“So Little Sisi is sick… That’s so worrying! Why aren’t you at home with her? What are you doing out here?” Sery stood with one hand on her hip and the other pointing right at Shilo’s nose, her aura aggressive.
Shilo took a few steps back, feeling somewhat bewildered.
“Why should I stay there with her? The Saint—my sister has hands and feet; she can take care of herself. I have work to do, so why would I stay?”
Hearing this, Sery nearly fainted from a heart attack. She clutched her head, feeling it throb.
“You are a hopeless idiot!”
“Get out! Get out of my shop!”
Rebuffed and disgraced, Shilo was driven out of the clothing store in a sorry state. He stood at the entrance, at a complete loss. He didn’t think he had done anything wrong, nor did he understand why this stupid woman had suddenly lost her temper.
‘She’s truly sick,’ Shilo muttered under his breath.
He had just turned to leave when he heard the door open behind him. He thought the stupid woman had found her conscience and was going to ask him to stay, but when he turned around, he took a direct hit.
A book slammed squarely into his face. A stinging pain spread across his features. He clutched his face in agony, and just as he was about to snapped at her, he was cut off by an even louder voice.
“Idiot! Those things by the door are my get-well gifts for Little Sisi. Take them back and stay by her side! Also, you must read that book one hundred times! Use its contents to thoroughly wash that brain of yours—even a pig would find it repulsive!”
With a loud *bang*, she slammed the door shut, giving Shilo no chance to argue.
“Crazy…” Rubbing his numb bridge of his nose, Shilo grumbled as he picked up the so-called “get-well gifts.”
It seemed to be a large quantity of pastries. It looked like he could save some money on snacks now. This silver lining dissipated much of his gloom.
As for that book…
Shilo looked at the cover.
*Moonlight Kisses the Thorny Crown*
He flipped through it casually. It seemed to be a story about a girl and a prince. Feeling it was uninteresting, he stuffed it into his pocket and couldn’t be bothered with it anymore.
He turned and left the street, heading toward the church. He still needed to find that old bastard, Marcus.
The Holy Church was not far from where he was, and he soon reached the entrance.
As soon as the nuns at the gate saw him, they stopped laughing and chatting with their friends. They immediately stayed as far away from him as possible, as if they had seen the god of plague himself.
Shilo didn’t feel much about this; he had long since grown used to it. Moreover, being teased by the Saintess lately and then being mysteriously beaten by that stupid woman, Sery, had given him a subtle sense of fear toward women.
He felt like he was surrounded by strange people, so the reaction of these young nuns actually felt quite normal. It made him unconsciously straighten his back.
The Holy Church in Isol City occupied a significant amount of land. It was said that before the “isolation of the country,” it was considered quite large compared to churches in cities of similar size.
The buildings inside were mainly divided into four sections: the Cathedral, responsible for receiving residents, leading daily prayers, and managing ordinary clergy; the Main Hall, responsible for managing priests and knights; the dormitory buildings; and the training ground located behind the Main Hall.
Each of these four areas had its own person in charge, but the overall supreme authority belonged to the man responsible for the Main Hall—Prelate Emil.
In Shilo’s memory, this guy was a difficult person to deal with, and he always felt the man had something wrong with his head.
If it weren’t necessary, he truly didn’t want to interact with him, but unfortunately…
“Yo, isn’t this my dear Knight Shilo? It’s been a long time. I heard you just went through a great battle. It’s truly a pity I wasn’t there to witness your bravery.”
A white-haired young man who looked to be only about twenty years old walked toward Shilo. He wore a white priestly robe covered by a deep purple and gold-trimmed chasuble, and his movements were performed with extremely exaggerated etiquette.
Shilo’s brow furrowed slightly. He was clearly displeased by the man’s arrival.
“Prelate Emil, that matter is over. If there is nothing else, could you please move out of the way?”
As he spoke, he tried to move around Emil, but the man grabbed him.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, Knight Shilo. I naturally have business with you,” Emil said with a smile.
Even though the man’s attitude seemed somewhat kind, being stared at by those eyes made Shilo feel as if he were being watched by a venomous snake. It made his skin crawl with discomfort.
“If there’s something, could you please just say it? As you know, I am not a patient man.”
Emil chuckled twice, a flash of malice flitting through the depths of his eyes. He didn’t let go; instead, he tightened his grip.
The pain radiating from his arm caused Shilo’s brow to knit even tighter, and his expression gradually darkened.
But in the next moment, the hands let go. Emil stepped aside, wearing a standard smile as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t be so nervous. I just want to trouble you with a small matter and discuss the details regarding that Golem from before. It might take some time, so why not come to my place for a drink? We can talk slowly.”
Shilo flexed his aching arm. He knew perfectly well that this guy had no good intentions, so he didn’t bother putting on a friendly face. He was about to refuse when he heard the other man continue.
“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Recently, a young lady named Sery has been coming every day to report that a drunkard has been knocking on her door at night. She wants us to strengthen the city’s nighttime security.”
“Sigh… It’s truly difficult…” Emil spread his hands, looking somewhat helpless. “These little girls trouble us with such trivial matters. Don’t they know the Church is very busy?”
“Besides, we have clergy patrolling every night… Isn’t she essentially saying our work is inadequate? Knight Shilo, do you have any good ideas on how to handle this?”
He watched Shilo, appearing genuinely troubled by the matter and seeking advice.
However, from the moment the name “Sery” left the man’s mouth, Shilo’s expression turned terrifyingly grim. An irrepressible rage spread through his eyes, and his clenched fists began to crackle.
“Emil, I’m warning you. If you dare touch her, tomorrow I will hang your head at the church entrance. You are more than welcome to try.”
Emil took a step back, his eyes widening into circles. He gasped, his expression one of deliberate, exaggerated horror.
“Knight Shilo, what are you saying? That is a crime! As a knight, you cannot do such a thing. If I have offended you in some way, I can apologize.”
“Besides, aren’t we discussing how to handle this annoying matter? Is this the solution you’ve come up with?”
Glaring at the unconcealed mockery in Emil’s eyes, Shilo several times felt the urge to strike, but he forced the impulse down. Slowly, his breathing steadied, and his entire being returned to its usual indifferent and calm state.
“Prelate Emil, I think you are right. We indeed need to discuss how to handle this matter. Please, lead the way.”
Emil smiled. He flicked his sleeves, placed his hands behind his back, and said in a somewhat triumphant tone, “See? I knew we had plenty to talk about.”
Having said that, he stepped past Shilo and walked through the doors of the Main Hall.
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