On a clear winter morning, swept clean by the biting winter chill, the bright, pale-blue sky was exceptionally crystal-clear.
Sunlight poured through spotless windowpanes into the hospital room, bathing the pristine space in a hazy golden halo.
The room's decor leaned heavily into natural wood tones, with light-brown wooden flooring and furniture paired against spotless white walls and fabrics.
"Violet, thank you for protecting my sister all this time. It was thanks to you that the vampires didn't dare approach Saint Creti Monastery," Marquis Ryan, the Ninth War God, said with a sincere bow toward Violet, who had just awakened in her hospital bed that morning.
During the time he had been under mind control, the vampires had even sought to harm his sister, Ursula. Had it not been for Violet's unyielding stance, Ryan might well have defied Ursula's wishes long ago and dragged her back to the marquisate.
"It was nothing. At the time, I just sensed Ursula was a bit afraid of going home, and naturally, I have to protect my students, so I gave you a warning. Though to be honest, I thought she was just going to be forced into an arranged marriage if she went back. I never imagined things were so complicated," Violet replied with a smile, no longer showing any trace of weakness on her face.
"Still, why are you all so free?" she asked, glancing at her fellow War Gods.
When she woke up today, Violet had seen only Secretary Naila. After a brief chat to catch up on the earthshaking changes in Brillda, Naila had rushed back to the Grand Sanctuary to resume her hectic duties.
Even with the self-healing abilities of the Wolf Clan, a shattered heart required a considerable amount of time to mend. Until then, Violet would likely lack her original combat prowess and had to recuperate in the hospital. Consequently, Naila was burdened with running things, having to carry on as acting headmaster.
"We don't need to go to the front lines anymore. The war is currently moving toward peace talks, and as for the work on the home front, there's not much left for us to do," Salon, the Second War God, said from a sofa on one side of the room.
"Theoretically speaking, if we wanted to be busy, there'd be an endless pile of work, meow," Bianca leisurely chimed in, curling her legs beneath her on the sofa with a slight flick of her tail.
Right now, certain people had snatched up all the work.
Among the War Gods, setting aside the deceased Hyacinthus and the recovering Violet, six of the remaining ten had initially refused to believe Julius. Having been on the wrong side, those six had shouldered all the aftermath duties, leaving the other four War Gods to enjoy a rare vacation.
Thus, the moment they learned Violet had awakened, they hurried over to her hospital room.
The hospital inside Saint Creti Monastery, known as the Elsaya Sanctuary Healing Center, was located just south of the monastery's center. Adjacent to the bustling Grand Sanctuary Avenue yet tucked away at a tranquil street corner, it featured an expansive, park-sized garden. With such a prime location, students, faculty, and local residents alike could easily come for medical care.
This affiliated hospital provided comprehensive medical services for the Creti Empire, including a twenty-four-hour emergency department, general practitioner services, specialist care, and medical research and education facilities. The center's main building was a multi-story cathedral-style structure renovated from an ancient edifice, sporting a sleek, minimalist exterior that retained its artistic charm.
Through the corridor between the wings, one could faintly glimpse the leisurely scene below, where nurses occasionally pushed patients in wheelchairs through the gardens to unwind.
Much like their own moods at this moment.
"Your vitality really is absurd. Just what on earth did you grow up eating?"
Julius muttered to himself from a chair beside the bed, peeling fruit with a small military knife without looking at Violet.
"What, still looking like everyone owes you money even after seeing me back among the living?"
Hearing Julius's tone, Violet was reminded of the Moon God Festival night, when Julius had suddenly barged in with his foul temper and chewed her out head to toe.
Ever since meeting her fellow War Gods, Julius had spoken the least.
And this was what came out the moment he finally opened his mouth.
"..."
Yet uncharacteristically, Julius didn't complain any further this time, quietly slicing the peeled apple into wedges.
"Don't start bickering the moment you two see each other, meow," Bianca sighed, pursing her cat-like lips.
