Angela finally agreed to let Ani and Sophia travel with them.
“Alright, I believe the two of them are both good children,” Angela said, shrugging as her white wings flapped once. “Besides, doing a good deed a day is something the Holy Church encourages us to do.”
Seeing Hati standing there with her arms crossed and her tail flicking irritably, Angela advised, “I’m telling you, your feelings for Miss Lin Shu are crossing the line a bit.”
“Have you ever considered that she isn’t an ordinary person? Doing something like that to her in public is bad for her reputation, don’t you think?”
Hati froze. She opened her mouth to argue, but in the end, she said nothing. She had indeed acted impulsively because she liked Lin Shu so much. Lin Shu was so considerate of other people’s feelings that even if she were unwilling, she wouldn’t refuse Hati firmly.
At that thought, Hati’s ears drooped.
“Moreover, once she is recruited into the Holy Church, don’t you dare try any workplace romance. The Saintess will punish you.”
Hati turned around with a huff. “I’m not afraid. Besides, the Demon-Hunting Group doesn’t give us much free time; I can only seek her out during my breaks at most.”
Angela smiled, then her expression turned serious as she brought up another important topic. “Oh, right. About that egg you picked up in the monster nest last time.”
“It’s a bit strange. We of the Angel Race are also hatched from eggs, but I can’t help but feel that the structure and patterns on that egg…” As she spoke, she suddenly shuddered. “Ugh, it’s quite disgusting. I’d rather not think about it in that way.”
“What? Keep going,” Hati said, her curiosity piqued. “Actually, I’ve been hunting demons for so long, yet I’ve never seen that kind of monster before.”
“It’s a pity you didn’t see it with your own eyes. You can ask your subordinates. Even though that monster is a reptilian species, it has feathers and is exceptionally sensitive to magic. It’s as if… it was specifically born to counter mages.”
Angela remained silent for a moment before finally knitting her brows. “Anyway, my job is to bring Lin Shu back safely. You’ve already eliminated the monsters, so let’s not worry about it too much.”
When the time for departure arrived, the Holy Church’s party gathered at the edge of the village. The villagers crowded together, handing various homemade foods to Lin Shu and Hati.
Ani stood beside the team, clutching her luggage. The villagers surrounded her, taking turns to offer their parting words.
“Ani, you must stay safe on the road. Stay close to the Angels of the Holy Church.”
“Once you reach the center of the Sacred Race, don’t forget about this place.”
“Mm, I’m only going to take a look,” Ani said, shrinking her neck back and offering a shy smile. “I’ll be back.”
The carriage Angela had prepared was spacious enough to hold four people. The white horse pulling the carriage had a pair of massive white wings on its back, waiting obediently in place. At a signal from the nuns, it began a short run forward, flapping its wings as it took flight into the sky.
“Safe travels!”
The shouts of the villagers gradually faded as the carriage rose into the air. Ani gripped the handrail beside her tightly, her expression tense. Lin Shu, who was already accustomed to the feeling of weightlessness, patted her shoulder comfortingly.
Hati and Sophia also sat in the carriage, neither of them saying a word.
Seeing that everyone was silent, Lin Shu intended to unwrap the bandage around the back of her head. She didn’t know how well the wound had healed and needed to change the medicine.
“I’ll help you.” Sophia leaned over naturally.
“No need. You should rest; I’ll help her,” Hati said, squeezing her way over. “I handle wounds all the time. I have experience.”
Sophia’s raised hand slowly dropped, and she sat back in her seat calmly. “Alright… then I’ll leave it to you.”
Hati skillfully dampened the bandage with water before carefully peeling it off.
Ani tentatively handed over a small jar of herbs. “This… my sister used this when she was injured. It heals very quickly, and it doesn’t hurt.”
“Thank you.” Hati took it with a bright smile and began applying the medicine to Lin Shu’s wound.
Silence returned to the carriage, leaving only the sound of the wind outside.
“Little one, do you only want to see the Spirit Tower on this trip?” Hati asked. “You don’t want to learn magic like your sister did?”
Ani trembled all over. “Eh? M-me? Can I really do that too?”
Sophia added at the right moment, “Did you forget? The item your sister gave you might have been intended to encourage you to follow in her footsteps.” She pointed to the badge pinned to Ani’s chest.
“But… magic isn’t that simple, right? I saw how much my sister struggled every time she cast a spell.”
“Why don’t you ask Sister Lin Shu what it was like for her the first time she used magic?” Sophia turned the conversation toward Lin Shu with a smile.
Lin Shu instantly sat up straight.
‘Sorry, but my situation is more like having a cheat code from a magic network administrator; it’s not really a good reference.’
Lin Shu tried her best to recall the beginner tutorials she had read in books and said, “Actually, there are mainly three points…”
Lin Shu fished out casting materials from her bag, along with the magic crash course book Ani had found for her. She sifted through them, selected a suitable material, and held it out to Ani.
“Come, try it.”
Lin Shu began teaching Ani magic, and the atmosphere in the carriage finally lightened. Hati pushed aside the carriage curtain and went outside to look at the scenery.
After a long time of effort, Ani finally succeeded in casting a simple Glimmer spell. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Watching the faint white light flickering at her fingertips, she whispered excitedly, “W-wow! Incredible!!”
“Ugh… but it’s still so hard to remember the incantations…”
Lin Shu comforted her, “Take it slow. Not many things can be accomplished overnight. Didn’t the author of this book also record all these spells to benefit the mages who came after?”
Just then, Hati’s excited voice drifted in from the front of the carriage. “Lin Shu, Ani, come out and look!”
Everyone pulled back the curtains and carefully stood at the front of the carriage. The carriage was speeding through the clouds, and the wind instantly rushed against their faces.
In the distance, a tall black and red tower was suspended quietly high in the sky. The body of the tower was made of smooth cubes stacked layer upon layer, with starlight-like light flowing slowly across its surface.
“That is the Spirit Tower!” Hati introduced with great enthusiasm. “Their territory has always floated in the sky and never touches the ground.”
An envious light shone in Ani’s eyes. “How magnificent!”
“If it’s floating in the sky, how do we get up there?” Lin Shu asked.
“Well… I heard you have to find a contact person. They have specialized teleportation gates.”
As she spoke, Hati turned her head to look at Lin Shu. “Lin Shu, once the contract is dissolved, if you and Ani want to go to the Spirit Tower to continue learning magic, I can help you find a contact.”
Lin Shu returned the smile but didn’t give a definitive answer. If she successfully discovered the truth about the key, what would be waiting for her? Would she even need magic by then?
Lin Shu’s hand, which was hanging by her side, was suddenly touched softly. Sophia was standing behind Lin Shu, and while Hati’s back was turned, she gently hooked her pinky finger around Lin Shu’s hand.
?
It seemed that upon hearing the keyword “dissolving the contract,” Sefina was silently reminding Lin Shu.
Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat.
‘That’s right. If I really can return to my original world, what will happen to the bonds I’ve formed here?’