CHAPTER 48: LILITH

Meanwhile, in Apple Town, Liam, the city lord, was doing everything he could to investigate the seven-year-old boy who had purchased the Cymora Soil.

He gathered every person who had seen Richard in Apple Town.

He even went as far as hiring the best painter, then ordered those who had seen Richard to describe his features to the painter.

The result was a sketch that was strikingly accurate.

Liam studied the sketch intently, trying to recall Richard’s appearance.

’A seven-year-old boy able to fabricate such a lie, who taught him that?’ he wondered.

’But, he must have sensed that plate—or there is no way he would want to obtain it. And he’s only seven years old.’

The longer Liam stared at the sketch, the deeper his suspicion grew.

He suspected this boy was the very Richard who had caused such a stir in Apple Town.

First of all, despite being only seven years old, he had easily cleared the challenge in the Dark Forest.

Then, he had exposed Olivia’s crimes, forcing her to flee to who knows where.

’I suppose there’s no doubt. There’s no way two such extraordinary children could appear in Apple Town,’ Liam thought.

"’But...’

Liam furrowed his brows. If he wished, he truly could locate Richard using the sketch.

Some Magi possessed that skill.

As long as they saw an image of the person they were searching for, they could track them.

Of course, there was a limit to the range they could trace. If the target was too far, the attempt would fail unless the Magus’s power was greater.

Liam wanted to track Richard, but he was still worried about the boy’s background.

In fact, he had entered the Dark Forest after Richard, attempting to investigate the battle there, and the result had shocked him greatly.

He realized that Richard actually possessed Aether Tier 3.

How could he dare underestimate such a boy?

He did not believe Richard was truly without background—his talent was simply too inconceivable.

The background Liam suspected was not some powerful clan, but a powerful teacher.

’I suppose I must give up on the Cymora Soil. Sigh, it’s useless to me anyway, but I could trade it for something that is.’

Liam was the type who disliked getting involved in dangerous conflicts. Even greed found it difficult to push him into one.

What he truly enjoyed was training in peace. That was why he chose to become the lord of a small city, even though he could have pursued a more honorable duty from the kingdom.

’Yes, it would be better to approach him as a friend. If he continues to grow and becomes very powerful, I could benefit from him...’

An idea sparked in Liam’s mind, making his eyes gleam.

After all, so many factions were eager to recruit Richard, including the Moonshadow Clan.

Wasn’t it because they preferred to let him grow and become stronger first, so they could reap the benefits later?

But they did not know his appearance—only his name and age.

---

Richard and Sister Lisa then stepped toward Lilith’s residence, whose door had already been shut by the young lady and her maid.

However, as they arrived before the door, it opened once more, revealing a woman who looked even younger than Sister Lisa—she seemed barely twenty.

She had long golden hair, a beautiful face with captivating blue eyes, and a pair of red lips shaped like a smiling heart. She wore a luxurious, tight red dress that did nothing to conceal her alluring curves.

Richard had been wondering what kind of woman this Lilith would be. Unexpectedly, she was a stunning blonde, resembling a top Hollywood actress from Earth.

"Lisa, you’ve finally arrived," said the woman with a charming smile before lowering her gaze to Richard, since her tall figure towered over him.

Her smile widened when her eyes locked on Richard.

Her gaze was sharp, as if she were counting every strand of his hair.

Somehow, Richard felt utterly horrified under her stare, as though she could see through every part of him—including his power.

He did not doubt it.

Even his instincts screamed at him to run.

It wasn’t a matter of whether the woman was good or evil, but her power was simply too overwhelming.

Sister Lisa, unaware of what he was feeling, looked delighted to meet her old friend.

"Lilith, hehe, it’s been so long. You’ve changed so much after ten years of wandering. I still remember clearly when you won the Young Magus Tournament of the entire kingdom—it had everyone talking for weeks," she said.

"But unfortunately, you vanished for so long. People even forgot about you and assumed you had died."

As Sister Lisa spoke, Lilith turned her gaze back to her.

"The outside world is far more fascinating, so I had no desire to return. Unfortunately, something forced me to come back, and then I heard some Sky Armor Knights—who were once your friends—talking about you," Lilith said.

"But fortunately, it seems everything has been resolved well. By my estimation, if that issue hadn’t been dealt with, you might have died."

Sister Lisa gave a thin smile and instinctively glanced at Richard for a moment, for he was the one who had resolved that issue.

On the other side, Richard finally realized why he felt such a great threat from this blonde woman.

The champion of the tournament ten years ago?

Number one in the entire kingdom?

Now, they were about to witness the finals across three provinces, with the winners being sent to the capital for the final stage.

Considering that the Holy Star Kingdom had over a hundred provinces, nearly forty participants would be sent to the capital—each one a champion of three provinces.

Even Wren, who was considered outstanding, was still far from being the number one in the kingdom. Yet this blonde woman had once claimed that very title.

After ten years had passed, how could her strength not have grown drastically?

"Lilith, what was the matter that made you return?" Sister Lisa asked, clearly curious.

"We’ll talk about that later. For now, why don’t you introduce me to this handsome and sturdy little boy? I think when he grows up, he’ll suit my taste perfectly," Lilith replied, her eyes once again fixed on Richard, smiling and winking her left eye at him.

Richard was stunned, his mouth falling open.

Cough!

Sister Lisa pretended to cough.

"Lilith, please don’t joke around. He’s only seven years old, one of the children raised in my orphanage..." she said, her tone sounding uncomfortable.

"It doesn’t matter if he’s still seven. Ten years later, he’ll be seventeen. By then, he’ll definitely suit me. Besides, even ten years from now, I won’t grow any older," Lilith replied without taking her eyes off Richard.

"So, how about it, handsome boy? Would you be interested in starting a special relationship with me when you grow up? If so, I’ll give you something great as a gift—something that will surely help you a lot."

Richard: "..."