Back when Julius had learned that Violet was still alive, his eyes had gone completely red. Yet now, the perpetually proud Julius had reverted to his cool, aloof demeanor.
A long silence followed.
None of the other War Gods spoke either, seeming to wait for Julius.
"Violet... I was out of line that day."
Julius stopped his little military knife and apologized to Violet.
"I'm used to it. Could I really blame you?" Violet answered with a laugh.
"..."
Another stretch of silence fell over Julius.
From his seat on the far sofa, Salon gripped the hilt of his sword a bit tighter—a detail Bianca promptly caught with alert eyes.
She sensed he wasn't drawing his sword for a real fight; he was just getting impatient.
"By the way, now that Hyacinthus is gone, doesn't that leave the position of the Empire's Supreme Commander vacant?"
Seeing that Julius seemed struck mute, Violet turned to the other War Gods in the room and asked.
By order of succession, Salon, the strongest remaining War God, was a martial maniac. He was unlikely to agree to take over as Supreme Commander; if Salon wanted anything at all, it was probably only to spar with monsters like Sigrid and Loren.
"The role of the new Supreme Commander was originally supposed to fall to Jasper, but she found it hard to accept her two consecutive blunders, so she nominated Julius to succeed the position instead," said Ryan. Even without the heavy duties of a War God, a marquis was never truly idle, and he shared the latest decisions reached over the past two days.
The first mistake Jasper referred to was being manipulated by the vampires without realizing it, turning on her comrades and nearly causing a catastrophe—something Ryan understood all too well from personal experience.
The second was their failure to trust Julius during the final decisive battle. Yet reality had proved that Julius's judgment was right all along.
Ryan counted himself fortunate that, at least this time, he had chosen correctly.
The other War Gods had likewise endorsed the proposal for Julius to take over as Supreme Commander.
"Why Julius?"
Violet looked thoroughly bewildered.
She had only been asleep for about a week.
Yet everyone seemed to have lost their minds, backing the very man nobody had ever dared trust with the position of Supreme Commander before.
In Violet's memory, Julius's greatest ambition had always been to become Supreme Commander. He had often seemed eager for the Empire's foundations to blow up that very instant just so he could seize Hyacinthus's mantle of command.
"Shows how much you know, meow! During this turmoil in Brillda, Julius was the most dependable one among us," Bianca explained to Violet with pride. "He puts on a reckless front sometimes, and sometimes he really is reckless, but his head is actually razor-sharp. When push came to shove, he stood firm on his own will and did what was right."
That day, even she and Ryan had been fooled by Julius—or rather, they had been genuinely moved by his sincerity.
From beginning to end, Julius had never once betrayed the Creti Empire.
Had he failed, he would have carried eternal infamy, branded a traitor in future history books.
"Well then, congratulations are truly in order, Julius," Violet said, a hint of surprise lingering on her face. She had never imagined that this brash man, seemingly the least suited to command, would prove to be the most trustworthy, steadfast comrade when it mattered most.
Seeing the expressions on Bianca, Salon, and Ryan, Violet could guess the extent of Julius's contributions to the Empire during the upheaval.
Some things might not be accurately judged through everyday interactions and surface impressions, but a battle deciding the fate of the Creti Empire left no room for doubt.
"Some things change completely the moment you get them. In the past, I really wanted to be Supreme Commander, but now I feel things are fine just the way they are."
There wasn't the slightest smugness on Julius's face; he spoke in a remarkably calm, matter-of-fact tone.
When it came down to actually stepping into the role, Julius realized there were many things he could never handle as well as Hyacinthus had.
Perhaps from the very beginning, his desire to be Supreme Commander had just been driven by wounded pride and competitive spite.
If he sacrificed what he already possessed in exchange for what he lacked, forgetting what made him truly happy, that would be truly straying from the path.
"Well, I suppose I have to look at you in a whole new light, Julius," Violet sighed in relief.
Perhaps she had underestimated Julius all along.
