Wei’en looked to his left.

There stood a black stone door, twice the height of a man, inlaid on both sides with the gilded Holy Emblem of the Dawn Church—a radiant sun.

Faint, whimpering wails drifted from within.

"...Please forgive me..."

"...The glory of the Ceres Clan, ruined by..."

"...Oh Dawn, all-knowing and all-powerful..."

Seeing him stop, Kali asked in confusion, "Wei’en?"

"What... what is this place?" Wei’en clutched the necklace on his chest and pointed to the black stone door. "I think I can hear someone crying."

Kali glanced at the door, then quickly grabbed his arm and hurried deeper into the corridor.

She pulled Wei’en so hard he stumbled. "Hey, what’s wrong?"

"That’s the confessional."

Kali leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Only those who have violated the Dawn Covenant go there to repent."

’A confessional?’

’No wonder.’

Wei’en made a mental note. Whether anyone was actually repenting, he couldn’t say, but he could definitely feel the fluctuations of a forbidden object in there.

The two had walked some distance before the black stone door creaked open just a crack. A bloodshot eye pierced the darkness, fixing a vicious, cruel stare on their retreating backs.

[You have been targeted by the killing intent of Gengrich Ceres. Evaluation: The scum has its eyes on the weakling. Reward: Survival Points +1.]

Wei’en froze, then glanced back to see the black stone door close.

’Ceres... is that the person in the confessional?’

’Scum?’

Wei’en curled his lip. ’And he wants to kill me? He’s weaker than I am, and *I’m* the weakling.’

’There are levels to this, you know.’

The two walked through the silent corridor, the crisp sound of their footsteps echoing melodiously.

Sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, clothing them in cloaks of rainbow light.

"Every time I walk here, I feel so small."

Kali gazed at the mural on the side of the corridor, her clear eyes filled with reverence. "No matter how the eras may change, the Dawn will always shine."

Wei’en was also looking at the murals, but unlike Kali, he was simply interested in what they depicted.

The murals seemed to portray a legendary battle.

It was a battle between warriors of the Dawn Church, clad in Golden Armor emblazoned with the Holy Emblem, and a horde of bizarrely shaped monsters.

The monsters had the heads of goats and slender limbs, wielding whip-like weapons as they locked in a brutal struggle with the church’s forces.

In the end, the Dawn Church achieved a pyrrhic victory. On the entire battlefield, only a single, winged Angel remained, surrounded by a sea of strewn corpses.

"This is the Holy War of the Dawn from the Fourth Era," Kali said, noticing his gaze. "In that battle, the Dawn Church suffered over fifty percent casualties..."

Wei’en pointed to the goat-like monsters. "What are these creatures?"

"The professors at the academy call them the Black Goats. They were a very powerful race."

"’Black Goats.’ Pretty on the nose. Are they still around?"

"They’ve vanished. It’s said they were never seen again after that battle."

Kali looked at him and said earnestly, "Wei’en, without the light of the Dawn Radiance, order will collapse, and the world will suffer even greater calamities. So..."

Her intense gaze made Wei’en uncomfortable, so he quickly changed the subject. "Um, why are we going to the chapel?"

’So what? I’m just here on a mission. I’m not a true believer in the Dawn.’

’Besides, I’m just a weakling trying to stay alive. My loftiest goal is just to take down my Liaison Officer.’

’The world? Order? What do I care if it all collapses?’

"You, I, well..."

Seeing her expression, Wei’en asked, puzzled, "Is that a hard question?"

Kali’s mouth hung slightly open. "...The chapel is where we usually worship. It’s for the most devout followers of the Dawn."

’Did I say something wrong?’

’When the previous guides said that, all the new believers got so fired up, eager to become Guardians of the Dawn on the spot...’

"The most devout? Then I probably don’t have the right to go in there, do I?"

Wei’en was already looking for a way out. He had found the location of the forbidden object; it was too risky to stay any longer.

"Just come with me."

Kali grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into a room deeper in the corridor.

"Hey?!"

As she pulled him along, Wei’en tried to break free but found her grip was like iron.

’Her strength?’

’An Extraordinary... Of course. Yuan dotes on his daughter; why wouldn’t he train her to become an Extraordinary?’

’Still, this kind of power doesn’t match her appearance at all.’

’Someone like Lisi, maybe, but not her, right?’

Kali let go of his hand. "We’re here," she said softly.

"Oh."

Wei’en surveyed his surroundings.

Compared to the great hall he had first entered, the chapel seemed much smaller and more intimate. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

There were no massive pillars, no brilliant chandeliers, no mural-covered vaulted ceilings—only a sense of warmth and serenity.

Several portraits hung on the surrounding walls. Below them was an altar covered in candles, their flickering flames lending the portraits a lifelike quality.

And in the center of the chapel stood a three-meter-tall statue.

Strangely, the statue’s face was indistinct, yet it didn’t look crude or bizarre. Instead, it projected an aura of divinity.

Its body was draped in magnificent robes embroidered with golden symbols, and its chest was adorned with a Dawn Holy Emblem formed from hundreds of inlaid rubies.

One hand gripped a longsword, while the other was raised, holding a golden orb.

Wei’en’s gaze was fixed on the statue. He stared at it, a suspicion forming in his mind. ’This must be what the Dawn faith worships, right?’

"This is...?"

"The Great Dawn!" Kali lowered her head, touched her forehead with two fingers of her right hand, and bowed respectfully.

’Just as I thought...’

Wei’en perfunctorily followed her lead with a bow. Just as he was about to speak, he felt the necklace on his chest begin to vibrate again.

’Hm?’

’There’s a forbidden object here, too?!’

"What’s that sound?" Kali glanced around in confusion. "Did you hear that? A buzzing?"

"...I think I heard something strange."

Wei’en quickly slapped his chest to turn off the detection device, then mimicked her by looking around. "But now that I’m listening for it, it’s gone."

Kali frowned. "It might have just been footsteps outside. That happens a lot in the Cathedral; even whispering can echo."

"Must be."

Wei’en breathed a silent sigh of relief, then feigned curiosity and pointed to the portraits. "Sister Kali, those paintings are...?"

Though he appeared calm, his mind was reeling.

’Two forbidden objects in the entire Krimms Cathedral?’

"They are the eight Guardians of the Dawn."

Kali faced the portraits and bowed. "They are Judgment, Trial, Conquest, Retribution, Valor, Wisdom, Kindness, and Light."

Wei’en nodded absently. "Oh."

His gaze kept darting toward the statue in the center. ’A place that conspicuous is the most likely spot to hide a forbidden object.’

’I just don’t know which of these two locations is sealing Forbidden Object-034, the Casket of Revival...’