A few minutes later.
The group sat around a long table, their eyes fixed intently on the newspaper they had just bought from a newsboy.
Nanako's eyes scanned the lines of text rapidly, her gaze growing more urgent as she read.
"This... this can't be true! The headquarters of the Order Church was invaded by demons?!"
"This has to be a joke. What demon would dare attack the headquarters of the Church? That's the holy sanctuary of the gods!"
"And it happened just last night!"
Elina and the others were equally shocked, their breaths quickening.
The impact of this news was unimaginable to them.
As one of the oldest religions on the continent, the complete annihilation of the Order Church by demons would undoubtedly send shockwaves across the land.
Lynn was also intently focused on the newspaper, saying, "It seems the continent is truly on the brink of upheaval. But whether this news is true or not, if it is, it's definitely a major event!"
Everyone was breathing heavily, their expressions grave.
Although they strongly disliked the Order Church's methods, the destruction of its headquarters by demons was undoubtedly terrible news.
It meant that the continent's resistance against the Abyss had been further weakened.
As members of the Winter Spring Valley guardian organization, their burden had grown even heavier.
But no matter what...
"It's still incredibly satisfying!" Elina clenched her small fist and slammed it on the table, venting her frustration.
"They totally deserved it, those arrogant fools. I knew their downfall would come sooner or later."
Nanako, still focused on the newspaper, said,
"The newspaper says the Church's sanctuary was wiped out by a powerful Demon Lord. He single-handedly destroyed all of the Church's defenses, and even... even..."
At this point, her lips turned slightly pale.
"That demon also killed the incarnation of the God of Order."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned, their faces filled with astonishment.
Killing the incarnation of a god...
Such a thing was beyond their imagination.
"That... that demon is that strong?" the girls stammered nervously.
Nanako nodded firmly, gripping the newspaper as she said seriously, "Yes, the newspaper says the Church mobilized all its knights, warriors, and mages, even resorting to forbidden spells, but none of it could harm that demon..."
"There's a magical image of the demon here. The newspaper says a mage risked his life to secretly record it with magic!"
Nanako carefully held up the newspaper and showed it to them.
The girls were immediately taken aback.
Right in the center of the newspaper.
A massive demon stood towering over the city, his powerful figure exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure even through the image.
The demon was even giving a peace sign.
Elina's eyes widened. "So this is a Demon Lord? I didn't expect him to be so handsome..."
As soon as she said this, she felt the collective gaze of the other girls on her.
Elina coughed, her face turning red, and said, "Well... he is handsome..."
Lynn nodded seriously, his eyes fixed on the image of the demon in the newspaper. "I have to agree. Although he's a damnable demon, when it comes to looks, he's definitely unmatched."
Seeing that someone agreed with her, Elina's eyes lit up. "Mr. Lynn, you think so too?"
Lynn nodded. "Absolutely. Most demons look like grotesque monsters. I've never seen one as handsome as this."
Nanako's ahoge instantly shot up.
She narrowed her eyes and looked at Lynn suspiciously.
Something was off.
Knowing her disciple as well as she did, the only time he would ever compliment someone's looks was usually...
Only...
[After all, besides myself, which other demon could possibly be this handsome? →_→ Hmph?]
[I went through so much trouble to craft this perfect demonic body when I was studying the knowledge of the Abyss!]
[Otherwise, how could I make all those succubi drool over me? Hmph~]
Nanako: "!!!!"
Instantly, Nanako's ahoge stood on end as if electrified.
Her eyes widened, and she stiffly clutched the newspaper, staring straight ahead, her entire body on the verge of bristling.
It...
It really was him!
The demon who wiped out the Order Church was actually her disciple!!
This... this has to be a joke!
Does that mean what Lynn did last night was this?!
[Sigh, I kind of regret going now. Even though I did manage to get some demi-god fragments from the Church, it was way too high-profile.]
[It completely goes against my principle of staying low-key and surviving by staying hidden.]
Lynn lazily propped his chin on his hand, idly tossing a bright red strawberry up and down.
[But at least I successfully helped that guy transform his essence. When the time comes for the War of the Gods, I'll have another ally, even if he's not the most reliable.]
Lynn glanced at the elf sitting not far away.
Meanwhile, Nanako was completely on edge.
Her teeth chattered nervously.
This... this...
So... so that's how it is.
That means the Source King must have encountered some kind of anomaly, and since the two of them know each other, Lynn went to the Church last night to help the Source King deal with it, and ended up wiping out the entire Order Church...
Is... is that what happened?
Nanako felt her mouth go dry, a shiver running through her as she realized the hidden depths of her disciple's power.
Clearly, Lynn's identities went far beyond just the Great Lord of Violet!
He had a presence in the Abyss too, and from the looks of it, he was definitely a Demon Lord-level existence!!
She suddenly felt a pang of fear and stole a glance at Lynn.
Lynn seemed to sense her gaze.
He turned his head, saw Nanako looking at him, and immediately flashed a harmless smile, scratching the back of his head.
Nanako quickly averted her eyes, making sure Lynn didn't notice the look in her eyes.
So... so...
Nanako lowered her head, biting her lip.
Her expression was complex.
Even though Lynn was so powerful, why was he content to stay by her side, playing the role of her silly disciple?
And on top of that, she often lost her temper with him, making her far from an easygoing master.
If he really just wanted to stay hidden,
he could have easily found a remote place to live in peace and quiet...
Nanako suddenly felt a pang of fear.
She couldn't quite put her finger on what she was afraid of.
For a long time, Lynn's behavior, which was completely at odds with his status as an unparalleled existence, had made her forget the significance of his true identity.
Whether it was the Great Lord of Violet...
or this powerful Demon Lord...
both were undoubtedly symbols of a ruthless ruler, an invincible being who stood above all others.
So...
why was he content to stay by the side of a small, insignificant person like Nanako?
She bit her lip, her small hands fidgeting nervously in front of her chest, her ahoge drooping as her expression turned distant.
It was only in that moment.
that she suddenly realized the vast gap in status and power between them.
So... what was the reason?
"Master, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell?"
A warm hand brushed aside the strands of hair on her forehead and gently rested on it.
Warm and steady.
Nanako snapped out of her daze and looked up, her eyes meeting Lynn's concerned expression.