"Wow, that young man is here to read books again."
"He looks so serious, and he's really handsome... He comes every day."
"It's such a pity that he's a Child of the Curse..."
"The religious testing is next week, can he pass it?"
"I don't think he stands a chance... You have to understand that the Church's entrance test is in the capital, a national examination, not just for our remote little city; all the young and talented from across the country will participate."
"After all, it's the Radiant Holy See, the foremost among the seven Orthodox Churches..."
"Moreover, he has offended Lord Cavendish, now he's done for."
"It's said that Arthur Sunny, the Duke's son from the frontier, is also taking part in the saint testing this time!"
"Ah, would that be the even handsomer and more noble 'Radiant Young Lion'?"
The library of the Church.
The morning sunlight was just perfect, and the air was refreshingly clear, a great time for reading and studying.
This place was the largest library in the frontier city, housing a diverse array of books spanning numerous fields;
Right now, An Su was quietly choosing a book titled "The History of the Empire," reading and pondering it earnestly, occasionally showing a thoughtful expression.
He didn't pay any mind to the low murmurs of the young girls around him.
Of course, he had to come here to read books every day; after all, every day he converted a total of twenty devotion points from his military expenses, giving him six magic points, which could be said to be at an intermediate level for a first-order magician.
As for the Sunny mentioned by them, unlike Lord Cavendish and other extras who didn't even have a character card, Arthur Sunny was one of the important male characters in the original story.
He would even become a Saint Heir in the future.
His family was the Duke of the frontier, the Sun Family was quite a noble lineage in the old Nether ranks, unlike the Morningstar Family that emerged halfway and couldn't be compared.
But that guy's character setting... was actually very subtle.
An Su could sense that his own perception had grown stronger, being able to overhear gossip from the girls next door despite the distance.
Perhaps this was also one of the benefits that came with the blessings of the Mother Goddess.
Time slowly passed, and as the shadows of the trees moved from one side of the library to the window, turning from dark green to deep red, the sun neared its setting.
Nightfall was approaching fast.
He had to start his plan.
An Su closed the book, stood up, put it back on the shelf, and then went to find his maid.
Having read "The History of the Empire," An Su felt he had gained a lot, especially praising several rebellious generals in imperial history; reflecting on the past, he felt he could draw much advanced experience from these great marshals.
Of course, it was also very useful for coping with the test.
He felt that with his current level, getting seventy or eighty points wasn't difficult.
Enya was also reading a book, and with great interest, which surprised An Su somewhat.
The evening breeze blew by, scattering her long hair amidst the pink hues of the sunset. She sat there quietly reading; from a distance, one might actually get the impression of a literary girl.
He approached and asked, "What are you reading?"
"Guess," Enya closed the book, looking up, "Clues are 'mother and son,' 'gender swap,' 'teacher,' 'close kin,' 'non-human,' 'dismemberment,' 'crossbreeding,' 'body modification.'"
She gave off quite the literary girl vibe—provided she didn't speak.
What kind of R18 keywords are those... An Su's mouth twitched slightly.
"I guess it's 'Druid Biology Compulsory 1,' chapter one, about pea genetic breeding."
An Su snatched the book from her hands; its cover was indeed a vast expanse of green plants, "Stop reading that, we should be going. Are the things ready?"
"You really have no sense of romance," Enya said helplessly, pointing to the handbag on the seat next to her, which contained a whole set of clothes she had sewn herself.
They left the Church and followed the path outwards, quickly reaching the edge of the City-State.
The Cultists didn't come to kidnap An Su, so An Su had to take the initiative to find the Cultists.
The worshipers of the Mother Goddess almost always held a sacrifice ritual, with the timing set at two o'clock in the middle of the night, according to the teachings, this time was when the Mother Goddess awakened.
Moreover, today was the fourteenth of the Red Moon.
For the Cultists, this date was very significant each year: during the Ancient Era, it was on the fourteenth that the Mother Goddess descended from the starry skies to this place, and this day came to be known as the Day of Divine Arrival.
From the fourteenth to the sixteenth, the benefits from the sacrifices increased by thirty percent.
So, at two o'clock in the middle of the night these days, many believers would mass sacrifice.
Knowing the time and place, the next thing to do was simple.
That was to actively intercept others' sacrifices!
Straight to their doorstep!
He knew the location of all the small strongholds around the City-State, as long as he actively sought them out at midnight, he would be able to catch the Cultists who were just conducting their sacrifices.
Then he would sacrifice them all!
Since he was on the offense, he had to disguise his identity well to avoid detection by others.
An Su knew he was handsome, so he had to conceal this handsome visage.
Hiding his stature well and covering his face, An Su had Enya sew a new skin for him.
He retrieved the clothes from the bag and quickly put them on himself.
The bulky cotton coat's shape, plain design, and inconspicuous style would hide any outstanding appearance,
and the most regal temperament would become honest and simple—precisely the high school uniform 2.0 from his previous life: The Winter Is Coming skin.
In layman's terms, it was the winter uniform.
The one he wore previously was the summer version.
Once worn, no one could recognize anyone else.
Besides that, he also took a mask out of the bag and wore it on his face, the skin snugly fitting together.
[Camouflage Mask]
[Intermediate Magic Tool]
[Can disguise one's facial features]
This was a treasure he had stolen from his old man's secret vault, able to perfectly conceal his identity and mimic the appearance of a stranger. In the black market, this item would cost at least ten thousand Gold Coins.
As for why An Su knew about Count Karlo's secret vault and how he easily got his hands on it—
it was because, in his previous life as a gamer, he'd raid Count Karlo's vault every weekly reset.
And whenever he was short on cash, he'd go to Count Karlo for a withdrawal.
In this life, his biological father was affectionately referred to by his former self as the [Savings Bank Manager].
After finishing his preparations, An Su took the mirror handed to him by Enya.
Beneath the gray cotton hood, he sported a plain but scholarly face,
green and shy yet radiating clear wisdom, the sort whose appearance wasn't exactly ugly but couldn't be called handsome either, yet when you first laid eyes on the kid, you'd think he must be good at sciences.
You'd think he belonged in Tsinghua.
All aspects were ready.
Then, it was time to make a withdrawal from the Construction Bank of a lifetime.
For players, Count Karlo's vault was the Savings Bank, and so the Cultists' sacrifice altar was the Construction Bank!
Enya brought a carriage over, An Su mounted it and drove off directly.
It was eight o'clock at night, with four more hours to midnight.
Moreover, the Cultists' rituals also took a long time—if he hurried non-stop to grind, An Su was confident that he could sweep through all the small strongholds near the border city in one night!