Saint Lan: A Side Story (Part One)

This was originally planned as a free holiday bonus chapter, but the planned 6,000-word chapter ended up being 30,000 (and maybe more). In short, it was eventually changed to three parts: upper, middle, and lower. The upper and middle parts will be paid chapters, and the final part will be a free chapter.

Although it's called a side story, the plot is still related to the main storyline.

Stars Calendar Year 250, 22 years ago.

The Radiant Holy City.

A few kilometers away from the Temple of Light Sisters' College, there is an inconspicuous little house on the street.

With a creak, the wooden door was hastily pushed open, and two young girls slipped inside. The one behind immediately closed the door, while the one in front tossed a ball of blazing fire into the cold fireplace.

The kerosene ignited instantly, and with a whoosh, orange-red flames shot up, greedily licking the dry firewood. Soon, the room was filled with the crackling sound of burning firewood and a touch of warmth.

The house was small but clean, with little dust, indicating that the owner came here from time to time to tidy it up.

Zijin took off her ceremonial robes, along with the saint's emblem, and threw them into the fireplace. The unpleasant smoke was immediately drawn away by the chimney. She found a set of high-quality scholar's robes and changed into them. She skillfully tied her long hair into a high bun at the back of her head, and her whole demeanor changed abruptly, gaining a touch of maturity.

"I never expected you to have a hideout here." As she spoke, Katharine rummaged through the house and found two cups, washed them, filled them with water, and took a big gulp.

She was extremely thirsty after running all the way from the convent.

"I suggest you return to the academy as soon as possible." Zijin picked up her water glass. "Once they discover I'm missing, the Church of Light will undoubtedly conduct a thorough search of the entire campus."

After finishing her water, she bent down and pulled a suitcase out from under the bed, and began packing her things inside.

"The school must be in complete chaos right now," Katharine said, wiping the water from her mouth. "I think I'll go back later, after this noisy mess has calmed down a bit."

Not long ago, upon learning that the Dark Side Squad was about to attack her, Zijin chose to plant a bomb in her dormitory room before escaping with Katharine.

The explosives were detonated, killing half of the raiding squad. Coupled with Zijin's escape, the situation has now become far more serious than it could have been.

"Then you can't be absent and become a suspect." Zijin moved quickly around the room, like a busy little bird, constantly throwing books, scrolls and some odds and ends into her suitcase, while others were thrown into the fireplace flames.

"Do you want to be wanted by the Temple of Light like me?" she questioned.

"If I go back now, I'll be interrogated about my whereabouts just the same way," Katharine explained earnestly, leaning against the table. "I've been with you the whole time; blindly making up lies will only make me more likely to give myself away!"

Zijin paused, "... So how do you plan to clear your name?"

"Don't worry, I've already thought of a way." Katharine's lips curled into a sly smile. "I'll have an alibi soon!" "Alright, as long as you're confident." Zijin then stopped asking questions.

She rummaged in the dark compartment at the bottom of the bookshelf, pulled out a bank safe deposit box key with a cold, metallic feel and a Kaqi number plate, and put it in her pocket.

Before long, everything that needed packing was finished, and everything that needed to be destroyed was reduced to leaping ashes in the fireplace. Zijin stopped what she was doing, turned to Katharine, and said solemnly, "First of all, thank you for risking your life to inform me; I will remember this favor."

"Whoosh!" Katharine clapped her hands excitedly, her eyes sparkling. "You'll repay the favor, won't you?"

"Of course!" Zijin shrugged.

"Then how about now?" Katharine leaped up from her chair. "Scholar Bay Owl, please tell me, why did you try to rip off my shirt on our very first day?"

She stared intently into Zijin's eyes; this question had been lingering in her mind for years.

Zijin paused for a moment as she fastened the lock on the box. At that time, she was actually checking if there were any surgical scars on Katharine's body, but the six-year-old Ailisha form at the time had severely affected her temperament, to the point that her actions had taken on a childish, mischievous quality.

This situation continued until Ailisha's form reached the age of ten, after which it gradually improved.

Zijin's gaze swept over Katharine, whose chest was still heaving from running all the way.

"Me," Zijin said casually, her face expressionless, "Because I'm jealous of your bust size!"

Katharine rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Miss Bay Owl, fine now—but I was only eight years old back then, I didn't have any breasts for you to be jealous of!"

