Starting with the defeated female knight

Green was actually not angry at all about the sudden attack on him by humans, or rather, he didn't care at all.

After all, he had been a human before and was aware of his own image. He knew how terrifying it would be to suddenly see something similar on the road.

If this were in a game, it would probably have its own background music, and it would be at least a 20-player raid.

In addition, having prepared for the language barrier and inability to communicate before contacting them, Green had no expectations for a smooth contact from the beginning and had even prepared for the worst.

However, thanks to Edith's actions, things didn't go as badly as they had hoped; in fact, they went much more smoothly than Green had anticipated.

Despite the smooth progress, for safety reasons, even though those people had surrendered and were no longer resisting, he still confiscated all their items that looked like weapons, especially Cecilia's equipment and Edith's holy book, which were clearly not ordinary items, and kept them under strict guard.

He also doesn't plan to let these people leave for the time being.

Given the current situation, although goodwill has been expressed for the time being, who knows what these people are really thinking?

Given his current image, if he were released now, I'm afraid twenty male players would come and attack him the very next day.

Therefore, he was not prepared to let them go until he learned the language of this world, was able to communicate with these people, and cleared up the misunderstandings.

But speaking of learning a language... how do you learn it?

The dark green tentacles bent into a question mark.

If you want to learn a language, you at least need to be able to communicate with them and make them understand you.

But if you want to communicate with them and make them understand you, you have to learn their language first.

It's an endless loop.

Fortunately, Green isn't the type to get stuck on trivial details.

After confirming that this approach was not feasible, they changed their thinking and quickly came up with a new solution.

The normal learning process is definitely not going to work, but there seems to be another, albeit primitive, learning method...

Although it might be a little less efficient, it doesn't matter, since it has plenty of time now...

......

Time is passing slowly.

Cecilia sat on a fleshy chair made of tentacles, one arm around her shoulder, her expression complicated as she gazed at the direction from which the sticky, writhing sounds and the girl's suppressed breathing came from inside the cave.

She didn't know what was happening there, nor did she want to know.

Although her body has recovered a lot with the help of the nutrient solution, and so far, the tentacles have not shown her any malice or done anything excessive to her.

But that's precisely why she felt increasingly uneasy.

The unknown is always the most frightening. Although the other party did not show any malice, judging from its behavior of leaving itself and others here, it must have some purpose.

Domesticated animals? Tortured for amusement? Or perhaps... Edith?

Given Edith's previous behavior, it was hard for her not to make that connection, and she could even understand the other person's perspective.

After all, Edith's theological talent was so exceptional that it was extremely rare even in church history, and it even sparked a struggle among various factions.

Cecilia didn't know what those tentacles were, but from any angle, they didn't seem like simple beings. Even if they weren't ancient evil gods that had been sealed away, they were at least mythical creatures that had just awakened.

Furthermore, considering the environment and the other party's behavior, she had reason to suspect that the other party had just awakened or broken the seal not long ago, otherwise there would have been no news from the outside world.

In this situation, seeking some 'servants' is perfectly normal behavior, not to mention that Edith has such talent, making her practically a piece of meat delivered to one's mouth.

Therefore, she had reason to suspect that their survival was probably due to a deal Edith made with the other party while she was unconscious, sacrificing herself in exchange for their survival.

This also explains her previous strange behavior. After all, in this world, changing one's beliefs is not only a mental torment but also a physical one.

Furthermore, some more 'generous' deities would bestow gifts upon their servants, causing them to undergo transformations in body or soul, a process known in church records as 'familialization'.

Judging from the appearance of those tentacles, she now wonders if she would have seen a wriggling mass of tentacles if she had lifted Edith's clothes back then.

"No, no, I can't think about this anymore..."

She patted her face and then stood up.

She had to take action.

Although his body had not fully recovered, his holy power was almost depleted, and even his weapons and equipment had been taken away by the tentacles.

But since Edith was brought by her, she must take responsibility for the child.

It is absolutely impossible to stand idly by and watch her suffer.

......

"Ah, this feels so good..."

Lying in a soft ocean of interwoven tentacles, feeling the tingling sensation of her wounds healing on her back, Edith narrowed her eyes.

Even halfway through the treatment, she curiously picked up a soft tentacle that was secreting nutrient fluid and squeezed it around, gradually relaxing her body.

To be honest, when she first entered the cave and was swallowed by the tentacles, she was filled with fear and despair, and even cried at one point.

She was already at her physical and mental limit, and the sudden outburst of emotions caused her to faint after crying.

Then, because she was a church pastor specializing in support and healing, she realized even faster than Cecilia after waking up that the tentacles had not harmed her, but were healing and helping her, and had not done anything extreme.

However, unlike Cecilia, Edith's personality was not so rigid. After generally confirming that the tentacles meant no harm, she even launched a round of tests on the tentacles.

He kneaded and stroked it, talked to its tentacles, ran barefoot on the soft ground, and even visited and took care of Cecilia...

Then, due to the exertion, the wound reopened, and Green slapped him to the ground with his tentacles, forcibly binding him back to the seedbed to recover.

Although she was in so much pain that she cried, these actions confirmed to Edith that the tentacles were indeed taking care of her.

