Please offer everything to Her Majesty the Princess

In the town's church, which has the same spire as Argerich's, there is a knight in silver armor.

He always wore a huge knight's helmet and a long sword at his waist, like a statue, guarding the door of the church in the wind.

People who came to the church to pray or pray would habitually greet him, but he would just nod silently and never say a word.

Afro likes going to church very much because the kind nuns there will always listen to her stories patiently.

And tell some wonderful stories about the goddess bringing good news, in which all the bad guys will be punished and the good guys will have the happiest ending.

This almost perfectly matched a child's imagination of fairy tales, so gradually, Aphrodite began to admire the goddess.

Of course, we occasionally talk about other things.

Young Afro learned from the nun that this strange man wearing a knight's helmet was not actually the guardian knight who protected the order of the church.

He just came here spontaneously, and then stayed here from day to night, as pious as a pilgrim, without moving.

However, the Armored Knight seemed to be afraid of fire, and whenever the townspeople lit a bonfire to celebrate the autumn harvest, he would escape without a trace.

Curiosity about this armored knight lasted throughout Afro's childhood.

This must be a handsome knight who sneaks out every night.

He must have his own unique way of doing justice and protecting this town.

So every time she passed by the church, she would gently tap the knight's armor and say "Come on, heroic knight!" as a secret way of greeting.

But the reality is different from what we imagined.

Afro remembered that it was a scorching summer day when she discovered the secret of the Armored Knight.

That day, she went to the church as usual, but found that the armored knight did not stay at his post this time, but went to the well next to the church.

Out of curiosity, Afro carefully lay under the statue in the church and peeked at the armored knight.

The armored knight scooped up some clean water from the well, then looked around cautiously. After making sure that there was no one around, he took off his helmet and prepared to wash the sweat off his face.

It was a face that had been destroyed by flames. The pink and white burn marks were like ugly lava welded to the side of the young man's face. It was shocking and terrifying, like a monster.

This was the first time that the young me was exposed to such a horrific scene.

Afro only remembered that her scream startled the knight, and then she ran out without looking back.

This was an extremely horrifying scene for a six-year-old child, and she could not accept it no matter what.

She ran back home in one breath, threw herself into her mother's arms, told her what she had seen, and cried for a long time out of sadness and fear.

Later, when Afro grew up a little, she heard that -

The armored knight was Will, the son of the former priest of the church, Father Zals. He stole the charity money of the church because he was hanging out with bad friends.

Father Zals devoted almost his entire life to the church and the town. He was too ashamed to face the residents and believers. He was so angry that he was half dead. He was bedridden for three months and finally died.

Will was cheated of all his savings by his bad friends. No, it was not just cheating, but murder.

They got Will drunk, stole all his money, and then set a fire. Will only survived by relying on his instinct for survival.

When he was completely desperate and ready to return to the town of Rubal to turn over a new leaf, he discovered that his father had been angered to death by him.

But he no longer had the face to face the townspeople, so he could only wear armor and atone for his father in his own way.

From this point on, Avro no longer had any interesting fantasies about the armored knight.

Time passed leisurely, and when I was eight years old, a terrible fire started in the fireplace on the first floor.

Those old and loose wooden building materials became the best nutrients for the flames, and for a moment the flames were raging and vigorous.

Afro only remembered that she was in the bedroom at that time, with flames burning wildly in front of her eyes. The scorching fire waves distorted the air, making it hot and suffocating.

She even forgot to run. Death was so close to her, so close that she could only cry in fear.

"Miss, run! Follow me."

The maid Meilin rushed over from next door anxiously and hugged herself.

Her frail body tried to carry herself away, but the raging fire had already occupied the stairs.

Looking down, it was like a hell of endless flames.

If you want to survive, you must get out of hell.

Meilin kept repeating this sentence, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Miss, it's okay, I will definitely take you out."

Afro held her hand, but felt the maid's body trembling.

Meilin was also very scared at the time, so she couldn't cry.

Fire is not the only weapon of the Grim Reaper, there is also the air we breathe.

While trying to survive, Afro felt his body getting hotter and hotter in the scorching flames, and his consciousness was gradually approaching coma.

Perhaps it’s because I heard too many stories about the goddess’s grace when I was young.

A sacred female figure suddenly appeared in his hazy vision. The young Afro could not see her appearance or clothes clearly, but he felt a sense of clarity as if his body and mind were cleansed.

The mysterious and sacred woman embraced him, and her warmth drove away all the darkness. A loving female voice rang in his ears, saying:

"Good, kind child, you will be blessed."

Then, from the firelight, a silver knight descended from the sky and ran towards himself and Merlin, who were shivering in the washbasin.

"It's the Hero Knight!"

He possessed the most fearless courage and the most powerful strength, and he rescued himself so easily.

When the terrifying flames broke out, some of the townspeople were reluctant to help put out the fire because Argerich was a sinner to the land.

But the church's head nun, Sister Tabernacle, took the lead and started to put out the fire with a bucket of water without saying a word. The fire was finally put out with the concerted efforts of everyone.