Zijin ignored her and took a wine bottle wrapped in fine linen from the cabinet. She had originally planned to put it in her luggage, but considering what she was going to do next, it would be inconvenient to carry it with her.

Should we open it and drink it now?

The thought flashed through her mind, and Zijin immediately gave up. Given her poor health, there was really no need to take on the challenge again. If it weren't for the Magic Power that sustained her, she might not have been able to endure the entire escape journey.

Zijin glanced down at her excessively slender wrist, the pale blue veins clearly visible beneath her white skin. She looked regretfully at the bottle of wine in her hand, then carefully rewrapped it and handed it to Katharine. "Here, have a drink. This is a very good champagne." "... That matter, you won't tell the truth?" Katharine took the bottle, relentlessly pressing for an answer.

Zijin sighed. The matter of the real and fake princess, Katharine, involved the Pope. Especially the fact that there were no surgical scars on her heart was strange and contradictory. Regardless of the hypothesis, it indicated a serious problem.

Master White Cuckoo is deceased. Stacy may know something about it, but Zijin doesn't have time to sort it out right now. And the depth of this pool is not something a girl like Katharine should wade into.

"I'm sorry, I really can't." Zijin looked at Katharine, her tone sincere. "I suggest you stop investigating your origins. I still owe you a favor, and I'll repay it next time we meet!"

Zijin walked to the center of the floor, activated a complex magic circle pre-engraved there, and waved for Katharine to stand on it. Then, the scholar drew a short-handled walnut staff; the runes on the staff's head lit up one by one as Magic Power was poured in, emitting a ghostly blue light. A strange sense of stripping instantly enveloped Katharine. She felt a small portion of her Magic Power being drawn away, but more than that, an indescribable presence—as if some invisible mark, aura, or even tangled threads—was forcibly pulled away from her by powerful Magic Power. These invisible entities converged into a shimmering stream, gurgling into the body of a humanoid puppet lying quietly at the other end of the magic circle. Academy Spell; Transplant Flowers and Graft Trees!

"Alright, now any tracking and exploration spells will be misdirected towards this puppet." Zijin explained the spell's effect as it ended.

"... Wow, that's amazing!" Katharine exclaimed sincerely, savoring the strange feeling she had just experienced.

Zijin picked up a dark purple hooded cloak and draped it over herself, covering her hair and most of her face. She took out a few gold coins from the inside pocket of the cloak and tossed them to Katharine before picking up her suitcase and pushing open the creaking wooden door.

"Liar, don't you use this Transplant Flowers and Graft Trees technique to cover yourself?" Katharine asked hastily.

"I don't need it," Zijin said briefly, offering no further explanation. She stood in the doorway, turning to wave at Katharine, "Take care," she said, "And goodbye forever!"

"Take care!" Katharine waved goodbye.

The wooden door closed behind Zijin, and she hired a carriage nearby. The carriage disappeared into the depths of the alley with the sound of its wheels rolling over the cobblestones. Inside the house, Katharine stuffed the wine into her coarse cloth bag, then tilted her head back and drank the last drop of water from her glass, tossing the empty glass into the crackling flames of the fireplace.

She stretched out her hand, her fingertips tracing several runes. Pale blue Magic Power gathered and swirled around her like flowing water, and her figure began to blur, eventually leaving only a faint, barely perceptible phantom.

Illusory Light Spell!

Maintaining this illusory facade, Katharine pushed open the door and quietly left the small house.

After walking two blocks and making sure no one was watching, she slipped into a dark alley. As the Illusory Light Spell dissipated, the girl's illusory image solidified again, and Katharine once more became the girl in her convent uniform.

She took a deep breath, quickly straightened her clothes, and blended into the growing crowd on the street, starting to run towards her destination. Before long, Katharine arrived breathlessly at the Saint Lan Cathedral, located in the heart of the Radiant Holy City. The time was exactly nine o'clock, and the melodious and resounding church bells poured down from the high bell tower, echoing in the still chilly morning air.

She rushed in, breathless and flustered, into the group of nuns waiting for roll call in the church backyard. Several unsuspecting classmates were knocked off their feet by her, and many immediately recognized her.

"You're on today's schedule too?" A familiar girl looked at her in surprise. "I thought you were on the night shift tomorrow night!"

