"…."
Kurose Akira froze slightly.
That familiar yet distinctive fragrance… it was strangely similar to Ivsha's scent.
After a brief moment of thought, he tilted his head back and downed the liquid in the small bottle in a single gulp.
In an instant, a powerful and exotic aroma burst across his mouth, accompanied by a faint hint of saltiness.
The liquid left behind a viscous sensation on his tongue—sticky, almost clinging to his palate.
And yet, strangely enough… it felt pleasant.
[You have consumed the Water of Lust and received some 'mysterious' enhancements. Effects unknown.]
"?"
Akira caught sight of the system notification flashing before him and raised an eyebrow in surprise.
A trace of curiosity stirred within him.
This was the first time he had ever consumed an item with unknown effects.
But for some reason, after drinking it, his vision seemed to have become clearer—brighter somehow.
Almost as if…
As that thought crossed his mind, Akira lifted his gaze.
Naturally, his eyes fell upon Idess.
The moment he looked at her—
His entire body trembled.
His pupils dilated.
Because he suddenly realized that Idess's appearance had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Previously, the only obvious differences between her and Ivsha had been their hair color and overall aura.
But now—
Idess looked like a fairy stepping straight out of a painting.
A fleeting mirage.
A fragile illusion that existed only within human imagination.
With just a single glance, Akira's heart began pounding wildly, like a startled deer unable to calm itself.
All those heated debates among the players earlier about the beauty rankings of the Magic Continent…
At this moment, Akira had already reached his own conclusion.
Without a doubt—
Idess was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen.
Her beauty far surpassed that of any woman he had encountered before.
Even the Elf Queen could not compare.
And beyond mere beauty, there was something more—an intoxicating, seductive charm.
It was as if with a single smile or glance, she could tempt any living creature.
Of course, from everyone else's perspective, Idess's face was still veiled beneath a hazy layer of mist, as though hidden behind a thin veil that prevented anyone from seeing her true appearance.
"How does it feel?"
Only when Idess spoke again did Akira slowly snap out of his dazed shock.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart.
"Mm… it tastes pretty good," Akira replied softly.
Yet his eyes remained fixed on Idess, unable to move away.
In the eyes of others, Idess was like a rosebud hidden beneath layers of leaves—her beauty concealed and impossible to fully appreciate.
But in Akira's vision, that rose had now completely bloomed.
And it was breathtakingly beautiful.
"That's good~"
After hearing his answer, Idess spoke in a calm, expressionless tone.
"You should go back now. Those people should be arriving any moment."
"Those people?"
Akira felt puzzled by her wording.
But Idess offered no explanation.
Instead, she simply smiled and bid him farewell.
Just as Akira returned to Ivsha and the others—
A grand procession suddenly appeared within everyone's line of sight.
Every member of the group wore dazzling golden armor.
Their bodies were adorned with various pieces of equipment imbued with holy attributes, giving them a majestic and awe-inspiring presence.
There were not many of these golden-armored warriors—only around a dozen.
Behind them followed a group of priests and nuns.
At the center of the procession was a pure white lotus carriage. Though the person seated inside could not be seen, it was clear that the occupant was a woman.
The moment this procession appeared, it immediately drew the attention of the Star Kingdom's nobles.
"They actually came!"
"That's the Sacred Guardian Legion of the Sun Holy Kingdom!"
"I wonder which Saintess of the Sun Holy Kingdom has come this time?"
"Could it be the Saintess who serves beside the Pope?"
"…"
The nobles of the Star Kingdom whispered among themselves.
The players were equally curious about this delegation from the Sun Holy Kingdom.
The Sacred Guardian Legion of the Sun Holy Kingdom was known as the most powerful army among the human kingdoms. Every single soldier possessed strength exceeding level fifty, and their overall combat ability far surpassed other armies of the same level.
Players who had Sacred Guardians in their guilds all swore by how useful they were.
As for the Saintesses of the Holy Church of Light, they were revered by tens of thousands. To this day, only one Saintess had ever joined an Adventurer Guild—something that left countless players filled with envy.