Then again, her observations had probably only ever scratched the surface—just as she had failed to see Hyacinthus's inner struggle and pain, and failed to see the fierce resolve and unwavering conviction in Julius.
"Of course, it wasn't just my doing. It was mostly thanks to our friends in the Silver Moon Restoration Society," Julius said, the corners of his mouth curving into a rare slight smile.
At first, when he had chatted with everyone as Number Four, he had simply thought these companions were good people.
Now he was certain.
They were exceptionally good.
Even as the War Gods chatted, footsteps and voices approached outside the door.
"Lanqi, now you understand what I meant last time when I said, 'If you were even slightly less capable, you'd probably be a hospital regular,' right?"
"I remember saying back then that I prioritize my health and make it my goal to stay far away from hospitals, and you replied, 'Good for you.' At the time, I really thought you were praising me."
"Well, good for you."
"Hyperion, you've changed. You never used to be this brazenly sarcastic to my face!"
Accompanying the banter of the young man and woman echoing down the fifth-floor corridor, a knock sounded on the ward door.
"Come in," Violet called.
The door pushed open to reveal Lanqi and Hyperion arriving with gifts for their visit.
"Violet, sorry I'm late. Here are some handmade pastries—brought them over straight out of the oven," Lanqi greeted her, setting the wrapped pastry box onto the table.
They could have left earlier, but Talia had asked them to wait a bit because her pastries were almost done, wanting them to deliver them to Violet.
During the Moon God Festival in the Headmaster's office at the Grand Sanctuary, Violet had fed Talia a generous amount of Saint Creti Monastery's specialty waffles. To repay that kindness, Talia had insisted on baking something for Violet no matter what.
Even now, Talia was still busy in the kitchen back at the residence, cooking for the many mouths at Professor Landry's estate. In addition, Violet's lunch and dinner had essentially been taken over by the Saint Creti Monastery branch of Boss Cat Restaurant.
Meanwhile, Boss Cat and Sigrid were still in the kitchen helping Talia.
"Mmm, smells wonderful! I can't eat all this by myself—everyone, help me out," Violet said, a pleased expression washing over her face the moment she opened the box. Just catching the aroma told her it would be delicious, prepared with genuine care and dedication by the cook.
"Oh, right. Magic-type wolves really do eat far less than physical-type wolves," Lanqi muttered to himself as the realization struck him.
The second-biggest appetite in their household currently belonged to a physical-type wolf; Talia had probably assumed Violet's appetite matched Sigrid's.
"Lanqi, there you go again..." Hyperion gave him a look.
Even though Lanqi clearly wasn't working on her daily quest right now, if she turned a blind eye now, no one might speak up for her when Lanqi worked on hers in the future.
"Physical-type wolf?" Violet asked, puzzled.
She could roughly deduce that "magic-type wolf" referred to herself.
But was there actually a physical-type wolf being compared to her?
"More companions will probably come visit you later. The Bishop of Domination is also of your kin—you'll meet her. Since you only woke up today, no one wanted to disturb you too much. You still need plenty of rest," Lanqi explained.
He knew she had just regained consciousness, and the War Gods would still need to spend a long time reviewing everything with her, walking her through what had happened over the past week.
"It really is wondrous. I never thought I'd meet another clansman so powerful in this era."
Although Violet had long since integrated seamlessly into human society, the thought of another Wolf Clan follower blessed by the Moon Goddess still felt magical.
"If your spirits are up for it, you can meet her at noon. Right now she's helping the cook prepare lunch," Lanqi said as he pondered.
"Of course, I feel great right now," Violet nodded firmly.
During recovery after severe injuries, wolf warriors were usually mentally drained while their physical endurance remained intact, whereas wolf sages found their physical strength languid while their spirits remained vibrant and sharp.
"Aside from lunch, is there anything else you'd like us to bring you?" Lanqi asked Violet.
Since they all resided within Saint Creti Monastery, Secretary Naila maintained strict security over the hospital's fifth floor where Violet stayed. Only close companions like Lanqi and the others could easily visit, so if she needed anything, they could conveniently bring it along.