"Are you hurt? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

My father and mother held me in their arms as if I were a treasure, carefully examining every corner of my body.

Afro looked back, wanting to find the heroic armored knight who had rescued her, the hero who should have been praised, but she found that he had already disappeared silently among the crowd.

……

After the old house burned down, his father took him to the imperial capital of Klein and joined Argerich's direct branch.

Afro would occasionally write back.

According to the letter from Sister Tabernacle, the Armored Knight has truly become the guardian knight of the church.

"Everyone has the opportunity to atone for their sins after making a mistake. This is the Goddess's love. As long as you are kind-hearted and believe in the Goddess, the Goddess will personally welcome you after you die and take you to the eternal and happy heaven."

This is what Tabernacle always said to herself before she told a story.

No one knew when Aphrodite began to believe in the goddess of light, Vers.

Was it the knight in the firelight when I was a child? Or was it the time when I was lying on the pulpit of the church listening to Sister Tuberley telling stories about the goddess's journey through the world?

But what is certain is that the goddess saved himself from despair and gave Will the opportunity and courage to atone for his sins.

Afro no longer cared about when it started. She just liked this power that could warm people's hearts, that's all.

I want to be someone like Sister Tuberrey, someone who can give strength to others.

Therefore, Aphrodite swore that she would serve the goddess devoutly for the rest of her life and follow her guidance until her death.

……

"Hahaha……"

Thinking back on his journey as a believer, Afulo felt like a soul that had lost its shell. He felt powerless all over and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

His body seemed to have lost all strength, and he collapsed and slid down the wall, kneeling on the ground like a dog with its spine removed.

Wearing a collar as a candidate saint is a sign of faith's submission to imperial power.

How could I? How could I...

Afro's hands were shaking, her breathing was extremely unstable, and she touched the collar around her neck in disbelief. She looked back in pain at the unconscious princess sitting on the chair.

Grace's head drooped against the wall, her brows relaxed, and the pain seemed to have disappeared.

Afro struggled to use magic to explore and found that the girl's vitality was no longer lost, but she continued to transmit life-healing magic to Grace.

Fortunately, the bet paid off. Her Royal Highness survived.

But Afro did not let go of the burden because of this. On the contrary - a crystal tear slid down her cheek.

If this is the price of saving a life.

How will you view me from now on, goddess?

How will I treat you from now on, Princess?

6. Don’t you have anything to say?

Is it really a magic prop?

The collar was tied tightly around her neck like a lock without a key. After Afro was sure that she couldn't take it off in any way, she finally gave up resisting.

But no matter how difficult the world is, people always have to move forward.

Afro pulled herself together, stood up tremblingly, and looked at the quietly sleeping princess with a complicated expression.

The curve of the girl's face was thin and her skin was too pale to be seen in the sunlight. She was so beautiful that she looked like a tranquil landscape painting.

It seems that it will take some time for Her Royal Highness to wake up.

Somehow, Afro thought of the shivering skirt.

Her mood was like a sticky paste, uncomfortable, bitter and confused. She hesitated and remained silent.

Even though she didn't know why the princess wanted her to wear the collar, Afro still chose to go to her locker, took out the blanket that was supposed to be given to the old man, and covered the girl with it.

This is just out of women's compassion for women, nothing more.

Taking a deep breath, Afro nervously pushed open the wooden door of the confessional.

What would others think of me now? I hope no one finds out.

The moment I pushed the door open, a young nun with freckles on her face appeared in front of me.

Afro recognized her. She was Sister Julie who always liked to laze in the big tree behind the church.

Her usually friendly eyes were like a lingchi knife, cutting Afro's self-esteem into pieces section by section.

Afro's heart sank and he gripped the door handle tightly, his knuckles turning white with nervousness.

Finished, the collar around my neck...

But Sister Julie just smiled lightly, and did not stop at her neck, but asked with concern:

"Your Majesty Aphrodite, why did you come out? Father Morton prepared some broth for everyone. Would you like to try it?"

In the Holy See of Light, the church in each district is generally jointly governed by the nun and the priest.

Father Morton is the priest of St. Walis. He is tolerant and kind, and often uses his own money to help nearby believers.

A few years ago, he funded the construction of a church welfare home and enjoyed a very high prestige in the western district of Saint Huali in the imperial capital.

"broth?"

Julie nodded. "Yes, wouldn't you like some? Your Majesty. It's cold today, isn't it?"

"you……"

Afro looked into Julie's eyes with some hesitation. She asked cautiously,

"You can't see the ..." on my neck

Julie leaned forward. "Is there anything around your neck?"

Can't you see it?

By the way, the collar seems to be a magic item, so it’s normal that others can’t see it.

Afro's white knuckles finally loosened and she felt relieved.

"It's okay, thank you. I won't drink the broth."

Although I can't deceive the goddess, it is enough to maintain outsiders' views of the goddess.

Afro glanced from a distance and saw the thin old man sitting in a corner of the church, drinking broth quietly.