Inside the church.
"Liyana, what were those two good-looking brother and sister doing in the room earlier?" Milu looked up and asked Liyana.
"Hah… I don’t know either. Probably something important," Liyana replied.
Earlier, Liyana had thought to herself, "Xia Lun is in such a hurry," but she didn’t actually believe the two would engage in anything intimate in such an inappropriate setting.
This was a goddess’s church, after all. Xia Lun wouldn’t do that kind of thing here.
Suddenly, Liyana sensed a ripple of magical energy—a spell formation left behind by Aina.
Hmm… Seems like it’s something important enough to hide from her.
Liyana felt no resentment. As a seasoned adventurer, she had long learned to trust Xia Lun’s decisions unconditionally. If Xia Lun chose not to tell her, there must be a reason.
Besides, she had already noticed that Xia Lun’s expression before leaving had been slightly off.
Had Xia Lun discovered something? Was there something strange about their surroundings?
This place was undeniably odd—a village that didn’t exist on any map, and they’d even been struck by lightning upon entering…
At that thought, Liyana took another careful look around.
Madam Landa sat solemnly before the oil lamp, reciting prayers, likely hoping the storm would pass soon.
Milu and Mina had tossed aside the scriptures they’d been reading earlier and were now running around the church, full of energy. Children their age could never sit still for long—and thanks to their arrival, the kids didn’t have to stay cooped up doing homework.
Mo Lini and Lessa sat in a corner of the pews, chatting animatedly, though their voices were hushed, like two little squirrels whispering about the best place to hide acorns.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Then again, if she could spot something so easily, Xia Lun and Aina wouldn’t have bothered keeping it from her in the first place.
Were they in trouble?
Liyana’s mind raced through possibilities, but realizing there was nothing she could do at the moment, she scratched her head in frustration.
She wanted to help.
Back when they’d adventured together, Xia Lun and Aina had always handled the toughest crises on their own—while the rest of them merely played supporting roles.
Liyana had thought that after all this time, she’d grown strong enough to stand beside them.
But clearly, keeping up with those two monsters was still beyond her.
She glanced at Mo Lini.
Maybe she should take a page out of the mascot’s book.
……
Aina’s nails left faint red trails down Xia Lun’s back.
His body, reforged by her own hands, was sturdy enough that the marks would fade quickly, leaving no real injury.
"Let’s continue tonight," Xia Lun said as he set Aina down. She nodded, her gaze still hazy.
Though the sky was pitch-black, it was technically still dusk—the storm clouds had simply blotted out the sun, making it impossible to tell the time.
When Xia Lun and Aina finally stepped out of the room, they ran into Liyana carrying two bowls of vegetable soup.
"Hey, you two! Dinner’s ready."
The dining hall was spacious, with several long tables—evidence that this church had once housed many more people.
Now, their group couldn’t even fill one.
The meal was lavish: the vegetable soup Liyana had just brought, a steaming fruit pie, slices of smoked sausage, pan-fried fish, thick-cut steak, and even a large plate of crispy fries with a side of honey dipping sauce.
The church naturally didn’t stock such fine ingredients. Liyana had brought everything herself and borrowed the kitchen to prepare it.
"Liyana… Did you make all this?" Xia Lun was genuinely surprised. He hadn’t expected her cooking skills to be this impressive.
"Heh! I haven’t lived this long for nothing," Liyana boasted proudly.
"I—I helped too! I fried the potatoes!" Mo Lini raised her hand meekly, eager to assert her presence.
Well… Fries were hard to mess up, as long as you didn’t do anything too outrageous.
Milu and Mina were already wide-eyed with excitement, and Lessa couldn’t help but swallow hard.
"Are we… really allowed to eat all this?" Old nun Landa still seemed hesitant.
"Of course! Don’t worry, Madam Landa. There’s plenty to go around," Liyana assured her with a wave.
"By the goddess’s grace," Landa murmured before leading the girls in another prayer. Then, they dug in.
Over dinner, Liyana didn’t waste the opportunity to gather information about the village.
"This place? It’s called Nameless Village. It’s never had a name."
"Why? I’m not sure. The village isn’t small, and when I first arrived, I wondered the same thing… Maybe it just never needed one. The villagers rarely interact with the outside world. They live off the land, self-sufficient."
"I moved here forty years ago, and the village hasn’t changed a bit since then."
"Oh, this church has been here for ages. I don’t know when it was built… Rumor has it the village suffered some disaster long ago, and the original villagers fled. Later, refugees from elsewhere settled here, and it slowly revived into what you see now… But that’s just hearsay. No one knows if it’s true."
"Lessa came here three years ago as a novice from the church. She said she preferred quiet places… Milu and Mina were abandoned at the church’s doorstep. I raised them myself." Landa’s eyes softened with affection.
"Is it just you here, Madam Landa?" Liyana asked.
"Most of the other nuns left. They didn’t see any future in spreading the goddess’s faith here. But I stayed—someone had to teach the children to read. The villagers are happy to send their little ones here while they work the fields."
"That’s truly admirable," Liyana said sincerely.
"Lessa staying has been a great help… Though I’ve tried to convince her to leave, the silly girl refuses."
After the meal, the children rubbed their full bellies and began clearing the table.
Lessa, overhearing Landa’s words, gave a shy smile.
Boom—
Outside, thunder still roared, but after exchanging glances with Mo Lini, Lessa didn’t seem as frightened anymore.
Liyana clicked her tongue at the sight.
Mo Lini… had already gotten cozy with another woman.