"So they are finally here…" Guildmaster Arianne said, rubbing her temples. "What do you think they'll do?"

  "I imagine they'll try to establish control here. Most likely bring me and Adrien into their midst, take full control of the passageway to the Monster Realm, perhaps even establish a branch here to bring the populace under their control. In their eyes, Sunglow is the black stain of Alemahria, filled with monsters, elves, and the like," Melina said. "I wouldn't be surprised if they resorted to more drastic measures…"

  "What kind of measures?"

  "Master Gilbert is more familiar with those than I am," she replied.

  The Guildmaster's frown deepened. "We'll have to be on high alert for a while. I'll assign one of our elves as your guard. I imagine the Church will be less likely to harass you then."

  "Thank you, Guildmaster. I put up wards on a few crucial places, including the Guild."

  "Wards, you say? What kind?"

  "Mostly protective. Protection against offensive magic and magical traps. I hope they don't go that far and we won't need them, but I figured it's better safe than sorry."

  "You can even set powerful wards like that?" Arianne asked in surprise.

  "Only in a few places, and they'll only trigger once. There's a limit to how much I can do just on my own."

  "It's better than nothing, I'll tell you that much. System, and Sinclair is gone too," The Guildmaster clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Out of all times to leave."

  This brought a pang of worry back to Melina, but she took a deep breath, steadying herself. "He'll be back soon."

  "He'd better! He's the only one with actual weight behind his name," Arianne huffed. "Anyway, thanks for warning me. Wait a moment downstairs, and I'll get your guard sorted. Then it's time to greet our Church guests."

  Melina noticed a glint of mischief in Guildmaster's eyes. What exactly was she planning to do? But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, stern expression returning to her features.

  Melina didn't linger; instead, she politely inclined her head and left the office. She went downstairs, trying to remain calm so as not to set any of the adventurers on edge. But in the back of her mind, she could feel the gnawing that came from the ward by port, warning her about the priests. She wondered whether Heiliger was among them as well. Probably. It was unlikely that she would remain behind. The woman always wanted to be in the center of all the action, so she could control it.

  Sienna chittered nervously on Melina's shoulder, sensing her unease.

  "Don't worry. It'll be alright," she said, scratching the wyrm under her chin.

  The two of them sat in the Guild Hall, observing the adventurers going to and fro. They still wore unusual smiles, and the tension coming from a few seemed to stem from the lingering problem of monster proximity. She wondered how their expressions would change once they knew that the Church expedition was here. How does the whole Sunglow react to it?

  Especially since the capture of the Church spy was public knowledge. It was possible that Sunglowers would be openly hostile towards the priests. Would the Church ask about the whereabouts of their spy, who was still likely held in the Guild?

  Melina suppressed a groan as she thought of all the scenarios where things could get violent. The Church will have undoubtedly brought at least a few System users with them. Most likely a whole squad, if not two.

  "Miss Melina, I have been sent by the Guildmaster to accompany you," Illitran said, startling Melina out of her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed him approaching.

  "Thank you, Sir Illitran. I really appreciate your help," she replied.

  "Anytime. Shall we get going?"

  Melina nodded, and they left the Guild at an unhurried pace. But while their pace might appear unhurried and casual, there was a tenseness to it. She could feel that the usually calm elf was rigid. He would often glance around, his eyes searching for something.

  "The port," Melina indicated, knowing exactly what he was looking for.

  "But how do you—"

  He then shook his head, stopping her mid-sentence. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that Sunglow stands together."

  "I just hope nobody does anything rash. In matters like these, people can get reckless," she said.

  "Yes. Emotions often rule over the decisions humans make. I have come to learn that during my time here. However, I have also learned what amazing people live here in Sunglow. You should trust them to do the right thing," Illitran said calmly.

  Melina nodded. He was right. People of this town weren't fools. They have coexisted with elves and the like for centuries. They have faced the Church in the past, even if not on such a grand scale. Even if they heavily disliked it, they still wouldn't openly attack Church members. Or at least so Melina hoped.

  For the time being, all she could do was return to the bakery. She doubted that the first thing they would do upon their arrival was storm the bakery. No, the journey across the sea must have left them tired. For the next few days, they will set up their base and recuperate before making their next move. At that time, Melina could decide what she could do next.

  Except then she remembered that she still had to pick up a shipment of Monster Realm ingredients, which likely was waiting for her at the port. Melina let out a long, deep sigh.

