Liu Shu always kept a close eye on the church, watching its development. She naturally noticed the new <Eternal Saint> candidate as well. While at first she was not really sure of who she was, memories of the past quickly flooded in when the cat-girl did her first praying session.

During this session, Liu Shu heard her present herself and also heard her speak about some past events. 'She is that catgirl…?'

Liu Shu was dazed as she gazed at the mature woman kneeling in green robes, her bodice adorned with blue, glowing lines. These dress styles were something Elyne came up with after seeing her roots in the past. She said that it was something quite unique even among World Trees.

Looking at Tanya closely, Liu Shu felt the weight of time on her. 'Did I really encounter that girl so long ago? It feels as if I saw her last month…'

Tanya didn't know that Liu Shu was focusing on her, and she was peacefully muttering her morning prayers. They weren't anything too grand. Most of the chants were still a work in progress that needed to mature. Still, most of them were songs of Liu Shu's mercy and kindness.

It was honestly very strange to have people speaking like that with serious faces.

"...And so I pray, Lady Liu Shu, that your fruits are everlasting and that your roots spread and carry your blessings to all creatures living among the stars."

Saints were part of the group already qualified to call Liu Shu by her actual name. Although they needed an honorific, it was much more intimate than anyone else who joined and called her Heavenly Willow still.

Tanya's closed eyes gently open, her tail swaying behind her as her ears twitched. A smile spread on her face as she sighed comfortably. "The feeling is really great… I wonder if Lady Liu Shu recalls me."

As she muttered, alone. Liu Shu decided to make her presence known. "Um… Hello."

Tanya's beautiful green cat eyes widened, her vertical pupils dilating for a second. "L-Lady Liu Shu!?"

She quickly jumped up, tripping on her long dress. When Liu Shu thought that the woman would kiss the ground, she agilely threw her body up with her hands, landing perfectly on her feet a moment later.

"Wow! Great reflexes."

Tanya's face turned completely red. "T-That… Sorry for showing you something so unsightly, Lady Liu Shu."

Seeing her so clumsy, Liu Shu also felt a lot of the awkwardness dissipate. She chuckled slightly and spoke with a gentle tone. "It… has been quite a few years already. Honestly, you are so grown up that I didn't recognize you at first."

Tanya scratched her cheek awkwardly before reacting and trying to show proper etiquette. "I am honored that you remember this—"

"Ah… Stop that." Liu Shu laughed awkwardly. "That kind of formal speaking is not really necessary. If Elyne tells you something, just tell her I told you not to bother."

Tanya didn't really know how to react, looking around awkwardly. After all, not having something to talk about when communicating with someone could feel unnatural.

Noticing her strangeness, Liu Shu hummed, and her roots poked from the ground. Tanya looked over and saw, with awe, the roots entangling to create a wooden figure similar to Liu Shu's Avatar. The wooden figure moved strangely as Liu Shu spoke. "This… How is it? Do you feel less awkward?"

Tanya blurted before her brain registered it. "That's honestly creepieeeaahh, not! That's a very beautiful figure, Lady Liu Shu!"

Liu Shu burst into light laughter when Tanya waved her hands around, her eyes gathering tears at her comment. The wooden figure she created pointed at Tanya as Liu Shu spoke. "That… Sit over here. Since we met after so long, I guess you can also call this fate."

"Sit where…? Oh." A set of chairs and a simple table appeared from the ground, making Tanya's cat ears twitch with surprise. Liu Shu found that cute, but she didn't vocalize it.

"So, um, how old are you, Tanya?"

"I will be 60 next year, Lady Liu Shu."

"Oh." Liu Shu was stunned. "S-Sixty?"

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Seeing the wooden doll open her mouth in astonishment, Tanya's nervousness was cut by half. Also, seeing her surprise, Tanya reminded herself that World Trees perceived time very differently from other beings. "Yes… We met when I was a child, but in the blink of an eye, I am about to be sixty."

"That's… something. So, um, how was life to you? I remember that the last time I went to check on you, there was this boy… What was he called?"

Tanya's lips twitched a bit. "Aron?"

"Right, right. There was a time when I was going to contact you again to see if your parents were still being bad to you. But I saw a boy named Aron take care of you. So, I decided not to involve myself and let nature take its course."

"I… see." Tanya couldn't help but smile wryly. "Well, things didn't go smoothly. I guess it is a story you can find anywhere, but eventually, he found another love, and we each went our different ways."

Liu Shu shifted her wooden doll again. "...I stepped on another aggressive nest. Sorry."

