‘Haha! See? I told you, this is all use— ‘
The mocking, “I told you so” voice of the Disaster Source echoed in Aurelia’s mind.
But just as the final word was about to be uttered, the voice sounded as if someone had suddenly slammed the pause button, manifesting an extremely unnatural stutter.
‘Is it working?’
Aurelia looked at the ring on her hand and tried calling out to the Disaster Source in her mind.
‘Hey, old bastard, you there?’
‘Old bastard, I think everything you say makes perfect sense.’
‘I’ve decided to destroy the world with you. Are you happy now?’
However, the Disaster Source didn’t reply for a long time.
It was as if it had never existed in her mind, creating a silence so profound it made her feel slightly uncomfortable.
Aurelia tried moving the finger wearing the ring.
The band wasn’t tight, but from the moment she put it on, it felt as if it had grown into her flesh, making it difficult to remove.
Once she stopped focusing on it, the faint dark red glow gradually receded until it was nearly invisible.
Only by looking closely could one detect the extremely subtle, blood-colored streamers of light occasionally flashing deep within the engravings.
The ring itself seemed to have undergone some changes.
The material was still neither metal nor wood, but the touch was no longer rough and lifeless. Instead, it carried a hint of warmth.
If she had to describe it… it felt as if it were continuously emitting a strange pulse that only she could perceive.
The reason she was sure of this was, naturally, because a squad of the City Guard was passing by not far away.
If she were leaking any kind of unusual aura, she would likely have been noticed on the spot, pinned to the ground, and thrown into a dungeon.
However, they merely spared a routine glance at the girl standing in the shadows of the alley, seemingly organizing her pack, before marching past without a second look.
‘Peace and quiet at last! This thing is so useful! And it even verified that I’m a virgin! Perfect!’
After this thought popped up, she found herself feeling a bit amused yet speechless.
‘Still, I really don’t want some kid running up and calling me “Mom” one day…’
That image was too terrifying to even contemplate.
Getting pregnant out of wedlock was beyond preposterous—besides, she was still mentally a normal adult male, wasn’t she?
Confirming that the ring wasn’t drawing unnecessary attention and that the big trouble inside her had been temporarily muted, Aurelia didn’t delay any longer.
She quickly gathered her things and her composure, re-strapped her knife, and hurried out of the alley.
Following the same path back to the tavern, Aurelia had just pushed open the door when she heard the little priestess and her little brother call out one after the other—
“Sister Lia!”
“Aurelia!”
Aurelia rubbed her head, pulling off a cobweb that had caught on her hair, and nodded to the two of them.
“Yes, I’m back.”
Aurelia set the items she had bought on the floor and examined the pair by the dim light.
Though Helen’s face still held the innocence of a boy, his gaze was much firmer than before.
Rena was still timid, but at least she wasn’t crying anymore.
“I’ve solved the funding issue and found a job that includes room and board. It’ll be hard on the two of you to stay here for a while. I’ll open a separate room for Rena in a bit.”
She opened the bundle and handed over the plain-colored clothes, which were a few sizes too large.
“Time was short, so they probably won’t fit perfectly. Just make do for now; it’s better than the rags we’re wearing. Helen, you change here. Rena, go to that corner back there.”
Helen’s face flushed slightly as he took the clothes and immediately turned around.
Rena also clutched her clothes and scurried to a corner hidden from Helen’s view.
As for Aurelia, she chose to duck into the bathroom.
She quickly shed the ragged, sack-like garment stained with dust and blood and changed into the newly purchased coarse cloth dress.
The rough fabric rubbed against her skin, causing some discomfort, but it also provided a sense of groundedness that belonged to an ordinary person.
She ran her fingers through her hair a few times, used the tap to wash away the dried blood, and carefully rolled up her old clothes, stuffing them deep into an inconspicuous crack in the wall.
She might not need them in the future, but she couldn’t just throw them away and leave a trail.
After straightening her skirt to ensure it completely covered the knife strapped to her outer thigh and pulling up her collar to hide the new bandages around her neck, Aurelia finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Outside, Helen and Rena had finished changing.
Helen wore the slightly oversized plain shirt and trousers.
Though they were loose, he looked much sharper and more energetic, and his lean, upright frame was faintly visible.
He had been standing with his back to the bathroom and only turned around when he heard her coming out.
Rena emerged from her corner as well.
The plain dress was also loose on her, but it unexpectedly complemented her slender figure and pale face.
She had combed her long brown hair with her hands.
While it was still a bit frizzy, it was far better than the previous mess.
Her hands were clasped nervously in front of her.
When she saw Aurelia looking, she reflexively hunched her shoulders, but the despair in her eyes had lessened, replaced by a mix of dependence and anxious hope.
As for the Holy Emblem, it was unclear where she had tucked it away.
However, that was her business; Aurelia wouldn’t pry.
As long as it didn’t endanger the group, she could do as she pleased.
