Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 179

[Vol. 5] Chapter 179: One After Another

That being said, Awen clearly wasn’t the type who enjoyed socializing or chatting endlessly.

In fact, aside from occasionally exchanging a few words with Edwina, she mostly just chewed her food slowly, listening without paying much attention to Violet or the other woman, whom she didn’t know.

This was fine, though. Miss White Fox had a similar personality, avoiding trouble when possible. Even with an extra person at the table, things remained peaceful, and the atmosphere was surprisingly pleasant.

As for the shopkeeper joining them without invitation, it seemed Edwina was long accustomed to this behavior. When she noticed Violet didn’t mind, she simply accepted it.

“Speaking of which, I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier—how have you been these past two years, Sister Awen?” Edwina asked casually, using the communal chopsticks to add some bamboo shoots to her bowl.

“What else? Just getting by, eating, drinking, and passing the time. You know how it is. Not many people come by this place, mostly just some decent regulars. Life’s not exciting, but at least it’s peaceful and quiet.”

“Ah, I see… Haha, that makes sense.”

Feeling it might be inappropriate to linger on that topic, Edwina quickly steered the conversation towards something that all four could participate in. After all, she hadn’t come here just to catch up with an old friend. She had to consider everyone else’s feelings too.

As Edwina had mentioned earlier, the food here was light and simple, but the ingredients, cooking, and presentation were all quite good. It might not compare to the gourmet dishes in the Human United Kingdom’s royal palace, but considering almost everything was made from bamboo-related materials, the craftsmanship was extraordinary.

It truly lived up to the high praise of the Holy Knight Edwina.

Unfortunately… before long, while chatting happily with the others, Awen suddenly seemed to sense something, her brow slightly furrowing. She glanced towards the only entrance of the bamboo hut and muttered to herself, “They actually came… Are these guys that free lately?”

Miss White Fox also shifted her gaze briefly towards the door, then sighed and shook her head with some resignation.

“Oh dear… things are about to get interesting.”

Just as she finished speaking—

“Arbitration Department of the Holy Academy! Cease this unlawful fighting immediately and surrender!”

The bamboo curtain was suddenly flung open, and a dozen fully armed individuals in uniform stormed into the bamboo hut. The powerful gust that accompanied their leader’s authoritative shout caused the previously calm atmosphere to become tense once more.

There were only a few scattered patrons in the bamboo hut, but the newcomers’ gazes naturally focused on the one figure who stood out, both in appearance and demeanor—the White Fox.

“Is it her?”

The faint conversation between the middle-aged man in the captain’s uniform and a student, who was sweating heavily from running, drifted into Violet’s ears along with the tense atmosphere.

“Uh, yes… it’s them, but—”

“Take them!”

A rush of dense footsteps swarmed toward them, surrounding the table where the four women sat, making escape impossible. The formidable-looking captain ignored the student, who seemed hesitant to speak further, and paid no attention to the scattered patrons who were frozen in fear at the scene. He forcefully parted the encirclement and walked right up to Miss White Fox.

“Sneaking into the Holy Academy, where outsiders are strictly prohibited, and engaging in armed conflict with students… Unknown lady, your actions have seriously violated the academy’s regulations. I have reason to suspect you are a disruptor sent by an enemy faction. Come with us to undergo investigation.”

“…?”

Placing her bamboo chopsticks down and gently patting the shoulder of the clearly uneasy young girl beside her to calm her, Miss White Fox turned her gaze to the towering arbitration officers at the table. Her silver-blue eyes revealed a hint of confusion.

Why is she always caught in situations like this…

At this point, Edwina had quickly realized why the arbitration team had come. A flash of regret crossed her face, and she immediately stood up, intending to clarify the situation.

“You’ve got it all wrong. I’m the one who was involved in the fight, and it was a personal matter between me and Arlin Ulysses. It’s already been resolved. It has nothing to do with this lady, Miss Dawn—”

However, before she could finish her sentence, the arbitration captain impatiently waved his hand to cut her off.

“Alright, alright, save your breath. I’ve been doing this job for over ten years, and I’ve never met a troublemaker who didn’t claim they were innocent. The excuses are always the same as yours. It doesn’t matter who started it. If you’re together, no one is getting away.”

He tapped the sword-and-chain emblem on his uniform chest and gruffly added, “Look closely, we’re arbitration officers, not mediators. We’re here to arrest people, not to listen to excuses. When the arbitration team is called, we never leave empty-handed. Everyone at this table is coming with us, got it?”

“Wait, I have to go too?”

For some reason, although the captain only subtly pointed at three people, it was the owner of the ?Bamboo Lodge?, Awen, who reacted most strongly. She immediately slammed the table and stood up, uncharacteristically pointing her finger at the captain and cursing him out.

“Are you idiots just bored and looking for trouble?! Or are you blind? You’re just going to ignore that massive holy emblem on her neck, huh? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize her! And as for the rules of my place, you’ve been at the academy for over ten years, and you don’t know that I never leave this ?Bamboo Lodge?? Looking for a fight?!”

Her outburst clearly made the captain, who had initially planned to leave her out of it, frown. But before he could respond…

“How dare you! Are you openly resisting arrest?”

A seemingly irritable arbitration officer suddenly strode forward and reached out to swat away Awen’s finger, which was almost poking the captain’s face.

“I’m resisting, so what?!”

The green-haired girl shouted back fearlessly, and with a swat that was as dismissive as swatting a fly, a certain invisible force sent the towering half-orc flying out, crashing through the ?Bamboo Lodge?’s door curtain and causing a loud “bang!” from outside, which drew several gasps from those nearby.

“Audacious!”

“Are you trying to cause trouble!?”

The suddenly escalating situation undoubtedly bound Awen and the three girls, including Violet.

The captain, whose nose was being pointed at, had his muscles twitch for a moment. He raised his hand to stop his subordinates, who were on the verge of drawing their weapons. With an expressionless glance over the four girls, each displaying a different reaction, he spoke in a tone that seemed both persuasive and provocative.

“Awen, owner of the ?Bamboo Lodge?, I’ve heard about your situation and know you’re strong with quite an impressive background… But please don’t forget where you are. Your ?Bamboo Lodge? may be impressive, but it’s still just a part of the Holy Academy. Everything within the academy, top to bottom, must obey the management of the arbitration office because we are the will of the ‘Holy Court,’ the messengers of the divine.”

“Can I take your earlier actions to mean that you intend to resist the arbitration officers and assist a suspected spy sent by hostile forces attempting to infiltrate the academy?”