Akira turned toward Lucia and asked curiously,
"Lucia, which Saintess came this time?"
This time, unlike when they had encountered Saintess Delori before, Lucia did not avoid the question.
She answered calmly,
"The White-Stocking Saintess. Winneshan."
"The White-Stocking Saintess?"
Hearing that title, Akira froze for a moment.
Why would a Saintess have a title like White-Stocking?
Where exactly were these white stockings?
Lucia's sharp eyes instantly caught the fleeting spark of excitement in Akira's gaze.
"Oh?" she asked coolly. "Did you fall in love with her at first sight?"
"Of course not!"
Akira hurriedly shook his head in denial.
"I'm just curious, that's all."
"Curious about what?" Lucia pressed.
Akira turned toward her, his eyes suddenly full of anticipation.
"Lucia… what's your title?"
"Mine?"
The question caught Lucia completely off guard.
For a moment, she fell into silence, clearly not expecting Akira to care so much about something like her title.
After a brief pause, she finally answered.
But there was a playful tone in her voice.
"I'm not telling you."
"…"
Akira frowned slightly, his face turning into a helpless expression.
That reaction caused Lucia to smile faintly.
Completely unaware that inside the lotus carriage, Winneshan was quietly observing the interaction between her and Akira.
"So the great Pope can smile like that too~"
When Winneshan saw Lucia's smile, a look of surprise crossed her face.
Then her gaze shifted toward Akira, who stood beside Lucia.
She began examining him curiously.
"Oh? So this is the guild master serving under Her Holiness the Pope?"
She nodded slightly, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"Seems he's a bit… unusual indeed."
As the delegation from the Sun Holy Kingdom took their place on the right side of the plaza, more groups from other major nations soon arrived.
The Moon God Empire.
The Sacred Dragon Kingdom.
Envoys from many powerful factions had gathered here.
They had not only come to witness the conclusion of the Demon Cave event but also to attend tomorrow's Stellar Grand Ceremony.
At this moment, Princess Vivian stood atop the palace platform.
She looked down at the gathered forces below, a trace of satisfaction flashing through her eyes.
"So they've all come. Excellent."
She had personally invited the powers of various nations to gather here.
And naturally, it was all for this very moment.
Together, they would witness the opening of a brand-new chapter for the Star Kingdom.
All past chaos and division would end today—
Brought to a perfect conclusion.
"Little sister!"
At that moment, Prince Laps suddenly appeared behind Vivian.
His voice was cold as he demanded,
"You sent someone to assassinate one of the Star Knights under my command. Did you really think I wouldn't know?"
Vivian turned around calmly, a faint smile on her face.
"I merely eliminated a traitor."
Laps clenched his fists.
Although fury burned in his heart, he did not immediately tear all pretenses away.
Suppressing his anger, he curled his lips into a mocking smile.
"You're nothing but a monster. I still don't understand how Father could be so bewitched by you—willing to give you everything and place you on the throne. But everything that belongs to me… I'll reclaim it with my own hands sooner or later."
"You're indulging in fantasies again, dear brother," Vivian replied coldly.
"You won't live to see that day. I can promise you that."
"We'll see!"
With those final words, Prince Laps turned and walked toward the area where his faction was gathered.
Vivian didn't spare him another glance.
Her gaze returned to the plaza below as she quietly waited for what was about to begin.
And when her eyes swept across the adventurers' section—
They suddenly locked onto Akira.
"That guy…"
Vivian murmured softly.
Her eyes remained fixed on Akira's face.
Slowly, the corners of her lips lifted into a meaningful smile.
As if some plan had just begun forming in her mind.
Naturally, Akira felt Princess Vivian's gaze upon him.
He looked up toward the platform where she stood, his brows knitting slightly.
He couldn't quite understand why Vivian was staring at him like that.
Didn't she know?
If two Magic Eyes stared at each other for too long…
They could trigger rather… unusual reactions.