Early the next morning, Yi Chen was still immersed in the supreme comfort provided by his soft pillow and warm blankets when a continuous, slightly noisy commotion drifted in from outside the window. It buzzed like a swarm of bees, stubbornly forcing its way into his ears, trying to drag him out of sleep.
Annoyed, he pulled the pillow over his head, rolled over, and tried to ignore the noise.
But not only did it fail to fade—it actually grew louder. Mixed within it was a vaguely familiar female voice. He couldn't make out the words, but the tone carried clear hints of helplessness and fatigue.
Yi Chen's brow twitched harder and harder until he finally snapped.
Throwing off the blanket, he padded barefoot to the window, muttering,
"Who the hell is it this early in the morning…"
He pushed the window open. Cool morning air rushed in, along with the now clearly audible noise.
Down below, a crowd—some looking like overly enthusiastic fans, others just curious onlookers—had surrounded a petite figure several layers deep.
It was Barbara, the Deaconess of the Church of Favonius.
People talked over one another: some holding notebooks for autographs, others openly expressing admiration, and a few simply firing off endless questions.
Barbara tried to keep smiling, but the strain was obvious. The edges of her smile were stiff, her eyes betraying exhaustion and a trapped helplessness. She attempted to calm everyone down, but her voice was quickly swallowed by the noise.
Yi Chen frowned.
A powerful mix of "I hate seeing nice people get bullied" and "anyone who disturbs my sleep deserves judgment" surged inside him.
He lazily raised a hand. A strand of pale-green wind elemental energy gathered at his fingertips, coiling obediently like a tiny snake.
He whispered to it with a mischievous grin,
"Attack their… vital weak points. Wake them up a bit."
The breeze shot out the window—straight toward the crowd.
But just before making contact, it abruptly swerved away, as if hitting an invisible barrier—or perhaps rejecting something disgusting—and zipped back to Yi Chen's fingers, trembling slightly in protest.
Yi Chen: "???"
He stared at the sulking wind in confusion.
"…You don't want to touch them? Think they're dirty?"
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"A germaphobe wind? That's new."
Just then, he noticed several small beetles crawling along the window frame. His eyes lit up.
With a snap of his fingers, the breeze flew out again—this time deftly scooping up the beetles and, with surgical precision, depositing them straight down the collars of the loudest, most tightly packed male fans.
"Huh? What's that?!"
"Ah—itchy!"
"There's a bug in my clothes!"
"Where?! Where?!"
Instantly, chaos broke out.
The unlucky targets jumped and flailed, desperately trying to shake off the intruders. The crowd's formation collapsed into a comedic mess.
Seizing the opportunity, Barbara quickly apologized, muttered something about church duties, lifted her skirt, and slipped through the gap—running straight for the cathedral.
Just before entering, she suddenly stopped.
Turning back, her gaze locked precisely onto Yi Chen's window.
In the sunlight, she saw the black-haired young man leaning casually by the frame, a faint, satisfied grin still on his face.
Barbara froze for a moment.
Then, a genuinely relieved and grateful smile bloomed across her face.
She gave a small but clear nod and silently mouthed:
"Thank you."
Then, like a startled deer finally reaching safety, she slipped into the cathedral and disappeared.
Yi Chen whistled smugly, glancing at his "heroic" fingers.
"Heh. Done. Fame hidden, deeds complete."
He slept in again comfortably until late morning.
Lumine and Paimon had already gone out early to do commissions and earn Mora. Yi Chen, meanwhile, had serious business to attend to—he needed to give Jean a full report on Stormterror and the Abyss Order.
He strolled leisurely toward the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Just as he passed the cathedral's imposing doors, a very soft, cautious voice called out from the side.
"…Mr. Yi Chen?"
He stopped and turned.
The cathedral door had opened just a crack. Barbara peeked out halfway, quickly scanning her surroundings before hurriedly gesturing for him to come closer, whispering urgently,
"Mr. Yi Chen! Please—come inside quickly!"
She looked far less composed than usual, like a child who had done something sneaky.
Confused but curious, Yi Chen approached.
The moment he reached the door, Barbara grabbed his wrist and gently—but quickly—pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them.
The cathedral interior was dimmer, filled with soft incense and tranquility. A few nuns prayed quietly in the distance, unaware of the discreet commotion near the entrance.
"What's going on, Miss Barbara?"
Yi Chen whispered, amused.
"Are you being chased? Need me to… persuade someone again?"
He wiggled his fingers teasingly.