NOVPUBThe clock tower on the side of Temple Square had just passed three o’clock.
The mild warmth of the Ichrite summer sun cast a radiant glow on the ancient gray stone slabs, and under the protection of the Divine Statue, a few giant oak trees flourished around the square. Their lush branches provided a cool and comfortable spot along the edge of the square.
The grand doors of the temple were half-open, with green vines crawling up the intricately carved pillars, like silent witnesses of history, quietly guarding this holy land.
The two people under the tree, although they didn’t need too many words, a single hug was enough to express their many years of longing and the joy of reunion.
But once the conversation started, it seemed like it couldn’t be stopped.
From past amusements to recent affairs, accompanied by Loren’s narration and Florence’s light laughter.
In the blink of an eye, it felt as if this moment was eternal.
[Be mindful of the time.]
The Love Guru’s voice came through.
"..."
Loren, upon hearing this, suddenly became aware of something as if awakening from a dream.
"Florence, I have to head back to the temple. Almis has called for me several times!"
Loren said with a hint of apology.
Despite wanting to continue the conversation with his dear friend, he no longer had the time.
"Oh, go ahead."
Florence smiled understandingly and waved her hand.
She already knew Loren had been incredibly busy lately.
Seeing that Loren was in good spirits reassured her.
"Don’t overwork yourself, and remember, if you ever feel like talking, you can contact me anytime. No matter what you’re feeling, I’m your partner."
Florence added gently.
"Florence..."
Loren looked at Florence, his eyes full of emotion,
"If possible, I wish I could spend every day with you. You truly are a friend to my soul."
He shook his head reluctantly, only regretting that he could spend just a brief moment with his dear friend.
"Is that so..."
Florence lowered her gaze, averting her eyes.
Her reaction made Loren pause, looking at her in confusion.
As if sensing Loren’s gaze, Florence looked up again and, with a grin, patted Loren’s shoulder as if urging him to go.
"Get going, you’ve got this!"
Florence encouraged.
"Okay."
Loren nodded, said his goodbye to Florence, and headed toward the Church of the Goddess of Destiny’s temple by the moat.
Within moments, after a few brief flickers of his figure, he was standing before the Ethereal Palace – a temple polished by a thousand years of faith.
In the heart of the northern district of Ichrite, surrounded by forests and alongside a clear river, stood a magnificent temple, which, aside from Ichrite Academy, was another frequent base for Loren’s church activities.
Following the instructor’s guidance, and being honest with both Florence and Almis was the right thing to do.
Saying goodbye to Florence was to go to work; bidding farewell to Almis was to rest, with no deception involved.
His steps crossed the threshold of the temple doors.
When the intense natural light from the window lattices hit the white reliefs, the various Divine Statues seemed to twinkle, giving him the illusion that they were enacting ancient legends.
"Instructor, do we still have enough time?"
The brilliance was somewhat dazzling to Loren. Perhaps it was a bit of guilt he felt as he refocused and made his way deeper into the temple, he asked.
[Time isn’t an issue.]
"Then what is the issue?"
Loren asked, slightly anxious.
It seemed that the instructor’s meaning implied there might be a second half to the sentence that went unspoken.
["Do you still remember the line you promised Florence, ’When you’re not busy next time, we can hang out together’?"]
"Yeah."
["Do you think that counts as a promise for a date?"]
"Not really, it’s pretty normal to hang out with good buddies."
["No problem, just go for it next time."]
The Love Guru’s muttering sounded like it was filled with a sense of mission, but also as though there were words that couldn’t be said.
"What do you mean?"
Even though Loren trusted the Love Guru greatly, he couldn’t help but feel a flutter of panic in his heart.
Could it be that he had missed something without realizing it?
Just like with studying, if you make a mistake without knowing what you did wrong, it’s hard to make improvements and progress.
["It’s nothing. You have a lot of talent, even more than I imagined. Your seemingly plain attacks actually all carry armor-piercing and critical hits. Just follow your own instincts, sticking too closely to my teachings might actually hinder your own abilities."]
["I’ll take care of everything for you, so just focus on your date. Unless one day I’m in trouble myself, I assure you that you won’t be."]
The Love Guru promised with conviction.
"Instructor..."
Loren said emotionally to the person on the other end of the communication.
He walked through the dignified and serene space deep within the temple, where majestic white pillars stood valiantly within the great hall, his own footsteps growing clearer the further he went inside.
When Loren arrived in front of the massive doors to the temple’s inner sanctum, it was as though he stood on the threshold of another world.
He gently knocked on the door made of interwoven pure white jade and profound grey stone.
"Please."
From inside came a voice as soft as early winter frost.
Loren pushed open the heavy stone door, and what met his eyes was an office with a ceiling as high as a holy temple, with white brick grooves on the surrounding walls filled with the scriptures of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny.
In the center of the temple-like discussion area, a silver-haired, silver-eyed woman sat quietly on the sofa, her figure as pure and flawless as an elf under the moonlight, even at noon.
Had it not been for her breathing, it would be hard to prove whether she was a living creature or a piece of art.
"I’m sorry, I took a rest this morning and am sincerely sorry for not replying to your message."
Loren bowed and apologized to the Bingxue Witch.
As a Half-Demon, the Lady of Divine Choice, Almis, had no demonic horns, and the only Demon Race feature she possessed was her slightly pointed ears.
She resembled a pristine Snow Elf more than the demon people spoke of.
Although her gaze held an untouchable pride and indifference, almost excluding all creatures from afar, there was a touch of kindness hidden beneath that exterior.
Loren, seeing the Bingxue Witch not busy at work, with a cup of steaming tea on her desk, felt his anxious heart settle a bit, at least today she was not seeking him out for urgent work matters.
"How does it feel to hug Florence?"
The Bingxue Witch’s cool voice rose in front of Loren.
He looked up, only to find that the Bingxue Witch had already stood up from the sofa, meeting her gaze, he sensed an unmistakable disgust.
Loren felt a chill run down his spine.
No, that wasn’t right.
What was wrong with him hugging Florence?
Could such an action seem strange to the Bingxue Witch?
"It felt good."
Loren answered with certainty.
"..." 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝖕𝖚𝔟.𝔠𝔬𝖒
The Bingxue Witch’s eyes instantly became even more complex.
Was it that her understanding of humans was incorrect, or did Loren truly believe that women could be casually embraced?
