Nova glanced at their surroundings, wondering why it seemed so silent. He would have expected someone to have passed this place by now.

Sar noted his questioning look. "If you're wondering about the absence of people, they all sensed my presence on their way here. We won't be disturbed."

"I see… Well, good." Nova looked back at Sar, not wanting to reveal his lack of ability to sense someone's Soul Power. He could feel something from her, but it was faint, like a sound just outside his hearing range. "My first question, then; What will happen to us in the holy city?"

"I can't say for certain." Sar clasped her hands together. "You'll likely meet one of the cardinals, perhaps even the Holy Signus himself. You will be shown around the holy city, and probably meet other candidates like yourself. What happens outside of that will depend on your meetings."

"... And for that, you have to force me away from here?" Nova's voice carried an edge.

"It was a mission from the Holy Signus. I can't refuse it, and I'd hate to fail. And the church takes talent very seriously."

Nova sighed, folding his hands in annoyance. But then he thought about it from another perspective. '... In this world, talents are exploited and killed for their souls. Is the church doing this for the sake of protecting them?'

"... Why does the church train talent instead of killing them and taking the traits for themselves?"

Sar smiled in a way that made her look twenty years younger, full of smugness. "Are you starting to see the greatness of the church?"

"It's a better approach than others I've seen so far." Nova kept his tone neutral.

"Very true," she replied, losing her smile. Then she put three fingers up. "There are three reasons. The first is simple—we want to protect them. The second is sort of a secret, but…" She paused, seeming to consider how much to say. "Traits can only evolve in their original soul."

"What? They can evolve?" Nova's eyes widened. In an instant, he understood why the church was so eager to save talents. But more than that, he wondered what would happen if his own traits evolved. Especially his unique 'Legacy of Nine Lives.'

"Yes. All traits can grow into a stronger version, possibly many times greater than their original.But it is very hard to do. Not even I have managed to evolve mine…"

She lowered her hand and let her eyes rest on something in front of her face, invisible to Nova. "And for anyone aiming for the position of Holy Signus, it's almost a requirement to have an evolved trait."

"... And the last reason?"

"Right. The last is simply that it's one of our commandments, straight from the God of Order himself."

"Right." Nova's voice dripped with skepticism. "Commandments always sound so great, don't they?"

"... I don't know the commandments of the minor churches, so I can't say." Sar's eyes held a hint of amusement. "But as you can see, we follow ours religiously. Now that the contract is in place, I can say I wasn't going to stop you if you tried to escape."

Nova scowled at her. He didn't have the liberty to call her bluff earlier, so now he was stuck joining her on a trip to the heart of church power. "I would have escaped if I wanted to, regardless of your intentions. Next question—how certain are you that we will be able to return?"

"Hmm." Sar tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If you still intend to return at the end of the week, I'd say about an eighty percent chance. You would have to convince some very powerful people that keeping you there is not the best course of action. And since they'd have to sacrifice my life..." She smiled thinly. "Perhaps eighty-five percent."

Nova's small hands clenched. "That's worse than I expected."

"I don't know the Holy Signus well, so I can only guess why he wanted you to come so badly. If he's very interested in you, little can be done to deny him. But I would have been punished if I didn't bring you, so I'm satisfied with the chances."

"I'm starting to feel like I've been outplayed." Nova's shoulders slumped slightly.

"Not at all." Sar shook her head. "You took every possible precaution before agreeing. And you're still weak. I'm quite confident you would have done as you wished if we were closer in strength."

"You're giving me a lot of respect." Nova studied her face carefully.

The shadows cast by his domain spell made her expression hard to read, but her words rang with sincerity. "Nine lifetimes is nothing to scoff at. And I sense you have used them well."

"I like to think so. How much freedom will we have once we arrive?"

"A decent amount, I imagine." Sar spread her hands. "The candidates' chambers are supposed to be very nice to live in, with all kinds of accommodations. But, of course, I've never been there myself."

"You're being very careful with your answers." Nova's eyes narrowed.

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"Of course!" Sar touched her chest. "My life depends on absolute honesty. I can't lie."

"You won't be punished for being inaccurate if you think what you're saying is true."

"But I should tell you if I'm unsure about the answer, right?"

"Yes." Nova's voice sharpened. "Now tell me—what does Millie's amulet do?"

"It's a safety measure primarily." Sar's response came quickly. "It monitors her health and location. I've been told she was quite traumatized right before joining us."

"She was." The careful phrasing of her words made Nova suspect there was more to the amulet's purpose, but at least she seemed to be honoring the contract's terms. "So it wouldn't have stopped me from taking her along when escaping?"

"No, you could have simply taken it off." Sar's lips curved. "I would have attempted to stop you if you had tried to take her along, though."

"I would have succeeded." Nova didn't bother hiding his confidence. He'd faced worse odds across his lifetimes.

"So you tell me." She smiled, adding another dash of smugness.

Nova exhaled deeply, knowing there was little point in arguing. He moved on to the next topic. "What does the testing sphere tell you about me?" He watched her face carefully, trying to gauge how much the church really knew about him.

"It reads your soul stats directly from your soul, but nothing deeper. We can't see the functions of your traits, for example. But it can see past equipped souls, if that was your plan to evade it."

