True Believers

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the dove-grey stone walls of Florence were still immersed in a cool, blue hue.

Only the grand cathedral, the highest point in the city, was coated with flowing honey by the first rays of sunlight.

Although it was different from the past, after so many reincarnations, this was the first time Loya had actively withdrawn from “Swan Lake” and cut ties with Kalandria.

It was like choosing a branch in a “new game” that he had never thought of before, which would inevitably lead to a different route.

But in terms of his personal habits, he had not changed a bit.

As usual, he pushed open the doors of the cathedral. It was still early, and there was no one at the morning mass.

The empty auditorium was as desolate as a tranquil space independent of the world, solemn and sacred.

Loya walked on the carpet, passing through the rows of benches on both sides of the aisle, and came to the lifelike statue of the Virgin Mary.

“Good morning, Mr. Loya. It is a pleasure to see you again today. May the morning light cleanse your dust, and may the goddess’s gaze moisten your steps today like dew.”

The greeting was as warm as light, and the priestess smiled gently.

Her long hair, scattered like a waterfall, was soft, bright, and black, and her eyes were as bright and dazzling as gold.

The white priest’s robe covered the girl’s curves, instead leaving room for imagination for the ascetic beauty.

The face, which was between childish innocence and maternal pity and gentleness, was enough to dispel all shadows from the heart just by looking at it.

The priestess of the Dawnlight Order, Miss Fluvia, was also in the cathedral today, waiting for the visitors who came as promised.

For a church that adhered to a creed such as “This world is a deep abyss,” Loya initially found it difficult to imagine why a dark and heavy order and a god could have such angelic believers.

“Good morning, Miss Fluvia.”

The routine greeting between the two seemed to have become an indispensable part of Loya’s daily life in his spare time.

“Mr. Loya has been coming every day these days. Don’t you need to be busy with requests today either?”

“Yeah… not really.”

Loya paused,

“No, probably never again.”

Fluvia’s eyes widened slightly, as if she was confirming whether she had heard correctly.

Never again… didn’t that mean he wasn’t going to be an adventurer anymore?

Although Loya was neither a noble nor did he have the strength and great achievements of an outstanding person, there were still many people who had heard of him as an adventurer.

Needless to say, it was naturally because of “Swan Lake.”

In a heroic team that had once subjugated dragon species, won MVP in resisting the demon tide, and was at the top tier of strength in Florence,

he was the only one who couldn’t be considered a hero.

Everyone knew this guy who was filling the numbers.

But one had to admit that many people also wanted to replace his position as a filler.

But they couldn’t get it.

And now, Loya said that he was not an adventurer.

That also meant-

“Mr. Loya, did you leave ‘Swan Lake’?”

Perhaps driven by natural curiosity, Fluvia blurted out,

“Did… something happen?”

But Loya only saw the concern and sorrow in the priestess’s eyes,

the kind of sincerity that worried about others, even if deliberately acted, could never be performed.

He shook his head, a light smile hanging on his face:

“Nothing, I just wanted to change careers, so I left ‘Swan Lake’.”

Fluvia looked at Loya’s eyes seriously, and did not find any cover-ups.

He was telling the truth, and it sounded like he had taken the initiative to withdraw.

But, how could anyone be willing to give up this rare identity?

From the perspective of a normal person, no matter how you think about it, a guy who has neither identity, connections, nor ability would gain nothing from leaving “Swan Lake.”

So what exactly did Mr. Loya encounter to make such a crazy choice?

Fluvia’s gentle voice added a bit of sympathy:

“Mr. Loya, my abilities are limited, but if you need anything, you can always tell me. I am willing to provide assistance at any time——”To those who are lost in the abyss, even if we cannot reach out our hands to pull them up, we can light the lantern in our hands and light the way forward for them…””

“Uh, I will, um… if I need it.”

Not knowing what the other party had understood, Loya responded politely, with a wry smile that even he found awkward.

This priestess was good at everything, but she was always so serious that he didn’t know how to deal with her.

In addition, every time she recited the sacred texts, they were all so-called “divine revelations.”

Getting involved with God, although Loya was no longer allergic to it as soon as he heard it, he still couldn’t help but feel a headache, and the repressed anger in his heart kept wanting to surge upwards.

Alone, he crossed over and fell into another world, trapped in a curse that endlessly repeats itself but cannot be escaped.

Guess who is to blame?

Isn’t it all because of that damn god who’s always meddling!

Using the world’s continuous cycle of destruction as a sandbox field for a game, just to see how the selected guinea pigs perform.

Loya was that guinea pig, a guinea pig that wanted to bite the god to death.

However, not only Florence, but the entire world was under the rule of the theocratic court based on divine power, and there was no way to get rid of the so-called “grace” of “God” in the religious society.

For a guinea pig who hates God, there could be no worse world than this.

Thinking of this, Loya restrained his smile and inadvertently looked up at the statue again, his eyes full of hostility:

“Sorry, Miss Fluvia, I still want to be alone while praying today, just like usual.”

“Understood, I will wait outside and give you private space. But, do you still not need to prepare a knee pad for praying today?”

“Heh, no need, thank you for your concern.”

Loya snorted a faint, almost inaudible contempt.

Knee pad? Who would kneel to such an evil god?

Believers who usually come to worship cannot withstand long periods of kneeling and praying, so the auditorium usually prepares kneeling pads.

But Fluvia had never seen Loya actively ask to borrow one.

Willing to kneel on his own knees, regardless of physical pain – this is a true believer.

Seeing Loya’s face becoming increasingly worse, yet he still insisted on coming to the church early every day to worship,

Fluvia was even more convinced of her judgment in her heart.

How pitiful…

Mr. Loya must be deeply mired in the mire of pain.

Was his heart severely struck? Or was he subjected to inhuman injustice on the outside?

It was clear that Mr. Loya’s face was often full of fatigue on weekdays…

Isn’t that when he needs someone to comfort him?

But I didn’t notice it…

As a priest who practices the doctrine of “redemption,” being unable to enlighten the person in front of her who is on the verge of collapse is simply dereliction of duty, violates the doctrine, and fails to live up to the love of God.

Turning around with deep guilt in her heart, she inadvertently blinked, and her eyelashes gently flicked away the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Looking back at the youth’s devout back in the church, Fluvia also constantly prayed silently in her heart as she left.

Ah, merciful Virgin Mary, please enlighten me and bring redemption to Mr. Loya.