Saint Arcane Cathedral / 

Elisa ran towards the church. Wish she could find the answer she is looking for.

__________

Church of Longing /

"Mother!"

Elisa screamed, calling for her mother.

Inside the church, her mother is seen prostrate, praying to the Tree of Past, Present, Future.

Not wanting to disturb her mother, Elisa enters the church in silent. 

Elisa waited for her mother to finish praying by standing behind.

It took quite a long time for her mother to finish the prayer.

After that quite a long time, finally her mother finished her prayer. 

Maria Christina lowered her hands. Looking up to the tree, she showed a sorrowful expression for some reason. After that, she turned around to see her adopted daughter.

"It is you, Elisa."

It was the first time in a long time that her mother had called her by that name.

Elisa, not Elizabeth. It was the first time in a long time that his mother had called him by that name. Elisa didn't know the reason yet that her mother ordered her to use that name. 

To be honest, Elisa is afraid and didn't want to visit her adoptive mother. 

Like when she was dealing with Sylvia, her adoptive sister, her mother also gave her great pressure when they faced off. 

They are both the most important people in the city. Elisa understood that. 

Perhaps for that reason they asked Elisa to become what they imagined them to be.

"Is your arrival this moment is a form of worry about what is going on?"

"Yes."

Elisa had to speak with her head down to maintain her courage.

"Will mother just stay in church when all this happens?"

Her mother is the Administrator of the cathedral. So she should be at the front to take the lead.

"Are you perhaps angry at mother for being impotent?"

Her mother divert the conversation so Elisa would feel guilty.

"N-no! That is not what I meant. It is just, mother is the leader of the cathedral. So it might be wise for mother to stand up front."

While Elisa still bowing her head, feeling guilty, her mother gives her a gentle smile. 

"I am sorry, Elisa, mother is just a Priest. Mother could calm a baby's cry and heal everybody's wounds. But mother is not a fighter who could lead a fight or think up a strategy. Therefore, Liliana is the more appropriate person to face the current problem."

Her mother's wisdom left Elisa speechless. Everything she said was true. 

The Deputy Administrator, Liliana, is actually a Legend Hunter. But because she didn't have a long record of fight back then, she is still Platinum. A bit older than the Diamonds and Emperors, but younger than the Legends.

"However, will mother just stay here? Maybe it is better for mother to enter the cathedral as well."

"I am sorry again, Elisa. For that you do not have to worry. This church is mother's life. Mother have vowed to dedicate mother's life to this church. For that reason, whatever happens to mother and this church, let it be the decision of fate."

Her mother is so strong. Any topic that should have branched off, her mother could cut off the topic in one sentence.

Elisa didn't have anything else she could ask her mother.

"If you do not have anything else to ask mother, maybe you can turn to that man over there?"

Her mother knew what Elisa was feeling. However, 'that man', like 'that man' had a special relationship with Elisa, or maybe he did?

Elisa slowly turned around, then found the figure of a man she hadn't seen in a long time. 

The man had been in the cathedral with her all this time, but he was wearing a mask and an appearance that made him look like a different person.

His long hair has been cut. At that time he sits casually in one of the chair reading an old book for some reason.

"Ars?"

Elisa immediately runs to the man. 

"Hey, what are you doing here?!"

It was true that he is at church since yesterday. And he didn't do anything that might hurt Elisa's mother.

Elisa is grateful for that. But she still angry because someone as strong as him just sat quietly in that place.

Ars glanced at her for a moment, then went straight back to his book. 

"Oh, it's you."

Like innocence, the man did not show the slightest bit of responsibility as a person of the cathedral.

Impatient, Elisa walked closer, directly to the man, stomping her every step, and asked:

"I said, why are you just sitting here?!"

Ars did not answer Elisa immediately. There was a pause of about five seconds and a page of the old book for Ars to answer.

"What are you doing here? That's what you asked before. Even if you change the subject, I'll just answer with one: Can you see I'm just chilling here nicely? Or what, you wanna start a fight?"

Elisa gaped. She couldn't believe the man casually, or as usual he spoke, answering Elisa's serious question.

Elisa did not want to be provoked by the bait. She won't achieve anything if she gets hooked and they start fighting.

At that moment, after their little conflict, someone giggled for some reason. 

Apart from the two of them, naturally there is only one person who could giggle at that time. That is the Administrator of the church.

"Mother?"

Elisa asked her mother's reason for laughing, even though the atmosphere at that time was serious.

"I am sorry. But it is funny to see you having a conflict with someone, and Ars' respond is just too precious."

His bad attitude is precious?

What are you talking about? Elisa wanted to ask that, but considering it is her mother, she might be will trigger an event she did not want to happen. 

"Apart from that, it is such a relief to see you have such interactions with other people. When you do not do that to your family."

That's it. That is exactly what Elisa doesn't want to show to people she knows, especially her mother. 

There is a really complicated relationship between her and Ars. It's not romantic or bound by love. When tied to these two things, Elisa is happy instead. But they both don't love each other. 

Even though in some moments Elisa felt she could love that man, there is always something that makes her get rid of that love and hate the man.

"Well, we cannot deny it. Because mother is not a good mother, so Elisa cannot find other feelings besides awkwardness and fear every time we face each other."

Now her mother starts to makes Elisa feel guilty for making her feels miserable.

"That is not it, mother! It is just, with this man, I could not..."

Elisa could not tell her reason for being temperamental whenever she is close to Ars. She doesn't even know if their relationship is some kind of special. 

For that, her mother does not want to prolong the problem. 

"It is okay, Elisa. Mother does not forbid you to have a special relationship with someone. Ars is a nice guy after all, even though he is a bit rascal."

Now her mother starts to shipping them. 

"H-haa! No, mother, our relationship is really not that special, or cannot even called good either!"

"But you two have shared a bed, right?"

Elisa shivered at the question. How did her mother know?

"How did mother know, huh?~"

Her mother playing innocent, while suddenly a person behind her clicked his tongue.

'Ars told mother that? But why?'

Not even both of them know. It looks like her mother makes Ars say that somehow.

"Well, even though it sounds bad because the two of you are not married yet, at least he did not touch you, yet. Even though mother was curious why he did not touch you? Although you are a beautiful girl."

"M-mother?!"

Now Elisa is confused, is her mother kidding or serious about that question.

"Well, even so, mother grateful. Because if you have been touched, then you will not be able to assume the role of the [Vigorous Maiden]."

Now Elisa thought about that. Vigorous Maiden is a Maiden. A woman who has been touched by a man can no longer be called a Maiden.

But did her mother know about it from the start? Because Elisa was immediately given the duty to become [Vigorous Maiden] the day after her return to cathedral.

"In regard to all your questions, mother will answer all of that after all this problem done."

After her mother's expression, suddenly there was an explosion, no, not just one, but many explosions that took place outside and shook the cathedral.

"You might want to go outside to look the situation yourself."

Her mother knows what was going on outside. That way she could stay calm even in that situation.

Meanwhile, Elisa confused. She wanted to go, but she wanted the man behind her to come with her.

"Do not worry about him. Mother will try to make him help us."

At that moment, Elisa became even more confused. Ars is not an easy man to talk to.

"Elisa, please believe in mother. After this, mother promised we, with your big sister of course, will have a nice long chat together."

Once again, her mother left Elisa speechless. 

She hesitated at first, but when she thought about the determination her mother had, Elisa didn't want to disappoint it and went straight out.

Leaving her mother with the Greedy Young Master.