A dangerous spark of crimson and gold magic flickered in the invisible spaces of the courtyard between Levi and Mother Beatrice, as if wanting to test Levi psychologically.

The veil covering the faces of the elders fluttered upward as the glow in Mother Beatrice’s eyes sharpened.

Strands of hair from Lilith Orin, Lyra Ashveil, and even the paladins all whipped toward the sky as Levi squinted, changing the air into a suffocating one.

All the kneeling students’ faces reddened as they held their breath and tried forcing themselves not to inhale the heavy atmosphere.

Concussive waves of harsh wind splashed outward when Mother Beatrice took slow steps forward. Fallen leaves scattered on the ground swirled into the air as the hems of her golden robes swept over the marble stones with a dry hiss.

With every strike of her golden staff, her sapphire eyes narrowed beneath the thin white veils covering her face.

Her heavy breasts wobbled when she stopped a few meters away from Levi and smiled. "Step forward, servant."

Lilith Orin lowered her head slightly as Mother Beatrice’s voice echoed in her ears like a heavy iron gate swinging shut. ’Oooh, my dear Levi.’

Lyra’s mouth opened in shock when she saw Levi move forward without even thinking about what the Inquisitor could do. ’Don’t do anything stupid, Levi, please.’

He walked through the crowd of paladins parting with a smooth, unhurried stride, and stopped three feet away from the Inquisitor.

Air waved through the veil covering the Inquisitor’s face when Levi kept his eyes locked on her pumped, shimmering breasts and her lewd body.

The moment he lifted his gaze and locked it straight to the Inquisitor’s sapphire eyes, the blue panel appeared before him with a chime.

[Target: Mother Beatrice.]

[Current Status: Highly Triggered.]

[Her Absolute Judgement Attraction is reacting to your complete lack of spiritual submission.]

[Desire Level: 15%.]

[A subconscious urge to see you crawl or be utterly broken by you.]

’It’s a slow build, but it’s enough to make me continue playing her game.’ A wide smile tore across Levi’s face when he saw the Inquisitor blink.

"Levi Sirus." Mother Beatrice’s eyebrow sharpened beneath the veil when she saw the first ever servant looking directly into her eyes without lowering his head. "You carry yourself well with a lack of humility which is too dangerous for a male servant and too holy for a Saintess."

The marbles beneath her boots bounced when she smacked them with the heavy golden staff before raising it. "I have read the reports of your duel with Clara Fontaine."

She smiled and pointed the glowing crystal tip of the staff directly at Levi’s forehead. "A low-tier male cannot and has never shattered a noble wind core with a bare hand."

The crystal at the tip of the golden staff pulsed once when Mother Beatrice saw a faint glow of blue flash through Levi’s brown eyes. "You are hiding something beneath that plain cloth."

The elders, the paladins, and the two concubines of Levi all had their jaws drop when Levi shoved his palms into the pockets of his brown servant trousers. "I am simply stronger than they expected, High Inquisitor."

His calm voice waved through the suffocating air and calmed it, causing some of the kneeling students and citizens to lift their heads upward and breathe properly. "Is strength a crime in Aethermoor?"

Mother Beatrice’s eyes spiked and narrowed at Levi’s lips. "Male arrogance is a crime, SERVANT."

Levi lowered his gaze slightly toward the Inquisitor, then laughed. "Male arrogance."

He glanced at the elders, then winked at Lyra and the Saintess. "When did arrogance get to be differentiated by gender?"

A bone-crackling sound echoed from Mother Beatrice’s weapon as she channeled a precise spike of Holy Aether through her staff and tightened her grip on it. ’Who gave this servant such power to talk back to me?’

A blinding beam of golden light shot from the crystal and slammed directly into Levi’s chest to pierce through his meridian and expose his core.

Sharp air flew through the crowd as they gasped. Lyra moved her hand toward the hilt of her sword when a burning urge to kill the Inquisitor lanced through her.

Lilith’s fingers twisted into her white silk robes when her breath hitched.

While everyone was thinking Levi would turn or even dodge the strike, he stood there with his hands still resting in the pockets of his trousers, smiling.

As the holy, golden energy dashed through his body, his Mid-Tier Novice core bulked up his immune system and defended his core.

A crimson pool of his Aether swallowed the attack and digested it through his biological system’s filtration network.

He blinked and exhaled a warm smoke when the notification updated before him.

[Aether Absorption Active.]

[Holy Judgement Energy Converted.]

[Current Aether: 910... 950...]

’So her power isn’t even enough to stop me. Huh!’ Levi smirked while his impending breakthrough got fueled by the Inquisitor’s indestructible magic.

Mother Beatrice’s eyes widened beneath her veil when she felt and saw her holy energy vanish into the chest of the servant as if he were a void that can’t be controlled.

Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled her golden staff back and lowered it. "You... your core..."

"Is perfectly intact, Mother Beatrice," Levi said in a calm, cold voice and stepped an inch closer.

His heavy, masculine sweat scent waved from him and flew into Mother Beatrice’s nose like a curse. "Would you like to try a deeper inspection tonight? In private?"

Two paladins’ shimmering breasts wobbled as they dashed toward Levi when Mother Beatrice backed a step away from him. An unknown heat radiated through her body while her heart hammered against her ribs like a caged animal wanting to be freed.

A sapphire blaze spiked out of her eyes as she turned toward the direction of the elders, the Saintess, and the Senior Battle Mage. "The boy will be confined to the high isolation cell."

Sweat dripped down her forehead to her cheeks when she turned toward her paladins. "Grab him."

Lyra and Saintess Lilith moved a step forward but stopped when they saw Mother Beatrice carrying the burning gaze she used to wipe out an entire country of rebels fifty years ago.

The marble beneath Mother Beatrice’s golden robes burned when she turned her back on the elders and faced the Saintess and the Senior Battle Mage. "I will conduct a full, ritualistic purification on him myself after sundown."

Lyra’s mouth opened and she turned a knowing gaze at the Saintess, then back to the Inquisitor.

Lilith hissed inward and shook her head when she shifted her gaze from Mother Beatrice to Levi. ’Don’t try fucking her, else I will kill you, Levi.’

Levi lowered his shoulders and removed his hands from the pockets of his trousers when the paladins surrounded him. "I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. So take your time."

He blinked once at the Inquisitor, then turned his gaze from her with a grimace. ’Everything is slowly going in the exact direction I planned.’