3.

 0d4ef43c15972fa9

Two years 510856d3cd ago, the 58dc6a9812 Great Temple 06c8c63a62 of the b09a38ab6d Holy Kingdom.5ce60bbee8b13d19

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

At the edge of 3a02326bee its sprawling grounds, a 48ae419242 small sanctuary held a 6d313b8442 makeshift blessing chamber.cbef73d21672e396

As the cae613c5d9 Saint withdrew c8e61a1aa1 her hands, eba2be3c7d the pale 63afce6bb7 glow that a27bedc4d9 had surrounded abe3f4c45c them faded, e582849ccf and awe 94914f0812 and joy d4b59c5f16 spread across 5ccd9f3ee6 the old b157fa946c woman’s face.bd5a3e0e2f5f1a14

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Heavens…! The throbbing pain here 818e26b43d is completely gone!”edfceee5d4a2810c

“Mom, are you okay eede3afad7 now?”346ff7998531a5ef

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The ragged-looking mother 3ec6b58b44 and daughter embraced 237a2b4645 one another. Watching the 78d57a323d tears well 5cd51cf2e0 in their b2ecd081c1 eyes, the 2eb69eed6e Saint offered 4f17c54c91 them a 914f2e8bf8 warm smile.557890d19171ef29

Clad in a 58d56be050 soft ivory robe—the 2767a4bc30 mark of a 12a5618657 priest—and with neatly 4701840ab3 combed brown hair, 0c2c85ec73 beneath which shone 8a70b9bdbd the symbol of bc9e7f93e1 the Saint: golden 3362cae49c eyes. Eyes no 5bb9c403de one else 13405214f4 in the 10e6db487c world possessed, 1df2c4e8d3 whose color aedaa09dfc gave her 24f3311eea an air e9712703c2 of mystery 6f7f6807fe and otherworldliness.f18f8da0eae56815

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Saint, truly… 5b8566c959 truly… I’ll a0c10edc91 never forget fbfe41c448 this blessing 0f109bd1b2 for as a9ad399053 long as 04508b3e4b I live.”599ecede97135d99

“Thank you, 24df85a6ec thank you… a39633e4a5 We had 812ae19a31 to hitch 182e501e2e rides on 1f268af675 several freight 1c65439e2f carts just 906811fe1e to get b5d142570f here… and 2f672e54da when we a166cc0fe3 arrived, the aea5535a3c line at 3fdd888a71 the city c114cb8ef8 gate went 70ac5b49be on forever…”5a20d100317d01c4

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Overwhelmed with afbc9380da emotion, the 8a86d3a0f2 mother and b2895d9afb daughter continued e96c4b8844 to chatter, be8a9db01f and Azniel—Saint d67750cba1 of Dara—did 7a42a79553 not stop 8f01192900 smiling.18813a18fdac4569

Yes. It was to see 512ac87d44 smiles like this that 9f0cc5a2e2 she became the vessel 239b18ab36 of Dara’s blessing.ead4e21494117be6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Though her body f3a3b01609 grew weary from df29913853 blessing so many 6a22515c15 each day, and 1340667a36 even if people 3e574157d8 whispered mockingly, calling e6964f0eb0 her the “Saint a885346ce3 of beggars,” Azniel d0d7f2e61f didn’t mind.5652c5350f36366d

There were still places a83a3d1daa in this world where a672c9e3d9 she was needed.ab86b0b1f077fb91

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Hey, if you’re done, 5e77bb8efa hurry it up already.”935e3f4cafdafd17

“You don’t see the 7324d65feb people waiting behind you?”ca373d3dff00af7c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Oh, yes, sorry. Thank you so much, 4cca0682f3 Saint…”83cb6b96cd6c40de