"I only received the adjustment notice this morning," Katharine replied, panting heavily, her chest heaving. "I had to run like a madwoman all the way here!" She raised her hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from her forehead, feeling that her inner garment was completely soaked through, clinging damply to her back. After all, she had sprinted all the way from the nunnery to Zijin's secret stronghold, and then dashed here at full speed. It was deep winter, and even though Radiant Holy City was located in a relatively warm area, the cold wind blowing on her sweat would definitely make her feel uncomfortable.

Katharine frowned slightly.

"Stanton's here too." Another girl leaned closer and whispered, "You can ask him for help later to dry your clothes with magic!" "Okay, thanks." Katharine nodded gratefully.

"Quiet down!" The stern voice of the head matron rang out, and the chattering discussion instantly ceased.

The nun's gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Katharine, who had just squeezed in. But the church bells had only just stopped ringing, meaning that this impetuous girl was not late according to the rules.

The old woman pursed her lips, ultimately refraining from reprimanding her. Although she didn't know why the girl had been so reckless as to almost miss the deadline, with the New Year celebrations approaching, any child willing to perform these assigned chores deserved encouragement.

"Girls, follow me!" The old woman clapped her hands, signaling everyone to follow her.

The New Year is just two days away, and this magnificent Saint Lan Cathedral will soon welcome its grandest celebration of the year. Although a thorough cleaning has already been carried out, many hard-to-find corners still need to be cleaned again, and there are mountains of decorations to be arranged.

Therefore, in the next few days, we will be continuously recruiting older students from various colleges of the Church of Light to help.

The nanny quickly distributed the task list to the group.

Katharine was assigned to wipe the colorful magic lamps hanging on the church's exterior wall. She collected her cleaning supplies, then found a corner to put away her cloak and the heavy cloth bag. The bottle of wine Zijin had given her was a large two-liter bottle, quite heavy, and she had almost wanted to throw it away the whole way.

But considering that it had caught the eye of the Scholar Bay Owl, this bottle of wine must be exceptionally delicious. Although Katharine didn't particularly enjoy alcohol, she simply couldn't bear to throw it away.

The boys from the neighboring monastic college were also sent to help, joining the labor force. Some worked in groups of two or three, carrying wooden fences entwined with tender green vines and placing them around. Katharine scanned the crowd and quickly spotted a slender figure: Stanton!

As a member of the Feather Race, he was much more slender than a human boy, which gave him a lighter and more agile ability to fly. As a racial talent, Feather Race also generally possess excellent affinity for wind elements.

Although Stanton is only fifteen years old, his magical skills are far beyond those of his peers. Moreover, he is proficient in fire magic, making him the ideal laborer for drying clothes!

Katharine strode forward, grabbed Stanton by the collar, and dragged him into an empty storage room next door.

"What are you doing?" Stanton was startled, his eyes immediately narrowing in alarm.

"Ailisha's in trouble!" Katharine whispered, speaking rapidly. "I can't tell you too much, lest you give yourself away if anyone questions you." She kept a close eye on Stanton. "But Ailisha's alright, she's safely out of here!"

Ailisha was the alias Zijin used at the nunnery, and it could also be considered the name of this form of hers.

Stanton's heart clenched at first, then relaxed abruptly. He immediately tensed his face, feigning composure, "Why are you telling me this? I'm not even acquainted with that Saint Ailisha!"

Katharine didn't waste any more words. She knew Stanton was a smart man, and that was enough; she would stop there.

"Help me dry my clothes." She said, taking off her heavy college coat, then her thermal underwear, revealing her undershirt soaked with sweat and clinging to her skin.

"Turn around!" she said, preparing to continue undressing.

"You look like you've come a long way." Stanton reached into his pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief, handing it to him. "You didn't just run all the way from school."

Katharine took the handkerchief and wiped her cheeks and sweaty temples. "While your gesture is very gentlemanly, please turn around and let me take off my wet clothes. It's very uncomfortable to be all wet like this."

"We're not of the same race, you don't need to treat me like a male at all." Stanton spread his hands. "My appearance is only human-like through makeup."

"That's hard to say!" Katharine retorted while unbuttoning her clothes. "I've heard that Crown Prince Xialike of the Star Empire is particularly fond of Feather Race girls!"

