The Protagonists Keep Adding Scenes For Me | Chapter 42 | The Lily's Secret | Novela.app

"Why won't you just believe me!" After another failed conversation, Joan bit her lower lip. She exchanged a glance with the innocent-looking Mu Ran, then turned away with puffed-out cheeks. When she discussed ideas with her fellow clergy, everyone was gentle and kind; there were never conflicts, and she had never met anyone completely devoid of faith. Even during her travels, forming a team with total strangers had never led to such ideological clashes. This was her first time seriously communicating with someone outside the Church, and she realized for the first time how powerless her words were. There were some questions she didn't even know how to answer. *Why... what am I missing?* The pure Saintess looked melancholy, leaning against a large rock by the stream like a statue of a young girl plucking at water strings in a cathedral. "Sister Joan is upset because of you again." Loria lay on Ronald’s shoulder, stopping her task of braiding the big man’s hair to whisper to Mu Ran. Mu Ran whispered back, "I can't help it. She keeps coming to talk to me; I can't just not answer, right?" Although he didn't possess the System’s talent for "talk therapy," it seemed that simply being firm in his "atheism" was enough to make Joan crumble. Speaking of which... "You've all been watching for so long, why haven't I seen any of you try to debate me?" The boy wearing the mask hid the lower half of his face, but the joy and amusement in his eyes were enough to show he was in a good mood. "Could it be that you actually agree with me?" Loria blinked her round eyes and reached out to point at Mu Ran’s head from a distance. "Hmph, trying to bait me?" "We don't really care... after all, this journey is just a formality for us. I have to go back underground sooner or later!" She added in a tiny voice, "We've never been noticed by the gods anyway..." "Oh? Is that so?" After spending some time together, Mu Ran had gained a certain understanding of the protagonist's party. The captain, Erwin, was a talented young mage. He had been taken in by the Church but, surprisingly, felt no sense of belonging to it. Forced to be independent after the age of fifteen, he led this journey for free to repay the Church's kindness. His true nature was incredibly "salted fish"—he just wanted to lie down and do nothing. Honestly, if it weren't for the "coolness factor" of the twin setting, this personality wouldn't seem like a protagonist at all. Joan was a classic Saintess figure: pure, elegant, gentle, and pious. Even after hitting a wall with Mu Ran multiple times, she never lost her composure. At most, her spirit animal—a small deer—couldn't help but use the fur on its head to rub vigorously against Mu Ran’s ankles. Compared to the fanatics in Mu Ran’s memory who would strip others of their right to think at the slightest disagreement, she was incredibly mild. —After every defeat, she actually reflected on herself, and then, after immersing herself in various scripture quotes, she would return at full health for the next "conversion" attempt. It would be even better if the object of her obsession wasn't Mu Ran. Loria was a pampered and innocent goblin lolita, blunt and impulsive. She didn't care much about the ideological conflicts within the team lately; her only goal was to take off Mu Ran’s mask. To ensure her safety, Ronald had also been hanging around Mu Ran every day. ...Mu Ran felt like both of them were "intuition-based" characters. After only a short time together, the seemingly timid Loria was the first to show kindness and closeness to Mu Ran, and the steady Ronald also subtly expressed his goodwill: "You aren't as sharp as you seem on the surface." The man was like a good-tempered big dog, his gaze broad and tolerant, carrying a warmth that wasn't intense enough to trigger alarm. "I know you're not a bad kid." ?! Mu Ran was so startled that he ramped up the intensity of his "performance," terrified that these two intuitive types would strip away his "vest" and expose his true self. Even though nothing bad would happen if his real personality were exposed, he just didn't want it to happen! As for Carlos... he was far too silent and cold. According to the others, he had joined the party after being rescued mid-journey. Although everyone else was warm, Carlos always maintained a sense of detachment. Perhaps because of his nightly nightmares, or because his spirit animal was a mere water-type—making him feel out of place—he was always alone. His silhouette was lonely and thin, looking as though it could be easily snapped. Mu Ran: *Something's not right.* One look and you could tell there was a hidden plotline. "Um, are you wearing a disguise?" The more Mu Ran looked, the more he felt those beautiful red eyes were out of place with the rest of the face. During one break, he leaned toward Carlos and whispered the question. He received no answer. The startled Carlos even avoided Mu Ran from then on. "Eh? Sister Joan has suddenly cheered up!" Loria’s voice pulled Mu Ran back from his thoughts. He looked up to see the previously melancholy girl suddenly stand up in excitement. She grabbed the passing Erwin and whispered something to him. Loria’s eyes curved. "Looks like Sister Joan has thought of her next battle plan!" ... At the meeting that evening, Mu Ran finally learned what Joan intended to do. —She planned to change the route of the journey to take the team to places where "miracles" had descended. "Words may be hollow, which is why I cannot convince him." Joan thought back to the place where her own faith had originated in her childhood. *Maybe it will work!* She made her request to Erwin with such excitement that he agreed good-naturedly, though he added a few extra words: "You're getting a bit overly obsessed, aren't you? We should be more focused on the whereabouts of that noble lady." Joan felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. She snapped out of it, her eyes filled with panic. "! Y-Yes... I am very sorry!" Erwin gazed at her for a moment, then lowered his eyes and smiled as if he didn't care. "Forget it, it's fine." "After all, that city-state also has a famous Archmage. Maybe he can see where the noble lady is?" "That way, we won't be considered slacking off~" He stroked the white bird’s head feathers, silently adding in his heart: *I just hope you're prepared for what's coming.