Chapter 126: The Evernight Cathedral
Iron Fortress, Plaza District.
A brand-new structure had risen in a corner of the plaza: the Evernight Cathedral. Inside the main hall, there were no icons of weeping saints or symbols of divine mercy. Instead, a gargantuan skeletal statue sat at the far end of the sanctuary.
The statue had been modeled by Kaito himself. He sat in a "Throne Pose," leaning his weight onto one hand while his chin rested upon his knuckles. Kaito claimed the posture made him look like a deep thinker contemplating the mysteries of the universe. In reality, he had just been spacing out when the sculptor started.
Father Anchi stood by the statue's massive toe-bones, a rag in one hand. He was rhythmically, if lazily, polishing the ankle of his new "god." At his feet sat a heavy wooden crate packed with a hundred vials that radiated a soft, pulsing green light.
[Emerald's Respite].
Anchi had just retrieved this week's allocation from the Logistics Bureau. As the presiding head of the cathedral, his primary duties were now twofold: providing basic medical services to the residents of Iron Fortress and, in his "free time," keeping this giant bone-man statue dust-free.
Anchi straightened his back, giving his spine a satisfying crack. He lifted a vial, squinting at the glowing liquid against the light.
"Slacking off again?" a voice drifted from the entrance.
Anchi didn't even bother turning around. He knew that voice.
Sister Cecilia marched in, clutching a massive burlap sack that looked ready to burst. Over her other shoulder, she hauled an entire bag of flour. Her sack was overflowing with fresh greens and cuts of meat that were still slightly blood-streaked. A giant loaf of crusty bread poked out of the top like an uninvited guest.
Danica trailed behind her, wobbling under the weight of two baskets filled to the brim with eggs and fresh milk.
Anchi turned around, his face a mask of practiced indifference. "I was merely offering a prayer to our new deity."
Cecilia ignored him completely. She strode to a nearby bench and dumped her haul onto the wood with a heavy, reverberating thud.
"Phew! I'm beat!" Cecilia collapsed onto the bench, rubbing her shoulders. She reached into the bag, ripped off a massive chunk of the bread, and shoved it into her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out instantly. "I have to say, the prices here are insane! All of this for a measly two silver coins!"
Danica set her baskets down with a sigh of relief, wiping sweat from her brow. Unlike Cecilia, she didn't dive into the food immediately. Instead, she trotted over to the crate of green potions, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Father Anchi, is this the medicine we'll be using from now on?"
"That's the stuff. [Emerald's Respite]," Anchi said, tossing a vial to her. "If anyone shows up missing a limb or with a hole in their chest, you pour this down their throat."
Anchi added with a note of bureaucratic severity, "But remember the protocol! One free dose a month for Citizens. Anything after that costs one silver coin per vial."
"And for non-citizens," he emphasized, raising a finger, "no matter who they are, the price is three gold crowns. Not a copper less! Also, for the 'Resident' tier—those with only the basic permits—you give them the diluted blue version in that other box over there. Don't mix them up! If you use the premium stock on a commoner, the difference comes out of your paycheck."
Danica cradled the vial in her palms, her expression one of religious awe. "It's incredible. I can feel a gentle pulse of life energy inside... it feels purer than the Holy Water from the Capital."
Suddenly, the chapel doors were kicked open with a violent BANG.
A figure blurred through the entrance, moving with a predatory speed toward the pile of food Cecilia had just unloaded.
"I SMELL IT! THE SCENT OF FLESH! FRESH SAUSAGES AND PORK BELLY!"
Kula lunged with a crazed, hunger-driven intensity, her hands clawing for the burlap bag.
"Beat it, you brat!"
Cecilia's reflexes were sharpened by years of brawling. She delivered a precise, snapping side-kick to Kula's backside. Kula let out a shriek and went rolling across the floor, but she didn't let go of the bag.
Cecilia scrambled after her, trying to wrestle her groceries back. "Mine! That's our week's rations!"
The two went into a full-blown wrestling match on the floor. Kula yanked on the bag, screaming, "Finders keepers! [Succubus Dreams] is a top-tier corporate taxpayer in this Empire! We contribute to the GDP! We have a right to citizen benefits!"
"Benefits my foot! You snatched a whole roasted chicken from me last week!"
