Age of Light · Day Five
"Any results?"
Su Lin settled back into the bishop's chair at the center of the church and looked at Midnight Star, who had come to report.
The Holy Light shone brightly, the weather was lovely, and he was enjoying a brief spell of leisure.
On either side of Bishop Otto stood Yae Reimu in shrine maiden robes and Kallen, the current saintess of the Church of Destiny.
Well.
A path he had never imagined.
Elaina speared a sausage with her fork and, tired of it, dropped it onto Su Lin's plate. Head lowered, she mumbled, "I don't want any more sausage."
Kaguya Houraisan said, "I still have some spare offal and mushrooms in my Storage Bag."
"Who'd eat that stuff?" Elaina propped her chin on one hand and looked up at Su Lin. "Why are you the only one allowed to drink?"
"I hope you'll behave like a saintess." Su Lin pulled several croissants out of thin air and set them on the table.
Elaina's eyes lit up. Humming happily, she picked one up and began eating.
Su Lin maintained his elegant, composed smile and nodded for Midnight Star to continue.
"The World Tree of the Gods has withered, as though something drained it from within."
Unease was plain in Midnight Star's voice, but the sight of the man sitting in a high-backed chair and sipping red wine gave her a little more confidence.
"Every living thing is gone. There's only sand and the ruins of God City. The device Perun built at the top of the World Tree of the Gods needs repairs too."
In just a few days, Su Lin had gone from a "strange brother" she could treat as an equal to the White God she held in awe.
Without question,