One night passed, and the morning sun filtered through the window, illuminating the bedroom of the small wooden cabin.
“!!”
Lin Shu snapped awake.
She had… she had a bizarre dream.
She dreamed that she had turned into a bone that couldn’t move, and Hati had revealed her original wolf form, holding her in her arms while licking and gnawing on her. Just as Hati’s fangs were about to crunch down on the top of her skull, Lin Shu woke up in a fright.
“You’re awake.”
Hati’s voice rang out from beside her.
Lin Shu looked to her side. Hati was sitting cross-legged on the bed, propping her face up with one hand. She was still holding Lin Shu’s hand, maintaining the same interlocking-fingers position they had when they fell asleep last night.
‘Wait, did we really sleep like this all night?’
Lin Shu instinctively checked herself and found that her clothes were still properly on her body, with no signs of having been tampered with. However, her entire body felt sticky. ‘Was I sweating in my sleep? Probably because I was sleeping next to someone with such a high body temperature?’
“What time is it?” Lin Shu asked, instinctively looking over at Sophia’s bed.
Sophia was still lying in bed, wrapped tightly in her blanket, seemingly not yet awake.
“It hasn’t been morning for long. I’ve actually been awake for a while, but I saw you were sleeping quite soundly, so I didn’t move for fear of waking you.” Hati seemed to remember something. “Oh, right, the people from the Sacred Church have already arrived.”
She pointed behind her with her thumb, gesturing for Lin Shu to look out the window.
“Huh? So fast?”
They had only sent the message last night, and they had already arrived today. Their efficiency was quite high. Lin Shu looked outside and suddenly caught her breath.
The space outside the window was filled with people. No, they weren’t exactly people. They all wore pure white nun habits, and each had a pair of small wings on her back, tucked close to her sides rather than fully spread. All the nuns stood in perfect unison outside the window, quietly gazing at the situation inside the house through the glass with solemn and serious expressions.
“T-This isn’t quite right, is it?” Lin Shu immediately bolted upright. “How long have they been here? Have they just been watching us sleep?”
“I don’t know. I asked them secretly just now, and they said they received orders to guard this house to protect you.” Hati shrugged and let out a yawn. “Don’t mind them. Angel Nuns are the most rigid types.”
Lin Shu looked out the window again and noticed that their exquisite faces were completely devoid of expression. They truly did look like robots.
Hati rolled out of bed and stretched. “Why don’t you sleep a bit longer? I’m going to go talk to their leader.”
With so many Angel Nuns watching, there was no way Lin Shu could fall back asleep. She shook her head. “No need. I’m getting up too.”
Hati walked to the door and gripped the handle. “I’ll be right outside. Call me if you need anything.”
“I’m fine. Go ahead.”
The door closed, and the room returned to silence. Lin Shu climbed out of bed quietly and tidied her clothes. She walked over to the small stove in the corner of the room, preparing to boil some hot water to wash up and fix her appearance as quickly as possible.
The flames licked the bottom of the kettle, making a faint “hissing” sound that was exceptionally clear in the quiet room. At that moment, the sound of rustling bedding came from behind her.
Lin Shu turned around and saw that Sophia was awake. She propped herself up with bleary eyes, her long auburn hair somewhat disheveled. She blinked, her gaze falling blankly on Lin Shu. Seeing the cup of water Lin Shu had just poured, she opened her mouth and whispered, “…So thirsty.”
Lin Shu froze for a moment before taking the cup to the bedside. “I haven’t drank from this yet, and the temperature should be fine. Do you want it?”
Seeing Sophia naturally reach out her hand, Lin Shu handed it over.
“Thank you, little cutie.”
“?!”
Lin Shu’s hand shook, and the water cup instantly slipped from her grip, hitting the floor with a loud *thud*. Water splashed everywhere, soaking the edge of the bed and the floor.
The loud commotion reached outside.
Hati, who was in the middle of a conversation, flicked her ears and looked back into the room. Seeing Lin Shu standing by Sophia’s bed, Hati raised an eyebrow.
“Wait for me. I’ll be right back.”
She pushed open the door and walked into the bedroom. “What happened?”
Lin Shu was crouching on the floor picking up the cup. “It’s nothing. I just didn’t have a good grip on the cup, and it fell.”