"That's unnecessary." Stanton raised his hand and waved it lightly. A gentle blend of wind and fire Magic Power immediately enveloped Katharine, with just the right amount of strength and warmth, quickly and gently drawing the moisture from the girl's damp clothes and hair.

"My control over the elements has been constantly improving." There was a hint of pride in his tone.

In the Star Empire, on the outskirts of the City of Radiance, lies the Crown Prince's villa.

The villa wasn't very large; the main building was just an elegant two-story house. The winter morning sun shone obliquely through the large glass windows, casting its light on Chloe, the Feather Race girl, in the master bedroom.

The fireplace in the room was burning brightly, filling the room with warmth. She was only casually draped in a thin silk coat, exposing large areas of skin, and was currently leaning lazily against the headboard, reading a book titled "Mysterious Things."

Although the Feather Race and humans share many physical similarities, Chloe is an almost uncanny resemblance among them. However, the Feather Race does not need to nurse, her chest does not rise and fall like a human's, and her delicate skin is covered with a layer of soft, downy white feathers.

The blanket beside him stirred, and Xialike peeked out, squinting at the blinding sunlight streaming through the window. He sat bolt upright, wide awake. "It can't be... past nine o'clock now, can it?"

"9:30," Chloe replied, turning a page of her book.

Xialike immediately reached out and pressed the silver bell by the bedside. Several maids who had been waiting outside the door quickly pushed the door open and entered, carrying a set of neatly ironed and matched clothes, and began to help him change.

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Xialike said to Chloe. He needed to set off for the Radiant Holy City today to attend the New Year's celebration there. Unlike previous years, this year marked the 980th anniversary of the founding of the Church of the God of Light. In accordance with the tradition of a grand celebration every twenty years, the Temple of Light invited guests from all directions, making it a grand occasion.

"If you leave at this time, hurry on the road, and you'll definitely arrive before dark." Chloe's gaze remained fixed on the pages of her book, not even glancing at Xialike. "Besides, didn't I have the maids waiting? Meiwu'er and the griffin are ready too."

"No!" Xialike finished putting on his shirt, letting the maid button his collar. "You're afraid I'll wake up and find I have plenty of time, and then pester you again... for more."

The maids were highly professional, seemingly oblivious to the undisguised conversation between the two, and focused intently and efficiently dressed Xialike: dark formal trousers, a waistcoat embroidered with silver thread, a sash symbolizing the royal coat of arms, and finally, a heavy cloak for warmth.

Xialike waved his hand. "Go out first."

The maids immediately bowed their heads, silently curtsied, and withdrew, closing the door behind them.

As soon as the door closed, Xialike immediately threw off the covers, ignoring his already neatly dressed clothes, and pounced back onto the bed, opening his arms to hug Chloe tightly.

Chloe raised a hand, her palm against Xialike's lips as he leaned in to kiss her. "Xialike, I'm just a Feather Race," she said, her voice laced with annoyance. "While I don't mind satisfying your curiosity about other races, and I won't question your inexplicable fetish—but aren't you going a bit too far?"

Xialike stopped moving, slowly releasing his arms. "You don't believe I'm serious? I really intend to marry you as my queen!" "First, I won't agree." Chloe put down her book, looking calmly and directly into his eyes. "Second, I don't believe you're only asking for this reason." She tilted her head slightly. "If you insist, I need you to tell me the real reason."

"I like you very much," Xialike said. "I didn't lie to you."

"I like you too," Chloe replied, "But you and I both know it's not the kind of liking between lovers."

Xialike sighed deeply, his shoulders seeming to slump. "Alright, I'll tell you," he said seriously, "I... can't have children right now."

Chloe understood why they couldn't have children. The current emperor Lorenzo, was only fifty years old, and as a powerful superhuman, he could easily live past 150. With the vast resources of the royal family and top-tier alchemical potion technology, reaching over two hundred years old wouldn't be difficult either. This meant that if Crown Prince Xialike were to ascend the throne, it would be at least a hundred years from now.

But that's almost impossible.

Over these long years, Emperor Lorenzo will have grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. The twists and turns and changes that may occur around the throne will be countless.

"I can't have children too early." Xialike's voice carried a hint of heaviness. "That way, they'll be dragged into this mess prematurely. It's not good for them, and it's not good for me."

