In the Protoss Empire on the southernmost coast of the Northern Continent.
The imperial capital of Herrom was as bustling as ever. In a private penthouse atop a high-rise at the heart of the city-state, the residence's owner seemed to have spent the entire morning sleeping in.
"Lord Bishop, it's time to wake up. Daylight has already arrived."
The knocking from her direct retainer, Gloria, drifted faintly into Side's bedroom across the gallery's long corridor.
Yet even after a long while, there was still no response.
Honestly, good grief.
Standing outside the door, Gloria sighed, shook her head, and used a spare key to unlock Side's door.
Over the past month, the Lord Bishop's work had been so relentless it felt like serving a prison sentence. Her duties in the Protoss Empire were of paramount significance—a single move affected the entire board—and from Great Sage Isis alone, mountains of paperwork awaited Side.
And the bishop had worked even more desperately, hoping to speed up her "release from prison," wrap up all her duties ahead of schedule, and start her vacation early.
Gloria felt that Side hadn't even been able to get proper rest. In her sleep, Side's mind seemed even more active than when she was awake, her cheeks constantly flushed a rosy hue. Were it not for Side's sheer strength, Gloria would have worried that she might work herself to exhaustion.
Musing over this, Gloria entered the kitchen and skillfully set about preparing a meal for Side that could be considered either breakfast or lunch.
Once Gloria placed the brunch in the living room and covered it with a heat-retaining magic apparatus, she returned to Side's bedroom, only to find her still fast asleep.
She was rolling around in bed, flailing her limbs at will, yet unable to free herself from the quilt draped over her belly. Gloria couldn't tell whether Side was already awake or simply sleeping in for a second round.
How old are you already? This is hardly dignified, please.
Gloria badly wanted to complain, but in the end, she held her tongue.
At least she no longer had to worry that Side would never find someone to marry.
Gloria softly pulled the door shut again, leaving the sleeping bishop undisturbed. She would brief her on the day's tasks once she awoke.
By the time the sun in the sky had climbed a little higher, the natural light filtering through the bedroom curtains had grown much brighter, casting a faint gleam onto the mirror.
"Mmgh..."
Side let out a soft groan and wriggled languidly in bed. The plush quilt felt so much like a warm embrace that she found it impossible to tear herself away.
Only when her consciousness had fully cleared and she opened her eyes—remembering that it had all been a dream as her memories pieced themselves together—did she kick off the quilt and sit up with a lingering sense of loss.
Lately, she had been dreaming every single day about a woman with silver hair and amber eyes.
And Side had actually met that woman before.
"Damn it, she's just so adorable. Even if I had to use force back then, I should have taken her as my Saintess," Side muttered in grievance once she was wide awake.
Originally, she had merely felt admiration for the young priestess who had possessed the courage to cross hands with her. Now, dreaming of her day after day, she only found herself liking her more and more.
She truly wanted to have her move into the gallery residence, strolling and playing together across the imperial capital of Herrom every day.
Looking back now, even though Lanqi and Hyperion couldn't divulge any information about their world within the dream, every time Side woke, she had a vague inkling that they were challenging a Shadow World.
At the very end, Side remembered Hyperion seemingly telling her that their next meeting might not be for more than a decade.
In other words, Hyperion and Lanqi knew that this Shadow World would continue.
Then, if the next Shadow World happened to take place over a decade later in that era, would she enter it directly in place of Xigelei?
"Hahahahaha! I wonder if Hyperion will still be willing to hug me then!"
Side burst into laughter, rolling all over the bed.
She couldn't wait to see Hyperion's reaction upon discovering that her beloved Xigelei had turned into the Bishop of Domination!
"No, wait, I should tease her first. I'll disguise myself as an adult Xigelei and keep acting all close and affectionate with her. Then, once she's hopelessly attached to me, I'll hit her with the truth: 'You spent an entire Shadow World cuddling with the Bishop of Domination you hate the most!'"
Side plotted with sheer delight.
She stepped out of bed, yawning as her bare feet sank into the soft rug.
She would wash her face, comb her hair neat, tidy her appearance, and then begin a new day's work.
"I really envy the Ice Snow Witch, Almis. With the Chief Inquisitor arriving from the north to relieve her duties, she was able to leave early for the Southern Continent to enjoy her annual leave. Who knows how much fun she's having every day right now."
Side felt that the Church of the Goddess of Fate was far more amicable; the relations among bishop-tier figures were quite warm, unlike the Resurrection Church where everyone was constantly suspicious of one another. Unfortunately, Side didn't care for the rigid doctrines and rules of the Church of the Goddess of Fate; she preferred following her own will without constraint.
