The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 380: The Only Customers

Aldrian and the others entered the church, where they were immediately greeted by a priest. Given the tense situation, the church had to ensure its safety, so a priest stepped forward to offer his assistance.

"May I know the purpose of your visit?" the priest asked.

"We simply wish to pray for a safe journey. We have business in this empire, and with the current state of affairs, we hope the heavens will grant us their grace and protection," Aldrian said.

The priest nodded, but he still found it strange as he looked at Aldrian’s group. Among them was an elf, which was unusual. According to common knowledge, elves worship the Heavenly Tree of the world directly and using the World Tree as their medium to receive its blessings. So why had they brought an elf to the Heavenly Direction Church?

"The heavens hear each of our prayers. You may pray as much as you like—have faith, and you will be blessed," the priest said.

"Thank you, Father," Aldrian replied before he and the others took their seats in the nave. ƒreewebɳovel.com

At the far end of the nave stood the church’s symbol, depicting the heavens. Aldrian gazed at it for a moment. Though different, it still bore some resemblance to the symbol of the absolute ruler—the symbol of his power.

"My dear, you didn’t come to the church just to pray to the heavens, did you? What are you planning?" Sylphia whispered to Aldrian. The others also looked at him curiously, eager to know what he had in mind.

Aldrian smiled at her. "Like I said earlier, that soldier who recorded the arrival of travelers at the teleportation station seemed to know something about the traitor. Visiting the church is just a bait to confirm whether the traitor is Cardinal Carsius and not someone else. Think about it—what would they assume if I visited the church with all those eyes watching us?"

Xin Haotian smiled and closed his eyes.

"I see. You’re trying to make them believe that we were sent by the main church to hunt for a traitor. If they really are involved, we can expect them to take action against us. But if they ignore us, then it might just be a misunderstanding," he said.

"Exactly! Wow, it’s not like normal you to have such a quick and sharp mind," Aldrian said.

Xin Haotian ignored him and kept his eyes closed, unwilling to entertain Aldrian’s joke. Sylphia and the others finally understood the true purpose behind this visit and nodded to themselves. This was the most effective way to ensure that neither side misunderstood the other and to confirm whether their suspicions were correct.

After a few minutes of sitting inside the church, Aldrian finally stood up.

"Let’s go. I think this is enough to make them believe we were sent by the church. Now, we wait and see whether they take action or not."

They left the church and continued walking without any particular direction. Roaming the city, they observed the situation, occasionally stopping to ask passersby about certain places before moving on. Their actions were no different from those of travelers sightseeing in a foreign city.

However, given the current state of the city, their behavior seemed unusual and suspicious. They were even stopped by patrolling soldiers a few times because of it. But that was exactly what Aldrian wanted—to leave a stronger impression on those tailing them, making it appear as if they were searching for someone.

Aldrian continued this act until noon before leading the group to a restaurant. It was the only one still open despite the destruction the city had suffered. The owner seemed unfazed by the war and kept the place running, and Aldrian’s group were the only customers to step inside.

A waiter approached them to take their order after they settled at their table.

"Sir, are you travelers from outside the empire?" the waiter suddenly asked Aldrian after noting down their orders.

"Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?"

"No, sir, it’s just... I wanted to warn you to be careful of the second prince’s faction. This territory used to belong to the Weilmar Barony, a noble family that opposed the second prince. Because of that, many people here have suffered persecution from his faction. Countless individuals have been falsely accused of hiding rebels or harboring rebellious intent—and executed because of it," the waiter whispered.

"Is that so? A truly terrible situation. Then why is this restaurant still open despite all of this?"

"That is because—"

"That is because this is my pride."

A deep voice interrupted them. Aldrian turned to see an old man emerging from the back kitchen, walking toward them.

An old man with a white beard, white hair, and a white chef’s attire stood before them. From his presence alone, he seemed like a highly experienced cook.

"I have never closed this restaurant since the day it was founded, and I won’t close it now, no matter the situation," the old man said as he stepped behind the waiter.

"Bring them our best drink first," he instructed.

The waiter immediately responded with a nod and excused himself.

"I’ll give you those drinks for free," the old man continued. "Consider it a gift for being the first customers in days since those bastards arrived."

Aldrian tilted his head.

"You don’t seem afraid of the soldiers from the second prince’s faction at all."

"Why would I be afraid? This is my place, my territory, and I’m free to say whatever I want. They came here, destroying this city and the lives within it—why should I be polite to them? If they come for me and kill me, then so be it. I will only lament that as the end of my life and fate," the old man said in an irritated tone.

"Ah, where are my manners? I was just so happy to finally have customers that I started talking without introducing myself. You can call me York," the old man added.

"I’m Aldrian."

"I heard you came from outside the empire. Given the empire’s current state, it’s rare for outsiders to visit this city. If you’ve come all this way, it must be for something important," York said.

"Yes, it is. We’re looking for someone."

"Someone?"

"Yes—"

Before Aldrian could finish his sentence, the waiter returned with their drinks, placing them on the table before excusing himself. Aldrian glanced at him, then smiled at York.

"You have a loyal employee, Sir York."

"Ahahaha, yes, he is truly loyal to me. Even after all the other employees resigned due to the current situation, he was the only one who stayed. Maybe it’s because I gave him a job when he had nothing and was starving."

Aldrian took a sip of the drink, savoring the sweet and refreshing taste on his tongue. His eyes widened slightly as he glanced at the golden-yellow liquid.

"This is really good, Sir York," Aldrian praised.

"Isn’t it? This is my restaurant’s specialty—a drink made from the essence of golden-winged bee honey, mixed with spiritual herbs to enhance its refreshing effect."

Aldrian closed his eyes, taking another sip as he immersed himself in the flavor. When he slowly opened them again, he noticed old man York frowning as he stared toward the restaurant entrance.

Not long after, a group of people entered the restaurant. They were clad in armor, each bearing the emblem of a noble family, with red capes draped over their backs. However, one man stood out, he was not wearing armor but instead dressed in noble attire.

The man exuded the aura of a Duke-stage cultivator, while the twelve knights behind him radiated Duke and Grand Duke-stage cultivation.

He was a young-looking man with black hair, quite handsome at first glance. However, despite his good looks and the charm he exuded, Aldrian already had the urge to punch him. There was just something about his face that felt incredibly punchable.

As the group entered, the young man in noble attire glanced in Aldrian’s direction. At first, his gaze fell on the old man York, before shifting to Aldrian and the rest of the group. However, when his eyes landed on Sylphia, they widened as if he had just seen something precious. Without hesitation, he began walking toward them.

"This is bad. That man is the young master of the Xadian family, one of the noble houses supporting the second prince. It seems he’s taken an interest in your group. I’ll try to hold them off while you escape." Old man York’s voice echoed in Aldrian’s mind through a voice transmission.

"What about you? You’ll put yourself in danger if you against them," Aldrian responded.

"My customers come first. Besides, you’re the first customers I’ve had in days, so I consider you special," Old man York replied.

Hearing York’s response, Aldrian smiled and turned his gaze toward the approaching group.

"You don’t have to worry about us, Sir York," he said, his smile suddenly taking on an eerie chill.

"Because I’ve been waiting for them."

Sylphia and the others, upon seeing that seemingly harmless, handsome smile, felt a shiver run down their spines. They knew all too well—there was no way that smile wasn’t dangerous.

For anyone who became Aldrian’s target, it was always a very, very bad sign.