[Vol. 5] Chapter 29: The Streets of Sacred Star City

The message from Edwina came from her and Frederica’s mother, Jacqueline Cecilia, the current head of the Cecilia family.

Although the specific situation wasn’t detailed in the transmission, Edwina couldn’t continue her leisurely travels with her elder sister’s fate unknown, especially given their close relationship.

Additionally, she had been considering a temporary return to her homeland. She explained the situation to the priestess and expressed her intention to leave.

Naturally, Violet did not stop her. To save time, she provided Edwina with a pair of highly refined artificial wings and arranged for a small dragon to personally escort her to the border of the Holy Empire.

Further details are currently unclear to Violet, as she and Edwina do not have a stable means of real-time communication.

Before Edwina left, they agreed that Edwina would return to the Holy Capital to meet with her mother and mentor, gather information on Frederica and the demons, and formulate a strategy. Meanwhile, the priestess would travel from west to east, ultimately meeting Edwina in the Angel City.

The demon invasion in the eastern part of the Holy Empire is a matter of moderate concern. While it seems the Holy Empire suffered a setback, the world’s most powerful nation still has deep-rooted strength, and the faith in the Goddess of Light has been nurtured for millennia. It is unrealistic for a group of unknown demons to pose a significant threat to the Holy Empire.

Therefore, Violet is not in a hurry. She is not a firefighter who must rush to help whenever a problem arises.

To be honest, while the Holy Empire is particularly active in matters involving demons, from an observer’s perspective, the priestess doesn’t necessarily believe that demons represent pure evil. Isn’t Mr. Gatekeeper or Minchen half-demon himself? Is he some heinous villain?

Power is just power, and race doesn’t define everything. A blanket approach without considering specifics is the height of foolishness.

Currently, they are in Sacred Star City. Although it’s not a frontier city in the western part of the Holy Empire, it’s still a long way from the Angel City and the more distant eastern part of the Holy Empire.

Violet plans to set off tomorrow, passing through three small cities before heading to Bright Light City, about a thousand kilometers away, deeper into the heart of the Holy Empire.

Bright Light City is a crucial stop on their journey. As the largest city in the western part of the Holy Empire, it is known as the “Western Capital” and complements the Angel City in the east. Additionally, the headquarters of the Spirit Veil Merchant Association is located there.

“The founder from three hundred years ago, name unknown, identity unknown, reasons unclear… what is the story with this person?”

“Lady Violet, what are you mumbling about?”

A clear voice interrupted the priestess’s thoughts. She turned and lightly tapped the white-haired girl’s head, her slightly reproachful voice coming from behind her mask.

“I’ve told you before, in situations like this, call me Dawn. Don’t think I’m just pretending for fun. Our plan hasn’t started yet, and it would be very troublesome if someone found out.”

“Sorry, Miss Dawn…”

Miss Rene, who had been hit hard, clutched her head with a pitiful and aggrieved look on her face. Seeing her like this, Violet couldn’t say much more and could only shake her head helplessly before casually pointing to a nearby barbecue stall.

“Come on, let’s get something to eat. After walking around for so long, you must be hungry, right?”

“Oh, now that Lady Violet mentioned it, I really am!”

“Ahem… call me Dawn.”

It was just after morning. Since they were leaving tomorrow, Violet was strolling through the streets of Sacred Star City with Rene, picking up some essential supplies for the journey.

Incidentally, because having everyone go out together could occasionally cause unspeakable troubles, and Violet was keen on reducing the fixed image of their five-person group in the eyes of outsiders, the priestess now usually took only one or two companions with her for errands. Today, it was Rene’s turn.

This little girl, although she closely resembled her sister Leila in appearance and even in body and details, had a vastly different personality and temperament. If Leila seemed reserved, steady, and resilient, Rene, despite her lively appearance, was actually a bit shy, soft-natured, somewhat lazy, and easily tempted.

In less important situations, she would sometimes slack off and let her sister handle problems. This difference in personality was also clearly reflected in the professions they each chose.

Moreover, Rene had a bit of a gluttonous streak. Unlike the priestess, who had a fondness for sweets, Rene, despite being a soft and cute girl, particularly loved spicy barbecue. She almost never missed an opportunity to grab a few skewers whenever she was out, which had practically become her personal trademark.

Only when she was with Violet could this habit be somewhat restrained. Her sister Leila couldn’t do anything about it.

“Boss! Boss! Give me ten skewers of grilled lamb!”

Speaking excitedly in not-so-fluent Common Tongue, the white-feathered girl eagerly watched the light yellow meat skewers emitting a rich aroma on the grill, drooling quite ungracefully.

The girl wearing the white fox mask beside her gently tapped her head again.

“Can you finish that many? We still have lunch later. Really… Boss, just give her five skewers, not too spicy, a bit milder.”

“Eh…!?”

“Alright! Ladies, please wait a moment!”

The owner of the barbecue stall was a middle-aged human man in his forties, with a face full of muscle that made him look somewhat intimidating.

However, he seemed quite friendly and sociable. After taking their order, he immediately began to prepare the five large lamb skewers, coating them with oil and quickly cooking them on the burning grill.

Next to the barbecue stall, a few other customers were also waiting for their food. They were a mix of different, odd-looking races, mostly young people. Each stood in their own area, not talking or disturbing each other, simply waiting quietly.

Perhaps because Violet and Rene were the newest customers, or maybe because of Violet’s distinctive shrine maiden attire and fox mask, as well as Rene’s conspicuous white wings, the barbecue stall owner started a casual conversation with them while tending to his grilling.

“You two don’t seem to be from around here. It’s rare to see a winged person with white wings. That race… I think they’re more common in the south. Are you here visiting Sacred Star City?”

Given that the owner had chosen particularly meaty skewers for them, the fox-masked girl didn’t ignore the enthusiastic man. From beneath her mask, she responded with a slight hint of amusement.

“Yes, the customs and culture of the Holy Empire are very interesting, quite different from other places.”

Hearing this, the owner grinned proudly.

“Of course! Our Holy Empire is blessed by the Goddess. The Goddess of Light is omnipotent, ensuring that those who worship her live in peace, free from illness and disaster. Hahaha!”