Even though the past month or so had felt exhausting with both work and dreams, thinking of how her Holy Son was an exemplary role model who passionately threw himself into work made her feel that she couldn't slack off either.
Keep your feet on the ground and work hard and earnestly.
Side reflected inwardly.
Stepping out of the bedroom, she was greeted by the bright, spacious corridor and the gallery.
Every display piece was exquisitely luxurious, from the carefully selected works of art to the bespoke furnishings, all personally chosen by her.
When she reached the main hall, a faint aroma of incense drifted through the air. She spotted her direct retainer, Gloria, replacing the fresh flowers in a white porcelain vase.
"Good morning, Gloria."
"It should be good afternoon, Lord Bishop," Gloria corrected.
"Oh, oh, is it past eleven already?"
Side glanced at the wall clock and realized it was already so late.
"Regarding the new Great Clerics who arrived from the Southern Continent, I've basically arranged everything for them. Please take a look and see if anything needs adjusting."
Gloria placed a document folder on a low cabinet within Side's easy reach.
"Thank you for your hard work. Good thing I have you," Side said with a smile toward Gloria.
Even during her most perilous moments, Gloria had stood by her through thick and thin; she was her dearest confidante.
Not long ago, she had received the talented personnel sent over by her Holy Son. Every single one of them was an elite personally trained by the Bishop of Destruction down in the Southern Continent. Reading the Holy Son's handwritten letter of introduction had left Side dazed for a long while.
It was practically like he had poached nearly half the Great Clerics from the Destruction Branch for her!
Although Side had only had limited contact with the bishops on the Southern Continent, she remembered that the Bishop of Destruction, Ivanos, had an extraordinarily violent temper—a lunatic woman through and through.
"Fortunately, Lanqi left her more than half of her Great Clerics, along with the Saintess and Holy Son. Otherwise, if the Bishop of Destruction had been stripped down to a commander with no troops, she probably would have gone mad," Side sighed.
Even though the combined strength of every subordinate in a branch couldn't rival the bishop herself, a properly functioning organizational system would inevitably suffer vulnerabilities if only the supreme head remained. She might even be ambushed and undermined by acquaintances. Take the other bishops on the Southern Continent, for instance: even if they appeared to be on good terms with the Bishop of Destruction, Ivanos, on the surface, Side wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if any of those savage monsters stabbed one another in the back.
"Lord Bishop, Wilfort should be receiving the letter you sent him soon, right?" Gloria asked, turning around after tidying the bouquet.
By now, she also knew that Luoqi McCarthy's real name was actually Lanqi Wilfort.
As the Bishop of Domination's closest confidante, chatting with the bishop every day meant hearing that name constantly on her lips, repeated incessantly.
Because the Great Clerics of Destruction sent by Lanqi had delivered a personal letter alongside the official letter of recommendation, the Lord Bishop had promptly written a reply to Lanqi and dispatched a professional courier navigating the maritime route between the Northern and Southern Continents to deliver it.
Written on antique-style paper perfumed with incense and inked with fresh calligraphy, Gloria had never seen the Lord Bishop write a letter with such care.
To her surprise, the Lord Bishop possessed an unexpectedly fine literary flair; she was quite adept at letter writing.
"Mm! My vacation is right before my eyes! In just a few more days, I can set off for the Hutton Kingdom on the Southern Continent to find the Boss Cat Restaurant!"
Side beamed, flashing a V-sign at Gloria.
Now that the covenant between the Protoss Empire and the Kingdom of Asethelan was finalized, the Northern Continent—at least its southern coast—was far more stable than before, with only final loose ends remaining.
The Holy Son had left a clear address, so she certainly wouldn't lose her way once she arrived in Ikerite. Even if she couldn't find the Boss Cat Restaurant right away, she could simply ask someone on the nearby streets, or perhaps even bump into an old acquaintance wandering about.
"By the way, the Holy Son reminded you that on the Southern Continent, there is a Miss Talia who looks identical to the Poet of Great Love, Miss Lanfu. You must not mistake her and suddenly leap in to hug and paw at her," Gloria recalled after a moment's thought, voicing her warning.
Whenever the dignified Lord Bishop mentioned the Holy Son, she turned into an entirely different person—a completely willful young girl—which caused Gloria no small amount of worry.
"Relax! How could I possibly mistake my Holy Son's bound card? He lent me that card to defeat Askesan, remember? Did you forget that life-or-death bishop battle? Besides, I'm a Tier 8 martial artist! Even if the Poet of Great Love were burned to ashes, I'd still recognize her aura!"
Side threw up her hands, muttering nonchalantly.
Chapter 610