The Church

Of course, Lu Yuan needed to eat first.

Early morning in Gelimu Port was already bustling with people.

Many laborers in grey shirts were already out on the streets, chatting with friends while gnawing on bread that was so brown it was nearly black.

Lu Yuan emerged from Mrs. Green's bakery.

He now held two loaves of freshly baked bread and a small bottle of milk.

"To the church," Lu Yuan said, hailing a light blue rickshaw.

The driver was a dark-skinned young man crouching by the roadside, eating black bread.

His eyes lit up the moment he heard the word "church".

He swallowed his bread in a few bites and wiped his mouth.

"Sir, that's the central district. It's a long way, so it'll be fifteen copper shields."

Lu Yuan didn't haggle and boarded the vehicle.

The rickshaw passed through the crowded, noisy slums, and the smell of fish and mold lingering in the air gradually faded.

As the uneven bluestone roads turned into tidy black avenues, the surrounding scenery underwent a world-shaking transformation.

The low shacks disappeared, replaced by detached villas with private gardens.

Neatly trimmed plane trees lined both sides of the street, and even the sunlight seemed to become brighter.

"Sir, you can only go on foot from here," the driver said, stopping at a crossroad and pointing ahead.

"Church regulations state that to show piety, everyone must walk the final mile."

"But it's very close. If you walk straight along this road, you'll see the church," the driver pointed toward the middle path of the three ahead.

Lu Yuan nodded, paid the fare, and stepped onto the wide white avenue made of marble pieces alone.

At the end of the avenue, a magnificent Gothic spire pierced the sky.

The grey-white exterior walls reflected a holy radiance under the sun, and the massive stained-glass windows were filled with intricate religious patterns.

Yet, beneath that holiness, Lu Yuan felt a faint sense of repulsion.

'Is the Strange Dreams repelling the church? Or is it...'

With a blank expression, Lu Yuan continued forward. As he drew closer, he noticed many people were already waiting at the church entrance.

Before he could even step through the main gates, a nun in white robes emerged holding a massive horn.

"Woo—"

As the nun blew into it, a sound like the low groan of some giant beast immediately spread out.

The people who had been waiting in line in the square stopped what they were doing and lowered their heads in pious prayer.

Only Lu Yuan felt a sudden tightness in his chest, followed by a surge of nausea.

'Is it this obvious?' Lu Yuan's expression changed slightly as he forced down the physical discomfort and approached a man in the queue.

"Friend, do you know what they are doing?" Lu Yuan asked the man nearby.

"Hmm? You don't know?" The man looked at Lu Yuan with some surprise.

But when he looked up and saw the man with black hair and black eyes, he seemed to understand something.

"Are you new to Gelimu Port, brother? Then it's normal that you wouldn't know," the man continued.

"The church stationed in Gelimu Port belongs to those who worship the Angel. They do this every time they open the doors in the morning."

The man pointed at the large horn in the nun's hand.

"It's a type of daily prayer. You can just line up and enter normally afterward. But brother, you don't look like a local. Are you here for medical treatment too?"

The man looked at Lu Yuan and asked in return.

"I arrived recently. I'm planning to buy some holy water and medicinal herbs." Lu Yuan frowned as he looked at the growing queue.

"Then go that way. That's the place specifically for selling medicine and holy water."

The man pointed out a path for Lu Yuan while he remained at the back of the line.

"I'm here for a consultation and to pick up this month's holy water."

Lu Yuan thanked him and walked in the direction the man had pointed.

After walking a short distance along the left side, he indeed saw a small door that was already open.

Entering the room, he saw a wooden counter.

A nun in white robes sat behind it, looking down as she flipped through a book of scripture. Her lips moved slightly as if she were praying.

Hearing footsteps, the nun finally looked up, her gaze holding a hint of confusion.

"Lost lamb, what do you require?"

"I need some medicinal herbs and holy water." Lu Yuan spoke as he produced a piece of paper. "These are the types and quantities of herbs I need."

The nun stepped forward, took the paper, and glanced at it before looking up. "These herbs aren't common. Are you a doctor?"

"Yes. I'm a friend of Laisen's, here to take over for him for a while," Lu Yuan said, using his prepared excuse.

"Doctor Laisen?" The nun's smile froze for a split second, and her gaze became somewhat intriguing. "He hasn't come to confess to the Angel for a very long time. I hope... all is well with him."

"You knew Laisen?" Lu Yuan felt a spark of vigilance in his heart.

If she truly was a friend of Laisen's, he would have to be extremely careful with his words. Once a flaw was revealed, his identity might be at risk of exposure.

"In a way."

The nun didn't seem to want to discuss it further and took the initiative to end the topic.

"However, since you've taken over Laisen's clinic, you are considered a doctor of Gelimu Port. According to the rules, you can purchase different grades of holy water."

"So, what grade of holy water do you need?"

"What grades are there?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Basic, intermediate, and advanced." The nun flipped through a manual on the counter and then added, "You can purchase basic holy water without limit. You can still buy three bottles of intermediate holy water this month, and you can buy one bottle of advanced holy water within a six-month period."

"And the prices?" Lu Yuan's interest was piqued immediately.

Holy water was indeed divided into different types. He just didn't know the specific differences between them.

Of course, if the price was right, Lu Yuan wanted to take one of each back to examine them.

"One silver shield, ten silver shields, and one gold shield," the nun stated the prices.

"Two bottles of basic, two bottles of intermediate. I don't need the advanced holy water for now."

Lu Yuan decisively gave up on the idea of buying advanced holy water. He simply didn't have enough imperial shields in his pocket.

Unless he gave up on buying the other herbs, but those were meant for increasing his skill levels, so he could only temporarily set aside the advanced holy water.

After a simple calculation, the nun announced the final price.

"Eighty silver shields."

Lu Yuan handed over the gold shield from his coat.

"Thank you for your generosity."

The nun took the gold shield and then led Lu Yuan into a deep corridor.

The interior of the church was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside.

Straight Roman columns were positioned regularly along the perimeter. The stained glass in between cast dreamlike colors into the corridor under the sunlight.

The Angel patterns carved into the walls wore smiles, appearing somewhat divine under the colorful light.

Lu Yuan followed the nun until they stopped at a certain room. Only then did Lu Yuan learn what holy water actually was.

"Holy water must be personally drawn from the sacred spring by the believer. Only then can it receive the Angel's blessing," the nun said softly from behind Lu Yuan.