The Order

Combat Nuns? Lumian was surprised, but suddenly felt like she was returning to an "orderly" society.

Within the territory of any country in the Northern Continent, wild Beyonder are unwelcome, subject to control, and even capture. This is unlike colonies such as Falin Port, where famous adventurers can swagger down the street and boast about their experiences in Bar without much worry about being approached by Official Beyonder.

"Boss, is there any danger involved?" Lugano asked nervously.

He was also Wild Beyonder, and lived in constant fear.

Lumian laughed and replied in a boastful manner, "That depends on their attitude."

The underlying meaning is that they are the ones in danger.

Lumian then made a joke:

"Didn't you long for the Combat Nuns? Now that they've come looking for you, shouldn't you be happy?"

Imagination and reality are not the same thing... Seeing that the Boss had no intention of "Teleportation" him away, Lugano nervously went downstairs and invited the Combat Nuns up.

The leader was the That One Lumian had seen before:

Most of her naturally curly, thick black hair was tucked into a Black-Backed White Patterns bicornered hat. Her light blue Eyes were bright and expressive, and her eyebrows were thick and bushy, giving her a unique charm.

The Women, wearing a Leather Armor armor overlay, looked at Lumian. Her demeanor wasn't particularly stern; in fact, it was somewhat gentle as she asked, "Are you the adventurer Louis Berri?"

Lumian nodded:

"Who are you?"

The strikingly beautiful Combat Nuns smiled and replied, "I am Sister Noelia of the Order of Abundance, in charge of a combat squad."

Praise be to the earth, praise be to the Mother of All Things!

Noelia raised her hands high into the sky, her feet slightly apart.

Seeing that Noelia and the other Combat Nuns of the Order of Abundance were not as arrogant and domineering as he had imagined, and that those with Wild Beyonder were evil creatures, Lumian also smiled:

"Lady, what can I do for you?"

Noelia smiled and said, "You are the Great Adventurer who hunted down the ' Devil Warlock.' If we didn't know you were in Santa Port, it wouldn't be a problem. But now that we know, we have to come and talk to you to remind you to abide by the rules."

"What order?" Lumian asked, holding his Golden-Yellow Straw Hat, as if anticipating something.

The Combat Nuns were so polite that he began to doubt whether they were truly Official Beyonder —not only did they not directly arrest him and his companions, but they also did not use Vocabulary like "warning" or "admonishing."

Is this what distinguishes the "Earth Mother" Church from other Church? A greater emphasis on motherhood and a stronger Rebirth?

Noelia's rosy lips curved into a beautiful smile as she said, "In other cities, we would directly warn you and bring you under our control. If you dare to resist, we would have options such as arrest or even elimination."

"But this is Santa Port, with many Sea Merchants who have a real need to protect their goods from pirates, and we don't have enough manpower to escort them, so we tacitly allow them to hire some Beyonder bodyguards."

"Mr. Louis Berri, you are free to move around in Santa Port, but you must abide by three rules:"

"First, you cannot venture deep inland or travel to other cities without our permission. Second, you cannot hold any Ritual in Santa Port, take Potion to advance your cultivation, or conduct Mysticism experiments here. Third, you must not use your abilities unless absolutely necessary, and you must not create disturbances or Calamity."

"Of course, if you come to Santa Port again in the future, you'll need to register with us first."

A reasonable request... and this was a request from the dominant Church, surprisingly not excessive at all. It was even simpler and easier than getting a gun license in places like Falin Port. Of course, not having a license in Falin Port wasn't a big deal either; as long as no one reported it and you didn't directly run into officials, there wouldn't be any problems... Lumian nodded slightly and said, "No problem."

At this point, he changed his mind and chuckled softly, "But your Santa Port isn't exactly safe either. I encountered a Monster last night..."

He recounted in detail how the little Monster disguised itself as Demon to intimidate him, without concealing that he had accepted Giorgia's Commission, but without specifying what the Commission was.

Noelia listened attentively and said without surprise, "We'll handle it. Try not to get involved in the Fishing Guild's affairs in the future; they'll resolve their internal problems internally."

Does this mean the Church the Earth Mother doesn't interfere much in the internal disputes of the Fishing Guild, allowing them complete autonomy? What does this have to do with the Sea-Praying Ritual? Lumian smiled and said, "I try not to get involved, but I reserve the right to defend myself."

Noelia said nothing more, her smile faded, and she led the Combat Nuns toward the door.

In just two or three steps, she drew a Straight Sword from behind her back, turned halfway around, and slashed at Lumian with a whoosh.

This series of movements was fluid and natural, taking only the blink of an eye.

Lumian stared at the sword light, neither dodging nor raising his hand to block.

With a whoosh, the Straight Sword grazed the tip of his nose and pointed downwards towards the ground.