Sophia also hurriedly jumped off the bed, standing barefoot on the floor with a pale face. “It’s my fault. I woke up thirsty, and Lin Shu was kind enough to bring me water, but I didn’t grab it properly.”
Hati strode to Lin Shu’s side, confirming she wasn’t injured, but she keenly heard Lin Shu’s racing heartbeat.
‘Something’s wrong.’
This Sophia had once been a slave to a succubus; she might have taught Lin Shu some bad things. At the very least, she couldn’t let them stay together anymore.
“By the way, Lin Shu, the leader of the Angel Nuns wants to see you. Why don’t we go out and say hello?”
“Okay, I’ll be right out,” Lin Shu said, nodding immediately.
“I’ll wait for you at the door.” Hati shot a wary glance at Sophia before leaving the bedroom.
Lin Shu turned her head sharply, suppressing the stormy emotions in her heart as she lowered her voice as much as possible. “What did you just call me?”
Sophia blinked innocently and lowered her head, her tone sounding aggrieved. “I-I’m sorry. Do you not like that name? I just heard people use it over there before…”
“It’s not a matter of whether I like it or not!” Lin Shu interrupted her. “It’s just… I don’t know if I’ve mistaken you for someone else, but…”
“If it really is ‘you,’ then stop. The Sacred Race is everywhere outside.”
Sophia stared blankly at Lin Shu, and it was unclear if she understood or was simply confused by the statement. Seeing her lack of reaction, the impulse and excitement that had welled up in Lin Shu’s heart suddenly deflated.
‘How stupid. I just gave a self-righteous warning to someone I barely know. This is so awkward.’
“…Forget it. Just pretend I didn’t say anything,” Lin Shu whispered, no longer looking at Sophia.
After changing her clothes and tidying her hair, Lin Shu walked out of the house. The Angel Nuns who had been standing by the window had already formed two rows to welcome her. Their voices sounded like celestial music. “May the Gods guide you.”
Lin Shu looked straight ahead. Hati was standing there, and beside her stood an even more striking nun. She had a tall, upright posture, and the white wings on her back were larger and had softer feathers than the others. More notably, there was a pale gold halo above her head, radiating a holy glow in the morning light.
“May the Gods guide you,” she spoke, her voice solemn and gentle.
“H-Hello.” Lin Shu didn’t know the proper etiquette for the Sacred Race, so she simply gave a standard bow.
“Angela, this is Lin Shu. She is the Key Holder,” Hati said with a smile. She walked to Lin Shu’s side and naturally draped an arm over her shoulder, drawing her closer.
Lin Shu hastily pulled the chain from around her neck to show her the key. Angela saw the pattern of the Creator God on the key and reached out to touch it.
Then, she broke into a wide smile. “Excellent, Hati. I expected nothing less from you.” She even reached out and gave Hati a thumbs-up.
Her tone switched instantly from solemn and serious to slightly complaining. “I’m telling you, every time the Bishop pressures the Saintess about her progress, she gets anxious and starts plucking my feathers. Now things can finally quiet down for a while.”
Lin Shu was instantly petrified.
‘Wait… is this how the Sacred Race talks and acts? It’s a bit different from what I imagined.’
Lin Shu’s worldview was undergoing a subtle shift.
Angela scrutinized Lin Shu’s face. “However, that mark on her forehead is…”
“Ahem, it’s temporary! Just temporary!” Hati emphasized repeatedly. “I’ll remove it once we reach the Imperial City! I promise!”
Angela didn’t press further and turned to another matter. “Alright, let’s talk business. That Saintess girl also approved of you going to eliminate those ugly monsters first. She told me I could assign a squad of Battle Nuns to you.”
“Yay!” Hati’s eyes lit up. “What about Lin Shu? I want her to come with me.” Her eyes held a look of anticipation; she clearly didn’t want to be separated from Lin Shu.
“Mm-hm. She can go with the team. It’ll be a good chance for her to get familiar with our Sacred Race’s style and combat methods before we head to the Temple.”
Lin Shu paused, then remembered the person inside the house. “What about Sophia?”
“She definitely has to stay behind, so Lady Angela will be in charge of watching her.” Hati turned to Angela with a trusting smile. “I have faith in Angela’s strength. There’s no need to worry.”
Managed by Angela? And with this group of nuns from the Sacred Race present as well…
“Alright, I understand.” Lin Shu agreed, looking back at the house with complicated feelings.
‘I hope I really just misheard her.’