Perhaps their motives aren't entirely pure, but at least so far their performance has been trustworthy.

At least......

She kneaded the soft tentacles in her hands, watching the comical sight of the creature struggling to escape and oozing slime as it was squeezed by her, and she chuckled.

She is more believable than her parents, who are in human form.

After soaking in the tentacle pool for a while, feeling that the wound on her back had basically stabilized, Edith stepped out of the pool, changed into clean clothes that the tentacles had taken from the camp, and then turned her head to look at the tentacle with its eyeballs flowing from its side.

I want to go out for a while.

"Everyone outside must be very worried about me and Lady Cecilia. If I show my face, it should put their minds at ease."

"please."

Still no response.

But after a moment, the tentacles, which were filled with dark green eyeballs, suddenly moved.

It crawled from the ground like a snake, first spreading to her ankles, then coiling upwards, passing through her thighs and abdomen, finally wrapping around her waist, and extending to her chest at the end.

"...It's a little itchy."

Edith squeezed the tentacle on her chest. Although she didn't know what it meant, she didn't stop it.

"In that case, I'll take that as your agreement."

Although there was still no response, Edith didn't say anything more. After confirming that the other party didn't intend to stop her, she started walking towards the cave entrance.

Volume 1: Chapter 5: A Feeling as Pure as a Lily

"Everyone, I'm back."

"Don't worry, I'm fine, and Lady Cecilia is fine too. However, she needs to rest after fighting for so long, so she can't come out for the time being..."

"That sir... meant us no harm; it was just a misunderstanding. Besides, I just went up to a higher vantage point, and the demonic tide outside hasn't subsided yet. We need to be prepared to live here for quite some time..."

"Yes, yes, I'm really fine. Lady Cecilia is doing well too. She'll be able to come out once her treatment is finished..."

"Don't worry."

Maintaining her usual smile, Edith calmed the restless crowd with just a few words, and the atmosphere of despair and pain dissipated considerably.

Of course, some people will doubt her words, but not Edith herself. Rather, like Cecilia, they will doubt whether Edith made some kind of deal with that strange being or sacrificed something in order to protect the others.

But doubt is ultimately just doubt.

And even if we could confirm it, what could they possibly do in the current situation?

Those who had no doubts breathed a sigh of relief, while those who had doubts could only look at Edith with worried eyes, clenching their fists several times, but ultimately only able to let out a sigh.

The exchange ended, the crowd dispersed, and everyone began preparing for their survival.

Some were moving things, some were distributing food, and some were building camps.

Although fear and gloom still hung over them, a closer look revealed that in the distance, some creatures lurking in the shadows were silently watching the camp with their flowing eyes.

But the long escape had already exhausted them, and with Edith's return, even though their situation was still precarious, they finally had a chance to catch their breath, and their tense nerves gradually relaxed.

Once people relax, especially after being freed from a high-pressure environment, they are more likely to have a desire to communicate and confide in others.

So, during breaks from work, people started talking in twos and threes, and then more and more, with some even gossiping.

"That Miss Edith is really amazing."

"She's beautiful, has a great personality, and obtained the Holy Scripture at such a young age. I've heard she's quite renowned within the church..."

"If I were a guy, I'd definitely fall for a girl like that. I wonder how many suitors she has. I bet she gets a whole garden full of white roses every year during Echo Festival..."

silence.

Seeing that the knight beside her did not reply, the chattering girl thought she had said something wrong and was about to apologize when she saw him raise his head and speak softly.

That's how it should normally be.

"But Lady Edith... is not so bound by worldly conventions."

As a knight under Cecilia's command, the knight naturally respected and loved Edith, and would never harbor malicious suspicions about her. Even if she made a mistake, he would try his best to think the best of her.

Even under these circumstances, the knight had to admit that Lady Edith's emotional inclinations seemed somewhat perverse.

To put it nicely, it's called 'a feeling as pure as a lily'.

To put it bluntly, it's called an unconventional lesbian.

Not to mention the knights, her undisguised affections were well-known in the church and were an open secret in the capital. Only a certain straight-laced chief knight was still unaware of it and was still taking care of her like a younger sister.

But the topic didn't continue.

Just as the two were talking, Edith walked over, still wearing that gentle smile.

"what's the topic?"

"No, it's nothing."

The knight chuckled dryly, his hands trembling slightly.

"It's okay."

Edith smiled and nodded, then lowered her voice.

"Go tell the others that Lady Cecilia is really alright, but she is still very tired, so... I want to take care of her for a while longer."

"Do you get me?"

"......Yes."

The knight managed a forced, dry laugh.

“I’ll speak to the others right away and make sure it doesn’t ruin your plans… I mean, it won’t bother you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Edith nodded in satisfaction and watched the knight leave, further reassuring people by spreading this incredible news.

“If we said normally that Lady Cecilia was alright, they definitely wouldn’t believe us. But if we say it this way, they’ll probably believe us…”

she whispered.

All of this was observed by Green, who was attached to her.

And this time, he didn't complain about not understanding anything; instead, he fell into deep thought.

Edith... that pronunciation sounds like the child's name, or at least it's one of the ways to address her...

[Cecilia... This pronunciation has been mentioned many times, but I don't know what it means. Is it a name? Or some kind of modal particle?]