Too many shocking events were echoing in Syl's mind, so much so that she only just remembered the fact that her hand was injured.
The most crucial point was that it wasn't an illusion; there was no doubt she had done it herself, and the pain from that moment still seemed to resonate in her mind.
Thinking back, why did she take such an action at that time?
It was a sense of crisis.
Although she didn't know where the danger was, the moment Syl woke up, she felt as if she were being watched by a "hunter."
It was exactly like when Syl played CSGO in her previous life, opening the scope only to find a sniper already aiming at her.
Adrenaline surged, her heart rate spiked, as if being even a tenth of a second late would mean getting sniped.
And at that time, there really was such a person beside her... although she didn't quite remember his face, his attire made him look very much like a clergyman.
Because her memories hadn't fully merged, she couldn't match a person to that image in her mind—or rather, the original owner of the body hadn't noticed who he was either.
He was like an inconsequential person one might see by chance.
Also... there was "magic" in this world... a fact confirmed through her own left hand.
At the very least, the church she was in definitely possessed some kind of unspeakable special power; it was this power that had healed her left hand.
This novel experience, along with the fright she received upon arrival, didn't instill any fear of this world in Syl.
Instead, it sparked an even greater curiosity within her.
Think about it—magic, steam, gods, the Holy See... what boy could resist the temptation of such wondrous power?
Oh, I'm not a boy anymore. Never mind then.
At that thought, Syl's mood instantly plummeted.
Sigh... generally speaking, those who transmigrate are protagonists, right? And it's normal for a protagonist to have a harem, right?
But now, that was all a load of bollocks—literally.
Thinking this, Syl tugged at the collar of her clothes.
This simple dress made of linen—she didn't know who had changed her into it, but it was incredibly uncomfortable to wear.
Whether it was because her skin was too tender and smooth or something else, her entire body's sensitivity to clothing had changed.
Aside from the clothes easily slipping down, the sensation of the fabric rubbing against her body made Syl's scalp tingle.
While Syl was lost in her thoughts, a series of light footsteps came from outside the room.
"Knock, knock, knock—"
"Syl~ I'm coming in~"
Before Syl could respond, the door had already been opened.
Immediately after, Syl saw a cute girl wearing a black habit with short brown hair, walking toward her with a skip in her step after closing the door.
"Sister Syl, you're finally awake~" The girl sat on the small wooden stool by Syl's bed, looking at her with a smile. "If you didn't wake up soon, the best part of the day would have slipped away~"
Syl looked at the cute girl in front of her, tilting her head slightly in confusion as she tried her best to search her mind for an impression of her.
Dormmate... a nun she attended classes with... a close friend she shared everything with... and... the person she saw before fainting that day... Sigma Neumann. It was a somewhat masculine name, but the owner of the name was a vibrant and beautiful girl.
"You really scared me yesterday, Sister Syl. How could you stab your own hand with a candlestick?" At this point, Sigma paused, leaned in close to Syl, and whispered, "For some reason, Mr. Andaman has been claiming lately that you've been bewitched by a devil, and that he heard you speaking some unspeakable language."
Andaman?
Bewitched?
Unspeakable language?
Syl, whose mind was already a bit groggy, felt her head throb even more upon hearing this.
"In a bit, Andaman might bring that old woman Shony to exam—"
Before Sigma could finish, she was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
Sigma looked back and, as if seeing something terrifying, bounced up like a spring and stood obediently against the wall, not daring to make a sound.
The visitor was an old woman, followed by a middle-aged man, and behind them were two fully armed people who looked like knights.
"Syl?" The old woman looked at Syl with a somewhat indifferent gaze and spoke a greeting, "How are you feeling now?"
"Sister Shoni, I feel alright, just a bit groggy in the head." Syl lowered her head slightly, not letting her expression be exposed to the old woman's sharp gaze.
"Sister Shoni, it is absolutely true. When I saw little Syl yesterday, she was rambling in a language I couldn't understand at all, as if it weren't a language of this world."
"I swear by my devotion to the Goddess that everything I have said is true."
After speaking, the middle-aged man took off his hat and placed his index finger and thumb on his left collarbone, dragging them across to the right, as if performing some religious gesture.
Sister Shoni turned her head and gazed at the middle-aged man for a long time.
After an unknown period of silence, Sister Shoni spoke again: "You indeed did not lie, Friar Andaman."
"Take Syl to the confinement room first; she is not suited to be outside for these two days. As for the Divine Election Assembly, missing one or two people won't be an issue." Shony made the same gesture as Andaman with her right hand.
"Sister Shoni!" For some reason, Sigma, who had been afraid just a moment ago, blocked the path of Shony who was about to turn and leave, pleading, "Syl can chat normally, she knows who I am, I've spoken with her..."
"Don't worry, child," Shony reached out her somewhat withered right hand, gently stroked Sigma's head, and said with a smile, "It's just an examination using Divine Arts. I also believe that Syl would not fall to a cult."
"But..." Sigma wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Andaman.
"The Divine Election Assembly only happens once every five years, and it's been nearly two hundred years since a Saint was chosen. Little Syl missing this one won't have any impact; she'll have another chance to participate in five years."
As he spoke, Andaman also tried to mimic Shony by reaching out to pat Sigma's head, but Sigma dodged him.
Seeing his hand miss, the smile on Andaman's face vanished: "The most important thing is not to anger the Goddess because of a few individual Cultists."
Leaving those words behind, Andaman turned and left the room.
Shony also comforted Sigma briefly, then waved her hand, and the two knights behind her walked toward Syl.
Soon, Syl was hoisted up and led toward the place called the confinement room.
The cold, hard armor pressed painfully against Syl, but her mind was not on that.
Her entire attention was drawn by a strange sound in her mind.
"Ding—"
Syl: "!!!"
...