Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Chapter 387 Mist Empire’s Rise- 386: You Can Pray to Him

If the story ended here, it could count as a beautiful dream.

However, not long after, the priest's drunken flirtations with his lover spread: A commoner girl dreaming of becoming a nun—really thought pies fell from the sky. By now the bishop probably already threw her to his subordinates to be ruined.

The couple heard the rumors—shocked and furious. They immediately went to the priest for confirmation.

The priest flatly denied it, telling them not to overthink. Their daughter went to serve the divine. How could the gods let such things happen?

The couple felt reassured. Right—how could the gods let such things happen?

Someone must be jealous their daughter could enjoy blessings at the church, making up these words to frighten them.

But unease remained in their hearts. The rumors had one point right—commoner girls couldn't become nuns.

Nuns held lofty status, highly respected by society. Those who became nuns were educated noble women. They donated money to convents, living carefree lives there until they aged gracefully and dignifiedly.

The couple was initially dazed by the pie falling from the sky. Later, the more they thought, the more wrong it seemed. They asked people everywhere for news of their daughter. Several months passed with no progress.

Their daughter Liva seemed to vanish upon entering Artur City. No one saw her again.

Unable to bear his wife's cursing and accusations, the husband decided to travel to Artur City's temple to bring their daughter back.

This trip lasted half a year. During this time, the husband sent word back—he'd learned where Liva was. Convent people said Liva committed an offense and was locked up.

Bringing Liva back was possible—they must pay a hefty ransom.

The two emptied their savings, sold their property—still not enough. The husband did hard labor in Artur City. The wife kneaded dough from dawn to dusk at home, wanting to make more bread to sell.

Another half year passed. The two finally saved enough ransom. The wife sent the money to her husband through a messenger.

The money was delivered. But neither daughter nor husband returned home.

The wife waited bitterly at home for many days. What arrived was tragic news: Her husband was burned to death by the church for blasphemy. Her daughter's whereabouts unknown—supposedly escaped from the convent.

After finishing her story, the woman's face streamed with tears.

"I want to go to Artur City to find Liva, but I don't dare."

"I'm afraid she... We already sold our original house. If Liva comes back and can't find home, what will she do?"

"Where did she escape to? A girl alone outside—who knows how much she's suffering. Why hasn't she come back?"

"Liva, Liva, my daughter—if she doesn't come back, does she hate me? She must hate us for harming her. My Liva..."

The woman covered her face, crying in anguish.

Luo Wei watched her shoulders heave with sobs, knowing the girl's fate was grim. This mother before her probably guessed too—just unwilling to believe.

Her husband dead, the missing daughter was her only hope. Guilt and pain tormented her daily. She needed courage to live.

Crying weakened. The woman raised her head, eyes red and swollen, asking hopefully: "My daughter—she, she—can you help me find her?"

Luo Wei didn't speak. The woman anxiously searched her body, pulling out a large pile of copper and silver coins: "However much you want, I'll give you. I know this isn't enough. I'll keep earning. I'll earn lots and lots of money. Please..."

"I'm afraid I can't accept your commission."

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Under the woman's suddenly ashen gaze, Luo Wei stood up, looking at her: "No one dares oppose the church. I value my life. Don't want to die for this bit of money."

The woman's lips trembled. Color rapidly drained from her face—white as a corpse.

"However, it's not completely hopeless," Luo Wei's tone shifted. "If you're brave enough."

The woman numbly raised her head, voice hoarse: "What method?"

Luo Wei said quietly: "When I traveled in the north, I heard local herders mention a deity. This deity isn't among the church's gods. They respectfully call Him the God of Death and Time."

The woman's body shook: "Death—Death and Time God..."

Luo Wei sighed softly: "I don't know if it's true. Those herders said—just pray to this deity at midnight, and He'll send a divine messenger named Ferryman to guide lost lambs."

"Some of them are this deity's believers, claiming they personally saw the Ferryman messenger."

"Those people once fell into cannibal tribe hands. On the verge of death, they sacrificed their souls to the God of Death and Time. The messenger Ferryman appeared from nowhere—not only saved them but helped them take revenge."

The woman breathed rapidly. Luo Wei glanced at her: "Of course, this is just hearsay. Believe it or not—up to you."

"Alright, I'm leaving. I shouldn't have told you this. If you report me to the church, I'll be in big trouble."

