The wolf beastmen were responsible for guarding the border between the two countries. Eugene took out Captain Richard's "emergency deportation order", successfully crossing the border—this captain found a loophole, claiming their group's identity proofs were irregular, and by law, expelled them from Shiva.
Despite being a zealot, Knight Eugene treated members of other races with impeccable manners. Moreover, with a dog-headed knight among them, the wolf beastmen guards didn't trouble them and straightforwardly opened the border fence.
On both sides of the fence, the blizzard was dense enough to form fog. Thus, the group smoothly entered Gratice.
Perhaps it was psychological, but Nol always felt it was colder here than in Shiva.
Arriving at the "enemy's" headquarters, they had already changed into everyday clothes. Nol changed into a gray-blue thick cloth dress with simple embroidery at the hem; Teest received a yellow-white long dress with wool trim, which, along with his blond hair and eyes, made him more conspicuous. Painter and Fischer's clothes were modest—dark gray cotton, which was the most common type.
These were "kindly given" by Captain Richard.
Now, recalling Richard's smile made Nol feel somewhat nauseous—he only cared about pleasing young girls with pretty clothes, completely disregarding the dangers of Gratice.
Eugene protested on the spot.
According to him, the Eternal Church didn't discriminate in its diet. Especially now, with Demons rampant, not just young girls but handsome young men were equally in danger. To safely move through this land, regardless of age or gender, there was only one rule: keep as low a profile as possible to avoid attracting attention.
Of course, his advice was decisively ignored by Captain Richard.
Nol made a decision. As soon as they reached the first village, he would discard this troublesome outfit for the most common cotton clothes.
Although Mr. Demon King and Doom Knight weren't afraid of harassment, they needed to send Eugene off first before considering solving the problems for the people.
The nearest village to the border was White Salt Village.
"There are many residents from Shiva in White Salt Village," Saint Bernard explained cheerfully. Unlike other humans, it particularly enjoyed the snow fluttering outside the cart.
"The village chief said the merchants like to use it as a station, so it's a mix… mixed cooking village1!"
"Mixed-race village1?" Painter corrected with a smile.
1Clarity: Saint Bernard is saying cook [zhu] (煮) instead of race [zu] (族) since he's not proficient in the common language.
"Yes, mixed-race." Saint Bernard scratched his ear, his tail wagging happily. "My friend, a Caucasian Polo, sells sheep's cheese and sheepskin here! Shall we go say hello? You all can stay there!"
Logically, this would be the safest option. Unfortunately, "safety" was precisely what they didn't need at the moment.
"I have relatives here. We can stay at their place," Fischer said softly.
"Oh…" Saint Bernard seemed a bit disappointed.
"Just come with us. He won't mind," Fischer added.
"Oh!" Saint Bernard's tail wagged happily again.
Near White Salt Village, they found a proper road. Finally, the carriage didn't have to struggle through the snow. Saint Bernard simply jumped down from the cart and ran leisurely near it, exhaling puffs of white breath.
Shadow Wolf Ben, seeing the familiar environment, also became restless. It stretched its short legs, jumped gracefully from the cart, and then 'puff' was buried by the snow, creating an increasingly distant pit.
Teest, quick to react, hooked the aggrieved Ben back with a golden thread—another second late, and the guy might have reverted to its original form.
Nol then fed Ben a few pieces of cheese and dried apples, soothing its injured soul.
Upon reaching White Salt Village, the blizzard finally eased, and snowflakes no longer smashed into people's faces. Saint Bernard shook off the snow from his head, leading the way. Eugene, dressed plainly and having swapped his long sword for the more common local long hunting knife, followed at the end of the group.
Compared to the village full of furry inhabitants like Sheepskin Ball Village, White Salt Village wasn't as cute. Here, the snow was crushed by wheels into wet, muddy slush. The buildings were the most common wooden houses, hastily constructed with no unique style.
Perhaps due to the frequent appearance of Demons, the village had an inexplicable sense of silence.
Most of the pedestrians on the street were humans, with the rest sporting a variety of heads. Nol spotted many dog-headed beastmen, bunnymen, catmen, and even the less common leopardmen.
However, here, mostly warm-blooded species with thick fur were present. The common lizardmen, dragonkin, and the Lema serpent clan of Shiva were nowhere to be seen.
