West of Nicole’s group was the territory of the Kingdom of Kristbofo. Or what used to be it anyway. It was a tiny mountain nation, with scarcely any resources to its name. The only reason it managed to keep its sovereignty all this time was due to its difficult terrain. That, and the fact that it neighboured the Holy Land. The Church preferred to have a buffer zone between its territory and the territories of the Feuding States. And so, the kingdom had courted the favors of the Church for a long time, without actually assimilating to it.

All that changed recently however. Now, the mountains of Kristbofo became hostile to anyone deemed to be of the upper class by the revolutionaries. Like actual nobles. Or merchants. Or priests. Or anyone that happened to dress a little fancily.

Naturally, Nicole would be in that category.

They departed early in the morning on foot. Traveling by carriage would just be painting yourself a target on the back.

"Ahhh, it's been a while since we got to go hiking, don't we?" Amelie declared as she stretched her arms upwards.

"Let's just hope you don't get tired halfway through and demand us to camp early like before." With crossed arms, Anne snarkily replied to the mage.

"Hmph! Don't you worry!" She patted her chest. "I now have a lot more stamina! I can walk all day without getting tired in the slightest!"

Nicole smiled seeing their interaction. Having spent two months with them, she was already more than used to their banter.

They really are like sisters…

“Nicole, would you be alright climbing the mountain until the sun fell down?” Anton then asked. “I’m not sure if you’re used to this kind of stuff…” He scratched his cheek, looking sheepishly towards the priestess.

“I-I should be fine,” she stuttered, averting her gaze. “I’ve traveled through several mountains before this. I should have the stamina.”

She felt a blush creeping on her cheeks as she remembered Anne’s words.

Does he really like me in that way? I-I can’t believe it… A plain priestess like me… attracting a man like that…

Her heart began to race. She remembered all the romance books she liked to read (before having to leave them all behind when she split up from Fiora).

A manly adventurer… rescuing an innocent village maiden from a group of feral orcs… only to end up bedding her the next night…

She shook her head. Anton isn’t like that… He doesn’t have bulging muscles or wield a giant sword… And he certainly isn’t the type to just bed a woman he likes…

She had examined him closely as they traveled together. And she knew he was as pure as a driven snow. He was even more pure than Hugo, who was just an eleven-year old boy when she traveled with him.

In short, he was nothing like the male leads of her novels.

—-----

The group’s travels continued without a hitch. That day, they only met a handful of B-rank monsters that they easily took care of.

When the sun sank, they set up camp inside a small cave they found on a cliffside. They gathered their firewood, set up their tents, and had their dinner, which was a simple roasted rabbit.

Afterwards, it was time to sleep. The girls slept together first with Anton taking the first watch.

And quickly, with Amelie sleeping, Anne and Nicole had their lover conversation yet again.

"So, umm, Anne, the boy you fancied… what was he like?"

To Anne's surprise, Nicole was the first to speak.

"W-where did that come from?" She stuttered, turning away from the priestess.

"I just want to know, that's all. If you don't want to, then it's fine."

"..."

Anne remained silent. She started playing with her hair as her cheeks reddened.

"He's… he's an idiot and a pervert. He tries to hide it but I know he likes staring at Amelia's breasts and panties. And even though I wear shorts under my skirt, he would do the same to me too."

Anne paused. She wished she had a pillow to bury her head in.

"And yet, I somehow fell for him anyway. Even though I know he was a noble and I was a peasant."

Nicole's mouth opened. Could it be? Her love was the classic commoner x noble star-crossed romance?

"I suppose… I fell for his heroism. He saved me and Anton and Amelie many times. Yet he never made a big deal about it. He would just brush it off with that stupid smile of his…"

Nicole was now actively smiling. She's in love! So this is how a girl in love sounds!

"You know." She chuckled. "Amelie fell for him too. She believed he was her knight in shining armor. I disagree. I think he's a knight in pitch black armor instead."

"What do you mean?" Nicole tilted her head towards her direction.

"He's a powerful mage. And he's good with a sword as well. He would do whatever he wants with them, no matter what others think. He's a selfish man, yet selfless at the same time. Imagine, fighting a dragon by himself just to save some little girl he met on the streets. Who would do such a thing? An idiot, that's who." She huffed.

Nicole paused. Well, that sounds just like Hugo. Though I don't think he'll fight a dragon by himself. He's strong. But he's not that strong.

"And then, he ended up working with a necromancer, fought against Inquisitors from the Church, and made himself a wanted man in the Continent. All because he thought she was a good woman."

A necromancer? That’s…

“Hold on. Is the boy you like the man who slaughtered the Inquisitors back at Fiania?”

Anne froze.

Her tongue had slipped.

She wasn’t supposed to say that.