Noelia smiled brightly and nodded in satisfaction:

"As expected of Great Adventurer, his insight, judgment, and courage are all outstanding."

She then turned around and began to reprimand the Combat Nuns who followed her:

"This is a real man. Those who only know how to show off their muscles and howl while brandishing swords can only be called male beasts."

As they spoke, several Combat Nuns left the Suite Lumian was renting.

Lumian raised his right hand and rubbed his chin, feeling a strange sensation.

Here, Women's scrutiny of Men was laid bare in the Sunlight, making him somewhat uncomfortable.

After watching Noelia and the other nuns leave, Lugano lowered his voice and said, "Boss, did a little Monster really come to warn you last night?"

"Yes, if you were the one completing Giorgia's Commission, it might not have been just a warning." Lumian put on his Golden-Yellow Straw Hat and walked towards the door, saying casually, "We have an obligation to remind our employer that someone is secretly watching their family."

Lugano was taken aback for a moment, then understood Lumian's meaning, took Ludwig's hand, and followed closely behind.

In the Living Room of a Suite on the fifth floor of 21 Saint Lana Street.

Lumian saw Giorgia again.

The lady, dressed in a brightly colored, patterned dress, glanced at the little boy who had an unexpectedly large appetite, then turned her gaze to the Great Adventurer Louis Berri:

Is there something you need?

Lugano took on the role of translator with great professionalism.

"A Monster came to scare me last night, but I chased it away." Lumian briefly described the little Monster's appearance and behavior.

After hearing Lugano's account, Giorgia didn't show any particular surprise. After a few seconds of consideration, she said, "Wait a moment."

She left her maids and servants behind and went into an inner room.

A few minutes later, she came out arm in arm with a man.

The man was in his forties, tall and slender with a thin face. His Eyes were a pale, almost transparent blue, and his hair was gray-black with slight curls, draped over his shoulders like an artist. His appearance was neither particularly handsome nor unattractive, but it was very distinctive and unforgettable.

"This is my husband Ruvio Paco," Giorgia introduced.

That One shareholder of the Fishing Company, the member of the Fishing Guild? Lumian has learned quite a bit about the Paco Family through Lugano these past two days.

Ruvio's father was originally a relatively wealthy fisherman who co-owned a boat with others. After marrying Marta, who had been a "Sea Maiden," he gradually rose to prominence, not only managing the Fishing Company for a period of time but also becoming a member of the Fishing Guild, the oldest guild in the area.

Not long after the Sea-Praying Ritual Last Year, the old gentleman passed away. With the strong support of his grandmother Marta, Ruvio succeeded his father and became the youngest member of the Fishing Guild.

Of course, he no longer holds a specific position at the Santa Port Fisheries Company, but enjoys only the voting rights and dividend rights of a shareholder.

This middle-aged man was once very rebellious. He was supposed to follow his parents' arrangements and marry a "Sea Maiden," but he remained single until his early thirties before marrying Giorgia, the daughter of a textile merchant. In other large families, the grandmother would have strongly opposed this and even driven Ruvio out of the family, but Marta doted on him and ultimately chose to compromise.

Before Lugano could translate, Ruvio said in his not-so-fluent Intis language, "We can communicate directly. When I was young, I often went out to sea by boat and visited places like Falin Port."

"Mr. Ruvio, I don't see the need for any communication, nor do I intend to know why the Monster sought me out. I'm simply here to inform you of something." Lumian glanced at the puzzled Giorgia, suspecting that Ruvio's switch to Intis language wasn't out of politeness, but rather to prevent his wife from knowing certain things.

Ruvio nodded slightly and said, "I understand your concerns. I just want to Commission you with another task."

"What mission?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Ruvio calmly said, "My mother, Marta, is from Milo Village. She recently wanted to go back to see the current ' Governor of the Sea ' and ask him to allow her to seek treatment at the ' Earth Mother ' Church. Well, my mother hasn't been feeling well lately; she couldn't even get out of bed before."

Marta is still alive? Lumian was slightly surprised.

Based on his extensive experience, he had previously deduced from details such as the grandmother's absence, the Paco Family's reluctance to expose their Humanoid Lizard, and Marta's past as a "Sea Maiden," that the Monster might be Marta in disguise!

The "Sea-Praying Ritual" brings not only glory to the "Sea Maiden," but also perhaps hidden Corruption that could erupt at any time.

But now, according to Ruvio, Marta is actually still alive; she was just seriously ill before.

Where did that Humanoid Lizard come from? Suppressing his doubts, Lumian asked, puzzled, "Why does Madame Marta need the ' Governor of the Sea's ' permission to seek treatment?"

Ruvio's expression Change, a mixture of disgust and resistance in his voice as he said, "All ' Sea Maiden ' must obey the orders of the ' Governor of the Sea ' in matters related to the Church; otherwise, it would be a desecration of the Sea-Praying Ritual."