Chapter 20: The Weight of a Cross and a Lesson in Vengeance

“Tea… Teacher, I can’t hold on any longer.”

“Hmph, do you think an enemy in battle will spare you just because you beg? Keep going!”

Inside the training ground, Lucia was prostrate on the floor, holding a plank position with a cross larger than herself strapped to her back.

Today’s training was markedly different from previous sessions.

While physical conditioning had always been a component, it had never been the primary focus.

Typically, sparring with Lovelenica formed the core of their regimen.

However, today, Lovelenica had cancelled the sparring session entirely.

Indeed, just as Lovelenica had envisioned yesterday on her return to the Royal City, she intended to leverage all her pre-transmigration experiences from physical education classes and military training to put Lucia through a full day of intense physical exercises.

Naturally, the intensity had to be several times greater.

Lucia had now been holding the plank with the cross on her back for nearly an hour.

Initially, she had found it rather novel, having never trained this way before, and it even felt quite easy.

However, after twenty minutes, Lucia finally sensed that something was amiss.

Her arms and lower back gradually began to ache, and the cross on her back seemed to grow progressively heavier, like a colossal mountain pressing down upon her.

By this point, Lucia felt an overwhelming soreness throughout her body.

Her arms trembled uncontrollably, and large beads of sweat continuously dripped from her forehead, soaking even the thin veil she wore.

Lucia’s vision blurred, not from unconsciousness, but simply from the sweat obstructing her sight.

Even as sweat threatened to sting her eyes, Lovelenica forbade Lucia from wiping it away.

In her hazy vision, Lovelenica sat nearby, legs crossed, watching Lucia’s desperate struggle with an air of relaxed amusement.

‘Hmph, that’s what you get for hugging me and stroking my head without permission.

Now you know the consequences!’

In truth, after parting ways with Lucia last night, Lovelenica had not resumed her attempts to feed.

For one, the village was completely deserted, and seeking sustenance elsewhere might risk exposure.

On the other hand, witnessing the gruesome state of the other nuns in the church, Lovelenica felt a physiological pull towards the blood, yet her mind recoiled from such a sight.

After all, Lovelenica was a modern person who had transmigrated.

Even with inherited memories of her original body, she had not personally experienced such bloody scenes.

Indeed, if she didn’t consciously recall them, Lovelenica could barely remember those past events.

Last night, realizing her own craving for those grisly scenes, Lovelenica felt a profound disgust for her desires for the very first time.

If it were merely drinking blood-infused tea or tasting desserts mixed with blood, as she had done previously with the Crimson Family, Lovelenica could easily accept it.

However, if it meant directly drawing blood from a human, even if not to the extent of a Fallen Nun who would dismember or drain a person dry, Lovelenica found the idea of directly sucking blood from a living person utterly unacceptable.

Therefore, Lovelenica had abandoned her search for food.

If possible, she resolved to simply pilfer more blood bags from the Crimson Family’s various enterprises.

As for Lucia, after separating from Lovelenica, she had continued her investigation in Savigny Village.

However, Lucia uncovered no useful clues.

Upon returning to the Royal City, she reported the incident to the Bishop.

The Bishop was astonished by the gravity of the events in Savigny Village.

Early today, the Bishop had already dispatched other groups of nuns to Savigny Village to perform purification and cleanup duties.

Of course, before today’s training began, Lucia had also reported last night’s events to Lovelenica, mentioning a young girl who fought using firearms.

Whether it was Lucia’s imagination or not, when she described how adorable the young girl was, Lovelenica’s mouth seemed to twitch slightly.

Immediately following that, the unprecedented physical training began.

To be honest, Lucia still felt a deep regret about not having asked Lovelenica for her name.

She couldn’t explain why, but after only a brief acquaintance of merely ten minutes, Lucia had developed a significant fondness for the other woman.

Perhaps it was because the other woman was rather cute?

Or perhaps it was her somewhat peculiar yet amusing temper?

Or was it her approval of Lucia?

In any case, whatever the reason, Lucia had resolved to find her.

Once she had some free time, she would search for Lovelenica’s traces at the Royal City’s Demon Hunter Guild.

Unbeknownst to Lucia, Lovelenica harbored the exact same intention.

Lovelenica planned to register at the Demon Hunter Guild as her bloodkin persona soon.

Lucia hadn’t checked her identification this time, but the next encounter might not be as lenient.

Thus, Lovelenica needed a different identity for her activities.

“Thud—”

Finally, Lucia reached her limit.

Her arms gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground with a thud, only to feel the weight on her back lighten.

As Lucia was about to fall, Lovelenica had already anticipated it, swiftly catching the cross from Lucia’s back and placing it aside.

“Haa… Tea-Teacher… I’m sorry, I truly couldn’t hold on any longer…”

“It’s fine; you performed admirably.

I am quite satisfied.

Just remember to be more cautious with your words and actions in the future.”

Watching Lucia’s panting form, Lovelenica chuckled inwardly, finally feeling a sense of satisfaction.

“Cautious… with my words and actions?”

Lucia painstakingly propped herself up on her knees, rising from the floor.

She repeated Lovelenica’s words with a puzzled expression, not quite grasping their meaning.

“It’s nothing.

Just remember it, and you’ll understand eventually.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

No sooner had Lucia stood up than another nun approached them; it was Julie.

“Heh heh, I told you I’d have this freeloader properly educate you.”