Tanya chuckled, her face showing maturity. "Do not worry, Lady Liu Shu. It is part of life, something almost everyone except a lucky few experiences while growing up."

"I… guess?" Liu Shu was honestly not convinced. After all, in her experience, most of her children's lovers remained with them, while her own also remained loyal. Still, a single check in her domain made her spot quite a few break-up scenes here and there.

Liu Shu shook her head and asked, curious. "Why did you decide to become part of the church…?" Liu Shu paused and gestured nervously with her wooden hands. "That, sorry, I am only bombarding you with questions as if this were a work interview or something. You can also ask back, you know!"

Tanya laughed, her cat eyes arching gently. "There is no problem. To answer your question, I joined because…" The cat girl pondered whether she should be honest or not.

Liu Shu commented lightly. "Just because I am the World Tree, you don't need to answer everything I ask! The Saints and such were created as a group that would be rather close to me… You know, like friends! Yeah! That's it! The saints and others are like friend candidates!"

Tanya looked at the seriously nodding wooden doll, holding back her laughter as her eyes softened. 'Was Lady Liu Shu always this adorable? I really want to pinch her cheek and pat her head.'

Feeling the last traces of hesitation and nervousness disappear, Tanya became honest. "...I came here to find you, Lady Liu Shu. I was feeling lonely, and my life was heading into quite a stale situation. So, one day when I came back, I caught the wooden accessory you left behind for me in the corner of my eye. Looking at that, I told myself, since I don't really have anything to lose, I could try to meet you by joining this church. Perhaps, that way, I would find a new purpose in life."

Tanya looked at the listening doll and smiled gently. "Sixty years is… a long time for us. I understand that it goes by in the blink of an eye for Lady Liu Shu. But it is a really long time that makes you change your worldview to the point that nothing you thought about initially remains."

Liu Shu understood that in her head. However, each time she got distracted, a week or a month would've gone by without her knowledge. So, she really couldn't sympathize. While Liu Shu was 75 years old, her whole life felt like just a few years of adventure.

"I know… My babies, each time I look away and look back, I find that they've changed quite a lot. There are even new people around them I didn't know about." Liu Shu tangled her doll's hands, looking down at her hands. "Soon, one of my friends is going to pass away… I have been trying my best not to lose track of time and visit Wert at least once a day. But sometimes, I unknowingly skip a week."

Tanya naturally knew who Wert was. He was actually featured in the history books taught in school as one of the most influential figures in helping the Heavenly Willow ascend. Liu Shu sighed, her emotions slightly heavy. "Through my roots, I can feel the souls of countless beings flowing in their death. Each person, evil or good, passes through me. I help them cleanse their souls and purify them so that they can be reborn. Each one leaves some traces on my roots."

Her words made Tanya realize just how incredible a being the World Tree was. She couldn't help but think that the chants Elyne made them memorize were not that exaggerated.

In truth, their entire world flowed through the existence of the gentle being who was currently awkwardly communicating with her. How much of a mental weight was that? Feeling each death, witnessing every single life, and being able to observe all atrocities and blessings occurring around the world.

To call the being in front of her divine was not out of bounds in the slightest. She was still a young divine being. One with the pure innocence of a young child. And, she was a lucky person who was even allowed to communicate and say that she had shared a childhood with it.

If there was any resentment inside Tanya for Liu Shu not contacting her again since she was a child, their current conversation erased those ugly traces. If anything, Tanya was grateful that, among the countless children who needed someone in their difficult moments, she was the lucky one who got a root stretched towards.

'It was probably a fling. Something she did out of boredom. And while I really want to express my gratitude to her, I know that it will burden her and strain our relationship. Therefore, I will show that gratitude by becoming your Saint, Liu Shu.'

Liu Shu saw Tanya's green eyes showing deep emotions, and she thought that she might feel somewhat burdened by her words. So, she spoke cheerfully. "Don't worry, Tanya! I am more than accustomed to these things. It is part of myself, and something I accept and gratefully take care of. Therefore, don't feel bothered by my words. Also…" The wooden doll scratched her cheek. "Sorry for not reaching out earlier. I could've probably helped you ease some of your worries."

Tanya's green cat eyes were like dewy emeralds. "No. Thank you, Lady Liu Shu. I will work hard to become a good Saint from now on so that I earn the right to call you without honorifics."

The doll's faint facial features shifted into a happy smile. "Yeah! I will be waiting!"

That smile couldn't be considered beautiful, but for Tanya, it looked as if a thousand flowers had bloomed in the middle of a harsh winter, welcoming spring.

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