried the label of future Queen of Camella.

She spoke with poise, her words full of grace and elegance, and soon found herself deep in pleasant conversation with the bishops.

Vinny couldn’t help thinking—if it were him standing there, chatting with those three crusty old fossils, the whole conversation would’ve died in seconds. He wouldn’t even know how to keep it going.

He was too inexperienced. Nothing like those geezers who’d lived for decades.

As the group passed the student lineup, Vinny felt a glance land on him. He turned—and found it came from none other than Bishop Salphen.

The man cast him a cool, dismissive look, full of innate arrogance and contempt.

Ah, there it was.

Vinny didn’t know if the crusty bastard recognized him or not, whether it was personal or just general disdain—but that look pissed him off.

So he returned it—same eyes, same contempt—and even threw in a childish “bleh” face with his tongue out.

Who the hell do you think you are, huh? Just ‘cause you’re some crusty old geezer, I’m supposed to take your glare lying down?

“Ahem.” Salphen clearly hadn’t expected such a reaction. He coughed awkwardly, unable to lash out in public.

The central bishop, still chatting with Mirexia, didn’t notice. But the Hauchkai bishop’s lips curved ever so slightly.

And not just him.

A certain white-haired someone who’d been watching Vinny closely nearly broke into a laugh, quickly covering it up before anyone else could notice.

But they weren’t the only one.

Someone else had noticed too—the red-haired female knight captain walking beside the bishops.

She simply tapped the hilt of her sword. Said nothing.

But really—

If you thought Vinny acted this way just because he was annoyed, or held a grudge against the Church, or was being petty toward Salphen—

Then he could only say: you were seeing floor negative one, when in reality, he stood on the top floor.

Mirexia didn’t notice Vinny’s expression. As she walked, she began explaining to the bishops the post-catastrophe repairs to Carillian Academy, which buildings had been damaged, and which had been restored.

“Hm. Sounds like a costly undertaking,” the central bishop said, stroking his chin. “But no need to worry. We’ll cover the expenses.”

“Your generosity is appreciated, but I believe the Academy already has its own plans,” Mirexia said with a glance at Morinquette.

Of course they should refuse at first. These kinds of gifts always came with strings attached. They were planting seeds now—there’d be a trade expected later.

“No matter. You have received the Goddess’s favor. As her agents on Earth, it is only right that we provide support,” the bishop said with a wave of his hand.

“In addition, the Goddess’s manifestation and her repelling of the Demon God Pillar—we believe this is a miracle worthy of record. Thus, we’ve brought along the Church’s official historians to document the entire incident in full: the cause, the development, and the aftermath.”

“This is so that future generations, should they face similar crises, will have historical precedent to learn from. We hope you understand the importance of this endeavor and will be forthcoming for the sake of all mankind,” he said with a pleasant smile. “The Pope himself considers this matter of great importance. We’ve even invited students with Church affiliations to assist in our inquiry.”

Now that was a loaded statement. On the surface, it was about historical rigor—but dig deeper, and it was a veiled warning: “We already have intel from Church-aligned students in your Academy. Don’t lie to us. We’ll know.”

“Of course. You have our full cooperation,” Morinquette promised solemnly.

“Excellent,” the bishop said with a smile.

The group arrived at Saint Selina Cathedral.

“Fortunately, despite being at the heart of the crisis, Saint Selina Cathedral suffered minimal damage. Only a few statues were knocked over. I believe this is thanks to the protection of Her Radiance and the Saintess,” Mirexia explained.

At that, Vinny’s gaze instinctively drifted toward Aesphyra. She showed no reaction—completely indifferent, even though she was the one who had protected the cathedral with her own hands.

The moment Vinny looked at her, Aesphyra felt it. She glanced over lazily, meeting his gaze with a smirk full of unreadable meaning.

Vinny looked away.

Everyone entered the cathedral.

This place was normally off-limits—only opened when Radiant Church bishops visited.

This was the first time it had been opened since the disaster.

Inside the cathedral, the three bishops prayed before the Goddess’s statue. The Radiant Cross Knights, instructors, and students all drew their swords, lowered their gazes, and dropped to one knee in reverence to the Goddess and the Saintess.

Inside Saint Selina Cathedral, the knights moved with exceptional care. After all, this was the resting place of the Saintess’s soul.

Everyone behaved with solemn respect—except one.

Yes. Still Vinny.

He entered the sacred cathedral like it was his living room. Relaxed expression. No reverence in his eyes at all.

Luckily, no one was paying attention to him.

Except one person.

Someone who’d been keeping an eye on Vinny from the start.

The ever-irritating Bishop Salphen.

But Vinny didn’t care.

In fact, he wanted the Church to notice. If they didn’t, he’d feel like he was wasting his efforts.

Perhaps because this was sacred ground, the bishop said nothing.

Eventually, they reached the side hall of the cathedral—reserved for visiting high-ranking clergy to stay in.

This was where the students’ responsibilities ended. After resting here for the night, the bishops would formally meet with the Academy’s leadership. Whatever they discussed had nothing to do with the students.

With the bishops delivered safely, both faculty and students began to withdraw. The Radiant Cross Knights would handle all security from here on.

Among the departing crowd, Vinny quietly approached Mirexia.

“Mirexia, do me a favor.”

“What is it?” she asked. Despite still having some lingering feelings about Vinny’s earlier interaction with that honey-haired girl, his expression told her this was serious.

She understood how to prioritize.

“In a bit, I’ll need you to act with me. Here’s how we’ll do it...” Vinny walked beside Mirexia, pretending not to speak, but whispered in a voice only they could hear.

“You mean...?...” Mirexia glanced at the bishops behind them and nodded slightly. “I understand. I’ll go along with it.”

“Great.” With that, Vinny veered off from the group, as if tired from walking. Instead of following the others out of the cathedral, he slouched onto a bench and casually crossed his legs like he owned the place.