They are all characters I control.

She squatted on the low stone platform in front of the door, her hands moving slowly and deliberately, arranging a bunch of dried herbs before gently placing them into the wooden basket beside her. Twilight slanted in from behind her, casting a pale golden glow on the edges of her dark gray robe.

When Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando first saw the young woman, they were both stunned for a few seconds.

Although the other person's appearance was not flamboyant, their features were well-proportioned and gentle, and there was a calmness between their brows and eyes that was neither deliberate nor easily overlooked, as if they had experienced many things but had few obvious traces left behind.

Her skin was fair, not the paleness of someone who lacked sun exposure, but rather a kind of radiance that came from long-term cleanliness.

As she placed the last bunch of herbs into the wooden basket, the woman with a unique air looked up and her gaze swept over them calmly, without surprise or hesitation, as if she were observing a growing plant rather than scrutinizing an intruder.

Her gaze lingered on Fernando's armor for a moment, then moved to the broken sword at Eleanor's waist, before finally settling back on their faces. Her first words were: "You're not here to arrest anyone."

Her tone didn't express any obvious doubt; it was more like stating a fact she had already confirmed.

"We were just passing by."

"um, yes."

Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando gave a simple response.

There's no need for further explanation; the little boy and the others nearby will obviously be able to explain it all.

Upon hearing their answers, the woman with a unique air stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands. She wasn't particularly tall, but her posture was steady, her shoulders level, giving her an elegant air.

She doesn't seem like an ordinary woman living in this remote little village; she seems more like a young lady who originally had a very comfortable life.

She glanced first at the girl being treated. After confirming that the girl's wounds had healed, the young woman in the grey robe turned to Eleanor: "You healed her wounds?"

“Yes.” Eleanor neither denied nor explained.

The young woman nodded, then turned to the side, gesturing for them to follow her: "Come with me."

Seeing this, the other children stood quietly to the side, showing none of the liveliness or mischief they had displayed when they were with Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando.

At this moment, he stopped following Eleanor and the mysterious woman, and watched them leave.

This woman with a unique demeanor led them through several gravel paths toward a house deep in the village that was slightly taller than the surrounding wooden houses.

The doors and windows of that house were more regular than those of the surrounding buildings. Several strings of dried herbs and an old cloth curtain whose original color was no longer discernible hung on either side of the door frame, as if they were used to keep out dust and flying insects.

“You can stay here tonight.” She pushed open the door and stepped aside to make way. “There are beds and drinking water inside. The kitchen is next door; you can help yourself to anything you need, but don’t go into the area on the north side of the village.”

"Why?" Knight Commander Fernando asked, looking up.

The young woman glanced at him, her tone calm but undeniable: "Because no one lives over there; that area has other uses."

After she finished speaking, Fernando asked, "Are you in charge here?"

The young woman neither answered nor denied it.

“I am Eleanor, and this is Mr. Fernando. May I ask who you are? And where is this place? Is this a gathering place for civilians who have been attacked by infidels and troubled by the church…?”

Eleanor took the initiative to start talking, throwing out all her questions about the woman in front of her and the village.

Naturally, introduce yourself before asking questions.

Of course, Eleanor was also careful not to reveal Fernando's identity, but if the other party knew about Knight Commander Fernando, they would recognize him just by hearing the name or seeing his face.

However, if he is recognized, Knight Commander Fernando will not mind.

That way, we might also learn more about the identity and background of this mysterious woman.

“I am the person in charge of this village. You can call me Vera.” The mysterious woman’s voice was not loud, but it could be clearly heard in the quiet valley.

She slowly walked into the wooden house and sat down on the spot.

"Since you are interested in this village, I can tell you..."

Chapter 172 Vera

Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando originally just wanted to take a look at the village.

Unexpectedly, there was a woman like this in this seemingly ordinary village.

The woman in front of me, who called herself 'Vera,' was clearly not an ordinary village girl. No matter how beautiful a village girl is, she could not possess the temperament of Vera.

What's even more remarkable is that they could sense that Vera also possessed an aura of divine magic.

The aura of that holy magic was even stronger than theirs; probably no one in the Holy Lance Knights could match the concentration of holy magic emanating from Vera's body.

Without a doubt, this Miss Vera is no ordinary person.

Even though Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando had tried their best to hide their feelings, their hearts were still pounding. Perhaps this young lady wasn't an ordinary person, but also a member of the Church of the Goddess?

However, upon closer reflection, there is no one named 'Vera' in the Church of Goddess.

Under the intense gazes of Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando, Vera sat down at the low table in the cabin. She reached out and flicked the wick of the oil lamp on the table, the flame flickering briefly before settling back down.

Her movements were unhurried, as if she had become accustomed to using this rhythm to unfold a past event that needed to be recounted.

