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The night was gentle.

The large open space in front of the church was once again filled with laughter and cheers.

This time it wasn't a circus, but a new idea brought by outsiders—an expo.

......All right.

Perhaps we should also add a bonfire party, a social gathering, and a celebratory banquet.

As for who was having a social gathering and who was celebrating their victory, that remains unknown.

The aroma of honey-glazed roasted meat and the scent of ale wafted through the air, while a group of people danced around a bonfire to the strains of retro folk songs, their laughter echoing throughout.

In the afternoon, in the ruins of the church.

Confused, Miri struggled to back away, but with Kyuu dominating him from above, where could he possibly retreat to?

Moreover.

Seemingly sensing Xiao Jiu's presence, the monster within the priest became excited, and the conflict between the two wills rendered him unable to move.

Then Xiao Jiu's body suddenly swelled up, spreading out a net of tentacles that simultaneously enveloped the priest and the shadowy figure.

"Hoh—ahhh—"

at the same time.

The monster that called itself "Touch of Fate" also felt an unprecedented threat.

"!!!"

Countless black tentacles surged forth from behind the priest once more, not to attack, but to desperately try to separate themselves from Miriel's body...

It wanted to escape!

But it was too late.

Xiao Jiu opened its "mouth".

This was the first time they had ever truly seen Xiao Jiu eat.

That wasn't a specific organ, but rather a vortex formed by the distortion of space directly beneath its body!

A powerful suction force was generated out of thin air.

The broken pews, rubble, and even the crumbling dome in the church were all drawn by this force, like a tornado sweeping through, gradually leading them into the vortex.

"Aurora!"

Amidst the chaos, Ren Yi calmly shouted:

"Prepare for IV infusion!"

"...No, prepare the healing aura."

"yes!"

Father Myriel's situation... was truly tragic.

His body was being pulled wildly by two forces. The black threads under his skin seemed to come alive, desperately trying to break free, but they were held firmly inside by an invisible force and forcibly dragged towards that dark vortex.

"Aaaaaah—!!!"

With heart-wrenching screams, the black mist was swallowed up by Xiao Jiu, wisp by wisp.

The phantom that had been looming behind the priest struggled and twisted, but was eventually torn apart bit by bit and disappeared into Xiao Jiu's mouth.

It only took a dozen seconds.

As the last wisp of black mist was completely swallowed, Xiao Jiu's enormous body rapidly shrank, transforming back into a soft, adorable octopus the size of a palm.

It let out a burp.

"Ugh, so tiring~ I still have to peel them = ="

And the epicenter of the tragedy.

The spikes and tentacles on Father Myriel's body disappeared, and he finally returned to his ordinary human form.

......

Beside the campfire.

Nathan demonstrated ballroom dancing, a style of dance not seen in this era, to the ladies of town. His movements were elegant and seductive, eliciting constant laughter from the girls.

On the other side of the campfire, Klaus was exchanging ideas with Old John:

"...Therefore, by utilizing the principle of thermal expansion and contraction, the tolerances of bearings can be controlled within a more precise range, like this..."

Old John answered somewhat absentmindedly, his eyes fixed on the dance floor not far away—

His beloved daughter is dancing with his apprentice, Carl...

Most importantly... I'm actually quite happy?!

"Stop glaring at me, cheer up!" The shoemaker beside him chuckled and clinked glasses with him, holding a large mug of ale. "Weren't you this age back then, using sweet words to steal Li'er's heart?"

"That's mutual affection, okay...?"

Old John muttered in dissatisfaction:

"You're just jealous!"

Aurora sat next to the chubby baker, and the two chatted about the secrets of bread fermentation. After downing two glasses of ale, the chubby baker excitedly revealed his family's secret recipe.

Meanwhile, Sita was pestering the tailor Bard to teach him sewing techniques.

Uncle Bud patiently pointed out the details, his gaze occasionally drifting to Anna, who was playing with Ivan amidst a display of various strange models.

He casually carried his tray to the ruins of the church.

The plate was piled high with freshly roasted pieces of meat, their edges slightly charred, and the honey glaze coating them glistened enticingly in the firelight.

Father Myriel leaned weakly against the ruins of the church.

Mayor Willy abandoned his pretense and slumped down on a fairly flat stone slab, looking sullen and unhappy.

Put the food down arbitrarily.

"..."

"Stranger, where is my golden anchor?!"

Upon seeing anything.

Vili was furious, and his round belly trembled three times.

"Didn't I give you some gold coins?" Ren Yi looked at him amusedly, picked up a piece of roast meat, "They're all made of gold."

"How can they be the same?! The weight—"

"alright."

Myriel's voice rang out, filled with deep weariness.

"Those things no longer mean anything to us."

Willy reluctantly grunted, grabbed the roast meat, and took a vicious bite, treating it like any random bone.

"His power has vanished."

The priest gazed at the genuine smiling faces around the campfire, his eyes softening more than ever before.

"This place...this distorted space, won't last long."

"Soon, they will gain true freedom."

He turned to look at Ren Yi:

"The same will happen to you then."

"How much time do we have left?" Renyi asked.

Although the result was good, it was somewhat different from what he had expected.

It seems that this 'playground' space, after losing control of Naya's power, cannot serve as a sea base like the land.

Miscalculation 〒▽〒

The priest smiled with relief.

Who knows?

Perhaps until dawn breaks, or perhaps until the midnight bells toll.

In this small town where everyone's memories, except for his and Willy's, only last a few days, at least tonight...

Happiness is real.

He suddenly seemed to remember something and pulled a cross necklace from his pocket.

The chain is made of some kind of metal, while the pendant is made of an unknown wood that is hard and smooth to the touch.

"Give this to that nun; I think she'll like it."

I casually took the necklace; it looked simple, but its quality was extraordinary.

Myriel's Cross

[Review: Wood steeped in faith and remorse possesses unimaginable hardness. PS: Warning: The concentration of divine energy is too high; demons, heretics, and unscrupulous business owners will experience a burning sensation upon contact.]

"..."

This thing is inexplicably a bit hot to the touch.

He casually withdrew his gaze and handed it back to the priest: "Why didn't you give it to her yourself?"

Myriel didn't answer, but smiled mysteriously and asked in return:

"When the false world collapses and the river of time flows on... how can something that truly exists now be preserved intact for thousands of years, Mr. Magician?"

The act of chewing stopped abruptly, and his eyes lit up instantly.

He immediately shoved the plate in his hand into Willy's arms and stood up abruptly.

"Klaus! Ivan!"

"Stop playing around! Get the goods!"