Chapter 5

"Sorry, I didn't know it would be like this," Ryan said politely to Lumian.

Lumian chuckled and said, "Is this worth another glass of 'Green Fairy'?"

Without waiting for Ryan to answer, he changed the subject, "Stranger, what brings you to Cordu, to buy wool or leather?"

Many residents of Cordu make a living by raising sheep.

Ryan let out a silent sigh of relief and seized the opportunity, "We came to visit the parish priest of the 'Eternal Sun' church in your village, Guillaume Bene, but he's neither at home nor in the church."

"You don't need to specify which church, there's only one in Cordu," Pierre, who had drunk Ryan's free absinthe, kindly reminded him.

The other locals around the bar each drank their own drinks, none of them answered Ryan's question, as if the name represented some kind of taboo or authority that couldn't be discussed casually.

Lumian took a sip of his drink, thought for a few seconds, and said, "I can guess where the parish priest might be. Do you need me to take you there?"

"That would be a bother," Lya said without hesitation.

Ryan nodded, "After you finish this glass."

"Alright," Lumian lifted his glass and gulped down the pale green liquid.

He put down the glass and stood up, "Let's go."

"Thank you very much," Ryan called to Valentine and Lya to get up and thanked Lumian.

Lumian smiled, "No problem, you listened to my story, and I drank your drink, we're friends now, right?"

"Yes," Ryan nodded lightly.

Lumian's smile grew brighter, and he stretched out his arms as if to give them a hug.

At the same time, he said enthusiastically, "I'm glad to meet you, my cabbages."

Ryan, who was about to accept the hug, froze, "Cabbages?"

His expression was both bewildered and awkward.

Valentine and Lya felt the same way.

"This is our term of endearment for friends, everyone in Dijon knows it, it's been like this for hundreds of years," Lumian explained innocently, "Trust me, my cabbages."

Lya couldn't help but look around, making a jingling sound.

Pierre and the others nodded in succession, indicating that Lumian wasn't lying this time, but the smiles on their faces seemed to say they were glad to see the strangers uncomfortable with such an intimate term.

Lumian rubbed his chin, "Don't like it?

"I can use another one, also for friends.

"My rabbits, my chicks, my ducks, my lambs, which one do you like?"

Ryan's expression became even stiffer, and Valentine frowned.

Lya, both amused and exasperated, replied, "Cabbage is fine, at least it sounds normal."

Ryan quietly exhaled, pressed Valentine's elbow, and nodded slightly, "They all sound like precious things at home."

Without waiting for Lumian to respond, he turned to the bartender, "The bill."

"2 fergins," the bartender glanced at the glasses on the bar.

While Ryan was paying, Lya changed the subject, "Lumian is a rare name."

"At least it's better than Pierre or Guillaume," Lumian laughed, "If you shout Pierre here, at least a third of the people will respond, and if you shout Guillaume, another third will respond, and this one..."

He pointed to a lean middle-aged man drinking free drinks, "His full name is Pierre Guillaume."

Lya smiled appropriately, effectively diverting the topic of cabbages.

Before leaving the tavern, Lumian looked around.

"What's wrong?" Lya asked curiously.

Lumian replied thoughtfully, "There were more than just the three of you strangers in the tavern today, another one came earlier but left at some point."

"What did they look like?" Ryan's expression turned serious.

Lumian recalled, "A lady, very elegant, clearly from a big city, I can't describe her appearance, should I draw it for you?"

"Can you draw?" Lya, who had already understood Lumian's character, asked cautiously.

Lumian laughed, "No."

"Then let's find the parish priest first," Ryan ended the topic.

The night in Cordu village was not pitch black, but the stars in the sky provided a serene glow, and the yellowish light from the windows of some houses on the sides of the road made their walk smooth.

Soon, they arrived at the 'Eternal Sun' church, which was located next to the village square.

In the dim evening, the most magnificent building in the village seemed to blend into the night, slightly blurry.

"We've been here, no one was here," Valentine, who had been silent, frowned.

Lumian laughed, "No one at the front door doesn't mean no one is elsewhere."

As he spoke, he led Ryan and the others around the front of the church to a place near the cemetery.

There was a dark brown wooden door here.

Before Ryan could knock, Lumian reached out and fiddled with the lock.

With a creak, he opened the side door.

"Isn't this a bit impolite?" Ryan frowned.

Lya nodded with a jingle, "We came to visit the parish priest, not to confront him."

"Alright," Lumian readily accepted the correct opinion.

He closed the wooden door and knocked lightly.

"Hey, is anyone there? I'll come in if you don't answer," he spoke very softly, as if talking to himself in the night.

The church was silent for a moment.

The next second, Lumian pushed the door open again and pointed inside, "Come in."