Not everyone had the dog-headed beastmen's curiosity. Their group attracted few gazes on the streets. Nol could feel that most of the attention was on Eugene, Teest, and himself—the looks were hardly friendly.
Fischer walked with his chest out, ignoring the surroundings, leading the group to a relatively luxurious building. It was made of stone rather than wood, standing out among the wooden houses like a small castle.
"Uncle Garrison, I'm Fischer." He knocked on the door, calling out as if he was sure someone was inside. "I've brought my friends to stay overnight. Please open the door."
"How many friends?" A grumble came from inside, along with the sound of slippers dragging closer.
"My sisters Teesti and Noli, the respected Sister Holly, Sister Holly's young godson, and our hired dog-headed knight."
Fischer glanced back at Painter and Eugene. Nol swore he saw mischief in Fischer's eyes—though he changed faith, this High Priest was still no good.
With a creak, the door opened. A towering man opened the door, his gaze briefly meeting Fischer's before moving away.
His overly lush beard hid most of his expressions. He stood silently for two seconds, then, with a voice like a bell, said, "Grenier, prepare the guest rooms! Come in quickly. I've just baked a cheese and meat pie, and there's hot sheep's milk on the stove."
"Is the room the same as usual?" Fischer asked as if casually.
"Why? Do you have requests?" The bearded man paused in his actions.
"I remember you have four guest rooms, two of which are servant-style, which are too cramped."
Fischer brushed off the snow from his dress. "Teesti and Noli are inseparable, and Sister Holly and her godson need not be separated either. They are all guests. I can stay in a smaller room. Mr. Saint Bernard, do you mind staying alone?"
"I don't mind!" Warmed by the heat, Saint Bernard's fur was exceptionally fluffy as he exhaled. "I prefer the outside. Any room good enough for sleeping is enough for me."
Teest hugged Nol tighter, very satisfied. Eugene looked a bit embarrassed. "Please let me stay in the small room…"
"That won't do. You've taken care of us so much along the way," Fischer said with a smile. "Here, you are a guest. How can a guest sleep in a servant's room!"
After all, him staying alone would make it easier to "disappear".
Eugene had no response.
Unable to stay in a servant's room, then as a roommate, the older "Sister Holly" indeed seemed more appropriate. In the end, he could only nod.
A religious war without the smell of gunpowder thus ended in a major defeat for the Temple of Life. As Eugene's gaze shifted away, the former Pope maintained an elegant smile, giving Fischer two middle fingers.
High Priest Fischer didn't change his expression, politely returning two middle fingers.
'What peace,' Nol thought expressionlessly.
He decisively took the cheese, meat pie, and sheep's milk prepared by the big-bearded man, taking the clingy Teesti to the room first.
Presumably, under Fischer's secret instruction, the maid Grenier led them to the best guest room.
The room's windows faced the distant cedar forest, hiding White Salt Village's mud out of sight. Near the bedhead were blooming winter blue roses, and the fireplace had sweet and sour apples and soft honey candy baked on it.
In front of the fireplace, there was a small, round pine dining table. The maid placed the meat pie and sheep's milk for them and added a bowl of corn vegetable soup.
"I am the border priest Grenier Gale, and the man earlier is also a border priest, Winpick Garrison."
She smiled. "Lord Faien has instructed us. You two are our esteemed guests. If you need anything, you can call us at any time… Please enjoy your meal."
She drew a perfect circle on her chest and lowered her head as she exited the door, not forgetting to close the door behind her.
"Are they also Chosen Ones?"
Nol tried a piece of the meat pie—it was made with goat meat and sheep cheese, with plenty of spices added. The gamey taste was minimal, and it tasted better than he had imagined.
"They're probably servants of God. They don't have their own church."
Teest leaned out, biting a piece of the pie in Nol's hand. "But if they perform meritorious deeds, they should be able to get a small church in the border area."
Nol cut a small piece of the pie and fed his knight with a fork. "Speaking of which, Fischer is definitely a Chosen One. I almost forgot about that."
Nominally, Teest and Fischer were chosen by the Eternal Son, Anstis, while Painter and Eugene were chosen by the Goddess of Life, Tilia.
Nol suddenly realized that in this six-person team, only he and the dog weren't Chosen Ones. This feeling was a bit peculiar.
