Rattle! Rattle! Rattle!
The entire place shook as the carriage passed over the bumpy, uneven roads.
The blood pulsated violently as the heart pumped more blood into the veins fiercer than before.
The atmosphere was strangely sombre and tense.
A deathly silence lingered, in which an odd eeriness screamed in Lucas's sixth sense.
'This is dangerous.'
'This feels hell, as if I am sitting in between enemies who could point a sword at me any moment.'
'Haa! It's nerve-wracking.'
Lucas sighed deeply, leaning back on his seat.
Before him, sat Ezekiel, who locked his eyes on him. Lucas felt that a laser beam would shoot out from Ezekiel if he was careless even for a moment.
Beside him, Jeanette was also looking at him with a venomous gaze, sending shivers down the spine. Averting his eyes, he swept his gaze inside the carriage.
Currently, they were travelling in a carriage. Since they have to pass through rugged terrain, cars weren't suitable for that road.
Moreover, carriages were magically protected and more secure than cars. Even though a magical barrier protects the car, the vibrations due to being bombarded by enemies may cause the engine to explode, so the carriage was a lot safer than cars.
A carriage can hold five people.
Lucas sat by the window, and beside him sat Humphrey and Monica. At the front were Ezekiel and Jenette.
"Here, take this."
Lucas looked down and saw a piece of chocolate bar.
Raising his chin, he took it with a slight hesitation.
"Umm… Thanks, Humphrey."
Humphrey smiled, and then his sparkling eyes turned towards Monica.
"Monica, you must be hungry. Here, eat something."
Lucas's lips twitched, seeing the loving gazes of Humphrey directed at Monica.
'It seems he gave me this to ease the awkwardness.'
'Where did I end myself?'
He was given a chance to sit in the Princess's carriage, but he couldn't accept this as there are people out there who would seek his blood at any cost if they ever heard this.
In the other carriage, there were Frederick, Rose, Tiffany, Hailey, and Charles.
There were chances of Tiffany being Charles's love interest mentioned in the novel. There were talks about this, but nothing much happened due to Charles's villainous phase, but who knows what will happen now.
He would rather not sit and disturb the couples there.
However, he had never imagined that Ezekiel and Jennette would be already paired while Humphrey seemed to be chasing after Monica.
Shedding virtual tears, Lucas looked up into the sky.
'There is too much love in the air that it feels suffocating.'
'It seems god is sprinkling too much love on my single soul.'
.....
As soon as the carriage reached the Parish of Damita, Lucas was the first one to jump out.
The moment Lucas's feet touched the ground, a serene, captivating sight unfolded before his eyes.
From afar, Lucas could catch the sight of a huge, marvelous white building.
The Church before him was large and lovely. The path skirted through the white marble and ran along the crest through the meadows filled with gardens and flowers.
Everything was made of white that glazed, reflecting the warm light of the sun. Feelings of holiness coursed through his heart as he looked around.
'If every region has a church like this, then how much do they spend on making such grand structures?'
'Regardless of which world you read about, these blind religious fanatics are too much.'
"Lucas."
"Yes!" Lucas nodded, seeing the Princess walking towards him.
"Help the coachman to park the carriage aside and also take proper care of the coachman. Don't treat them rudely."
Lucas frowned, wondering if he really needed to do that and for some reason, Julian seemed to be focusing on the coachman too much.
Julian, after ordering Lucas, walked past him in a slow-paced manner. As she walked past him, she whispered in his ears.
It was just a small moment, but within that moment, Julian relayed many sets of commands and flicked her finger while passing through.
Something small dropped into the flank pocket of his shirt.
Lucas's eyes widened for a moment upon hearing her words. More than that, he was startled by her accurate aim.
"Lucas, why are you standing here? Let's go." Frederick, spotting Lucas, spoke loudly, walking towards him.
"You go first. I have to take care of the carriage parking and arrange a place for the coachman to stay as ordered by the Princess." Lucas answered, retaining his composure.
"That's bad. It seems you have to work even here. It might be troublesome to become a secretary."
"Yeah!" Lucas nodded with a pitiful gaze.
"Ohh! Okay! Come back quickly" Frederick waved his hand and walked towards the Church.
Charles, also giving a brief nod, went past him.
