It was early summer, morning, in the outer commercial district of Twilight City.
Aurelia did not sleep very soundly on the hard bedboard.
As the Logistics Officer of her Order, she was usually the first to wake up and prepare everything.
Now, however, none of that was necessary anymore.
She rubbed her eyes, still slightly bleary from sleep, and looked at the sky. It was likely only 7:00 or 8:00 AM.
She subconsciously reached up to touch her neck.
The pain from the wound beneath the new bandages had lessened significantly; Rena’s Sacred Healing had indeed been effective.
While it was impossible for the wound to restore itself instantly, it had clearly accelerated the healing process and dispelled some of the internal injuries that were hindering her recovery.
Compared to the month spent jolting in the carriage, where she had to rely solely on her body’s resilience, the recovery speed of the last two days was delightfully fast.
She sat up carefully, her gaze sweeping across the place that had become her Home since last night.
The peeling wall paint, the uneven wooden floorboards, and the massive spider web in the corner seemed to shimmer like silver in the light.
The spider she had seen last night was nowhere to be found.
A table missing a leg, a cracked chair, and a crooked wardrobe—everything was still so meager it was almost heartbreaking.
However, under the daylight, it lost some of the gloom of the night and gained a bit of potential for improvement.
She climbed out of bed, ignoring the thick layer of dust on the floor.
Her bare feet padded across the wood as she walked quickly to the window.
Outside the window were the rows of rooftops and narrow alleys of Twilight City’s outer district.
In the distance, she could see the silhouette of the Dock District, filled with masts and towering cranes.
The city had regained its vitality amidst various noises: the shouts of street vendors, the sound of wheels rolling over cobblestone roads, the rhythmic chants from the distant docks, and the scent of cooking smoke wafting from an unknown household.
It was still quite early compared to the time the Shopkeeper had mentioned.
She needed to get some food first, then see if she could find some tools to give this place a proper cleaning.
Shopkeeper Andre had given her the keys to the tavern and allowed her to use the cleaning supplies, but she would have to figure out the food situation herself.
Yesterday, she had left almost all her money with Helen, leaving herself with only a few copper coins.
Buying two pieces of bread would have to suffice.
She returned to the bedside, put on the old leather boots she had bought last night, and straightened her somewhat loose, coarse cloth dress.
She tied her waist-length hair into a neat, high ponytail.
Deep in her mind, everything remained silent.
The voice of that old bastard was completely cut off by the ring’s power, allowing Aurelia a rare good night’s sleep.
Walking to the door, she listened for activity outside.
The attic foyer and the floor below were quiet.
Shopkeeper Andre was likely not up yet, or perhaps he was already busy in the front of the tavern.
She pulled the door open.
The hallway was also covered in dust.
She carefully descended the steep, slippery stairs to the back door of the tavern and unlocked it with her key.
Following her memory, Aurelia quickly moved through the alley and arrived at the main entrance of the tavern, opening the door with the brass key.
The tavern hall was empty.
The chairs were turned upside down on the tables, and the floor had clearly been swept, but traces of last night’s business remained in the corners.
There were a few crushed cabbage leaves, some wine stains, and spots where food broth had spilled.
The embers in the fireplace had long since cooled.
Morning light filtered through the cracks in the windows, illuminating the dust motes floating in the air.
Aurelia did not wander around; she headed straight toward what looked like the back kitchen.
She remembered glimpsing cleaning supplies piled in a small cubby near the back door yesterday.
There, Aurelia found a full set of cleaning tools.
She took a broom and a relatively clean rag, then went to the well in the backyard to draw half a bucket of fresh water.
Carrying these simple tools, she returned to her room in the attic.
When the first rays of bright sunlight fully entered the window, Aurelia began her great renovation project.
Sweeping the dust, wiping the windows, tearing down the spider’s little nest, and thoroughly cleaning the entire room inside and out took until nearly noon.
Once finished, she stopped and leaned against the edge of the freshly repaired table to rest, her eyes surveying the small, refreshed space.
Though it was still meager and worn, it was at least much cleaner.
Sunlight streamed through the clean window glass, and the dust in the air had mostly vanished.
The bare bedboard still looked hard, but at least it was no longer covered in webs and grime.
“Phew… this place was seriously filthy. Cleaning it was exhausting. But, this is where the Sense of Accomplishment comes from!”
Hearing her stomach protest, Aurelia felt the remaining copper coins in her pocket.
She went out to buy two pieces of bread and took a cup from the tavern to fetch some water, making do with that for lunch.
As for the Little Priestess and her little brother, she wasn’t worried.
They had money, and they were in a hidden, safe location.
She had already instructed them to rest well, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
After resting for a moment, she stood up and stretched her arms, which were slightly sore from the cleaning.
Her gaze swept over her temporary Home once more, and a Sense of Accomplishment and satisfaction welled up within her.
Staying in her room with nothing to do was not her style.
