Praise The Sun!

"So, this is Arsnova City?" Lumien muttered under his breath.

Almost instinctively, information he had studied surfaced in his mind.

The third-largest city in the Liurnia Kingdom…

An island city directly connected to the sea…

Home to Port Harvord, one of the busiest and most important trade hubs in the entire kingdom...

The site of the renowned 'Colosseum,' where warriors and challengers compete for glory…

A city that houses three major Churches: the Cathedral Of Holy Tempest, belonging to the Storm Goddess Church; the Cathedral of Saint Regulus, under the Radiance Church; and the Cathedral of Saint Sharjah, representing the Church of Grace and Blessing...

As the details played out in his mind, Lumien noticed the carriages around him slowly merging into a single lane. His own carriage followed suit, the once-wide road now narrowing significantly.

Looking out the window, he saw that the path had become a narrow road with seawater on either side. The salty smell of the ocean filled the air, and he could hear the gentle sound of waves splashing against the nearby rocks and barrier.

Lumien didn't hide his curiosity, leaning forward slightly to take in the glimmering sea beyond.

Even on Earth, I rarely got to see the sea. Sigh… I remember before I died, I had made plans with my high school classmates to reunite at Yalong Bay. I wonder if they went through with it after I was gone… or if they ended up canceling because of my death... Lumien thought instinctively.

As the carriage went downhill slightly, the sight of Arsnova City became even more impressive and imposing from a lower angle.

"I didn't see any carriages leaving Arsnova. Are the entrance and exit separate?" Lumien asked curiously.

"Probably," Azalea replied thoughtfully. "Didn't we see carriages heading in the opposite direction earlier? The exit should be somewhere along the route they came from."

As they spoke, Lumien noticed the pace of their carriage beginning to slow. Before long, it came to a complete stop.

"This should be an inspection," Azalea explained, glancing at him. She knew her younger brother had little experience with the outside world. After all, this trip practically marked his first time leaving the mansion.

Lumien nodded at her explanation.

The inspection took some time, with their carriage sitting in line before it was finally cleared to proceed.

As they went through the large, heavy gates, Lumien's eyes were immediately drawn to the bustling market.

Yesterday, at the start of their journey, he hadn't been given a chance to see his hometown city or the daily life of its people. His father had taken them straight to the planned route, leaving no room for sightseeing.

Now, with everything spread out before him, Lumien's eyes roamed intently over the lively scene outside, eager to take in every detail of the world he had never glimpsed for the past ten years.

I didn't realize until now how much I missed this kind of environment and atmosphere... Lumien thought to himself.

The chaos of people arguing loudly over who-knows-what, a pickpocket running from a guard like his life depended on it, kids happily eating snacks bigger than their hands, a tramp lying in a dark corner of the street, snoring loudly with an empty bottle balanced on his stomach, a family walked together, laughing and teasing each other as they enjoyed their day out.

Ah… so this is the city life I didn't realize I missed so much!

The houses along the way caught his attention next. Their designs were nothing like what he'd seen on Earth.

Soon, the carriage passed by a shrine belonging to the Radiance Church. The Cathedral of Saint Regulus stood tall and majestic, its golden exterior shimmering in the sunlight. The building was grand, almost regal, and it was said that real gold had been used in its construction.

"Tsk, how extravagant," Lumien muttered, clicking his tongue in mockery as he took in the Shrine's lavish design.

"That's how they build their prestige," Azalea replied with a shrug. "Would you willingly visit a cathedral that's run-down, with its ceiling caving in and walls crumbling?"

"Sister, your comparison doesn't make any sense!" Lumien said, exasperated.

"I know, but it's more or less the same idea," Azalea replied matter-of-factly. "People are more likely drawn to a cathedral that has a grand design, offers better free food during their mass, and creates an impression of wealth and power. Even if a shrine is clean and functional but looks humble and ordinary, people will still see it as no better than a run-down one."

Without warning, Azalea suddenly spread her arms wide toward the sky as though embracing the sun, her expression turning solemn. "Praise the sun!"

Afterward, she quickly clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

Lumien froze, completely caught off guard by her action. Dumbfounded, he asked, "Sister... what are you doing?"

Azalea didn't answer right away. She kept her eyes closed for a full minute before finally speaking.

