"Lord Eugene."
In a dark alley, Knight Marion performed a simple courtesy. "The situation of the offerings for this 'Oracle Sacrifice' was investigated by us yesterday."
"The Church won't replenish the offerings on the Isle of Wails this time. They are cooperating with slave traders at the border and have issued special tasks to some Demons. Unfortunately, they are acting in a scattered and secretive manner, and we have only identified two cooperating slave traders."
"This is the territory of the heretical church, and time is limited, so it's not your fault."
Eugene was dressed in the most common black and gray cotton robes of the area, with his cheeks hidden in the shadow of his hat.
Usually, a chaotic organization like the Eternal Church wouldn't prey on its own for offerings. This time was an exception. To secure the support of Gratice, they needed to act even more covertly.
Sister Fischer being abducted by Demons seemed all too reasonable now. A sufficient blood sacrifice was needed either way, and sacrificing Temple nuns was certainly better than targeting the local populace. If it weren't for Saint Bernard and himself keeping watch, the other nuns would likely be in danger too.
Knight Eugene pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.
Both sides knew that the Temple couldn't maintain this high level of surveillance for long. The Eternal Church not only didn't plan to postpone the sacrifice but also intended to advance it. This indicated that the Church highly valued this Oracle Sacrifice, making the investigation more dangerous than ever.
"Have you seen this lady?" Eugene projected an image of Sister Fischer into the void.
"An Evergreen Nun?" Marion frowned slightly. "No, I haven't. I'm incompetent. I've only seen the slaves that were bought."
"She is a child under the Sister Nun, recently abducted by Demons in White Salt Village."
Eugene dispelled the magical illusion. "Sister Holly is now in Ice Rock City, insisting on participating in this investigation… Marion Averill, I remember you were taught by Sister Holly when you were an Evergreen Nun?"
"Yes," Marion said, somewhat flattered.
Knight Eugene was younger than her, and she hadn't expected him to remember such details.
"You're in charge of investigating the sacrifices. Since she was your mentor, why not pay her a visit along the way?" Eugene smiled. "In my view, you're more suited to communicate with the nuns than I am."
Marion paused for a few seconds, hesitating. "You mean…"
She was on a mission. Knight Eugene was always approachable, but on normal days, he would at most suggest she meet her mentor after the mission, never during it.
"You will have more topics to discuss, right? Like common memories, similar experiences… I will assist you with the investigation of the sacrifices, so it won't delay the important matters."
Eugene's smile was unwavering.
"Understood!" Marion lowered her head, her reply firm.
As an Investigation Knight from the Fifth Brigade and a former student of Sister Holly, no one was more suitable than her for this delicate task.
Captain Eugene clearly had doubts about the identity of "Sister Holly".
...
Two streets away.
Knight Saint Bernard hid his face in his hood, his tail dangling under the heavy cotton robe. Judging by his silhouette, he resembled a tall, robust human male.
There were too many humans here. The village chief had said that when humans outnumber you, it's easier to move around with your face hidden. Saint Bernard firmly believed the village chief of Sheepskin Ball Village was always right.
From under the shadow of his hood, Saint Bernard inhaled the air, sniffing the city's scents.
He smelled buttered and salted baked buns, the slightly charred fat on roast meat, sizzling pickled fish on a hot plate, and apples with a hint of alcohol…
He smelled human sweat, bad breath, frozen excrements, rotting meat and tubers, sprouting potatoes…
The scents here were far more complex than in Sheepskin Ball Village, drying out Saint Bernard's nose. He preferred searching for targets in the clean snow mountains over finding someone in such a place.
Suddenly, he caught a familiar scent.
It was somewhat like boom fish, yet too light, mixed with a slightly bitter, complex medicinal smell—the scent of Sister Fischer!
Saint Bernard's spirits lifted.
He continued to sniff the cold wind. Sister Fischer's scent was intermittent, coming in and out, like a bit of straw in a flood of sewage. His head began to ache from the effort.
But she was a guest of Sheepskin Ball Village. Saint Bernard sprayed some protective spray on his nose, carefully licked his nostrils, and devoted himself to sniffing once more.
