Chapter 98: Things Have Changed

Who would believe what Molly just said?

Look at Litt’s thin arms and legs, then look at this thick hemp rope, as wide as a bottle’s mouth—is that really something a person could just snap apart?

Naturally, the two of them both thought something was wrong with Molly’s head.

Or maybe she was drunk, or high on something.

In any case, it just didn’t seem possible that Litt had snapped the rope herself.

“Are you alright?”

Red slowly untied the rope from Litt’s body.

But, to his surprise, the rope was particularly loose, so it didn’t take him much effort to get all of it off.

“I’m fine…”

When Litt saw Red, it was as if she finally relaxed and let out a slow sigh of relief.

“It’s really great to have you here, Red.”

But clearly, Molly had no intention of giving up just yet.

She grit her teeth, summoned all her strength to break free from Tos’ hold, grabbed the Heretical Codex, and aimed it at Litt.

“You all watch closely! This is definitely her disguise. As soon as I cast this Holy Light Art—”

Her voice suddenly cut off.

Even Red, who was on high alert, and Tos, who was about to step forward to restrain her again, both froze.

At that moment, Molly looked like a wind-up toy that had suddenly run out of power, standing motionless, her face nothing but shock.

Her body trembled as if she was struggling to break free from control.

Unbeknownst to Red and Tos, inside Molly’s mind, Litt’s voice echoed.

“Be good and listen. Put down your weapon, or… something very bad might happen.”

Hearing this, Molly couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.

“Heh… Isn’t it just those two men at your side holding me down and humiliating me? That kind of shame, that kind of punishment, I’ve already imagined it a hundred times over in my heart!”

After a short pause, she remembered the things she’d read in books and spoke again.

“At worst, those useless men can only last for three rounds at most—what could they possibly do to me? You think I’m afraid?”

“And besides, Red is your man. I’d even be thrilled!”

Just as Molly felt supremely confident in her heart, Litt’s voice sounded again in her ear.

“Who said… it’d have to be men holding you down?”

The smile froze on Molly’s face.

Cold sweat rolled continuously down her forehead.

Names of monsters flashed through her mind—goblins, Slimes, Tentacle Monsters, Mimics—but even so, she forced herself to swallow and stubbornly retorted.

“Don’t… Don’t think I’m scared of those things…”

“No, I’m not talking about monsters,” Litt locked eyes with Molly, her voice soft but every word landing like a hammer:

“What I mean is, for me… girls can be a very, very… delicious choice too…”

Molly’s trembling body stopped all at once.

She looked over at Litt, not far away—that angelic girl, who, after meeting her eyes, said nothing and simply licked her own index and middle fingers.

“I’ll tell you everything! Please, just spare me!”

Molly suddenly fell to her knees, her eyes full of terror.

What?

You say it’s just girls playing around, doing some silly things?

Then maybe you should take a look at that thick hemp rope over there, as wide as a bottle’s mouth.

Molly certainly didn’t think her body was tougher than that rope.

And more importantly, who knew which “delicious” Litt actually meant?

This girl could snap a hemp rope with her bare hands—what if, under that skin, she’s some kind of man-eating monster…?

No… she must be some kind of man-eating monster!

Otherwise, how could she just appear out of nowhere like this?

“What’s going on here?”

Tos looked at the kneeling Molly, momentarily confused.

Red, on the other hand, sensed something.

He had always been sensitive to magic, and as he got closer, he found that within Molly’s body, there was another magical presence—which was what was firmly controlling her.

Whose magic was it?

Red wanted to probe deeper, but that magic disappeared without a trace the moment he tried, as if it had never been there.

Such a terrifying ability to hide…

Just then, Red once again felt a gaze from the shadows.

Could it be that someone protecting Litt from the shadows had intervened to control the nun in front of him?

Red turned to look back.

Litt’s face was still a bit pale, with a look of lingering fear—she really seemed to have been frightened.

But as soon as she noticed Red looking at her, she immediately put on a calm face and gave him a warm smile.

Heh…

Litt really does have a few secrets.

But that was all it was.

Here on the second floor, she just wanted him not to worry too much.

Unfortunately for her, he was on the fifth floor, and could see right through it.

“Red, what should we do with this one?”

“I’ll contact Otto. He’s the Bishop of the White Church—let him handle it.”