Chloe couldn't understand this reasoning at all. "There are many ways to avoid childbirth. Even if you mate with a normal human woman, you can choose not to have children for the time being."

Xialike gently rested his head on Chloe's lap and closed his eyes. "What I could foresee, Father Lorenzo couldn't possibly have missed. So guess why he was already pregnant with me at twenty-three?"

Lorenzo himself was the grandson of a grandfather who passed the throne to Lorenzo, a period marked by numerous chaotic court struggles.

"Was it your mother, Queen Casimir?" Chloe guessed. "Was it the Flint Family?"

Casimir Flint, from the most powerful and prestigious Flint Family —is the granddaughter of Grand Duke Flint and the current Empress. Xialike nodded, a hint of coldness in his voice, "The whole affair was indeed orchestrated by the Flint Family. My mother... secretly reversed the contraceptive effect of a court secret technique. Lorenzo was furious, but under pressure from Grand Duke Flint in court, he ultimately had to swallow his pride and accept me as his son."

Chloe sighed softly and reached out to stroke Xialike's soft blond hair.

"Lorenzo doesn't like my mother, and he doesn't like me either," Xialike's muffled voice came from her legs. "I'm just a figurehead as crown prince. Once my brother Daosi'erwen has a son, the throne will definitely pass to their lineage."

Chloe suddenly realized something, "Did you and Emperor Lorenzo reach an agreement?"

"Yes! If I behave myself and don't Life and Wrong, he'll promise me a peaceful retirement, allowing me to live a wealthy and carefree life as royalty," Xialike confessed. "But Grand Duke Flint has never given up; he's constantly finding new ways to pressure me into marriage. I dare not touch any human woman around me! Who knows which side's trap this is?"

"That's why you won't even let me, a member of the Feather Race, go." Chloe shook her head. "Others are like 'a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow,' but you're so thirsty that you'll even scramble for a bite from the 'grass near the burrow.'" There was a hint of annoyance in her tone.

The two had known each other for a long time and had always been close. With no political background and no real value, Chloe's relationship with Xialike naturally didn't arouse any suspicion from any faction, and the two were happy to live a carefree life.

But Chloe never imagined that one day she would be "eaten" by this friend from another race.

"No." Xialike suddenly reached out and hugged Chloe tightly around the waist. "You're the most beautiful flower in my neighborhood!"

Chloe felt nauseous at the cheesy pickup lines and smacked Xialike on the head.

"Considering how much you've helped me in the past, I won't hold last night's incident against you." She firmly pushed him away. "Besides, you want to marry a member of the Feather Race as your Crown Princess? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at for such an absurd thing?"

"Not at all absurd!" Xialike sat up straight, his gaze intense. "I need someone willing to remain childless to take the Crown Princess's position, to clearly convey my stance to the Flint Family! And this person must be intelligent enough to stand on my side, and certainly not be coerced or tempted into betraying me by the Flint Family." He held up four fingers. "Chloe, you perfectly meet these conditions, making you the ideal candidate!" "But you are the Crown Prince of the greatest human empire!" Chloe still thought he had lost his mind. "Marry me, a Feather Race?"

"Father Lorenzo will definitely agree." "Xialike said, "As long as I dare to bring it up, he'll be the first to applaud!" The conflict between Lorenzo and Grand Duke Flint has long been at its peak. Emperor Lorenzo would be absolutely willing to do anything that could disgust the Flint Family, let alone just marry a Feather Race.

The royal family's secrets, a hundred times more juicy than this, are already commonplace gossip among ordinary people, so adding this one topic makes little difference. Chloe paused for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry." Her voice was resolute. "I will not agree to this, nor will I get involved in this murky water of your court."

"I can pay you a hefty sum," Xialike said eagerly. "You know I control a large merchant guild; I can buy you the equivalent of half the entire Radiant Book Whispers!"

"What I like isn't just books," Chloe refused again, waving her copy of * The Mysterious Things * in her hand, then suddenly joked, "If you could bring me the top-ranked item in this book, maybe I'd consider it."

"Mysterious Things" is a book that records the rarest and most wondrous existences in this world.

"The very first one?" A glimmer of hope flickered in Xialike's eyes, only to dim again. "The Divine Favor Scepter is a sacred relic that money can't buy." "The second-ranked Myriad Phenomena Prism will also work," Chloe chuckled. "Craft it into a ring, and perhaps I'll grant you any request!"

