The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 450: Her Excessive worry

Pope Claudius handed a small towel to Angelica so she could wipe the sweat from her face. He offered her a warm smile, his eyes filled with pride as she gratefully accepted the towel. After dabbing her face once, she let out a soft sigh.

"I thought I could pass this level today, but it looks like I was too optimistic," she said, glancing toward the training platform.

"Don’t be too hard on yourself. For someone who could barely walk not long ago, this is already far beyond my expectations," Pope Claudius replied with a smile.

Angelica continued to wipe her face and neck until the pope spoke again.

"It seems something happened in the Caritas city."

Angelica froze. Her expression quickly turned to worry.

"What happened, Father? Is he alright?"

The pope sighed. "Look at you—the first question you ask is about his well-being, not anyone else’s. Poor people, you don’t even spare a thought for them. Are you already—"

"Father!"

"Hahaha." Angelica blushed as the pope laughed. He truly enjoyed teasing this woman, whom he had long considered his daughter.

Since Aldrian left, she often asked about his situation and well-being. She sought out any news related to him, which made Pope Claudius sigh, she had never shown this much concern for anyone else, not even close, the way she did for Aldrian. Well, except him of course.

However, he neither blamed nor scolded her for focusing so much on Aldrian. After all, Aldrian had also done so much for their well-being and for the church as a whole. He was also the one who had given her the ability to walk and see again. It was only natural that her attention would be drawn to him, making his presence deeply etched in her mind.

When news of the mysterious swordsman’s involvement in the civil war began to spread, Angelica couldn’t help but worry. The pope felt worry as well, because in his heart, he believed Aldrian was doing all of this to pursue the traitor, Cardinal Carsius. After all, they were among the few who knew the truth, Aldrian was the mysterious swordsman.

His fame had grown ever since, and by now, many people across the continent were familiar with a sketch of his face. Although the drawing wasn’t a perfect match, it still resembled him well enough. They still didn’t understand what Aldrian intended by making himself the center of attention this time, but it seemed he no longer cared much about maintaining his air of mystery.

Pope Claudius suspected that Aldrian was nearly ready to reveal himself to the world—not as the "mysterious swordsman," but as Aldrian.

"Alright, alright. Here’s the news I just received from that city. Of course Aldrian is fine—do you really think anyone could stop him with his strength?" the pope said. "I’m more worried about the fate of the second prince’s faction. What if Aldrian goes too far and slaughters them all for refusing his demands? We’d lose a significant portion of Atria’s human resources right when the time of the prophecy draws near."

"This morning, Caritas City was struck by a strange outbreak of illness, which turned out to be caused by a gu infection. They said the gu was unlike anything they’d seen before. Thousands have already died, and the number kept rising—until Aldrian finally managed to contain it."

Upon hearing that, Angelica felt a wave of relief. As long as Aldrian was safe, she could breathe easier. She couldn’t help but think about him constantly. Ever since the first time they met, there had been something different about him—something she couldn’t quite grasp. At first, she thought it was because Aldrian was the one mentioned in the prophecy, someone who naturally held a special place in her mind.

However, as time went on, she realized that her attention toward him wasn’t normal anymore. She always wanted to know how he was doing, what he was working on, and what he wanted. It only grew worse after Aldrian healed her eyes and legs, sometimes, he even appeared in her dreams.

Sometimes, he appeared with the same face he had now. Other times, his face was different. And yet, she always knew it was still him. No matter the face, her heart would race whenever she saw him, even just in her mind. It made her feel shy and it was the first time she had ever felt that way.

"I’m glad he’s alright and that the problem was resolved... but what if we went there?" Angelica asked, her tone tinged with worry. "Even if he managed to contain the outbreak, what if some of it still remains? It could still endanger people in the future and cause trouble for Aldrian."

Pope Claudius sighed at his daughter, who seemed overly worried about Aldrian.

"You want to go there in person? I don’t think that’s necessary. With his abilities, he can solved the problem without taking too much time. Many have even said that what he did in Caritas, where he healed so many people at once, was nothing short of a miracle."

"Our people at the church branch in Caritas described Aldrian as a divine being who descended to the mortal world to help the suffering. With his unfathomable abilities, he healed everyone at once. Many were completely recovered, and countless voices rose in praise. His presence in Caritas has become revered, to the point where some already see him as a god, especially among the mortal population."

The pope paused for a moment after recounting the report.

"With that kind of reputation, I don’t think he needs our interference. I believe he knows his own limits. If he needs help, he’ll ask for it. But if you suddenly show up in Caritas, we might end up causing unnecessary trouble for him. Remember your status, my dear. You are the Saintess of the Church. Your appearance in Caritas would cause an uproar—because a visit like that is far from ordinary."

"Aldrian would be implicated by it, as many rumors would arise about his connection to the Church as a whole and to you specifically. Heck, even now, many are already suspicious of his ties to us. If his connection to the Church were confirmed, it could disrupt every plan Aldrian has carefully laid out in his mind, because he would have to consider the Church’s position in every action he takes."

The pope paused for a moment, letting Angelica take in his words.

"You don’t want to give him trouble, do you?" he asked gently.

Angelica lowered her head and nodded.

Pope Claudius smiled as he gently stroked her head.

"Good. Just believe in him—he can overcome anything in his path. He is the Heaven’s chosen one, after all."

Angelica could only sigh and turn her gaze toward the other presences in the hall. She and Pope Claudius weren’t the only ones inside the training hall. Two other figures sat on the side of the platform, quietly observing their conversation.

One was a man with short black hair, and the other a woman with long black hair. Though they gave off no noticeable aura, Angelica knew better than to underestimate them. Both were emperor-stage beasts in human form.

The great Peng and the Phoenix, now in their human forms, sat quietly within the church grounds. These were the very creatures Aldrian had summoned through the Devil’s Summoning Formation. Beings as powerful as they were carrying the devil energy inside them, had stepped into the heart of the Church and acted as if nothing were out of place. And yet, no one dared to stop them.

Their presence within the main church’s ground was an event that had never occurred before.

There was a reason for that. To avoid suspicion, Pope Claudius had given them new identities. He informed the other church members that these two were beasts Aldrian had obtained during his raid on a devil’s base hidden within church territory. Since that time, they had become Aldrian’s mounts.

Most of the members accepted the explanation without question. After all, it involved Aldrian, and his position in the hearts of the Church’s followers was so strong that no one dared to challenge it.

Even though there were many things suspicious about the two beasts, especially their overwhelming strength as emperor-stage beings, no one looked into it further. As long as Aldrian desired it, they would follow without hesitation.

Angelica was truly amazed that Aldrian had been able to summon beasts like these, since she already knew their true identities.

The great Peng and the Phoenix continued to gaze in her direction, their faces blank and expressionless, as if they were watching something uninteresting. In truth, they were always present whenever Angelica trained. They simply wished to pass the time and observe the activities of this woman who seemed to have a close connection with their master.

Since she knew their true identities and their connection to Aldrian, Angelica had already tried several times to speak with them, hoping to build some kind of conversation or relationship. However, their silent nature was incredibly difficult to break through. They never initiated conversation, which frustrated her deeply.

Forget about speaking to her— even the great Peng and the Phoenix rarely spoke to each other. Even when only the two of them alone, they still preferred silence.

But this time, something was different.

The Phoenix suddenly broke the silence and spoke first.

"Have you been experiencing strange visions since we heard the guqin sounds?" she asked the great Peng.