"That was last week! Grudges over food expire after twenty-four hours!"
As the Nun and the Succubus rolled around the tiles, Scarlett strolled in. She stood with her arms crossed, watching the fight with a look of supreme boredom. Mona trailed behind her, yawning so wide her jaw nearly unhinged, her eyes half-closed as she wobbled through the hall.
Mona spotted a vacant bench, flopped onto it, and was snoring rhythmically within three seconds.
Anchi watched the chaos, his temple beginning to throb. "What do you people want now?"
Ever since Danica had quit the dream shop to return to the cathedral, this squad of succubi had treated the chapel as their personal mess hall, appearing like clockwork at every mealtime.
Scarlett finally spoke. "Nothing major."
She glanced at Kula and Cecilia, who were currently trying to bite each other's arms, then at the sleeping Mona.
"It's just... the business is booming. We have a lot of new sisters arriving from across the border, and the shop is reaching max capacity," Scarlett said calmly. "I was wondering if they could bunk here."
"They can do chores. Cleaning, lifting heavy things, whatever you need."
Anchi didn't hesitate. "Absolutely not! I have Danica for that! I don't need a pack of dream-eating loiterers helping me polish a statue! Besides, how many 'sisters' are we talking about? How can you be out of room already?"
Scarlett let out a sigh and pointed a thumb toward the chapel gates. "See for yourself."
Frowning, Anchi walked to the doorway. He looked outside.
And then, he turned into stone.
In the plaza outside the cathedral, a literal sea of succubi had gathered. They were everywhere—standing in groups, sitting on the fountain's edge, lounging in the shade.
Some were checking their makeup in small mirrors. Others were playing a game of kick-stone in a circle. A few were currently surrounding a confused Orc fruit vendor, attempting to trade a synchronized "Blowing Kiss" for a cart of apples—an offer the stern Orc was currently rejecting with visible distress.
There were at least sixty of them.
Anchi slowly turned his head to look at Scarlett. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.
On the floor, Cecilia and Kula stopped fighting. They each held one end of the bread bag, staring at the door.
"Are... are all of those your 'sisters'?" Cecilia squeaked.
"Yup," Scarlett nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Ever since word of [Succubus Dreams] spread through the underworld, sisters from all over the continent have been defecting to Evernight. You know how it is—the job market out there is quite hostile for our kind."
Anchi finally found his voice, unleashing a roar that shook the rafters. "SO YOU JUST BROUGHT THE WHOLE COVEN TO MY DOORSTEP?!"
"This is a cathedral! A sacred sanctuary! Not a halfway house for wayward demons!"
Scarlett blinked innocently. "But it's not a church of Gusteko anymore, is it?"
"And didn't the Great Master say we should 'unite all available forces' to build the Empire? We are a very... uniting force."
Father Anchi closed his eyes, contemplating the fastest way to the nearest tavern. He wanted to drink until his memories of this day were erased.
Scarlett took a step back, raising her hands in a mocking surrender. "Don't give me that look. They're your problem now. In exchange, the Guild will provide a monthly 'donation' of three gold crowns to the cathedral fund."
She then shouted to Kula, who was still playing tug-of-war with Cecilia: "Kula, let go! We're leaving! We'll be back for dinner!"
Kula cast a longing look at the sack of groceries, then at Scarlett's stern face. She reluctantly released her grip. Cecilia immediately clutched the bag to her chest like it was a newborn child.
"Right. Problem solved," Scarlett said, clapping her hands. "We're busy at the shop. See you at sundown!"
She grabbed the sleeping Mona by the ankles and began dragging her toward the exit.
"WAIT!" Anchi bellowed.
Scarlett didn't look back. As she dragged Mona's limp body through the crowd of succubi at the gate, her voice drifted back:
"Oh, and prepare extra for dinner! We've got a big family now!"
The sixty succubi in the plaza all turned to look at Anchi. One of the bolder ones blew him a playful wink. "Lord Priest, when can we come inside? The sun is absolute murder on my complexion!"
Anchi swayed on his feet. Danica rushed to steady him.
"Father Anchi! Are you alright?!"
Anchi offered no reply. He looked at the massive statue of Kaito with its hand on its chin. He felt as though the empty eye sockets of the statue were staring back with a look of profound, mocking amusement.
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