Who made him a paladin?

Chapter 15 Harvest Windmill

Night quietly fell.

Xia Nan, along with Silvisa, Lisa, and four royal guards, were strolling leisurely through the streets of Weiss City.

This street lacked the bustling, lively atmosphere of the big cities where Xia Nan had lived in her previous life, with vendors hawking their wares along the streets.

Only gentlemen in tuxedos, arm in arm with ladies in long dresses, strolled leisurely together on the cobblestone path.

They were often accompanied by a ragged child carrying a kerosene lamp, who would light their way.

These children who charge a fee to guide others are known locally as "Link Boys".

However, the architecture and clothing in this world are very similar to the Victorian era in Xia Nan's memory.

Apart from the horse-drawn carriage tracks laid in the middle of the street, there was no trace of the black smoke factories that represented the Industrial Revolution.

"Mr. Xia Nan, look at that."

Xia Nan looked in the direction Sylvie was pointing.

In the center of the plaza ahead, several men in overalls were wrapping brightly colored ribbons and wreaths around a knight statue holding a greatsword.

"What are they doing?"

"In half a month, it will be the triennial Prayer Festival," Sylvia said calmly. "It's a grand festival held to express gratitude for the protection of the long winds and mountains. At that time, the entire city of Wis will hold a grand ceremony and parade, and lords from all over the country and foreign envoys will come to the city to watch the ceremony. What you see now is just the beginning."

"At that time, the empire will also send out a princess to dance the first dance in front of all its people."

"...It just so happens to be my turn this year."

At this point, Sylvie's expression dimmed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

"But I still haven't found a satisfactory dance partner."

"I never thought that a princess who lives a life of luxury would have such troubles," Xia Nan teased without any politeness.

"I am a human being, not a god."

"Do you need my help?" Xia Nan suddenly became unusually sincere.

Upon hearing this, Sylvie felt a little excited, and a barely perceptible look of surprise flashed in her eyes.

But she quickly regained her composure and tentatively asked, "You mean...would you like to be my dance partner?"

Xia Nan shook his head.

"I'll break your legs so you don't have to go on stage."

"???"

The night breeze seemed to have stopped flowing.

Sylvie's shoulders stiffened abruptly, then she slowly lowered her head.

That damn thing!

What an impudent brute!

Flames suddenly leaped from Sylvie's fingertips, threatening to cremate Xia Nan right there in the street.

Instead of trying to stop her, Lisa, who was following behind, quietly took out a small notebook and a quill pen.

The half-goat man kept his head still, only his eyes frantically scanning between the two people and the ink paper.

Just as Sylvie was about to take action and teach Xia Nan, this ungrateful fellow, an unforgettable lesson—

"This is for you."

Xia Nan handed a small windmill, made of thin wooden sticks and oiled paper, to her.

A gentle breeze rustled the red and green paper fan blades.

"puff"

The flame at Sylvie's fingertips went out, her eyes showing astonishment and panic, and her voice trembled involuntarily.

"Why...why did you suddenly give me something?"

"Consider it an apology for my rudeness," Xia Nan shrugged. Sylvie was stunned.

The gifts she received throughout her life were nothing more than expensive jewelry, rare magic scrolls, or perfumes imported from foreign countries.

But this man in front of her gave her a windmill, a toy for ordinary children.

Xia Nan is indeed not someone you can understand with normal thinking.

But it was this little paper windmill that stirred a subtle flutter in Sylvie's heart.

She didn't know why, but she really wanted to accept the gift.

"I...I, the princess, don't want this kind of trash!" Sylvia turned her face away, not wanting anyone to see the blush on her face.

"but……"

Sylvia coughed lightly. "Since you've put so much effort into this, I'll reluctantly accept it."

After speaking, she smiled and, almost snatched the windmill from Xia Nan's hand with lightning speed, turning it with her fingers as happily as a child.

The group continued walking forward.

Interestingly, at the spot where they had just stopped, a child who had been leading the way sniffed and watched them walk away.

Looking again at his left palm, which should have been a windmill but had been replaced by a silver coin, he remained stunned for a long time.

Not long after, led by Sylvie, the group stopped in front of a restaurant called "Red Swan".

The guards and Lisa stood dutifully on either side of the gate.

Xia Nan followed Sylvie into the room.

The aroma of butter, caramel, and spices wafts through the air.

The restaurant is small, with walls decorated with brown oak paneling. The largest mural on the wall depicts endless wheat ears intertwined with roses.

Three copper chandeliers hung from the ceiling, each with twelve candles.

The orange light shone on the tablecloth, casting soft, small halos around each table.

Strangely, this restaurant, which was clearly the most upscale in the city, was completely empty. Xia Nan sighed inwardly.

Having money is great; you can even book out entire restaurants.

Xia Nan did not act like a gentleman. Instead, he pulled out a mahogany dining chair and sat down without any regard for the concept of ladies first.

Sylvie carefully placed the windmill on the table, pulled out a chair, and sat opposite Xia Nan.

Suddenly, a waiter in a tuxedo respectfully handed over the menu.

"Mr. Lecio, the usual, a Wellington steak, please," Silvia ordered without even looking at the menu.

"No problem, my dear prince."

The waiter then handed Xia Nan another menu.

Looking at the otherworldly script above, Xia Nan, who was illiterate, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

But he closed the menu without changing his expression, held his head high, and said in a calm tone:

"I trust the princess's taste."

After the waiter bowed and withdrew, only the two of them remained in the large restaurant.

Xia Nan spoke first, giving a simple and clear account of the succubus's testimony.