Her gaze fell on the grandfather clock in the corner, noticing that the gilded hands had already slid to ten. Chloe moved closer to Xialike, placed her hands on his shoulders, and pushed him off the bed.

"Let's hurry, or we'll arrive at the Radiant Holy City under the stars and moon," she urged. "As for the Crown Princess, Your Highness, please seek another virtuous and capable woman."

Suddenly, Xialike grabbed Chloe's slender wrist and forced her down onto the soft bed.

"It's still early." He leaned closer. "We can do it again!"

Chloe sprang up her leg, her knee slamming upwards in response, and a piercing male scream immediately echoed from the room.

The Radiant Holy City, the "Faithful Safekeeping" of the Goblin Bank.

Zijin, wearing small leather shoes, clattered into the lobby where there were only a few customers.

She flicked her wrist, tossing the key tag onto the counter. "Lock number 32, retrieve your item!"

The goblin clerk picked up the key tag, carefully examined the patterns and magical markings on it with a magnifying glass, and after confirming that everything was correct, immediately and respectfully led her to the vault area.

The heavy door slid open slowly, and Zijin walked to a set of safes, finding the one numbered 32. She extended her slender palm and pressed it against the magic circle in the center, her fingertips flowing with subtle Magic Power, tracing a complex sequence of runes on the circle that only she knew. With a soft hum, the sequence matched, and the alloy safe door sprang open. This was the largest safe in the bank, its interior space a full cubic meter, containing eight identical boxes neatly stacked inside.

Zijin carefully examined the sealing runes engraved on the surface of each box, confirming that they were all intact. She nodded, took the receipt book handed to her by the staff, and smoothly signed her name.

Then she raised her hand, and magical power enveloped the eight boxes. One by one, the boxes floated up, quietly following Zijin towards the bank exit, like a flock of ducklings.

"Welcome back next time!" The staff member, holding the signed receipt and the returned key tag, bowed deeply in farewell.

Stepping out of the bank, Zijin rented a sturdy freight wagon from the street. She directed the floating boxes to fly into the wagon one by one. Suddenly, she sensed something was wrong, her brow furrowing as she counted—not counting her own luggage, only seven boxes were in the wagon! She carefully recalled the scene when she left the bank: the eight boxes she had just retrieved from the vault were indeed floating behind her. But in a certain instant, the last box was interfered with by some extremely skillful method, its Magic Power flow silently cut off.

Those greedy and disgusting goblins!

Zijin's eyes sharpened, and her right hand instinctively reached for the staff hidden under her cloak. But then she thought better of it; she couldn't afford to make a big fuss now. Compared to the matters of the Holy City, causing trouble over this box would be penny-wise and pound-foolish, not worth it at all.

Zijin looked up, her gaze sweeping coldly over the cunning goblin logo on the bank sign, firmly etching the name "Faithful Safekeeping" into her mind.

She then boarded the carriage and left as if nothing had happened.

Saint Lan Cathedral.

After finishing their morning tasks, everyone received a simple lunch—a large piece of hard bread and a bowl of vegetable soup with a few drops of oil floating on top. The break was short, and the girls gathered in twos and threes under the corridor, quickly eating.

"Aha!" a girl suddenly exclaimed in surprise, stirring her soup bowl with a wooden spoon. "There's a little piece of meat in my soup!" "Let me see!" the girl next to her immediately leaned over, clicking her tongue enviously. "Really! You're so lucky!"

Katharine quickly finished her bread and soup, dusted off the crumbs on her hands, and walked over to the old woman distributing food. She handed her a card. "Old woman, could you please help me re-sign my volunteer certificate?" Her tone held just the right amount of annoyance. "The one they gave me has a blank signature field."

The old woman took the card and examined it. It did indeed contain information about recruiting Katharine as a church volunteer, for today and tomorrow, but the signature area was blank. These cards were important to students, serving as proof of their whereabouts and for earning credits, but having duplicates was pointless. The old woman, unsuspecting, readily took out a quill pen, dipped it in ink, and signed her name in the blank space. She had distributed far too many of these cards yesterday for the New Year's celebrations; missing one or two was inevitable.

Katharine carefully put the card away, secretly relieved. She had sneaked into the office a few days ago when no one was looking, precisely to deal with such unforeseen circumstances.

