The Goddess Church

Dark clouds loomed over the city.

Accompanied by the rumble of thunder, torrential rain poured down like a floodgate had been opened.

The rainwater splashed onto the ground, turning the road into a muddy mess that no one would ever want to step on.

"Snap—"

"Tsk tsk. What awful weather. Hurry up, little one! We need to find a town or village before sunset. I don’t want to sleep in a soggy tent." Liyana cracked her whip, producing a sharp snap in the air.

"Roooar—" The drake responded. Though the whip hadn’t actually struck it, it still quickened its pace, breaking into a sprint.

Liyana, driving the carriage outside, remained untouched by the rain. Before her, an invisible barrier kept both the downpour and the mud at bay.

Naturally, it was Aina’s doing.

Not even gales or torrential rain could breach Aina’s magical barrier—let alone a high-tier spell if someone were to cast one.

"Boom—"

A thunderclap roared, as if tearing through the heavens.

Inside the carriage, the little red beast trembled in fear, while Aina curled up in Xia Lun’s arms.

"Xia Lun… I’m scared," Aina cooed in a soft, pleading voice.

Xia Lun: "..."

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll protect you," Xia Lun replied dutifully, tightening his embrace around her and gently stroking her back.

Mo Lini had shrunk into a ball, her crimson hair covering her like a cocoon, as if it could offer her some semblance of safety.

"Boom boom boom—"

Several more thunderous explosions rang out outside. Aina’s gaze sharpened.

Liyana couldn’t help but let out a startled cry.

Golden bolts of lightning descended vertically, striking directly toward their carriage.

The powerful arcs of electricity were deflected by Aina’s barrier, scattering into harmless sparks that quickly dissipated into the ground.

"Xia Lun, we just got struck by lightning!" Liyana wailed. "Is this divine punishment for me being unfaithful—wanting Mo Lini even though I already have Delyan?"

Xia Lun glanced at Aina, who pouted and shook her head, signaling that she wasn’t responsible.

She was the one who had blocked the lightning, after all.

"There’s no trace of magic in the lightning. It doesn’t feel like a thunder-based spell," Aina murmured.

So… was it just a coincidence?

Across from them, Mo Lini had already covered her ears in fright. Aina slowly rose from Xia Lun’s embrace and gently patted her back.

"Xia Lun, great news! There’s a village up ahead!" Liyana’s excited voice carried in from outside. "We won’t have to sleep in a tent or the carriage tonight."

Though the carriage was spacious, fitting four people would still be a tight squeeze—two could lie on the benches, while the other two would have to sleep on the floor.

Pitching a tent in the muddy wilderness would be even worse.

"What kind of village is it?" Xia Lun asked.

"Not sure. It doesn’t seem to be on the map." Liyana tossed the map into the carriage with a sigh. "According to this, there should be a lake here… Could it be an illusion conjured by the Lady of the Lake?"

Liyana shivered slightly—she had learned her lesson the hard way before.

Xia Lun leaned out of the carriage and peered toward the village, his pupils shimmering with a faint blue glow.

"Let’s go. It’s not an illusion—it’s real."

That was the answer his Insight Eyes provided.

If his eyes were wrong, Xia Lun would have to hold Aina accountable for some after-sales service… just kidding.

Without hesitation, Liyana urged the carriage forward toward the village.

There was no stone tablet or sign at the entrance, so the village’s name remained unknown.

The heavy rain had driven everyone indoors, but faint lights glowed from the windows, confirming that the houses were occupied.

The drumming of raindrops drowned out the drake’s footsteps and the rolling of the carriage wheels, while the thick curtain of rain obscured their arrival. None of the villagers noticed them entering.

"We need to find shelter first…" Liyana muttered, then suddenly brightened and pointed ahead. "Xia Lun, look! This village actually has a church!"

"Let’s head there, then."

Xia Lun also spotted the church—likely the largest structure in the village.

It was surprising to find a church in such a small, remote place.

Through the rain, Xia Lun caught sight of the goddess statue atop the church.

Her arms were spread wide in a welcoming embrace, her face adorned with a warm, gentle smile—as if ready to embrace all suffering and sin.

Years of weathering had blurred the statue’s features, and long cracks stretched across its surface.

Xia Lun had seen the goddess’s true face before—though only in a dream—so he could easily reconstruct the statue’s original appearance in his mind.

Beautiful, warm, merciful… like a mother. That was the most common impression among the goddess’s devotees.

But the goddess also had a mischievous side, Xia Lun mused. She enjoyed teasing him and playing jokes that put him in awkward situations.

Aina pinched Xia Lun’s arm sharply. "Hmph, what are you thinking about, my brave hero?"

She emphasized the last four words.

"I was comparing your beauty to the goddess’s," Xia Lun replied, pulling her closer. "And you’re clearly the winner."

"Such smooth talk, Xia Lun. That’s not like you." Though she said it dismissively, the delight in Aina’s eyes was unmistakable.

Xia Lun shook his head. "I’m just stating facts."

Aina’s body swayed slightly. If she had a tail, it would’ve been wagging like a propeller by now.

Behind the church was a stable.

After settling the drake, Aina maintained the barrier as the group approached the church’s main entrance.

Liyana knocked using the bronze door ring.

Footsteps echoed from within, and soon, an elderly nun holding a lantern cracked the door open.

"We’re travelers passing through. May we stay the night?" Liyana asked, then glanced at the dilapidated courtyard. "We’d also like to donate some funds for the church’s repairs."

"By the goddess’s grace, come in, guests."

The nun opened the door wider, its rusted hinges screeching in protest.

Upon entering, the group was met with a faint musty odor.

The stained-glass windows were missing several panes, their gaps hastily boarded up to keep out the wind. The candleholders lining the walls were covered in cobwebs, their white candles tilting haphazardly.

It was a desolate sight.