More importantly, she was still a stranger to this massive trade hub called Twilight City.
As a former Logistics Officer of an Order, gathering intelligence and familiarizing herself with the environment was both her job and her habit.
To establish a foothold here, the job as a tavern maid would not be enough.
She had to map out the city’s pulse as quickly as possible—learning where to buy cheap and practical daily necessities, where to gather information, and what potential threats she needed to avoid.
Midday was one of the times when the city was at its most vibrant, with the most diverse crowds and the richest flow of information.
Having made up her mind, Aurelia adjusted her clothing once more to ensure she looked like any other unremarkable young girl struggling for a living.
She tucked the brass tavern key close to her body, felt the hilt of the Knife hidden against her outer thigh under her skirt, and finally touched the ring on her right index finger.
Taking a deep breath, she locked the attic door and descended the creaking stairs again, heading out toward the outer district of Twilight City in the afternoon.
Unlike the cool, busy atmosphere of the morning, the outer commercial district in the afternoon emitted a unique atmosphere of food spices and various goods.
The flow of people on the street had become denser.
Pedestrians in various styles of clothing rubbed shoulders; there were local residents hurrying by with vegetable baskets, traveling merchants checking goods with their assistants, and burly men dressed as sailors walking arm-in-arm in search of a tavern.
Aurelia had no specific destination.
She simply followed the crowd, moving slowly while her crimson eyes scanned the surroundings with feigned indifference.
However, as her gaze drifted aimlessly, a familiar figure entered her field of vision.
‘…Sister Vera?’
Vera was not alone.
Beside her was a knight clad in silver-white and navy-blue armor, which was engraved with a clear Church Holy Emblem.
It was a straight sword surrounded by olive branches and lilies, symbolizing Order and protection.
The Church Knight had a tall, straight posture and a steady gait, walking side by side with Vera.
The two seemed to be talking in low voices, their eyes sharply scanning the shops and crowds on both sides of the street.
‘A Church Knight? Why is the Church acting with the Sword of Saint Radiance?’
Aurelia’s heart sank.
Vera and a Church Knight appearing together in the outer commercial district of Twilight City was by no means ordinary.
Although the Sword of Saint Radiance was on good terms with the Church, they usually acted independently.
What kind of mission required her to work in coordination with a Church Knight?
A bad thought flashed through Aurelia’s mind instantly.
A pursuit?
Was it for her?
Or was there another threat hidden in this city that required the Sword of Saint Radiance and the Church to join forces?
Aurelia’s heart hammered.
She forced herself to remain calm and turned slightly, blending naturally into the shadow of a stall selling dry goods.
Vera stopped in front of a shop selling travel supplies and simple weapons, seemingly pointing at a set of leather armor hanging on the wall to ask the shopkeeper a question.
The Church Knight stood slightly behind her, his hand resting casually on his sword hilt in a guarded posture as he scanned the surroundings.
The distance and the noisy crowd made it impossible for Aurelia to hear what they were saying, but she could clearly see their expressions and body language.
Vera’s expression was not the relaxed one she had with teammates or the focused, sharp one she had during missions.
Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, and the lines around her mouth were tight.
She spoke quickly to the shopkeeper, appearing professional and perhaps even a bit… impatient?
She rarely made eye contact with the Church Knight beside her.
Even when her gaze did brush past him, she looked away quickly.
Her eyes held none of the understanding or trust shared between partners; instead, there was a sense of distance and coldness.
The Church Knight, for his part, stood perfectly upright.
His expression behind the visor was hard to discern.
But his posture and his slightly raised chin both exuded the majesty and aloofness characteristic of Church personnel.
He only occasionally nodded or gave brief responses to Vera’s questions.
Most of the time, he silently performed his guard duty, and the atmosphere between the two was incredibly stiff.
‘Why is that knight’s attitude so cold?’
Aurelia keenly captured this detail.
Vera’s personality toward comrades and recognized companions was always cheerful and direct—just as she had been with Aurelia, acting like a very cool big sister.
But her behavior toward this Church Knight was not how one treated a partner-in-arms.
It felt more like a forced companion, or perhaps… a monitor?
‘…I’d better not think about it. I should just stay away. The fewer complications, the better.’
Currently, Laurence was on his way to the Holy City, and the Little Priestess had mentioned he might pass through here.
She had to avoid contact with them at all costs.
Otherwise, if that Bastard Redhead saw she was still alive, he would undoubtedly start shouting some nonsense about a Disaster needing to die while swinging his sword at her.
She didn’t want to fall back into the desperate situation of being hunted by him again, not while her wounds hadn’t fully healed and her new Home hadn’t even been broken in yet.
The chance encounter with Vera had completely dampened her mood for leisurely exploration.
It also gave her a clearer understanding of the dangers within Twilight City.
Pulling back her wandering thoughts, Aurelia walked quickly toward the central square of the outer district, moving in the opposite direction of Vera.