After all, she was a devout member of the Church.

“I… y-yes… yes he was…” Anne stuttered.

She gulped. She figured there was no point in hiding it anymore.

“That’s terrible! Oh you poor soul! For your lover to be seduced by a woman of the Dark!”

Nicole reached forward and gave the redheaded girl a hug.

Anne was now even more surprised. She didn’t expect this reaction from her in the slightest.

She was now blushing furiously. Nicole had buried her head inside her cleavage.

She smelled… nice. And it was warm as well…

“Don’t you worry! The Saint would no doubt replace him with an even better man! I’m sure of it!”

Anne said nothing to that.

After all…

She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get over of her stupid crush at Hugo.

----------

Four days after that night, they finally arrived.

At the capital city of Kristbofo.

“Look at that! I can’t believe they make a city in a place like this!”

Amelie pointed towards the distance. There was no mistaking it. It was a city built right in the middle of a mountain.

The city was shaped like a circle, built on top of a massive plateau of smooth white rock. It looked completely unnatural, as if someone had shaped part of the mountain to form a foundation suitable for one to build a city.

To go forward, one must enter the city and pass through the other side. That, or fall down the sheer cliffs hugging the trail Nicole and co. were on.

-------

When they arrived at the gates, they were greeted by the sight of soldiers waiting for them. Only, they weren’t dressed like soldiers at all. They were more like vagabonds, wearing dirty, tattered clothes with dull-looking swords as their weapons instead of the usual spears. And, unfortunately for them, they stink pretty bad as well, a fact that Nicole quickly found out as she presented herself in front of them.

“Eh? Who are ye’ people?” The one with a dirty afro spoke. “One of ‘dem adventurers?”

He leaned uncomfortably close to Nicole. Quickly, however, Anton stepped in between them.

“Yes, we are,” he answered, giving the man a good scowl. “We are the Flaming Arrows. And we seek passage through your fair city.”

“Flaming Arrows? Never ‘eard of them.” He eyed Anton up and down, as if gauging whenever he could take him in a fight or not.

“Hey, adventurer.” One of the other guards spoke. This time, it was a stringy-haired woman. She held a large axe in her right hand. “Yer traveling with a whore of the Church there?”

She pointed her axe towards Nicole. Thankfully for the latter, she wasn’t as close to her as the afro man was.

A “whore” of the Church? Why, you!

Before Nicole could open her mouth to respond, Anne stepped between them. “Yes, she’s a priestess of the Church,” she answered. “You don’t have to worry. She won’t preach or proselytize in your new nation. Like Anton said, we are simply passing by.”

The woman chuckled, her dark eyes shining dangerously behind her hair. “Passing by? Of course you are only ‘passing by’. You passed by me on the streets when I begged you to help my dying daughter.”

…I see. So that’s why she hates the Church that much.

Nicole’s frown quickly changed to a sympathetic smile.

She was abandoned. Just like many others I’ve seen through my journey.

She still remembered her trip to Grannesia, and her meeting with the Grand Priest there. He was a man most terrible — readily attending the many parties the court produced while ignoring the starving and the sickly in the capital. She nearly didn’t get her recommendation letter for him, due to her insisting that he should help his fellow men more.

As for convincing him to support Fiora once the battle for the crown began, well, he straight up told her that he would only support the strongest candidate. And some estranged princess with no backings in the nobility certainly wouldn’t satisfy that criteria.

Nicole could just imagine the local priests of this ex-kingdom acting the same before the revolution. There should be some, knowing the strong ties this nation used to have with the Church.

“I see. Then, let me apologize for their sins.”

Without hesitation, Nicole knelt down and rested her forehead on the dirt. She was now kowtowing towards the woman.

“Nicole!” Anne spoke. “W-what are you doing?”

“Ha…hahahahahahahaha!” The woman’s laugh sent chills through Nicole’s body. “Look at you! Lowering yourself to the dirt! He did the same too, you know… before I chopped his head off!”

The woman ran forward and swung his axe towards Nicole’s neck.

Only to be blocked by Anton’s shield.

The woman, having her blow deflected back to her, fell down to the ground, with her axe flying behind her, landing just inches to where her own head was.

The situation swiftly deteriorated. The guards, numbering around twenty, swiftly surrounded the group as they drew their own weapons. They began to yell a stream of profanities, demanding to surrender Nicole to them.

Nicole closed her eyes, her face filled with great. No forgiveness. I cannot blame her.

She stood up and joined the others as they readied for a fight.

“Tch! Do we really have to fight!” Anne took out an arrow from her quiver, sliding it into the drawstring of her bow.

“It seems that way!” Anton drew his sword.

“Ha! I’ll burn these peasants with my flames then!” Amelie grinned, flame lighting up the tip of her wand

“That’s enough! Stand down your weapons! Let them pass!”

