Elena exhaled softly as she walked through the familiar gates, guarded by white-robed church warriors, and once again stood on the same street that she had walked so many times in the city of Dawn.

She's back.

Compared to the original trip to the North, the subsequent Imperial Wars, and the short trip to the Forest of Parting with her friends, this time she was away for a longer time, and there were too many stories that she had never imagined. At one point, she thought she would never be able to come back again, and she would never see the teacher Karan she had been missing, and the people she knew so well in the church.

But that's what travel is all about...... Funny? As if that's what the Perons say. Of course, there is a similar account in the "Gospel of Light" -

"Plum tree fruitful. People admire the fruit next to the tree, discussing its appearance, its color, its medicinal properties, and its connotation. However, if you don't taste it yourself, you can't know its sweetness and sourness. ”

The last time she returned to church, Teacher Karan asked her how she thought, and she repeated it. Now she has a better understanding of this sentence, but she has never regretted the decision to leave her stable life and become a traveling nun.

That was her wish and her choice.

The girl walked slowly along the bright avenue. People flowed past her, some happy, some hurried. Many of them are foreign travelers who have left their homeland for various purposes and come here to seek the blessings or protection of the Lord of Light.

It's a journey for each and every one of them. In this way, in addition to giving people spiritual comfort, does the value of the existence of holy places also include allowing them to embark on a journey and experience various things other than daily life, so as to obtain their own unique harvest?

Elena returned to the Great Sanctuary with this idea. She navigated through the side doors and corridors, writing a brief report from Brother Rohr, who was in charge of personnel management. However, when she asked about the situation, the other party said something she had not expected.

"What do you say...... Teacher Karan, he's gone?! Where did he go? ”

"How do I know?" The middle-aged monk, whose hair was a little thinning, shrugged his shoulders and didn't seem to care about it, "The statement says that he is recuperating due to illness and will probably go back to his hometown." ”

Green Lake City? But that's not the problem. Elena put down the report in her hand, pressed the table, and stared earnestly at the face of the middle-aged monk.

"It can't be. Teacher Kahlan is a white-robed bishop, how can he get sick so easily - wait a minute, who is the current lord here? ”

"It's Lord Sheld." The middle-aged man replied.

The thief killer of Autumn Wind Harbor, the mountain bandit nightmare of Sunset City? Elena had vaguely heard about the other party's deeds - even among the Templars of action, Shelde was too radical, "Why him?" There's no thief in Dawning City, is it? ”

"That's not my business." The middle-aged man seemed a little impatient, he lowered his head, opened the drawer, rummaged through a few letters and handed them to her, "By the way, this is yours." ”

Elena took the letter expectantly, but was disappointed when she saw the wax seal. There was no emblem of the sun on it for the Church, but all of them with birches and larks on a black background—

It was her hometown, the deciduous collar, the emblem of the Silver Birch family.

She has been gone for half a year, and letters from home are normal, but only a little more frequent. Elena silently told herself, walked to the side and sat down, opening the letters one by one and reading them.

The first two were routine cares and greetings, as well as a tactful hope that she would be free to come back and see. In the back, except for simple greetings, all of them are asking her to return to her hometown as soon as possible. And the reasons range from inheriting the family to the turbulent times, and even mentioning that his mother is seriously ill and wants to take one last look at her.

That didn't sound like the truth, but she couldn't ignore it. The letter was not written in time, and Elena sighed, so she could only get up again and go to the middle-aged monk.

"Excuse me, Rohr. Do you remember when these letters were delivered? ”

"It's been a while since the first few letters, and the rest are all about the past ten days." The monk thought for a moment and told her, "They seem to be in a hurry? ”

Elena nodded noncommittally, put away the letter, and then said goodbye to the other party, and walked down the stairs on the east side of the Great Chapel. When she almost stepped out of the side door, someone behind her called her name.

"Ellie!"

Only one person would call her that - usually, her nickname would be Lina or Linny. The blue-haired nun stopped, turned around, and smiled at her friend in the church.

"Long time no see, Sophie. How is everything? ”

"Not bad!" The young woman smiled and walked quickly towards her, "I got my certificate as a traveling nun last month!" Then I went to Rubble Village, where the aunt is still saying your name. ”

Her friend did not give up on this path, and this is one of the things that satisfies her the most. "Actually, Sister Yinyue has done more, but she didn't let those people know."

