“Wow, so magnificent.”
Noi stepped onto the dark, cobblestone-like steps, and the interior of the church could be described with just one word: “majestic.”
Every arch, every pillar, and every dome was exquisitely crafted, with arcane and obscure runes carved upon them.
The ceiling of the church’s nave featured a vast window, like a dome formed from the collapse of the sky, with sunlight streaming through the crisscrossed glass and illuminating the hall.
The side walls were lined with a row of colorful stained-glass windows, which glowed radiantly under the sunlight.
This serene and solemn atmosphere stirred a sense of awe in Noi’s heart, causing her to fall silent and calm.
The elven grandmother led Noi to a long bench with intricate patterns in the church’s nave, called the gatekeeper knight, and together they pushed the cart into the restricted inner courtyard of the church.
Taking a moment to look around, Noi observed the surroundings.
Nuns dressed in dignified plain black robes, with legs wrapped in milk-white stockings, carried trays back and forth, holding a few spotted oranges and bowls of thick porridge with various ingredients.
At that time, Noi noticed that most of the people sitting on the benches arranged by the church were poor people in shabby clothes, eagerly eyeing the porridge in the trays.
Noi was no exception; she was now a penniless young girl, relying on the black cloak given by Simon to cover her disheveled appearance.
In the vast church, even a slightly loud voice would echo, so everyone was quiet and orderly, waiting for the nuns to serve the porridge before eating, without making a sound or smacking their lips.
Noi rubbed her empty stomach and looked at the three angel statues facing the exit and the highest deity, the statue of the goddess Afiya.
Huh?
So familiar.
Noi’s gaze swept over the angel statues and lingered on the statue of Afiya.
She felt as if she had seen this goddess somewhere before, but she was certain that there was no trace of her in her memories from her previous life.
So why did she feel so familiar with the statue?
The blue-haired nun, who was a bit older, noticed Noi staring at the statue and walked over with a warm smile:
“Little girl, would you like some porridge?”
“Ah……Yes, please. Thank you, sister.”
Forget about it, food is more important.
Noi stopped thinking about the statue and accepted a bowl of warm, thick porridge, taking a spoonful.
‘Mmm! It’s delicious.’
The complex sweetness burst in her mouth, and Noi felt her taste buds were completely activated.
She quickly finished the bowl of porridge.
The older sister smiled warmly, seeing that Noi was very hungry, and added another bowl for her before serving porridge to the other poor people.
With her stomach replenished with energy, Noi felt much more comfortable and slowed down her spoon, savoring the delicious otherworldly cuisine.
The other poor people were all busy eating, except for a blood-clothed young man wearing a hood, who was sitting right behind Noi.
He coldly watched Noi, who was “chomping” on the porridge in front of him, with his fingered leather glove hand resting on the hilt of the holy sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
But the next second, the blue-haired nun appeared in front of him.
“Brave one, you are not allowed to use violence in the church, you know.”
‘Drat, I’ve been discovered. This was a perfect opportunity for an assassination.’
Lyte’s face darkened instantly, but when he looked up, he had already put on an impeccable smile:
“I understand, sister.”
“……Would you like some porridge?” The older sister didn’t bother to argue with the well-behaved young man.
Noi also noticed the commotion behind her and glanced back.
Lyte’s extreme reaction speed as a brave warrior came in handy at this moment.
He quickly lowered the brim of his straw hat and said in a deep voice:
“Yes, thank you.”
Then he quickly took the porridge and started eating noisily.
Lyte was not short of money, but in order to find Noi’s trail as soon as possible, he had been running around day and night, neglecting to eat, and was just as hungry as Noi.
Noi took a good look at the man who had just peeked at her.
He had a well-defined jawline, thin lips pressed together, and a faint, half-smile on his face.
The uniform on his chest, covered in blood, had a blue gemstone that shone brightly and was very beautiful.
It was not clear whether it was because this body was too sensitive or because of a woman’s intuition, but after Noi came to this world, she could clearly discern the intentions behind other people’s gazes.
And the man sitting behind her had just been looking at her delicate neck with a sharp, resolute gaze.
If Noi were a catgirl, she would definitely bristle with anger at this moment.
The elven grandmother seemed to have finished her work and brought a plate of cream stew and roasted meat slices, adding a meal for Noi and the lucky “poor” man sitting near her—Lyte.
“Thank you, grandma.” Noi smiled sweetly, hugged her grandmother’s arm, and called her affectionately, then stared at Lyte.
Lyte raised an eyebrow and was forced by Noi to nod quickly as a sign of thanks.
Because the movement was too small and too fast, Noi couldn’t see what the person who wanted to kill her looked like, and she muttered to herself, ‘This person is really cautious.’
Lyte had to be cautious.
In his previous life, the entire world of Tria was destroyed by this seemingly innocent girl.
His familiar companions died one after another, and he was powerless to do anything.
