Chapter 280: Under the Knife
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 280: Under the Knife
"Alright, alright, stop moping. It’s not actually that hopeless."
In the flower sea, which had already returned to its original state, Mela crouched down. Her pink nightgown draped over her fair little feet as she reached out a finger to poke Muen, who was currently radiating an aura of despair like a dead fish.
"Think about it. You just need to make a trip to the Holy City and participate in some ceremony or other. It doesn't even matter if the results are good. In the end, you just need to bask in the Goddess's Holy Light Baptism and you're done, right?"
"The Goddess's Holy Light Baptism isn't that easy to get!"
Muen flopped upright, shouting in grief and indignation, "And just making me go to the Holy City is hopeless enough on its own!"
"Is it?"
Teacher Mela tilted her small head and offered some consolation. "Oh, you really don't need to worry that much. Given the inherent concealment of a Divine Blessing and the aura-masking properties of the Alchemy Core, no one in the current Life Church—except for the Pope—should be able to tell you have a connection to the Withered King."
"But it’s exactly that His Holiness the Pope who wants to see me in person!"
When the time comes, won't he just press me into the dirt with a single finger?
"That doesn't matter either."
"Eh?"
"Even though that Pope is a mere few hundred years old and his life experience is vastly inferior to mine, in terms of magnanimity, he should still be at the average level for a Church Pope. He won't do anything to you just because of that tiny bit of Evil God power in your body. Besides, the Church itself..." Teacher Mela suddenly paused, seemingly realizing she had said something she shouldn't have.
"Hmm?"
"Well, never mind."
Mela changed the subject, her crimson eyes fixed intently on Muen. "Anyway, you just need to remember one thing. You—Muen Campbell—are the disciple of me, Mela Domir."
Mela stated calmly, "Those who don't know this will never see the oddity inside you. And those who do know will have confidence in you... or rather, confidence in me. Therefore, no matter what strange abilities sprout from your body, as long as you don't run around with the words 'I'm related to an Evil God' plastered on your forehead, there generally won't be any major issues. The power of an Evil God is terrifying, but it isn't something untouchable."
At that moment, an incredibly domineering aura slowly rose from Mela’s petite body.
Just looking at those calm crimson eyes and her white hair fluttering without any wind, Muen couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and worship, as if looking up at a high mountain.
As expected of Teacher Mela. Domineering loli... so cool!
"So..."
Muen snapped out of it, blinked, and asked excitedly, "Even if the Church sees that their Holy Sword has been refined into Elizabeth, they'll let it slide for the sake of Teacher Mela's reputation, right?"
"..."
"Right?"
"..."
"Hey! Say something, you bratty lo—Oof!"
"Sigh, I really don't know how a disciple of mine ended up so cowardly."
Teacher Mela withdrew her "Gauze Disciple Punch" and leisurely wiped her hand with a handkerchief, looking at him with an expression of disappointment. "Can't you be a bit more of a rogue? Learn from that Pink Bear. There’s more than one Holy Sword, and since things have already turned out like this, what can the Church even do to you? At most... at most... they'll just give you a hard time. What's the big deal? It's not like you'll die!"
"Damn, 'a hard time' from the Church... that's already terrifying enough, okay?" Muen clutched his stomach, his face turning pale.
He was just the son of a duke, nothing special. Before a titan like the Church, he didn't stand a chance.
"Sigh... in that case."
Teacher Mela sighed helplessly. She turned around and tinkered with something for a while before handing an object to Muen.
"Take this."
"This is..." Muen looked down, surprised. "A letter?"
"That's right. Since you're going to the Holy City anyway, deliver this letter to that kid Hezekiah for me. I've explained the baptism issues regarding the Alchemy Core integration and the matter of the Holy Sword in the letter. You don't need to worry too much."
"Hezekiah... you mean His Holiness the Pope?" Muen’s eyes widened in shock. "Teacher Mela, are you well-acquainted with the Pope?"
"Of course. We met not too long ago."
Mela stood with her hands on her hips. "That kid was quite enthusiastic back then. He offered me his seat and gave me gifts without me even asking. It actually made me feel a bit bad."
"Hiss..."
Muen looked at Teacher Mela—hands on her slender waist, white chin tilted high—and couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
He knew Teacher Mela was one of the best in the world in terms of both strength and seniority, but he had assumed that since she couldn't leave the Academy in her true form, she was just a shut-in loli who liked sleeping and research. He hadn't expected her social network to be so impressive!
"Then I can rest easy."
Muen looked moved. "I misjudged you, Teacher Mela. You really are good to me."
"Of course. What kind of teacher isn't good to their disciple?"
Mela patted Muen on the shoulder. "Now that the small talk is over, let's get down to business."
"Eh? Business?" Muen’s touched expression immediately froze. "What other business is there?"
"It's nothing major. It's just that since it's confirmed you're making this trip, we need to make some preparations in advance. For instance, I told you before that the number of Alchemy Matrices that should be implanted in your body isn't one, but seven."
Mela smiled sweetly. "If we don't set them up beforehand, are you planning to make seven separate trips?"
"Sev... Seven?"
Even though Mela was smiling, Muen’s body began to tremble involuntarily. "But didn't you say we had to wait until my physical strength reached a certain level before proceeding with the rest?"
"Oh, just like last time, circumstances have changed. Besides, I'm not installing them for immediate use. With your current physical strength, seven Alchemy Cores would definitely suck you dry in an instant. I have a special method to put them into a dormant state. Once you're fully prepared, you can just activate them one by one. However..."
"However?"
"For you at this stage, it might be a bit painful."
"How painful?"
"Well..."
Mela thought for a moment and offered a vivid analogy. "It's not too painful. Compared to before, it's just the difference between giving birth to one baby and giving birth to septuplets."
No, no, no! That's a massive difference!
Giving birth to one had already made him feel like he was dying. Septuplets would surely...
"Come on, kid, relax."
Seeing Muen’s face turn pale, Mela leaned in. Like a gentle older sister, she cradled Muen’s head and began dragging him toward an operating table that had appeared out of nowhere, surrounded by various knives, awls, and drills.
She whispered softly, "Look on the bright side. When the Alchemy Cores fully merge with you, the benefits aren't just limited to connecting to the Eternal Clock. By then, they will become like actual organs to you. It'll be no different from having seven extra kidneys in your body. That's seven whole extra kidneys!"
Mela turned her head and gave Muen a meaningful look. "How does the saying go? 'He who wears the crown must bear its weight.' If you want to build a harem, how can you not go under the knife a few more times?"