Chapter 120: Gehrman’s Appreciation

The Radiant Lord, who had always ignored the false nun Maria, once again remained silent. It seemed he had long grown used to the audacity of Miss Maria.

Yet this time, Maria had sobered somewhat.

After returning to Torrent City, she decided she would visit the Radiant Church sometime soon. In the past, she had never done so out of sincerity, but today she had truly invoked the name of the Lord. To avoid getting struck by lightning out of nowhere one day, Maria thought it best to speak with the Radiant Lord directly.

The incident with the Lord of Cinder was too severe—so severe that it left Maria trembling.

Their journey home was uneventful. The Military Intelligence Department did not trouble them in any way. That was likely due to the divine patrons behind them, but it also suggested that the other gods had begun to send signals to the secular authorities.

Yet what truly sent chills down Maria’s spine was Archbishop Mark.

That frail old man nearing the end of his life—was he truly a devout believer of the Sun Faith? Just how much did he know? Half of it? Or everything? If he did know, then what exactly was his goal?

Maria had far too many doubts waiting to be answered.

………………

During the journey back, an invisible rift had formed between Maria, Liline, and Arthur.

The cheerful girl with the generous chest tried several times to chat with Maria, but each time she was politely turned down by the disinterested nun. As for Arthur, his gaze would occasionally linger on Lady Liline, but aside from that, he played the role of a silent, forgotten presence at the edge of their little group.

Was it anger from being deceived?

No. Maria felt none of that unnecessary emotion. She simply realized she was not suited for dealing with clergy. Those who served anthropomorphic gods—just how much of themselves did they still keep? When she thought about it, the answer was disheartening.

This Fractured world truly made it hard to breathe.

As the name implied, it had never been a healthy, whole world. Beneath its surface peace lay countless irreconcilable contradictions. And the players were like a weak yet overwhelming force, dragging this broken world little by little out of the mire of despair.

Maria suddenly found herself missing those silly, bold, futuristic players—the ones who could effortlessly blur the line between NPCs and themselves.

Time, like an elven arrow, flies before you even realize it has left the bowstring.

In that strange, detached atmosphere, the three of them returned quietly to Torrent City without drawing any attention. No one would have guessed that this abnormal trio had just defeated a Lord of Cinder corrupted by Chaos.

“Come have afternoon tea with me again sometime, okay~~”

The clueless, large-breasted girl clung wistfully to the sleeve of the black-robed nun. As she pouted and swayed, her ample chest made lewd, suggestive sounds that drew curious stares and exuded an effortless feminine allure.

“I will.”

Maria sighed quietly, defeated by Lady Liline’s clinginess. This woman, who appeared mature and graceful, probably had the mental age of her sister Felia. If not for her well-developed figure, Maria might have mistaken her for a little sister instead.

Satisfied with the answer, Liline gave a silly, blissful smile before happily skipping off with Arthur.

‘Ha, and they still say there’s nothing between them.’

A priest of the God of Justice and a follower of the Lady of the Lake—it was a pairing that made no sense on paper. But love was always strange like that. Try to reason with love, and, as Maria with her long history of online deceptions could tell you, you’d only make a fool of yourself.

Watching the mismatched pair leave, Maria pulled up her hood and blended silently into the passing crowds until she vanished from sight.

………………

At the side gate of the Luminous Cathedral, beside its carved railings—

“This one’s not bad, hehe… graceful, noble, looks like a lady of breeding. I’d give her a sixty.” Gehrman’s tone was solemn, as if judging a knightly contest, though his eyes betrayed mischief as they trailed after every passing woman.

At his side, Felia looked utterly lifeless.

Since her sister Maria had left, Gehrman had behaved as though he’d received a divine command, coercing the poor, helpless girl into obedience. If she disobeyed, he’d spank her! Faced with the old hunter’s wicked grin, Felia could only obey to avoid the humiliation of another spanking.

Aside from enduring his crude comments, at least he hadn’t done anything worse.

“Hm, no, not that one. Built like a village matron—heavens, is that even a woman…” He turned away quickly, eyes smarting.

Blinding. Truly blinding.

“Whoa! Now that’s better—slim waist, long legs! Not as stunning as your sister, but a solid seventy!”

“Lewd foreigner,” Felia muttered.

“Pah, you little sprout, what do you know? You need to learn to appreciate beauty! A woman without taste is like a warrior without a blade.”

Gehrman spoke with mock solemnity, lecturing his cute little charge. He didn’t expect her to grow into a hundred-point beauty like his apprentice Maria, but at least an eighty would do! They were sisters, after all—how could one be radiant and the other utterly lacking in charm?

“When my sister comes back, she’s going to kill you.” Felia rolled her eyes so hard it hurt. This shameless scoundrel called their “training” meditation, but in truth, it was just people-watching. If she weren’t powerless to resist, she’d have already kicked him in the knees.

“Your sister? Hah! She’s my apprentice. I’m her master. Even if she were standing here, I’d still say it! What, am I supposed to deny beauty just because you’re blind to it?”

“…Forget it. I can’t be bothered arguing with you. Go ahead and be a pervert.”

“Hehe, that’s better. Watch and learn carefully.”

When this man started boasting, his mouth moved faster than any spell circle.

“Little sprout, do you know how to rate a woman’s looks? You start with the skin—smooth and fair is a plus—then the face, and then the figure. Take your sister, for example…”

He went on, completely unaware of the black-robed nun quietly approaching behind him, each step light and deliberate.