  "Is something the matter?" Illitran asked.

  "I'm afraid I have some business at the port that must be attended to," she said, looking at him apologetically.

  "Not a problem," he replied calmly, but a fire smoldered in the elf's eyes. To think that the Church could bring out such a reaction out of usually calm Illitran. It made Melina wonder just how bad the conflict with the Church had been in the past.

  When Melina returned to the bakery, Roxie was eagerly waiting for her.

  "I was worried you forgot about the ingredients," the girl muttered, twirling her braids nervously.

  "No, don't worry. We'll go get them now," Melina said reassuringly.

  "Can I come along too?" Adrien asked eagerly, placing the broom back in the cleaning closet. "You usually leave in the early mornings, so I don't feel like getting up then. But in the afternoon, I'd love to go and look around Sunglow some more."

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  "This is a work trip, not an excursion," Melina reprimanded, then walked closer to the boy, whispering in his ear. "The Church has come to Sunglow. I don't recommend you walk around on your own."

  The boy flinched back at that. "You know what… I remembered that Master Gilbert wanted some help in the garden. I'll go with you next time."

  Roxie gave him an odd look, but Adrien was gone before she could say anything. She just shrugged and looked at Melina. "Then it's just us again."

  But the girl blinked as she seemingly, for the first time, noticed Illitran. He did have the uncanny ability to blend into the background and remain unnoticed. Likely due to his quiet nature.

  "Don't get scared. Illitran is here to watch over us for the time being," Melina said.

  Roxie nodded, taking a shaky step back. "I-It's nice to meet you. I never expected to meet an elf so…"

  The girl suddenly flushed bright red, tugging on her braids. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything ill by it. I'm just… just not used to elves yet…"

  Illitran nodded, a small smile actually appearing on his lips. "Don't worry. We elves are much like humans in many regards, so you don't have to treat me any differently than you would anyone else."

  "I-Is that so? I fear I might accidentally say something rude," Roxie said, her eyes glued to Illitran's ears. She probably wasn't doing it consciously, as her gaze constantly traveled from Illitran down to the ground. She was far too nervous.

  "If you do, then I'll warn you, but I won't take any offence. We can always learn from our errors after all," Illitran said kindly. Melina had to wonder whether he deliberately appeared more friendly, so as not to scare Roxie.

  "I'll do my best," the girl said.

  "Don't worry about it. We're just picking up some ingredients," Melina said as much to Roxie as she did to herself. She hoped that there wouldn't be an incident at the port, but her heart was racing. Part of her worried that they might just be forced to go along with them.

  But the more logical part realized that with her magic back, it would take considerable force for them to force Melina to do anything. Especially with Sienna by her side. Even the little Mango could do some damage. No, there was no reason for her to be scared. She wasn't a helpless girl.

  Melina, with Illitran's help, tied Knight to the cart, and the three of them set off towards the port. Master Gilbert and Adrien looked after them, the boy looking particularly nervous. The old baker put a soothing hand on his shoulder and motioned him towards the garden. She didn't have to worry about them. After all, if somebody came near the bakery, Melina would know.

  At a steady pace, they rode towards the pier. Clouds were gathering over the sea and slowly drifting to Sunglow. It's been a few weeks since the last rain, but Melina couldn't feel that it was an ominous sign rather than a welcome one. Especially knowing what kind of people had come along with it.

  The port itself was incredibly busy when they arrived. Sailors bustled about carrying crates and other goods. But to Melina's surprise, the people didn't seem tense or angry or annoyed like she had expected. Some appeared cautious, but many were actually smiling. That didn't seem right.

  "Wow, it seems very busy today. I wonder if something happened?" Roxie asked.

  "It seems like something has happened," Melina said, noticing a group of priests with an even larger group of people swarming around them.

  Curious, Melina deliberately drove the cart near the gathering, straining her ears trying to hear what was going on. But the priests were speaking softly, and over the chatter of surrounding people, she couldn't hear them.

  "They are distributing goods," Illitran said, although he didn't sound too sure.

  "Distributing goods? The Church you mean?" Roxie asked.

  Looking at people who left from the center of the group, they had neat packets in their hands.

  "What's in those, I wonder?" Melina asked.

  Illitran turned his head, listening carefully, then said. "Some luxury goods. Sugar, salt, soap, candles, and a few books about the Church and System god."