“Alright.”

Red got in touch with Otto.

On the other end of the communicator, the bishop sounded quite surprised after hearing what happened.

After a few more words, Red ended the call.

“Let’s wait for Otto to handle it,” Red put away the communication crystal and turned to Litt.

“Bishop Otto said you should go straight home and rest today. The monastery has already approved your leave.”

“Yay—!”

Litt’s eyes lit up in an instant, and she couldn’t help but bounce a little, her silvery hair drawing a joyful arc in the air.

But the very next second, she realized her “lack of composure,” and her fair cheeks quickly flushed red.

She immediately lowered her head, coughed lightly in an attempt to cover up her delight, but her voice still went soft and bashful, full of barely-hidden happiness.

“Ahem… um… it’s not like I’m happy just because I get to spend time with you, Red…”

Litt turned her face a little, looking away, not daring to meet Red’s eyes, her fingers unconsciously twisting her clothes as she added in a voice as soft as a whisper.

“It’s just… just that… I get to slack off a bit, don’t have to work… so I’m… a little happy, that’s all…”

Red looked at the girl before him, who tried so hard to act “tsundere,” but in the end was nothing but “dere”—not a trace of “tsun” to be found—and he couldn’t help but smile.

As for Tos, he was so jealous he could have bitten through his molars, his eyes practically turning into lemons.

He sidled up to Red, slung an arm over his shoulder, a smile on his face, but the mood was full of menace.

“Hey~ Red, let’s go pick mushrooms in the mountains together~ If I plant you in the ground, next year there’ll be plenty of mushrooms!”

“Isn’t that just burying me alive?!”

Naturally, Red refused his “good brother’s” kind offer without hesitation.

Soon, people from the White Church arrived and took the tightly bound Molly away.

Once things calmed down, the three of them returned to the shop.

Despite the commotion, Red and Tos’ renovation schedule didn’t get derailed at all.

And surprisingly, the originally two-person team now had a new helper.

That was Litt.

To be sure, Litt’s slender build made it hard for her to do heavy labor, but when it came to tidying up scattered items, passing tools, and other delicate tasks, she did everything with remarkable care and seriousness.

Most importantly… she could cook.

When the delicious aroma of food wafted from the makeshift kitchen, Tos’ reaction was nothing short of reverent.

Even someone who never cared for religion now felt like converting.

His gaze at the food was so intense it nearly burst into flames.

Usually dismissive of faith, he now put his hands together in the White Church’s most orthodox prayer pose, bowing deeply to both Litt and the food.

“Thank you for the meal! Pastor Litt, you’re practically a walking angel!”

“Haha… Mr. Tos, there’s no need for such ceremony,” Litt smiled flawlessly and added, “as long as you eat with heart and don’t waste food, that’s enough.”

“No way! I’ll finish every last bite!”

Seeing his own brother turn into a groveling Tom Cat, Red couldn’t help but sigh and cover his face.

“Alright, alright, just eat already. Was that really necessary?”

“Tsk… You, enjoying the lap of luxury every day, have no right to say that!”

As usual, the two brothers-in-arms couldn’t help bickering.

But Litt, seeing this, didn’t look the least bit left out—on the contrary, she beamed with satisfaction.

That sunshine-like smile left both Tos and Red in a daze.

Tos even muttered to himself,

“This is… Mom’s cooking…”

“Get lost! Who’s your mom?!”

Red smacked Tos on the back of the head, not gently, almost sending his face into his rice bowl.

Though Red said that, he too had been stunned by Litt’s gentle, warm, and accepting smile.

There was no helping it.

That warm, motherly look was almost disarming.

Trying to break the subtle silence and disperse the faint warmth rising to his cheeks, Red cleared his throat and asked, a little curious,

“By the way… Litt, what were you smiling about just now? You looked so happy.”

“It’s nothing…”

Litt glanced at Red, her face full of warmth and radiance.

“It’s just… compared to before, Red, you really have changed.”

“Changed?”

Red was a bit confused.

He scratched his head, not quite sure where he’d changed.

But Tos nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, it’s true. Compared to how you were back in Dawn’s Edge, it’s like you’re a different person…”

Tos chewed while he searched for the right words.

“Not to mention way back then, even when we just left Dawn’s Edge, you were a world apart from now.”