Volume 2 - Prolouge - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Volume 2 Prologue Author: Han Tang Guilai Updated: 2025/4/12 20:30:01 Word Count: 4022 With the mid-term exams for monster elimination nearing their conclusion, Vanessa, who had been toiling away in the Student Union President's Office all day, strolled down the empty streets and returned to her deserted dormitory. Today's duties had her assisting Mirexia in the Student Union throughout the day. While the tasks weren't particularly challenging, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she was saturated with the "aura of academia" from top to bottom. After indulging in afternoon tea at the Student Union and bidding Mirexia farewell following dinner, Vanessa made her way back. There was something off—was it just her imagination? Mirexia had seemed troubled and out of sorts since the afternoon. She appeared absent-minded, worried, and would instinctively avert her gaze whenever she glanced at Vanessa. Wasn't this all a bit strange? Vanessa had never encountered such behavior from Mirexia before, making the situation entirely unfamiliar. She was clueless about what might be troubling Mirexia, considering even the possibility of her experiencing menstrual discomfort but felt too timid to inquire. Once back in her dormitory, Vanessa felt the weight of the day lift off her shoulders, as if she were finally off work. She exhaled deeply, prepared some steaming water using a warm stone, poured herself a cup of tea, and sat elegantly on the sofa. Vanessa's posture, however, was anything but relaxed. If it were Wenny, he would've sprawled across the couch like a carefree human by now. After savoring a cup of tea and taking a brief respite, Vanessa gathered her vibrant assortment of skincare products and shower gels from her room. She had been preoccupied for several days, and finally taking a luxurious bath felt like a much-deserved treat. After shedding her [Armor Barrier] and gathering her cherry-colored hair behind her head, Vanessa wrapped herself in a bath towel and stepped into the bathroom. The bulges beneath the towel seemed a bit too much for the fabric to contain, an alluring sight that would stir anyone's blood, regardless of how often it was witnessed. The divine blood flowing through this body had nurtured it astonishingly well. Despite Wenny's childhood malnutrition, erratic daily routines, vices such as alcohol, and a general aversion to physical activity, his skin remained smooth and fair, and his figure was perfectly proportioned. He was as enchanting as a cherry blossom, with eyes brimming with tenderness. Truly, the genes of the Fasilisi family were formidable. Emerging from the bathroom, the now-pink-hued girl walked out in slippers, her damp long hair wrapped up. She returned to her room and locked the door. Vanessa intended to go straight to bed, sleep through to the morning, and revert back to Wenny by noon. As she set down her skincare products, her gaze unintentionally caught the card box in the corner. That was the card pack Fred had given her before, claiming it as an apology. Vanessa was well aware that these card packs likely contained nothing valuable. In fact, it was because Fred knew there was nothing of worth inside that he’d been willing to hand them over. How did she know this? Well, among card players, it's common knowledge. They dread seeing a brother's luck turn so poor it causes them to quit, yet they're equally terrified of witnessing such good fortune that it breeds envy. With Fred's affluent background, he purchased card packs regularly. He could discern which boxes held promise and which did not. He had probably opened nearly 90% of this box without finding anything worthwhile, deciding that the remaining packs would be just as disappointing and thus stopped drawing. Over years of purchasing card boxes, a pattern emerged: if 90% of a box yielded nothing significant, the rest were typically duds. It made more sense not to open them and instead keep them unopened as a memento or gift them to others, allowing friends to draw them and then jesting about their luck—or lack thereof. Isn't that much more amusing? Vanessa wasn't concerned. Pulling a high-value card wouldn't overly excite her, and drawing a series of common cards was expected. After all, these were cast-offs from others. With time on her hands and nothing pressing to do, she figured she might as well test her fortune. So with a leisurely pace, Vanessa rose, retrieved the card box, and placed it under the bed. She tied her hair up and sat on the side of the bed, swinging her pale legs, before plucking a pack from the card box and carefully scraping open the