The scent broke off near the city center.
Knight Saint Bernard rubbed his dry, sore nose, looking towards the massive building complex ahead. He knew this was a gathering place for bad humans, the largest Eternal Church on the continent of Tahe.
But there were so many rooms. Whether above ground or below, the complex and chaotic scents were overwhelming. The area was too vast, making it impossible to pinpoint Sister Fischer's location. How was he to rescue her?
Saint Bernard was anxious, pacing around a streetlamp.
The village chief had said to never approach the Eternal Church. But the village chief also said to never neglect any guest… What to do…
Should he get closer to check? He pondered, hoping it would be alright just to verify the scent trail.
He pulled his hood lower, his paws tucked into his pockets, and headed towards the Immortal Church, looking suspiciously out of place.
Unfortunately, Saint Bernard was unaware of the complexities of human disguises. He was just focused on sniffing, finding no scent, no scent, until—
"Who's there?" A shadow flashed at his feet. An Immortal Knight blocked his path.
"I-I'm lost," Saint Bernard said nervously, his tail hanging straight down. "I need to use the restroom. Do you know where the nearest one is?"
The Immortal Knight scoffed. His sword flashed, and Saint Bernard felt a chill on his scalp—his hood was slashed to pieces.
"Ouch!" Saint Bernard quickly retreated, his paws protecting his nearly cut ears.
"You're not welcome here, dog-headed beastman." The voice of the Immortal Knight came from behind the helmet, colder than the city's wind. "Come again, and I'll make a carpet out of your fur."
'This threat was too cruel,' Saint Bernard thought angrily.
He bared his teeth at the knight and ran off quickly—better to report Sister Fischer's situation to the friendly guests first. At least her scent didn't include the stench of corpses. He knew she was still alive.
Just returning near the inn, Saint Bernard saw Sister Teesti.
Their lodging wasn't low-grade and was surrounded by upscale shops. To the left of the inn was a small flower shop. Ordinary for most cities, but in Gratice, where even leafy vegetables needed to be traded with Shiva, flowers were an absolute luxury.
Petite Teesti squatted in front of a large bunch of blue roses, her long hair flowing like golden threads over her cotton robe. She stared at the bouquet as if trying to burn holes in the petals with her gaze.
Saint Bernard curiously approached. "Sister Teesti?"
"Ah, good knight, you're back." Teesti blinked, a bit surprised by her response. Her eyes quickly scanned the slashed hood.
"I caught the scent of Sister Fischer. We'll tell everyone together later."
Saint Bernard puffed out his chest, lowering his voice nervously. "But you, coming out like this is dangerous. There might be Demons nearby… Speaking of which, where is Miss Noli?"
In his view, the two nuns were inseparable, hardly ever apart.
"Noli's a bit tired so she's sleeping inside," Teesti whispered. "I just wanted to look at the flowers. I won't go far."
"Oh…" Saint Bernard squatted beside Teesti, curiously sniffing the scent of the flowers. Then, he quickly turned his head, letting out a massive sneeze.
Such a strong scent! How do humans enjoy this? He couldn't understand.
But Sister Teesti was looking so intently. There must be something special about it, Saint Bernard thought seriously. He continued to squat beside Teesti, looking at the flowers.
"Knight Saint Bernard." Teesti breathed into her hands, producing a puff of white steam. "As knights, do you have special protection targets?"
Huh? Saint Bernard blinked, looking at Teesti in confusion.
"To you, are we, like Sister Fischer, important charges? So you would do everything to protect and help us." Teesti mumbled to the flowers. "…Reminds me of someone I know, even though he's not a knight."
'Girl, flowers, "him". Got it!' Knight Saint Bernard thought confidently. The village chief had taught him that this must be a topic of human love!
Sister Teesti must be troubled. He needed to respond seriously.
"We certainly have special protection targets!" Saint Bernard wagged his tail. "Compared to the guests of the Sheepskin Ball Village, parents, spouses, and children are definitely more important. The weight of responsibility is different."
