The night was as dark as ink, saturating the slum on the edge of the city in varying shades of grayish-black.
Deep within a particularly quiet dead-end alley, several slender figures stood gathered together.
They were a few young girls. In the faint distant light of the sky, their features retained a delicate youthfulness, but long-term malnutrition had left their cheeks sunken and their complexions dull.
Their clothes were tattered and layered with patches, stained with dirt that could never be washed clean. Their bare arms and calves shivered slightly in the night wind, making their destitute lives glaringly obvious.
Standing opposite them were two mysterious figures cloaked in broad gray robes.
One of them, slightly taller, stepped forward and pulled back her hood just enough to reveal honey-colored hair that gleamed softly even in the dim light, along with a pair of calm, steadfast emerald-green eyes.
Her name was Wendy, a girl Allie had happened to pick up after receiving Greg's commission. She possessed remarkable eloquence and impressive organizational skills.
If not for her, Allie would probably still be agonizing over what name to give the religious order.
Wendy was currently the nominal third-in-command of the Dark Night Order, the Gospel-Spreading Dark Crow.
"Peaceful night to you, lost sisters."
Wendy's voice wasn't loud, yet it cut through the inherent noise and anxiety of the slum's night:
"The Dark Night Shelter opens its doors to all souls who feel cold under the light, bound by order, or powerless before fate."
"The Goddess of Night holds domain over secrets, peaceful slumber, and transformation. She hears prayers whispered in silence, guides the lost, and grants inner fortitude to the weak. Joining the Dark Night Order asks you to abandon nothing; it merely offers your soul a haven from the storm to gather strength."
"Here, no one is born burdened with original sin, and no bloodline dictates worth. There is only faith in the night and the warmth of sisters supporting one another."
Her words rang with sincerity, and the vision she painted held undeniable appeal for these young girls struggling on the edge of survival without a future in sight.
However, the girls exchanged glances, their faces a tangle of longing and fear. At last, a girl with freckles rubbed her icy fingers together and spoke up timidly:
"Th-Thank you for your kindness, miss... But... we've belonged to the Gray Rat Gang ever since we were born in these alleys. The gang's rules... say we belong to the Gray Rats in life, and even in death... we have to work for them. If Boss Scarface finds out we joined another... order, he'll... he'll beat us to death, and our families will suffer too..."
The other girls nodded repeatedly, their eyes filled with dread toward the local gang known as the Gray Rat Gang.
It was merely a small outfit controlling a few slum alleys, scraping by on protection money and petty crime. Its leader, Scarface, was nothing more than a ruthless thug whose level was probably under LV15.
Yet to these powerless slum girls, the Gray Rat Gang was a lingering dark cloud over their heads—a force that held absolute power over their lives and deaths.
Wendy listened quietly, a flash of understanding crossing her emerald-green eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper resolve.
She gave a gentle nod, her tone remaining steady:
"I see. So you hesitate to accept the guidance of the night because you fear retaliation from the Gray Rat Gang and punishment from Boss Scarface, is that right?"
The girls nodded vigorously, their eyes filled with helplessness and resignation.
"If that is the only reason..."
A reassuring certainty crept into Wendy's voice. She turned slightly and cast her gaze upon the other cloaked figure who had been standing silently in the shadows behind her:
"...then my sisters need not worry at all. Our Dark Night Order's Vice Bishop is a powerful warrior who has already stepped into the Hero Realm."
"A mere Gray Rat Gang lurking in a slum corner is no different from dust and rubble to our Vice Bishop. If the Vice Bishop so chooses, she can wipe them out at any moment."
"Th-The Hero Realm?!"
The freckled girl cried out in shock, while the other girls' eyes widened in an instant, their faces filled with utter shock and disbelief.
To them, a full-fledged LV20 adventurer was already an imposing figure to look up to.
And a Hero Realm at LV60?
That was a level of power that existed only in the epic tales told by bards!
Such a figure was actually the Vice Bishop of this mysterious order before them?
The massive shock left the girls' minds completely blank. Subconsciously, they followed Wendy's gaze toward the motionless Vice Bishop.
