It was Shin’s first time entering the Cathedral Exa. Ordinary people like him—mere NPC civilians with no connection to the clergy—were never permitted beyond its sacred gates unless they served as clerics. The moment he stepped inside, he felt his breath catch in his throat.
Towering golden pillars stretched high toward the domed ceiling like ancient trees forged from sunlight itself, their polished surfaces reflecting the warm glow of countless floating lanterns. Every footstep echoed softly across the marble floor, mixing with the distant murmur of prayers and the faint chiming of silver bells somewhere deeper within the cathedral.
Massive statues of the Celestial Wardens stood along the hallways. The scent of incense lingered heavily in the air, mixed with the clean aroma of sacred water and old parchment. Shin could not stop his crimson purple eyes from wandering around in amazement. Everything about the cathedral felt ancient, grand, and untouchable.
As Shin carried Lireina through the cathedral halls with Croft leading the way, several white-robed clerics glanced at them in surprise. Some whispered quietly among themselves after noticing Lireina’s helplessness and Shin’s unfamiliar face, but none dared to stop them. The atmosphere grew calmer as they reached a quiet stone arcway engraved with faded Old Elvish scripture glowing faintly in silver light. The words above the entrance read: Healing Bath.
The soft sound of flowing water echoed from inside the chamber beyond.
Croft turned around and spoke, catching Shin’s attention before he could follow further inside.
“You can leave us here, Mister Rebellium,” Croft said, lowering her voice slightly. “We don’t want the clerics yelling at you for trespassing.”
“Ah… okay.” Shin nodded awkwardly.
Carefully, he lowered Lireina from his arms as though she were something fragile and precious. The moment her feet touched the marble floor, Lireina winced faintly from exhaustion. Her legs still trembled from the earlier battle, forcing her to lean against Croft for support just to remain standing. Even then, she tried her best to maintain her composure.
A faint warmth spread across Shin’s face when he finally looked at her directly.
Lireina’s cheeks were still slightly red from embarrassment, and her long golden blonde hair shimmered under the cathedral lights like flowing strands of gold. When her green eyes met Shin’s crimson purple ones, she hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.
“Thank you, Shin.”
“No, I should be thanking you.” Shin quickly looked away, his own face turning red as he scratched the back of his head. “You gave me more information about what Manny—I mean, Professor Gagarin was working on.” He exhaled quietly before continuing. “At least now I know we’re dealing with fallen angel armors.”
“Yes.” Lireina gently placed a hand over her chest, her expression becoming more resolute despite her exhaustion. “We will do our best to recover the Halochassis from the Iron Bandits’ possession and honor the Professor’s legacy.” A determined spark flickered within her emerald eyes. “You can count on us.”
“I do.”
A small but genuine smile appeared on Shin’s face. For a brief moment, the tension and danger surrounding them seemed to disappear beneath the cathedral’s peaceful glow. Then Shin gave a respectful bow.
“I’ll be taking my leave then.”
“Yeah. Take care, Shin.” Lireina raised her hand and waved gently, her smile softer this time.
Shin awkwardly waved back before turning toward the exit. However, after only a few steps, his shoulder nearly slammed into a decorative porcelain vase standing beside one of the pillars. He stumbled in surprise, arms flailing for balance, but somehow managed to recover before the vase could topple over.
Croft stared at him blankly.
Lireina covered her mouth, trying—and failing—not to laugh.
Meanwhile, Shin hurried away with burning ears, silently praying that the cathedral floor would swallow him whole from embarrassment.
When Shin finally disappeared down the cathedral hallway, the sound of his hurried footsteps fading into the distance, Croft slowly turned toward Lireina with a mischievous smirk already spreading across her face.
“So…” Croft dragged the word teasingly as she crossed her arms. “Did you enjoy the ride, Princess Lena?”
Lireina’s entire face instantly turned scarlet.
“Croft!” she cried in embarrassment, nearly losing her balance again.
Croft let out an amused laugh, clearly enjoying every second of Lireina’s reaction. “Fufu. You should’ve seen yourself earlier. You were practically smiling the entire time Shin was carrying you.”
“I was not!” Lireina protested far too quickly. Her long golden blonde hair swayed as she turned away, trying to hide her burning cheeks. “Jeez, cut it out already.” She puffed her cheeks into a pout before mumbling, “Just help me replenish my mana.”
“Okay, okay, Princess Lena.” Croft grinned shamelessly.
Lireina groaned softly under her breath while Croft supported her by the shoulder. Together, they slowly entered the inner chambers of the cathedral’s healing altar. The atmosphere inside was far quieter than the main halls. Pale blue crystals embedded in the walls cast shimmering reflections across the polished stone floor, while soft sacred chants echoed faintly from hidden magic circles engraved into the ceiling.
The air itself felt soothing—warm, humid, and rich with mana. Every breath carried the calming scent of herbs, flowers, and enchanted oils used by the clerics for healing rituals.