Until finally, when the deity briefly returned to the mortal world, facing such a world-destroying witch, he could only sigh and issue a divine decree, allowing Lyte to enter the brilliant temple of the Kaxia Church District.
There, he was given a chance to start over.
This time, he would definitely prevent the destruction of the world and stop Noi from destroying the world in every way he could think of.
Even if it meant breaking the no-kill principle he had established as a brave warrior.
While Lyte was recalling his memories from his previous life, a staff member came over and whispered to the elven grandmother.
The latter said to Noi, “My dear, you eat slowly. My kin has come to find me, so I’ll go for a while.”
“Okay, grandma, go ahead and don’t worry about me.”
After saying goodbye to her grandmother, Noi went to the blue-haired nun for another bowl.
She really can eat a lot, can’t she?
Lyte narrowed his eyes maliciously, and countless vicious plans burst into his mind.
Since she loves to eat so much, how about I imprison her and starve her for three or four days?
No, a world-destroying witch probably wouldn’t be afraid of hunger.
Then how about I overfeed her and let her eat herself to death?
That doesn’t seem realistic either.
Releasing magical power can promote digestion, so it’s not possible to eat oneself to death.
Poisoning her…… Ugh, let me think about it again.
This should be the last resort for a brave warrior.
After a while of daydreaming, Lyte also went to get another bowl of porridge and continued to think about how to kill the woman sitting in front of him.
In the silent scheming between the two, a commotion arose outside the church.
It was the captain of the soldiers that Noi had encountered at the checkpoint, followed by a group of soldiers carrying stretchers.
Most of the people on the stretchers were soldiers, with various degrees of wounds, either punctured or suffering from impact injuries.
The blood loss was not significant, but it still needed attention.
Moans and the smell of blood filled the church, defiling this sacred place.
Noi put down the bowl in her hand, and the poor people also stood up while continuing to eat, looking at the situation at the entrance.
“Quickly, take down the statue of the angel Raphael.”
A red-haired nun wearing knee-high black stockings rushed into the church and hastily instructed the knight.
Her nun’s robe had a vertical black and gold stripe.
“Yes, Priestess.”
The knights guarding the church followed the order and rushed to the nave, carefully removing the statue of Raphael and moving it to the entrance.
The captain had the soldiers clear a space for the wounded and faced the priestess who arrived a bit later, gesturing towards the wounded:
“Miss Priestess, is there any way to save my comrades?”
“The others are fine, but these few are too badly injured, especially your deputy… He was hit directly by a shell from a ship-type alien species. With no protection, chaotic energy entered his internal organs, and my talent is not sufficient to remove this energy.”
Soldier Captain: “I’ve already sent someone to call the bishop and the third-level priestess, but one of them just healed a batch of bandits from who knows where at the Demon Suppression Office, and the other one can’t be found. Can you at least save the deputy’s life first?”
“Well… I’ll do my best.”
The red-haired priestess gazed at the statue of Raphael, whose smile was as gentle as the spring breeze.
The deity Afiya grants light energy to the devout faithful.
Light energy can heal wounds, bestow blessings, provide protection, judge the evil, and also draw other elements from the air for fusion.
And the first-level priestess, her talent is not outstanding.
She has worked in the church for many years before being promoted to priestess.
But in this remote coastal town, besides the bishop and the priestess, her light energy is the purest.
“Come on! Sister Tina, you can do it.” A young nun clenched her fist, encouraging the priestess.
Noi bypassed the crowd and stood next to the wounded, observing closely.
The soldier captain noticed her and saw that a distinguished brave warrior was following closely behind her, which increased his respect for her even more.
The priestess devoutly recited the runes, and the light energy within her gradually resonated with the statue of Raphael, gaining a boost.
Lord Raphael, I beg of you!
The faint light in her palm was input into the runes, forming a magical array that covered the deputy’s sunken chest.
Thin, almost inaudible red-black chaotic energy was extracted from the deputy’s body, but the golden magical array couldn’t last long and shattered due to its inability to purify the chaotic energy.
The priestess staggered weakly.
She had used up all the magical power she could muster, but still couldn’t maintain the operation of the magical array.
“I’m sorry, I’ve let everyone down.”
The red-haired priestess bowed deeply to the soldiers, and the soldier captain tried to keep his spirits up, but he couldn’t hide the deep sorrow in his heart.
“It’s okay, you did your best. Treat the others first, and then discuss how to deal with the deputy’s injuries when the bishop arrives.”
The soldier captain squatted beside his deputy, sadly patting his shoulder.
His hesitant expression made the other soldiers feel sad as well.
The wounded groaned helplessly, and Noi saw the pain they were trying to endure deep in their eyes.
“Ah, the deputy captain’s child is only two months old and is about to lose his father… It’s all my fault for not reminding him in time.”
Beside her, a soldier punched his thigh in frustration and anger.
Noi twisted the hem of her cloak, pondering for a long time, and finally clenched her fist.
“Um…… Can I give it a try?”