"Not my brightest moment," Nova admitted.

"Perhaps. But you care for the girl, don't you?"

Nova stared back at her, leaving the question unanswered. But they both knew why he was there. 'I do. And it blinded me to the risks.'

Sar pinched her chin, looking at Nova thoughtfully. "Do you think your young body makes it harder for you to work at full capacity? Does your mind struggle to keep up with your knowledge?"

"Maybe." Nova felt his muscles tense at the probing questions. "But that's no reason to underestimate me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Sar's voice grew serious. "Someone with your abilities at only four years old... I can only imagine what feelings you'll stir in people as you grow stronger."

Nova frowned. He didn't like how easily he was being measured. 'Still trying to determine if I'm a threat or an asset? You're not wrong to wonder. I've reshaped worlds before, when necessary.'

He would prefer to avoid a confrontation. Even if they both got away from the holy city safely, the church was an enemy he would hate to make. "Are the practices of the church equally draconic everywhere?"

"... Draconic in what way?" Sar's expression remained neutral.

Nova's voice turned cold. "Young children being whipped bloody for not following your rules, as an example. I had an enlightening conversation with the brother in that room." He jerked his head toward Norbert's door. "And he left a bad impression."

Sar drew a long breath, and Nova tensed at the lack of shock or horror on her face. "This might be where we differ, then. Discipline is vital for the church's survival. And the earlier the lesson sinks in—"

"The earlier you traumatize them into obedience without giving them the choice to leave, you mean?" Nova felt centuries of rage bubbling beneath his calm exterior. Even the thought of leaving Millie in that place, or what could have happened had he not come for her… And all the children they had already beaten down.

"It… works." She suddenly seemed nervous, looking at him with intense focus.

'Ah, the killing intent. Let's remain calm.'

Nova breathed heavily, controlling his emotions. "It's barbaric. Don't try convincing me otherwise."

She seemed to understand that it was a subject best left alone. "... Fine. Anything else?"

"What exactly is the purpose of the church?"

"Why, worshiping our lord, of course. We pray to him, and he lends us the power to use the system. We save talents from the greedy, we purify tainted souls, we offer services of soul retention, and we keep the order."

"Good. Now I just need to hear from someone who hates the church—balance the perspective." Nova watched frustration flicker across Sar's face.

"You think I'm biased?" Her tone sharpened slightly.

Nova gave her a look that felt strange on his child's face—the patronizing stare he'd perfected over centuries. "You're not claiming to be unbiased, are you?"

"Mmh, at least more than most people in the church."

"What do you think deserves criticism, then?" Nova pressed, curious what an archbishop would admit to.

"The useless rules and ceremonies that only serve to waste time. And the rule to stay out of politics in sovereign nations is causing me headaches."

"That's a rule? Meaning the church can't stop the harvesting?"

Sar's eyes widened with genuine surprise. "... No, we can't. You know about that?"

"We were born there." Nova kept his voice deliberately casual while his mind raced with implications. If the church's hands were tied by their own laws... "If that's a strict rule, I've lost all interest in joining your organization."

"That's what you're fighting?" Curiosity and something like respect crept into her voice. "How?"

"One small victory at a time." Nova turned toward the dormitory. His previous uncertainty about the church hardened into resolve. They weren't evil—just impotent. "Now, let's get going so I can get back to what's actually important."

"... Fine. I can wait here while you get the girl."

"Perfect." Nova started walking, letting the shadow domain disappear with every step. The church might not be an enemy, but they clearly couldn't be the solution he'd briefly hoped for either.

'I can't pretend to know why their rules are the way they are, but they seem to be of little use to me. I did entertain the possibility of becoming the head of the church… I still do, a little bit. But if it requires the sacrifice of every child in every garden in the country, forget it.'

Every day that went by felt like a loss to him, knowing that somewhere, many times a day, children were being harvested. He had stopped one of many, and even that was a greater challenge than he expected.

'Power… I just need power. I should refine the blood once things settle, and start smithing some powerful equipment. And then… Maybe I'll fight Nihil when we return? Or do I start a high-class smithy to earn gold? Hunting is out of the question, at least in the outlands… I'll have to think more.'

He reached the dormitory again, entering without much thought. It was still empty, but he could hear sounds from Millie's room as she wondered who it was.

"N-Nova?" Her voice quivered with uncertainty.

"Just me." He kept his tone gentle. "Don't worry."

The door to her room opened wide as she ran out with a relieved smile on her face. "I thought maybe it was a dream! But Paula told me you'd come." The white robes fluttered behind her as she ran to him, now free of the sheets she had hidden under.

Nova's chest tightened at her words. 'I need to figure out if those voices are from the real Kovu and Paula… Either way, I might have to remove them. Carefully.'

He forced a smile while worry gnawed at him. "Of course I did. But we need to take a little trip before going to Quinn's. How would you like to see another big city?" He extended his hand.

Millie took it, but there was concern on her face. "Another city? Why?"

"Nothing serious." Nova squeezed her equally small fingers. "Just some people who want to meet me."

"Oh, okay then!" Her smile returned full force, radiating that pure joy that made his heart do a little dance.

Nova swallowed hard, hoping he wasn't making another mistake. "Let's go."

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