Chapter 10: Louise

The wheels crunched over the gravel road, making a monotonous and rhythmic sound.

The towering silhouette of the Twilight Church, along with the sea cliff it stood on, gradually shrank behind the carriage.

Bai Jin sat in the carriage compartment, which was piled high with various sundries, her body swaying slightly with the bumps.

Lilith sat on a soft cushion opposite her, looking with great interest at the floating Merchant’s Contract in front of her.

She had changed out of her wide priest’s robe and was wearing a well-tailored, plain-colored dress.
Her long golden hair was simply tied back, lacking the majesty of a Saintess but possessing more of a young girl’s liveliness.

Leaving the church grounds, the view suddenly opened up.
Large, neat fields of farmland spread out on both sides of the road, the green wheat seedlings undulating in the gentle breeze.

Further on the hills were stretches of orchards, with unripe fruit hanging from the branches.

Farmers worked in the fields, and children chased each other on the ridges.
It was a scene of peaceful and serene countryside.

“Where are you in the 《Holy Blood Bible》?”
Lilith asked casually without raising her head, her attention still on the trading house of the Merchant’s Contract.

“I just finished the chapter on the Grace of the Holy Blood.”
Bai Jin withdrew her gaze and replied in a flat tone.

“Oh?”
Lilith finally looked up, her azure eyes carrying a hint of playfulness.
“What are your thoughts? Do you feel that our Lord is generous and selfless, his grace as vast as the sea?”

The corner of Bai Jin’s mouth twitched involuntarily.
“…That’s what the book says.”

“Heh.”
Lilith let out a light laugh and put away the floating Merchant’s Contract.
“What’s written in the book is for others to see. In the Twilight Church, what I say are the rules.”

Lilith’s body leaned forward slightly, with a natural arrogance.
“For example, I say you are my attendant nun and should stay by my side at all times.”

“And, when I need it, provide a little service~”
She deliberately slowed down the last few words, her gaze sweeping over Bai Jin with aggression.

Bai Jin pursed her lips tightly and didn’t respond.
It was this suffocating sense of control again.

“Don’t make that face. I’m not going to eat you.”
Lilith leaned back against the cushion, her gaze turning to the thriving fields outside the carriage.

“Live well. At least the sunlight outside is real, the wheat is real, and the smiles of those people trying to live their lives are also real.”

“It’s much more pleasing to the eye than those empty, grandiose principles and hypocritical prayers in the church.”

The carriage entered the small town at the foot of the sea cliff.
The streets were lined with low but neat houses, with shops everywhere and bustling pedestrians.
The air was filled with the lively atmosphere of daily life.

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of a building much larger than the others.
The sign read “Merchant’s Contract Alliance – Twilight Town Exchange.”

Lilith was the first to jump out of the carriage, with Bai Jin following closely behind.

Pushing open the heavy door, the interior of the exchange was a bit larger than it looked from the outside, but it also seemed particularly empty.
Behind the high counter, only one figure was busy.

It was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties, dressed in a neat, dark brown professional suit.
Her chestnut-colored long hair was meticulously tied up in a bun, and she wore a pair of red-framed glasses on her nose.

She was bent over, writing something on a floating, unfurled scroll of parchment, her fingertips occasionally tapping quickly on the array of runes above.

“Louise.”
Lilith called out, greeting the young woman.

The young woman called Louise looked up at the sound.
Seeing Lilith, the eyes behind her glasses immediately lit up, and a sincere smile appeared on her face.

“Ah! Lady Lilith, good day! You’ve come at just the right time. The order you placed through the Merchant’s Contract last month, the Alliance’s logistics carriage just arrived this morning.”

Louise neatly put the quill in her hand back into the inkwell and quickly walked out from behind the counter, her movements deft and efficient.

Lilith introduced them casually, “Bai Jin, my attendant nun~ This is Louise, the person in charge of the Merchant’s Contract Alliance stationed in Twilight Town, and also my reliable partner.”

“Attendant nun?”
Louise was a little puzzled, but then she remembered the personality of the person in front of her and understood.

