“Lin Shu! Lin Shu!!”
Upon opening her eyes again, a figure suddenly pounced and crashed into Lin Shu’s embrace.
Caught off guard, Lin Shu stumbled back two steps.
A familiar scent invaded her nose.
A fluffy head nestled on her shoulder: “You’re back!!”
Lin Shu focused her eyes: “Hati?”
‘Huh?’
‘Not in the sky, nor on the carriage.’
‘This isn’t the night she disappeared.’
“Wait, are you real? Not a phantom I summoned?” Hati suddenly lifted her head, reaching out to lightly pinch Lin Shu’s face.
“Urgh.” Lin Shu twisted her face free from her hand. “It’s me.”
“Is it really Lin Shu! Do you feel unwell?”
“Where did you go? Are you hurt?”
“You disappeared after the meteor exploded. You scared me to death.”
Hati chattered incessantly while circling around her several times.
“Cough!”
A clear, cold female voice came from the top of the hall, interrupting their conversation.
The voice echoed in the empty hall.
Lin Shu came back to her senses and looked at her surroundings.
They were standing in the center of a magnificent, grand cathedral. On both sides stood a row of angel nuns, holding the church’s exclusive firearms, their eyes fixed on them.
Hati stopped talking, and the atmosphere in the hall immediately became serious.
At the end of the hall on the elevated platform sat an angel with a halo.
Lin Shu wouldn’t forget that face.
It was Fiona.
“Although the Hunter team has its own rules, this is the Bishop’s cathedral. Please mind your manners, Captain Hati.” An angel beside her reminded.
Hati immediately straightened up: “Ahem, Your Grace, my mission is complete.”
She then turned to Lin Shu, winked, and quickly added in a low voice: “This is the big shot of our Holy Church headquarters, Bishop Fiona.”
Lin Shu was startled.
‘The Fiona she met in the past timeline was only a bishop of a town church near the royal capital. Now she has already been promoted to the Holy Church headquarters.’
‘But since she has a special relationship with the Pope, this isn’t surprising.’
“You are the holder of the Key, Lin Shu.”
Fiona spoke, her tone confident, not using a question, clearly already confirming her identity.
“Angela and Captain Hati have already told me about you.”
“Then, where is that Key?”
Hati also turned to look at Lin Shu, signaling her.
Lin Shu was silent for a moment.
‘Should she show it to her?’
‘The Creator God fused the Key into her body, and she clearly said she had given me the authority.’
‘If so, the other party probably couldn’t snatch it even if they wanted to.’
Thinking this, Lin Shu tried to mobilize her spiritual power, concentrating her will like she normally did when manipulating her Familiar skills.
A white light glowed on her chest, and the Key materialized in the air, floating quietly in front of her.
“Shwoosh!”
The surrounding angel nuns, upon seeing the Key appear, all placed their hands crossed over their chests and bowed reverently.
“Oh?” Fiona raised an eyebrow, very surprised.
“Lin Shu, you evolved! The Key is inside your body?” Hati’s eyes widened, saying joyfully.
Lin Shu moved her mind, and the Key turned back into light and returned to her body.
Fiona quickly calmed her emotions and instructed, “Since the Chosen One has arrived at the Holy Church, take her down, bathe and pay homage, and arrange a residence.”
“She is the most important guest of the Holy Church. She must not be treated poorly in the slightest.”
‘Is Fiona planning to use the same strategy as before—courtesy before force?’
Lin Shu calculated in her mind.
‘Now she knows nothing about her surroundings, and with insufficient strength, she shouldn’t act rashly.’
Lin Shu nodded slightly and followed the nun leading the way out of the hall.
‘How long has she been missing since that night?’
‘She took a big detour in the past timeline. She wonders if it will affect the current timeline…’
Hati also walked beside Lin Shu, her steps light, excitedly recounting past events:
“That day you suddenly disappeared in the carriage, we were all shocked.”
“Angela guessed you were swept away by that meteor. We didn’t dare delay and rushed back to the royal capital.”
“The Holy Church discussed it all night. Later, I suggested using my Familiar Contract with you to try to pull you back with a summoning ritual.”
“Luckily, the method worked.”
Hati grinned happily.
“If Lin Shu really disappeared, I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Thank goodness I still have the contract with you.”
“Hati, how long have I been gone?” Lin Shu asked.
“Huh? It’s been over a whole day!”
“Over a day…” Lin Shu murmured.
‘Thankfully, the flow of time was different. It didn’t delay too long.’
Just as her heart settled, another thought immediately popped up:
‘What about Sefina?’
She immediately pressed: “What about Sophia and Ani? Where did they go?”
“Ani left with a nun. She said she would take her to the Spirit Tower. Before leaving, she was very worried about you.”
“Sophia also came with us to the royal capital. After arriving, the Bishop specifically arranged for someone to take care of her, saying she would help her find her hometown.”
“She… she came too?!”
Thinking about Sefina’s condition, Lin Shu’s heart tightened.
‘Oh no, she doesn’t know what her situation is now, or if the Holy Church people saw through her.’
“Hmm, I feel like Lin Shu cares about her a lot? You said before to bring her along, and now you’re worried about her.” Hati tilted her head, her face drawing close:
“Do you… like her?”
“Huh?”
Not expecting Hati to suddenly be so direct, Lin Shu was momentarily at a loss for words.
“I just…” She quickly organized her thoughts, “I’m curious where they went, because she wasn’t in good health to begin with…”
“Eh…? If you didn’t like her, wouldn’t Lin Shu just deny it directly?”
Hati’s ears drooped slightly.
She turned her head and muttered softly, “Why? So Lin Shu likes that type? The frail type?”
Hati murmured to herself, as if suddenly thinking of something:
“Could it be! You like what she learned from the Succubus? Ah! Did she do something to you back in the carriage? I was careless!”
“No, that’s not it!”
Just as Lin Shu was refuting, her attention was caught by several figures suddenly appearing at the corridor intersection.
Sophia!
Lin Shu’s heart leaped.
She was followed by two nuns, walking very close to her.
Sophia also noticed the commotion and looked over.
When her eyes met Lin Shu’s, a trace of panic flashed in her eyes.
But the panic only lasted a moment, and Sophia’s gaze quickly returned to calm.
She curved her lips and nodded politely at Lin Shu:
“It’s great that you’re back, Lin Shu.”
‘Huh?’
‘Is she okay? Is she hiding her abnormality?’
Lin Shu asked, “Is your body okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Her smile was relaxed. “I want to talk to you. Are you free later?”
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