Just before the powder keg could explode, it was defused by the appearance of a man.

A masked man, to be exact.

He was wearing a pitch black robe, with only his mask being white. Whatever clothes he wore under said robe was completely obscured by said robe. The hood also covered his hair, preventing one to identify him by his hair color. Only his unremarkable brown eyes were visible through the half-mask he wore. And, unlike the others, he didn’t seem to carry a weapon with him.

“S-Sir Drachyon!” The afro guy bowed. “What brings you here, Sir?”

Nicole glanced at the man, It was clear that he was the one in charge here. Perhaps he was part of the higher echelons of the revolution? Surely, an act of overthrowing one’s king will need a central organization to manage it?

“I heard your yelling all the way from the guardhouse. And I see you’ve brought nothing but trouble to these poor travelers here.”

He eyed the Flaming Arrows. From Anton to Anne to Amelie. But, only when his eyes landed on Nicole, he continued his speech.

“You four are welcome in our new country. See for yourself how a nation free of tyrants can stand on its own two feet.”

With those words, he left the group, walking back inside the city gate.

Nicole didn’t like his gaze.

Not in the slightest.

—----------

Once inside, the first thing they did was to find an inn to stay for the night.

The sun was rapidly setting and it would be safer for them to stay here over staying outside where monsters might attack at any second.

Normally, that would be true. But here, after what had just happened in the gates…

If Nicole were to be honest, she didn’t like being here. Not in the slightest. Eyes followed them wherever they went and there was an obvious tension simmering in the air, ready to snap at any moment. And, judging by the expressions of the others, she had a feeling they would agree.

However, while she stayed here, there was something she had to do.

She wanted to know how the Church treated the people here.

If that woman really was telling the truth, then it was all the more reason why she had to apologize for the actions of her fellow priests and priestesses. She had to show them that not all Milicis devotees were like them and restore their faith to the Great Saint and the Heavenly Dragon.

Even if it meant risking the ire of the revolutionaries.

“Hey, Anton.” Anne spoke with a whisper as they walked towards the city square. “Don’t you think we should just leave this place right away? We should just camp outside. This whole city gives me the creeps.”

“...You’re right.” Anton replied with a worried look. “There’s no telling what they would do to us while we are sleeping. And I don’t see any other travelers here.”

“Aaw, I want to sleep on a soft, comfy bed…”

“Oh, stop your whining, Amelie.” Anne paid her a sharp glare. “You forget that you yourself are a noble. If they know you have royal blood, I don’t think they’re going to just let you get off scot-free.”

“I… I actually wish we can stay here for the night.” Nicole interjected, looking guiltily towards Anton. “I want to know how these people suffered under the Church. And, if I could, I would like to bring them succor somehow.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Anton replied.

“But we exterminated those goblins before,” Nicole argued.

“So, you wish to exterminate these people too? If they start to believe you’re preaching, we’re not getting out of here without a fight. We might be able to escape but do you really want their blood on your hands?”

Nicole fell silent.

He was right.

What was she thinking? She was being naive. Again.

Fiora often said that her naivety was one of the vices she had to fix. Once again, she was proven right.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scold you like that,” Anton quickly corrected himself after seeing Nicole's reaction.

"No." She shook her head, giving him her bright smile. "You're right. I am being naive. Even wearing my priestly clothes like this was already an indulgence I shouldn't have partaken in."

As a pilgrim, she was supposed to always identify herself as the priestess of the Church during her travels. She wasn't allowed to wear any clothes that would tell others otherwise.

"Well," Anne interrupted. "Now that we all agree, we better move on."

--------

The group continued on deeper into the city. Nicole noticed that all the buildings there were built out of rock and stone, as if there was no such thing as wood. Even the windows were just holes carved into the wall before being fitted by a glass pane. It reminded her of how dwarves would build their cities, though dwarves would prefer building them inside the mountain itself instead on the outside like this.

When they reached the market district, Nicole saw the traces of looting the citizens engaged in when the revolution happened. The shops’ windows were broken and their doors destroyed, with all the merchandise inside nowhere in sight. There were even some shops that were soot-black, showing how it had endured fire.

“How horrible…” Amelie mumbled, covering her mouth.

Anne said nothing, thinking that if she was born here instead of in the Holy Empire, she would’ve partaken in the looting for sure. She never liked those rich and fat merchants and she would never be happier if she could steal their riches and give it away to the poor.

Nicole, of course, couldn’t approve of such a thing. Stealing is stealing, no matter the reason you did it. It was still a sin in the eyes of the Saint and the Heavenly Dragon. Two wrongs never make a right.

Moving onwards from the market district, they were now inside the noble’s district. There, they saw even more signs of the revolution. Beautiful mansions were either burned to the ground or ransacked until not even its candleholders remained.

