So, for that World Within the Painting, seven years had passed since my last mission?
Fu Qian could understand why the Witch's tone had been so wistful both times they'd been in contact.
To her, he—the Templar Knight—had been off the job for far too long.
At the same time, Fu Qian was now fairly certain that the Witch's world was like that crumbling furnace: another time and space, separate from this one.
That was probably why she could sense him only when he entered the Loss of Color Curse state.
As explained before, the essence of the Loss of Color Curse was a weakening of one's connection to the current world.
His current state was essentially one in which he synchronized with this world through the Emissary Mask. Entering the colorless state weakened that effect.
Only when he entered this special state of incomplete synchronization could the Witch sense him—and only in this world.
After all, he'd sealed the sun twice in his original world, and the Witch hadn't reacted at all.
The connections between times and spaces really were mysterious.
"You really turned that place into a church?"
Though he was curious, Fu Qian didn't ask about the mysteries of time and space. Instead, he casually struck up a conversation, as relaxed as if he'd kicked off his shoes and put his feet up.
It was a holiday, after all. The point was to unwind!
"Of course. There aren't many churches with art studios."
The connection seemed to have little delay, and the Witch's response came quickly.
"Fair enough, but I remember the weather there wasn't great. Most of the buildings were buried, weren't they?"
"It's still bad, but dealing with a little blizzard is no problem."
The Witch's casual reply was full of confidence.
"Looks like