Nothing happened on the way to the Forgotten Church. Other than encountering the police twice and a carriage transporting victims infected with the Petrification Plague, only Shade and Siris's idle conversation filled the empty time.
The ancient church had undergone initial repairs over the past two months, but it still retained its relatively dilapidated appearance. By now, Shade had lost count of how many times he had passed through here, traveling back and forth between his home and this Southern Kingdom city.
After entering the church's main hall, Siris walked ahead of Shade. Once they had passed down the carpeted aisle between the pews and through the daylight streaming in from the ruined rooftop, the blonde young lady stopped beside her father's corpse.
Shade knew that her thoughts must be complicated, that she must have had many things on her mind. So he said nothing and simply waited quietly.
Siris did not remain silent for long before suddenly speaking:
"After this is over, let's move this statue away."
"Of course. But where should we move it? How about the Randall River Valley Public Cemetery?"
Shade suggested. Siris nodded.
"The opera troupe has its own graveyard. Most of my elders are buried there as well. When the time comes, a simple funeral will be enough."
She pressed her lips together and looked at the seated stone statue.
"After people die, no matter what, they must return to the earth. The earth will ultimately be with you and me."
After saying that, she and Shade entered the second half of the church through the rear corridor—the route Shade usually took.
When Shade had first come here in January, the church had been severely damaged. Nearly the entire area around the basement had collapsed, forcing Shade to use Witch Light to carve a