Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 5] Chapter 181

[Vol. 5] Chapter 181: ?Living Bamboo Sprout?

“Their background, huh…”

Edwina appeared somewhat perplexed by the question. After all, she hadn’t been back to the academy in nearly three years. With personnel changes over that time, it was understandable that she didn’t recognize these people.

However, it was the green-haired shopkeeper, Awen, who had just stood up for her. She seemed thoughtful after hearing the question, pondering for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t know the guy leading them. He’s probably some hotheaded rookie transferred here recently, but the one beside him…”

The green-haired girl came to a conclusion.

“He’s likely an indirect member of the Lambert family, the Lombard Family. That guy has come here with his relatives to eat a few times before. I don’t know him personally, but it was obvious that they all belonged to the same family, so it’s probably not a mistake.”

“A Lambert family side, huh, no wonder…”

Seeing the Holy Knight Edwina’s quick “I see” expression, Miss White Fox, who knew nothing about the internal affairs of the Holy Empire, could only seek solidarity with the pink-haired little girl next to her, who had also been left in the dark.

She picked up the little one and placed her on her lap, feeding her food with chopsticks like she was feeding a cat. Meanwhile, she and the little girl curiously looked toward the blonde girl across from them.

Sure enough, unable to withstand the pressure of their silent questioning stares, Edwina quickly confessed.

“Alright, alright… The Lombard family… How should I explain? They’re another noble family within the Angel City, holding quite a few seats in the Holy Church. But they are staunch supporters of the Lambert family. To put it simply, their relationship is similar to the one between my Cecilia family and the Ulysses family.”

With this explanation, the priestess immediately understood.

“Oh… No wonder they targeted you. But from the earlier situation, it seems like this was more of a unilateral action by the Lambert family, right?”

“Yes, I think so too. As a divine lineage, the Lambert family, even for the sake of the greater good, wouldn’t try to trip me up at such a critical moment before I lead the army into battle. After all, in the fight against demons, we’ve always shared the same stance.”

At this point, Edwina seemed to remember something and suddenly smiled.

“But, I didn’t expect the Lambert family to choose to give this badge to Miss Dawn… That old August Lambert is quite shrewd, knowing how to leave himself an escape route. If Miss Dawn is interested, you could actually make contact over there. Although I’m not fond of that Pope, it wouldn’t hurt Miss Dawn in any way… Ah, of course, this is just my suggestion…”

“Is that so?”

Edwina’s attitude mirrored that of the Bright Light Saintess when she first saw the Holy Court’s envoy hand the Redemption Saintess’s emblem to the White Fox.

Although they were rivals, neither seemed opposed to Dawn or Violet making contact with the Lambert family, the last of the three divine lineages.

What exactly is the relationship between these three divine families?

However, whether it was Arlin earlier or the arbitrators who had just come to stir trouble, the Lambert family’s affiliated family didn’t seem to follow the same rules. The Lambert family… This could be an interesting entry point.

For now, this matter was set aside. After sending off the troublesome arbitrators, the rest of the time passed without further incident.

Lunch ended quickly, and with their bellies full, Violet and her companions prepared to take their leave.

The owner, Awen, though she appeared indifferent on the surface, Violet could tell that she was actually somewhat reluctant to part with Edwina. After all, from today onward, the Holy Knight would embark on her campaign to the east, and they might not be able to see each other for a long time.

But just as Awen had mentioned earlier, she didn’t intend to, or perhaps couldn’t, leave the ?Bamboo Lodge?. After telling Edwina to visit her whenever she had the chance, she reluctantly let her go.

Exiting the bamboo grove, the three girls returned to the main road inside the academy.

It was likely around noon, as most of the students had finished their morning classes and left for home or returned to their dorms to rest. The crowd had thinned compared to earlier.

Holding Eudora’s little hand, the White Fox casually asked, seeming a bit curious.

“By the way, Edwina, is Awen’s full name Minwen? It’s quite a unique name. Do you know her background? And why does she refuse to leave that bamboo grove? Is it because she doesn’t want to, or is there something preventing her?”

The blonde girl, walking slightly ahead, turned her head and, without hesitation, replied while letting go of her thoughtful expression.

“Yes, Minwen is Awen’s real name. It’s definitely unique, and Awen usually doesn’t like people calling her that, so we all just call her Awen.”

“As for her background, I don’t really know much. When I was a child and first came to the Holy Academy, the ?Bamboo Lodge? already looked the way it does now.”

“And according to a senior who enrolled ten years before me, the ?Bamboo Lodge? had already existed at least ten years prior, and the owner has always been Awen.”

“As for why she doesn’t leave the Bamboo Lodge, well, that’s a bit more complicated…”

Edwina thought for a moment before shaking her head helplessly.

“You’ve probably noticed, Miss Dawn, that each time Awen’s ‘duplicate’ appears, her attire is clearly different from before, and in terms of vital signs, she doesn’t seem like a living person—no breathing, no heartbeat…”

“In fact, calling them ‘duplicates’ might not be entirely accurate. To be precise, they are more like her ‘sub-bodies’.”

“Sub-bodies?”

“Yes, just like how if you plant part of a bamboo in the ground, new shoots will quickly grow around it. Bamboo has an incredible ability to multiply. As long as they have enough nutrients, they can keep producing new, nearly identical sub-bodies.”

After glancing around once more, Edwina lowered her voice as if sharing a secret and continued in a hushed tone.

“Awen isn’t human. Actually… that entire bamboo grove, including the ?Bamboo Lodge? itself, can basically be considered part of her body.”

“She is a plant-type magical beast known as ?Living Bamboo Sprout?.”

“?Living Bamboo Sprout?…? Oh…”

From beneath Miss White Fox’s mask came a soft murmur of realization.

That explains it.

The ?Living Bamboo Sprout?, a creature Violet had read about in some rare ancient texts, is similar to Little Blue, an ?Adaptive Mimicry Slime?. It has existed since the mythological era, but due to environmental changes, it is now nearly extinct.

The true form of ?Living Bamboo Sprout? is said to be a small bamboo shoot, only about half a meter long and as thick as an ordinary girl’s forearm. However, wherever it grows, it generates a vast bamboo forest around it, and sometimes even humanoid guardians, acting as a shield and protection for its relatively fragile core.

The entire bamboo grove, including its guardians, is an extension of the ?Living Bamboo Sprout?, all part of its body. Its consciousness, like that of a “geo or earth spirit”, spreads throughout the bamboo forest, allowing it to sense any disturbance instantly and respond accordingly.

No wonder, back at the ?Bamboo Lodge?, Violet had felt a subtle, watchful presence. It was as if something was observing them, yet there was no trace of spiritual power at play. Now, it all made sense.

That presence was a “gaze” or simply the “Bamboo Lodge” itself watching them.

In fact, when Awen suddenly appeared to shield Arlin from Edwina’s attack, Violet had already noticed something odd.

At that moment, the Awen who dressed in a cheongsam and holding a jade bamboo flute, had literally ‘grown’ out of the ground. It wasn’t spatial magic or super-speed movement, but rather a rapid growth process that made it appear like teleportation.

How interesting—?Living Bamboo Sprout?, huh?

This was indeed something new and fascinating that she had never encountered before. But that name, “Minwen,” gave her a slight sense of déjà vu…

…Could it be?

No, it can’t be.

After all… it’s just bamboo.