Miles was kicked straight out of the grand cathedral.
Literally shoved and booted out by Sylvia herself.
The reason was simple: what Miles had done was far too outrageous.
To make even a nun who tried her best to remain gentle, one who had heard countless sins in the confessional and could still say "The Lord will forgive you", this anger was no small feat.
"So, was I really that out of line?"
"If I'm being fair and impartial," Irena shot Miles a sidelong glance, "the fact that the nun didn't have you arrested already is her being very generous."
"That was way too much, Miles!" Nova added.
In the current structure of the Empire, where divine authority and royal authority stood side by side, members of the clergy unquestionably held a status no lower than that of the nobility.
Publicly storming the cathedral the way Miles did was more than enough to get him arrested for disturbing public order.
"Really? But I think she's kind of cute."
As he said that, Miles even reached up and gently patted the little snake girl sprawled across his shoulder after manifesting physically.
This was the monster summoning Miles had completed on the spot inside the cathedral.
Although the summoning energy within the Spirit Eye had been abundant at the time, Miles could tell that the total amount stored wasn't outrageously high. It shouldn't have caused any damage to the surroundings, so he released the card right then and there.
What Miles considered was whether it would cause destruction nearby. What he did not consider at all was the location, the timing… and the country.
[D/D Lamia] Level 1│DARK│Fiend/Tuner│100 ATK
Lamia, the half-woman, half-snake female monster from Greek mythology. The D/D version appeared as a mini form that looked not yet fully grown, which was why she could cling to Miles' shoulder in physical form.
"Cute, huh…" Irena looked at the Lamia on Miles' shoulder with a complicated expression. "I'm kind of scared of reptiles, Miles-sama. You should hurry up and rein it in."
"What do you mean by reptiles?" Miles teased the little snake girl's smooth belly with his fingertip. "This one here is a genuine Fiend."
A genuine Fiend had been born inside a sacred cathedral. That act alone was already enough to provoke such a holy place.
And that wasn't even mentioning that [D/D Lamia] was a Tuner monster.
A Fusion nation, and you summon a Tuner monster in an Xyz Empire? What exactly are you trying to do?
With both sins combined, that was why Miles had been kicked out of the cathedral by Sister Sylvia.
Still, being able to summon the D/D Tuner monster Lamia within the holy Varian Empire was an unexpected surprise for Miles.
As a D/D/D that possessed every summoning method, the first D/D/D card Miles ever obtained was the Synchro Monster [D/D/D Gust King Alexander].
Although [D/D/D Gust King Alexander] had been summoned by a rampaging copy back then, it was still using the same body as his current self.
The reason Miles had never performed a Synchro Summon of [D/D/D Gust King Alexander] himself was due to the restriction conditions of D/D/D Synchro Summoning.
"D/D Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters"
Miles simply did not have any D/D Tuner monsters.
So the birth of this [D/D Lamia] was effectively the same as opening the path of D/D/D Synchro Summoning for Miles.
That was precisely why Miles liked this little snake girl so much—enough to let her perch on his shoulder.
It wasn't until they finished wandering around the imperial capital and returned to the consulate that Miles finally sealed Lamia back into her card.
"QvQ Mr. Miles, you're finally back."
After suffering an entire afternoon of political social work, Aisha immediately pounced over to cry the moment she saw Miles and the others return.
"There, there~" Miles rubbed Aisha's white hair and comforted her. "You did great, hard-working Royal Knight!"
"Mr. Miles, you're being mean!"
Aisha knew better than anyone that the true Royal Knight was supposed to be Miles. What she was doing now was just substitute labor.
Of course, if it were Miles staying at the consulate, smiling and receiving wave after wave of imperial nobles… given his personality, he would have quit on the spot.
Royal Knight? Not worth it. Might as well go home and chop some wood.
"It was just an afternoon warm-up, and you're already done for, Aisha?"
Unlike Aisha's awkwardness, Alice—well-versed in noble social circles—declared that this kind of scene was nothing more than a walk in the park, her expression quite relaxed.
Sensing something ominous, Aisha's ahoge stood straight up and trembled nervously. "Sis… you said the afternoon was just a warm-up. Don't tell me there's more tonight?"
"Hehe. The ones who came this afternoon were all minor families. Tonight's banquet is the real main event."
"Because Prince Homar's status is special, as a guest among guests, the Empire's two great families are specifically hosting a banquet to welcome Prince Homar. Of course, our Carlos family will be attending too."
"Ehhh!"
Dragging out a despairing cry, Aisha—who thought she'd finally be free after an afternoon of work—never expected an even more serious occasion to be waiting for her at night.
'Ashen-faced' was probably the best way to describe Aisha Carlos right now.
"There's still work tonight? Then I'll be heading out first—"
Hearing that the banquet would be even more formal, Miles was just about to slip away when his wrist was firmly grabbed by Aisha.
"Um, Miss Aisha?"
"You're not allowed to run away, Mr. Miles. This time, you have to accompany me!"
"O-Okay."
After all, back when he was still a guardian spirit, they had always shared hardships together.
Now that he had obtained a body, leaving Aisha alone to deal with situations like this would indeed feel a bit heartless.
Meanwhile, inside the imperial capital's grand cathedral, in the changing room, Sylvia removed the nun's habit she had worn all day, revealing a snow-white, graceful back like a work of art. Yet there was a hint of loneliness on her exquisitely beautiful face.
"So I really did kick Miles out. Even though it's rare to meet such a boy who hits all my buttons… sigh, what a waste."
With the nun's habit removed and her clerical identity set aside, Sylvia seemed to have fewer concerns, no longer paying excessive attention to Miles' demon-entangled soul.
"Still… we probably won't have a chance to meet again."
In such a vast imperial capital, trying to find an ordinary traveler would be like looking for a needle in the ocean, nearly impossible.
On top of that, with how explosively angry she'd been when she chased Miles away, there was no way he'd honor that promise to come visit her when he had time.
"Forget it. He's just a boy, that's all. Pull yourself together!"
Changing out of the sacred nun's habit and into a luxurious evening gown, Sylvia—as the eldest daughter of the Diane family—was certain to attend tonight's most important banquet.
Prince Homar Kaiser of Livorden and Royal Knight Aisha Carlos; neither was someone she could afford to slight.
And given the Empire's current dire situation, only by borrowing this strength would there be any chance to break this dangerous balance.
"Stop thinking with your lower body. Look at the big picture!"
Fully changed, Sylvia patted her smooth cheeks with both hands and pulled herself together, shaking off the regret of losing that boy.
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