Royal Capital, Divine Dragon Merchant Guild.
After her negotiations with Priscilla ended in failure, Shendu secluded herself within the guild and began flipping through ancient historical records and mythological texts, hoping to uncover useful clues.
As a transmigrator to this world, she did not mind dealing with the Witch Cult if it meant creating a good opportunity for Emilia to ascend the throne.
Eradicating the Witch Cult, which had run rampant for four hundred years, and completing a fame-building task along the way seemed like a fine idea.
However, the Authorities of the Sin Archbishops were notoriously troublesome. Discovering their weaknesses would take time. Thus, Shendu turned her attention to ancient weapons instead.
She located numerous ancient tomes and even dispatched the Shadowkhan to other kingdoms to acquire additional books, piling them all in a partitioned section of the hall.
Sure enough, the records of ancient history contained many fascinating tales.
For example, Pandora, the principal founder of the Witch Cult.
There was also the legend that the Creator God forged four sacred divine weapons, each possessing the power to protect or destroy the entire world. These holy armaments wielded sacred light capable of suppressing all dark forces.
The sage Flugel once used the radiance of the sacred weapon—the Amaterasu Sword—to completely erase the darkness that the Witch of Envy had spread across half the world.
"Master, are you studying ancient history to prepare for what lies ahead?"
Akane looked at Shendu curiously from the side.
"That's right. I prefer to be prepared. Though history is often wrapped in legend, much of it contains valuable information."
After a moment of contemplation, Shendu formed a more detailed plan. It would have to be carried out gradually.
"Hehe, Master, you really are different from before."
Akane gazed at her with visible delight.
Shendu said nothing further and continued her work. In total, she found five books containing records about the Amaterasu Sword.
One of them documented events from four hundred years ago, when one of the three sages created a replica of the Amaterasu Sword—the origin of the Dragon Sword Reid.
Reading with keen interest, Shendu could not help but admire the might of these ancient weapons. The prospect left her quite satisfied.
Using time-reversal magic, she perceived fragments of information from the river of time regarding the Amaterasu Sword. Yet it was still insufficient. Even if she forged a replica, its power might not reach even half that of the original.
Perhaps not even thirty percent.
This, however, was within her expectations. What she sought was merely a weapon with attribute advantage—something capable of countering members of the Witch Cult at a critical moment.
Knock knock knock!
While she was engrossed in reading, a sudden knock came from outside, interrupting her work.
"Enter."
Without lifting her head, Shendu responded casually.
A moment later, Old Man Rom pushed the door open and stepped inside. Facing Shendu, he offered a respectful bow.
"Lady Shendu, a strange man has arrived outside the guild. He claims to be a knight of a Royal Selection candidate and wishes to meet you."
Old Man Rom spoke cautiously, well aware of Shendu's unfathomable strength.
"Could it be that troublesome woman again?"
Akane muttered in annoyance. She held no goodwill toward that woman whatsoever.
Arrogant and self-important, as though everyone existed solely to serve her—someone like that surviving without being beaten half to death was already fortunate.
"Possibly. It doesn't hurt to meet. Consider it a way to pass the time."
Shendu shook her head and set aside her work. She was in no hurry to forge a replica of the Amaterasu Sword.
Later, she could search for more materials and perhaps increase the weapon's power by another ten or twenty percent.
...
Once Shendu made her decision, a strangely dressed individual appeared before them.
He wore a knight's helmet that completely concealed his face, revealing not the slightest trace of his features.
Strange attire aside, he also wore a black cloak made of coarse fabric. Judging by that woman's ostentatious personality, this man was dressed rather plainly.
Only the greatsword at his waist stood out, faintly radiating magic. It was clearly a weapon meant to be wielded with mana.
"Greetings, Miss Shendu. You are truly beautiful. Might I have the honor of inviting you to dinner?"
The strange man looked at Shendu with open interest, then glanced at Akane beside her. It was nothing short of seeking death.
"And this young lady as well. So beautiful. Why not dine with me? We could discuss the meaning of life tonight."
The helmeted man continued recklessly.
"Hm. As that woman's subordinate, you are certainly... unique."
Noticing Akane's eyes turn murderous, Shendu stopped her with a glance. Then, in a teasing tone, she spoke unhurriedly.
"Naturally. Serving Her Highness the Princess, I have never met defeat. Many wealthy young ladies beg me to dine with them."
The strange man raised his right arm, flexing his muscles as though to display his strength.
"Your name?"
Shendu asked curiously. His appearance was eccentric, but his strength was not insignificant.
As one of the five candidates' knights, if he were utterly useless, Shendu suspected Priscilla might have thrown herself into a wall out of shame.
"Al."
The man introduced himself solemnly.
"Oh? If that's all you came to say, then you may die now."
Shendu flicked her finger lightly.
In the next instant, Al shot backward like a cannonball and slammed violently into the wall. The lavishly decorated surface cracked, forming a human-shaped crater.
"Urgh—what is this power? An invisible attack?"
Feeling Shendu's overwhelming strength, Al was utterly shocked. Just as he tried to rise, he was smashed into the wall again—over and over—more than a dozen times.
Had he not reacted in time and reinforced his heart and vital organs with mana, those repeated impacts might have sent him to meet the Creator God.
"Now then. Have you calmed down? Or would you like another taste of that?"
Shendu narrowed her eyes, her expression icy as she stared at Al.
This man called Al was rather interesting. At the very least, he was a competent knight. After being battered more than a dozen times by the magic of the Rooster Talisman, he had not suffered fatal injuries.
"My apologies. I spoke out of turn. Her Highness the Princess sent me to invite you to the inn where she resides, in hopes of having a proper discussion... and perhaps becoming friends."
After enduring such a beating, Al no longer dared to provoke her. He dropped to one knee, speaking in a placating tone.
He had never expected that a few careless flirtatious remarks would earn him such ruthless punishment.
It seemed that Shendu's temperament was not entirely stable either—rather similar to that of Priscilla.