Chapter 23: A place where Crouching Tigers and Hidden Dragons reside

Melrose said nothing, simply leading the blonde beauty she had managed to sweet-talk to her home with a pleased expression.

The location wasn’t far from that cheap restaurant; after a ten‑minute subway ride… no, a tram ride, they arrived.

Upon arriving, Selina stared wide‑eyed at this exquisite little villa while fiercely yanking on Melrose’s collar.

“You said you had no money! How can you afford to live in such a nice place if you have no money!”

‘This is a standalone villa!╯▂╰’

‘In my previous life, I worked as a power‑leveler. I didn’t even save up for a down payment after the computer blue‑screened! I typed every day and barely made any money. If it weren’t for the fact that the War Soul Continent account was retina‑verified and couldn’t be sold, I would have sold it long ago.’

“So tell me!!! How are you living in such a nice place if you don’t even have money for food!!!!”

She grabbed Melrose by the collar and shook her incessantly.

If she could, she would have strangled her on the spot!

“Ahh~ Stop shaking~ I’m getting dizzy~”

Melrose’s eyes were spinning like pinwheels, and she quickly waved her hands to get Selina to stop.

She steadied herself and explained.

“This is a house issued by the organization, not something I bought. If I actually had to buy it, a 100 years’ worth of salary wouldn’t be enough.”

“A 100 years’ worth of salary… What are the property prices around here…”

Melrose thought for a moment and replied.

“For a place like mine, 6,000 gold coins. Don’t even think about it at that price~“

Selina said nothing, simply pulling out all the savings she had on her.

She counted—barely over three gold coins in total.

And that included all the wages Sela had saved over so many years.

6,000 gold coins.

If only an ordinary nun’s salary were considered.

Four silver coins a month, 25 months to make one gold coin.

At the rate of one gold coin every two years, to buy a house in the imperial capital, one would have to work without eating or drinking for 12,000 years.

Maybe the salary for nuns in Wol Town was low, and the cost of living wasn’t high.

‘I misjudged the big sister at the counter! That really was a cheap restaurant—given how absurdly expensive housing is here, the food prices are already very reasonable!’

While Selina was still in shock, Melrose had already opened the door and pulled the stunned Selina inside.

As the soft lighting in the house came on, Selina’s rationality returned from its shock.

So the lighting was also powered by magic.

In this era, magic was used as a universal energy source, just like electricity.

Even though her hometown in the countryside didn’t have such luxury.

“Make yourself at home. Your room… let me think… upstairs, turn left, the second door on the right.”

She never thought the accommodation problem would be solved this way.

Although she appeared relieved on the surface, Selina was still on guard in her heart.

The Rose Knights, a house issued by the organization.

Picking up a beauty on the street, treating her to a meal, and then getting to stay in a standalone villa worth 6,000 gold coins.

Nothing that good could be that simple.

Even a little bit of thought would tell you it wasn’t that easy.

Melrose, this seemingly carefree girl, was most likely someone from the Empire.

Letting her stay in this house was probably a way to show her what kind of treatment they could provide.

As for whether this girl named Melrose was really that carefree, she couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet.

…

“Isn’t this going too smoothly…”

In the empty room, Melrose sat by the bed, murmuring to herself.

At this moment, she was completely different from before, confirming Selina’s suspicions.

An owl landed on her shoulder.

It tilted its head, its brown eyes fixed on Melrose.

She picked up a piece of bread from the table, tore off a bit, and put it into the owl’s mouth.

“Eat slowly, Xiao An. No one’s going to take it from you.”

Her face showed little expression, and she smoothed the owl’s feathers, but her fingers betrayed her gentleness.

After a moment of silence, she muttered to herself.

“Xiao An, do you think she’ll become one of our sisters?”

The owl Xiao An tilted its head, cooing incomprehensibly.

She looked up at the sky and said calmly.

“It’s a pity that Master and the others aren’t here… If they were, maybe they could convince her.”

“Coo coo coo?”

“Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect you to answer me.”

She shook Xiao An’s head with her index finger and gazed at the sleepless city in the central area of the imperial capital.

The so‑called 6,000‑gold‑coin little villa was merely on the outskirts of this bustling city.

The property prices in the central area were simply astronomical.

You couldn’t buy a square meter even if you didn’t eat or drink for several lifetimes.

Soon, she turned off the light and chose not to think about it anymore.

Early the next morning.

Selina carried her small leather suitcase and headed to the central headquarters of the Holy Church—the Grand Cathedral.

Strangely, the central area of the imperial capital did not have trams; travel relied entirely on horse‑drawn carriages.

Although there was a place to rent carriages, the prices were quite unfriendly.

After paying, Selina sighed, hoping that the salary here would cover the daily expenses of the imperial capital.

She didn’t know how long her meager belongings would last.

Not long after, the carriage stopped at a certain entrance to the Grand Cathedral.

She got off with her suitcase and looked up at the magnificent building.

‘Is the gate built this luxuriously too?’

Selina thought.

‘The style is somewhat similar to Greek architecture, especially the colonnades. Could it be that someone from my world had also been transported here?’

With that thought, she stepped onto the stairs.

Suddenly.

Selina’s pupils contracted sharply as she stared ahead in disbelief.

At the top of the stairs stood a nun.

Her habit’s style and design were slightly different from Selina’s—more fitted and impressive.

But the general appearance was similar to Selina’s clothes.

The most striking feature was the black veil covering her eyes.

And what baffled Selina the most was…

‘When had she been standing there?’

‘It was empty when I got out of the carriage.’

‘Had I missed her due to the angle of looking up?’

‘Or had I been distracted and not noticed?’

‘Neither possibility seems likely.’

Ever since her encounter with Melrose, she understood that this was a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers lurked.

Schemes, conspiracies, calculations—every move she made upon entering the city might be monitored.

Therefore, she had been highly alert since morning.

There was no way she had overlooked her.

‘Calm down, calm down. This only means she’s a big shot.’

Take a deep breath and compose herself.

“Being able to notice my existence and reflect on yourself, I’ll give you ten points~”

The mysterious woman with the black veil over her eyes said playfully.

“And you are?”

“You can call me Vika, and I am also your guide.”

“Vika…”

Selina pondered the name and asked with some trepidation.

“Why do you have a cloth over your eyes?”

“This?”

Vika tugged at the black cloth and said casually.

“Let me clarify first—I’m not blind. It’s just a kind of symbol.”

“Then can you see?”

“Of course… I can’t see. But I could navigate the interior of the Grand Cathedral with my eyes closed. There are plenty of ways to perceive the outside world without using my eyes. You’ll understand later. Follow me.”

Vika turned and walked inside.

Selina quickly followed, and together they walked down a corridor that seemed to stretch endlessly.

“Hometown?”

“Wol Town, under Winter City, Sabast Autonomous Prefecture.”

Selina answered truthfully.

“Age.”

“Fourteen.”

“Just the age to take risks. When I was your age, I think I was still playing in the mud?”

A hint of a smile always played on Vika’s lips, and her blindfolded image made her hard to read.

Even without looking at her eyes, she was a considerable beauty from other aspects.

A classic oval face and a cascade of jet‑black hair.

A small mouth and that subtle expression.

Even without seeing her eyes, it was enough to stir the imagination.

But her chest was somewhat disappointing.

“Are you… thinking something bad?”

Although her lips were curved in a smile, and her eyes were covered, Selina still felt a chill down her neck from that gaze.