"Your Excellency the Silver Witch?" Sophie nodded, with some envy in her eyes, "I probably can't do it." But Ellie, I think you'll be ...... someday Can be as powerful as her. ”

Someone from another world said something similar. This is indeed one of her dreams. She had imagined that if she became a White Bishop, or a Templar, she would be able to mobilize a lot of resources to actually help more people.

After this trip, this dream seems to fade a little, and it seems to be clearer. Ann relayed for her the words of Sir Hector that the Templars were titles, not positions, and neither did the White Bishop. In other words, both Hylanthia and her teacher had achieved results worthy of it before they reached their current status.

"Why do you say that?" She tilted her head, her heartbeat racing slightly.

"Because you always have a goal, and you never stop for long." The young nun looked at her seriously with a happy smile, "But after being away for so long, you will stay a little longer this time, right?" ”

Elena pursed her lips.

"I'm not sure." She thought for a moment and asked the same question, "Do you know, where Teacher Karan went?" ”

Sophie's smile was gone. She took a soft breath, hesitated for a moment, and then walked over to Elena and lowered her voice.

"Don't you really know, Ellie?"

This gave her some bad premonitions, "What do you mean?" ”

"I've heard......" the nun's voice was as thin as a mosquito," Imam Kahlan was charged with the ...... His Majesty, the Pope, was secretly taken away and locked up. It was also said that His Majesty intended to execute in private...... What about those who oppose him. ”

"Against him, what?" Elena subconsciously grabbed her friend's hand and said in a hurried tone, "Who told you this?" ”

"A lot of people...... A lot of people are whispering. I don't know if it's true or not. The nun seemed to see her face, and hurriedly added, "They say that His Majesty the Pope is preparing to attack the Oron Empire, and the Imam is ...... He wanted to stop it. ”

The latter sounded like something her teacher would do, and she had to find a way to confirm the former. She held back the idea of running out of church immediately, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

"When was the last time you saw Teacher Karan, Sophie?"

"It's been almost half a month ago...... Right? Her friend looked apologetic, "The imam gave me the certificate of the traveling nun, and then I went north...... When I came back here a dozen days ago, the Imam was gone. The nun raised her other hand and put it on Elena's, "You know the imam so well, there must be a way to find him, right?" ”

She did know a little more. Hylanthia had incidentally mentioned that Callan and Oswald had been her students—just as the teacher had with her. And the emblem that the 'Silver Witch' gave her was still with her after a long journey.

Elena reached into her arms and grasped the plain piece of silver. There was a soft warmth from the badge, but she hesitated for a moment before letting go of her hand.

Not yet, she told herself. She is still a little far from being alone, but she can't always rely on her teachers and ancestors. That's what she's learned on a recent trip.

"I'll figure it out." She looked up and patted her chest gently, "Just leave it to me." ”

"I believe in you. Elena is the best. Sophie let go and gave her a hug, "Tell me if you find anything - but be safe." I don't want you to be gone! ”

Elena nodded and left the church, heading through the side door to the city. Karan's hut was locked from the outside, and the interior was as clean as ever, with no signs of being turned over, vandalized, or left too late to clean up.

At least there wasn't any fighting—in her mind, it wasn't enough for her teacher to subdue her with violence, and to tear down the entire house. By the same token, if the 'arrest' had taken place elsewhere in the city, it would have been more than just the rumors that are now circulating in the city.

That's half the good news. Elena stared at the hut for a moment, then turned her back and walked briskly back to the Bright Avenue. She went to the adventurer's guild in the city, stayed for half an hour, and then came to the Silver Palace behind the Great Church.

Before she became a traveling nun, Elena had only been here a few times. Karan Alfeld has lived almost always in the cottage in his neighborhood, not in this temple for the Lord of Dawn.

Except for the difference in space, the two are almost the same simplicity and warmth. Her teacher always sits by the window full of sunlight, with a book and a pot of tea, dressed in a white robe, smiling, listening to any visitors' confusion and questions, and then calmly giving suggestions and answers.

Now the Silver Palace is still simple, but it is a little more solemn. The monk guarding the entrance heard her intentions and pushed open half of the door without saying a word. The doors on both sides of the corridor are mostly closed, making the corridor slightly dim. Elena walked through the deserted corridor from memory and knocked on the dark brown wooden door at the end of the first floor.

"Come in." A cold voice answered her.

Elena pushed the door open. The curtains in the room are almost closed, with only a slit on each side for sunlight to pass through. The man sat behind a wooden table in the middle of the room, his face darkened by the contrast.

A black spear hangs from the left wall, replacing the wooden shelves that were stacked with books. The coffee table and chairs in the room are missing, which seems to indicate that the new owner is not very welcoming to guests. Elena took a slow breath and approached the wooden table, greeting each other as a nun.

