Dawn light glimmered faintly.
The gradually rising sound of footsteps on the streets, along with the thin cooking smoke curling up from chimneys, woke Kalanfu'er, this remote little town in the southeastern part of the Servia Kingdom, from its sleep.
The torrential rain and thunder that had howled all night gradually died away, along with the dark clouds dissolving together with the night beneath the glow of daybreak.
Xia Nan walked down the street with Dual Blades on his back.
After the rain, damp, fresh air carrying the scent of earth flowed into his nostrils with every breath.
It made his already full, vigorous spirit surge even more.
"Whoosh."
A soft yet distinct flutter of wings came from overhead.
He raised his eyes and looked up. A robin, silver-white from head to tail, flew swiftly and nimbly across the sky.
It landed on a nearby upturned eave and rather leisurely preened its feathers with its pointed beak.
As if sensing Xia Nan's gaze, it stopped moving and stared at him in innocent confusion.
Then it tilted its head.
"Xia Nan, we're here."
The Halfling's reminder sounded beside his ear.
He instantly came back to himself and looked toward the other side of the street. There stood a grand and magnificent church.
Its gray-white outer walls were built from smooth, flat stone bricks, while flying buttresses hung in support on both sides, revealing a regular beauty amid their complexity. A towering spire stood beneath the sky, scattering a soft yet striking radiance under the morning light.
Xia Nan marveled at the church's splendor.
At the same time, however, as he looked at the vast, imposing building before him, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.
Where they stood now was already the center of Kalanfu'er. The houses on both