Teesti was still staring at the flowers. "How can you differentiate? To me, it looks like you're almost stupidly… I mean, warm, towards everyone."
"For example, if it's Fischer you lost, you would search with all your might. If it's a family member, you would still search with all your might. There's no difference."
'Right, what a tough question.' Saint Bernard's tail slowly drooped.
"…It's different." He stammered. "We know in our hearts, it's different."
"I know I am special enough in his heart, and I know we won't be separated. But it still feels wrong. It doesn't feel right."
Teesti propped up one cheek, and her voice became a bit muffled. "It's a strange sense of emptiness. I don't know what to fill it with. It really bothers me."
The indestructible master-servant relationship, the most solid mental reliance, the unique imprint of memories… Nol's love and desire.
He cast them into chains, made them into bridges, and did everything he could. Yet, there's always one step between them. A polite step, a rational step.
An inexplicable sense of loss.
Teest detested this kind of loss. It unsettled him—he could see it right in front of him, always wanting to do something, yet having no idea what to do.
Hell, he was even talking about this with a beastman. He must be really crazy, Teest thought. But at least beastmen were a bit better than Painter, so let it be.
Saint Bernard stared blankly, completely not understanding what this human was talking about. What's going on? Are human love topics this complicated?
"He could have been a bit more forceful with me. I've said, I allowed him to plunder me."
Teesti sighed in frustration. "But he's always like that, perfectly nice to everyone. If I didn't know him better, I would suspect he's of the same species as you."
Saint Bernard: "..." For some reason, he felt that wasn't a compliment.
"I don't understand," he said with a whimper. "Sorry, we never worry about these things—even-even though treating family members looks similar to treating guests, we just know it's different."
"I love my family, and I know my family loves me a lot." He cautiously added, "I love my guests, but guests can have any attitude. We are prepared for that. We don't care… It's definitely not completely the same, right?"
Sister Teesti was silent.
Saint Bernard tensed up, fearing the fragile nun would start crying. But strangely, Teesti's eyes didn't even redden. She just remained silent for a long time.
"Yes." After a long while, she spoke again. "I've changed my mind. You are much more useful than the old fox."
Saint Bernard: "…Huh?"
What fox? He didn't smell any fox.
While Knight Saint Bernard was still dazed, Teesti stood up, patting the skirt of her cotton robe.
"I want this bunch of blue roses," she said cheerfully, pulling out a gold coin from her pocket.
She quickly got the bouquet. The nun hugged the flowers, freeing one hand to pat Saint Bernard's head. Finally, she raised her index finger to her lips.
"Keep my love troubles a secret, okay, good knight?"
"Of course!" Saint Bernard immediately put his confusion aside, his tail wagging again. "Then I'll go report to Sister Holly first."
The moment Saint Bernard's figure disappeared, Teesti's "girlish expression" vanished without a trace. He held the bouquet high, covering most of his face with the blue flowers.
'So that's how it is.' He thought he understood the source of that sense of loss—
Nol knew "the Mad Monk won't give love".
Nol was a smart and rational person, not blindly chasing after something non-existent. So there was that one step distance, stopping at the right point.
No matter how special he was or how sincere Nol's feelings were, there would always be a step's distance between them.
Because that was the "distance of a guest".
Because they "do not love each other".
Teest returned to the room with the bouquet, decorating it on Nol's side of the bedhead.
Maybe he had vaguely realized this all along, Teest thought.
Even seeing this unsolvable situation clearly, even though his goal had long been achieved. For some reason, he still couldn't accept that step… What should he do about it?
"Teest, look at this."
Flames ignited. Nol stepped out of the void, holding a breastplate. "I succeeded."
The unmanned glacier and Gratice were both blind spots for surveillance. From any perspective, this "temporary equipment modification" could be considered a complete success.
Teest sat on the edge of the bed, looked at Nol for two seconds, then stood up. "Breastplate?"
"I've merged the shield and armor together. This type of light armor is more convenient for movement and can also be hidden under clothes." Nol excitedly displayed the "Seeker's" attributes. "How about it? Do you like it?"