Sheld's head looked up and spoke before she could ask.

"Your teacher is fine." The man's eyes are like iron, as if he can pierce people's hearts, "Don't believe rumors. ”

She was reassured, but she wasn't sure if Sheld's was reliable. "In that case, where did he go, teacher?"

"He has his mission." The man replied indifferently, "And what about your task." ”

This answer did not satisfy her, so she ignored the second half of the sentence. Elena exhaled and stared into Sheld's eyes—she had seen several Templars and was naturally not afraid of the one in front of her, "Did His Majesty the Pope send you?" ”

"A question of no value." The Templars' expression was unwavering, "I said, will you believe it?" ”

She didn't know. "That's my business, I just need your answer."

"The answer is to be seen with the eyes, not the ears." The Templar shook his head, "Think about who told you these things, and for what purpose. ”

It's Sophie. In other words, the knight in front of her is questioning her friend. Elena was reluctant to accept the other party's speculation, but she couldn't completely dismiss the possibility - no matter which way it was interpreted, her friend's actions were reasonable.

"Actually, it doesn't matter." Elena sighed and gave up receiving an answer from the other man's mouth, "Lord Sheld, whatever you are here, I hope for your help - to confirm the whereabouts of Teacher Karan, and to confirm what His Majesty is doing. ”

Shelde sneered, "Reason? ”

Elena placed her hand on her chest and bowed her head slightly, "As a believer, my loyalty is to the Lord of Light, not to His spokesman. ”

The Templar stood up—the man was more than a head taller than her, and weighed nearly twice as much. "If I were from Oswald, wouldn't you be out of this room?"

Elena straightened up and shook her head slightly.

"I've sent letters home, and if I don't get home on time, it means I've had an accident here." Her voice trembled slightly, so she swallowed, reached into her arms, and held the emblem again, "Whatever you and His Majesty the Pope are planning, you don't want to be hindered by the Silver Birch family, right?"

The man pushed away the chair and approached her step by step. Elena took a deep breath, took out the emblem in her arms, and clenched it tightly with both hands. Sheld, who saw her movements, reached for her collar as if he didn't mind.

She felt a tingling sensation in her palm as she prayed with all her might. The emblem flicked her fingers away, floating in the air, like a blazing sun in an instant—

However, a gray shadow flew from the spear on the wall, right in the center of the emblem. The sun cracked, and the light was quickly swallowed up by shadows. Elena felt herself being picked up, slammed into the wall behind her, and slid to the ground. Shelde leaned down, picked up the broken emblem in half, and walked in front of her in three or two steps.

"The teacher's badge is just a waste for you." The man said coldly, "The student of the 'Pure White Night Shadow' is only this level. ”

Elena was a little dazed by the blow just now, and she could barely hear the other party's words. She struggled to tilt her head, "You say...... What? ”

"Looks like Kahlan has a lot to tell you." Shelde leaned down at her, "For example, the things I did with him, and the relationship between me and him. ”

She was still a little confused, but at least she captured the meaning of the other person's expression, "You mean, you're standing ...... The teacher's side? ”

"Think about it and decide who you should trust." Shelde returned to his desk and sat down again, "Anyway, that's not your business. ”

Perhaps he was right - even after a grand war, she was still far from catching up with her teacher. Elena slowly got up, saluted the knight in the shadows, and walked out of the gates of the Silver Palace and back into the sunlit streets.

Sophie wants to know where Karan is. In the past, she rarely cared about these things, but maybe after she left, the other party was taken care of by the teacher. Elena replayed the conversation in her mind, failing to identify any clear suspicions.

On the other hand, Sheld's answer and actions also did not look like he was acting—besides, she was just an ordinary traveling nun, so why did she have to go to great lengths to deceive her.

She didn't get any useful information anyway, and the day was just over halfway through. Elena wandered aimlessly along the avenue for a while, walked into the tavern she had been to a few times before, and ordered a cup of familiar citrus black tea. She leaned lightly on the table, put her arm on her head, and thought again about what Shelde had just said to her.

Conclusions are hard to draw. On the bright side, Shelder is a companion to Sister Silvermoon and her teacher, but he doesn't want her to be involved in this incident; And if you think about it from the bad side, the other party did take the teacher's place and did not give any promises in person.

The fact that the Templars rarely lied did not mean that they had to be honest. Highnessia had taught her how to use words to achieve her own ends—in fact, some of the 'Lord of Light''s magic skills were able to identify lies, but were not useful for concealing facts and misleading.

