Chapter 523

Chapter 523: The Nun’s Past

The great hall was not well-lit everywhere; some areas were quite dim. For ordinary nuns or cultivators, they might need lamps just to see the people lying on the beds.

In this particular hall, there were about 120 people divided into two rows along both sides of the hall, with a spacious aisle in the middle.

Their attire varied; some wore Eastern-style clothing, others seemed to come from Cuiwei, and still, others came from the southern islands.

It was already afternoon, and bright sunlight shone outside, while the hall felt somewhat chilly. Occasionally, a breeze would pass through, bringing a slight coolness.

Lohil felt the wind flow over her wrist and fingertips, already carrying a hint of heat.

It’s already May.

Time really flies, she thought to herself softly, then picked up a wooden board and pen and walked to one side, starting to ask questions.

“Hello, I am a nun from Aquarius Palace. How have you been these past two days? Is there anything uncomfortable?” Her voice was like the fragrance of orchids in a secluded valley, clear and pleasant.

Some of the nearby patients opened their eyes and looked at this new nun. Their expressions were filled with gratitude, admiration, prayer, and happiness.

Unlike when Lolan Hill was at the banquet, these people rarely had greedy or malicious looks.

After all, which evil person would do such a thankless task? To travel thousands of miles and then hike up the Saint Angel Cathedral on Mount Karnreil, a journey of nearly a hundred kilometers, full of ups and downs, cliffs, mountain paths, and iron chains.

Fatigue, cold, hunger, tormented these travelers, but they regarded them as tests to temper their inner strength.

By the time they reached the top of the mountain where the Saint Angel Cathedral stood, many were covered in bruises and injuries. If left untreated, they might die from various ailments soon after descending the mountain.

Therefore, Aquarius Palace would help some of the severely injured pilgrims.

Upon hearing Lolan Hill’s inquiry, this pilgrim opened his eyes and replied hoarsely, “My body hurts, but it’s better than yesterday.” He then forced a smile to reassure this silver-haired nun.

“Alright, I understand. Lie down and rest first,” Lohil said.

She observed him using her system and senses. This young man in his twenties seemed to have fallen from the mountain, rolling a considerable distance down, resulting in numerous bruises and fractures all over his body.

Fortunately, a priest had already treated him, and most of his bones were set. With proper care, his muscles should recover in time.

Seeing that there wasn’t much to worry about, the young lady nodded slightly and moved on to the next patient, continuing the process.

Among the pilgrims were those in their eighties and those under twenty, ordinary people and those with Sequence 3 abilities.

Most of them cooperated when asked by Lolan Hill, few were troublesome or difficult with the nun, after all, they were fervent believers who adhered to the benevolent teachings.

As time passed, Lohil moved forward. When she reached the 76th patient, she slightly widened her eyes, and a faint glow flashed in her blue irises.

“Hello, I am a nun from Aquarius Palace. How have you been these past two days? Is there anything uncomfortable?”

This person lifted his head, looking at Lohil blankly without speaking for a long time. So the girl asked again.

“The nun doesn’t need to ask, he’s always like this. He must be a fool,” another patient on the bed beside him said.

“Is that so?”

Lohil examined this bewildered pilgrim. He was around thirty years old, with a bit of stubble on his cheeks. His clothes were light blue with black stripes, made of fine cotton. From the style and craftsmanship, they seemed to come from near Yubelei.

When she was in Callithis, she had seen a lot of this fabric, all produced by a large trading company in Yubelei, a competitor to Callithis in the textile industry. The clothes they sold were mostly of this style.

From his attire, this middle-aged man seemed to be well-off and came from Frost Rose. He answered nothing, as if he had lost his memory.

As she approached, Lolan Hill sensed a subtle trace, extremely faint, but the slight distortion and incongruity reminded the girl that this patient might have been attacked by a Chaos Phantom.

Are there still Chaos Phantoms wandering outside? A shadow of gloom crossed her mind.

She wanted to ask this middle-aged man more carefully, but time and circumstances didn’t permit.

Today she had just started work and was instructed by the nuns responsible for the hall not to treat these people on her own.

This was to prevent medical accidents or requests from other patients caused by new nuns, leading to chaos.

After noting down the patient’s bed number, Lohil checked him thoroughly, confirming that there were no signs of a Chaos Phantom before moving on to the next patient.

The middle-aged man remained seated on the bed, motionless. Birdsong echoed from the courtyard outside the hall, accompanied by the rustling of leaves.

—

Three days later, things in Aquarius Palace had become slightly quieter. A nun in her thirties led Lohil along the stone path of Aquarius Palace.

“Why do those people worship angels so much?” Lohil asked the black-haired nun in front of her.

But the nun did not answer directly.

“Lohil must have been very happy as a child,” she said.

“But many people’s lives are not beautiful. They face many harms from a young age, some physical, some mental.”

The nun looked up at the sky, seemingly with a sigh.

“When I was little, every day was spent being insulted and blamed. I believed I brought misfortune to my family, and I was always in pain, feeling inferior, guilty, and distressed.”

“It wasn’t until years later, when I left home and worked with strangers, that things improved. Because no one would blame me without reason.”

“Only then did I gradually realize what the real world was like.”

“But I still couldn’t find happiness. Even when handsome boys confessed to me, I was terrified. Whenever life went smoothly, I became anxious.”

“Because for me, this was abnormal. It was strange. I should have faced more hardships. How could someone so lowly like me obtain such happiness? There must be something wrong. Maybe others were deceiving me, or maybe there were gaps and oversights I hadn’t noticed.”

“There were also friends who encouraged me, and I slowly realized that such thoughts were wrong.”

“But the wounds of life had already formed, irreparable. I could only live with this incompleteness in the world.”

“Afterward, I gradually turned to the church, coming here to help others, to soothe the emptiness in my heart.”

“Only by doing more and working harder can my anxiety be slightly alleviated.”

“Because of understanding the incompleteness and regrets in my heart, I especially yearned for and revered that purity and flawlessness.”

“Perhaps now you can understand why these people turn to the church.”

“Among us, there are many with extraordinary powers, understanding that gods may just be stronger individuals. But in the sequence of angels, that pure light and thought are our distant ideal.”

The nun stopped walking as she spoke, turning her head to look at the silver-haired girl behind her.

“I apologize for rambling. Actually, Lohil doesn’t need to feel uneasy about this.”

“Not understanding is the norm in life. Understanding is rare and a source of happiness.”

— End of Chapter