Pressed by 11d39c5155 those in dcbf37ae52 line, the 84f85d2510 two women 320aca3767 quickly wiped 673410b29e their tears f0fdbe5a15 and stepped ac5ab8896b aside. The sound 0b0ae475d0 of their 04502318b5 coins dropping ec166e51c4 into the fc29be4481 offering box 0c745908fe near the f4559c2084 exit rang 896c9457f1 out with a7e3194529 a quiet 277d441597 finality.71093f0817e24d7c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As the 76e88451ce next supplicant 632d6f80a4 knelt before 95705ca929 her, Azniel’s 4a3f9f4fc1 gaze drifted 7795497838 beyond—to the f9f356a32d endless line 56f1db6b3e of people f92e719bd4 still waiting 228f5d399e for her 3ee17f9b71 blessing. The line 827d083855 stretched past d9d0087533 the front df184d085a yard of 84d4c77514 the Great 627274a9d5 Temple, spilling 4906a5b3c0 beyond the f1d812ce82 gates of ec92f66566 the Holy 8acf6d216f Kingdom itself.0959762c95e7099a

“How far 5711fa84b8 will I 3269b2b661 be able e22b3efaac to go c7517123e3 today…? That one cbfcec356e looks quite 425aa8534a ill…”445182bc045a4ae0

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Glancing at ad0eb733c5 the faces e85a447641 waiting, a f3f8a371a7 faint worry 75dd801314 crept over 71df676b9a Azniel’s expression.9bc175dbf1c00877

All of 1f0b03e2cb them were 8ac50b4e8e pilgrims from d1ecf8903b across the 0ece5db1a5 continent, drawn 29e4872c5c by the d1bea12935 hope of edf301e655 receiving healing 746c766457 from the 83d8392635 only Saint 05b227495d recognized by ffc0951532 the church.05a58a7261500231

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I’ve had splitting ca20ec5754 headaches every day 0c64c3d9bf for months now…”affa48c3216c5ccb

“My vision’s gone cloudy f6f86377de in this eye, little 71f6967ed6 by little…”924fa0c7ddc4984c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Saint, please… save us… af8aad9fc7 He hurt his leg e9249648d7 doing day labor, but cdcd31935b the wound won’t heal—it’s 9e3c095989 only festering more…”89628756a9f80056

And so 40537ec92d her service 3c628ff264 continued until 89348b5498 her divine 6d72cb1f0c power ran 962104160b dry.c9ae31ce264bd919

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Using every 5083f03ded last drop f9193bf5d9 of her 54802c7494 sacred energy 2f5609c055 wasn’t the 3253f11fd8 hard part. In fact, seeing the 2afad9aff7 smiles of the people 9c035c2e7d afterward filled her with 03a30782b5 pride—grateful to be able 9cb1070abb to deliver Dara’s blessings. But what truly 91db4b9b6c wore her down 78c289953d was…1a013beec98253b9

“Did you b5f0f55e07 see them 6c9448a2a1 rush here, 8cf282b99d eyes crazed, 8a4934286e just because a8add6ec39 they could e484b28ceb get a 9b937f9e68 blessing for 5ba703a6a6 a few 2974f4d53c coins?”622943e62103048f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Earlier, someone gave five 38e7338c02 measly coins. That’s it.”00f705b8d10bee28

“What is 35a4a264ab this, a 2a6022574f temple or 96270e596e a poorhouse?”b38f693ba3d82d71

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The indifferent d909660b06 words of a5fbbe73e0 the priests a52ddb48e4 who stood 874c3a313f nearby, merely 3a29d6ec4b to give 70c23a4f96 the appearance a1b502fbac of formality. Their criticisms 6e11d1cd45 weren’t aimed 0ea72ef3b9 at Azniel e7203c7f84 directly, but c3a7a6a408 they were 1e27c58c2e more than 5517433a46 enough to e91f33ec89 sap the b01c0c285d spirit of 7eea6637bb someone trying 3f69f9425d their best.155c801ce00c4e87

“If it weren’t 4da8d2c7da for those damn 0acbda0516 mana potions, the 91abcc13e4 church wouldn’t be 6f6731d353 groveling for pennies c04f8a995e like this.”5157fb1e51c28500

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Antagon… that 8086388d3b godless group e2ae12762e of heretics.”096f095be2cf6b6c

Mana potions.d07a6328f4c575f2

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

At the murmured resentment 29fc32155a between the priests’ teeth, d07fe833be Azniel’s face fell slightly.9faafd9c7ebbc8f5