Lucas led the coachman to the parking stand according to the Princess's instruction and then took the partially paved pathway which was in the opposite direction to the white marbled pathway.
This pathway led to the backyard of the Church, and Julian specifically asked Lucas to take his road while returning.
Lucas, who strolled around, saw the trimmed oak trees shading the flowers of myriad colors.
Various flowers of different colors bloomed, making the place look more vibrant and colorful.
Sniff… Sniff…
Lucas halted his steps, sniffed the air, and scanned the surroundings.
"I didn't notice it before, but there appears to be a strong scent coming from lilac flowers. The Princess asked me to take a look at the flowers and report to her about the types of flowers growing here."
Confused, Lucas stood there blankly for a moment.
"Lilac… Lilac." Lucas mumbled as a sudden realization came to his mind.
"I think I should inform her of this," Lucas murmured.
....
Entering the giant hallway, everyone spotted statues of several religious figures. Stained-glass windows depicting numerous biblical stories or myths were used as a ceiling through which colorful light poured over the hallway.
"Your Highness, please follow me, the Holy Maiden is waiting for you inside." A Priest came forward and guided the team.
"When will the ceremony take place," Julian asked calmly.
"Your Highness, The ceremony will take place tomorrow. You all should be tired from the long journey. So, today, you can rest and enjoy yourself."
Julian nodded and looked back at the nine people following behind her.
Seeing their carefree expressions, she spoke coldly, "All of you be on guard and stay alert."
Frederick frowned upon hearing Julian's words and wondered if there was something more.
'Maybe I am thinking much.' Frederick shrugged his shoulders.
"What happened?" Rose asked, noticing Frederick's expression.
"It's nothing." Frederick returned a smile.
The Priest led them to the room at the end of the passage.
A pleasant, warm sensation coursed through their body as they stepped in.
Inside it, a golden-haired lady standing up held her skirt slightly and bent her knees, curtseying to them.
"On behalf of the Holy State, I welcome you all. I hope you all have a pleasant day staying in this shabby place."
"May The Goddess be with you."
"Thanks for having us, Saintess." Julian returned the curtsy with a slight bow.
"Sheesh!"
"Don't call me Saintess. It makes me feel old. Just call me Senor Luna. I am your Senior, after all." Luna spoke with a giggle.
The rigid expression on her face disappeared and at that moment, she looked like an easy-going warm senior.
"Will do," Julian muttered and introduced her junior"Senior Luna, these all are the rankers of the recent battle royal."
Julian started addressing them.
Luna walked forward and greeted everyone with pleasant flattery.
"Nice to meet you. May your smile be everlasting.'' Ezekiel bowing his back, held Saintess's hand and kissed the back of her hand.
"May your beauty be everlasting."
"The Saintess looks much prettier than the rumors."
Luna greeted everyone and exchanged a few pleasantries with a smile, while also dropping subtle advice.
"May you have eternal life." Charles greeted her with a cold expression.
Luna simply smiled, shaking her head, and whispered while passing through him.
"The transition in your character will avert many dangers."
Charles just gawked at her sight.
Luna greeted the girls and just spoke a few words.
However, when she came across Frederick, her smile widened and her eyes gleamed.
"This humble one is asking for the blessing of Your Eminence. May God be always with us." Frederick greeted her politely but unlike others, he just held her hand for a bit and retracted his hand.
Luna, giving a mysterious smile, leaned forward and whispered faintly.
"Your journey until now was hard. You might have found peace now, but troublesome times are up ahead. Still, don't give up. Heaven is watching over you and wishing for your success."
Frederick's eyes widened, and his eyes turned cold for a moment.
"What did the Saintess mean?"
Instead of answering, she gave a foxy smile and looking back at Julian, she retreated while leaving Frederick with an ugly expression.
"Is someone missing? There should be ten, no?"
"I have sent him to run some errands. He might be coming any moment from now." Julian answered.
Luna nodded and was about to walk back when her heart began to beat faster.
Her back tinkled and her senses shrieked in despair, sensing a frightening existence looming over them.
She turned around abruptly with a perplexed expression.
Her fierce gaze locked onto the entrance.
A subtle tapping sound stirred her heart and as soon as the man appeared, her mind exploded.
Her vision became bloody and a gruesome sight of a man with messy hair, covered in the blood of countless people stepping over the pile of corpses, reflected in her sight.
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