Luo Wei's tone was vexed. She turned and walked quickly toward the door.

The woman urgently called out: "What is that deity's name?"

"Please! Tell me!" she pleaded.

Luo Wei's steps paused. She hesitated, turned back, finally softening: "Fine. No harm telling you."

"The God of Death and Time is named Koevikros. Supposedly He holds authority over human souls and space-time reincarnation—King of the Dark Gods."

After saying this, Luo Wei didn't look at the woman's reaction. She strode to the door, pulled out the bolt, and left.

Inside the room, the woman knelt on the ground, possessed, muttering repeatedly:

"God of Death and Time Koevikros..."

"God of Death and Time..."

Sunset's afterglow scattered. The sky grew darker.

Luo Wei returned to the inn. Teammates anxiously surrounded her.

"Why are you only back now? We've been back forever! Did someone give you trouble? Did they not want to pay? Did you find the academy badge?" Vina's mouth chattered with questions.

Others also spoke one after another: "We all didn't find the academy badge. Asked many people—they all shook their heads saying they hadn't seen it."

"Where is it? We finished all tasks and it still didn't appear. Do we have to find chickens again tomorrow?"

"This task is too hard!"

Luo Wei tried to speak several times without finding a gap. She silently pulled out the academy badge, opening her hand and waving it before everyone.

The seven were quiet for one second. Next instant—collective cheering.

"Oh my god, it's the academy badge!"

"Woohoo! Got another point! My afternoon of nearly running my legs off wasn't wasted!"

"Where did you find this?"

"Captain's amazing! No wonder you came back so late—you went to find the badge!"

Luo Wei smiled: "Should've appeared earlier. Ran into a small problem, got delayed until now."

Everyone asked curiously: "What problem?"

Luo Wei had everyone sit down, slowly saying: "Professor Tobias gave the badge to a town auntie. Told her if we earned thirty copper coins today, she'd deliver the badge before sunset."

"Turned out the auntie was busy cooking, forgot about it. Only when I went over did she remember."

"But she forgot where she put the badge. Searched through boxes and cabinets for a while before finding it in a bed crack and giving it to me."

Vina said dissatisfied: "This auntie's memory is too bad. Why didn't the professor find someone with better memory?"

"Maybe this is also the professor's test for us." June felt she'd grasped the truth.

Nathiavida said quietly: "If not for saving energy to do tasks, we could've divined where the badge was first."

"No need. This time the professor laid the task out openly. Divining for it would also waste energy," Aesar said.

"True. The professor set this task wanting us to break through, right? If we knew the badge requirements in advance, we might not have worked so hard."

Everyone nodded. Made sense.

But then again, Luo Wei alone completed most of today's tasks. Relying just on them, they'd squeeze themselves into idiots and still not get the badge.

Sigh—was the professor trying to train them, or testing Luo Wei's limits?

Sky completely dark, everyone ate a meal of hot soup and dishes at the inn.

The inn's food tasted worse than the academy cafeteria. If not for their hunger, they probably couldn't swallow a bite.

After eating, everyone dragged weak bodies back to their rooms. Without even removing shoes, they collapsed on beds, closed eyes, and entered dreamland.

Yesterday's full day of travel wasn't as exhausting as this afternoon's half day. The professor really made them suffer.

Before closing eyes, everyone thought this.

Luo Wei and Vina lay on one bed. The inn was small—rooms only fit this one bed. No space even for floor bedding.

After blowing out the oil lamp, the room was pitch black.

Luo Wei turned her head toward Vina. Her nose caught a stinky smell.

Holding her breath, she turned her head back.

Compared to other classmates, Vina was quite clean. Before sleeping, she specially washed her face and changed clothes. But her hair...

Summer brought too much sweat. Vina's hair was practically pickled. During the day she kept applying perfume balm. After the sun baked it, the balm turned sour, mixing with her hair's oily stench—suffocating.

Luo Wei turned over, back to Vina. But her nose still lingered with that stench.

Only then did she discover—she also reeked of sweat.

Burying her face in the pillow, three seconds later, Luo Wei's face turned iron-blue as she flipped back.

The pillow also stank—worse than her hair. The mat beneath was even worse. This inn definitely had no regular guests. Even if they came, they'd be driven away by the stench!

After suffering a while, Luo Wei's olfactory nerve center went on strike. Dazedly, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Midnight. Sleep-talking drifted into her ears.