The moon was shining in the sky.
The almost full moon cast a pale silvery light, making the stars around it appear a little blurred.
Anna and her group were traveling at night.
The problem likely arose because a certain bishop from the Church of Light had suddenly received a revelation, saying that something had happened in the dark forest to the south and someone needed to uncover the truth.
Anna was one of those sent.
As a trainee priestess, she was not like those professional priests who deal with church work every day.
On the contrary, although she cannot perform very powerful “miracles,” many people are willing to invite her to take risks together.
Her beautiful appearance and kind personality are certainly part of the reasons, but the most important factor is that, in the human world, only priests have the ability to heal.
Whether it's battling monsters or exploring a lost ruin, it's unrealistic to avoid injuries throughout the process.
At this moment, if there is a priest in the team, it can alleviate many problems and even save lives.
“There seems to be some commotion ahead.”
Someone in the team issued this warning.
In most areas near cities, monsters are very rare.
Only in dangerous forested areas that have not been developed by humans are monsters found.
Upon hearing this, Anna tightened her small staff.
She was not afraid but was concerned about the possibility of making a mistake that could endanger others.
However, they did not encounter any major problems this time.
As they approached, they discovered that some gangsters were intimidating people.
The people traveling with them drove them away and left.
However, when Anna looked at them, she perceived a malignant aura.
Having been bathed in holy light for a long time and following the guidance of the light, Anna was extremely sensitive to malignant auras.
“Wait a moment!”
She stopped the man, or rather, the two men.
The skinny, graying middle-aged man was carrying a young woman on his back.
They were Andrew, who was heading to the White Horse City, and Delia, who was unconscious on his back.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
On Andrew's body, there was a cold and cursed aura that pricked Anna's skin like a needle.
“What? Is something wrong?” Andrew turned his head coldly and responded.
He was in a very bad mood now.
If it were earlier, no gangster would dare to take advantage of him.
But now he looked like a frail old man, and no one took him seriously.
If he were not afraid of causing more trouble, he would have drawn his sword and dealt with those thugs, but he couldn't afford to waste more time.
You know, in case that "monster" chases you...
Hearing the rudeness in the other person's tone, Anna quickly explained: “Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t mean any harm. I am a trainee priestess from the Church of Light. Have you been exposed to anything... unknown recently?”
Hearing what she said, Andrew’s attitude softened.
The Church of Light is the highest representative of human justice in this world.
Anyone who belongs to the Church of Light is respected and loved by people everywhere, even demon hunters of a free spirit like Andrew are no exception.
As for the unknown things I’ve encountered, I think the only one I can think of is the voodoo doll with teleportation function.
He nodded, confirming what Anna said.
“I’m not very skilled at miracles that break curses, but may I try? It might be of some use.”
“Then... thank you.”
The people around were not surprised by this scene.
Although the Church of Light is known for its kindness and justice, it is not overly zealous.
Only a few fanatics who have undergone a “brainwashing” by the doctrine will behave in such a manner.
Of course, it is undeniable that there are people in the world who are born with a character like that of the Virgin Mary.
They want to help people in distress, sometimes even at a high cost.
Anna belongs to such a group.
Before joining the Church of Light, she was just a child from a poor family.
From there, she worked hard to help the people around her.
Even though she was sometimes misunderstood by others and occasionally reprimanded as a “hypocrite,” she always laughed it off.
She shared her food with starving beggars, repaired clothes for free for others, and helped care for children whose parents were away...
There simply aren’t many similar examples.
When a nebulous halo of sanctity enveloped Andrew, Anna’s youthful face became extraordinarily holy and serious.
“Miracle” is different from “spell.”
Miracles come from the gods, while spells come from oneself.
The power of a miracle depends mainly on the degree of belief in the gods and one’s own experience.
Anna had been fortunate to join the Church of Light in the past two years, and her experience and faith were sufficient for simple healing, but when it came to exorcism and demon suppression, or even offensive miracles, she was not very skilled...
After the light dissipated, Andrew seemed to feel a slight vitality emerging from his body, but it was as subtle as an illusion caused by psychological suggestion.
No matter what, this little girl had a good heart, so he thanked her politely.
“I cannot remove this level of curse now, but the White Horse City is ahead. There are more powerful priests in the city than I am. They can definitely remove the curse from you.”
Andrew was moved by the girl’s kindness.
“You’re heading south?”
After a slight hesitation, he asked.
“Yes, did you come from the south? Is something happening there?”
Andrew wanted to tell everything he had experienced, but he swallowed the words as soon as they reached his lips.
He didn’t think that if he said something like “There are monsters to the south that can easily kill all of you,” this group of people would honestly turn back.
On the contrary, the other party might continue to ask him for more things or even drag him back to show the way.
“There may be danger in the south. If possible, it’s better if you don’t go.”
After saying this, he quickly left without waiting for Anna’s reaction.
Upon hearing what he said, Anna was momentarily shocked, not quite understanding why he said that.
Is there danger in the south?
But why didn’t he speak clearly?
“Alright, Anna, it’s time for us to leave.”
At the request of her traveling companions, Anna decided to go south with them.
After all, if there is truly danger in the south, she would be useful as a priestess...