To the Depth of Abyss

Chapter 100: Saint Arcane Church

"You done?"

"Yes?"

Veora escorted Elisa out of the Major Office. With Elisa still getting attacked by the Major Office's people.

Arriving outside, Veora forgot to ask something.

"How was your adventure upstairs, Elisa? Did it fun?"

Elisa stopped for a second to think what part she should tell her superior about her adventure on the Floor 1

"Well, many things happened..." 

Like when the first day she waited for somebody to recruit her, but turned out nobody want to recruit her in the first few days. 

When she finally got recruited by a party, all the party member is a kind of weird. Even the leader of the party because he can stand with all his weird members.

Her bizarre adventure starts when she being closed with the weirdest member. The cold-blooded, thick-headed, always use black clothing all the time, and sometimes can change his eye color, the Dummy Young Master, Ars. 

"Eeeehhh~"

Veora saw through Elisa's heart.

Elisa realized that, and that is not going to be well for her. 

"By the way, Lady Veora "

"About the Catastrophe during Change Year in Floor 1."

Elisa was too late a second. 

"Were you participated in the battle against the Catastrophe?"

Elisa knows her superior was going to ask her about that. Of course she will not answer the truth, because that is going to be more complicated if she was being honest. 

"N-no, that was too scary I only watch from the west station."

Veora bend her body and looks at Elisa in the scariest way she could. 

"Is that so?"

"Y-yes."

Veora knows Elisa can't lie. That is why she still doing the scary pose and still looking at Elisa. 

"I... became a backup Priest and take part in caring for the injured."

Finally Elisa being honest, though there was still a lie in her sentence. 

Veora back to standing,, and felt proud. 

"Good, taking part in behind is more suitable for you. I don't know what will happen if you get hurt or, at worst, die just because of your selfishness."

Veora said that in wistful feeling she could. Because she is the one who escorted Elisa back then to West Station. So she feels the most responsible if something happens to Elisa. 

When the fact there was actually one incident that endanger Elisa. But she will not tell that story to Veora, or everyone else. 

"Then, is there any other story you can tell, little girl? Or are you going to hide all that with this big sister of yours?"

The matter regarding Veora being Elisa's big sister is quite difficult to determine. Because from her face, Veora seemed to be between the same age as Diana, or maybe even older.

"Well, there is this one party I join during the time I'm in Floor 1."

Elisa tells the story about the weird party during their way to Saint Arcane Church. 

First she introduced all the party members. About Randi, the Leader of the party, and the rest. 

"And there is one member, his name is Riko. He is, I don't know, maybe he is mute? Because I haven't heard he spoke even once."

Elisa remembered very well about the guy. Of the group of four friends, he rarely spoke, but he was the most iconic of them for his shortcomings.

"Then the last of them is the cold-blooded, thick-headed, always use black clothing all the time, and sometimes can change his eye color, the Dummy - " 

Elisa almost blurted out about knowing Ars, the Greedy Young Master.

"Is the most dummy dumb-dumb person I have ever met!"

Elisa's annoyance brings joy and laugh for Veora. 

Elisa then tells all the parts of her safe story she can tell. She kept telling stories that make her forgot that she is going somewhere.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crest of Serenity /

"Should I take you till to the top?"

"No, I can walk alone from here."

They were at the eastern end of town. In front of them is a gate of the road to the top of a hill. The road went up quite far up.

"Well then, I'll be back to the town."

"Yes, thank you for your escort, Lady Veora."

Elisa bows her head for a moment, then starts walking to the hill. 

"Elisa!"

Before she left, Veora has a few words for her. 

"Don't think too much about what happened. That is the [Crest of Serenity], so you have to feel peaceful there."

Because could not lie, her feeling can easily be read by those who are close to her. Walking even for a moment beside Elisa was able to make Veora understand how the little girl felt.

Elisa appreciates Veora's empathy. She gives her escort a tender smile and says: "Yes."

Elisa then walked back upstairs. Likewise, with Veora, who returned to the town.

The road up to the Crest of Serenity is quite far. About 300 meters from below. Luckily, the road is not that uphill.