* *** A few days ago. After learning that Mu Ran was being watched by the protagonist's party, the System prepared to head out to deal with the noble girl who was stalling for time. [Mu Ran: That noble lady has a family crest on her hem that looks like a Lily of the Valley. Although it feels like it’s been modified somehow, if you take a Lily of the Valley pattern and ask around, someone should recognize it!] *Lily of the Valley?* The System picked up a perfect golden fallen leaf and used its power to sear a bell-shaped pattern onto it. [System: Like this? (Attached image.jpg)] [Mu Ran: Yeah, pretty much.] [Mu Ran: Didn't I go to that nearby small town before? There's a tavern there. I feel like you can gather information there!] ... A fallen leaf lay quietly on the tavern’s service table. In the center of the golden leaf, the marks left by fire delicately outlined a flower shaped like a wind chime. It was flawless, making one wonder just how precise the owner's control over the elements must be. "This..." The bartender dropped his initial look of contempt, his tone becoming serious. "I do indeed know this." He looked at the cold, noble-looking youth, his hands hidden under the table rubbing together nervously. "It's just... I need to know your purpose. You must understand, nobles with such unique crests... if anything happens, they won't let an ordinary person like me off the hook." "Rest easy. You won't be involved." The bartender gave a forced laugh. "Haha... since you put it that way, I have no choice but to believe you, right?" "Fine. This pattern isn't exactly a secret. Just pretend you heard it on the street." "This is the crest of the Rhine family. Er, the family whose ancestors were from the Northern Tower." "Though, your drawing is slightly different..." "..." *Northern Tower.* This keyword suddenly pierced through the noisy crowd and drilled into Enoch’s ears. He looked up from beneath his hood, scanning the crowd warily. *Who is talking about the Northern Tower?* Following the sound, he saw the bartender chatting with a youth whose back was turned to him. The bartender looked unusually tense and serious, as if facing a formidable figure. The youth’s back was straight, his aura as cold and clean as bamboo, looking very much like a Son of God surrounded by crowds in a cathedral. Enoch’s heart skipped a beat, racing at full speed. He stared fixedly at that back, his right hand tensing under his cloak. They had only been active for a few days—had the Church already come knocking on their door? Was the person from that day sent by them on purpose? To stir up their hopes, only to wipe them all out now!? His breathing became extremely slow as he approached the other party as silently as a black panther. But just as he was three meters away, the youth suddenly vanished from his seat. Enoch: ! *Invisibility? Teleportation?* He couldn't help but look left and right, only to be suddenly called out by the bartender. "Hey, you, the gentleman in the hood." The bartender pointed to the leaf on the table, his voice dry. "This is a gift left for you by that lord." Enoch risked exposure to step forward, but his pupils dilated violently when he saw the pattern. The bell shape was vivid and lifelike; through it, one could almost see the fragrant, pure white flowers of the past. He almost lost the ability to speak. "What... is this?" The bartender, still immersed in the terror of the youth’s sudden disappearance, said with lingering fear, "You don't know? It's the Rhine family crest!" Seeing the hooded man only dare to trace the pattern on the leaf in the air, he couldn't help but urge, "Take it, just take it and go!" "Oh, I'm never coming back to this tavern for the rest of my life... I'm quitting, quitting right now..." The bartender looked at the gemstone the youth had left on the table before leaving, feeling both desire and dread. He muttered to himself, "Fine, fine. Taking one risk was worth it..." *Family crest?* Enoch’s ears were buzzing as countless memories came flooding back. This was clearly... clearly the symbol of the Northern Tower! Ever since those opportunistic nobles had abandoned their motherland to turn to the enemy, they had not only changed the crests that bore the characteristics of their home country but had also deliberately added the enemy's patterns to them! Those fawning, worldly flowers, those swaying, sycophantic postures—he found them nauseating! But the pattern seared into this leaf was identical to the flowers that once graced the flags. He carefully lifted the leaf, gazing at the hollowed-out pattern as if it were a precious treasure. Fire had swept through every inch of the Northern Tower’s land, burning those pure, fragrant flowers to nothing. Except for a displaced soul like him who refused to let the dream die, who else would remember these flowers? Who else would know it was the symbol of the Northern Tower? Was it a coincidence? Or a test from the Church? Or... A searing pain came from his palm. He heard someone nearby gasp, "Oh heavens! It's burning!! Throw it away, quick!" Enoch’s gaze focused, seeing the Lily of the Valley in his palm being consumed by flames. The firelight illuminated the man’s scar-covered face hidden under the hood, and it also lit up his turbid, grey eyes. Fire, Lily of the Valley, Northern Tower...! Such a hint, such an expression! Allowing the fire to swallow the leaf, the burning, scalding pain in his palm seemed to be the best sedative at this moment. "Who is it?" The man’s eyes were dazed as he stood in the center of the tavern, asking in a low voice over and over again in his most familiar native tongue. It was almost a plea. "Just who are you?" *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 铃兰 | Lily of the Valley | A flower that serves as the symbol of the fallen Northern Tower. 北塔 | Northern Tower | A fallen kingdom or region; the homeland of Enoch and the "displaced souls." 莱茵家族 | Rhine Family | A noble family descended from the Northern Tower, now serving the enemy. 艾诺奇 | Enoch | A survivor/remnant of the Northern Tower, currently in hiding. 咸鱼 | Salted Fish | Slang for someone who lacks ambition and just wants to "lie flat" or do nothing. 话疗 | Talk Therapy | Slang for using persuasive speech or "Talk-no-Jutsu" to influence others. 马甲 | Vest / Secret Identity | Slang for a fake identity or "alt" persona. 直觉系 | Intuition-based | Refers to characters who rely on gut feelings or instincts rather than logic.