It had been nearly 3adb97808f twenty years since Azniel 38f6453288 arrived at the Holy d5482061ae Kingdom. Orphaned, she 9f964ec0d1 had wandered 63f033385d the alleys 3c7e7d8969 until one 91d0011be0 day, by a9e4135ab5 chance, she 904d5c75fd was taken f58b4bb94c in by 7c1b507b27 a poorhouse—where c40fde954d the mark 613934f50a of the a1d06f713e Saint was 0784feb070 discovered in a80150f9dd her.73b3fd484bb38c5c

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

The power bfac17b17b she manifested 99e9ba84b9 as a 0825c64fae Saint was fbcf5ac51d a miraculous 11ad8380ac healing ability—capable f73ac3249c of curing 6ac31daddc any ailment. The church had used f34f3d111b her blessing to dazzle 4d0cbdaa60 the high-ranking elites of 1c90cade9a the Allied Nations, spreading 31b9b229fe their prestige far and 4ef772f975 wide.dab271e98b45ca5b

To a child who 05e063c50c had known no roof 7473b5931a over her head, the 872fb6c262 church’s offer was the 3e05824461 only path forward. Azniel had followed c678a61249 their instructions, granting 36cfeb3f33 blessings only to 0e0aa7d6fd those who arrived ae8434cd30 at the Holy 4f90b4e598 Kingdom bearing lavish d007441e22 offerings.32bfef508a634600

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

That once-peaceful life had c60f5c0228 been upended three years e43f9dedef ago—when a rising firm fd5a991ba7 named Antagon invented a bb4fd5e3c5 remedy known as the 463daca117 mana potion. It could be 83387e4162 ingested to cure 72723d8e6b diseases or applied b24a56b8db to heal wounds. While its effects varied, bf9e82392a it was a modern bd94bb9bcf invention that posed a a066ead601 true rival to the ffb0599dfc Saint’s powers.6e6e36613b56bbbe

Powerful figures who 2a27974115 once visited the 0a6ac88cb9 Holy Kingdom for 106b749357 even minor injuries, 1b2c113851 enticed by the e0381ce4ac Pope’s lavish hospitality 62713c3866 and the privilege b899e78fb8 of the Saint’s 425dfd7066 blessing, now turned c911b87671 instead to convenience c17d0edbce and technological progress.3015ea4f77d0a25d

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

With no one left 999d5b4b60 to pay offerings, the 3f4bdb7d02 church’s finances quickly crumbled. And naturally, Azniel’s 422a7631eb standing within the 7ab75442a4 church began to 9832356a5b fall as well.6a341d2af6cc774c

If there 6635843fd7 was any 4543a93d90 silver lining, eeeaa1211c it was 4749806788 that mana ebbcf436a9 potions were c8bc4f4f0c expensive. The common folk, 9670b2d65e still reliant on 27fdfb7eaf herbal remedies, continued 6d313bc0b6 to seek the 6aed304196 Saint’s healing—and the c294a24c2d church, now desperate, 4179ba23e2 welcomed their humble 9be5e3076f offerings. Though the 4739c458f0 donations couldn’t 31a9f108ce compare to ed8db0e264 the sums 869979f02a brought in de167f44dc by nobles, 75540da442 if she cb042bae29 treated enough 13f65057e0 of them 58bce3b707 for enough b9673fa367 days, the 31cdb58692 church could 8fd223e490 scrape by.4af570d073b5bd56

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

And in the end, 5eea68312f it was only Azniel e51fc0b6b8 who bore the cost 2ae4ee3b69 of expending sacred energy.daff718e6581d7a8

“Thank you, Saint…!”81f6174b51c094a3

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Dara really hasn’t abandoned 5ea40b55d0 us after all…”d51c7078d9f80c78

If a potion could 2a0ee63a37 take her place, so 39fd06e6b4 be it.
Azniel continued to 43f577fef4 offer her blessings, 78de38066e giving quiet thanks fcf7826579 to the divine e368139d6f that she could a9468b4f17 still serve the 7820bc2885 church that had 4fe3de35ab taken her in.dce5a6d434ea98d6