Crest of Serenity is not that high compared to Seven Color Mountains or other high region. But in Crest of Serenity, everyone could see almost the view of all territory in Floor 2, and it gives everyone who is passing through the Crest of Serenity a feeling of calm and comfort.

Elisa focused on walking upstairs that make her didn't realize she had reached her destination.

Church of Saint Arcane /

In front of her stood the front gate of the church. The head of the gate has a three ornament in shape of staff, sword, and spear. That is three ornament that represent the three Decent Saint. 

While passing the gate, there was a feeling that made Elisa's body being shaken.

That is a requirement to enter inside. Only people who have Decent Mana in their body who can enter the church. And Elisa was able to get inside easily.

Passing through the gates, Elisa enters the area of the front yard of the church. The left side is a green grassy garden. The right side is a park which has lots of seating and trees.

The front yard at that time was quiet because it was in class time. 

In front of the church, Elisa stopped by a big front door. 

Knocking twice, the door suddenly open without someone opened it. 

The very front of the church is the reception room. Elisa is still a student of the church, she should be able to go straight to the women's dormitory building.

However, due to her absence for half a year, her student status was temporarily revoked. Therefore, she had to report on her return to church first. 

But currently the teacher, the receptionist in charge, is not in her seat. She must be still in her class, teaching. 

So she had to sit down while waiting for the teacher's return. 

While waiting, she opened her bag, takes one book, and starts to read. 

"You are late, Elizabeth!"

Elisa got startled by the loud voice and foot step from a grown woman in her teaching clothes. 

"I am sorry, Miss Lilian!"

Elisa immediately stood up and went straight to the reception desk, where the receptionist waiting for her.

In the reception desk, Liliana looks at her with a scary but worried face. 

"I received reports that you will return tomorrow, but my wait ended without your return."

"I am so sorry. My group My group had a roadblock that made us one day late."

Liliana didn't ask for Elisa's honesty and immediately accepted the apology. "Thank goodness you are able to be back just fine."

"Yes."

Liliana gave Elisa the Guest Book. Elisa directly signed the book where her name is. 

Liliana closed the Guest Book and put it back to where it was. 

"Your half-year adventure on the Floor 1 is sure to leave a lot of impressions and holds a lot of memories. I did like to hear one or two stories from you, but now you have to go back to your dorms and have a rest."

"Thank you, Miss Liliana."

"You are welcome, Children of the Light."

Elisa finally can go back to her dorms, her longing room. 

She headed to south, where the women's dormitory is. 

Outside, she found a scene of the church area filled with church disciples of different classes.

It is the time to change learning hours. As a church disciple, Elisa should have followed them. But she had to go back to her room first.

In the crowd, Elisa only focused on her feet. But suddenly two people attacked her from behind.

"Eliz!" "Elizz!!"

Elisa almost fell because of the two of them.

"La! Li! How many times did I tell you two to not bumped at me?"

They are two twin Chinese girls. They have long black hair. A cute face that looks like a Chinese doll. And everything about them is identical.

The two La and Li hugged each other over Elisa's anger. 

"Aww, Eliz is mad." "Even though we just want to greet you."

"Yes, but, could you just hugged or do something normal?"

La and Li look at each other. 

"Then." "We won't hold back!"

They bumped into Elisa one more time, but that time straight through the front. 

"Guh!"

Elisa once again made nearly fall.

"Welcome home!" "Eliz!"

The way they express their feelings is not good for Elisa's body. But that's how they are, never changing.

"Thank you."

Elisa hugged the two twin sisters too.

However, there is a teacher who catches them outside when all the students have entered the classes. 

"What are you three doing here?"

The teacher comes from behind Elisa. 

La and Li immediately let go of their hugged and stand up straight. Elisa turned back and do the same. 

"We are sorry, Sir!" "We just met with our best friend who just got back from her adventure!"

The teacher looks at Elisa for a moment. "Don't stay outside too long. For the two of you, go to class. Your friend who just returned can return to the dorm."

"Yes, Sir!" "Yes, Sir!" 

The teacher back to walks to his class. 

La and Li breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fiuhh~" "That new teacher is so cool." "Yes, he made us clumsy every time we talk to him." "Glad he didn't that mad at us." "Yes. How about you, Eliz?" "Eliz?"

"...Ars?"