Ryan was about to refuse, but looking at the deep darkness behind the door, he pondered for a few seconds and exchanged glances with his companions.

"Alright," he took a step forward, slowly but firmly.

Lya and Valentine followed closely behind.

At this moment, the four silver bells on Lya's boots and headscarf did not make a sound.

In the dim environment, the four of them moved forward.

Suddenly, Ryan stopped and whispered, "There seems to be some sound?"

"Yes," Lumian agreed.

As he spoke, he suddenly pushed the door to the side, revealing a confessional room. The dim starlight illuminated a simple low bed and a naked middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man was on top of a pale woman.

For a moment, everyone was stunned, including the middle-aged man and the woman beneath him.

A few seconds later, the middle-aged man turned his head and roared at Ryan and the others, "Bastards, you've disrupted the sacred church's activities!"

As the roar echoed, Lumian, who had already moved behind Ryan and the others, waved his hand and said quickly, "Looks like we found the parish priest, my cabbages, see you tomorrow!"

Halfway through his words, he turned and ran toward the side door, his voice fading into the wind.

At this moment, the same thought flashed through Lya, Ryan, and Valentine's minds.

The middle-aged man named Pierre Guillaume had said, "This kid is the biggest prankster in the village, you must stay away from him..."

...

Under the starlight, Lumian whistled.

He walked leisurely down the country road with his hands in his pockets.

"The parish priest was indeed having an affair with Mrs. Poalis.

"These strangers look like they have some status, the parish priest definitely won't dare to do anything to them. He must pay a high price to prevent the news of his affair in the church from spreading.

"Hmph, who asked him to always have designs on Orolle, I've been waiting for this opportunity for a long time..."

As he muttered to himself, Lumian returned to his house at the edge of the village.

It was a two-story semi-underground house, with the first floor serving as both a kitchen and a living room, equipped with an oven and a large stove.

"Orolle! Orolle!" Lumian called as he climbed the stairs.

No one responded.

The second floor had three rooms and a bathroom, all doors were open.

Lumian glanced into each room but didn't see his sister.

He thought for a moment, went to the end of the corridor, and climbed up to the roof via a ladder.

The orange-red roof was enveloped in the night, and a figure sat in the center, hugging her knees and quietly gazing at the starry sky.

She was an exceptionally beautiful woman with long, thick blonde hair, light blue eyes, and striking features.

At that moment, she was focused on the sky, looking at the twinkling stars, her expression serene, like a statue.

Lumian didn't speak, moved to the woman's side, and sat down.

He lifted his head slightly and looked into the distance at the forest, hearing the sound of the wind rustling through the trees.

After an unknown amount of time, the woman raised her arms and stretched lazily.

"Orolle, I don't understand what's so interesting about this view that you often come up to the roof," Lumian spoke.

"Call me sister!" Orolle hooked her finger and tapped Lumian's head.

Then she sighed, her expression turning somber, "A philosopher once said that there are only two things in this world worth fearing: the moral in one's heart and the stars above."

Lumian glanced at his sister's slightly melancholic face and deliberately laughed, "I know the answer to this question, it was said by Emperor Roselle!"

"Ha..." Orolle laughed.

She then sniffed and raised her beautiful golden eyebrows, "You've been drinking again!"

"This is called socializing," Lumian took the opportunity to talk about what had just happened, "I met three strangers..."

Orolle couldn't help but laugh, "I'm really afraid the parish priest will be scared into some illness."

The next second, her expression turned serious, "Lumian, don't provoke the parish priest anymore. He won't do anything to me, but a new one would be more trouble."

"But I can't stand him..." Lumian's words were cut off as Orolle stood up.

She looked down at her brother and smiled, "Alright, it's time to sleep, my drunk brother."

As she spoke, Orolle casually threw some silver powder.

Then she floated up like a bird, slowly descending from the roof and entering the second-floor window.

Lumian watched quietly and called out urgently, "What about me?"

"Climb down yourself!" Orolle's voice from inside the house was merciless.

Lumian pouted, the smile on his face gradually fading.

He watched the silver light points in the night quickly fade and sighed softly to himself, "I wonder when I'll have such extraordinary power..."

PS: Thank you to Renzai Wutongxia for the gold alliance support, and to sfqk, Mu Bai Jin Yu, Jialanxue, Qing Lingxusan, Vera0205, Lu Ren Orzz, Fox Tail's Pen, Empire|Qin Shang, Youzai Dawa Xiangmoyu, Gu Yichuan, Fei Hui Hei Du for the silver alliance support, and to all the friends who have supported me these days.

Also, the extra chapter for the gold alliance will be added when the book is released, in addition to the regular extra chapters.