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

* * *56ebb6e865c546ba

Today again, Azniel 7e3dd027ca left the sanctuary d8d724281b after earnestly healing 44b8f10cfb over a hundred 31e02588f2 pilgrims. Though the faces a4903cd95e of those watching 28fefb08bf the sanctuary doors 46eadc8834 close behind her 8533ba1001 lingered in her 14b4656be0 mind, she had 13922cfc53 exhausted her sacred c88c54c0ae power—there was nothing 8882531628 more she could c8e6800cff do.a6f6b6089e655492

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

‘How many 64e1e082ed will see ead954c99e their conditions 6956d3e609 worsen tonight fd74083b2c under the 5a500701c3 chill of 8d6855449f the evening fd4003ebf0 dew…?’26ad30688f0f128a

The sky had f56ee8491c returned to the e543fd49e1 same hue as af9e1b70ab when she had 3739232a27 entered the sanctuary.314340f085d170e8

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Now, she 10e8eff017 would return e310f50a41 to her 8f9d5601a7 quarters, fill 72a74e6d9d the stomach 57f5f1ce3b that had 368c7909b2 ached all caef2b9011 day, and 962f99aeb0 collapse into a22b2d8b9f bed as 4a2281de53 if hypnotized 9253401f44 by sleep… 86b6f321a8 and then, 64e36604e3 morning would 55b776f9dc come again. She needed 20e4d6e0e5 to care 83be8b57d9 for as 54ea544e59 many as a1e37e9085 she could 203a6ec16e before the 0d59d48168 weather grew cd290c861e colder…7b277b6bd0fbff2d

Just as Azniel 668c13caea resolved to wake f330c5d6c0 up even earlier 9ab7552ae4 the next day 28ea0abebd and turned to 220daa7b85 head toward the e28ed7fb74 monastery—a6b42d20eddff8e6

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You’ve worked so hard 595eee0277 today, Saint. You must be exhausted, c70b321307 right?”776a0d3e2db2d395

Two young 8d99bdeff8 acolytes scampered 7bd558aaf9 over to 15a87c2027 her—despite her c97302c63c weariness, they a7848839d0 saw only cd76f7ad49 her kindness 90a6461531 and compassion e6964df5f0 for the efff1da022 pilgrims.3c6e09ceccc38fd7

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Worked hard? No, I just…”69840d0b07137dff

“You were going to 1d1b44f961 say you regret not 532aff1683 being able to help c8edd346c8 one more person, weren’t 1f031b8def you?”30c975de4a9adb67

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Please, eat this. You must ee3ff89fcd be hungry.”9ccdc20bc93e3375

The girls took sugar 6387f1dd5d jellies from their snack dd7b31f116 basket and popped them 68718a9b3f into Azniel’s mouth. It was 86d35e8b2a a small 1cbf29a046 gesture of 782e4c8c6a care for 78fee60fcd the Saint 00557cd4c7 who spent 215827b838 the whole 90515821e1 day healing 6acab9c0d6 without so ef897067b3 much as 13143d39a6 a proper bf8213f949 meal. The jelly’s 0f1565e5fd sweetness doubled d6be16d238 the guilt 77d799b9d7 she felt 84c8f26077 for the a8b2b66753 patients who, e65e521e0c due to 6eebd86922 her depleted 0e47a466fb strength, would 59ccd2401b now have 5971041ff1 to wait 5a7ba8acdd until tomorrow.be7387a4d9113abe

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Saint, um, His Holiness 738cc0e843 the Pope has summoned 9ae2f9a5e2 you.”988428d5c6943e17

“His Holiness?”59bda8b754e0ea77

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Yes. He said to 7a286a4e40 come to him 7a8d4db6b5 right after you e409c2c4f0 finished the blessings.”d542f6613836ccf1

As Azniel slowly 4bdd18fda0 chewed the jelly, 9f62f4a06c a faint wrinkle f543492224 formed on her 15ebcc5beb brow.8e258ca235842196

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

What could this be 76f456c8d9 about? Since the visiting 4912f9813b nobles seeking blessings ebe9a725ea had stopped coming, 730e8367f2 the Pope had 92dc41ca7d not called for 45160c5906 her—not even once…fa3991c020d6303c

* * *ca5781f66cf4a21b

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“Your Holiness, Sister 93063fc3ec Azniel, the Saint, d74ad38f40 has arrived.”578ee78f58e79b25