"Not long ago, Fischer Reginald told me his oracle." Teest elegantly took a sip of the hot sheep's milk, casually dropping a bombshell. "Ignoring the verbose part about confirming identities, his core prophecy was 'He follows the Deepest Darkness and will witness the most glorious Eternity.'"
"No matter which religion you're from, they are all unique Chosen Ones. If that guy hadn't defected, he could have become the Pope."
It sounded pretty good. Nol also took a sip of sheep's milk.
Compared to Mr. Eugene, who was like a "personification of a Russian roulette of False Gods," Fischer's prophecy was more grandiose and safer. And perhaps the first half of this prophecy had already been fulfilled.
Nol thought about it and cut another piece of the juicy pie, feeding it to the "Deepest Darkness" across him. Teest, who had absorbed the characteristics of the Demon King, might well deserve this title.
The Mad Monk, accustomed to the previous bite size, misjudged his own size. After taking a big bite of the pie, Teest had to puff his cheeks, chewing hard like a squirrel.
…Hmm, maybe he was wrong. Nol looked at the squirrel knight across from him, discarding the profound adjectives from his mind.
The next second, another Deeper Darkness discontentedly jumped out of the shadow, hopped onto the table, and vacuumed up the remaining meat crumbs from the plate like a vacuum cleaner.
Nol promptly grabbed the shadow wolf by the scruff of its neck. The shadow wolf struggled madly, its red eyes gradually moistening. If not for its belly being round and slippery, Nol might have softened.
"Ben, no getting on the table!" Mr. Demon King sternly scolded.
"Cough, cough." Teest finally swallowed the pie, his tongue regaining its freedom. "Speaking of oracles, with such a prophecy on Fischer's head and him not becoming the Pope at his age… Godfrey Painter, who became Pope in his twenties, must have an even more exaggerated oracle."
"Yes," Nol muttered gloomily.
Unfortunately, Mr. Painter was tight-lipped, and they couldn't get half a word out of him. Moreover, since he defected from the church, this question had become even more delicate.
The two exchanged glances for a few seconds and sighed in unison.
That night.
Teest, as usual, held Nol and fell asleep contentedly. But now, with his size disadvantage, the position was awkward. Nol silently adjusted his arm back under the blanket and hugged Teest instead.
Due to malnutrition, eighteen-year-old Teest's bones hadn't fully grown, making him feel somewhat slender. Oddly enough, Nol liked this kind of embrace—peaceful, warm, and comforting.
Finding a comfortable position, Nol buried his nose in Teest's hair and likewise fell into a deep sleep. In the darkness, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened, lifting slightly to gaze at the other's shadowy neck.
Those eyes contained pure confusion.
As the clock ticked away, Teest redirected his gaze back to the other's chest beneath the pajamas. The wedding ring, the key to Paradise, and the two-toned bead of the Demon King formed a pile on Nol's pale skin, leaving faint red marks.
He should be content, Teest thought as he stared at them.
Whether he understood or not, he had received everything.
Nol loved him in a worldly sense, and he reciprocated with a faith that pledged his life… He followed his God, received promises about the end, grasped clues to the truth of the world, and even gained power beyond reason.
He could kiss his God, be close to his God, possess every unknown moment of the other, and never tire of it.
They would never be separated again.
What a perfect situation, far exceeding his initial expectations—back then, he just thought about "maintaining the marriage" and gathering some intelligence.
But Teest couldn't relax.
Something still felt wrong. It wasn't just a matter of physical desire. There was something else…
How terrible. He felt like a baby thrown into the desert at birth. A nameless thirst tormented him, yet he didn't know what he was seeking.
After pondering drowsily for a long time, Teest could only give up. He snuggled closer into Nol's arms, opened his mouth, and left a bite mark on the necklace's red marks.
This made him feel a bit better.
...
The next morning, the script played out on time.
"Sister, Sister Holly!" The maid knocked on the door anxiously. "Is Miss Fischer with you?"
"What's the matter? Child, don't worry. Take your time." Painter was still in yesterday's clothes, looking meticulous.
"What to do!" The maid's eyes filled with tears, and her skirt hem was muddy. "Miss Fischer got up-got up early. She said she was going out to buy some sugar… The store is only a five-minute walk away. It's been almost an hour, and she hasn't come back! I went out to look. The sugar seller said they hadn't seen her. No one has seen her… sob… sob…"
She collapsed on the floor, desperately clutching her skirt. "I should have gone out with her. I should have gone out with her… Mr. Garrison will definitely punish me…"
Painter played along. "I'll call everyone. We'll look together. You have a warm drink first."
