Gracefall Chapter 16: The Belated Day

Read chapter 16 of Gracefall by arsy on NovelPedia.

Getting on their feet, Lucia and Ishkiel smiled at each other. The inky-haired woman gripped her sword tighter and made it dematerialize. Shifting her hands behind her back, she leaned forward with an amiable expression. “Welcome to the Holy Church, bright ones.” The two faced her. “Thank you!” they said simultaneously, giving her a small bow. “So, do you two newly anointed knights have any requests? Maybe a tour of Heavenrest? Maybe you’d like to commission your own custom weapons?” Lucia nodded. “Well, we’d like some help, if possible.” Glancing at the golden-haired boy beside her, she continued, “In our home city, Luminara, there is an abandoned cathedral that nests countless monstrosities. They often attack places that still house people. I… no, we would like your help in exterminating the Pale Ones within, to make our city a safer place.” Setia glanced up, tilting her head briefly. “Luminara is quite a large city, no? Do you have any information about the creatures lurking within that cathedral?” she asked, glancing between the two. Neris raised her hand and yelled out from behind, her voice calm and mature, “It houses countless Forsaken creatures, so it’s quite dangerous for us. There is also supposedly Graceborn, whom those creatures follow.” Letting her arm fall, she turned to Lucia with a warm smile and continued, “Cinder and I shall accompany you two. We would love to help with that expedition. With a gentle nod, Cinder slightly hid behind Neris, holding onto her arm tightly. Setia giggled, briefly covering her mouth with the back of her hand. “That’s settled then. Go ahead and ask Lamprecht for some memory stones.” Ishkiel nodded. “Yes, thank you—” Turning to each of them with a gentle smile, he continued, “Setia, Neris, and Cinder.” He then stepped toward the door, the three who stood beside him following. Lucia faced the inky-haired woman one last time. “Bye-bye, Setia!” she waved. She briefly waved back at the cohort. “Bye, bright ones… Good luck out there!” The door closed behind them as they found themselves in the great hall of Heavenrest once more. Lamprecht walked past them, heading toward the pews. He turned and glanced at the four who just came out of the wooden room. “Ah, you guys are done I presume? How did it go?” Lucia waved at him, stepping forward a few steps as their group began following the priest. “It went well! We were about to look for you, we need your help.” The black-haired man halted in his path, his head tilted, he asked, “My help? What do you need help with?” “We need memory stones for transport to Luminara and back,” Ishkiel answered. The priest nodded, leisurely stepping toward them. “I see, your first mission? Well, I have some spares for Heavenrest.” Raising his arms, he let his hands fall onto Lucia and Ishkiel’s shoulders. His grip tightening, he asked, “Do you accept my relic, Stone of Heavenrest?” [Lamprecht has offered you a Relic: Stone of Heavenrest.] [Do you accept this offer?] “Yes,” the two said simultaneously. [You have obtained a Relic: Stone of Heavenrest.] “It’s a memory stone that leads to Heavenrest. You can use this one without losing it like the temporary ones, which are easier for Syris to create.” Letting go of their shoulders, he dropped his arms and continued, “As you are now Holy Knights, you should have these. Cinder and Neris have been given theirs already.” Lamprecht turned to the twins and added, “Can you two show Lucia and Ishkiel off to the baths as I get the memory stone? You can all get cleaned up while waiting. Don’t hesitate to grab a snack in the meantime!” The red- and blue-haired women nodded in unison at the priest, a cheerful expression drawn across his face. They stepped forward. Neris waved the over two over, indicating they should follow, and so they did. They walked over to the door opposite of the wooden room behind them, where yet another marble door awaited them. As Neris pushed it open, a room similar to the one they were knighted in befel