Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1241 - 27 Elisa

Chapter 1241: Chapter 27 Elisa

"The Goddess said, ’Do not fear hunger, my children, for I shall grant you my blood and flesh, to keep you away from starvation, so that you may endure in this barren world.’ Thus, the sterile soil became fertile, and the barren earth turned into lush farmlands," intoned the elderly priest standing at the forefront of the pulpit in the old preaching hall of the Temple of the Earth Goddess. With a slow, deliberate voice, he recited Denia’s hymn, his eyes not even needing to glance at the scriptures laid out on the table before him, for each word seemed to be deeply etched into his mind, flowing effortlessly as he spoke.

"We thank our Lord for His blessings." Seated on equally aged chairs below, a few dozen congregants who had come to pray, all dressed as farmers, devoutly bowed their heads. They drew neat squares on their chests and responded softly to the old priest’s sermon.

"The Goddess said, ’Do not fear cold and darkness, my children, for I shall grant you my bones, to provide you with safe dwellings, so that you may warmly pass the long nights and cold winters.’" The elderly priest, whilst softly coughing, persisted in reading the sentences clearly from the book: "Thus, caves appeared in the mountains, and people took shelter within them to ward off the cold and the wild beasts."

"We thank our Lord for His protection." Those listening to the sermon echoed once again in a low voice, their responses carrying a unique rhythm that brought an indescribable religious atmosphere to the entire venue. Even the most ordinary pan-believers would become more devout under such an ambiance—perhaps this was why, after daily prayer meetings, it was fundamental to listen to the clergy’s preaching under the church’s guidance. An experienced and compelling clergy member could gather more faith for the Deities with the simple recitation of common scriptures, whereas those insufficient in ability would merely be reading the texts—gaining nothing and possibly even producing adverse effects.

"We praise our Lord, and we shall prostrate before our Lord’s feet, constantly basking in our Lord’s radiance, offering our eternal loyalty to our Lord, we shall..."

The devout congregants did not notice, but a side door of the preaching hall quietly opened. An old nun peered out and looked around briefly before waving to Lina and Pannis standing at the back, gesturing for the two to enter directly into the sanctum of the temple. Nodding, Lina, holding onto Pannis, quietly slipped into the back hall under the watchful eyes of other clergy of the Church of the Earth Goddess.

The old nun closed the side door slowly, her face unable to conceal her joy as she eyed the priestess girl, verifying that she was unharmed and without any visible injuries, before she raised her finger to her lips to gesture for silence, pointing towards the depths of the back hall. Lina knew that due to the temple’s antiquity, the preaching hall’s soundproofing was not very effective, and speaking here could easily disturb the service outside. Thus, the two followed the old nun in silence, moving between rooms in the back hall.

"You have finally returned, my child." Once they were away from the preaching hall, the old nun could no longer contain herself and stopped in her tracks, turning around to embrace the priestess girl tightly. Her voice trembled as she said, "Knowing you went to such a fearsome place for an adventure, we were constantly worried about your safety. Just the thought of those vicious magical beasts and soulless Undead possibly pouncing on you and harming you made us so worried we nearly forgot to breathe. Thankfully, you have returned safely, dear child, just as you promised when you left—that everything would go well. Thank you for not deceiving me and Ankava with lies, sparing us old folks who might soon return to the Goddess’ embrace, from losing another beloved child."

"Aunt Elisa, you exaggerate too much," Lina, held in the old nun’s arms, said with a mix of laughter and tears: "I am a Legendary Rank adventurer now, not as fragile as you think. Besides, I had my sisters fighting alongside me, and with Pannis by my side, even the strongest of enemies couldn’t harm me."

"So what?" The elderly nun cradled Lina’s face, swinging it side to side as if checking repeatedly for any injuries while muttering to herself, "When I first met you a few years ago, the slightest noise would startle you, and if anyone got within two meters of you, you’d assume a defensive posture, just like a little mouse that had only just left its cave. But now, you can smile and talk to others. Blessings of Denia, seeing you grow up like this has finally put me and Uncle Ankava at ease."

"Aunt Elisa." Lina’s expression softened, and she snuggled into the old nun’s embrace, whispering, "I’m very sorry for making you worry these past years. After this is over, I will stay a few more days in the Holy City, to spend more quality time with you and Uncle Ankava."

"Oh, no need, no need, your matters are more important. As long as we know you’re safe, we’re already satisfied," the old nun said, a joyful smile spreading across her wrinkled face that she almost couldn’t close her mouth. "News from the council has already come back; you and your sister have finally . . ."

"Yes, I finally admitted my mistakes to my sister, and we’ve reconciled." Lina grinned broadly and nodded vigorously, "In some time, I’ll find a chance to sneakily bring my sister here so you two can meet her. She looks so much like me; you’ll definitely like her."

"Just to see your sister?" the old nun asked with a mischievous look, glancing at Pannis and whispering into the priestess’s ear, "Are you planning to hold a ceremony with him?"

"Aunt Elisa, what are you talking about?" Lina’s fair cheeks instantly flushed red, and she fled from the old nun’s embrace, stammering, "It’s not what you think. How could such an important ceremony be held now?"

"Hmm, are you only concerned about the timing? That’s right, you haven’t received the Deity’s blessing yet." Sister Elisa gave Pannis a meaningful smile, her scrutinizing gaze making him squirm uncomfortably for a long while before she finally let go, feeling like he had turned into a vast meadow. She then nudged the priestess from behind, urging, "What are you waiting for, my child? Hurry and take him to the prayer room. It’s all my fault for holding you up. You must be so anxious by now."

"I’m not anxious at all," Lina said, her face still red, chidingly biting her lip, "And I didn’t bring him here to get the Deity’s blessing. I just brought him here to accompany me in prayer."

"Exactly, exactly," the old nun said, her voice playful, "We all know that. Yes, so you better hurry along."