As a tolerant person, Faen simply shook his head helplessly at Riven's private slander, saving her "proper education" for later that night.
With this thought, Faen turned his gaze toward Sona. Looking closely, he realized he couldn't entirely blame Riven for her slander. Because from any angle, the impression Sona gave was nothing short of perfect. That frail, delicate aura that practically begged to be protected—if she were anywhere but Ionia, a place that vehemently rejected extreme violence, she probably would have been worshipped like a treasure long ago.
But to be honest, Faen was somewhat surprised to encounter Sona here.
In the minds of many players, Maven of the Strings, Sona, was a character belonging to the Demacia faction. But in reality, Sona was born in Ionia, starting out as a mute orphan. Fortunately, Ionians were simple and honest folk, and almost every town had a relief house or orphanage. Thanks to this, Sona spent her childhood in peace. During this process, she also gained the recognition of the ancient etwahl—if one couldn't gain the etwahl's recognition, let alone ordinary people, even Ionian Masters wouldn't be able to play a single melody on it.
Normally, when Sona grew up, her musical skills and beauty would be enough to make her a renowned master—at least on the path of music, Sona's talent was undeniable.
However, the Noxian invasion followed. To escape the chaos of war, Sona fled to Demacia as a refugee, where she was adopted and treated as their own by one of the nation's premier noble families.
In this regard, Sona's luck was absolutely incredible. Demacia operated under a monarchy and a ruling council. Beneath the king was a council of six, each seat representing important foundational pillars of the nation, such as the military, economy, and the Mageseekers. The noble family that adopted Sona held one of these seats, overseeing the Illuminators. In the older lore, the Illuminators were Demacia's secret mage society, but after the lore update, they became a religious and charitable organization worshipping the Winged Protector.
Fleeing to a foreign country as a refugee and then being adopted by its wealthiest, most powerful nobles—it sounded absurd no matter how you spun it. But this also indirectly proved Sona's exceptional temperament and beauty.
Amidst his thoughts, Faen walked up to Sona and extended his hand. Seeing this, Sona froze slightly. But meeting Faen's peaceful gaze and his slight nod, after a moment of hesitation, Sona still placed her fair, delicate little hand into Faen's palm.
That soft, seemingly boneless little hand felt cold in his palm. He could feel that Sona hadn't fully grasped the current situation, her heart still harboring some apprehension and unease.
But just as Sona was feeling anxious, a gentle voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Don't be afraid. I am not a bad person."
Hearing the voice surface in her mind, Sona forgot her fear and unease, freezing completely on the spot. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she looked around at the others. Finding that they showed absolutely no reaction, she couldn't help but swallow hard.
Seeing this, Faen said, "Don't worry, they can't hear it. This is telepathic communication—just like the melodies you've mastered, the melodies of the heart."
Although it seemed like Faen was using the Spirit Realm energy of Ashlesh to communicate, it was actually the melody magic he had learned from Seraphine.
Although the current Faen ruthlessly pounded Seraphine every time he saw her, it didn't mean Faen viewed the girls around him as mere playthings to be discarded. On the contrary, Faen could find the shining points and unique, irreplaceable abilities in every one of them.
Although it was just a guess at first, it now seemed Seraphine's melody magic shared some commonality with Sona's innate magic. To the point where Faen could achieve conscious-level communication just by simulating it with Spirit Realm energy.
Thinking this, Faen nodded thoughtfully, then looked at the elder nearby and said, "The atmosphere in Zhyun is quite conservative. Although Sona's actions were to protect the people around her, they did indeed clash with tradition. How about this: I will take Sona to the Placidium. There, Sona's talents can be fully utilized, and she won't be subjected to overly harsh treatment."
Although his "lower house" held immense weight in his internal governance, Faen still knew when to do what.
Sona was currently safe and sound, with no major issues. Even if he wanted to conquer her, he needed to do it properly, rather than fabricating some conflict just to swoop in like a god from heaven and induce her fall. Faen had certainly pulled his fair share of entrapment stunts before, but how to put it? It all depended on the target and the conditions...
Sona's current problem was merely one of living environment and regional atmosphere. Solving it wasn't difficult; there was no need for unnecessary tricks. If he really couldn't hold back, he could just properly cultivate their relationship.
It was like looking for masturbation material. Some people liked to just look at pictures or videos right away, but others preferred to watch a bit of plot to help them immerse themselves. Within this, the process of conquest was equally an immersive element.
Hearing Faen's words, the elder didn't object. He simply looked at Sona and said, "I have no problem with it, of course. But the most important thing is Sona's opinion. If Sona also feels it's fine, this is indeed a good solution..."
Saying this, he paused, then sighed, "Sona's music is incredibly beautiful; anyone who listens will be moved by its goodness. If that Golden Demon hadn't attacked the orphanage, our town would surely have produced a widely renowned master of the etwahl in the future."
Hearing this, Sona's eyes trembled slightly. Meeting everyone's gazes, she then looked at Faen, who stood before her holding her hand. Feeling the voice still echoing in her mind...
Perhaps it was a desire for communication? Or perhaps for something else? In the end, Sona simply nodded silently, indicating she had no objections.
Although she looked frail and delicate, Sona was a smart girl. After killing the Golden Demon, she knew very well that whether in terms of living environment, social atmosphere, or learning resources, the Placidium was a much better choice for her.
It was just a pity that conservative ideologies were still prevalent in Ionia, compounded by a strong reluctance to leave one's homeland. Otherwise, logically speaking, Sona should have traveled to the Placidium to study long ago... Of course, this also had to do with the fact that any random corner in Ionia could be hiding some hidden master.
In short, having confirmed Sona's thoughts, Faen and the others helped her pack her belongings and continued their journey. However, to Riven's utter speechlessness, not long after they set off, before Faen even struck up a conversation, this beautiful girl named Sona had already cast multiple secretive glances at Faen, observing him carefully.