seam of the card pack with her white nails. As Vanessa drew the cards from the pack one by one, her eyes landed on the first card. Under the light of the crystal lamp, the card revealed a color she'd never seen before. Gold?? Vanessa was taken aback, double-checking repeatedly—yes, it was indeed a gold card. She hadn't imagined her luck was this good. Right from the start, she'd drawn a card she never believed she'd have in her collection. This particular card was affiliated with the power of the Fanghui Church and depicted none other than Callist, a renowned nun from history. With her long blue hair and nun's attire, she gazed devotedly at a statue of the goddess. Vanessa admired the card momentarily before putting it aside. The rest of the cards in the pack were unsurprising—mostly white and blue, with a purple card that lacked significant rarity. Gold aside, even purple was a hue she hadn't encountered much in her card packs. Was the first pack just incredibly lucky? Had she already depleted her luck? Pondering these thoughts, Vanessa opened another pack. Another gold card? ? Vanessa was mildly astounded. This time, it was a champion knight of the Fanghui Church, over two meters tall and clad in thick armor, resembling a formidable tank. An adversary of this magnitude would certainly dominate the battlefield and imbue others with a sense of foreboding. Why was her luck so exceptional today? ? These were the packs Fred had drawn from, which supposedly contained no valuable cards. Could he have intentionally left her some hidden treasures? Highly unlikely. Vanessa mused—if not her extraordinary fortune today, then Fred's misfortune was unimaginable. He nearly struck gold but decided to abandon ship, unwittingly gifting high-rarity card packs. It was like stopping just shy of striking groundwater, always halting just short—had he persevered a bit longer, he might have discovered something remarkable. She continued unsealing the card packs. To her astonishment, nearly every pack contained at least one purple card, and nearly all included a gold card. Was this too much good fortune? ? Vanessa was momentarily speechless. Could it be mere luck? She hadn’t realized she possessed such extraordinary fortune. Her eyes fell upon the final pack. As she unpacked it, it seemed deceivingly normal—filled entirely with common cards, all white, not even a single blue. It was, finally, something more reasonable. Vanessa sighed with relief. Perhaps she'd exhausted her good luck earlier, and she worried it might foreshadow a future calamity. However, as she picked up the very last card, a burst of vibrant colors dazzled her vision. Vanessa paused in astonishment. A colored card? ? And not just any, but a newly released card: Saint Erza of Fanghui. Vanessa gazed at the saintly girl praying piously on the card, who astonishingly resembled herself, and felt a wave of surprise. Was this her destiny? What on earth had transpired today? Could Fred have played a trick on her, giving her fake card packs all forged himself, solely to have some fun at her expense? No, that wasn’t Fred’s style. Besides, these were genuine cards, complete with anti-counterfeiting marks, ensuring they couldn’t be forgeries. As she set the opened cards aside and studied her hands, a mix of feelings washed over Vanessa. Should she rejoice? Yet, could this extraordinary streak mean she'd exhausted her luck? Why the sudden shift in fortune? She remembered spending an entire afternoon at the card shop and losing every game. Or was it merely that luck—a mystical force—varied? Could a woman's luck truly surpass that of a man's? On reflection, it seemed conceivable. In a magical world, such a concept as luck was natural. In fact, perhaps it was precisely the presence of luck that defined protagonists; no matter how hard others tried, they remained in supporting roles. Those with less luck faded into obscurity or became cannon fodder. So, had she tapped too heavily into her luck, or was a female form inherently luckier than a male one? Perhaps both were true, each accounting for a part. Since awakening the goddess's bloodline, her luck had vastly improved compared to the original Wenny, who had faced defamation, succumbed to despair, and rebelled against fate—only to have his childhood love snatched away and beheaded by the heroine. Without such transformations, Vanessa wouldn’t be here today. Yet, how much better her luck was than Wenny's in the original timeline remained uncertain, for she wasn't the main character. After securing the cards she’d drawn, Vanessa padded her bed with a blanket and went to sleep. Awakening the next morning, she skipped breakfast, waiting until noon—her cue to transform back into Wenny—before heading out. After a late breakfast at the cafeteria, Wenny quickly returned to his dormitory to count his newfound treasure. Seven gold cards, fourteen purple cards, and one colored card. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself; this time, he was genuinely wealthy in cards. Wenny considered if Vanessa should be summoned next time to draw cards on his behalf. After all, valuable resources should be strategically utilized. Whether this fortune was a coincidence or not, having Vanessa draw next time was a safe bet. Only the thought of possibly depleting his luck lingered. Still, he couldn’t wait for Fred and those naive boys to return, eager to flaunt his cards and stir envy and jealousy among his good buddies. Time flew by, and in just a few days, the monster elimination event concluded. Students began returning to the academy one by one. "You mean there's a lead that [Bronze Blood] poisoned me?" Mirexia pondered from within the Student Union President's Office. "Yes, I suspect this may be an inside job," Wenny contemplated. "Though I lack concrete evidence, I feel there must have been some internal assistance," Wenny speculated, formulating what he believed was plausible. "That day, I happened to notice that student union member Zoe brought tea into the president's office, and she seemed a bit flustered and uneasy." Wenny spoke only after careful thought. Given the absence of proof, such claims were risky—how could an alchemical poison, undetectable even by an enchanted teacup, leave any traces? Ultimately, the development of alchemy by humans remains rudimentary. The demon pillar Eurnes, possessing the power of alchemy, made moves that humans struggle to comprehend. Evidence is crucial, and without it, such accusations couldn't be levied casually. Wenny shared this suspicion only because he trusted his relationship with Mirexia. Otherwise, given that student union members take turns delivering tea to the president's office daily, everyone would fall under suspicion. "Is that so?" Mirexia frowned slightly. She trusted Wenny's account. Reflecting on it, her poisoning had been peculiar. She'd somehow fallen into [Bronze Blood]'s trap. Even the Alchemy Demon Eurnes couldn't poison through the air, right? The constraints on the Demon Pillars on the Terrilis Continent prevented them from freely wielding their power there, forcing them to act indirectly through followers. "However, the incident happened some time ago. Even if we were to test, the active ingredients have likely evaporated. Besides, there are so many cups in the Student Union, and identifying the correct one seems impossible," Mirexia expressed her reservations. "It's alright. If it’s happened once, she may try again. If she remains undetected, she’ll likely become overconfident," Wenny said, glancing at the tea in his cup. "Opportunities to catch her red-handed will arise, just not yet. The hospital also advised us not to startle the figurative snake." "Understood." Mirexia agreed with Wenny's strategy. "Knock knock knock." The door of the Student Union President's Office was tapped gently three times. "Come in," Mirexia called. "Excuse me, dear Mirexia~ The monster extermination settlement report is ready. Only a few second-year and first-year students sustained minor injuries due to carelessness and underestimating the enemy. They received timely treatment from the Church's nuns and are fine." A silver-haired elf entered on light footsteps and placed a stack of reports before Mirexia. "The only student who was seriously injured is someone quite familiar." Aesphyra shot a playful glance in Wenny's direction, making her intent clear, while mischievously smiling and winking at him. Tsk, this diminutive bread loaf never misses a chance to tease him. He should have known better than to be lenient with this cheeky woman. Scoundrels like her deserve to be dealt with firmly. Wenny pursed his lips in silent exasperation. "Thank you for your hard work, Aesphyra," Mirexia said, sifting through the stack of reports on her desk. "It's my duty. I'm delighted to assist Miss Mirexia," Aesphyra replied cheerfully. "By the way, Miss Mirexia and Wenny seem to be spending a lot of time together recently. Is there something intriguing you two are discussing?" Aesphyra quipped, her tone lighthearted. Wenny stole a glance at Aesphyra, realizing that she'd intentionally chosen this moment to deliver the report. Yet, her efficiency was as impressive as ever. He looked at the substantial pile of reports now in front of Mirexia. Although Aesphyra hadn’t done all of this single-handedly, sorting through them would still be quite a task.