Order Era, Year 1136.
"Who is... Miss Lessa?" Ninika tilted her head in confusion.
"She's a nun from the church," Xia Lun replied, surprised.
"But the only nun at the church is Lady Landa... Oh, and those two little ones, Milumina," Ninika counted on her fingers. "They should be about eight years old now... They were left in a cradle and cast into the lake as infants, but somehow ended up in our village. Since they might return to the outside world someday, they were entrusted to the nuns... Tsk, how heartless their parents must have been."
"Miss Lessa seems to have arrived three years ago as a trainee nun, also from the Goddess Church," Xia Lun cautiously explained. "She looks about seventeen."
Ninika shook her head. "That can't be right? I’ve never seen her before... How could she have been here for three years?"
In Ninika’s memory, there was no such person as Miss Lessa.
Had Miss Lessa been here all this time, staying inside the church without ever meeting the villagers?
According to Ninika, the Goddess Church and the village had an agreement—nuns were periodically sent here to serve as the village’s anchor.
If Miss Lessa were just an ordinary nun, she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come here...
This was far too strange.
Hmm... Maybe she’s just shy? Miss Lessa seemed timid, like Mo Lini... Well, actually, she appeared quite composed when facing strangers, so that theory didn’t hold up.
The sun rose higher, the sky grew brighter, and Xia Lun decided it was time to head back.
After all, they were just passing through. If he couldn’t help, then it wasn’t his concern.
Perhaps, as Ninika said, once the villagers’ bloodline thinned over a few more generations, the curse of Fictional Truth would finally lift.
And even if the curse were broken... the Nameless Village might still remain isolated, continuing its quiet existence.
To Xia Lun, without the curse, this place would truly be a rare haven.
Once they left the village, Liyana and Mo Lini would surely be amazed when he told them about this place.
Some experiences might seem ordinary in the moment, but they gain meaning in hindsight... That was part of the joy of adventure and travel.
"Come visit again soon, O Brave One!" Ninika waved excitedly as Xia Lun departed.
Xia Lun returned to the church.
"Ah, where have you two been? Just in time—breakfast is almost ready," Liyana called from the kitchen, where Mo Lini was assisting her.
Seeing Xia Lun, Liyana couldn’t help but complain.
This place felt eerie, and without the invincible Xia Lun and Aina by her side, she felt uneasy.
"We took a little stroll around the village," Xia Lun replied sheepishly.
Liyana perked up immediately. "Oh? Did you find anything?"
"Nothing. Let’s eat in peace, then prepare to leave," Xia Lun chuckled, shaking his head.
If he told Liyana the truth now, he wasn’t sure she wouldn’t immediately jump into the lake.
Hearing this, Liyana sighed in relief. "That’s good..."
Lady Landa was leading Milumina in prayer in the hall, so they didn’t need to wait.
"Where’s Miss Lessa?" Xia Lun noticed her absence.
"No idea. Maybe she overslept?" Liyana mumbled through a mouthful of greens.
"Oh, speaking of Miss Lessa, Xia Lun, there’s something I think you should know..."
Liyana suddenly leaned in, whispering into Xia Lun and Aina’s ears.
Mutter, mutter, mutter.
"Can you believe it? Miss Lessa seems so prim and proper, but at night she... Goodness, she’s a nun, and this is a church!" Liyana glanced toward the hall. "Though I doubt she’s done anything wrong... Still, Lady Landa’s faith is so devout—she’d be heartbroken if she found out."
Xia Lun, however, suspected there was more to it.
Miss Lessa wasn’t in the church anymore.
She had already left.
......
"My mission is complete? I can leave now?"
Upon receiving the order from above, Lessa was baffled.
"But... the Nameless Village’s issues haven’t been resolved at all, have they? It’s still an anomalous zone with safety risks... And Lady Landa is still here," Lessa protested, reluctant to depart.
She had been undercover in the Nameless Village for three years, periodically reporting its status to the outside world.
She had avoided contact with the villagers—her role was to observe from the shadows. Unnecessary interactions were to be avoided.
Only with the power of this holy scripture could she endure her stay here.
Had she not needed a place to live, she wouldn’t have interacted with Lady Landa either.
"Is this about the adventurers who arrived in the village? Did something unexpected happen in the Nameless Village?"
"I don’t know. That’s what the higher-ups ordered," the scripture in Lessa’s hands replied. "They’ve kept the purpose of this mission hidden from me."
"Even from you?" Lessa was stunned. She knew full well the scripture’s status within the Goddess Church—it was a sacred relic bestowed by the Goddess herself.
Had this mission not been so extraordinary, she wouldn’t have been entrusted with it.
"Well, I’m just an immobile tool. It’s a miracle I’m not treated as an anomaly," the scripture sighed. "I miss the days when I was human."
"You... used to be human?" Lessa’s eyes widened.
"Indeed. I was quite well-known in the church back then... After passing peacefully, the Goddess granted me this form so I could continue serving the church..."
As they chatted, Lessa carried the scripture out of the Nameless Village.
A team of priests awaited her arrival.
"Bishop Kalein?! Why is he here in person?"
Lessa was taken aback. Bishop Kalein was a high-ranking figure in the church—there was no reason for him to personally receive a lowly nun like her.
"By the grace of the Goddess, Sister Lessa, congratulations. You’ve completed your mission splendidly, providing us with invaluable intelligence about the Nameless Village," Bishop Kalein spread his arms wide.
Lessa hesitated. She had heard unsavory rumors about Bishop Kalein and wasn’t comfortable embracing a strange man.
Bishop Kalein didn’t seem to mind.
"Now, we have a new task for you."
"What task?"
Kalein grinned. "We need you to keep the secrets of this place... forever."