For the ordinary residents of Yorikof Town, it was a rather unusual morning.
The Church-led patrols and sweeps for frogmen, Corpse Heart, and other monsters had ended the day before. The number of guards on the streets had dropped sharply, leaving only a few scattered patrols making a show of keeping watch. Their faces bore the exhaustion of days spent on edge.
The townspeople tentatively opened their windows and doors, preparing to greet another day of despair.
But before they had much time to fret over the deserted streets and the oppressive mood that still hung in the air, change came without warning.
A warm, rich fragrance of wheat spread through the air, filling everyone with a sense of peace and contentment. It quickly swept through every street and every house, even slipping through the cracks of tightly shut doors and windows.
Plump, golden ears of wheat appeared out of nowhere before each resident, as if gently scattered by an invisible hand, accompanied by flecks of light.
People instinctively reached out and caught them.
The instant the ears of wheat landed in their palms, lines of text formed from pure golden light appeared. The words resonated with their minds in some strange way, and even the uneducated poor understood them at once:
"Harvest Mother Goddess stands with all the faithful and residents of Yorikof Town."
"In view of the many strange occurrences in town in recent days, and to drive away the gloom and ensure lasting peace, the Red Robe Archbishop of Harvest Church has personally written this notice to the entire town:"
"All residents, regardless of faith or status, must gather in the square before the main hall of Harvest Church by noon today. The Church will then hold a blessing and purification ceremony for everyone present and distribute