Chapter 80: The Exception

Elias stood not far away and leaned toward one of the Judicators before whispering:

"Do those two hate each other?"

The man replied just as quietly:

"I think so."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Very... very...."

Rhea turned her head.

Both of them immediately shut up.

...

After the members of the Church began collecting evidence, Catrina stayed a little longer to ask about Kiyome and Aldric.

Rhea only gave a brief explanation.

The two had used a teleportation item to escape the area. Their traces were still being tracked, but she had no intention of pursuing Aldric to the very end today.

Catrina frowned.

"Why didn’t you kill him?"

Rhea looked at her.

"You already tried."

Catrina immediately fell silent.

Both of them were people who had returned from the future.

There were some things that did not need to be explained.

They both knew that the Fate surrounding Aldric was still far too strong. If they pushed him to death before the necessary conditions were met, the result would most likely only create another opportunity for him, perhaps even forcing someone else to pay the price in his place.

Rhea spoke calmly:

"I will kill him. Just not today."

Catrina did not argue.

Before leaving, she walked toward Lathel, then deliberately stopped two steps away from him.

No touching.

"I’ll be at the estate."

Lathel looked at her.

Catrina tried to keep her voice normal.

"When you want to come back..."

She stopped.

Then corrected herself.

"...if you want to come back, I’ll wait."

Lathel paused slightly before nodding.

Catrina said nothing else.

She turned away, but after only taking a few steps, Rhea called out:

"Catrina."

She stopped.

Rhea looked directly at her.

"If you want him to come back, don’t think about how to keep him there."

Catrina slowly turned around.

Rhea continued:

"Make your place somewhere he wants to return to on his own."

Catrina looked at her for a long time.

She did not answer.

Then she left the chapel.

...

Nearly an hour later, only the group of Judicators, Elias, and Lathel remained in the chapel.

A Healer had performed a preliminary examination and confirmed that Lathel had not suffered any serious injuries.

The ritual had been destroyed early enough that the amount of Fate extracted from him was not enough to cause lasting damage. It had only left the mana inside his body somewhat unstable.

Rhea stood near the door while one of her subordinates took her greatsword away to be cleaned.

Dust still clung to her boots, and there was a dried streak of blood on the white hem of her robe.

One subordinate stared at it for a long time before finally daring to approach.

"Judicator."

"Hm?"

"Should we prepare a bath first?"

"Yes."

The man visibly sighed in relief.

Rhea added:

"And burn the spare gloves that touched the Magic Array."

"Yes."

Elias stood beside Lathel and heard the entire conversation.

His gaze unconsciously fell on the gloves Rhea was currently wearing.

Only now did he understand why her people had spent the entire time trying to avoid touching anything dirty.

Yet when Rhea examined Lathel, she had not hesitated at all.

Elias glanced back and forth several times before deciding not to ask.

He was starting to gain some experience.

Rhea walked toward Lathel.

There was something she had originally intended to do.

Send him away.

That intention had existed for a very long time.

From the moment Rhea realized she had returned, she had repeatedly reminded herself that Lathel absolutely could not enter the Academy again.

In her previous life, he had come here because he wanted to save someone.

Then he had been exploited.

Framed.

Hunted.

In the end, even his kindness had been turned into a weapon others used to hurt him.

Rhea had once stood beside a window, staring at the Academy gates, and thought very clearly:

’This time, you are not allowed to come here.’

If Lathel lived an ordinary life somewhere else, perhaps he would live longer.

He would not meet them.

He would not meet Aldric.

He would not become involved in matters that had never had anything to do with him.

Rhea looked at the person in front of her.

There were still bruises around his neck.

Chain marks remained around his ankle.

His writing board was broken, and his clothes were covered in dust.

He had barely arrived at the Academy and had already nearly had his Fate extracted from him.

No matter how she looked at it, sending him away still seemed like the most reasonable choice.

"Lathel."

He looked at her.

Rhea was about to tell him to leave the Academy.

But before she could speak, Lathel raised his hands and used sign language.