Wendy turned back to face the Vice Bishop and raised her voice respectfully:
"Isn't that right, Vice Bishop? With you here, these minor obstacles are hardly worth worrying about."
Silence fell over the alley.
There was only the distant, faint sound of barking dogs and the wind.
"..."
The Vice Bishop gave no response whatsoever. Beneath her cloak, her figure didn't sway in the slightest, resembling a silent statue.
"Um... Lady Allie?"
Wendy called out again, a subtle hint of urgency creeping into her tone.
"..."
Still, there was no answer.
The atmosphere grew rather awkward and delicate.
The shock in the girls' eyes gradually gave way to doubt, and they began exchanging secret glances.
The corner of Wendy's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
She quickly adjusted her expression, turned around to face the anxious girls once more, and adopted a solemn, mystical demeanor as she lowered her voice:
"It seems... the Vice Bishop is currently in a state of deep meditation, piously receiving oracle and guidance from the Goddess of Night. This is a sacred moment that must not be lightly disturbed."
Her eyes swept over the girls with encouragement:
"If you close your eyes right now, banish all stray thoughts, quiet your minds, and listen carefully to the night wind, perhaps... you too might be fortunate enough to catch a faint whisper of supreme divine will."
Hearing this, the girls were half-skeptical, yet faced with the aura of a Hero Realm powerhouse and terms like "oracle," awe and curiosity filled them despite themselves.
Exchanging glances, they ultimately closed their eyes as instructed and tried their best to appear focused, even though they heard nothing out of the ordinary besides the usual slum background noise.
Taking advantage of the moment, Wendy stepped quickly and silently beside the Vice Bishop who was "receiving an oracle."
She reached out and tugged lightly at the hem of the broad cloak, keeping her voice barely above a whisper in helpless urgency:
"Lady Allie, Lady Allie? Please wake up, stop sleeping..."
As she pulled, the Vice Bishop's oversized hood slipped down slightly, revealing a head of gorgeous golden hair that shone with a moonlight-like radiance even in the dim surroundings.
"Nngh...?"
A heavily drowsy hum sounded.
The Vice Bishop, Allie, finally slowly stirred from her sleep.
She lazily raised a hand to rub her eyes, then stretched her body with a big yawn, revealing a graceful yet tone-defined curve beneath the loose cloak.
Only after finishing all this did she seem fully awake. She tilted her head slightly to look at the helpless Wendy beside her, a lingering haze of moisture still in her eyes.
"Ah... Wendy. Is it... over already?"
Allie's voice carried the unique sleepiness of someone who had just woken up, sounding almost... airheadedly cute—completely different from how she used to speak with Greg.
Suppressing the urge to palm her forehead, Wendy kept her voice low and replied quickly:
"No, Lady Allie, it's not over yet."
"Not over yet...?"
Upon hearing this, the slight sleepy confusion on Allie's face instantly vanished, replaced by droopy eyebrows and a pouting mouth, unabashedly displaying an expression of "what a hassle" and "I want to go back to sleep."
That look was the spitting image of a child dragged out of a warm bed by their parents to finish homework.
Wendy could only sigh inwardly at this, powerless to do anything.
Although Allie had previously been Greg's personal maid, she had a habit that should have been entirely unrelated to the maid profession: sleeping early.
The development of this habit was largely thanks to Greg Sass.
The past Greg Sass, though arrogant and foolish, had never dared to boss around this powerful maid at will, let alone make her stay up late to serve him.
A long period of leisurely maid life had allowed Allie to cultivate an extremely regular routine—feeling sleepy shortly after dark and passing out almost instantly.
This peculiar habit returned shortly after she confirmed Greg was alive and well.
It wasn't that Wendy hadn't suggested moving their order expansion duties to daytime, but Allie had righteously rejected it, saying: "We're the Dark Night Order! What would it look like operating in broad daylight? Where's your self-awareness as a secret organization?"
Since you said we should operate at night, then do your job properly right now, hey!
Of course, Wendy could only think this in her mind, having personally witnessed Allie's true power.
"However, this is a truly great opportunity! If all goes well, we might be able to recruit a substantial number of people at once. Plus, it will solve our order's problem of lacking a stable stronghold in the royal capital!"
