As the group chatted, strains of singing drifted from behind the church.
Kanna followed the sound and saw several rows of children and nuns standing on a small hill behind the church. At the very front was Friar Malfu, someone she had seen before, who had been following Friar Glynn.
"Friar Malfu is also the choirmaster. He is the most proficient musician in all of Rock Bay Town. All the church's performances for the past ten years have been organized by him. Because he usually enjoys playing with children, his prestige throughout the entire church is second only to Dean Glynn."
Seeing Kanna's gaze, Lucy spoke.
"Although our Rock Bay Town is not a big city in Iberia, our Monastery is always among the top in all of Iberia in the national Monastery choir competition held every three years. Most of the credit for this can be attributed to Friar Malfu. They should be teaching the children new hymns now."
As Lucy explained, a person wearing a hood, whose face was obscured, walked out of the Monastery. He approached Friar Malfu and said something. Then, Friar Malfu's hands moved frantically in front of him, appearing very agitated. The practicing choir was also forced to stop.
Friar Malfu became more and more agitated, slamming his baton on the ground. From his constantly heaving chest, it was clear he was extremely angry.
The hooded person was also startled by Friar Malfu's appearance and stumbled back into the church.
"Wow! He's angry, right! He must be angry! It's my first time seeing someone get so angry..." Kanna stared wide-eyed at the situation, wishing she had melon seeds, peanuts, and eight-treasure porridge nearby, so she could be a happy spectator.
The commotion below was so loud that Ilena had to stop her information-gathering and walked to the room where Kanna was. Hearing Kanna's words, she felt a bit of a stomachache. From observing her throughout their journey, although Kanna usually pretended to be a good girl and was adept at using cuteness to gain trust, in reality, this little one was a professional troublemaker. She always went all out to watch drama unfold. If there was no fun, she would find ways to create some, and then be disciplined by Kal'tsit... "Alas, it might be about the new dean selection!" With such a big issue happening in their home in front of outsiders, no one could remain calm.
"But Dean Glynn looks to be less than fifty. According to the Holy See's rules, he hasn't reached the age for a dean to be replaced, has he?" Ilena leaned against the door, asking in confusion. As an Inquisitor of Iberia, she was quite familiar with the Iberian state religion. According to official regulations, if the head of a church or Monastery reached seventy years old and was still healthy, they would be invited by the Holy See to the grand cathedral to enjoy their later years. The vacant church or Monastery would then have a successor chosen through their recommendation, followed by an assessment by someone sent from above.
So, hearing Ilena's words, she found it a bit strange.
"Don't let Dean Glynn's youthful appearance fool you; he's actually sixty-eight!" Lucy's face showed a look of longing.
"Sixty-eight?" Ilena found it somewhat unbelievable. Friar Glynn didn't seem like someone who enjoyed physical exercise, and he appeared quite thin at first glance. Yet, during their conversation, he was full of spirit and vitality, a physique that shouldn't belong to a sixty-eight-year-old.
"Isn't that right? I've been in the Monastery since I can remember, and after all these years, I've grown from a child to an adult, but Dean Glynn hasn't changed at all. I wonder how the Dean maintains himself; it's so enviable!" A passing nun, overhearing their conversation, interjected.
Just as the nun spoke, Kanna subtly shifted her body to get a better view of the two inside, and the result was as expected.
Upon hearing the nun's words, Dona's body visibly trembled, and for a split second, Lucy's eyes clearly showed a murderous intent, though it quickly receded.
Kanna had some thoughts forming, and when she turned her head, she saw Ilena looking at her.
"Oh dear! Sister Ilena, I forgot something in the car. Will you come with me to get it?" Kanna winked at Ilena with her back to Lucy.
Seeing Kanna's expression, Ilena nodded subtly, "Alright. Miss Dona needs to rest, and you're too noisy, you'll disturb her."
"I'll arrange someone to go with you!" Lucy said, stepping out as she saw the two about to leave.
Ilena pointed to the vehicle not far downstairs. "No need. It's such a short distance; it would be too much trouble to ask Miss Lucy to arrange someone. We Inquisitors are not people who can't do things for ourselves."
Realizing that it was indeed not far, as Ilena said, and it would be awkward to send someone along, Lucy's eyes darted. "While Dona is resting, I might disturb her inside. How about I go down with you? I can check if Friar Malfu needs any help."
At this time, the choir had already dispersed, and only Friar Malfu sat blankly on the small hillside, lost in thought.
"Then I'll trouble you!" Ilena stepped aside, clearing the path to the door.
The group walked down. Aside from Kanna constantly pestering Lucy with questions, Ilena remained silent.
Reaching the car, Kanna, like a gecko, climbed onto the roof to Lucy's astonishment. Then, with a few swift tugs, she untied the ropes on top and jumped down, clutching a wooden box larger than herself.
This box was a sword sheath that Kal'tsit had arranged to be custom-made for Kanna in Siracusa, as such an exaggeratedly long weapon tied to the car roof would not pass the border between Laterano and Iberia.
After jumping down from the car with the wooden box on her shoulder, Kanna nodded in satisfaction. "I've got it!"
Ilena calmly retrieved a lantern from the car, held it in her hand, and then closed the door.
"I've long heard that all Wyverns are incredibly strong, like giants. I thought it was just a rumor from Sargon, but now it seems it's true!"
Kanna had never taken this box off the car throughout the journey. Ilena had always assumed it was a vehicle accessory or something belonging to Kal'tsit, but only now did she realize this large box was Kanna's possession.
"Little sister Kanna, what's in this box?" Lucy asked, feigning curiosity and crouching down.
"Hehe, it's Kanna's treasure!" Kanna had no intention of opening the box. Instead, she hoisted it onto her shoulder and dashed upstairs.
"Hey! Wait for me! I'm sorry, children can be thoughtless!" Apologizing to Lucy, Ilena chased after Kanna.
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