At the very heart e986d9fe1d of the Papal Palace, 61c75a4c40 inside the Pope’s private 6d8e6fc2b7 office.b4b07545de2d9ac5

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

As the holy d5e8469068 knight announced her e7f72f5979 entrance, the doors 56c8cc5d8c swung open, revealing 0f01ce905f the most lavish 2b9ac0fee6 chamber in the f37dfbf70a entire palace.7d22a27f6cd44034

The room, cloaked in 285858f2be the darkness of night, 98646e2da6 was lit only by 9efcf55c32 a grand chandelier. Its golden light 6662e27a65 reflected off the 8a30f5e53f corners of fine 3a2ce05016 furnishings, casting a 80c7aada98 shimmering illusion—as though 9631eeb439 the entire room 8e1852a037 were gilded in e3f184b6a4 gold. Before such 792e36fe49 opulence, the c3ac9b6efb Saint, who 768eb1fa20 had just 6c117d2dec returned from f60604ab6a tending to 6fe61edd28 the poor 8c2f949a96 until near d4f5a1ca05 exhaustion, bowed 9c98462ca9 with her 413dc03eff shoulders still 115a8433f5 curled inward.926f7a0d2db22b71

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I greet Your 8184cf95f1 Holiness. Blessings upon 9d432c809b the Staff a75cd1b58a of Dara.”9bd9f09b46debaa5

“Yes, you’ve come.”68da0c3c802783f8

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

The Pope was 6a497c932c seated behind a 9557a74a5d massive, ornate desk. He leaned 4f9e57cf5d deeply into e1e0a44e4b the tall-backed d64f40fed1 chair that 3d85a68925 emphasized his 40dd304634 authority, pressing da3d1c895b his temples 35f3d0f805 with a d45806f4fe sigh that dd051a4473 made clear d20282b61d he was 13a009e3df grappling with 458b5a292c something unpleasant.93f6727f3b6c5f4e

Seeing his discomfort, Azniel’s 0c7933fd87 shoulders drew in even 45b7820612 tighter.25621d649aacf421

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

A girl once 90bf95539f abandoned and begging 97a508a3e8 on the streets—her 5c2eb8785a only reason for 5787913fd7 being treated as 5aa25812f2 human in the a1c0b6bfbb Holy Kingdom was b897b26802 her worth as f97479ccac the Saint. Since that worth had fce44796d2 begun to diminish, she d560c00296 could never quite shake 625a2cab96 the feeling that she 7d78497573 no longer belonged. Her relentless, almost punishing 7aa3ee8473 efforts to heal were 7a6901635b driven by a desire fbbac578da to prove—in any way 07a236c9e5 she could—that she still bcf8cc36e4 served a purpose in 5e6307276e the church.34a70dca3131d372

“I’ve summoned 53cec08603 you because 50ea0138de there’s something afd48ec0b6 we need 09d6ed77be to discuss.”4e01d816f69d0f9e

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

The Pope’s irritation 6178fa4247 wasn’t directed at 7b49f52382 her—but Azniel took 6bbcf3ce87 the brunt of 3250a08236 it all the 409a49f264 same. Her withered fingers, 1e35341029 clasped at her 730a5640b0 front, tightened instinctively.9adb30f6e1454bed

“Those heretics have a643a40e3d sent a strange f71f4f69f8 request…”a5825f8ef8fc6257

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His long, aging fingers 9464bc8a54 tapped the envelope lying 54077a5af9 before him. Azniel’s eyes widened a755c3f706 as they caught 6b0797e1c0 sight of the 09544abb56 writing on its 847c16e320 surface.f6d8d82ccd8c1fd0

[Sender: Office of the Chairman, Antagon Trading Company]

Antagon… The place that 84b366fd19 created that thing called 0b81053eb5 a potion…bdaa8f5d2f4b09a3

Confirming her c599978dd9 reaction, the 0ca8c09e79 Pope let f61aa556df out a c9e48e6d9d heavy groan 77b26c8b54 and continued.b7ae754a0f0bf5fc

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“Their chairman has requested an audience. It’s scheduled for tomorrow—and he specifically asked for your presence at the meeting.”bf36d61929c67dcf