"So, goodbye everyone, take good care of yourselves."
Wrapped in a scarf, the Hero revealed a soft smile, bidding farewell to the soldiers one by one.
Although her attire is warmer than before, no longer that light and floating style that almost ignores temperature differences, her allure has only increased.
Because she seemed a bit cold, the girl's appearance was no more divine and unapproachable, but more like the warm sun in winter, making people unconsciously want to draw near.
Meeting the Hero's smile, quite a few spirited young men blushed, mustering the courage to step out of the ranks and stand before the Hero, but before they could actually step forward, they were mercilessly pulled back by the iron grip of their comrades.
"Daring to defile the Holy Maiden, you should be executed!"
Watching the soldiers horse around, the arriving Sergeant didn't emphasize military discipline, but just chuckled and shook his head, handing the neatly organized documents to the slightly flushed Hero.
"You'll be heading to the Church next, this document is for the Cruising Bishop."
At this point, the Sergeant turned slightly serious.
"Because of the current Saintess's disappearance, the divisions within the Church are becoming more and more severe. Although nothing too extreme has occurred yet, you still need to be very careful."
Hearing this, the Hero, although puzzled why the Sergeant made a point to remind her, still nodded and solemnly accepted the documents.
[Regarding the Magic Cloud Undercurrent and the Saintess's disappearance]
[Investigation by the Cruising Bishop (located at the Border-50, with Guidance of the Hero +20)]
[Information from the Masochist]
Even though it's the dead of winter, the streets of Border City are far from deserted.
Many Adventurers, undaunted by the cold, traveled in groups along the streets, busy searching for rare Magic Creatures and materials that appear only in winter.
The taverns along the streets were already bustling, with raucous laughter and singing emanating in broad daylight, and the warm breath of air flowing out from between doors and windows, dispelling the street's chill.
Although the Hero and the Princess were sitting in the carriage, she could still feel the vitality and liveliness of the city. But as the Black Feathered Land Bird pulled the carriage quickly towards the Church, she sensed a trace of unrest.
Upon entering the church, that uneasy atmosphere became even clearer.
It was not the presence of a tangible threat, nor the sign of an impending Assault, but rather a sense of being shrouded by the uncertainty of the future, an unease and hesitation in the face of a predictable deterioration, wanting to do something but feeling lost and powerless...
A somber mood filled the air, everyone seemed enveloped by this emotion; the Clerics and Nuns maintained proper smiles on their faces, but there was a forced element, their movements betrayed a suppressed impatience, rushing around as if driven by some invisible pressure.
"Everyone seems very uneasy." The Hero quietly observed while sweeping her gaze around the church.
Without the Hero's ability to roughly perceive people's emotions, the Fourteenth Princess made similar observations after a bit of scrutiny.
"It seems that news of the Saintess has almost reached here." She nodded slightly and whispered back.
Although the Hero had rarely visited the Church, the two graceful young ladies standing in the holy church seemed to attract all the light, drawing it towards themselves.
With such a compelling presence emanating from them, naturally a Nun soon came forward to greet them.
After the Hero stated their purpose, the Nun, without doubt, led them deeper into the church.
When the two were led by the Nun to the Cruising Bishop, he was —
10. Critical Success/Extreme Failure
"This is the Church library at the Border..." The Hero lifted her head, with a slightly shocked expression.
"Yes, it's indeed nice, you can tell it was meticulously designed and well-managed," the Fourteenth Princess nodded lightly, her expression calm, yet her tone also revealing a bit of recognition.
The library of the Church was quite large, with a rich variety of books, including not only the classics explaining the faith but also many ancient documents.
Near the entrance, the bookshelves were filled with many newly published books, all showing signs of frequent browsing, obviously available for Adventurers to consult.
In inland regions like the Capital, many people have the stereotypical impression of the Border as a "Savage Land" and thus think the people living there are barbaric and rude, uninterested in learning.
However, the Border Count himself is an outstanding Arcane Engineering Scholar. And even the ordinary Adventurers at the Border, if they want to survive in an environment filled with Magic Creatures, complex ecosystems, and venture beyond the realms of civilization into chaotic areas, need to master a great deal of knowledge.
Facing the ever-changing magic creatures and wilderness, the completeness of their knowledge often determines whether they can survive.
And this library of the Church is undoubtedly one of the important places providing Adventurers with the knowledge they need.
Actually, the Hero also came from a scholarly family; her grandfather, a folklore scholar, turned their country estate into something like a small library; her parents, both Mages, possessed a vast collection of precious books, and in the depths of the Viscount Mansion's study, the girl was not permitted to enter a secret room, which even housed mystical Arcane Forbidden Tomes.
Unfortunately, the Hero apparently did not inherit her elders' interest in collecting books, and her experiences visiting libraries were pitifully few.