[Translator’s Note: I add days behind the past and future simulations, as they should, because the day count has beco significant now.]
Ciel didn’t know much about Nia.
From her initial impression, Ciel thought Nia was just a dutiful, serious, and loyal guard.
During that “Instigator” simulation, Ciel had a conversation with Nia that exceeded two sentences, but that contact only reinforced Ciel’s stereotype.
It was only later, when Nia showed extrely low resistance to ntal and spiritual damage like Other Side influence and instigation, that she left a deeper impression on Ciel.
Now it seed Nia’s background was indeed not simple.
Perhaps it was the experience as a “Candidate Saintess” from who knows how many years ago that caused Nia’s spirit and soul to beco extrely fragile.
If that’s the case, things make sense.
At the sa ti, Ciel was sowhat curious about the experience of being a “Candidate Saintess.”
Because she had once considered that if a crisis beca severe enough to be unsolvable, she could simply run to the Church of the Savior Goddess and beco a Saintess to resolve it.
Perhaps because it touched upon painful mories, Nia didn’t continue speaking but excused herself and left the study, destination unknown.
After Nia left, Avena slowly spoke, revealing what she knew about Nia’s current situation.
“Parts of Nia’s past mories have been temporarily ‘forgotten’ using my ability,” Avena explained Nia’s departure. “But after so many years, encountering the aura of the Other Side or discussing related matters still gradually brings back her past pain.”
“What exactly happened back then?” Ciel voiced the doubts she had earlier. “What is a Candidate Saintess? And what are the duties of a Saintess?”
Avena also shook her head helplessly and said, “I’m not entirely sure either. I can’t probe mories that deep, only ‘forget’ and seal away most past recollections.”
“I only heard from family elders that the past Nia was also a genius monk in the Church of the God of Order. It’s unknown what her spirit encountered in the Other Side, causing her potion to backlash, nearly losing her sanity.”
“Over a decade later, her spirit gradually stabilized, but her heart no longer held any faith in the Eye of Order. She was like a walking corpse.”
“Later on, she was taken in by the Roswell family. After brief training, she beca my guard. I was practically protected by her growing up.”
Ciel listened and nodded slightly.
Church of the God of Order... Eye of Order...
It sounded like the Roswell family had very deep ties with the Church of the God of Order.
No wonder Avena could skillfully use the Eye of Order Contract and even knew counterasures against it.
Adele, who had been listening quietly, also asked with concern, “Is there any way to treat her condition?”
It was clear Adele really wanted to cure her.
But if she could be cured, it wouldn’t have dragged on until now. Presumably, both the Church of the God of Order and the Roswell family were helpless.
“Eroded by the potion to this extent, she can no longer recover, and has lost the possibility of consuming the next tier potion.” Avena shook her head.
“Maintaining her sanity and living until now is already a miracle.”
Being sent to contact the Other Side, touch items within, or simply bring them back...
Ciel thought about the churches’ main objective—using the Saintess as a bridge to communicate with their church’s god or divine servant from the Other Side...
Although Ciel had never truly been to the Other Side, she had obtained several mory fragnts related to it through deep simulations of herself.
Just watching a few fragnts nearly overwheld Ciel’s spirit. It was only later, after “Radiance Bishop” Hugh arrived, that he helped stabilize her spirit.
If even she was like this, it was hard to imagine how those Saintesses or Candidate Saintesses contacted the Other Side...
Could they really be using people as consumables?
Why didn’t those high-ranking individuals explore the Other Side themselves?
Was it because they couldn’t? Or because they feared death?
What thod did they use to open the Other Side?
More questions flooded Ciel’s mind, but she quickly pushed them aside.
Because for Ciel, these were questions without definite answers. Even if she managed to piece together a “result,” it would only be a “possibility.”
Now, she was more accustod to exploring the “truth” within her simulations.
The only certainty at this point was that becoming a Saintess didn’t seem like a good idea.
“So cruel, those chur...” Adele pouted, but suddenly rembered her own sister was also part of a church, and shut her mouth gloomily.
“If the matter is true, from our perspective, it might seem very cruel,” Avena said calmly. “But for the believers of those churches, being chosen is actually an honor.”
“Avena, there’s sothing I’m curious about.” Ciel looked at the slightly downcast Avena and asked, “What exactly is the relationship between the Roswell family and the Church of the God of Order?”
This question didn’t seem worth hiding for Avena. She directly said, “It’s a cooperative relationship like the Church of the Savior Goddess and the Redemption Society—though the connection is much closer.”
“Currently, almost half the family mbers are believers of the God of Order. Of the remaining non-believers, most hold important positions in various local governnts or serve as council mbers in the Ansu Upper House, representing the interests of the Church of the God of Order.”
“Caught between the governnt and the church, I suppose.”
Although Avena didn’t explicitly express dissatisfaction, her description of the relationship between the church and the family suggested she wasn’t fond of the current situation.
Just hearing about this relationship made it clear that if any conflict arose between the governnt and the church, the Roswell family would be the first to be purged.
After so brief further conversation, all three expressed opposition to Amy joining any church. However, the issue of Amy’s future remained unresolved for the ti being.
Amy had done nothing wrong, but possessing a “treasure” was itself a sin, sothing destined from birth that no one could change.
However, this conversation gave both Avena and Adele a sense of crisis, stemming from their own lack of strength.
Avena and Adele agreed to go to the hospital tomorrow to digest potions. Ciel, however, requested a day off for tomorrow.
With the matter finally concluded, Ciel finally gained “freedom” to arrange her vacation plans and prepare for attending school in Ansu.
The first priority, naturally, was to find a new house in the Gem District with her sister. She couldn’t keep imposing on Avena.
Besides, her sister had been living alone for several days. She had no friends in the Gem District. Without Ciel around, she wouldn’t even have anyone to talk to, and might struggle even with cooking.
Hearing Ciel wanted to rent a house, Adele beca enthusiastic, saying she could help ask her landlord.
Although Avena also offered to rent one of her properties to Ciel, Ciel declined.
Because Avena’s properties were mostly shops. Even the residential ones, despite Avena’s discount, were far beyond Ciel and Lichie’s financial ans.
Currently, Ciel had almost no cash left, only a large bag of potions.
She needed to find an opportunity to digest one or two bottles in a simulation, then have Avena sell the potions for her in reality.
A lower price didn’t matter; it was best to sell them quickly so Ciel could obtain so disposable funds.
As for the potions the divine servant gave Amy, they were currently in Ciel’s sowhat faded canvas bag. Ciel didn’t intend for Amy to use these potions.
The materials and formula within the potions were unclear regarding their correctness. Moreover, the materials used were definitely the flesh and blood of transcendents, inherently containing large amounts of negative spiritual emotions.
Even if Amy was talented enough to resist these reasonably well, why drink these when better potions were available?
After Ciel voiced her idea of letting Amy choose a different potion, Avena and Adele unanimously agreed. They decided that after having dinner with Amy tonight, they would help her tailor-find a suitable potion.
There was still so ti before dinner. The estate’s butler had returned to Avena’s manor. She needed to give the butler so instructions and arrange for manor repairs.
Adele, anwhile, prepared to return to her rented house, hire so people to move her equipnt to Avena’s clinic. After getting a spare key to Avena’s clinic, she took her leave.
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