When Kallen awoke from her unconsciousness, she found herself in a room with an exotic style. She must have been saved by someone.
Kallen sat up from the futon she was lying on and looked around. The room she was in was quite bare; apart from the futon she was currently on, there were no other decorations. Oh, right, there were also her original clothes, neatly folded beside her, along with the black box she had carried, and her own weapon, the Fairy Bow.
Yae Sakura pushed open the door and walked in, holding a tray. On it were some tools for changing dressings and clean bandages.
Thanks to Lord God's presence, the village had become much more prosperous than before. Some young people who originally had no intention of leaving the village had even departed to develop themselves in the outside world. In recent years, a few of these young people had indeed returned, bringing back knowledge and items they had learned and acquired in the outside world.
Because of Lord God's presence, Yae Village and its surroundings had always enjoyed favorable weather. Moreover, ever since the incident with the hunter, there had been no more ferocious beasts attacking people around the village. Everyone in the village could live each day to the fullest.
Over time, some people no longer needed to toil all day just to survive, so they began to study other skills. The appearance of bandages was thanks to a young man who had returned from the outside; he had become a doctor. At the same time, some other villagers had started cultivating medicinal herbs.
The lives of the villagers were getting better day by day. Simultaneously, everyone's faith in Lord God grew stronger. And precisely because of this, their respect for her and Rin, the miko who could serve by Lord God's side, also grew ever deeper.
"Beautiful lady, was it you who saved me?"
For some reason, upon seeing the sakura-haired woman before her, Kallen felt an inexplicable sense of goodwill.
"Hello."
After Yae Sakura responded calmly, she placed the tray in her hands on the floor. Looking at Kallen, who had sat up, she was somewhat surprised. The other person's recovery speed was truly fast. Clearly, she had been severely injured and on the brink of death before, with some of her bones even dislocated, yet now she could support herself to sit up. Such formidable resilience.
"Oh, you are truly such a kind and beautiful lady. It's a pity I have nothing on me right now; I'm unable to offer a reward to such a beautiful lady as yourself."
Kallen's way of speaking always had a peculiar lilt. Yae Sakura thought this must be how foreigners spoke, but why did the other party's tone always carry a sense of frivolity?
"You don't need to thank me. The reason I saved you was merely to fulfill the duties of a miko who serves a god." Yae Sakura said calmly. As Lord God's miko, she naturally couldn't do anything contrary to Lord God's ways. So, if Lord God saved people, then she, as a miko, naturally had to save people too.
"Compared to a god, that kind heart of yours willing to save others is far more important and real." Kallen said with a smile. Then, she saw the expression of the woman before her turn somewhat icy.
"Since you've awakened and have some ability to move, you should be able to change your own dressing. I won't disturb you further. Rest well. I'll bring you some food later."
Yae Sakura heard this white-haired woman actually say that her so-called heart was more important than Lord God! What slander, what blasphemous words!
If Lord God hadn't always refrained from demanding excessive reverence from everyone, never caring about these so-called empty reputations, Yae Sakura would have absolutely drawn her sword right now and cut down this person before her who blasphemed the divine.
Yae Sakura left the room with a cold expression. Kallen scratched her head, somewhat awkwardly, feeling like she had just said the wrong thing.
It seemed the place she was in had a very strong faith in gods.
Kallen sighed, then undid her clothes, changed the bandages, and put on the nun's habit—mended by who knows whom—that was beside her, before pushing open the door.
She saw in the courtyard not far away a tall sakura tree. Beneath the tree, a young man was leaning against it. The young man had short, black, choppy hair, and his features were the type that grew more attractive the more one looked at them. His appearance wasn't particularly sunny, nor effeminate, nor fragile, nor mature; it gave one the impression of a rainbow hanging in the sky—resplendent, yet illusory.
The young man seemed not to have noticed Kallen opening the door and walking out. He was still gazing at the blue sky and white clouds, his body looking completely relaxed.
"...Hello?" Kallen walked forward and greeted him with some hesitation.
Xin Yu came back to his senses. After these few years of cultivation, the magical power within his body had increased severalfold compared to before, and it had also become much more condensed. A vaguely crystalline object also seemed to have appeared within his body; perhaps that was his Golden Core.
However, that Golden Core was still very illusory, perhaps even just a shadow, but this also proved that he wasn't far from reaching the next realm.
Xin Yu turned his head to look at Kallen who had walked out, seriously observing her. She was indeed a good-looking woman, with a sunny and cheerful feeling, much like Kiana. However, compared to Kiana, she clearly possessed an added touch of maturity.
Both had blue eyes and white hair, plus their somewhat similar features and temperament; this Kallen should be an ancestor of Kiana and Mr. Siegfried.
"Hello, are you feeling alright? If there's any discomfort, please don't hide it. Tell me. Although the village's medical facilities aren't exactly top-notch, we have an abundant supply of various medicinal herbs. Some less severe illnesses can be treated." Xin Yu said with a gentle smile.
Kallen looked at that gentle smile, her expression momentarily dazed. Why does his smile look a bit like my childhood friend Otto's? When that guy talks to others, he also smiles so gently.
"Thank you for your concern, my body is fine now... By the way, this black box I carry with me, has anyone touched it?" Kallen hadn't forgotten that the thing she carried was very dangerous.
"Sakura probably touched it when she found you. Is there a problem with this box?"
Xin Yu, of course, knew what was sealed in that box. It was just a bit strange. According to the original story, the moment it was touched, it should have started to bewitch Sakura. Although Sakura hadn't experienced the tragic past like in the original history, in order to break the seal, that fellow should have tried to bewitch her regardless. Why was there no reaction at all now?
In fact, the Herrscher of Corrosion from the previous era sealed inside the Black Box was currently cowering inside, unwilling to even move.
It certainly wanted to bewitch that miko, but the other person's heart didn't have any particularly vulnerable spots, so Higokumaru hadn't found an opportunity yet and was planning to wait a bit longer before making a move. Unexpectedly, as soon as it entered this shrine, it sensed the presence of a monster.
A monster whose mere existence altered its surroundings! That monster was distorting the physical laws of this place! That monster was twisting the hearts of everyone in this place!
Too terrifying! I even have a feeling that if I so much as touch that thing, I'll definitely be swallowed by its darkness and fall into a bottomless abyss.
It's too terrifying outside; I should wait a bit longer.
I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid! Why would I go head-to-head with such a monster?