Chapter 14: Herded Like Ducks

The next morning, in the church.

In a small room near the garden, a blue-haired nun faced off with a white-haired girl.

The cause of their standoff?

A pair of white thigh-high stockings.

“Um, Sister Chenxi, do I really have to wear these stockings?” Noi’s voice trembled with embarrassment.

It was mortifying.

“No exceptions. It’s the church’s rule,” Chenxi replied firmly.

At that, the white-haired girl clutched her chest and took a few steps back in silent protest.

Her tattered prisoner’s garb and flag had been discarded by the blue-haired Chenxi, her cloak sent off to the lay sisters for washing.

Now, a plain black nun’s robe was her only attire.

Chenxi crossed her arms, her tone unyielding.

“The stockings are on the bed. Pick them up and put them on.”

“Ugh… fine.” Noi’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

With a pout, she gingerly lifted the neatly folded stockings, her small hands trembling.

The fabric was smooth, almost slippery under her touch.

A flicker of surprise crossed her face—this was her first time, in this life or her past one, handling such delicate material.

Following Chenxi’s instructions, she bunched the stockings into a bowl-like shape, pointed her dainty foot, and slipped it into the opening.

The thickened toe of the white stocking enveloped her rounded toes, the sheer fabric gliding up her slender legs, hugging her pale skin.

As she moved, the hem of her skirt swayed, teasing glimpses of the absolute territory between stocking and hem.

Once dressed, Noi stood primly, but Chenxi’s eyes narrowed, sensing something amiss.

Her gaze swept over the girl from head to toe, lingering at her chest.

‘Hmm… that size, and no bra? Can they really stay so… perky?’

Chenxi’s curiosity got the better of her.

She reached out, her hands confirming the impossible.

“You’re not wearing a bra?”

Noi’s face flushed crimson.

“I… I don’t have one to wear,” she mumbled, her voice soft and sticky with embarrassment.

“What? A girl with that chest and no bra?” Chenxi’s eyes widened, then darted downward.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re not wearing—”

“Um, no… nothing there either,” Noi admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

Chenxi’s face darkened as realization hit.

Noi was completely bare beneath the robe.

“What, are you trying to make things easy for men?” she snapped, half-teasing, half-scolding.

“No! It’s not like that!” Noi’s cheeks burned, her embarrassment so intense it seemed she might melt into the floor.

She’d only been a girl for a little over a day—how could she possibly have the necessary of womanhood so quickly?

Chenxi stepped out briefly, returning with a few sets of her own undergarments.

Seeing Noi’s lingering shyness, she couldn’t resist a playful jab.

“You know, men love the thrill of unwrapping. A little mystery makes them itch to lift the veil.”

“Sister Chenxi… are you speaking from experience?” Noi shot back, turning the tables.

Chenxi faltered, her words tripping over themselves.

“W-What? Of course not! It’s just… something I read in a book!” Her flustered response drew a giggle from Noi, but Chenxi quickly regained control, ordering her to change into the undergarments right there.

The panties were manageable, their snug fit sending a tingling sensation through her, paired with the cool brush of air against her thighs under the long nun’s skirt.

The bra, however, was a struggle.

Noi fumbled with the clasp until Chenxi, exasperated, stepped in and fastened it with ease.

“Grown woman and you can’t even put on a bra?” Chenxi teased.

“Ugh…” Noi whined, unable to explain .

The tightness at her chest hinted that her figure outmatched Chenxi’s, a fact the older sister didn’t hesitate to point out with a smirk.

Noi slipped her stockinged feet into the mandatory short-heeled shoes, a stark upgrade from the dusty, ill-fitting cloth shoes Chenxi had tossed into the trash.

She wobbled a few steps, steadying herself against the wall as she adjusted to the heels’ unfamiliar height, her breath coming in soft gasps.

Chenxi sent a lay sister to fetch undergarments in Noi’s size, then led her to breakfast.

Afterward, she handed her over to Tina, her younger sister, to introduce Noi to the church and the duties of a novice nun.

Chenxi herself had to meet a craftsman about a broken skylight.

“Hey there! Proper introductions: I’m Tina, first-rank priestess.” The red-haired priestess extended a hand with a grin.

“Sorry about yesterday. I underestimated you.”

Noi shook her hand, offering a forgiving smile.

She couldn’t hold a grudge—had she been in Tina’s shoes, she might’ve been just as cautious about letting a stranger attempt something so perilous.

“This is the forecourt, where we pray,” Tina explained, gesturing to the space.

“The nuns rotate duties, but daily prayer is non-negotiable. I’m surprised your church didn’t drill that into you. Guess that’s what makes you a prodigy, huh?”

In an era when the church’s ideals had grown stale, talent often outweighed devotion.

Some churches barely cared about prayer at all.

The old bishop of Wagner Town was mocked as a traditionalist for his insistence on it, so much so that passing nuns and knights preferred inns over his church’s hospitality.

Tina, mistaking Noi for one of those lax prodigies, let a hint of sarcasm slip into her words.

“Here’s the midcourt,” she continued, pointing to rows of dark, patterned pews.

“This is where the faithful sit for prayers. Some folks just come for the free food.”

Poorly dressed townsfolk clutched bowls of steaming porridge, while blue-robed lay sisters bustled about and black-robed nuns assisted with scripture readings.

Soldiers, still nursing injuries, shuffled in for a bowl of porridge before returning to the nuns for healing.

Those who’d seen Noi the day before greeted her with warm smiles.

A few soldiers, having bet she was a nun, crowed victoriously to their companions.

Some couldn’t help but steal glances at her chest, only to blush and look away.

Noi spotted the elderly elf from the day before, seated on a pew near a stained-glass window.

The old woman gazed at the statue of the deity, time seeming to have frozen around her weathered form.

“Hey, you two young ladies—had breakfast yet?” the elf called out.

“We have,” Tina replied, curious.

“What’re you doing here, Grandma?”

“Oh, just passing the time. Old age, you know.” The elf’s eyes settled on Noi.

“Little Simon asked me to pick up a letter he sent to the teahouse. Got it on you?”

“Yes, here.” Noi fumbled at her robe’s pocket, only to realize the design made it tricky to reach.

She loosened her collar slightly, her figure drawing a stunned glance from Tina, who suddenly felt a pang of inferiority.

With a subtle gesture, Noi summoned the letter from her system space and handed it to the elf.

“We’re off to show Noi the rest of the church, Grandma. See you!” Tina waved, pulling Noi along as the elf’s kind eyes followed them out of the midcourt.

Next, Tina showed her the church’s garden, a vibrant haven tended by a third-rank priestess who’d transformed it from a weed-choked wasteland.

Then came the dining hall, its ancient crystal chandelier now a relic, replaced by Star Alliance incandescent lamps powered by reusable magic stones that lasted years with a bit of sunlight.

They paused at the confession room near the forehall, its sealed door and windows hiding those who paid to unburden their troubles.

The nuns listened to their complaints, then chose one “lucky” soul to assist—a transaction dressed in piety.

Tina glanced at a nearby clock, another creation of the time-oblivious third-rank priestess.

“It’s almost nine. Want to try praying?”

“No! I mean… no, I’m good,” Noi said, waving her hands frantically.

She hadn’t even memorized the scriptures Bishop Pria had given her yesterday.

If they forced her to perform now, she’d make a fool of herself.

“Hmph, no need to play coy. I know you’ve got it in you. Just a short prayer—come on, I’ll set you up.” Tina’s tone was teasing but insistent, leaving no room for escape.