"The people from the church are about to be here any minute now," Anna said after recovering.
The disappointment on her face was quickly gone, replaced by quiet excitement.
"It's usually the church of the Earth Goddess. Our orphanage has a good relationship with them."
The way she spoke, the warmth on her face, and how the children here called her sister gave him a bit of confusion.
Our orphanage?
"I thought you were a noble?" Cyril said, finding it peculiar.
The look in Anna's eyes darkened slightly, even if a smile still remained on her face.
"...I became one when my parents took me in," she mumbled, looking at the main building of the orphanage.
She is an adopted daughter of a noble?
Cyril widened his eyes for a moment before recovering. Noble families were usually quite fussy about bloodlines.
He had a slight urge to ask further, but seeing Anna's hesitant face, he threw the thought away.
Instead, now that small talk was out of the way and initial conversation was established, Cyril decided to ask what he wanted from the beginning.
"What do you think of Alvin?" he said, glancing at the corner of the courtyard.
Anna followed his gaze as well, giving the healer a short scan.
He expected her face to light up with respect and gratitude, but strangely, a frown settled on her face.
Could it be?
More excited than he realized, Cyril walked a step closer, focusing on her words.
"He's a powerful mage and seemingly does good. But I don't understand why he does what he does. He doesn't look like he enjoys helping people. It concerns me a little bit," Anna whispered.
Her voice made it seem like she was talking about some forbidden topic, as if doubting a good healer was unbecoming, yet she still did.
Cyril fixedly stared at her face, as if trying to fully capture the doubt on her face.
"...What? Did I say something wrong?"
Anna quickly raised her bracelet. Staring at its reflection, she observed her face for a moment. Finding nothing, she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
"No, you are right. I think so too," Cyril finally replied.
Finally, there was someone who agreed with him. And it was someone who definitely knew Alvin better than some.
There was a newfound appreciation in his eyes as he gazed at Anna.
He subtly nodded to her, to which Anna awkwardly nodded as well, confused.
At this moment, before he could ask anything further, the doors to the courtyard opened, revealing the caretaker Jessica.
"Please, come this way!" She politely led a group of three people dressed in similar black robes.
The first among them was a man in his fifties. He had short brown hair and a thick, somewhat disheveled beard. There was a kindly look in his eyes as he scanned the courtyard.
After the man came a middle-aged woman, her face rough but with a motherly feel to it.
Finally, the last one to come in was a hooded woman. She immediately caught his attention because of a peculiar fashion choice. Her eyes were covered with a blindfold.
From what was visible of her face, she couldn't be much older than Cyril or Anna.
"Don't be so nervous, Jessica. We are doing this every week, haha," the bearded man heartily laughed, hitting Jessica on the shoulder a few times.
The caretaker's smile twitched as she stepped away, wiping her aching shoulder.
"Mr. Pete, please, don't do that again."
"Haha, sorry, won't happen again!"
"Now, where is the boy of the hour? I heard today is someone's birthday!" The priest straightened his back, going over the courtyard's children once more.
His gaze briefly stopped at Cyril and Anna before finally settling on a particular boy chasing a red butterfly.
"Aha! My senses are detecting someone-" He quickly walked up to the kid, radiating positivity.
The children in turn surrounded him with glee the moment they noticed him.
They must be from the church.
"They sure love kids."
Giving the bearded man one last glance, Cyril turned to look at Anna, about to ask her about the new arrivals.
But he found Anna unresponsive. This brown-haired girl was barely holding back her excitement, staring at the hooded woman with a blindfold.
"Luce!" she called out.
Hearing Anna's voice, the hooded woman immediately smiled wider. She said something to Jessica and quickly walked over to their corner.
"Anna, it's been a while!"
"Where have you been?" Anna took a step closer and hugged the woman, her voice happy but also slightly complaining. "You didn't visit us for a few weeks."
She looked just like the kids that flooded the bearded priest at this moment.
Luce patted her back, her smile turning somewhat awkward.
"I've been… busy. But I am not anymore! Don't worry."
Cyril stood nearby, crossing his arms. He silently observed Luce's face.
Even though she was wearing a blindfold, somehow he got the impression she was observing him as well.
Finished with her hug, Anna took a step back, fixing her hair for a moment.
"And who's this with you? It doesn't seem to be Cedric...." Luce asked in the meantime, vaguely staring in his direction.
"Cedric is busy. He's helping someone find their brother, I think? It's just me today," Anna quickly explained.
Before she could introduce him, he stepped forward himself.
"My name is Cyril. I am studying in the same academy as Anna."
The blind woman bowed in his direction, her smile widening.
"My name is Luce. I am but a humble priestess of the Earth Goddess."
Cyril narrowed his eyes, staring at her as if trying to see through the blindfold.
"So, Anna has a new friend that isn't Cedric! That's incredible!" Luce exclaimed with excitement, causing Anna to call out her name.
"Luce!"
"Sorry. I just didn't expect it. Anna, you were always so against people."
Cyril silently observed the cordial interaction between them. They really seemed less like friends and more like siblings.
"What do you think?" Rhamn suddenly asked, staring at the pair of girls with intrigue.
We'll know for sure when the opportunity presents itself.
"To think that Anna would be friends with someone like that. This orphanage is not so innocent~"
"Are you a noble, Cyril?"
Suddenly someone else intruded into their little corner.
It was a middle-aged priestess from before, her gaze strict as it stayed on him.
"I am," Cyril replied, calmly meeting her glare.
"…Remember, that status is a responsibility, not an excuse."
The woman continued staring at his face, so he did as well. It was like they were two kids having a stare contest.
Finally, someone stood in between them, attracting the woman's gaze.
"She lost! Ha Ha!"
"Catherine, what are you doing? We are at a birthday party. Now is not the time for lectures on morality. I am sure Cyril doesn't need them," Luce said with a smile.
The middle-aged priestess glared at Luce like one would at a cockroach before clicking her tongue and moving away.
"What's her problem?"
Luce sighed before walking a step closer to Cyril and Anna.
"That's Catherine, priestess of the Sky God. She might be a bit edgy, but she is a good person deep down. In fact, her nature is very useful on occasion."
Cyril nodded, glancing at Catherine retreating. She walked back towards the bearded priest, helping him take a kid off his back. The children stared at her with caution.
"And who's the bearded priest?" he asked.
"That's Pete, a high priest of the Sky God and also Catherine's husband," Luce replied with a widening smile.
"Priests can get married?"
"Why not?" Luce's smile widened further.
She gave a somewhat suggestive look to Anna before glancing over to Cyril.
"The Sky God and Earth Goddess have nothing against marriage. In fact, they encourage their followers to find love."
Anna lowered her head, pretending she wasn't here.
Luce continued, wagging her finger. "But it must be monogamy! Gods punish those who break the sanctity of love!"
It might've been his misunderstanding, but it seemed like she was saying that to him.
What…?