The goddesses attempted to gain my salvation.

"We are just ordinary travelers."

"I was passing by and was feeling a bit thirsty, so I thought I'd stop by and ask for a drink of water."

After hearing this, the middle-aged woman smiled and gestured to Ryan, saying, "Come with me."

"Sorry for bothering you."

------

After entering the An'i Church, Ryan finally gained a new understanding of the word "dilapidated".

The church is not large, and can accommodate about twenty people.

The wooden tables and chairs are worn and the paint has peeled off, revealing the original wood color underneath.

The stained glass windows overhead have also faded and cracked due to years of wind and rain erosion.

If it rains heavily, it will probably leak.

The confessional on one side even has a slightly tilted wooden door frame, so it would probably make a very jarring creaking sound when you open it.

An elderly woman sat on a bench, her head tilted to one side; she was probably fast asleep.

And sitting next to the main altar at the very front was an elderly priest.

His Papal robes were somewhat faded, and there were hand-sewn patches in some places.

The middle-aged woman told the priest about Ryan's situation, and the priest adjusted his glasses and smiled.

However, when he saw Ryan, his expression froze.

“Traveler, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Ryan smiled politely.

"Perhaps we met somewhere during our travels."

Ryan paid no attention to the priest's seemingly random remark.

The priest is also a clergy member of the Vatican, so it's perfectly normal for him to have met Ryan.

The old priest was somewhat puzzled, but he quickly composed himself.

"You two travelers must be tired from your journey. Now that you have come to An'i Church, please take a good rest."

"I'll get you some cool spring water and some bread to fill your stomachs. Please wait a moment."

After saying that, the priest went through the side door.

Before long, a wooden tray was brought out with two glasses of water and two pieces of bread on it.

After a brief thank you, Ryan ate his bread with some water.

------

The old priest was a very talkative man and had a strong interest in the outside world.

Ryan's experiences from his years of travels, along with Veranica's additions, were very appealing to the old priest.

Through casual conversation, Ryan also learned about the old priest.

When he was young, his parents died in a famine, leaving him destitute and alone, which is why he came to the Anhe Church.

It was because the previous priest had taken good care of him that he stayed here. When he grew up, he chose to join the Vatican and took over the church.

Over the years, he has been adopting homeless children and barely making ends meet with his meager monthly salary and donations from believers.

Fortunately, the children are all healthy.

"Several of my children are now adults, married, and have established their own careers."

“Occasionally they will come back to visit, bringing some food and donations.” The old priest looked at the children running around in the outer courtyard and smiled with great satisfaction: “I told them that there was no need to bring anything, that it was enough for them to come back, but they just wouldn’t listen.”

"What a stubborn bunch..."

Ryan is also a mentor and has a special affection for children.

In his view, children are the hope for the future of this continent. As they become more and more outstanding, the civilization of the continent will become more and more brilliant and glorious.

Ryan smiled as he looked at the children playing in the yard.

"Among these children, are there any with particularly good magical talent?"

"If you have any, you can recommend them to me. Maybe I can get them into a magic academy so they can study there properly."

After hearing this, the old priest's eyes lit up at first, but then he shook his head helplessly.

"Unfortunately."

"These children all had some physical problems before they came to An'i Church due to hunger, disasters and other reasons."

"Although some children do have magic circuits in their bodies, they are unable to use them for these reasons."

"Even if they did go to a magic academy, they wouldn't be able to learn magic."

"Perhaps, for them, being able to live a peaceful life is the best thing."

Listening to the sounds of children playing in the outer courtyard, Ryan felt somewhat dazed.

What a pity...

At this moment, Veronica took out a few round pills from her waist and handed them to the old priest.

"Thank you for the water and bread. These pills are a token of my appreciation."

After taking the pills, the old priest held them to his nose and sniffed them. They had a very refreshing smell, and his mind became much clearer.

The old priest was somewhat puzzled and asked Veranika.

"Madam, what are these pills you gave me...?"

Veranica picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, thus putting the old priest's concerns at ease with her actions.

"The main ingredients of these pills are herbs that nourish the body."

"Originally used by magicians, it can protect magic circuits to a certain extent, enhance physical fitness, and make the process of releasing magic more smooth."

"Of course, it will also have some benefits if taken by ordinary people."

"The most obvious effect is improved physical condition, making the body healthier."

After listening to Veranica's explanation, the old priest bowed slightly, spread his right hand, placed it on his left chest, and performed a papal ritual.

"Thank you, travelers."

Chapter 182 Three Children's Drawings

With the nourishing pills as a starting point, the old priest sensed Ryan and Veranika's goodwill and finally opened up completely.

I told them a lot about the An'i Church.

Ryan then steered the conversation toward Orina.

“When I was traveling in Lavala, I heard people mention it. The current High Priestess of the Papacy of Bysma, Lady Orina, lived here in her childhood.”

"is this real?"

Upon hearing Olina's name, the old priest immediately became solemn and straightened his back unconsciously, almost standing up to bow.

It was as if Olena was right in front of him.

After thinking for a long time, the old priest slowly nodded.

"Lady Orina, you did indeed live here."

Ryan and Veranika exchanged glances, and then Veranika asked a question.

"Father, could you tell us what kind of person Lady Olena was when she was young?"

The old priest took a clean piece of paper, wrapped the pills in his hand, and placed them on the table beside him.

Then, stand up.

"Come with me."

Led by the old priest, Ryan and Veranika passed through a small door on the side and entered the church.

After walking through a rather long corridor, the old priest stopped in front of a wooden door.

As I pushed open the door, a gentle breeze blew into the room, bringing with it a faint scent of books.

Veronica quickly fanned herself with her hand, while Ryan merely frowned slightly.

"This is the archives of the An Yi Church. Inside, there are not only the resumes of the children we have nurtured over the years, but also some church records."

The archive room looked very old, and the already cramped space was almost entirely filled with bookshelves piled high with books.

Some of the books are new, while others are so old that the pages are falling apart.

Guided by his memory, the old priest went to the corner, searched for a while, took out a small box, and handed it to Ryan.

"The contents of the box belong to Lady Orina."

The small box looked extremely old, and the words written on it made Ryan's pupils shrink.

Olivena's original name was obscured by the heavy notes.

Then, the words "Olina" were written next to it in a very girlish style.

Veronica also noticed the unusual name and quickly asked about it.

"Father, why are there two names on Lady Olina's belongings?"

The old priest took off his glasses, wiped them with the lining of his clothes, then put them back on and sighed.

"Lady Orina's situation is rather special. In fact, I was quite surprised when I first met her."

"She is a rare child, born with dual-attribute magic circuits. However, due to trauma, she developed a dual personality..."

"Once you open the lid, you might find the answer yourselves."

After much difficulty, I finally found a place to sit down in the corner of the room.

Ryan opened the box.

At the very top are several colorful paintings with a childlike feel.