Teest weighed the strange armor in his hands. It was light and thin and looked pure white as snow, yet it flowed with the unique cold aura of corruption. With just a little power injected, it obediently adjusted its shape, as if it were a part of the body.
This was the armor Nol personally made for him—the most suitable armor for him.
In the past, he would have been ecstatic about such a wonderful acquisition and would have praised his adorable God on the spot. At this moment, however, Teest felt something was a bit…
"…Heavy," he muttered silently.
"Hm?" Nol watched his reaction, curiously leaning in. "Do you not like this style, or is there something unreasonable about its appearance—"
"No, it's perfect. I didn't expect it to be so perfect." Teest caressed the edge of the breastplate. "I was just thinking if I could make it even more perfect."
Nol's eyes lit up. "Then why not give it a try?"
Teest examined the armor inside and out, then took off his shirt on the spot, not even leaving his undershirt on.
The smooth, thin breastplate clung to Teest's body contours, automatically adjusting its size. Its rounded edges touched the skin without causing any pain or discomfort. It lay quietly on his chest, as if it was an exoskeleton that had always existed.
Teest put his clothes back on. Just by looking at the shape of his body, it was completely invisible that he was wearing a breastplate.
"Not bad. Excellent concealment."
Nol nodded satisfactorily with a flush on his face and a hint of excitement, obviously in a very good mood.
Teest touched the location of his chest. Even if a dragon tried to pierce him with its horn, it couldn't penetrate this layer of defense. Once power filled the circuit, the armor became somewhat warm, like an embrace.
"Thank you, Nol," he said with a smile. "I really like it."
"Not 'praise you'? Where's your devotion?" Nol joked, his attention now drawn to the blue roses by the bed. "You can even buy flowers here, and they're quite fresh."
"Do you like them?"
"Of course! Are they for me?" Nol raised an eyebrow.
"Mm, but this isn't enough for a return gift—your gift is really too great." Teest, as usual, clung to Nol, wrapping his arms around the other's neck. "I'll try to find a proper way to respond."
Nol shrugged, feeling the warm body behind him. "It's not a transaction. There's no need to be so precise."
"Transaction? You think too highly of me." Teest's lips brushed against the skin on Nol's neck. "I just want to live a bit more joyfully, you know."
Nol shook his head with a smile. He was about to say something when he suddenly grabbed Teest's arm. "Eugene and Marion's presence."
"The female knight from last time." Teest recalled for two seconds.
"They're coming this way." Nol nodded, speaking solemnly. "Let's go and meet up with Painter first."
...
The two False Gods were still a step too late.
When they entered Painter's room, there were already three figures seated as guests—Knight Saint Bernard was seriously eating pastries, Knight Eugene had a smile on, and there was a girl dressed as a commoner.
Nol remembered the girl's face. It was indeed Marion, the knight they had encountered during The Manor incident, one of Eugene's right-hand men.
Knowing Mr. Eugene was the Chosen One of Anstis, Nol found it a bit difficult to look directly at this zealot.
Speaking of which, wasn't Eugene very troubled by their "insistence on participating in the investigation"? Why had he suddenly become so proactive and even specifically sought them out?
"Who is this sister?" Sister Teesti leaned on Noli's arm, curiously asking.
"Just call me Marion. I was taught by Sister Holly when I was still an Evergreen Sister." Knight Marion smiled at the two "adorable juniors".
Nol managed to smile back as naturally as possible.
Damn it, a familiar face has arrived!
His gaze shifted to Painter, who was calmly drinking tea—Eugene was obviously suspicious of them. A school nun and an Evergreen Sister in her charge that had lived and eaten together for years—who knew how many "stories impossible for outsiders to know" among them.
Even with Painter's excellent acting skills, it was impossible to fake these kinds of details. Continuing this conversation, this guy was definitely going to slip up. Now they were just short of dealing with the Oracle Sacrifice, were they going to clash with the Temple at this juncture?
…What to do?
The author has something to say:
Teest's sweet and sour love troubles, only Saint Bernard's world is wounded (not really