“Is the cargo confirmed to be okay?”
Lilith ignored Louise’s confusion and asked about the order.

“No problem.”
Louise smiled broadly, her gaze lingering on Bai Jin for a moment with curiosity.

“I’ve checked the list. Three hundred kilograms of wheat, three barrels of cured meat, two bags of coarse salt, and one barrel of grease.”
She said as she guided the two of them towards the rows of sacks and boxes piled in the warehouse.

“Oh, and the candies and small toys you specially requested for the children at the orphanage are all here, intact. Would you like to count them?”

Lilith just gave a cursory glance and nodded.
“I trust your work, Louise. Same old rules, deduct the final payment from my account at the Alliance.”

Louise immediately nodded and unfurled the Merchant’s Contract, making a few virtual strokes on it.
“Alright, Lady Lilith. The total is… um, 3 Gold Contracts and 72 Silver Contracts.”

Louise stated a number and then added, “By the way, the miscellaneous items you brought this time, I’ve listed them on the trading house as you requested.”

“There are already several bids. The highest is for that ruby tea set. Someone has offered 15 Gold Contracts! After the transaction is complete and the taxes are deducted, the funds will be directly transferred to your account.”

“Gold Contracts? Silver Contracts?”
Bai Jin subconsciously repeated in a low voice.
This was the first time she had come into contact with specific currency units in this world.

Lilith explained casually, “The common currency of the Merchant’s Contract Alliance. 100 Copper Contracts for 1 Silver Contract, 100 Silver Contracts for 1 Gold Contract. And above that, there are Treasure Contracts…”

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“Those are used to measure the value of priceless treasures. 100 Gold Contracts can theoretically be exchanged for 1 Treasure Contract, but you almost never see them in circulation. You couldn’t even get half a Treasure Contract if you sold yourself.”

Lilith’s last half-sentence was clearly directed at Bai Jin.
Louise covered her mouth and chuckled lightly on the side.

Bai Jin: “…”

Soon, the porters at the exchange unloaded the sundries from the carriage and replaced them with the purchased supplies.

After saying goodbye to Louise, Lilith set off again with Bai Jin.

The carriage did not return to the church but headed towards a relatively quiet area on the outskirts of the town.

After being busy for so long, it was already sunset.
A modestly sized, simple courtyard sat here.

A simple wooden sign hung by the entrance, engraved with “Twilight Holy Grace Orphanage.”

Before they even got out of the carriage, they could hear the sounds of children playing and various out-of-tune singing from inside.

“We’re here.”
Lilith was once again the first to get out of the carriage, the expression on her face softening.

A kind-faced, white-haired old woman and several older nuns were waiting at the entrance.
When they saw Lilith, their faces were filled with sincere joy and respect.

“Your Holiness, you’re finally here. The children have been waiting for you!”
The old woman greeted them enthusiastically.

“Director Emma, thank you for your hard work.”
Lilith nodded slightly and motioned for Bai Jin and the others to help unload the goods.

“The things are all here. Distribute them according to the old rules. And for tonight’s party, we’ll have to trouble you.”

“No trouble, no trouble at all. Praise the Holy Blood! Praise your benevolence!”
Director Emma thanked them repeatedly and directed the nuns and orphanage staff to get busy.

The courtyard also began to be set up.
Long wooden tables were pushed together and covered with clean coarse cloth.
The air was filled with the aroma of baked bread and stewed food.

Some elderly people with mobility issues sat on long benches by the wall, watching the children running around with smiles on their faces.

Widowed women bustled between the kitchen and the courtyard.

The afterglow of the sunset coated everything in a golden sheen, full of the warmth of human life.
This completely subverted Bai Jin’s imagination of a different world.

Just as she was in a daze, moving a bag of wheat from the carriage, the corner of her eye suddenly caught a small, somewhat familiar figure.

Oh, it was that little girl who got lost in the church, Vera.

She was shrunk behind an old oak tree, still wearing that faded old dress with crooked patches.

Her small face was full of envy as she stared at Lilith, who was directing the distribution of candy.

Bai Jin’s heart stirred.
She hesitated for a moment, put down the bag in her hands, and walked towards Vera.