"Rumble!!"
The terrifying snowstorm that had swept across the coast of the Northern Border had only just dissipated, yet its spectacular aftermath was already clearly visible within the borders of a vassal state in the Sardin Woman's Country nad "McDowell."
The previously gray sky seed to have been washed clean under the mighty power of the storm, revealing the sky-blue color behind it that resembled the background of an oil painting. At this mont, the sea surface was covered with broken ice of varying sizes, as well as the wreckage of wood and soil blown down from the shore, proving the terrifying destructive power of that storm earlier.
The McDowell fiefdom was the frontier of the Sardin Woman's Country, renowned for the frequent storm disasters along its coast. At the sa ti, this was also the port used for interactions with Schwari in ancient tis. However, upon entering the modern era, the primary interaction ports between Schwari and the Sardin Woman's Country had all been relocated to the borders of the Hammond Fiefdom, which boasted more complete facilities.
Consequently, the borders of the McDowell fiefdom were no longer bustling, leaving behind only the natural disasters that repeatedly arrived year after year and a quiet life.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Just outside Heartho Castle, the southernmost city of McDowell, near the coast, echoing bell rings transmitted over in succession. Just like an alarm clock awakening sleepers at eight or nine in the morning, it shattered the quiet atmosphere outside Heartho Castle.
Looking closely, it turned out the place where the bell rang was an extrely dilapidated church. The church as a whole was constructed from stone bricks covered in moss. The years had left exceedingly obvious marks upon that church, but even so, it had still endured under the storms of the Northern Border to this day.
It was worth noting that above that church, there was no feather insignia frequently enshrined by religious venues in the Northern Border. What appeared above that church was actually a full moon-shaped symbol, indicating that the master enshrined in this church wasn't the Frost Phoenix, but the Mother Goddess from the West Continent.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
As the bell rang three more tis, the heavy stone doors of the church slowly opened, allowing the newly clear outdoor sunlight to spill inside, illuminating the neatly tidied prayer hall and the Mother Goddess statue within. And in front of those stone doors, a dainty, beautiful figure simultaneously appeared, along with long rabbit ears swaying slightly atop that figure...
"Hum, hum, hum~"
That was a demi-human wearing a traditional black nun's habit. The classical nun's habit was very form-fitting and elegant, highly conforming to the ascetic and pious image of classical ecclesiastical personnel. But with historical changes, church personnel nowadays rarely wore such classical styles; they currently preferred improved styles integrated with modern attire.
However, the demi-human with a pair of long rabbit ears before one's eyes still wore the classical style from the past, which manifested her aura as pious and elegant. Coupled with her cute and pure face, no matter how one looked at it, she fit the identity of a "nun"... if only one could ignore that pair of rabbit ears on her head.
Because in any place in the world, there would be no demi-humans serving as clergy for the Mother Goddess. Yet for so unknown reason, a demi-human nun actually appeared here.
The pale golden long hair of that unnad demi-human nun was wrapped beneath the black headscarf of the nun's habit. Only at the positions of the rabbit ears were two holes roughly cut open to allow them to pass through this layer of headscarf. Unlike ordinary rabbit ears, one could see a half-crescent-shaped notch at the tips of her ears, as if the incomplete moon in the sky had been plucked down and temporarily placed there.
Carrying a small basket, she hopped and skipped toward the seaside. Following that muddy path outside the dilapidated church toward the seaside, the ss whipped up by the manic storm appeared shocking to the sight. She stood outside the forest that had been blown crooked, then looked down at the basket in her hands with a sowhat distressed expression.
"Mm, the wind is so strong, the wild vegetables outside have all been blown away... What should I eat today, Ilos? Ah, right, I'll go to the seaside to pick up so shells and boil them into soup."
The nun who called herself "Ilos" looked at the forest swaying and teetering unevenly before her, turned her head to look at the gradually calming ocean, and decided to go there to try her luck and see if she could find sothing to eat.
The rabbit ears on her head swayed. With rather brisk footsteps, she arrived at the beach she had already seen countless tis.
The beaches in the Northern Border were quite white, but overall very hard. The cold caused the seawater soaking the sand to freeze, solidifying the beach into a massive, integrated piece of white hard sea salt.
On the usually flat beach, aside from the traces left by the rapid winds, there were now many additional wooden fragnts. These fragnts varied in size, looking like the remains of a certain ship after falling apart.
But Ilos didn't mind. There were simply too many things blown over from the sea. Last month, a giant stranded Whale-kin was blown here... if it hadn't swum back into the sea after the high tide, Ilos wouldn't have needed to co out and find food today... She had never tasted what whale at was like.
