Morning sunlight streamed through the wooden window, illuminating the attic. Beneath a thin, gray-white blanket, two figures were outlined.

Two heads, one with black hair and one with white, peeked out from the covers, resting peacefully on the bed in a deep sleep.

DONG, DONG DONG...

The bells of Krimms Cathedral tolled eight times, reminding the city’s slumbering residents that Dawn had arrived, and it was now safe to go about their day.

Wei’en’s peaceful face scrunched up slightly. He blearily opened his eyes. "It’s morning."

"Time to get up, Tina."

Huh?

’What was that sound?’

Wei’en turned his head and came face-to-face with Tina’s hollow eyes. She was so close...

He shot up, staring at the white-haired girl in astonishment. "Hey? Tina, how did you... What are you..."

Tina blinked, calmly sat up, and revealed a swath of pale, bare skin...

"PFFT— COUGH, COUGH, COUGH..."

Seeing this, Wei’en nearly choked on his own spit. ’What is she thinking, walking around naked like this?’

He hurriedly felt his own body, then looked down.

’Thank goodness, thank goodness. My clothes are still on...’

The white-haired girl coolly put on a black pleated skirt, her eyes still fixed on Wei’en, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation.

"Tina, you... how did you get into my house?"

"Tina missed Wei’en."

Seeing her completely unchanged expression, Wei’en scratched his head, feeling numb... ’Should I believe her or not?’

"Um, Tina, your age..."

"Tina is sixteen. The Dawn permits partners."

Wei’en’s lip twitched. ’U-underage...’

’Although this body is eighteen, the soul inside it is twenty-two...’

However, he understood what Tina meant.

According to the covenant of the Dawn Church, people in this world were considered adults once they turned sixteen.

But damn it, looking at Tina now, he found it hard to associate her with the word "adult."

Wei’en rubbed his furrowed brow and said in frustration, "I remember Lisi telling you yesterday that you’re only allowed to follow me during work hours. You..."

"Tina did not know."

The white-haired girl said it with great confidence. If she didn’t "hear" that fierce woman say it, then as far as she was concerned, she didn’t know.

"Fine, fine."

Wei’en sighed helplessly. It seemed he really had no way of dealing with Tina right now.

’Fight her? Never mind whether I could even win, just looking at her frail frame, I wouldn’t have the heart to lay a hand on her.’

’Scold her? How could I?’

’Except for that time when we first met, when the white-haired girl exposed his secret as a Wizard of the Ghost Soul School, she had been nothing but polite to him since...’

’At least, her words were very affectionate.’

"Um, Tina, can you turn around? I need to change..."

Tina turned around immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

Her obedience only made the pained look on Wei’en’s face deepen. ’She’s... she’s too obedient...’

A moment later, Wei’en was fully dressed. He neatened his hair in the mirror, trying to make himself look more ordinary.

He didn’t put on his Secret Investigation Department uniform, nor the ornate clothes issued by the Ghost Soul School. Instead, he found a slightly oversized outfit that had belonged to the body’s previous owner.

Since he was going to Krimms Cathedral, he had to dress the part of someone from the lower-middle class.

That way, he wouldn’t attract too much attention.

"Tina, I’m heading out for a mission. You go to the Secret Investigation Department and wait for me there."

"Tina go too."

"Hmm?"

Wei’en looked down at Tina, who had grabbed his clothes at some point, and shook his head. "No, there’s only one dose of the Dawn Radiance Potion. You can’t go. Besides... if Lisi finds out, I’m dead meat."

The white-haired girl looked up at him. "Tina does not want Wei’en to die."

"So listen to me. After we get some breakfast, you wait for me in the office."

"Tina knows."

Seeing that she’d agreed, Wei’en patted her on the head and smiled. "That’s more like it. Keep it up."

’More like it?’

Tina felt the warmth from his hand on her head, like a beam of light piercing through the darkness. Her cold expression flickered for a moment. "Tina will keep it up."

"Let’s go. I’ll take you out for a meal, and we can pick up some necessities while we’re at it."

With that, Wei’en activated the nodes of the Defense Rune Array one by one and led Tina out the door.

"Yo, Wei’en, you’re up early..."

Yuan paused as he glimpsed the white-haired girl trailing behind him, then a suggestive grin spread across his face. "Didn’t expect you to find a girlfriend so quickly. You take after me in my younger days."

Wei’en locked his door and windows, then raised an eyebrow at him. "Uncle Yuan, I remember you saying you had lovers on every island in the Cordo Sea. I could never compare to you."

"Haha... That’s all in the past. And it wasn’t just the Cordo Sea. Over in Shetland, I also..."

"Also what, Father?" Kali was standing right behind him, her bright eyes fixed on him as she smiled a gentle, kindly smile.

"I also had quite a few... wait, no. When did I ever say I had lovers?" Yuan’s smile froze on his face. How could he not realize Wei’en had set him up?

Wei’en gave him a mischievous look. "Just a few days ago. I remember you even told me not to tell Sister Kali..."

"Father, you can actually tell me things like that," Kali said sweetly. "When I go to the Cathedral today, I’ll pray to the Dawn for you. I’ll pray that you find a new lover soon."

"Ahem..." Yuan shot Wei’en a glare and quickly changed the subject. "Wei’en, why are you dressed like that? Did the Secret Investigation Department fire you?"

’I’m such an upstanding person, and my lifetime of good repute has been ruined... It’s all Wei’en’s fault. That bastard, repaying my kindness with malice!’

"Not at all,"

Wei’en gave a bashful smile, as if his earlier teasing was all in jest. "I’ve been praying to the Dawn these past few days, and I think I’ve had some results. So I was hoping to go to the Cathedral with Sister Kali to get it checked."

Hearing this, Yuan’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "You? Praying to the Dawn? Are you kidding me? You’re a Wiz—"

But before he could finish, Kali joyfully grabbed Wei’en’s hand. "Really? Have you also become a believer under the great Dawn Radiance?"

Wei’en looked at Kali, who was now right in front of him, and unconsciously leaned a little closer. "It’s true. Inspired by Sister Kali, I’ve finally taken this brave step. It’s all thanks to you."

"That’s wonderful! I just knew the light of the Dawn would always shine upon you, Wei’en."

"Ah, this..."

Yuan was frantic. ’My foolish daughter, he’s a Wizard! A Wizard from the Ghost Soul School! How could he possibly become a believer of the Dawn? He’s lying to you!’

’How sinister! To get closer to the pearl of my eye, he’s actually pretending to be a follower of the Dawn!’

Wei’en paid no mind to Yuan’s thoughts. His eyes drifted downward, looking at Kali’s chest—ah, no, at the Covenant in her hands. "Sister Kali," he said, "could I borrow this Covenant for a moment?"

"This? Of course,"

Kali pressed the Dawn Covenant into his hands and asked, "Wei’en, you don’t have a guide for the Dawn yet, do you?"

"A guide?"

’Lisi seemed to have mentioned this yesterday. When entering the Cathedral grounds for the first time, the Dawn Church arranges for a devout believer to guide new converts onto the right path.’

"No, not yet..."

"Then let me be your guide, Wei’en."

PS: My sincere thanks to readers 20200623145315289 and Nan Ke Du Meng for your patronage. Thank you so much.