"Yes… Yes."
"Miss Fischer is missing?" Eugene frowned.
He was also in yesterday's clothes, with some snowflakes on his shoulder, looking like he had just come back from outside.
"Sir, good sir! Did you go out?" The maid threw herself at Eugene. "Did you see her?"
"This child went out to train earlier." Painter shook his head. "If he had seen anything, he would definitely have mentioned it."
Upon hearing the term "this child", Eugene twitched slightly. He looked at the ground, said nothing, and just silently nodded.
...
For the entire morning, two nuns pretended to search the area, while Knight Saint Bernard sniffed around thoroughly. Eugene asked every household near the stone houses but couldn't find any clues.
Based on the current clues, it seemed as though Sister Fischer vanished into thin air as soon as she stepped outside, with even Eugene, the most astute Investigation Knight, unable to find any leads.
"If even Sir Knight can't find her, Fischer must have been abducted by a Demon!" Sister Teesti said timidly, on the brink of tears. "What do we do? What do we do? There are still Demons here. Noli, you must be safe…"
"Don't cry, we'll keep looking here. We'll definitely find her." Sister Noli softly comforted her. "Let's find her before we leave, okay?"
"Mm-hmm…"
Knight Saint Bernard continued sniffing around nearby, his nose particularly moist. "Right! I must find her. She's still a guest of Sheepskin Ball Village!"
"Ah, Goddess above…" Painter prayed anxiously. "Well then, let's investigate more carefully for a few more days. I believe the Goddess will bestow a miracle."
Perfect combo!
From the shadows, Nol, Teest, and Painter all glanced towards Eugene simultaneously.
Paradise had provided intelligence in advance. Knight Eugene's mission was "to investigate the whereabouts of Drake and his party". His destination was Ice Rock City, and he was just supposed to escort them along the way, not delay in this small place for too long.
As soon as Eugene leaves, they could use the Eternal Church to rush to Ice Rock City through another route.
Hurry up, big brother. Everyone is waiting to go to the Dragon's Lair. Nol tried to push Eugene away with his glare.
Eugene stood silently in the snow. If not for his breath, visible in the cold air, this knight would be indistinguishable from a statue.
"I understand." After a long pause, Eugene finally spoke.
He turned around, his eyes showing a strange golden-green color in the dawn light.
"The scene is so clean. It indeed might be the work of a Demon. Please allow me to stay and assist in the investigation until Sister Fischer is found."
Nol: "…Huh?"
Teest: "…What?"
What's going on? Given that Gratice isn't lacking in Demons, Eugene didn't need to cling to such a troublesome case. And as far as they knew, this captain of the Fifth Regiment was decisive in action and adept at making choices.
What's going on with this guy?!
A few steps away, the corners of Painter's mouth slightly twitch. "You still have a mission to attend to, right?"
"My mission is not solely my responsibility. Moreover, an uncertain future does not outweigh the certain 'life' in front of me."
Eugene made a prayer gesture and spoke in a gentle tone. "Sister Fischer is not a formal believer. She's not ready to be a sacrifice to God. I can't presume to abandon her."
"Praise your mercy." Painter bowed slightly in "gratitude" and made a gesture of thanks.
"All praise be to the Goddess." Eugene returned the gesture.
Trouble. Nol speechlessly watched this scene. Fischer disappeared too cleanly and wouldn't reappear again. They need to find a new way to shake off Eugene. This was a sticky situation…
Just then, a blue shadow flashed in front of Nol, and something leapt out.
[Rare Hidden Quest: The Demons' Conspiracy]
[Normal Completion Condition: Find the missing Sister Fischer]
[Perfect Completion Condition: Find the missing Sister Fischer; thwart the secret operation of the Eternal Church]
[Quest Reward: A large amount of experience points [Normal]; Secret passage to the Dragon's Lair [Perfect]]
[Rejection/Failure Penalty: Permanent freezing of your Transcendence of the Law skills]
[※Your current Transcendence of the Law skills: Fallen Death, Creator]
[Do you accept the quest?]
The author has something to say:
System: Let me seize the opportunity to drink.
Eugene: (Sincere)
Others: (Mask of pain)
Five-person team achieved!