Within the chamber were three large magical baths, each separated by marble dividers engraved with glowing runes. One bath radiated a soft golden light used for healing physical injuries. Another emitted pale silver mist capable of curing curses and status ailments. The last bath shimmered with a deep azure glow, its waters swirling gently with concentrated mana energy.
That was the bath Croft guided Lireina toward.
The moment they reached the edge, both women carefully removed their coats and clothing before stepping into the glowing waters. Steam rose gently around them as they lowered themselves into the bath. The mana-infused water felt incredibly soft against their skin, warm without being hot, almost like silk flowing around their bodies.
Lireina let out a quiet sigh the moment the water reached her shoulders.
Tiny streams of blue light drifted beneath the surface, wrapping around their bodies like living threads of energy. Within seconds, the exhaustion from battle began melting away. The soreness in Lireina’s muscles eased, and the heavy emptiness inside her chest—the familiar feeling of depleted mana—slowly started filling again with comforting warmth.
Croft stretched her arms along the edge of the bath and relaxed with a satisfied hum. “Ahh… there we go. Much better.”
Meanwhile, Lireina leaned back against the smooth marble wall, closing her green eyes for a moment as the magical waters restored her strength. Yet despite the calming atmosphere, her thoughts kept drifting back to Shin.
More specifically… to the feeling of being carried in his arms.
The memory alone was enough to make her cheeks warm all over again.
Croft noticed immediately.
A teasing grin slowly returned to her lips. “You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”
Lireina’s eyes shot open. “Croft!”
“Ahh… this really hits the spot~” Croft deliberately stretched and relaxed, clearly trying to shift the conversation away from teasing—for now, at least.
Meanwhile, Lireina sat quietly in the far corner of the bath, almost completely submerged except for her shoulders and face. Her long golden blonde hair floated gently behind her in the glowing water, shimmering beneath the pale azure light of the chamber.
But despite the soothing warmth surrounding her body, her mind remained elsewhere.
Back in the Abyssal Dungeon.
Back to Shin.
Lireina stared silently at the rippling water in front of her, replaying the events over and over inside her head. The way Shin charged forward despite the overwhelming danger. The fear in his eyes that he tried so hard to hide. The way his arms held her carefully, protectively, even while his own life was on the line.
He had no mana.
No divine blessing.
No combat abilities worthy of legends.
To the world, Shin Rebellium was merely a commonfolk NPC.
And yet… he still tried to save her.
For someone like Lireina—someone who had spent most of her life being the protector rather than the protected—that simple act struck her heart harder than any sword ever could.
She had always been strong.
From the moment she became a Celestial Warden, people looked at her with admiration, dependence, or fear. She was the hero standing at the front lines, the one others relied on. Rarely had anyone ever looked at her and thought I need to protect her too.
But Shin did.
Even knowing how powerless he was compared to the monsters they faced, he still stepped forward without hesitation.
And somehow… that made her chest feel strangely warm.
“Still thinking about Shin?”
Croft’s voice suddenly snapped Lireina back to reality.
“You can’t wipe that smirk off your face, Princess.” Croft grinned knowingly while resting her arms along the pool’s edge.
“Ah!” Lireina jolted in surprise.
The elf immediately covered half her face with both hands as her cheeks turned bright red once again. Even the tips of her ears became crimson.
“T-That’s not—!” She stopped midway before puffing her cheeks into an embarrassed pout. “What if I am? Is there something wrong with that?”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with it.” Croft shrugged casually. “There’s nothing wrong with falling in love, after all.”
“I didn’t say it was love!” Lireina protested instantly, splashing the water slightly as she moved. “It’s just…” Her voice softened. “…I find him charming.”
Croft’s grin widened immediately.
“Oho? Then it’s puppy love.”
“It is not!”
“Fine, fine.” Croft chuckled. “Then maybe it’s just a crush.”
Lireina opened her mouth to argue again, but no words came out.
Instead, her hand slowly moved toward her chest.
Her heartbeat was fast.
Far too fast.
Even now, simply hearing Shin’s name made her stomach flutter strangely.
“I…” Lireina lowered her gaze toward the glowing water. “I am a Celestial Warden. I have a duty to protect the people of the world.”
Croft’s playful expression gradually faded into something gentler and more serious.
“You already saved the world from the Demon King, Lena.”
The chamber became quieter after those words.
The soft sound of rippling water echoed faintly between them.
“Didn’t the Elder Light Elf tell you your mission was over?” Croft continued softly.
Lireina fell silent.
Suddenly, memories resurfaced within her mind like fragments of an old dream.
She remembered returning to Yggdra after the war. The towering World Tree glowing beneath the heavens. The Crystal of Light finally restored to its rightful place. Countless elves celebrating beneath golden leaves while sacred bells rang throughout the kingdom.
She remembered the Elder Light Elf standing before her with tired but proud eyes.
“Your duty has been fulfilled, Lireina Ashford.”
At the time, those words brought relief.
But afterward… only emptiness remained.
“I mean, being a Celestial Warden means protecting people,” Croft continued while watching her carefully, “but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own happiness forever.”
