Listening to the owner’s suggestive remarks, Violet’s expression, hidden behind the white fox mask, appeared somewhat helpless.

No wonder this is the main base of the Goddess followers. This is just the Sacred Star City, and yet on the street, you can run into devout believers trying to convert you with a few skewers of meat.

However, the owner’s attempt seemed well-intentioned and without ulterior motives, so Violet didn’t take offense.

After a moment of thought, she replied, “The Goddess of Light indeed governs this country very well. If I get the chance, I’d like to pay my respects. I’m just not sure if I can find a way to do so in the Holy Empire’s capital, Angel City.”

The barbecue stall owner didn’t seem to find her words outlandish and responded with a hearty laugh.

“Alright, alright. If you’re so sincere, the Goddess will likely be happy to see you. But speaking of the Holy Capital…”

As if wary, the owner leaned slightly forward, covering his mouth with his free hand and spoke softly. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now’s not a good time to visit the Holy Capital. I’ve heard there are demons causing trouble in the east, making quite a mess. In my opinion, it’s better to stay in Sacred Star City a bit longer. Wait until the Knights Templar have eradicated the demons and issue a notice before setting off.”

“Oh… is that so? Thank you for the warning, sir.”

Miss Fox nodded slightly as if she agreed deeply. At that moment, the owner finished grilling, sprinkled some spices on the meat skewers, and wrapped them in lotus leaves before handing them over.

“Done! Be careful, it’s hot. That’ll be one silver coin!”

“Oh, thank you, sir! It smells amazing!”

Rene happily took the paper-wrapped skewers with both hands. Violet handed over a silver coin, and without any further ado, they left the unremarkable barbecue stall.

“Mmm, so tasty…”

The white-winged girl nibbled on the steaming skewers like a kitten unable to resist the temptation. Walking beside her, Violet seemed to be pondering something and suddenly called her name.

“Rene.”

“Huh? What is it, Miss Dawn? Do you want a skewer too? If it’s you, Miss Dawn… I suppose I could share…”

Rene reluctantly extended a skewer, making Violet smile wryly and shake her head in resignation.

“I’m not asking to eat your food. Did you notice anything from what the barbecue stall owner said earlier?”

“Huh? Uh…”

Miss Rene awkwardly retracted the skewer in her hand and tilted her head in thought before tentatively replying in a low voice, “He… is actually a hidden follower of the Goddess, using the barbecue stall as a cover to spread the faith?”

“What nonsense…”

Seeing her like this, Miss Fox didn’t expect Rene to offer any constructive insights. She sighed and explained as they walked.

“That owner isn’t a hidden follower. Over 90% of the Holy Empire’s citizens are followers of the Goddess. There’s no need to hide it. His willingness to preach to us suggests we made a good first impression. For most citizens here, believing in the Goddess of Light is probably considered a pure honor.”

“Uh… Is there anything else worth noting? It feels like we didn’t say much to him…”

“No, although we didn’t say much, there was one strange point you didn’t seem to catch…”

Miss Fox tilted her head slightly, her expression hidden behind the mask, but her voice carried a hint of something unusual.

“Think about it. How would an ordinary civilian, living in Sacred Star City and making a living by running a barbecue stall, know about demons causing trouble in the distant eastern part of the country?”

“Hmm…”

Rene swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth, wiped the grease from her hands, and pretended to think seriously.

“Maybe refugees or merchants from the east brought the news here? After all, Sacred Star City is a transportation hub. Many travelers pass through, and word of mouth could spread quickly.”

“Impossible.”

Feeling her statement was too abrupt, Miss Fox reconsidered and rephrased her point.

“If it were another month later, such a scenario might make sense. But don’t forget, where did our information come from?”

“Edwina, being the second daughter of the Cecilia family and the sister of the Judgment Saintess, must have received the news immediately after the incident. From then until now, it’s been less than a month…”

“News that could cause negative effects is certainly not something the Holy Empire would proactively announce. Given the typical pace of merchant and refugee movement in this world, spreading information across the vast east and west territories of the Holy Empire to the point where it is almost common knowledge in Sacred Star City would take at least two or three months. More often, by the time such news spreads here, the situation at the source is already settled. So why would the owner be trying to dissuade us from going?”

“That… actually makes sense.”

A look of realization quickly appeared on Rene’s face, and she finally ventured a guess.

“Does Miss Dawn mean that the barbecue stall owner might be suspicious?”

The girl with the white fox mask shook her head again.

“Rather than saying he is suspicious, it’s more accurate to say that those who provided him with this information are the ones with issues. It seems that someone… is deliberately spreading news about demon rampages in the city. It might not seem significant now, but think about it—if these rumors ferment and then suddenly something happens in the city, that…”

Halfway through her sentence, Violet frowned and stopped talking. The white-winged girl beside her also seemed to notice something and subtly turned her head to look at a corner of the street.

“Hey… Miss Dawn, isn’t that person…”

“Yes, what is he doing?”

What the two women saw was a man named Clatius, who had helped them a few days ago when they encountered the Spirit Veil tribe’s Minglan. He had arrived with the Knights Templar at an astonishing speed and mediated the situation. If Violet remembered correctly, he should be the commander of the Sacred Star City Knights Templar.

By the standards of other countries, he could be compared to a deputy city lord or a city guard commander, as the Holy Empire does not have nobles. City affairs are mostly managed by local temples and Knights Templar.

Although Clatius looked quite young, considering the diverse races in the Holy Empire, he might not be as young as he appeared. After all, he seemed to be acquainted with Minglan, who was said to be an ancient being of thirty thousand years.

However, Clatius had left a good impression on Violet during their last interaction—he was upright, approachable, and did not let personal relationships affect his judgments. His decisive action made him a suitable leader of a city’s knights.

But now, what Clatius was doing puzzled Violet. He was moving through the bustling street, looking down and seemingly searching for something.