The information on the card was copied from her handwriting, but as long as the signature was genuine, nothing else mattered.

In the afternoon, several priests dressed in black robes and with solemn expressions came to the backyard of the church and took away five girls, including Katharine, from the same dormitory building as Zijin (Ailisha).

The priests repeatedly questioned them about the details of "Ailisha," asking if they had noticed any unusual behavior from her that morning, or anything suspicious about her usual behavior.

Although they were interrogated separately, all the girls gave almost identical answers: no. In other aspects, they only provided common information that they already possessed.

The priests then checked each person's volunteer mobilization card to confirm that the signatures on them were genuine.

Next came the Magic Power test. The results showed that, except for Katharine, who had a stronger Magic Power reaction due to her exceptional talent, the other girls only had the most basic level.

However, these are still within the normal range, far from being capable of causing the kind of destruction that Ailisha could, and pose no threat whatsoever.

The leading priest rubbed his temples, wearily concluding this routine investigation. This "false saint," Ailisha, who had infiltrated the church for eleven years, could deceive everyone so perfectly; the power behind her was far from ordinary.

Since the morning, they have been checking hundreds of trainees in the same way.

"You cannot return to your dormitories tonight," the priest announced to the girls. "Dangerous items have been found in your building, and entry is prohibited for the next few days."

The girls gasped in surprise. Katharine covered her mouth with her crumb-covered hand, making an incredulous face.

In fact, Zijin used annihilation-type alchemical explosives in the morning. Although the explosives were powerful, they were concentrated and their range was limited. Apart from her room, the rest of the dormitory building remained undamaged.

However, given the severity of the incident, it was inevitable that the dormitory building would be sealed off for investigation.

The priest summoned the supervising matron and instructed her to arrange temporary accommodations for the girls for the night. He also sternly warned them not to spread rumors before hurriedly leaving with his team.

As night fell, Katharine and four other girls who were also staying at Saint Lan Cathedral received their dinner.

Since the kitchen hadn't anticipated these stranded people needing a meal, and there weren't enough extra portions for staff and guests, they had no choice but to distribute the leftover, cold, and hard bread from lunch.

Unlike at noon, there was no soup provided this time. But as compensation, everyone received two pieces of bread.

So, each of the five girls held two cold, stiff pieces of bread, their faces filled with helplessness.

"Well... it's not too bad, at least it fills our stomachs!" one of the girls said, weighing the bread in her hand, trying to lighten the mood. "Can anyone lend me one? I'll show you how to toss three in one hand!"

"No way, what if it falls on the ground and gets dirty?" another girl immediately refused.

Then, the nun led them to a secluded little room in the outer complex of the church. The room was small, containing only two narrow single beds and two sets of rather thin bedding.

"Five people, but only two beds?" A girl exclaimed in surprise upon seeing this.

"Everywhere else is packed, there's simply no room left," the old woman explained wearily. "You... you'll just have to squeeze in." She then turned to Katharine and instructed, "Tomorrow you'll wear your ceremonial robes and be in charge of greeting guests."

Among girls, Katharine's appearance is outstanding.

Katharine sighed and spread her hands. "Where am I supposed to get a ceremonial robe to wear right now?"

The old woman then realized what she had overlooked.

"I'll try to find a way to borrow a suitable one for you." She finished speaking and hurriedly turned to leave. With the celebration approaching, low-level staff members like her at the church were extremely busy.

The door closed, and the room instantly fell into a slightly oppressive silence.

"How are we supposed to sleep?" The girl who had just tried to throw the bread away broke the silence and asked first.

The bed is just a regular single bed; it's barely big enough for two people, let alone three.

There was no fireplace in the room, and the chill of deep winter seeped from the cold stone walls and slate floor. Whoever slept on the floor, or lacked sufficient blankets, would find the night unbearably agonizing.

Katharine sighed silently. She wrapped the two cold, hard loaves of bread in oil paper and stuffed them into her coarse cloth satchel.

"I'm going out for some fresh air." She stood up, put on her cloak, and said, "If I don't come back later, don't wait for me. Just cover for me." Without waiting for the other girls' response, Katharine picked up her handbag, wrapped her cloak tighter, pushed open the door, and quietly disappeared into the dim light and shadow of the corridor outside.