The Old Friend

By the time Lessa realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Kalein’s palm transformed into a blade, aiming straight for Lessa’s heart. She never expected Kalein to attack her so brazenly in front of so many people. But Lessa was no weakling—even caught off guard, she managed to react in time, twisting her body to evade the strike.

Kalein’s hand left a trail of blood in its wake, slashing a long, deep wound across Lessa’s abdomen. Blood poured freely from the gash.

"How impressive. Truly worthy of being the youngest genius battle nun in the Church," Kalein remarked, flicking the blood from his hand and clapping lightly.

"Why?" Lessa clutched her wound, her face twisted in pain.

"Didn’t I already say it? What comes next is far too important to risk any loose ends," Kalein replied, his expression calm and composed, a faint smile playing on his lips. "A nameless village, forgotten by the outside world… it’s the perfect offering."

Lessa’s eyes filled with confusion and disbelief.

"The Goddess Church would never do such a thing! Who are you people?" she demanded.

"Oh, we are members of the Goddess Church… we just happen to have another identity as well."

Kalein shed his pristine priestly robes, revealing a dull yellow tunic beneath.

Lessa’s pupils constricted—she recognized the attire instantly.

Her gaze turned venomous. "Twilight Apostles! How did you heretics infiltrate the Goddess Church?!"

"Don’t look at us like that," Kalein sighed. "I told you—we are the Goddess Church. Being Twilight Apostles doesn’t contradict that. We didn’t infiltrate… we became them. The Hero and the Goddess have always been intertwined… You have potential, Miss Lessa. I’d like to invite you to join us—"

Suddenly, Kalein smacked his forehead. "Ah, what a terrible memory I have. I nearly forgot—after I offer this village to the Hero, we too will embrace death. How unfortunate, Miss Lessa. Even if you joined us to save your life, you’d still end up dead."

"You’re all utterly insane!"

"That’s only because you’ve never heard the Hero’s teachings, poor Lessa… You can’t possibly understand our resolve," Kalein said, almost pityingly. "You could have been properly guided, become one of us."

"Never!" Lessa pressed harder against her wound, but the bleeding wouldn’t stop. Her face paled from blood loss.

"Goodbye, then. Our path tolerates no obstacles." Kalein lunged forward again.

Lessa’s face was deathly white. With such severe injuries, she had little strength left to resist.

Just as Kalein’s attack was about to land, the holy scripture in Lessa’s arms suddenly flipped open on its own. A golden silhouette emerged from its pages, shielding her.

"ORA!"

The golden figure punched Kalein, sending him flying nearly a hundred meters away.

Lessa’s jaw dropped as she stared in shock at the muscular, bald man now standing before her.

"Y-You are…?"

The figure was built like a warrior, though only his upper half was solid—his lower body dissolved into ethereal smoke, connected to the scripture’s pages… like a genie from a fairy tale.

"Ah, I almost forgot you were with her… Musen, are you really opposing us?" Kalein groaned as he picked himself up.

"Miss Lessa is a devout believer. I won’t allow you to harm her," Musen declared sternly. "To think you, as followers of the Goddess, would sink to heresy!"

"Honestly, talking to the unenlightened is exhausting," Kalein sighed. "Musen… I heard you were once the Hero’s comrade. Don’t you have any desire to see your old friend resurrected?"

"Hmph. Captain Xia Lun would never sacrifice others to bring himself back."

Musen cast a beam of white light over Lessa, and the wound on her abdomen began to heal rapidly.

"Take me and run," he whispered to her.

"Run… where?" Lessa clutched the scripture, her eyes darting around—Kalein’s forces had already surrounded them.

"Back to the village! Warn the others," Musen urged. "The villagers are strong, and those powerful adventurers should still be there… They won’t stand by and do nothing."

Without hesitation, Lessa sprinted toward the lake behind her, the scripture glowing faintly as a protective aura enveloped her. The nameless village materialized in her vision, and she plunged inside.

Kalein followed at a leisurely pace. After all, in his eyes, the entire village was already trapped like fish in a barrel.

But as he reached the lake’s edge, he frowned.

Strange… why was it so cold here?

---

"Where did Lessa go all of a sudden?" Landa fretted outside Lessa’s door, her expression anxious.

The girl’s sudden disappearance had her worried.

"Sister Landa, where’s Lessa?" Milu and Mina crowded around her, looking up with wide eyes.

"Maybe… maybe she went to the village?" Landa ventured uncertainly.

"But Lessa never goes to the village."

"She doesn’t like talking to others."

"When villagers come to the church, she hides."

The two little ones chimed in one after another.

"Is something wrong?" Mo Lini approached, concerned.

"Lessa’s gone… I’m afraid something might have happened," Landa admitted. "I hate to impose, but could you help look for her?"

"Ah…" Mo Lini hesitated—she was just the mascot, after all. Xia Lun and the others were probably about to leave anyway.

"Of course, we’ll help, Sister Landa," Liyana’s voice cut in, much to Mo Lini’s relief.

Liyana pulled Mo Lini aside and whispered, "What do we do? Did Lessa elope with that man from last night? Should we tell Landa?"

"I… I think so," Mo Lini murmured back.

Liyana cleared her throat and turned to the nun. "Sister Landa… I might know where Lessa went, but… you should brace yourself."

Just then, the church doors burst open.

Lessa rushed in, breathless and frantic.

"Everyone—RUN!"