Soul-Anchoring Grass.

Leviana.

I need to enter the Garden of Eden.

Rhea watched his hand movements for a long time.

Still the same.

He had been like this in the previous life too.

He knew there was danger, but still went.

Even when others did not believe him, he still tried to warn them.

He barely had anything himself, yet he always thought of others first.

An idiot.

Rhea had once thought that if she were given another life, she would definitely keep him far away from all of this.

But now Kiyome had already found him.

Aldric had already noticed him.

And Catrina had just personally pushed him out of her own residence.

If Rhea continued driving Lathel away from the Academy, who could guarantee that tomorrow he would not be dragged into another trap somewhere she could not see?

She remained silent for a very long time.

One of her subordinates cautiously called:

"Judicator?"

Rhea did not answer.

In the end, she only sighed inwardly.

’Troublesome.’

The intention to send Lathel away disappeared.

Rhea raised her right hand, gripped the edge of her glove, and slowly pulled it off.

One of the subordinates behind her immediately looked up.

The person beside him also turned to look.

The black leather glove came completely off her hand.

Rhea folded it and held it backward.

No one took it immediately.

Rhea frowned.

"Take it."

The man seemed to snap awake.

"Y-Yes."

Elias also looked at Rhea’s bare hand.

She ignored everyone and simply extended it toward Lathel.

He looked slightly surprised.

But before he could ask, Rhea took the initiative and held his hand.

Skin touched skin.

Everyone behind her immediately fell silent.

One young Judicator instinctively widened his eyes.

The man beside him immediately nudged him and whispered:

"Don’t stare."

"But the Judicator took off her glove."

"I have eyes."

"I’ve worked under her for three years."

"Five for me."

"Have you ever seen this before?"

The other man fell silent for two seconds.

"...No."

Elias overheard them and turned around.

"She doesn’t like touching people?"

Both Judicators looked at him.

"Quiet."

Lathel was even more confused.

Rhea calmly continued holding his hand and said:

"Stay."

Lathel paused.

"I’ll give you the qualifications to enter the Academy."

He immediately used his free hand to sign:

I don’t need special qualifications. I only want to...

Rhea watched very carefully.

Then nodded.

"I understand."

Lathel quietly sighed in relief.

Good.

Finally, someone understood.

Rhea continued:

"I’ll give you a chance to pursue me."

Lathel: "..."

Elias: "..."

The two Judicators behind her: "..."

Pandora also remained silent for exactly two seconds.

Then,

"PFFT... Hahaha!"

Laughter exploded inside Lathel’s head.

"Finally! Finally, there’s someone in this world even worse at translating sign language than me!"

Lathel instinctively raised both hands.

But Rhea was still holding his right hand.

He only had one hand left to explain, and the more he signed, the more chaotic it became.

Rhea watched very seriously.

After several seconds, she nodded again.

"I understand."

Lathel: "..."

Rhea continued in a completely calm voice:

"There’s no need to get so excited. I haven’t agreed yet."

Lathel: "..."

She was still holding his bare hand.

"I’m only giving you a chance."

Lathel closed his eyes.

Behind them, Elias had already turned toward the wall, his shoulders trembling violently.

One of the younger Judicators also lowered his head.

Rhea immediately looked over.

"What’s so funny?"

The man straightened instantly.

"Nothing, Judicator."

"Then why are your shoulders shaking?"

"...Cold."

Rhea looked around the room.

The temperature-control Magic Array was still functioning perfectly well.

She frowned slightly.

Lathel finally gave up on using sign language.

He looked down at his hand, which Rhea was still holding, then looked back at her.

Only one very clear thought remained in his mind.

’I need to buy a new notebook.’

Pandora was still laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

"No need. I think this is much more fun."

Lathel: ’Shut up.’

Rhea naturally could not hear the conversation inside his head.

She only saw Lathel staring at her for a long time.

The corners of her usually cold lips finally moved slightly.

"I know."

Lathel: "..."

This time, he truly had no idea what she thought she understood.