Chapter 61: Kindred

She was somewhat incoherent. Su Mian patted her back.

"Wuwuwu, I was scared out of my wits. I... can I sleep in your room for the night."

"Of course."

Su Mian rubbed her fingers and suddenly looked at her. "Where did you see it just now? I'll go take a look."

"Don't... don't, Yifening."

Adele shook her head in disapproval, her body still trembling slightly, but the girl in front of her had made up her mind. She took out a handkerchief and placed it in her palm.

"Don't worry, it's too late. You go to sleep first."

"Goodnight, Adele."

Finally, Adele wiped her tears and nodded slowly, somewhat admiring Su Mian's courage. "Alright, goodnight, Yifening."

––

The corridor was pitch black. Su Mian didn't see what Adele said, but discovered something else.

Both sides of the wall were hung with gold-framed oil paintings. Most of the paintings were naked infants with wings and young women with gentle faces.

Only one painting was different. In the center of the picture lay a harp alone, with nothing else painted on the side.

Su Mian held the oil lamp and observed carefully, but didn't see anything tricky. She leaned close and knocked on it, instantly widening her eyes.

It was empty inside, indicating there was a secret door.

Su Mian immediately touched the oil painting and fiddled with the frame, but nothing happened. It was too late, so she had to give up.

Early the next morning, Su Mian was awakened by the morning prayer bell.

She sat up in a daze, changed into her nun's habit, and followed the nuns to the prayer hall.

The air was cold, and the mist condensed into water mist sliding down from the rose window, startling a few gray pigeons resting in the grooves of the flying buttresses.

Several monks wearing top hats stood in the choir seats at the east end, and the eternal lamp lit up, dyeing the entire altar solemn and solemn.

An elderly black-robed figure stood at the stone bell tower. Su Mian looked sideways, and he noticed her gaze, smiling and nodding at her.

【Philip】

【High Player, Identity: Monastery Dean, Cecily's teacher, member of the Noble Council, upright and noble, stands up for the commoner class, is a thorn in the side of many powerful people.】

The two looked at each other to confirm the other's player identity, and then entered the cathedral together.

The priest stood in front of the prayer platform, holding the Bible, his momentum solemn.

Su Mian found her position. Her skirt brushed against the wooden chair, and she noticed a gaze watching her.

On the other side of the cathedral stood a group of soldiers, their helmets tucked in the crooks of their arms, their gazes staring straight ahead. Su Mian saw Charlie, and Charlie was also looking at her.

He looked a bit tired, smiled at her reluctantly, and turned his head away again.

Why would soldiers appear in the cathedral for morning prayer?

"It's the City Defense Army."

Philip appeared out of nowhere and spoke slowly beside Su Mian. "Starting next Sunday, we are going to set off."

"Coming to pray to the Bishop for protection."

Su Mian looked at those armors.

One of the soldiers raised his head, and his gaze met hers in mid-air.

He was very young, perhaps even younger than Su Mian, about seventeen or eighteen years old, and his chin already had some stubble.

But he quickly lowered his eyes again, his fingers rubbing the sword hilt.

Anxious and uneasy.

Although Su Mian hadn't experienced war, if they fought with this state of mind, it would be hard to have a chance of winning.

The syllables of ancient Latin swirled under the dome, and the nuns' harmony was soft as usual, like a flock of pigeons sweeping across the colored windows.

And on the other side, the soldiers joined in clumsily, whispering.

They weren't familiar with these words; some stopped halfway, and some just moved their lips.

Reciting, silence, starting the tune, reciting again.

The unison recitation was mixed with weak coughing.

Everyone heard it.

Everyone continued to recite.

As the coughing sound grew louder, Su Mian turned to look for the source of the sound and found several soldiers covering their mouths and coughing in low voices, just like what she saw in the newspaper that day.

"In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti."

Those words about salvation and eternal life sounded so distant and fragile at this moment.

The morning prayer ended. With the ringing of the bell, the first ray of sunlight penetrated through the rose window, crawling over the benches inch by inch, and finally hitting Su Mian's face.

The soldiers filed out, their armor and the long swords at their waists clanking.

She rushed up quickly to stop Charlie and spoke straightforwardly.

"I know you guys did something to the holy water turning black. I have important clues I can tell you."

She paused. "But in exchange, I want you to join forces with Duke Hill to expose the truth of the holy water turning black, so that everyone believes the plague outbreak came from a virus, not evil spirit filth."

A flash of surprise appeared in Charlie's eyes, seemingly unable to believe what Su Mian said, but he still decided to probe first.

"What clues can you provide us?"

"I know there is a secret door in the corridor connecting the cathedral to the bedroom, and the things inside are very likely related to Cecily."

"I also know how to open it, but it will take some time."

Charlie looked at her fixedly for two seconds and finally gave Su Mian a badge.

She took it and weighed it in her hand; it had some weight.

"When you open that door and take the badge to find me at the frontline camp, we will naturally help you then."

Conservative words, without giving a clear answer.

Su Mian frowned, her lips pressed tightly, and the air pressure dropped significantly.

Tsk.

Stubborn and stupid.

Freeloading on a piece of important information while sitting back and enjoying the success elsewhere—a typical tactical delay and risk transfer.

It seemed like an exchange of conditions, but the initiative was still in the hands of this group of people. A group of people's lives couldn't even be exchanged for a piece of information.

For the first time, she couldn't control her temper and kicked Charlie's pants. The force wasn't great, but it was satisfying.

This kick made everyone look over directly.

Charlie was kicked into a slight sway, not because of pain, but because he was stunned for a moment by her sudden anger.

The serious expression cracked for a moment, and when he looked up and saw the beauty's angry face, his anger vanished.

"You..."

"Are you crazy?! Dare to kick our commander?"

"Presumptuous!"

Before Charlie could speak, the surrounding soldiers immediately exploded, shouting and drawing their long swords to point at Su Mian.

The moment the blades were pressed, a shadow pressed down. The soldiers widened their eyes, hurriedly putting away their long swords like quails, lowering their heads.

"Father."

No one dared to gaze at the priest's face, all lowering their heads. Naturally, they couldn't see that hand quietly gripping the girl's slender waist.

"Save some strength for the battlefield, children. Being entangled by the plague is not a good feeling."

Maybe you'll die one day.

Cain didn't say the second half of the sentence, but Su Mian heard the meaning and almost laughed out of turn.

The bad-seed aura on his body once again comforted the demon's taste buds, making the angry girl temporarily calm down.

Su Mian: "I don't know what you guys are thinking, but I hope you keep your promise."

She held the hand Cain placed on her waist in reverse, fingers intertwined, like a pair of seemingly noble but secretly malicious skin-wearing couples.

"Charlie, I don't think you want to go to the battlefield before finding the real murderer, right?"

She left a light sentence and led Cain away from the cathedral.

But it was this sentence that made Charlie's hand tremble slightly, as if it hit his inner fear directly.

Yes, he was also a modern person; where had he ever been to a battlefield... ===== CHAPTER 62 =====