My Godson

Half an hour later, the residents who had gone to arrange the deceased's burial returned from town.

The deceased's friends and relatives had also come to pay their respects.

Duty called, and the elderly nun returned to the chapel to handle the funeral arrangements.

Linsey remained in the house alone.

After talking for some time, he had calmed down.

The information the nun had given him was a mixed bag.

For instance, his Earth-born understanding of the word "universe" did not apply here.

The universe the nun spoke of was not a dark void filled with countless stars.

Rather, it was the collective term for the interconnected worlds she had mentioned.

The world Linsey was currently in was called the Hidden Borderlands. It had been explored by a joint expedition from several worlds 120 years ago, but not long afterward, they had been blocked by the Great Hollow at the edge of the world.

Some Awakened with exceptional abilities chose to fly.

They continued onward into unknown lands.

The rest set up camp at the World's Edge of the Hidden Borderlands, and over time, it gradually developed into the present-day town.

Because the neighboring Black Mountain World was occupied by a powerful Dragon Beast.

For the past century, Border Town could only travel to and from other worlds through spatial teleportation.

Then, ten years ago, the teleportation facility was affected by the Source Material Tide on Harvest Day and fell into severe disrepair. No one could repair it.

From then on, the Hidden Borderlands became a truly hidden land.

Completely cut off from the world.

"What an absolutely safe place..."

Sitting on the bed and taking a sip of hot water, Linsey sighed again, though his state of mind was utterly different now.

Compared to his previous panic, he was completely calm.

His first priority was returning to Anville Village.

Linsey wanted to achieve it, but there were countless obstacles in his way.

The good news was that, due to the nature of the Hidden Borderlands, the Law Knights would not be able to find him. Before successfully leaving the Hidden Borderlands, he might even have a chance to figure out how to remove his City of Law Sinner's Mark.

With the Game Player's special abilities.

Linsey did not believe his future would be spent living an ordinary secluded life in the Borderlands.

What he needed to think about now.

Was how to become stronger, how to develop his Game Player abilities, and how to find a way across Black Mountain and return to other Civilizations.

With a rough outline of the future in mind.

Linsey stepped outside again.

Inside the chapel at the front of the small church, the nun was presiding over the mourning rites for the deceased's friends and family. More than a dozen people filed past the yellow wooden coffin in turn. There were elders and youths, men and women alike. Most wore sorrowful expressions, but none shed tears.

Once everyone had finished paying their respects, the elderly nun slowly walked to the front of the coffin.

Her aged body was not particularly upright, but her steady, profound bearing made people unconsciously begin to pray along with her.

"Death has come, but it is by no means the end."

"The soul returns to slumber, and the flesh returns to source material."

"The dead should bid farewell to the world of the living, and the living should silently bid farewell to the dead."

"Rest in peace—"

"May you not be disturbed by the Abyss, may you not lose your way in the Dead Sea, and may you embrace a new beginning..."

When the prayer ended, the deceased's family lifted the coffin.

Led by the nun, they silently left the chapel, leaving behind utter stillness.

Linsey came to the church entrance, gripped the door, and craned his head out for a look.

The funeral procession stepped over the snow and turned toward the cemetery behind the church, where the burial formally began.

The elderly nun was unquestionably the backbone of the funeral.

She directed the entire process with brief, clear instructions, and the surrounding townsfolk all respected her wishes.

Whoosh—

The cold winter wind swept past.

It made the sick Linsey want to cough.

Not wishing to disturb the solemn burial ceremony, he returned to the church alone.

"So cold."

Linsey wrapped his arms around his shoulders and shivered.

Although he had already spent two days in the small church, this was the first time he had observed the chapel properly.

The small chapel was silent and empty, with no one but Linsey inside.

Two rows of repaired wooden pews stood neatly upon the gray stone floor, facing the main altar in orderly formation, lending the place a solemn atmosphere. Yet some old curtain fabric had also been piled against the walls.

There were no stained-glass windows on the dome or walls.

The chapel only had several round windows high on the walls near the ceiling. A few beams of winter sunlight slanted in, illuminating the dust drifting through the air and the church's main beams exposed overhead.

The only truly eye-catching thing.

Was the statue behind the main altar: a vertical line standing within a circle.

"This... is probably a symbol of faith, like a cross?"

Linsey muttered.

At that moment, footsteps came from the church doors behind him.

When he turned around, he saw two guards in simple armor, weapons at their sides. The moment they entered, they politely said:

"Hello, we're here to wait for Red Moon Lady... Hm?"

The two guards froze when they saw Linsey.

The town in the Hidden Borderlands was not small, but as guards patrolling the entire town, even if they could not name every resident, they had a basic impression of what they looked like.

Linsey was a face they had definitely never seen before.

A child from an ordinary family would have crossed paths with them at least once by this age, even if only while playing in the streets.

The two guards exchanged glances and immediately came to a conclusion.

One of them, a rather stout man, stepped forward and asked Linsey nervously:

"Y-you're the Awakened Red Moon Lady found?"

From the guard's question, Linsey learned that Red Moon Lady was the name of the nun who had helped him.

But more importantly, the guards before him knew he was an Awakened.

Linsey did not want them speaking to him so nervously, so he quickly explained:

"Sir, I only awakened recently. I haven't mastered any extraordinary abilities."

"That doesn't matter!" the guard cut him off. "No outsiders have come here in a long time, let alone an Awakened! You need to see Lord Anrui immediately. Come with me!"

The guard was clearly somewhat afraid as he spoke so forcefully.

But when he considered the importance of an Awakened, then looked at the young child before him, he moved to take Linsey away without another word.

Linsey instinctively took two steps back.

Compared to the nun, who had taken such good care of him, he had no idea what sort of person this Lord was.

But after recognizing his situation, Linsey still prepared himself to accept reality.

In the Hidden Borderlands, this town was the only civilized world. No matter what he did, Linsey could not avoid dealing with it.

Besides, refusing the guards before him would be tantamount to provoking the Lord here.

"You won't be taking him anywhere."

Just as Linsey was preparing to leave with the guards, the nun's low voice sounded from the chapel's front entrance.

With steady, slow steps, she came before the two guards. "Tell Anrui that from this day forth, this child is a member of the School of Death—my godson."

The nun stood at the church entrance.

Her black eyes stared at the two guards, and no emotion could be read within them.

The sight instantly silenced the atmosphere, and the air around them became soundless.

The two guards stood dumbfounded for several seconds before vigorously nodding.

"Red Moon Lady, we understand."

Their task at the church had clearly failed, but the guards did not dare simply turn and leave.

They respectfully bowed to the nun, observed the proper courtesies, and only then departed together.

Thanks to Usami Renko for the reward!