After parting ways with Cole, Fen and Elena returned to the church.
“Children, brothers and sisters.”
“Have you ever been confused?”
Standing at the entrance, they could already hear the priest’s booming voice echoing from inside.
Elena pressed her index finger to her lips, making a silencing gesture.
Fen immediately understood.
When a group of people was absorbed in something, uninvited guests were obviously unwelcome.
They should minimize their presence.
The two quietly slipped inside from the side, then stood at the edge of the crowd.
Inside the Sacred Heart Church, Lucas stood on the platform, surrounded by a large congregation of believers.
They were all silent, yet listening fervently to the priest’s words.
“Why are we in Novalis, spending our days with coal smoke and machines?”
“Why are our hands stained with iron filings and dust, toiling for a living?”
“But we must understand… this is not lowliness; this is a humble cultivation in the mortal world.”
The two tried to sneak sideways, but found the corridor to the guest rooms was already blocked by the crowd.
They had to stop for now.
“We all know… Novalis hasn’t been peaceful lately—”
“The church, which many never visited, has never been as crowded as today.”
Embarrassment and guilt began to spread through the crowd.
“Some people now pray for the Goddess to descend and resolve the disaster; others have turned over a new leaf and begun confessing their sins…”
“But today, I am not here to settle accounts on behalf of doctrine or the Goddess.”
All listeners held their breath like robots receiving a command, waiting for Lucas to continue.
“Malign spirits may be reviving, and the world may no longer be at peace—”
“But the storm will eventually cease, the dark clouds will eventually disperse. Gale winds cannot shake the true heart, and darkness cannot swallow light.”
“Looks like Mr. Lucas is giving a sermon…”
Elena muttered softly.
“Come to think of it… no wonder this is the first church in Novalis…”
The silver-haired girl lifted her gaze slightly, seriously examining the church’s interior.
“The decoration isn’t inferior to the Cathedral… and the sermon process is very standard…”
After mumbling to herself for a while, Miss Elena finally noticed something wrong.
Why wasn’t Fen saying anything?
Normally… by now the young man would have chimed in and acted as her straight man.
Seeing that the young man beside her had no response, the girl turned her head.
“Haa——”
Although Fen was standing, he had already dozed off.
“Hey, Fen… you bastard…”
Elena ruthlessly poked him awake.
“That really hasn’t changed… just like before…”
Elena knew Fen was a repeat offender; he had dozed off many times when they served at the Cathedral back then.
Back then, she had even covered for him…
“Haa——”
Fen couldn’t help but yawn.
Elena looked at the man before her, utterly exasperated.
“And you call yourself a Paladin…”
“And you used to be my Captain.”
It was obvious the silver-haired girl was trying her best to put on a fierce glare.
That was what she did when she was still Elian.
But unfortunately, her current face had no intimidation.
It would only be misunderstood by outsiders as acting cute or being spoiled.
“Ugh~ That can’t be helped…”
“Little Elena——”
Fen pinched his throat, deliberately imitating a girl’s tone.
Hearing Elena “criticize” him for slacking off like before, he decided to replicate his old tactics.
“Hey—don’t talk like that! It’s… it’s so cheesy!”
The girl felt a chill and tried to lower her voice.
“Hehe, okay—I’ll stop teasing you.”
Seeing that he had successfully grossed Elena out, Fen returned to normal.
“But I still have this attitude toward religious activities…”
“As long as my heart is in the right place… it’s fine. The Goddess doesn’t mind…”
Whenever the church priests, or even the Pope himself, said things like “Holy Light protect you” or “The Goddess be with you,” Fen was quite dismissive.
Besides, back on Earth, Fen was the type to slack off while the boss talked above.
And as for stuff like “Maintain faith and receive the Goddess’s Blessing” meant to comfort believers… he didn’t really care.
Talking big—he had even met the Goddess herself.
Strictly speaking, he counted as a Messenger of God.
Elena sighed and shot the man a glare.
She knew it—the atmosphere was right.
This was how it used to be between Elian and Fen…
Whenever she couldn’t help lecturing him, Fen used to brush it off with that goofy attitude.
As expected, the way they’d been getting along for the past few weeks had been way too strange!
‘I…it’s all that damned Holy Water’s fault…’
‘Why did it make our atmosphere so ambiguous…’
She silently complained in her heart.
Even though she felt embarrassed and resisted it, Elena’s mind involuntarily began recalling the bits and pieces of the past few weeks:
So after turning into a girl… she and Fen had made so many fun memories…
She had thought the identity change, especially being a man and a woman, would make this friend feel awkward and uncomfortable…
But it turned out even more interesting than when she was Elian…
Like that day they walked back to the orphanage under the setting sun.
She held Fen’s hand for the first time…
She discovered for the first time how big Fen’s hand was…
Warm and reassuring…
And then the day she wore the new clothes Kelly had picked for her…
The young man was unusually shy…
She realized that the young man who was always laughing and carefree also had such an embarrassed… and cute side.
His flustered expression, and the gaze that wanted to take in the beautiful view but desperately tried to hide it…
‘He’s obviously just a puppy in love for the first time…’
Thinking of the young man’s pathetic look, a hint of a smile crept onto the girl’s lips.
And yesterday, when they arrived in Novalis, their relationship even took a step forward…
Thanks to Masha’s help, they surprisingly ended up sharing a room…
Al…although they still hadn’t slept in the same bed…
But sharing a room and all…
She acted calm on the surface…
But suppressing her excitement was really hard…
Fortunately, that wooden-headed Fen didn’t notice much…
Thinking back carefully, their relationship was definitely off…
It…it was practically like boyfriend and girlfriend…
…
‘Hey hey hey!’
‘This is going off the rails!’
‘Why am I thinking about all this nonsense again!’
Elena screamed internally in alarm.
‘Wh…what difference is there between me and a lovesick girl right now!’
‘I am a man!’
“Gulp——”
‘Way…way too dangerous…’
‘I…I was just concerned about Fen as a good friend!’
‘At this rate… how can we still be brothers!’
She swallowed.
Thinking this, Miss Elena’s ears unconsciously reddened.
“Not this again…”
The young man the girl had been thinking about now looked at her with some speechlessness.
“What’s gotten into you now…”
Watching the girl cover her face one moment, excitedly bounce the next, and then panic and whisper, Fen weakly complained.
“Ahem…”
Elena covered her face with her left hand, trying to let the flush fade.
“But you’re still a Paladin… at least pay some attention…”
“What do you mean ‘as long as the heart’s in the right place’…”
“From that perspective, you fit right in with the free-spirited Novalis people—”
Just as the girl was about to return to her usual dignified demeanor, she felt someone poke her back.
“Huh…?”