The two didn’t enter the church through the main doors. Instead, they went in through a small side door.

People of their status couldn’t just use the main entrance. Only when the priest was preaching could the congregation enter through it. Otherwise, only important figures were allowed through the main doors.

Outside the side door stood an old man dressed like a villager. When he saw the two children, he nodded at them without expression. “Go on in. His Reverence the Priest is praying right now. He’ll see you in a little while.”

“Oh, okay, sir!”

Layla beamed at the old man and called back loudly.

Leticia, on the other hand, gave the old man a rather formal bow and said quietly, “Yes, Assistant Priest.”

The old man looked perfectly ordinary, but Leticia knew that in a place where the Church held such immense power, anyone doing odd jobs at the church couldn’t possibly be just an ordinary person.

Leticia had figured out the church’s basic staff and hierarchy long ago, by asking questions indirectly and “eavesdropping on information” while “lying low” in crowded areas.

It might not be complete, but it was better than knowing nothing at all.

At least now Leticia knew that, aside from the guards and watchmen recruited from Innsmouth Village, most of the church’s staff had come to Innsmouth with Priest Jemray Marshall.

They’d lived here for as long as Priest Marshall had—though they were so inconspicuous that the villagers barely knew they existed.

One priest, two assistant priests, and one hymn singer. That was the entire staff of the Innsmouth church.

Everyone knew who the priest was. The hymn singer’s sole purpose was to sing glorious hymns in praise of the chief god, so there was no way they’d come out to receive little brats like them. And since this old man knew what Priest Marshall was up to, who else could he be but an assistant priest?

As he looked at the short, timid girl in front of him, a flicker of surprise clearly crossed the old man’s eyes.

“All right, go on in. But remember, don’t run around in there. Just wait quietly for His Reverence the Priest.”

Normally, when this assistant priest saw children arrive, he would’ve said no more than “Go on in.” But Leticia’s words had clearly pleased him. He even said a little more than usual, adding a small, kindly reminder.

“Thank you, Assistant Priest.”

Leticia inwardly chuckled at how well things had gone. She bowed to the old man once more, then took Layla by the wrist. “Come on, Layla.”

“Huh? Ah, oh, um!”

Who knew what Layla meant by those few syllables?

Taking quick, short steps through the entryway, Leticia and Layla entered the church.

The church was quite dim. Afternoon sunlight couldn’t reach many parts of it, so quite a few candles were still burning.

The candlelight flickered. When the two girls came in, the flames wavered gently, making the light shift. The dim space felt a little less like a sacred, tranquil place and a little more like somewhere eerily silent.

“This is exactly why I hate layouts like this... What kind of weird idea was the designer on when they built this place...”

Muttering under her breath, in a voice only she could hear, Leticia noticed three other children besides herself and Layla. They seemed to be waiting for Priest Marshall too.

But they clearly hadn’t received the old assistant priest’s warning. Bored while they waited, they’d even started playing little games inside the church.

They respected the Lord too much to do anything truly outrageous, but they still couldn’t help making some noise. Their giggles and chatter echoed again and again through the not-so-large space.

“So Priest Marshall called five children here this time...”

She watched the three children without saying a word, turning over what might happen next in her mind.

If this whole situation were a gal game, Leticia figured that, so far, every choice she’d made—and every branch of the story she might’ve triggered—was the sort of choice that should lead to a happy ending.

Though if you added some romance into the mix, she’d probably unlock the “Breakup” achievement...

Leticia glanced at Layla, whose mouth she’d been covering, and sighed softly. Then she let go. “Layla, you heard what the Assistant Priest said, right? Remember to keep quiet, okay?”

“Mmph, mm, mm...”

After taking a deep breath, Layla looked at the three children playing over there and asked hesitantly, “Um, Leticia, can I go say hi to them? That’s okay, right?”

For some reason, after they arrived here, Layla had the vague feeling that Leticia was acting a little differently from usual.

It wasn’t a huge change in personality or anything. She just seemed more mature, more like an adult.

It made Layla feel as if she wasn’t with a friend her own age, but with someone like one of her parents...

She’d said before that Leticia seemed pretty mature, but this felt different. Layla had no idea what could’ve happened to Leticia.

It made her a little curious...

“Sure, go ahead. I never said you couldn’t go anywhere.”

If Leticia had known what Layla was thinking, she probably would’ve been surprised by how perceptive she was. But Leticia had no such ability. Hearing the hesitation in Layla’s voice, she blinked at her and said quietly, “Go if you want. Just try to keep your voice down, okay?”

“Yeah!”

Layla’s mood brightened at once. She happily answered, then pattered over to join her friends. At this rate, she’d probably forget Leticia’s reminder in no time—along with those strange thoughts she’d been having.

She really is just a kid...

Leticia shook her head helplessly. With some peace and quiet at last, she picked a small corner to stand in and looked over the church’s decorations.

The church wasn’t very large. The entire interior covered only a few dozen square meters at most. From the tightly shut main doors inward, wooden pews stood in four rows, with enough room for at least a third of the villagers.