Wendy shifted the topic, a hint of alluring excitement creeping into her tone.
"Oh?"
Allie's slumping shoulders straightened slightly, a gleam of interest igniting in her drowsy eyes. "Tell me the details."
Wendy immediately lowered her voice, laying out her plan clearly and rapidly:
"These girls are afraid of the Gray Rat Gang, which controls this area. If we act in the name of the Dark Night Order to eliminate the gang, we won't just free these girls and the rest of the slum from oppression—winning their gratitude and trust—we can also naturally take over the gang's territory and base, turning it into our order's first outpost in this city."
"This will showcase our order's strength and mercy while securing a practical foundation—killing two birds with one stone. With your strength, Lady Allie, wiping out the Gray Rat Gang is a piece of cake."
Allie blinked after listening, looking Wendy up and down before sighing in sincere admiration:
"Your head really works well, Wendy. To think you came up with such a perfect plan..."
She paused, seemingly recalling something, and muttered in a low voice:
"I really don't get how someone as smart and capable as you couldn't stay in your family. It's not like you're some idiot who acts foolish all day and ends up kicked out by his own house..."
Who she meant by that idiot went without saying.
The smile on Wendy's face faded slightly. She shook her head, a trace of complex emotion flashing deep in her emerald-green eyes, though her voice remained calm:
"Everyone has their reasons, Lady Allie. Let the past stay in the past."
Allie didn't pry further.
Reaching into the inner lining of her wide cloak, she drew a longsword with a dull silver sheath.
"Alright then, we'll do as you say. The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner I can go back to sleep."
Holding the sword, Allie turned to head out of the alley.
Wendy hastily called out to stop her while turning around to clap her hands at the girls who still had their eyes closed, striving to hear the divine oracle.
"Alright, sisters, you may open your eyes."
The girls opened their eyes as told, a lingering hint of confusion on their faces.
With a smile, Wendy announced in a solemn and convincing tone:
"Through her divine oracle, the Goddess of Night has learned of your plight and prayers. Our merciful Vice Bishop has decided to put our order's teachings into practice immediately and deliver justice for the oppressed."
"She will personally handle the Gray Rat Gang that lingers here and lords over you. This will prove that the night's protection is no empty promise, and that the Goddess's love will shine upon every forgotten corner."
The girls were shocked once more, followed by a burst of excited and grateful whispers.
The way they looked at Allie was filled with unprecedented awe and hope. Clasping their hands together, they clumsily yet piously imitated Wendy's earlier gesture, bowing toward Allie and quietly praising the grace of the Goddess of Night and the Vice Bishop.
Allie didn't react much to this. She didn't seem to view herself as some Vice Bishop, but rather as a maid who was off to finish her work.
Carrying her sword, she walked lazily toward the entrance of the alley. Her demeanor was as relaxed as if she were heading to the market to buy a late-night snack, rather than single-handedly storming the hideout of a local gang.
To her, this truly wasn't much trouble.
Looking back, when Greg had been humiliated by his broken engagement, she had mocked her young master without hesitation, but then immediately barged into the royal capital alone with her sword, causing quite a scene and successfully escaping a joint hunt by over a dozen knight commanders.
Compared to that, clearing out a small slum gang was practically like taking a stroll after dinner.
However, just as she reached the mouth of the alley and was about to step into the slightly brighter main path outside, a figure happened to turn the corner from another direction, nearly running straight into her.
Both stopped in their tracks at the same time.
It was a young girl.
She appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a black dress that was simply designed yet impeccably tailored, its knee-length hem swaying gently in the night wind.
She had waist-length black hair smooth as the night, and pale skin that had long been deprived of sunlight. Her delicate facial features looked as though they were a carefully sculpted work of obsidian art.
Most striking were her eyes—an exceedingly rare dark purple that verged on pure black, shimmering with a mysterious and profound sheen in the twilight.
She made no conscious effort to project charm; simply standing there quietly, a unique aura of mystery, laziness, and a faint whiff of danger naturally swirled around her, like an enchanting, bewitching flower blooming softly in the dark night.
Rate on N.U.
