The boy seemed to be in a hurry about something, so he didn’t linger.
Lanafit had intended to take out a bottle of healing potion for him, but in the blink of an eye, the boy had already dashed into the alley clutching what he held.
Seeing that skinny figure rushing away, Lanafit lowered her hand holding the potion, let out a wry smile, and turned to leave.
Since she had to wait until tomorrow, she might as well find an Inn first.
With that in mind, Lanafit began searching for a nearby Inn.
Yet, before she could find one, she stopped in front of a building at the center of the town.
The white statue at the entrance exuded an unparalleled sense of sanctity, and the solemn, majestic architectural style made it stand in sharp contrast with the other buildings in the town.
This was the Church where the townsfolk worshipped the gods.
Almost every town, as long as it was of a certain size, would have a Church.
Lanafit had passed through several towns and seen the architecture of these Churches, but she had never actually gone inside.
Yet today, as if guided by some unseen force, she stepped through the doors.
There were already quite a few people inside the Church.
Men and women, young and old, all sat solemnly on the rows of pews, devoutly praying for their wishes or repenting for their sins.
The priest seemed to have just finished a prayer, and was now kneeling before the statue with the other Church attendants.
Lanafit’s arrival did not disturb anyone here.
She carefully made her way to the center of the hall, gazing at the sacred statues.
These were the gods worshipped by the living beings of the earth, the goddesses who resided upon the Sky Islands.
There were many statues—thirty-four in all—and each one stood upon its own altar, with its identity inscribed below.
Yet limited by craftsmanship, Lanafit felt these statues bore little resemblance to the real goddesses.
Perhaps there was a faint two or three parts similarity, but that was all; they lacked any trace of true divinity.
After all, she had seen with her own eyes—and knew—these gods the people worshipped.
Her gaze lingered a bit longer on the statues of Ansela and Roseithe, since these two were the ones she knew best.
Then her eyes rested on the statue of the thirty-third Gloria Seihaper for a while—she had never met this witch, and was quite curious about what the witch who’d been driven into seclusion by Roseithe looked like.
The statues of the first three witches were placed at the very center of the Church, as if they received the highest reverence from the faithful.
After all, in history, they were known as the three goddesses of Enlightenment, Civilization, and Salvation, and were considered those who had contributed most to the living beings of the earth.
Lanafit glanced over each statue one by one, and finally, her gaze settled on the last altar—the thirty-fifth altar.
Unlike the others, which all had statues upon them, this thirty-fifth altar was empty, without even an identity inscribed.
But Lanafit understood: this was prepared for herself.
It was said that every time a witch was reborn, a lifelike statue would appear in the Cathedral at the headquarters of the Order.
The current Archbishop would also receive a divine oracle, confirming the birth of a new god.
Aside from announcing the birth of a new god to the world, the Order would urgently commission craftsmen to carve a replica of the statue and send it to Churches everywhere.
However, along her journey, Lanafit had never heard anyone mention the birth of a new god.
In fact, many people were still wondering why, after a hundred years, the Church had not received a divine oracle.
Lanafit herself had no desire for people’s faith.
After all, she didn’t want people kneeling in prayer before her statue every day.
Besides, she really couldn’t think of any reason why her own divine office would be worthy of worship.
After all, praying to Ansela could bring peace to deceased loved ones in the underworld, and praying to Roseithe could bring the blessing of love.
But praying to her…
Should she bestow curses and disasters upon them? If that’s the case, these people must be a little unwell in the head.
What’s more, if her divine office became public, any disaster or calamity would surely be blamed on her.
Lanafit believed that before long, she’d be branded an evil god and scorned by all.
So, the absence of any news about the advent of this “new goddess” was actually a good thing.
After looking around, Lanafit gradually lost interest. Besides, she really didn’t like this kind of solemn and oppressive atmosphere, so she turned to leave.
But at that moment, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Witch of Curses and Calamity, I now convey to you the will of the Demon God.”
The familiar, emotionless voice sounded again, so abruptly that Lanafit was startled.
Immediately after, the contents of the will were transmitted to her.
“The nation blessed by divine grace is no longer devout.
The teachings of the gods have been forgotten by the ignorant masses.
The foolish living beings dare to trample upon our dignity.
It is time for their folly to be punished.
Bring down the wrath of the gods upon the Haide Empire.
Bestow destruction, calamity, and despair’s curse upon them. Purge this rot with flames—upon all that lies within your sight.”
The first part was exactly the same—Lanafit had heard these words so often, she could recite them by heart.
But when the last two lines were spoken, Lanafit’s eyes widened in disbelief.
The will of the Demon God had changed.
What was going on?
Just a few days ago, she’d received the will instructing her to destroy Stat Village, but now the location of the calamity had changed.
A wave of panic surged in her heart.
Lanafit wondered if the Demon God had finally noticed her constant slacking off and had begun to monitor her.
But Lanafit wasn’t too afraid.
After all, this level of panic was at most like playing games at work and suddenly realizing your boss was standing behind you—not enough to make her run away.
What, could the Demon God do anything besides bark orders?
Was he really going to fire her or something?
With her record of slacking off for half a year, if the Demon God wanted her gone, he would’ve done it already.
Why wait until now and just change the assignment?
Thinking it through, Lanafit calmed her nerves and glanced back at the rows of statues in the Church.
Maybe, because she was in a Church—a place connected to the gods—the Demon God’s signal had gotten stronger, so he checked in on her and decided to give her a new task since she wasn’t working.
But Lanafit had already decided to slack off to the end.
If the job was slaughtering people, she definitely wouldn’t do it.
If the Demon God was so capable, he could come down and do it himself.
Of course, this was just self-comfort.
At the very least, from today on, Lanafit resolved never to set foot in a Church again.
And the plan to stay at an Inn tonight was canceled as well.
Lanafit decided she’d camp outside the city instead, and after seeing the doctor tomorrow morning, she’d leave right away.
Having made up her mind, Lanafit didn’t linger in the Church.
She pushed open the door and left quickly.
When she’d first entered the city, it was already afternoon, and now, dusk was settling in.
Lanafit needed to find a place to sleep outside the city before nightfall.
She could only hope that Doctor Sandrina would be able to find a cure for her tomorrow.