23. Embraced from Both Sides

From the very beginning, my preparation was to take the foolish fairy Ikusis away from the church, avoiding the increasingly clear death script that could happen at any moment. While Kephiel and I dealt with the likely threat posed by the true identity of the “Pure White Nun,” Nilu would instruct her fairies to prepare the fastest escape route for us.

Thus, Kephiel didn’t need to take the risk of defeating the opponent, especially after learning more about the Pure White Nun’s identity, whose abilities exceeded our expectations. Naturally, the powerful Nilu wouldn’t make any mistakes, so I wasn’t worried about anything going wrong during our “strategic retreat.”

That was my thought, and the script was indeed unfolding smoothly according to this plan.

【Euglid and his party took the Light Fairy Ikusis away.】

【The Light Fairy Ikusis escaped from Urasilu.】

However, setting aside the smoothness of the script, why… was the reaction of this “Pure White Nun” so strange! After all, in my line of sight, upon realizing that we were preparing to teleport away, Urasilu didn’t even attempt to stop us; she didn’t react at all. She merely held her scythe, silently watching us leave.

She did nothing, yet it felt as if she was about to “do something.” Honestly, this “nothing” reaction seemed even more eerie and terrifying than if she had taken any action to “stop us.”

The disappearance of Urasilu brought me back to my senses. Regardless, the top priority was to temporarily “evacuate” from this dangerous church. However, under my orders, the “return point” set by Nilu was not outside the church but rather in another peripheral town within the church’s domain. The “script” here had not yet been resolved, and I didn’t want to simply retreat like a turtle.

Afterward.

Nilu personally handled the teleportation spell for our “retreat,” and of course, there would be no mistakes. By the time I, unable to adapt to the side effects of teleportation as quickly as Kephiel and Nilu, rubbed my forehead and felt somewhat “awake” under their watchful eyes, Kephiel and Nilu were already staring at each other, neither willing to back down.

Everything in my line of sight was no longer the gray, rainy sky and the ruins around us, but rather… a small space filled with rising white steam, where I could feel warmth and comfort in my body. The strange discomfort brought by the cold raindrops when facing Nun Urasilu had completely vanished.

I gradually came to my senses; the place I was in was called: the bathroom.

……

……

“Ah ah ah ah ah!”

Just as I realized what was happening and tried to stand up, I was pushed back into the tub by two girls, one on each side, holding my shoulders.

“Don’t get up! You’re currently… naked!”

“Mr. O’Keefe, it’s best to drive away the chill from your body first.”

This is the bathroom, right? Kephir and Nilu are here too, right!? Then that means…

I hurriedly covered my eyes, then… slightly opened my fingers to peek around, until I saw that both Nilu and Kephir had changed into new clothes and were indeed “dressed properly.” Only then did I feel relieved, letting out a long sigh to relax.

That said, I still felt a bit restless.

I hadn’t forgotten the scenes of us confronting Sister Urasilu in the pouring rain just moments ago. After being teleported to the “evacuation point” Nilu had prepared for us, it was certain that the two girls would immediately soak in the water to warm up. But…

I had been feeling dizzy for quite a while due to the side effects of the magic! When I woke up, I found myself sitting in the bathtub completely naked. Hahaha! This must have been when I was dazed and accidentally stripped off my clothes to walk into the bathroom… or not…

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Noticing my gaze and thoughts, Kephir shyly turned her face away, “Just… just know it yourself…”

Nilu, following up immediately, bluntly left no room for Kephir’s modesty or dignity.

“The fairies don’t mind, but when we were teleported here, the three of us had already been drenched in the rain for quite a while, completely soaked~ If we don’t want anyone to get sick and spread it to each other, it’s unavoidable for the three of us to bathe together to warm up. Sigh… Don’t think I want to meet a certain young lady in such an honest manner, Mr. O’Keefe, especially when you’re also completely undressed…”

After saying that, Nilu added thoughtfully, “But please rest assured, during the time you were in poor condition, we’ve already cleaned ourselves up. It’s better for you to rest a bit longer.”

Nilu, saying that only made me feel more uneasy; I had this nagging feeling that I was unclean…

Shaking my head to stop thinking about such unsettling things, I was drawn to the sounds coming from outside. Through the gap, I saw that the fairies, including Nilu and Kephir, had gathered together. I couldn’t concern myself with the fairies’ matters, but… Ikusis’s status seemed too low; she was completely being “bullied” by the other fairies.

I scratched my head and asked, “Nilu, where are we right now…”

“In a short amount of time, my fairies cannot set up a teleportation point too far away, and given your orders, we are currently in a room within another town of the church’s territory. I have already had Jias command the relevant humans in this entire inn; staying here poses no safety issues, Mr. O’Keefe.”

“Thank you.”

“No need for that; your orders are my duty and honor.”

Nilu smiled and tried to lean closer, only to be pulled aside by Kefiel.

I… truly did not wish to escape like this, for I believed that even after what just happened—us directly “taking away” the church’s saintess—there would be no significant uproar from the church.

After all, whether it was that nun, Urasilu, or her identity as the “Blade of Order,” she should only exist “in the shadows” within the church, causing no public commotion. Urasilu disguising herself as an ordinary nun was the best proof of that. Not to mention: if the ordinary believers in the church city found out that the church had attacked the saintess, what chaos would ensue?

So, at least we still held the advantage in initiative. And what needed to be done next was not difficult to explain.

“Kefiel, in fact, Urasilu carries the secret of the self-disciplined fairies, and Nilu, she also has… the things you want to know.”

I looked at the two women; regardless of Kefiel, Nilu had helped us a lot this time, and at this moment, I did not intend to hide some key content from the script that pertained to her.

The “script” on the pure white nun, Urasilu, was extensive, not only relating to the main storyline of the “self-disciplined fairies” that Kefiel was involved in, but also to the “memory secret” that Nilu hoped I would promise her to help find that day.

“Moreover, even if we take Ikusis away like this, it’s merely a temporary fix. Compared to leaving, it seems more appropriate to directly ‘resolve’ these ‘dark secrets’ within the church. The queen withdrew the knight order for the sake of the Great Yawn Empire, but when the situation allows her to profit, she will certainly not miss the opportunity to control the church. If we reach that point, it could be a one-time solution.”

Pausing, I glanced around at the two women.

“So, can we stay here next? To resolve these ‘insider issues’ of the church.”

Without the need for scripted content, the moment those words were spoken, I already had an inkling of Kefiel and Nilu’s responses.

“I am willing…”

“I am willing…”

“!”

“Tsk…”

Although the two women had not finished agreeing, they once again began to “threaten” each other due to the other’s attitude.

“Nilu, he’s asking me! Don’t overstep your bounds, you uninvited woman.”

“Can you stop being so self-indulgent, Miss? Is there really any need for Mr. O’Keefe to inquire about a simple-minded woman like you? Clearly, he is asking me.”

I’ve asked, I’ve asked, alright?!

You two big shots, can you please calm down and let me enjoy my bath in peace…