Lucian stepped out of the convent, a heavy basket of food and water weighing down his arm.

  The morning sun was already climbing high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the village.

  Behind him, Theo followed in his usual quiet manner, though today he was dressed more casually—his armor was replaced by simple yet well-fitted clothes.

  "Here, let me take that for you," Theo offered, reaching for the basket.

  Lucian raised an eyebrow and pulled the basket away. "I'm perfectly capable of carrying it myself. No need to treat me like a frail old man. Besides this is exercise."

  Theo grinned, unperturbed by the priest's stubbornness. "I'm not treating you like an old man, Father. It's just proper courtesy as a knight."

  He paused, then added with a teasing tone, "Speaking of which, how old are you exactly?"

  "59." The words slipped out before he could stop them, an instinctive answer drawn from his life on Earth.

  Theo froze mid-step, then let out a hearty laugh. "Fifty-nine, you say? Well, I must be sixty then." His grin widened. "You don't look a day over thirty, Father. Are you sure you're not keeping some secret elixir hidden in the rectory?"

  Lucian sighed, realizing his mistake but unwilling to dig himself deeper. "I take care of myself. Besides I heard Paladins age slower, I'm sure you won't be needing such elixir, if it does exist." he replied dryly, quickening his pace.

  As they passed through the village plaza, Lucian noticed how quiet the streets were.

  Only a handful of elderly residents were awake, sweeping the remnants of last night's festivities.

  "Most people must still be sleeping off the party," he remarked, nodding toward a woman lazily shooing a chicken off her porch.

  Theo chuckled. "Can you blame them? You hosted quite the feast last night. That smoked meat was a hit."

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  "I didn't host anything," Lucian corrected. "That was the village chief and his endless supply of 'Sir Theo's game.'"

  "Well," Theo replied with mock seriousness, "if I ever leave, I'm sure your congregation will riot."

  Lucian shot him a sidelong glance. "And here I thought knights were supposed to be humble... "

  As they passed through the wooden gates and into the fields, the landscape began to shift. Patches of green dotted the once-barren land, the first signs of life emerging from the seeds they had planted two weeks ago.

  Lucian slowed his pace, marveling at the small sprouts. "They're growing," he said softly.

  Theo nodded. "It's promising. With a bit of time, these fields will thrive."

  The two walked in companionable silence for a while, the cool breeze carrying the scent of earth and the faint chirping of birds.

  For Lucian, this was the first time he'd had a moment alone with Theo since the chaos began.

  His thoughts drifted to the knight's usefulness in the village—the protection, the labor, the endless supply of food.

  It wouldn't hurt to make him stay a little longer. Perhaps even... permanently.

  For now, shall we get to know him?

  He cleared his throat. "So, Theo, about your congregation. Do you belong to a particular order?"

  The knight tilted his head, a wistful expression crossing his face. "I'm on a pilgrimage," he explained. "Traveling from village to village, offering aid where I can. It's part of my calling."

  Lucian raised an eyebrow. "A noble mission, to be sure. But it seems strange for a knight of your caliber to wander into a place as remote as this."

  Theo glanced at him, a curious glint in his golden eyes. "I could ask you the same thing, Father. Why is a bishop staying in a rundown village?"

  A bishop? Lucian thought, startled.

  He hadn't even considered what rank the original owner of this body held within the church hierarchy.

  Forcing a calm facade, he replied, "I'm just a simple priest."

  Theo gave him a dubious look. "Forgive me, but the power you wielded during the attack—I've never seen a countryside bishop, let alone a priest, capable of such authority. It was... remarkable."

  Lucian hesitated. He still didn't fully understand the nature of the power he had used or its place in this world.

  The books in the village can be counted in all fingers, and most of them are either cryptic scriptures, psalms or liturgical books.

  Besides, the chaos of the last few weeks had left him little time to investigate further.

  Theo seemed to sense his reluctance and bowed his head slightly. "My apologies if I overstepped. And for kissing your hand when we first met. It might have been improper."

  Lucian waved it off. "Improper? You startled me, yes, but I wouldn't call it improper. Though for an uninformed person, it might be perceived as... uncommon."

  Theo smiled sheepishly. "In my defense, it's customary to kiss the episcopal ring when greeting a bishop or other high-ranking clergy. I assumed—"

  "You assumed wrong," Lucian cut in, smirking. "Though I admit, it was quite the dramatic first impression."

  Theo chuckled, the sound warm and genuine. "I'll try to keep the theatrics to a minimum from now on."

  The conversation lightened as they continued their journey, and soon the greenery gave way to dry, cracked grassland.

  The air here felt heavier, drier, and the land stretched out in an unbroken expanse of brittle, yellowed grass, dotted by dry branches of dead shrubs.

  Lucian frowned, scanning the desolate area. "This place... It's a hellfire waiting to unleash."

  Theo nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping across the terrain. "We'll need to be careful. One stray spark could set up everything in blaze."

  Lucian set the basket down, stretching his arms. "This area seemed to need more than blessings. It needs a miracle."

  Theo leaned against a nearby rock, crossing his arms. "Well, if anyone can pull off a miracle, it's you, Father. Though I wouldn't say no to another feast if it works."

  Lucian smirked, shaking his head. "You're insatiable, Theo."

  "It's not my fault we've got Madam Agnes spoiling us all with her cooking," the knight retorted with a grin.