“Mm, you look much better.”
Aurelia looked them up and down and nodded.
“Sister Lia, your hand…”
Helen immediately noticed the ring on Aurelia’s right index finger.
“Oh, this… just a little trinket I picked up. Don’t worry about it.”
Aurelia waved it off and turned to Helen.
“Helen, keep resting. Use the funds as needed and recover as quickly as possible.”
She then turned to Rena.
“Rena, could you please use a Divine Art to treat Helen and me? Can you do that?”
Hearing the request, Rena’s body tensed, and her clasped fingers tightened further.
“I-I’m only a Trainee Priest. My mana is very weak, so… the effect of the Divine Art might be very poor. Aurelia, your neck, and Helen, your shoulder… relying on me won’t be enough…”
“It’s fine.”
Aurelia stepped closer, her voice gentle.
“Even a small effect is good. Our current conditions are limited, so any help is vital. I believe you can do it.”
“Then… I’ll try…”
She whispered.
She unclasped her hands and took a prayer stance.
“Divine Art: Healing!”
As Rena gave a low cry, two glows of light shone from her palms.
The moment the light touched the wounds, the pain in Helen’s shoulder noticeably eased.
A slight itch came from under the bandages—a sign of accelerated healing stimulated by the weak divine power.
The wound on the side of Aurelia’s neck felt a similar warmth, and the throbbing pain subsided significantly.
However, this warmth and effect lasted for only a few breaths.
Rena’s face turned visibly paler, and fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.
Her hands, still held in prayer, began to tremble.
The light at her fingertips flickered violently a few times before vanishing completely.
Seeing this, Aurelia moved quickly, stepping forward to catch the swaying Little Priestess.
“See? Both Helen and I feel much better. The pain has lessened a lot, and that’s already a huge help. Your Divine Art played a key role. We’ll just let our bodies handle the rest of the recovery slowly.”
Helen also nodded vigorously from the side.
“Yeah, Rena, my shoulder feels much looser!”
Hearing their comfort and affirmation, the frustration in Rena’s eyes faded slightly, but her physical exhaustion was real.
She seemed to have used up even the strength to speak, merely nodding slightly as she leaned against the bedframe to close her eyes and catch her breath.
“Helen,” Aurelia turned to the boy who was testing his shoulder.
“Continue resting with an easy mind. Use the money however you need; I can always earn more.”
Helen’s lips thinned.
He suddenly looked up, his voice louder than usual.
“Sister Lia, my injury isn’t that heavy anymore! I can move my shoulder now! I can’t keep letting you do everything by yourself!”
‘Hmm? This little brother developed such a strong sense of responsibility so quickly? Not bad, not bad. He’s a teammate worth trusting.’
“I understand how you feel, Helen.”
Her voice was very soft, yet it reached the boy’s ears with perfect clarity.
“You want to help, you want to prove yourself, and you want to protect everyone. That’s excellent. It shows you’ve grown up into a man who can take responsibility.”
She paused, her hand gently brushing over a nearly healed scratch on Helen’s cheek.
“But helping isn’t about forcing yourself or acting tough. What you need to do most right now is recover as quickly as possible. Only when your strength is fully returned and your wounds are completely healed will you be able to stand firmly by my side when I need you—or stand in front of that Little Priestess, right?”
Looking at Aurelia, Helen’s face turned a shade of red, and he hurriedly nodded.
“I… I understand! Don’t worry, Sister Lia, I’ll recover as fast as I can!”
“Mm, that’s more like it. Good boy~”
Aurelia let go of him, habitually ruffling Helen’s somewhat stiff, short hair.
“Then it’s settled. Both of you stay here and rest to save your strength. Wait for me to come back.”
She said no more.
Giving a nod to the now-calm Helen and the still-resting Rena, she turned and left their temporary shelter once again.
Stepping outside, the evening breeze blew across her face with a chill.
Aurelia exhaled softly, the gentle smile on her face quickly fading.
‘It seems that soothing the teammates’ emotions isn’t as difficult as I thought? Maybe I actually have the potential to be a Captain? Hmph, I’m going to make that Bastard Redhead open his eyes and see how I become a Captain ten times, a hundred times—even a thousand times better than him!’
However, before she could think any further, a damp newspaper smacked her right in her smug face.
“Ugh!”
Startled by the sudden attack, Aurelia quickly reached up to pull the paper off her face.
She was annoyed and about to crumple it into a ball and throw it away.
But as her gaze accidentally swept over the coarse yet striking printed font on the front page, she froze in place as if a binding spell had been cast on her.
By the dim light of the streetlamps, the headline on the front page was printed in bold, announcing the biggest news of the day.
“His Excellence Lord Laurence, the newly appointed Brave, will be formally crowned and consecrated by His Holiness the Pope in the Holy City one month from now, on the first day of the first month of the Holy Light Calendar!”