Celitia carefully examined for a while, then looked up and said to the enthusiastic villager:
"It's grape wine cellared for three years."
"It can really be tested?" The enthusiastic villager widened his eyes in disbelief. "This bottle of wine was indeed cellared for exactly three years!"
"Of course, that's what authentication magic does," Celitia smiled. "Though its uses aren't limited to just this."
Hearing Celitia say this, the watching villagers imdiately beca excited:
"I have a family heirloom antique vase at ho, never knew if it was real or fake. I'll go get it right now—please authenticate it for !"
"I have a bottle of wine passed down from my father, don't know how old it is. Please authenticate it for too!!"
Shanie didn't know whether to laugh or cry, frantically waving her hands at everyone: "Wait, wait! Everyone, don't rush!"
Benita walked over holding the longsword: "Let's take care of business first."
Seeing this, Olar's face turned sowhat green: "Wait a minute!"
"What's wrong?" Celitia glanced at him coolly, smiling. "Afraid of being exposed by ? Don't dare to authenticate anymore?"
"How could that be?" Olar reflexively retorted, his face flushing red and white.
Having reached this point, he was already in too deep to back out.
Olar could only pray in his heart that this sword was at least ten years old.
That way, he'd still have room to make excuses!
Benita placed the longsword in the center of the formation, and Celitia activated the authentication magic again.
Dim light covered the sword blade, and in the flickering radiance, it seed as if ti was flowing backward. The rust gradually faded away, and the originally rust-covered sword returned to its original appearance.
"It's a sword that was just forged half a year ago," Celitia said flatly. "The hilt was deliberately aged, and the rust on the blade was intentionally created just these past few days."
As Celitia's words fell, the light flickered slightly, the authentication magic ended, and the longsword returned to its original appearance.
Staring at that longsword, thick annoyance and irritation rose in Olar's eyes.
If Celitia hadn't interfered, framing an ordinary free citizen wouldn't need to be this troubleso.
Just casually fake so treasure, stuff it in his field, then send people to dig it up—that would be conclusive evidence, enough for conviction.
But now it had turned into this situation, unable to succeed quickly, with more and more onlookers gathering.
Choosing to fra soone was because they still wanted to maintain that top layer of dignity.
So no matter what, Olar couldn't give in.
"Everyone, don't be deceived by this woman! Celitia is my sister—I know her very well! When she was at ho, she never learned any authentication magic!"
Olar said loudly. "That bottle of grape wine just now was just her getting lucky and guessing right! Everyone, don't believe her nonsense!!"
Celitia glanced at him, her smile unchanged:
"Really? If one isn't convincing enough, then let's try several more. Just now many villagers hoped to authenticate things from their hos too. Let's invite them over to try. This magic crystal stone still has sufficient magical power—doing dozens more authentications is no problem."
How could he dare let Celitia continue authenticating? Olar widened his eyes and vigorously waved at his followers behind him:
"Quick, go capture them and bring them before the baron!"
Olar couldn't care about anything else anymore and could only rely on superior numbers to forcibly take them away.
"Finally not even wanting face anymore?" Celitia laughed, leisurely standing up and patting the dust from her hands.
Shanie had been holding back for a long ti, cracking her knuckles, planning to beat down all the approaching followers.
At this mont, a loud voice suddenly rang out from the periphery:
"I'd like to see who dares make a move?!"
Accompanied by another scream, a follower was lifted from the ground and thrown toward the followers rushing at Celitia.
He cried out chaotically, falling from mid-air and crashing into that group, like scattered bowling pins, rolling into a heap.
A tall woman walked toward Celitia, the breeze lifting her deep red short hair. Her golden-brown eyes had beco lighter due to anger, appearing particularly dazzling in the sunlight.
Whether followers or onlookers, all consciously made way for her, with no one daring to block her path.
"Ariel?" Celitia sighed in relief.
She hadn't expected this commotion to attract Ariel as well.
With Ariel here, forget about taking down Olar—sweeping through half the barony would be enough.
Walking to Celitia's side, Ariel nodded reassuringly at her, then frowned and scrutinized Olar ahead.
"So it's you, Olar. I wondered what all the commotion was about—turns out it's you, this wastrel, causing trouble again!"
Seeing Ariel, Olar's expression imdiately changed, hardly believing it:
"Ariel, how are you here too, and protecting Celitia!"
Olar naturally knew Ariel and had long heard of the Saintess's reputation.
But what Olar found hard to imagine was that Ariel and Celitia seed very familiar, appearing quite intimate.
This woman had not only gained the special attention of Her Majesty the Queen and Her Highness the Princess, but had even hooked up with the Saintess?
Olar was absolutely furious.
"I'm here on behalf of Baron Tucker to handle affairs. Ariel, even if you're the church's Saintess, you have no reason to interfere with !"
As soon as Olar said this, all the villagers were stunned, staring wide-eyed at Ariel.
"What? This is the Saintess?"
"Is this the 'Nation-Saving Saintess' Lady Ariel?"
"Nonsense, does our country have another Saintess?"
"My god, how could the Saintess appear in our countryside?"
"When I saw her yesterday, I thought she was just an ordinary priestess! She won't mind my rudeness, will she?!"
Among these people, Monica, who had previously clashed with Ariel, had the palest face.
Monica looked at Ariel, her body swaying as if about to collapse, struggling to open her mouth as if wanting to apologize to Ariel.
But Ariel just shook her head at her, indicating Monica needn't take it to heart.
Hearing the villagers' discussions and exclamations, Ariel stared coldly at Olar, her overwhelming presence unmistakable.
"Olar, you're clearly the one talking nonsense and causing trouble everywhere, yet you still have the nerve to tell others not to interfere with you?"
Ariel's voice beca increasingly contemptuous. "What did you just say nonsensically—that Lily doesn't know authentication magic at all? Well, I can tell you now that she's a disciple of the renowned authentication master ilan. With your level, you're not qualified to slander her!"
"Renowned authentication master ilan? I've never heard of him?" Olar's face alternated between red and white. "Maybe he's just another swindler!"
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