Lireina slowly looked up.
“The elders gave you a mission,” Croft said. “Defeat the Demon King. Return the Crystal of Light. Save the world.” She smiled faintly. “You accomplished all of it.”
The warm mana water gently rippled around them as Croft spoke.
“But now?” Croft tapped Lireina lightly on the forehead. “You need to find your own purpose.”
Not one assigned by elders.
Not one forced upon her by destiny.
But something she genuinely wanted for herself.
Lireina lowered her eyes again and quietly held her own chest.
Croft was right.
For most of her life, every path had already been chosen for her. Train. Fight. Protect. Sacrifice. Repeat.
She had lived as the world’s guardian for so long that she no longer knew who Lireina herself truly was beyond that title.
But now… for the first time in years… she wanted something personal.
Something small.
Something selfish.
And somehow, whenever she imagined that uncertain future… she kept seeing a black-haired young man with awkward smiles and crimson purple eyes.
<><><><><>
As Shin walked toward the exit of the healing altar, he clenched both fists tightly at his sides, struggling to contain the excitement bubbling inside him. The cathedral hallway stretched before him in glowing gold and white, illuminated by floating lanterns and stained-glass windows that scattered colored light across the marble floor.
Today had been unreal.
Not only did he survive the Abyssal Dungeon, but he also got to fight alongside the legendary Lireina Ashford herself—his childhood heroine, the Untouchable Windwalker. The very same woman whose stories he grew up hearing about in taverns and adventure books.
And somehow… somehow… he even carried her in his arms like a princess.
“Yahoo…!” Shin whispered excitedly under his breath, pumping one fist upward while trying not to shout too loudly inside the sacred cathedral. A wide grin stretched across his face despite all his attempts to act composed.
He still could not believe it happened.
The memory of Lireina looking at him with those beautiful green eyes replayed endlessly in his head. Her soft voice. Her embarrassed smile. The warmth of her body while he carried her through the cathedral halls.
For Shin, it felt like a dream.
I seriously carried Lady Lireina Ashford…
His ears turned red again.
And I even acted cool for once.
Then his expression suddenly stiffened.
…Wait.
The color drained from his face.
I accidentally touched her breast earlier.
Shin nearly tripped over his own feet from panic.
“Oh no.”
He grabbed both sides of his head dramatically as horrifying thoughts flooded his mind one after another.
What if she thinks I’m a complete pervert now?
What if she secretly hates me?
What if Croft already told her I did it on purpose?!
Shin groaned internally.
“No, no, no… this is bad…” he muttered while pacing slightly as he walked. “Should I apologize next time we meet? But what if apologizing only makes it weirder?!”
His imagination immediately betrayed him with increasingly terrible scenarios.
He pictured Lireina glaring at him coldly.
Then another image appeared in his mind where Croft kicked him across the cathedral for being a creep.
Then another where the Celestial Wardens publicly branded him as “Shin the Molester.”
“Gah…” Shin covered his face in despair.
His entire train of thought abruptly stopped when he nearly bumped into someone walking from the opposite direction.
A familiar girl stood there.
Pink shoulder-length hair.
Purple eyes.
A small and delicate face that Shin immediately recognized.
The girl glanced at him once in surprise… then looked again with widened eyes.
“Mister Rebellium?” she said softly.
Shin froze.
“Risha?”
It was definitely her. The bandit girl from the Iron Bandits. Well, bandits are bandits.
The same girl who had accompanied Adzeel Schwarzer during the chaos in the Iron Bandit Headquarters. For a moment, Shin simply stared in disbelief. During the raid and collapse, he genuinely thought Risha had died alongside the others.
“Risha!” Shin quickly walked toward her, relief immediately replacing the panic on his face. “You’re alive! How are you?!”
Risha smiled gently at his concern.
“Nice to meet you again, Mister Rebellium.” Her voice sounded weaker than before, but still warm. “I managed to swim all the way out and escape after the raid.” She brushed a few strands of pink hair behind her ear. “I got a few friends in the Cathedral. So now I’m receiving treatment here in the altar.... secretly of course. They don't know that I'm an Iron Bandit.” Risha winked.
Shin finally noticed the faint bandages wrapped around her arms and neck beneath her cloak. Though her major wounds seemed healed already, pale scars still remained visible against her skin.
“My injuries are mostly gone,” Risha continued quietly, “but I’m still undergoing treatments to heal the scars.”
Shin exhaled softly in relief.
“That’s good…”
But the comfort only lasted briefly.
Almost immediately, his thoughts returned to the horrifying things hidden within the Abyssal Dungeon. The fallen angel armors.
The Halochassis.
The terrifying implications behind Professor Gagarin’s research.
The atmosphere around Shin suddenly changed.
The warmth and awkward excitement from earlier vanished from his expression, replaced by a serious intensity that made Risha instinctively stiffen.
Even the smile on her face faded slightly.
Shin stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“Do you still have contact with Adzeel Schwarzer?”
Risha blinked nervously. "Hm?"
“I need to tell him something.”