"When I saw the cathedral just now, I had a flash of inspiration. So, I prayed. Wishing for you to be blessed with good health and for your illness to be cured."

Lumien chuckled in amusement. "Thank you, sister, but I don't think your prayer will be granted. Not only were you praying outside the cathedral, but you're also not even a believer of the Radiance Church to begin with. Or to put it in church terms, 'You're lacking pure piousness!'"

Azalea shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, there's nothing wrong with trying."

As she spoke, the carriage rolled past another cathedral. This time, it was Cathedral Saint Sharjah, a grand structure belonging to the Church of Grace and Blessing. Unlike the majestic and grand Cathedral of Saint Regulus, Saint Sharjah's design was more reminiscent of ancient Parthenon temples, with its rows of towering white pillars and pristine white walls, exuding an aura of virtue and purity.

Just as Lumien predicted, Azalea began performing another set of gestures. Unlike the gestures of the Radiance Church, which were bold and straightforward, like embracing the sun, the Church of Grace and Blessing's prayer gestures were far more abstract and delicate.

Azalea first placed both hands gently over her heart. Slowly, she lifted her hands outward and upward, palms open and facing forward, as though offering her prayers to the heavens or receiving divine blessings. Finally, she brought her hands back together, forming a soft, cupped shape, as if cradling an invisible light, which she held close to her chest.

In a soft, reverent voice, she murmured, "May Her grace flow through me, and Her blessings heal the world."

After completing the gesture, Azalea closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in prayer.

Lumien opened his mouth, ready to tease her about how her prayer probably wouldn't be answered. But as his eyes caught her solemn expression, he paused, shutting his mouth.

A minute later, Azalea opened her eyes, but her expression had turned grave.

"What's wrong?" Lumien immediately asked.

"I just realized something. Isn't the Church of Grace and Blessing supposed to specialize in healing and treatment? Now that I think about it, I don't recall Father or Mother ever taking you to their cathedral or inviting a priest from there.".

"Maybe their faith lies in another religion?" Lumien suggested, his tone casual as he tried not to overthink it. "It'd probably be awkward to ask for help at a church you don't follow."

But as the thought settled in, something clicked between them. As if their minds were perfectly in sync, they both blurted out, almost at the same time:

"Wait a minute, I never saw Mother and Father prayed before!"

"Mother and Father never told us which religion they follow!"

The two immediately exchanged glances.

If this were Earth, having no religion might seem normal. But here, in a world where deities actively roamed and influenced lives, it was almost unthinkable. Over thousands of years, countless churches had been established to worship these powerful beings.

In the early days, people feared that if they didn't honor and appease the deities, they would face their wrath. Over time, however, that fear transformed into devotion.

For someone to ignore this tradition entirely, especially a noble family, was an unusual case. Many nobles aligned themselves with a church, even if it was just for appearances or political reasons. Even if they weren't truly devoted, it was normal to see them perform small acts of faith, like gestures before eating or starting something important out of habit.

Yet, Lumien had never seen his mother or father do any of that; not in their everyday lives and not even during his most serious moments. It was something he hadn't really noticed until now.

Could it be that my parents are atheists? Or maybe they used to be believers, but at some point, they faced hardships, and their prayers went unanswered. Feeling betrayed, they might have stopped actively believing in gods after that.

Heh, that actually sounds pretty reasonable.

Lumien shared his guess with Azalea, who agreed almost immediately.

"You're always telling me not to overthink, but shouldn't you take your own advice? To come up with all that in under a minute… either you really like overthinking, or you were born to be a novelist." Azalea teased.

Without waiting for his response, Azalea continued, "In any case, I still plan to ask our parents about it directly when we get back home."

Lumien nodded, choosing not to dissuade her. After all, he was just as curious as she was!

After about half an hour, the carriage began to slow, eventually stopping in front of a massive gate. The guards stationed there conducted a brief inspection before allowing the convoy to pass.

The convoy rolled forward along the wide road and came to a stop near the grand entrance of the estate, where a large, elegant fountain stood as the centerpiece.

Already waiting, dozens of maids and servants lined the grand staircase. At the front stood a man in his mid-50s, his sharp expression softening slightly as he stepped forward.

As Lumien, Azalea, and their parents stepped out of the carriages, he greeted them with a clear voice in a slight bow. "Welcome to Arsnova."