Miss Riddler just wants to level up in peace.

The shrine was surrounded by a barrier, so no one could find it even from the sky; all that could be seen was a plain surrounded by mountains.

[Oh dear, if Seele and that older woman succumb to temptation and fall for it, this place will probably turn into a place of debauchery.]

"Don't talk nonsense, my sisters are not like that."

Seele denied it, saying that Bronya was calm and composed in her thinking and actions.

Mei is well-educated and reasonable, perfectly fitting the definition of a virtuous wife.

Kiana, though a bit eccentric, is also a very good girl.

As for Sister Ziyao...

The white moonlight in her heart.

He is not very talkative, conservative in nature, and a little bit cunning.

That snowy night, the first person I saw when I opened my eyes.

[You say you're not lonely, but you've clearly been thinking about really awful things, haven't you?]

Hei Xi continued teasingly, perhaps out of boredom, she became interested in flirting with Xi'er.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore, Seele is going back to her room to rest."

Despite saying she was going back, Seele went to someone else's room to check if the window was closed properly.

After checking each room, as she turned the doorknob before returning to her own room, a bad feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

She opened the door, and a cold wind, mixed with rain, blew towards her.

The floor was wet and soaked, and the bed next to it was completely drenched.

Seele quickly closed the window, which stopped the rain from continuing to flood the room.

Even the most meticulous plans can have oversights; is this what they call "the blind spot under the lamp"?

They considered everyone else's needs, but forgot about themselves.

As night deepened, the bedding was completely soaked.

After sending it to be washed and dried, Seele changed into her pajamas, and then the question arose: where to sleep?

I definitely can't stay in my own room anymore.

Upon entering Bronya's room, a snow-white-haired loli lay on the bed, resembling a sleeping beauty, looking exactly like Theresa, yet with some subtle differences.

[It's hard to understand why she left her clone here. I'm enough to protect Seele.]

"excuse me."

Seele apologized quietly and closed the door.

She didn't comment on the matter; she believed that Ziyao would tell them when the time was right.

Since Bronya's room is occupied, we can only go to Ziyao's room.

Before asking to stay, she sent the girl a message.

Because all the bedding was soaked, they didn't even have their own pillows.

As I snuggled into the bedding, which was filled with the sweet scent of a girl, I couldn't help but imagine the scene of a young girl lying in it.

The room is simply furnished, tidy, and free of unnecessary items; you wouldn't guess it's a girl's room.

"Strange... Did my sister's room get flooded too?"

On the white mattress, Seele saw a faint watermark, which was hard to spot without careful observation.

It's evening now. If we help her take it to wash, she'll have nothing to put on her mat, so she'll have to keep it until tomorrow.

Actually, Mei and Kiana's rooms are closer, but for some reason, she wanted to come to Ziyao's place.

Another boring day. When will the sisters come back?

Looking at the ceiling, Seele thought to herself.

There was no answer to the question; the only response she received was the sound of rain outside the window.

Volume 1: Chapter 273 Crematorium Warning (Part 1)

The tea party ended in the afternoon.

Ottori called Rita aside.

"I have obtained permission to enter the inner city, but I will not go in for the time being."

"Has your investigation gone this far...?"

This might be a bit redundant, since Otori arrived here four days ago and it's normal that she has more information than them.

"I didn't have this concern before."

Otori glanced outside, and Xiao Shi, encouraged by Zi Yao, stood on tiptoe and plucked a green leaf from the tree.

She had to quickly get to the point before the girls were looking.

"She's dangerous."

"The ability to manipulate consciousness is indeed something we should be wary of."

"No, I wasn't talking about her."

"...Aren't you overthinking it?"

Otori shook her head, then said seriously, "Mission changed. Try to prevent them from entering the inner city. Fifth-generation armor is permitted."

"The moment that light shone forth, even Durandal couldn't compare to you."

As she spoke, she handed Rita a silver corsage with a cross on it.

"Rita received."

"By the way, be careful to keep your distance from Herrschers, it will be troublesome if their memories are read."

To maintain secrecy, Otori did not disclose the conditions for entering the inner city.

Judging from his confident demeanor, he seemed certain that the girls would never meet the requirements for entry.

What is it that the bishop can do but Lady Theresa and the others cannot?

Rita had a vague sense of unease.

As her subordinate, she didn't ask any questions and agreed to everything.

..

"Jump up and take it off."

Why pick these worthless leaves?

"This is the first step to becoming the new Fu Hua. You never did anything meaningless before."

"Sometimes you don't need to think about those things, just go with your desires."

“That makes sense. How come I didn’t think of that?”

Doing it the other way around sounds so much better.

[Trying to refute me with this? You're way off.]

In the space of consciousness, Fu Hua cooperated by deliberately saying the opposite of what he meant, in order to cooperate with Zi Yao's actions.

"Tsk, just you wait and see, you old fogey."

Following Ziyao's instructions, Xiaoshi tiptoed and jumped lightly, easily picking the tender green leaf.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled green shadows.

"very nice."

Ziyao praised, reaching out to stroke Xiaoshi's head.

Although she didn't like it, Xiao Shi had no choice but to obediently squint her eyes and not resist, just like a cat being stroked.

Theresa, standing next to them, was stunned. "Are you two really that close?"

"Hmm... You two really have a good relationship."

That's too good.

Rita maintained a perfectly measured smile and said she needed to go back and rest, and would not keep you company for the time being.

In reality, she was looking for a secluded place where she could make observation easier.

"Hey, why are they all gathered over at the spire?"

Theresa suddenly noticed that, even though dusk had not yet fallen, the crowds on the street were beginning to surge and converge in one direction.

Upon closer inspection, it was their ritual site for serving the gods, seemingly a place for collective worship.

"Go and see."

Xiao Shi became interested and took Zi Yao's hand.

The three of them walked to the side door. Inside the hall, a group of people had their eyes closed and were listening to the priest's speech.

He was dressed in a black robe and wore a hood, so his face could not be seen.

Upon closer inspection, the priest's body had many strange deformities, clearly indicating that he had been completely turned into a zombie.

He held up what he called holy water and declared that God would soon descend and everyone would be liberated.

"The cult leader, how about we catch him and question him later?"

Xiao Shi crossed his legs and said with great interest.

Most of the city’s residents are fanatically devoted to their gods, to the point that even a novice like myself finds it disgusting.

Paintings, furniture, decorations... everything reflects this point.

People often say, "I hope xx will forgive us," but if anyone slanders their beliefs, they are attacked by the mob, beaten in the street, and even the sheriff takes sides...

"The World Serpent has too many eyes and ears; there's no need for them."

Night will soon fall again, and tonight they will venture deeper into the city to find a way into the inner city.

Back at the hotel, I took a short rest to prepare for tonight.