She remembers her "leader", Lily, who is Ada's daughter, also has the power to see through people's hearts. But no matter what, she couldn't call the other party over, just to see who was lying.

The conclusion is still inconclusive. The fatigue of the journey gradually came to her heart, and Elena thought about it for a while, and fell asleep unconsciously.

……

"Long time no see, little Elena."

When she woke up from her vague dream, the voice behind her made her a little stunned for a moment. Elena hurriedly pinched her arm, making sure she wasn't still dreaming, "Sister Yinyue? You...... What are you doing here? ”

"Someone broke the badge I gave you, and I happened to be not far from here, so I came over to see what was going on." The petite nun pulled up a chair and sat down across from her, "Has anyone bullied you, little Elena?" ”

"Not really."

Elena yawned, moved her stiff limbs, and sipped her cold tea, recounting her return to the city until she left the Silver Palace," said Sheld...... Was it true that Mr. Karan had been his companion? ”

"It's true."

The silver nun nodded, a nostalgic smile in her eyes, "Everyone has ever been young." However, even among young people, your teacher is full of out-of-the-ordinary parts. ”

This succeeded in piquing her curiosity. "Teachers are ...... What have you done? ”

Highland Cia chuckled.

Together with Sheld, he dressed up as a knight and roamed the city every night, claiming to punish the evildoers. Although only a few thieves were caught at first, it did improve the security a lot. ”

"That'...... Pure white night shadow, also ......? ”

"It's the nickname he gave himself." The silver nun smiled like a flower, "He said that angels walk in the day, and the shadows of the night dwell outside them. Later, they gradually became famous, which became his recognized nickname. Even now, some people still call him that occasionally. ”

Elena was dumbfounded, "They...... How long have you been doing this? ”

"It's been more than three years." "Your teacher was then transferred to Green Lake City as a missionary, and Shelder applied to join the Shining Knights. As for Kalan's ascension to the Lord of Dawn, and Sheld's canonization of the Templars, it was almost ten years later. ”

For some reason, hearing this did not reduce her respect for the teacher, but made her feel closer to the other party. But she was still unsure if she would be able to trust Sheld, even if she had been a former companion of the teacher.

"Sister Yinyue, do you think I can believe Sheld's words? And he's still ...... Suspicious of my friend. ”

The nun pondered for a moment and shook her head slightly.

"It's hard to say, people change." She looked into Elena's eyes, "Everyone has their own way of understanding things, and they have their own independent perception of other people. The silver nun smiled narrowly, "Little Elena, if I and your teacher slander each other, which of us will you believe?" ”

It was beyond her imagination. But Elena thought for a moment and understood what the nun wanted to say, "Sister Yinyue is Sister Yinyue after all, and the teacher must still be a teacher." I will believe what you say. ”

"What if there is an irreconcilable conflict in our statement?"

Elena closed her eyes and was silent for a moment, trying to recognize her heart.

"I'll use my eyes to confirm the facts." "But I still believe in the two of you, unless clear evidence can be found," she said firmly. As far as I'm concerned," she inhaled softly, "there's nothing to be gained by maliciously speculating on others. ”

Hylancia reached out and instead of touching the top of her head as usual, she gently patted her on the shoulder.

"It's little Elena. Speaking of which, you can trust your teacher a little more. He's even better than you think, and he won't get into trouble easily. ”

Sure enough, Sister Yinyue's words were even more reassuring, Elena thought. "Do you know where the teacher went?"

Highland Cia shook her head.

"He didn't tell me. Do you want to bring him something to say, or do you want to ask him something? ”

"Originally, I wanted to tell him about my recent experience, but after hearing the rumors, I was a little worried about the teacher's safety." Elena mused, "But now it seems like it's not necessary?" ”

"That's right." The silver nun blinked, "I'm going to investigate what the Pope is going to do, do you want to come along?" ”

This is undoubtedly an attractive proposition. Elena thought for a moment, and once again convinced herself in her heart.

"Thank you." She sighed softly, "But I should go home." And Sheald was right—I'm not good enough to be involved in your business. ”

"If I meet Kahlan, I'll tell him you're okay." Hylanthia snapped her fingers, her expression a little reminding her of the Ites, "Well, you're not going to stay at home forever, are you?" ”

Only this time, Elena didn't have to think twice to give an answer.

"My last trip companion was in the Oron Empire. My companion from the last trip also went there - if there was anything else I had to do as a member of the 'Lilianor Regiment', it would be this one. ”