Sylvie then crossed her hands on the table and stared intently at Xia Nan.

"So, could you elaborate on how you dealt with the succubus?"

Xia Nan leaned back slightly and waved her finger.

"A professional magician will never tell the audience where he has hidden the props."

Sylvie pouted, thinking to herself that this man really knew how to whet people's appetites.

But out of good manners, she didn't ask any further questions.

"By the way," Xia Nan changed the subject, looking directly into Sylvie's eyes, "why didn't you leave the rough work of exterminating goblins to the Adventurers' Guild or the Church?"

"I learned so many high-level spells at the mage academy; it would be a huge waste if I didn't get a chance to put them into practice!" Sylvia scoffed. "So I asked my uncle to arrange the simplest training mission for me. But who would have thought that there would be a succubus disguised as a human mage in the goblin's lair!"

Xia Nan keenly grasped the key information.

"Your uncle?"

"Yes, he is your Holy See's chief priest, Lord Fario."

Sylvie explained.

Xia Nan was no stranger to this person.

The highest-ranking official in the Holy See’s Sacramento Chamber, the head of the province’s liturgy, is responsible for overseeing and coordinating joint sacrificial activities between the royal family and the Papacy.

A powerful figure with veto power when major decisions are made within the Vatican.

However, this also made Xia Nan feel vaguely strange. Her uncle was clearly so powerful, so why would a succubus be involved in the "simple" task he arranged for his own niece?

Moreover, the succubus happens to possess magical items that can restrain Sylvie.

Shouldn't we conduct a thorough investigation before carrying out a mission?

Although Xia Nan doesn't like getting involved in conspiracy theories, this is still somewhat of a coincidence.

However, since it was someone else's family matter, Xia Nan didn't bother to delve into it and decisively changed the subject.

"By the way, Your Highness, do you still stand by your promise to grant my wish?"

"Tell me about it," Sylvia nodded.

"Could you sell me some red ore?"

"What do you need such a precious thing for?" Sylvia frowned. "That's a royal monopoly, the core used to make high-level magical items. You should know that even if hundreds of miners dug for more than ten days, they might not be able to find even a pound of that stuff."

"How about you choose a different wish?"

"For example, gold and jewels, or status?"

Upon hearing these words, Xia Nan's eyes dimmed slightly.

Gold and jewels were certainly important to him.

Having come this far on the road to repair, he is somewhat unwilling to give up.

Sylvie also noticed Xia Nan's expression.

Recalling her previous dungeon experience, Sylvia coughed lightly after a moment of thought.

"However..." she drawled, "considering that you saved me before, I can make an exception for you and grant your wish."

"Seriously?"

"Just tell me," Sylvia said, her eyes gleaming with undisguised curiosity, "who taught you that signature spiky hairstyle?"

Xia Nan's heart skipped a beat.

Hmm... Could it be that she secretly saw it while she was performing for the succubus?

Xia Nan thought about it carefully and agreed.

No wonder she asked earlier, "Could you elaborate on how you dealt with the succubus?" instead of "What method did you use?"

That's true, after all, who wouldn't be confused by that move?

Interestingly, Xia Nan had already misunderstood Sylvie's meaning at this moment.

The reason she wanted to find out was that Sylvia wanted to confirm whether the windmill used to strangle goblins was something she had secretly learned from the swordsman Baroque.

She wanted to find out the whereabouts of the reclusive swordsman so that she could persuade him to come out of seclusion.

"No problem," Xia Nan readily agreed. "Sell me the crimson ore first. I'll definitely give you the answer once I've dealt with what I have to do."

How do I know you're not lying to me?

Xia Nan smiled, then suddenly stretched out his right hand, suspending his little finger in mid-air.

"Let's pinky swear."

"What do you mean?" Sylvie was stunned.

For her in this era, this was a completely unfamiliar term.

Before she could react, Xia Nan grabbed Sylvie's small hand without saying a word and forcibly hooked her little finger with his own.

"Pinky promise, never to lie to each other for a hundred years."

Sylvie opened her small mouth slightly in shock.

This was the first time she had ever touched a strange man's hand.

Royal etiquette dictates that when bowing to a strange man, one only needs to lift their skirt and bow slightly; physical contact is unnecessary.

The warm touch on her fingertips was undoubtedly stirring up feelings in this girl who was going through puberty.

Her heart was beating erratically, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, like a deer pounding in its belly.

"Are you alright?" Xia Nan asked, somewhat puzzled.

Sylvie pulled her hand back as if she had been electrocuted, and quickly lowered her head, her hands flustered and unsure of what to do with them.

"Tomorrow...tomorrow!" She quickly picked up the water glass on the table and took a sip, but her eyes remained fixed on Xia Nan. "I'll have someone deliver the things to you tomorrow!"

……

About thirty minutes later, the two pushed open the restaurant door and returned to the street.

The cold night wind dispelled some of the gloom.

Xia Nan, with his hands in his pockets, was secretly planning how to repair the weapon after receiving the materials tomorrow.

Sylvie walked beside him, constantly glancing at Xia Nan out of the corner of her eye.

Her thoughts were still lingering on the brief touch they had just shared.

Is this what the older women call a date?

Sylvie murmured to herself.

This was, in fact, the first time she had ever dined alone with a strange man.

She herself couldn't explain why she, who usually treated those aristocratic youths with disdain, was behaving so strangely tonight.

however.

This subtle and rare atmosphere of leisure did not last long.

"Your Highness."

Lisa moved closer to Sylvie's back.

The goat's fluffy ears drooped back, and its hands reached for the two daggers at its waist.

"There's a murderous aura around."