Eleanor sat down opposite her, while Fernando did not sit down. He leaned against the door frame, his sword still sheathed, but his hand was very close to the hilt.

This isn't distrust; it's a long-standing habit.

After all, someone who possesses divine magic cannot be a heretic. Even if they wanted to become a heretic, they would be directly turned into the Philosopher's Stone by the Church of Life.

“I built this village,” Vera began, her voice calm.

I glanced at the silhouettes of the wooden houses outside the door, which were gradually blurring in the twilight, as if I were trying to identify a memory that had been washed away by time many times through those silhouettes.

"Although I am nominally the village chief here, this village was not actually built by me for everyone."

"Originally, I intended to use it for my own residence, but without realizing it, more and more people started to come here."

"Everyone here is being persecuted by heretics and the Church of the Goddess. These people are just here to take refuge. Outside, they are like little ants that are ignored by everyone but have their important things taken away."

This answer is similar to what Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando had previously thought.

The little boy's village was a simple refuge, a gathering place for other people from the surrounding area who had come to seek refuge.

Here, everyone is just an ordinary citizen, trying to protect themselves.

"Were you a member of the church before?" Eleanor asked.

Vera neither answered directly nor denied it.

She picked up the glass on the table, glanced down at the water that had cooled down inside, and then put it down.

His gaze fell on the chipped rim of the cup: "I spent a long time in church, so long that I can't remember the exact number of years. But later I realized that some things can't be solved by staying in church."

Sure enough, this Miss Vera was a member of the Church of the Goddess.

This also matched the aura of divine magic emanating from her, and Eleanor couldn't help but relax a lot.

Since Miss Vera is a member of the Church of the Goddess, she is completely trustworthy.

"What is it?" Fernando's voice came from the doorway, his gaze scrutinizing Vera.

Although Eleanor only cared whether Vera was a member of the Church of Goddess, as a knight commander, he was more concerned about the latter half.

That could be interpreted as Vera betraying the Church of Goddess and leaving, or simply carrying out a mission for the Church, or even leaving the Church alone.

As the Knight Commander, Fernando was naturally very sensitive to these words.

Vera lifted her gaze from the rim of her glass and placed it on Fernando: "You must have seen quite a few people labeled as 'heretics' by the church along the way. What they have in common is not only their opposition to the church, but that most of them were pushed out from within the church."

These words left Eleanor and Knight Commander Fernando speechless.

It should be noted that not all knights of the Goddess Church are loyal. Regardless of the reasons or methods, the current 'Holy Lance Knights' have many apostate knights.

Regardless of the reasons, or whether the heretics forced or coerced the church knights, they all chose to apostatize and caused great trouble for the knightly order.

“So you left? You left the church?” Eleanor asked.

As a former member of the Goddess Church, why is she now talking about many apostates?

This made Eleanor's question less puzzling; she was also curious why Miss Vera didn't ask for help from the Church of Goddess.

At least the Church of the Goddess will definitely send church knights, which is much better than those traps or children outside.

That way, more people can be protected.

“It’s not about leaving.” Vera’s voice was calm, but this answer reassured Eleanor quite a bit.

"I discovered that my heart is not at peace, nor is it as pure as everyone thinks."

"I am here to eliminate the darkness in my heart."

Neither Eleanor nor Knight Commander Fernando quite understood what he was saying. In short, was it about self-cultivation?

Indeed, within the Church of Goddess, there are indeed some who are as devout as the saints, refining their hearts and minds to gain the favor of the Holy Goddess through pure hearts and souls.

Although this favor is mysterious, each acting saintess is a power bestowed by the goddess.

Fernando didn't care much about Villa's inner trials; he asked directly, "What was your original position in the church?"

Vera did not answer the question.

She stood up and walked to the door. The night wind blew in through the crack, ruffling the edges of her dark gray robe. "Position doesn't matter. What matters is what we should do. I'm just atoning for my sins."

"Please rest here for a while. I'll have someone bring you some food."

After she finished speaking, she didn't linger and turned to leave.

Fernando looked in that direction, and after a moment spoke: "She's not an ordinary person."

“I know,” Eleanor said in a low voice. “The divine magical aura emanating from her is stronger than that of anyone we’ve encountered before.”

Fernando didn't reply. He stood by the doorframe, silent for a moment, then said, "Could she be someone with an extremely special status within the church?"

Eleanor looked at Knight Commander Fernando, her face filled with undisguised surprise: "You mean the attendant of the Acting Saintess?"

“Not necessarily.” Knight Commander Fernando’s gaze swept over the village before him. “But in any case, it gives me an unpredictable feeling. In any case, let’s stay one night and then leave.”

Eleanor didn't speak; she was also pondering the same question.