Chương 74: Chapter 73

It took some time before they finally emerged from the forest. After a month and a half of traveling, everyone was feeling exhausted, so their next objective was simple. Find a place to rest. Earlier, before the battle had begun, Rosa had left Nina behind with one of her clones while she joined the Hero's Party and the elite knights in fighting the beast. The battle had gone surprisingly well. No one had been injured.

Throughout the entire encounter, Nina had watched everything unfold through the mirror-like shard Rosa had left behind. As she observed the battle, Nina frowned. She instinctively understood that this was no longer the original timeline. It was more than likely the rebirth timeline. Even so... Things were changing far too much. Originally, Rosa was supposed to become known as the Killer Blade much later. Likewise, Furen Boswe had originally been blinded during a banquet.

Thinking back carefully, Nina realized something. If the banquet where Lily had intervened was the same banquet where Furen was originally supposed to lose her sight... Then she had already changed the future. A notification appeared. Divergence Point +1 Current Divergence Points: 5 / 1, 000 Nina stared at the notification for a moment. The System truly wanted her to alter the original story.... Eventually, they reached a small town. Rosa looked toward Nina's carriage.

"So?"

"Do you want to come outside, or would you rather stay in here?" Before Nina could answer, Lily's voice immediately echoed through the conscious space.

"I'm going outside!"

"Finally!"

"I've been stuck in this carriage forever." She turned toward Nina.

"You can let me take over."

"I just want to walk around and enjoy the freedom for a little while." Nina gave a small nod. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Sure."

"Thanks!"

"Man... it's been a while since I've done this." As Rosa helped Nina step out of the carriage, Lily smoothly took control. Almost immediately, her appearance began to change. With nothing more than a thought, she adjusted her clothing into something more elegant. Her overall appearance remained delicate, but compared to before, there was now a noticeably fiercer impression. Someone seeing Nina and Rosa together might have even mistaken them for sisters. Naturally... That had been Lily's intention all along.

"I mean, come on," Lily thought proudly.

"If you spend two whole months traveling beside someone as beautiful as Rosa, of course you're going to end up borrowing a little inspiration." It was Lily logic. Nobody questioned Lily logic. After stepping out of the carriage, Lily looked up. Huge stone walls towered above her.

"... Wow." After paying the entrance fee and passing through the inspection gate, everyone entered the town. Rosa was about to escort Lily directly to the chief's residence, but Lily hesitated.

"I..."

"I kind of want to look around first." She had spent so long trapped inside the carriage that simply being able to walk freely felt refreshing. Rosa smiled helplessly.

"As long as you stay close." Lily happily nodded. At first, she admired everything. The unfamiliar architecture. The stone roads. The different styles of houses. The decorations hanging from windows. Even the marketplace fascinated her. It felt completely different from the places she had visited before. For several minutes, she simply wandered around, quietly taking everything in. Then... The atmosphere changed. The farther they walked from the entrance, the more Lily noticed the people. Their faces were thin.

Their clothes were worn. Many looked exhausted. Some children sat silently beside the road without speaking. Lily instinctively moved closer to Rosa. By the time she realized it, she was lightly holding Rosa's hand.

"... Yeah, no."

"This is..."

"I wasn't expecting this."

"Even the slums weren't like this." She looked at another family quietly sharing what little food they had.

"... This is just sad." Rosa glanced down at her.

"Do you want to head inside now?" Lily shook her head.

"No."

"I think..."

"I need to see this." Even as she said those words, she tightened her grip on Rosa's hand. Rosa simply sighed before leading her farther toward the center of town. As they continued walking, the atmosphere slowly improved. The buildings became sturdier. The streets became cleaner. The people looked healthier. Eventually, they arrived at the town square. While Rosa and the Hero's Party spoke with the chief about finding accommodations for the next few days, Lily quietly wandered around the chief's residence.

The building itself immediately caught her attention. Unlike the others, it was decorated with numerous carvings and old wooden beams. She slowly walked around, admiring the craftsmanship. Eventually, she leaned lightly against one of the walls while examining an unusual carving. Click. The wall shifted. Lily blinked.

"... Huh?" A hidden passage slowly opened before her. Curiosity immediately won. She stepped inside. The room beyond was surprisingly small. At its center stood a single statue. Unlike the others she had seen throughout the holy nation, this one was not carved from ordinary stone. It glowed with a faint crimson light. Lily slowly approached. There were words engraved along its base. As she finished reading them... Her expression slowly changed. Her lips pressed into a thin line....

Meanwhile, the others had finished speaking with the town chief. An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as everyone considered what to do next.

"... Where's Nina?" Rosa suddenly looked around, before sending multiple of her clones to find her. After some time.

"Nina?"

"Oh..."

"There you are." The space before her suddenly fractured like shattered glass. A second Rosa poked her head through the opening.

"I found her."

"There you are."

"Come on." She reached out her hand.

"I'll bring you back." Taking Lily's hand, the duplicate guided her through the fractured space before returning her to the chief's residence. After seeing Nina, Rosa snapped her fingers. The additional copies immediately disappeared. The town chief studied Nina carefully.

"I was expecting the Saintess."

"But if you are the one whom the Saintess has entrusted with this journey..."

"And if you truly possess the ability to glimpse the future..."

"I ask that you watch over our people." From within the conscious space, Nina remained silent. Feeling Nina's reluctance, Lily chose not to speak either. She simply gave a small nod. Soon afterward, the group was shown to their quarters, where they would remain for the next several days.