The ceiling was high, with two enormous chandeliers hanging from it. Each held eleven small candles, three medium-sized ones, and one main candle.

It was said that these represented the highest-ranking Lord in the Church’s mythology, the three Holy Gods, and the eleven-winged angels.

One, three, and eleven—all numbers rich with meaning.

Innsmouth Village wasn’t too far from the nearest large city, so the church could get supplies replenished. The Church also had its own dedicated supply routes that brought in goods regularly. Using up candles like these was no big deal at all.

But the villagers could usually afford only the smallest candles—the ones even smaller than the smallest candles in the chandeliers, and made of inferior material. And they used them only on important occasions.

What a joke...

Naturally, Leticia kept that thought to herself. You never knew who might be listening.

Those three chandeliers provided enough light to keep the little church from being pitch-black, as if it had been abandoned by God.

But the way the light fell also created plenty of dark little corners. The place Shiyu was standing was one of them, hidden behind a tangle of shadows.

From there, she could see plenty of light—but even more darkness.

Just as her thoughts were about to drift farther away, Leticia suddenly heard a faint sound beside her.

She turned her head and saw an old woman in black gauzy clerical robes, cleaning the church’s furnishings.

Her movements were smooth and practiced, almost pleasant to watch. But Leticia was more concerned with how the old woman had come up beside her without being noticed—and when.

Leticia liked to think that, ever since crossing into this world, her senses had been quite sharp. Her mind was almost always alert, except when she was resting...

Could this old woman be a member of the Assassin Church?!

The old woman in black seemed to notice the little girl’s startled gaze. She stopped working, nodded at Leticia, then made a gesture in the air with her right hand.

It was a cross-shaped gesture, much like the sign of the cross people made over their chests in Leticia’s original world. It was more or less a greeting, like asking, “Nice weather, isn’t it?” or “What have you eaten?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you...”

Awkwardly copying the old woman’s gesture, Leticia lowered her head and said nervously, “If I’m getting in the way of your work, I’ll leave right away.”

“It’s all right, child.”

The old woman’s voice was very hoarse, as if her throat had once suffered a serious injury. “I’m just an ordinary believer in this church. Don’t worry about whether you might inconvenience anyone. This is a place within the Lord’s sight. Every one of us basks in the Lord’s warmth.”

Hey, granny, why does what you’re saying sound like it doesn’t follow at all...?

For a moment, Leticia had no idea how to respond. All she could do was keep a graceful, composed smile and give the old woman a little bow.

“This place is beautiful, isn’t it?”

But the old woman didn’t seem ready to leave. She didn’t go back to cleaning, either. Instead, she struck up a conversation with Leticia.

Beautiful?

Leticia looked at the church’s simple, solemn decorations, the painted murals on the walls, and then the altar. She nodded sincerely. “Yes, it’s beautiful, but...”

Crap. Maybe she’d said too much.

Leticia’s heart skipped a beat. When she saw the old woman look at her in confusion, she wanted to smack herself right then and there.

“But what?”

the old woman asked. “Child, speak your mind. The Lord is very forgiving toward believers.”

“Um... Granny,”

Leticia paused, then said quietly, “I haven’t read the Lord’s scripture, but I feel that a holy hall dedicated to a being as great as the Lord should be brighter and more open...”

“Ah, I see.”

A trace of amusement flickered in the cleaning woman’s eyes. “Child, I believe you when you say you haven’t read the Lord’s scripture. In the scripture, the Lord is an all-knowing, all-powerful deity who created the world. Both light and darkness are under the Lord’s rule.”

Whoa, so the gods in this world are that OP? They’ve got their hands in a lot of things!

That thought flashed through Leticia’s mind. She still looked completely innocent on the outside, listening obediently to the old woman.

“Indeed. The night was once a means the devils used to beguile people. But how could devils without souls or faith ever compare to the Lord?”

The old woman kept her voice low enough not to disturb the church’s peace. “The Lord defeated those devils and turned the dangerous darkness into a quiet, peaceful night sky. Now those filthy things can only cling to the most treacherous corruption and eke out a miserable existence.”

Oh, sounds like there’s plenty to dig into here.

This really feels like listening to an epic of Western mythology. (Which, in fact, it is!)

But just as Leticia was about to ask a few questions without overstepping, the old woman in black suddenly exclaimed, “Oh dear! I haven’t finished my work yet. Ah, that’s the trouble with getting old...”

Leticia watched the old woman leave with a perfectly calm, frozen expression. Not even knowing if she could hear, she called after her, “Goodbye, Granny...”

They’d been waiting for the priest for a while now.

At first, the children were a little reserved, but as more of their companions joined them, they gradually began to open up.

The Church was a colossal institution. Perhaps one day, it would leave an indelible mark on these children’s hearts—faith or fear. But for now, they were just children, tall or short, plump or thin, mature or not, each with a little innocence still left in them.

With a bored yawn, Leticia leaned quietly against a pillar and watched the children play.

Why did this suddenly feel like the bell had rung for class, but the teacher still hadn’t shown up on time...?

Just as she was about to yawn again, the priest arrived.