Chapter 9: A Safe Haven
Chapter 9: A Safe Haven
The next day, Lin Sai awoke once more, still coughing. The red disease symbol on his status panel remained.
The simple room he woke up in was slightly different from the day before. On the dark wooden table, a candlestick with grease-coated candles stood, facing a wooden chair tucked under the table. The dust on the cabinet had been wiped clean, and there was a piece of hard bread, a bowl of water, and several bright red winterberries placed on top.
Lin Sai felt a sudden weight on his body, as if something was pressing down on him. He glanced down and noticed a blanket, not new but warm, covering his body.
The elderly woman had added another blanket while he slept, to combat the illness that plagued Lin Sai.
Lin Sai emerged from the blanket, dazed for a moment, before his stomach began to grumble.
During this, he also noticed a fire pit at the foot of the bed.
After sleeping the entire day without food, Lin Sai quickly got up and took the hard bread and clear water from the cabinet.
Crunch!
He bit into the bread, but it was too hard.
Snap!
Still, he couldn't bite into it.
"..."
"So, this water is for soaking the bread!" Lin Sai realized, and by soaking the bread in water, he finally managed to eat his first bite of staple food.
This tough bread was very filling, and its effect was doubled after soaking it in water.
After eating for a while, Lin Sai's hunger subsided.
His gaze then naturally fell on the bright red winterberries. These were the berries of a bush, resembling miniature apples, and could be used as medicine.
Curious, Lin Sai took a bite.
"Ugh—so sour!"
The tartness filled his mouth, and his face contorted in disgust.
Amidst the herbal taste, he began to organize his thoughts.
He had been lying here for an entire day.
The elderly woman had listened to his story, and if she had any ill intentions, he wouldn't be enjoying this hard-earned bread.
First Alvera, and now this elderly woman.
Lin Sai thought to himself.
If there was a luck attribute on his status panel, his luck would be considered good.
Time passed.
As he ate, Lin Sai gradually regained some stamina.
The elderly woman had prepared a set of clothes for him at the foot of the bed. As for Lin Sai's original clothing...
It had been charred black in the Anville Village fire and further torn during their escape in the snow. It was likely to be considered a rag.
But this was the clothing his mother had given him.
Without the protection of this garment, Lin Sai might have frozen to death in the snow.
Lin Sai carefully folded the blackened rag and changed into the clothes prepared by the elderly woman. He then opened the door and stepped outside.
"Ah—"
The winter sun immediately shone its rays upon Lin Sai.
Even in the cold air, the warmth was comforting, as if the entire world had been illuminated.
The heavy snowfall from the previous day had stopped.
The snow in the chapel's courtyard had been swept by the elderly woman into a pile next to the bare garden.
Lin Sai looked around the courtyard.
It was a small, twenty-something square meter courtyard surrounded by several low houses, with a chapel connected to it.
This was all that lay before Lin Sai—simple and modest.
At the same time, sounds came from the direction of the chapel.
Lin Sai didn't see the elderly woman, so he naturally walked towards the chapel.
Inside, the elderly woman was standing.
Before her, a simply dressed man spoke with the elderly woman, frequently avoiding eye contact. This wasn't a sign of nervousness or impatience but rather respect and tension.
The elderly woman was held in high regard by the townspeople.
Witnessing this, Lin Sai didn't dare disturb them and waited at the door.
She thought back to the cemetery she had seen outside the other day.
The small white church was connected to the site, and a simple wooden coffin was placed in front of her eyes. This church was obviously in charge of death-related matters, and the elderly nun was the one responsible for it all.
This might be the reason why she was held in such awe.
Lin Sai analyzed the situation.
Before long, the conversation between the elderly nun and the plain-clothed man came to an end.
The yellow wooden coffin was placed in the center of the chapel, and the three of them left the church, returning to the town.
The elderly nun circled the coffin, muttering prayers.
After completing this ritual, she knocked seven times around the coffin with her right hand, pressed her palms together, and bowed in reverence.
She stood quietly for a while.
Then, she walked down the corridor towards the backyard, where she saw Lin Sai waiting for her.
"Child, you're still running a fever."
The elderly nun's tone was calm, devoid of pity or blame, as serene as flowing water.
Lin Sai replied earnestly, "Granny, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
The elderly nun didn't refuse but led Lin Sai away from the chapel.
"We mustn't disturb the deceased's wait. Let's return to the house first."
The two returned to the room where Lin Sai had been resting.
The elderly nun asked Lin Sai to sit on the bed while she sat on the newly added chair.
Her cloudy, dark eyes gazed at Lin Sai.
Lin Sai understood her intention and began to express his thoughts:
"As you know, I'm being hunted by the Law Knights. This identity will bring a lot of trouble. You've saved my life, but I can't stay here with you for long."
"I only ask that you let me stay for a few days. Once my fever subsides, I'll leave."
The silent old nun suddenly spoke up:
"Child, this world and the world where the Capital of Law resides are far apart."
"I also want to know which way leads to Anville Village... Ah?" Lin Sai was about to describe his desire to return home, but the old woman's reminder was like a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. "This world?"
"Wait, this world... What do you mean by this world?"
The sudden introduction of this term left Lin Sai feeling flustered.
What was the final outcome of his hometown? Were his parents alive or dead? Had Alvera defeated the Law Knights?
These were questions that Lin Sai couldn't avoid thinking about.
But what did the elderly nun in front of him mean by her words?
He was currently in the realm of the Capital of Law, and they weren't even in the same world! If Lin Sai's understanding was correct, this joke was a bit too exaggerated.
If Lin Sai's comprehension wasn't in question, then this joke was a bit too much.
Lin Sai wiped the sweat from his forehead, whether it was from nervousness or the cold, he wasn't sure.
He calmly asked a question:
"Since you know about the Capital of Law, does that mean these worlds are interconnected?"
The elderly nun continued her explanation:
"Each world's edge is connected to the nearest other world on both sides, but here is the end, so only one side connects to the path back to the center of the universe."
At this moment, Lin Sai once again remembered Alvera's words when she sent him away.
—An absolutely safe place.
Lin Sai had a bad premonition.
He suppressed his emotions and cautiously asked, "So, through this connection, should I be able to go back as well?"
The elderly nun shook her head.
"The world next to this one is Black Mountain."
"A terrifying Dragonbeast occupies Black Mountain, and with its minions, it has isolated this place from the rest of the world. No one can return."
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(End of Chapter)
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