Fortunately for Iana, Lillian didn’t act out any further; she simply rested her head gently against Iana’s shoulder.
At this moment, Iana was glaring at Elia with quiet annoyance, silently complaining to herself.
Elia hadn’t helped at all and instead was acting like a spectator who enjoyed stirring up trouble.
She kept saying things like, “So sweet, you two are truly made for each other,” which only made Iana feel embarrassed and irritated.
Luckily, the place they had been traveling from wasn’t far from the Holy City, so their time on the carriage wasn’t long, sparing Iana much suffering.
“Saintess Elia, we’re almost at our destination. The Holy City is just ahead.” The Captain’s deep voice called out from the front, tinged with fatigue, as if his recent battle with the beast had drained most of his energy.
“Hm, understood.” Elia composed herself with a simple nod, her tone calm.
In front of others, she always put on the appearance of unwavering bravery, as if no difficulty could ever make her falter.
Her sense of responsibility was heavier than anyone’s.
This generation’s Pope was a cowardly fool, lacking all ability—in fact, it seemed every Pope had been the same.
His cowardice would be tolerable if not for his obsession with power, going out of his way to sabotage anyone who dared to oppose him.
Now, with the Holy City being the origin of the Kingdom Church, it seemed a special kind of creature had its sights set on it.
The Pope abandoned the city’s faithful, fleeing to the Capital without a second thought, leaving the Holy City to its fate.
In stark contrast, Saintess Elia, with her compassionate heart, risked danger to gather food from the common folk and bring it to the Holy City to help its people survive.
Secretly requisitioning food to aid disaster victims and supply the army was basically slapping the Kingdom’s rulers in the face, a blatant declaration of their incompetence.
Such an act was a capital offense under Kingdom law, which was why Elia was extremely cautious, selecting only a dozen knights she trusted absolutely to deliver the supplies.
Hearing the Captain’s words, Iana pulled aside a corner of the carriage curtain and looked ahead.
What she saw left her utterly stunned.
Not far ahead was the city—a massive wall stretching high and long, its edges impossible to see.
Though vast in scale, not a single corner or material was skimped upon.
Iana had seen this city before—exactly the same one, but with a difference.
The city walls she had seen earlier bore signs of weathering and erosion everywhere.
Yes, she had seen this city during the First Trial of the Saintess in the Holy Trial.
Now she was becoming more convinced that the Holy Trial was deeply connected to events from five hundred years ago.
Perhaps the Trial Secret Realm from the First Saintess Trial was actually this very place five centuries earlier?
But that didn’t quite add up.
Setting aside that five hundred years later this place would become a desert, it was now a vast forest.
Even in five hundred years, such a drastic change was hard to believe.
What puzzled Iana even more was that everything she experienced in the Holy Trial had taken place within a secret realm.
Could it be that she was currently inside that very realm, but five hundred years in the past?
The more she thought about it, the more her mind tangled in confusion.
Before long, they reached the city gates, which were firmly shut, seemingly on guard against impending danger.
“Who goes there? I warn you, this city is dangerous. I advise you to leave quickly.”
At the warning, Elia stepped down from the carriage with grace, saying nothing, because her words mattered less than her presence.
“It’s Saintess Elia. Quickly, open the gates!” A fully armored guard atop the city wall shouted without hesitation upon seeing Elia.
To them, Elia was far too important—the last spiritual symbol and leader of the Holy City.
The carriage soon entered the city.
Passing by a luxurious hotel, Elia ordered the knights to stop for a moment.
“You two go ahead and rest at the hotel. I have some matters to attend to.” Elia handed several Gold Coins to Iana and added, “This should be enough to book a room.”
“You two must get along well tonight.”
Without allowing any objections, Elia ushered Iana and Lillian out of the carriage, leaving the two girls standing awkwardly in the chilly wind.
Lillian was still pressed close against Iana’s shoulder, her cheeks faintly flushed.
“Iana, it’s so cold out here. Let’s go inside quickly,” Lillian blinked and coquettishly coaxed.
“All right, fine.” Iana clutched the Gold Coins awkwardly, a strange premonition stirring within her that tonight might hold some dangers.
Linking arms, Lillian and Iana headed toward the hotel.
“Welcome, ladies.”
Inside the hotel’s grand and glittering lobby, a well-dressed and beautiful receptionist was preparing a room for the previous guest.
“Here is the key to your twin room. You’re very lucky—this is the last twin room available.”
Hearing this from a distance, Iana felt as if the sky had fallen.
If there were no twin rooms left, that meant only double beds were available—which meant she would have to share a bed with Lillian.
Although they had shared a bed before, given Lillian’s current state, it clearly wasn’t appropriate anymore.
“Ah, only double beds left? What bad luck,” Lillian sighed mockingly, but Iana caught a sly glint in her eyes.
“Will you be staying the night?” the receptionist asked with a smile.
“We’d like to book two rooms…” Iana was about to grit her teeth and offer to pay for a separate room when Lillian cut her off.
“One double bed room is fine.” Lillian said sweetly, handing the Gold Coins to the receptionist.
“We’ll stay here tonight.”
Iana opened her mouth to object, but the receptionist interrupted with a smile.
“Very well, here are your keys. Your room is at the far end of the second floor. The soundproofing is excellent, so you don’t have to worry about anyone overhearing.”
“N-no, no, no, you misunderstand. We’re not that kind of relationship,” Iana hurriedly waved her hands, trying to clarify.
But the receptionist only smiled knowingly.
She already understood exactly what the two of them would be doing tonight.