Occasionally, so drift bottles would also float over here. The paper inside had many texts Ilos didn't understand. Not knowing whether it was guidance passed down by the Mother Goddess, she took all those bottles back to the church. If Sister Charut was still around, she could have asked her...
In short, Ilos didn't pay any extra attention to these wooden remains drifting onto the shore. These things couldn't be eaten, and she had already chopped enough firewood needed for this winter, so she no longer needed this wood... Wait, what is this?
Just as Ilos was squatting on the beach checking if there was at inside the shells she held, she suddenly caught a glimpse from the corner of her eye of the silhouette of a book lying amidst several wooden scraps.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft!"
Along with the undulating sea waves, the sound of water flowing like a fountain simultaneously transmitted from over there.
The rabbit ears on Ilos's head gently swayed. Imdiately after, hugging the wooden basket in her hands, she cautiously walked toward the direction of that book. This look truly gave her a fright.
On the cover of that book, an eye and a mouth had actually grown eerily. At this mont, that single eye was slightly closed, while the mouth continuously spewed out wisps of turbid seawater. And perhaps it wasn't an illusion, but golden light seed to flicker within that seawater. Looking closely, characters flickering with golden light were actually floating in that seawater.
"Such an ugly book..."
"..."
She lowered her head and murmured. Only after hesitating for quite a few seconds did she slowly reach out and pick up that sand-covered book from the ground. She didn't know what kind of item this was, and seemingly knew nothing about the concept of relics either, only roughly knowing that this thing was extrely extraordinary.
As if she had found a treasure, Ilos tossed the book in her hands into the wooden basket holding quite a few shells. Then she lowered her head to look at the beach around her, preparing to see if there were any other interesting things like this book; she wanted to bring them back into the church.
Life in the church was too boring. During the ti she was all alone, even studying and reading the Scripture of Creation many tis over couldn't alleviate that loneliness.
Ilos buried her head and began searching for treasures on the beach. She even tossed the original matter of digging for shell at to the back of her mind, because she found another oddly styled wooden walking stick. She hadn't seen anyone use this thing before; using it to hang clothes dry didn't seem too appropriate either.
Whatever, I'll just put it away first...
Next, Ilos found another black hat and a piece of white clothing, though it seed far too large for a girl of her stature. Imdiately after, she found a person...
Hm?
A person?
The rabbit ears atop Ilos's head swayed. Blankly, she lowered her head to look at the man quietly lying amidst a large pile of wooden wreckage beneath her.
He was bare-chested, and his robust body was stained with quite a bit of sand. He seed to have washed ashore, and for so reason, he wasn't wearing clothes...
Ilos raised her right hand holding a piece of white shirt and pondered for a second or two. Only then did she realize sothing after the fact, her face turning rosy as she seed sowhat embarrassed.
Could it be, all the things she picked up just now belonged to the man before her?
Shafully, she squatted beside the man lying prostrate on the sand, glancing sowhat reluctantly at the things she had collected on her person.
"May the Mother Goddess bless , greed is the original sin. I will now return everything of this man's to him..."
As she lowered her head to pray, she struggled to place the shirt in her hands onto the man's body. But after pausing for a second, she suddenly thought of sothing again.
"Right, the Mother Goddess says, 'People co clean, and go clean.' Is he still alive? If he's already dead... no, ascended to the Kingdom of Heaven, then I won't need to return it to him!"
A gleam of quick-wittedness flashed in Ilos's eyes. After clapping her hands, she hurriedly snatched back the white shirt draped on the man. Then she turned the man lying prostrate on the beach over, revealing his original appearance.
It turned out to be an extrely handso human man. Not even a quiet slumber and his face being stained with quite a bit of sand could conceal his outstanding looks. His black hair adhered near the corners of his mouth, tempting one to irresistibly reach out and touch it to detach that speck of blackness from his lips.
Ilos's long ears flicked. Her gaze fluttered swiftly over the other party's robust body and handso countenance, then imdiately shook her head and prayed,
"May the Mother Goddess bear witness to the purity and flawlessness of my will... Apologies, sir, I must commit a discourtesy!"
Pursing her lips, she gently reached her hand out and placed it under the man's nose. As her finger went forward, her head retreated in the opposite direction, as if only in this way could she maintain a safe distance. Only after feeling a slight bit of scalding airflow did she heave a sigh of relief and quickly retract her hand.
It seems he's still alive...
Ilos sat down on the sand, looking distressedly at the unconscious man lying on the ground.
The wind of the Northern Border suddenly picked up, blowing from the direction of the snowy mountains, causing her nun's habit to shudder wildly. The church's bell rang once more, shattering the tranquility of this place again, as if this ancient church, which hadn't enjoyed fresh air for a long ti, was radiating vitality once more.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
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