" Aha ~ a bug! It must be a bug!"
At the Church of Eternity, a Church member who came to pray witnessed the most unforgettable moment of his life:
A smiling mask... is flying around the solemn and sacred church, clutching a cup of milk tea, and occasionally letting out a creepy laugh.
Blasphemy! This must be blasphemy against Lord Yite, against [ Eternity ]!
No, he's going to do justice for Chair Blake today!
" Screwllum, why are you just standing there!"
"Ahem~ Devout Cleric Hughes, there's no need to be alarmed or angry. The scarlet mask flying around under that icon is merely a hallucination in your mind. You need to rest."
Screwllum walked up to the priest with a smile and whispered a few words in his ear with lightning speed.
"Ah? That's a manipulative tactic of the Lord of Destruction, designed to weaken our faith in Eternity..."
"That's right, so in the time to come... promise me you won't let anyone near the sanctuary, okay?"
"But Screwllum, what are you going to do?"
Cleric Hughes grasped Screwllum's hands. How could he allow the Church deacons to remain in the church, enduring the sinful temptations of Destruction?
"Very good, Cleric Hughes. Your spirit deeply moves me, but I am an inorganic being, and my hearing will not be impaired as a result."
"No! Screwllum, please let me fight alongside you! You've finally returned! How can I let you fall into crisis again while I can do nothing about it!"
"The situation in the Church is dire," said Cleric Hughes excitedly. " Chair Blake and Priest Fulisina have not returned for a long time, and even Knight Botenis..."
"You may not know, but my elder brother, Lante, was once blinded by momentary desires. Fortunately, Chair Blake discovered the anomaly in time and told him the truth about the [anomaly], cleansing his mind and eyes!"
"That obscure truth comes from the despicable tactics of the believers! I wasn't there then, but this time is different! I'm inside the sanctuary, and even if it costs me my life, I will not let you bear this alone!"
Screwllum's lips twitched slightly. He regretted interrupting; how had the misunderstanding deepened?
However... during these few days of drifting freely in space, Screwllum inadvertently discovered a planet... that would be very suitable as a second stronghold for the Church.
Judging by its appearance alone... well, the [∞] radiating dazzling light, if it weren't for the fact that the communication equipment couldn't be found, it would Screwllum want to go inside and explore.
Unfortunately... on this planet, Screwllum didn't sense the presence of any living people, but rather the presence of his own kind.
Out of goodwill, Screwllum dropped a bar of soap on his way to that planet, as a way of scouting the place beforehand.
Let's get back to the issue of Cleric Hughes...
While Screwllum was pondering, Cleric Hughes, having somehow found an iron sword, charged towards the mask without hesitation.
"[ Destruction ] You wretched creature, take this sword!"
"A Shining Universe, An Anomaly on Another Side."
Inside the dark Parlor Car, a beam of light shone on the red-haired man who had suddenly appeared.
"Like vibrant dye blooming, you... are truly beautiful."
He pointed elegantly at the potted plant in front of him, his admiration genuine and not at all staged.
"The red-haired knight... Could this be the [ Botenis ] you mentioned, the Church's Knight Commander?"
March 7th and the stars cautiously approached, much like the holy light emanating from the Chair Blake.
However... this knight even has his own speaker, which is quite unique compared to the Church Jesus.
"A lady?" The man turned around, but March 7th was startled by the sudden lighting.
"Please allow me to sincerely praise you; you are like a flower on a winter snowfield."
Ah... what's with this little bit of Romance?
Snap!
Dan Heng couldn't stand it anymore. It seemed that the rear-end collision had caused the chandelier to break, and now was the perfect time to use the nightlight that Xing had brought back.
"Oh? Another beautiful creature?"
Xing pointed to herself, a very apt metaphor: her brain was spinning.
"I haven't introduced myself yet—my name is Argenti, from the [ Knight of Beauty Order ]. May I ask your esteemed names?"
"So you're the one who rear-ended the train?" Xing cautiously pulled out his baseball bat.
"Uh, please, be serious... He doesn't seem like a bad person to me. Hello, I'm March 7th."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both! Excuse me, I was just explaining the meaning of 'beauty' to this potted plant."
"Forgive my abruptness, but out of habit, I would like to ask you both the same question: As fellow beings in the universe, are you familiar with the goddess of [ Beauty ], Idrila?"
Argenti gazed at the potted plant beside her with deep affection. Even under the dim green light and in such an absurd and eerie atmosphere, the potted plant... was still beautiful.
" Idrila?"
" The Knight of Beauty Order traverse planets with unbridled passion, spreading the name of ' Beauty ' throughout the universe, making His existence known to all. We rigorously demand of ourselves the discipline of our faith, tempering our bodies and defending our honor."
"Wait a minute, didn't you come here to help?"
"Yes, but not limited to that. Just as I'm promoting the beauty of this bonsai, what I hope for is an encounter, a collision and exchange of hearts and ideas."
Seeing how much care Argenti had for the potted plants, March 7th asked, "Uh, are you genuinely praising us?"
"Why? Why would you ask that? Please don't doubt yourselves, you two!" Argenti said sincerely.
"But you even praised the potted plants!"
"My words and deeds are absolutely true; I believe its heart is as clear as a mirror."
Hearing Argenti say this, Xing and March 7th cautiously fell silent. It felt so familiar... A long time ago, an elf who claimed to be Saintess said something similar.
Ah, it seems to be a universally applicable phrase.
"Now, I have given you a basic introduction to [ Beauty ]. I am very Curiosity —do you two agree with this philosophy and believe in Idrila?"
"I can admit it."
Xing Zhezhong said, after all, she was not a single Pathstrider.
"I understand... Xing, forgive my guess, but you don't have much understanding of ' Beauty,' and therefore cannot accept it... I respect different ideas, but now it seems..."
"Since you are unaware of [ Beauty's ] existence, I have no choice but to reveal it through knightly means—"
"I implore you to engage in a chivalrous contest. If I am fortunate enough to win, please acknowledge that the Beauty goddess Idrila is unparalleled in beauty!"
Xing hesitated for a moment, seeing the other person's innocent tone. "... Have you really seen Idrila's true face?"
"That's not the case. It's an unwritten rule before a knightly duel, and I apologize. Using war as a form of poetry is the most convincing way for Knight of Beauty... Besides..."
Please forgive me, I am not good with words.