  Melina frowned. So they were trying to butter up to Sunglowers by giving them free salt and sugar, which wasn't cheap. But along with that, they were also spreading their doctrine. Barely in Sunglow, and they were already trying to spread their doctrine.

  "Don't worry. It'll take more than a bit of salt and sugar to change Sunglower minds," Illitran calmed her.

  "Change their minds? About what?" Roxie asked, likely not aware of the conflict.

  "I'll tell you when we get home. For now, let's go and retrieve those ingredients," Melina said, urging Knight to head to the far end of the port.

  But even the nightmare didn't look too pleased to see Church, often snorting whenever one of them got too close to the cart. But surprisingly, none of the priests were paying any attention to them. The concerning part was the number of them.

  Melina could easily count around fifty priests, and there must have been at least half as many System users among them. She kept searching for the familiar white hair among the crowd, but in the end didn't find it. Partially, she was relieved, but another part of her was worried. What was Heiliger up to? Where was she? Had she really not come along?

  She couldn't even force herself to feel excited about the Monster Realm ingredients; instead, she mechanically thanked the sailor and signed the document that confirmed that she had received the shipment. All she did was look around, watching how more and more of the Church personnel spread through the Sunglow.

  It felt wrong just allowing them to walk around as they pleased. She felt like they would ruin everything that made Sunglow such a wonderful place. There was no lack of disgusted and nasty glances in Illitran's direction, although the elf showed no signs of being bothered by them. However, he, without a doubt, noticed them.

  "Are you alright, Sir Illitran?" Melina asked.

  "Don't worry. It'll take more than a few glares to affect me," he said, truly looking unbothered.

  "Glares?" Roxie cocked her head.

  "The Church isn't known for liking my kin," Illitran explained.

  Roxie looked past the cart as the many priests bustled about the port. "There are a lot of them here today. I don't think I've seen so many priests before."

  "They're preparing for an expedition into the Monster Realm," Melina explained.

  "Oh. Seems odd that a priest would be going to the Monster Realm. Wouldn't it be difficult to travel through a wilderness full of monsters in a priest's robes?" Roxie noted.

  "They'll likely change clothes later," Melina replied. But this did make Melina wonder—why were there so many priests? She'd expect just a few priests and the majority of the expedition to consist of System users.

  This gave Melina a nasty feeling. She was certain that the Church was planning something, but what exactly? Why did they need so many priests? It felt like the answer was somewhere right in front of Melina. One more piece that she would understand this odd puzzle.

  But just as it felt like she was about to understand the answer, Knight neighed, bringing the cart to an abrupt stop.

  "Knight, what happened?" Melina asked if something had set off the nightmare. He could be quite finicky at times and likely recognized the priests as he'd once been part of the Church as well.

  The night sputtered, shaking his head from side to side and digging into the pavement with his hoof.

  "My apologies. It appears I might have spooked your horse," a sweet and familiar female voice said. Melina didn't have to see the talker to recognize who it was. Heiliger.

  The woman was gracefully weaving through the crowd, some distance away from them. She certainly was arrogant enough to think that she was the one to spook Knight, when there were, in fact, people much closer to him than her.

  "My apologies. He isn't fond of the color white," Melina replied, trying not to let her anger drip into her voice.

  "It's quite alright. Today's a busy day. But we've met before, haven't we? You're Miss Melina. From the local bakery," Heiliger said, acting as if their first encounter had been pleasant. "And who is the young lady next to you?"

  "I-I'm Roxie. I'm like an apprentice," the girl said timidly.

  "Yes. We were on our supply run. I hope you don't mind if we return to work," Melina said, hoping to end the conversation as soon as possible. She didn't miss the part where Heiliger was deliberately ignoring Illitran.

  "Of course, of course. But I do hope we get to chat some more. I've heard some very interesting things about your pastries. Would you mind if I stopped by your bakery tomorrow?" Heiliger asked with the sweet smile of a snake that had cornered its prey. "Last time it was so full I didn't get to enjoy any of your creations."

  "Not at all. Everyone is welcome in the bakery. But be sure to wake up early. I tend to sell out quickly," Melina returned the smile and spurred Knight onward.

  The nightmare snorted a few more times until finally pulling the cart and trotting away to the bakery. It appeared that tomorrow was the day when the real battle between the Church and Sunglow began.