"Um..." Violet thought for a moment. "How is that big gray cat from the time you came to see me at the Grand Sanctuary office? I was too embarrassed to mention it back then, but I really wanted to hold it and play with it. However, I had to keep up appearances as headmaster, so all I could do was bring out more snacks and watch you feed it."
She looked up at Lanqi, asking.
Whenever Violet thought back to that big gray cat that looked like a plush pillow, she felt particularly envious of Professor Landry.
"Well..." Lanqi suddenly found himself tongue-tied, as if his vocal cords had dropped away.
Violet probably wouldn't believe it if he told her, but that big gray cat was currently repaying a debt of gratitude by cooking—and furthermore, that cat wasn't something anyone was allowed to pet.
"Huh? We have a big gray cat at home?" Hyperion looked at Lanqi beside her in surprise.
"Violet, are you sure you didn't see a tiny black cat that day?" Bianca asked, gesturing Boss Cat's size with her hands.
She had a particularly vivid memory of Professor Landry's cat.
"It definitely wasn't Little Black Bread," Violet said, shaking her head.
She had spotted Professor Landry's tier-six kitten from afar on campus before. According to Naila and the students, that contracted beast was called Little Black Bread.
"It... it's actually Little Black Bread's friend. A big stray cat, the sort that wanders beneath the city walls to steal food from smaller cats. Seeing how cute it was, I fed it a few times, and over time we grew familiar. Even though it's quite aloof, it actually felt quite close to you, Violet. I'll see if it's willing to come along," Lanqi finally replied, biting the bullet.
He didn't want to lie.
If that cat had been transformed by him, he would have readily admitted it.
But that was Tata in cat form, and he had promised Tata he would protect her privacy and secrets.
"That would be wonderful!" Violet clapped her hands with a bright smile.
She had assumed the cat wouldn't warm up to anyone except Professor Landry; who knew it was so easily won over by food?
"Toriado and Abigail will also be coming over later. Now that the war is over and there's no more trouble from the Dimension Branch, Abigail is pouring all her energy into preparing the new chapter of Holy War Romance. Her schedule is so packed that even after learning you woke up, she couldn't immediately drop everything and leave the opera house staff behind to come over," Lanqi explained, shifting the topic to the founding leaders of the Silver Moon Restoration Society.
Free of her duties with the Silver Moon Restoration Society, Abigail had actually become busier.
Of course, Lanqi believed that creation truly thrived on genuine passion. Those who labored at creation could never surpass those who took pure joy in it, and Abigail was someone who truly enjoyed the creative process.
"I'm really looking forward to the premiere of the new chapter of Holy War Romance," Violet remarked.
She would likely be quite bored during this period, and passing the time would become her entire daily routine.
"Probably early next year. Not too far off," Lanqi guessed, calculating the timeline.
According to Abigail's current requirements, they would first film a music video as a teaser trailer. Later, the co-production between Hutton and Creti—the Half-Witch chapter of Holy War Romance—would officially debut at the Ikerite Opera House. The local scenery there suited the primary historical setting of the original Half-Witch tale much better.
Abigail had long wanted to take a vacation in the neighboring Hutton Kingdom, and she was well-acquainted with many renowned directors and actors in Ikerite.
As for the actual premiere, Abigail had still requested Lanqi, currently on break, to reprise his acclaimed role as the Governor.
Since the premiere was still far off and Lanqi had almost no pressing commitments in the foreseeable future, he had agreed to clear his schedule in advance.
With proper rehearsals this time, it wouldn't be like being thrust on stage at the last second without preparation.
More importantly, the female lead was a young, dependable girl who gave him immense peace of mind. Barring Hyperion being body-snatched by an alien soul, nothing could possibly go wrong; Lanqi could put his mind completely at ease.
He glanced at Hyperion beside him, reflecting on this in his thoughts.
Chapter 857