And then, Amelie let out a shriek.

Rows and rows of decapitated heads lined up the street to their left and right, attached to wooden spikes that were glued to the ground.

The heads of the fallen nobility that the revolution had executed.

“Look away.” Anton whispered to Nicole. “You don’t have to see this.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I have to. I have to see all the world’s evil with my own two eyes. It is the duty of a priestess of Milicis.”

As they passed through them, the rancid smell of rotting corpses was unmistakable. However, the heads were strangely not decomposing as they should. They still retained their shapes, keeping their horror-filled expressions fresh and undisturbed.

They must have used some sort of corpse preservation solution to keep them like this… How horrible… They’re just like that necromancer…

Anne was now wrapping her arms around Amelie, comforting the poor girl. Anton, on the other hand, was looking at Nicole with a concerned expression. He almost put his hand on her shoulder before withdrawing it. She wasn’t really like Anne or Amelie after all, whom he looked at as his little sisters.

I have to cleanse this. Send this abominable display into the Abyss!

She reached down for her book, which had been attached to her waist via her belt.

Only for her forearm to receive her a firm grab from Anton.

“No.” He shook his head. “You can’t. They will never let us leave if you do.”

For a moment, the two’s eyes clashed. Nicole’s determined eyes were drilling into him, saying that she couldn’t just let this be, that no matter if he liked it or not, she would correct this vile act.

But, he refused to relent. His grip on her arm only grew tighter and his eyes stared right into her, unblinking.

In the end, he won. Nicole lowered her gaze as she returned her hand back to the front of her dress.

She didn’t say anything afterwards, only whispers of prayers to the Saint and the Heavenly Dragon so their souls could rest in peace. The rest of the party stayed silent as well, all displaying grim looks on their faces.

Anne’s eyes scanned the area. Sure enough, she noticed people staring at them from a distance, from the rooftops, from the houses behind the nonexistent windows, and even one from behind a tree.

They were waiting for them to slip up. All so they could charge them with a crime to be hanged.

Anton’s swift action to stop Nicole had saved their guts.

—-----

After they passed the gruesome sight, finally, they could take their breaths once more.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him. “Once again, you saved me from my own recklessness.”

Showing a tiny, almost imperceptible blush on her cheeks.

She didn’t realize it when those heads were still surrounding them but now, after she could rest her mind a little, what Anton just did to her was exactly like something the heroes of her books would do to their heroines. They would stare at them deeply, making them swoon as they were swallowed by their dark orbs.

To be honest, she never expected him to stare at her unflinchingly like that. She always thought he was a good yet slightly meek man, who was too shy to be forward with any female that wasn’t his close companions. She didn’t expect such firmness from him.

It was enough to make her heartbeat rise. Especially since he was holding her hand. The sigh of those intense brown eyes… she didn’t think she would forget it anytime soon.

Aah, what a sinful girl she was! Why was she thinking about romance in a place like this?!

As Nicole scolded herself, Anne’s lips formed a small smirk.

Their little interaction did not escape her eagle-eyed notice.

She now knew exactly what Anton had to do to make Nicole fall for him.

—--------

At last, their feet finally took them to the middle of the town.

After circling around the inner walls that enclosed the castle where the king used to live, they arrived at the slums of the city.

And, to their surprise, unlike the other districts they had visited, this part of the town was filled with life.

All around them they could see people chatting with each other, smiles drawn on their faces. There were children running around, playing on the half-brick half-dirt road. There were even peddlers shouting for their goods to be noticed.

For a moment, Nicole almost believed they had left the horrible town for good.

But then, she saw the sun sinking over the mountains. Soon, night would fall. And these people were still crowding the roads like this? It wouldn’t make sense unless there was a festival of some sort.

“Careful with your purses.” Anne remarked as they walked through the crowds. “And don’t get lost. All we need to do is follow this road to the end and we should reach the northern gate.”

Nicole tried to listen in to the crowds’ conversation. She would prefer to talk to them directly but Anton would disagree for sure.

It seems they’re mentioning something about a… sabbath?

Sabbath was a custom of the Holy Land, in which the theocracy rests for one day every week to honor the Saint and the Heavenly Dragon. All work and business were forbidden, with quite the heavy punishment if you were found to break the rule.

That’s odd. If they hate the Church so much, why are they all talking about it? Maybe they’re talking about a different one? I don’t know any other sabbaths out there though…

As she was deep in her thoughts, the last vestiges of the sun disappeared.

The street immediately turned pitch black, forcing them to stop in their tracks.

Until something terribly bright lit up behind them.

They turned around, covering their eyes as the azure light nearly blinded them.

It came from a second sun.

A second, blue sun had now risen in the night sky.