Chapter 334
Niya and Tara had been following closely behind the two of them. Upon hearing those words, Tara suddenly looked up, as if she wanted to retort, but after a moment's thought, she held back and lowered her head.
Typically, an archbishop wouldn’t have as many extraordinary students as Tara.
After the two had lunch at an outdoor restaurant, Aivina opened the day's newspaper. Upon seeing the headline, her expression shifted slightly, and she handed the paper to Charles.
“Charles, take a look.”
Aivina passed him the Canal Gazette.
Charles took the newspaper and glanced at the text, his expression showing a hint of surprise.
**[Possible Resolution to the Grain Crisis in Ansu]**
**[—Professor Ashford of the Ansu Medical Association publishes a paper claiming to have found a plant that can immunize against the "Corruption Plague."]**
Ashford had already arrived in Ansu? Had he announced this so quickly?
There was no doubt this would dominate the headlines across major news outlets, and Ashford would become the brightest “target.”
He was certainly a man of action.
Charles set the newspaper down and took a sip of tea.
Next, it was just a matter of watching how things would unfold.
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**Chapter 186: Is This Still a Simulation?**
After lunch, Aivina and Charles returned to the hotel.
Although they had already chosen a place, the paperwork and moving in would take some time.
To be safe, Charles planned to keep everyone at the hotel for a few more days, ensuring their safety while observing the situation's development.
Most importantly, he needed to wait for the next simulation to move forward a few days, reducing the cost from 200 fate points to 100, allowing him to scout the situation a hundred days ahead to ensure absolute safety.
However, when the four of them reached the hotel entrance, they found that alongside the two police carriages parked across the street, several luxurious carriages had appeared.
One of the carriages bore a strange scale emblem, which looked almost like eyes watching others.
The Church of the God of Order?
Charles had seen Aivina draw the Eye of Order contract before, but compared to the church's emblem he saw now, it seemed Aivina's depiction in the simulation was only half of it—a single eye.
The moment Aivina spotted that carriage, she whispered, “Let’s go.”
She quickened her pace, and Charles hurried to keep up.
But as Aivina ascended the steps and reached the hotel entrance, she saw a woman with faint wrinkles on her face, dressed in deep blue, standing in the lobby. Upon seeing Aivina, the woman smiled and nodded slowly.
Aivina hesitated for a moment, but the doorman had already opened the door. Reluctantly, Aivina stepped inside, approaching the middle-aged woman.
“Teacher.”
Aivina nodded slightly, offering a greeting.
“You’ve grown taller, Aivina.”
The woman smiled as she removed her white gloves, revealing a right hand covered in steel. She gently ruffled Aivina’s hair and continued with a smile, “The last time I saw you, you were still so small.”
As she spoke, the woman gestured at her waist, her eyes filled with affection and nostalgia.
“Is that your friend?”
The woman turned her gaze toward Charles, raising her hand to her chest and smiling as she waved, “Hello, I’m Helensstone.”
The middle-aged woman always seemed to treat others with kindness, her speech gentle and slow, which might irritate some impatient souls, but overall, she exuded a non-threatening aura.
“Hello, I’m Charles.”
Charles nodded slightly in response.
Then, Helensstone’s gaze shifted to Niya, her sky-blue eyes revealing a hint of pain and sadness. She looked at Niya and asked, “Saint… Niya, how have you been lately?”
Niya stared at the woman, the azure glow flickering slightly through the gaps in her mask, but she remained silent, seemingly having forgotten the woman before her.
Finally, Helensstone turned her attention to Tara, seemingly about to greet the “maid,” but at that moment, Aivina spoke up.
“Teacher, if you’re here to persuade us, I suggest we part ways here.”
Aivina’s voice was calm, but Charles could detect a slight tremor and sadness beneath it.
The Russell family, resorting to soft tactics when hard ones fail?
Was this woman like William from last time, trying to convince Aivina to return to the family?
Only this time, she was from the church.
“Aivina…”
Helensstone looked at Aivina, her voice soft, “You’ve always been my proudest student… You know, the situation is unstable lately, and the church needs you…”
“Charles, let’s go.”
Without looking back, Aivina told Charles and then bypassed Helensstone, heading toward the stairs.
“Aivina, even if you don’t think of me, you should think of Lady Niya. Continuing to defy the holy laws will only worsen her situation…”
Helensstone hurried after Aivina, but Aivina showed no sign of stopping.
Finally, Helensstone gave up on catching up, shaking her head with a bitter smile as she said, “Aivina, I can’t shield you from the next Holy Law Tribunal’s plans… They’re anxious, Aivina…”
“I was actually planning to go directly to Boren City to find you. You should go somewhere farther, Aivina…”
Helensstone let her arms drop helplessly, watching Aivina ascend the stairs, allowing Charles, Niya, and Tara to pass by her. Her gaze lingered for a moment on Niya’s back before she turned and left, her figure appearing somewhat forlorn.
The Church of the God of Order’s targets weren’t just Aivina; it seemed they also had their sights set on Niya.
The underlying issues appeared to be more complex than he had imagined.
The situation was unstable, and the church needed them? The Church of the God of Order was in a hurry?
Was it because of the “uniqueness” of the present world? Did they urgently need the Saintess to help them enter the Otherworld to find items?
But judging by Helensstone’s manner of speaking, she didn’t seem to be there to persuade Aivina; rather, it felt more like a warning, at least clear enough for Charles, who was unaware of the details, to understand.
Charles followed Aivina upstairs. In front of her room, he paused and gave Tara a look, signaling her to take care of Niya and to notify him if anything happened. Then, he entered Aivina’s room and closed the door behind him.
At that moment, Aivina was already seated on the sofa, her earlier expressionless demeanor gone. She leaned forward, resting her hands on her legs, and Charles couldn’t see her face.
Charles sat to Aivina’s left, gently stroking her back without asking anything, waiting for her emotions to settle a bit.
After about ten seconds of soothing silence, Aivina leaned slightly toward Charles, and he instinctively moved his left hand to the back of her neck, brushing aside his right-side hair to allow her to rest her head comfortably on his shoulder.
“Helensstone is the church advisor for the Russell family, and she’s been my teacher since I was little. She grew up with me and Niya…”
“She’s a good person, with no choice… I hope you don’t blame her.”
Aivina spoke softly, and it seemed that every time she recalled the past, her emotions would dip a little.
“Maybe we shouldn’t have come to Ansu… Perhaps we could go to the capital of Falos, Avilin.”
Charles hesitated before speaking.
“No,”
Aivina shook her head and replied, “According to Teacher Helensstone, even if we stayed in Boren City, they would eventually come for us… Coming to Ansu has only expedited their priority.”
It seemed Ansu City wasn’t very safe either…
Staying in Boren City posed the danger of being far from the capital, making them susceptible to catastrophic events and indiscriminate assassination attempts. Staying in the capital of Ansu complicated matters with various interpersonal relationships.
Handling interpersonal relationships was precisely what Charles wasn’t good at; she was more adept at dealing with people directly.
“So what will they do next? What is this Holy Law Tribunal Helensstone mentioned? Will you be in danger?”
Charles asked softly, her only concern being this; she feared they might resort to force to take Aivina away.
“I won’t be in danger…”
Aivina shook her head and explained, “The Holy Law Tribunal is the enforcement department of the Church of the God of Order, responsible for escorting those who violate the holy laws to the Holy Law Court for trial… It’s similar to a tribunal.”
“I’m not a member of the Church of the God of Order, so their holy laws don’t bind me; that much is certain, as they strictly adhere to rules and laws… But it’s a different story for Niya.”
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