Mina the nun

"I doubt those people fear gods," she said, "and I don't think your Goddess of Light would save you – otherwise, you wouldn't even be here in the first place, right? Anyway..." Anita smiled "...I wish you a warm welcome to our modest cell, where all your dreams are crushed... well, if you're not noble, that is."

Hearing Anita's words, the nun turned towards her head in her direction, squinting her eyes to get a better look at who had just spoken, but she couldn't discern Anita clearly due to the dim light; all she could make out was a feminine silhouette.

The nun shook her head and replied in a devout voice.

"Us being here is certainly the will of the goddess. I'm sure there is a reason in her act of sending us here, maybe it is to rescue your poor soul that had been kidnapped by those bad people."

Anita chortled.

"Yeah, right, that must be it. Maybe she had sent you here to rescue us. So, now that you are here, let's immediately go. You see, we are kind of in a hurry to leave this place," said Anita in a cheerful tone.

The nun and the two other women who were by her side, and didn't seem to be nuns, remained silent, not knowing what to say.

"So? I thought you were here to rescue us? What are you waiting for?" Anita said, rushing the trio.

The nun sighed.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the strength to fight those guys outside, or we wouldn't be here in the first place, but worry not! I'm certain the goddess has a plan!" exclaimed the nun, trying to sound cheerful.

However, the only ones who seemed to have been cheered, apart from the nun's two comrades, were the nobles. Anita chuckled at the nun's naivety, while the ones coming from the slums just ignored her. They had been starving in slums their whole lives without a god or goddess trying to help them. It wasn't now, as they were about to be sold as slaves, that a so-called deity would deign to help them.

"So, since it seems that you three can't save us, then what are we supposed to do? Calmly wait here while we starve?" inquired Anita with an amused expression.

"That's exactly that! We will wait until the goddess rescues us!" exclaimed the nun as she walked towards Anita.

'Why are they coming towards me?' wondered Anita as the nuns and her two comrades walked to her, then sat next to her.

"Hello, I'm Sister Mina, and those two are my friends, Mara and Umra," said the nun as they sat down.

Anita just made an acknowledging sound but didn't say anything.

"What is your name?" inquired Mina.

"Anita."

"Do you follow any particular god? If not, may I share with you the wonders of the Goddess of Light and her greatness-"

"Wait, don't you know that it's disrespectful to preach to someone while they are hungry? If you want me to listen to your preach, then feed me," said Anita as she extended a hand.

"...."

"...."

The two friends of Mina looked at Anita with an incredulous gaze. Since when was one supposed to feed the ones they were preaching to?

"Oh, I didn't know about that, sorry, here, take it," said Mina as she extended to Anita the only food that was on her.

"You shouldn't-" Before Mara could finish her sentence, Anita snatched Mina's food and started devouring it.

'Haa, she is really too naive,' thought Mina's friends.

Meanwhile, Anita was stuffing her stomach with Mina's food while praising her.

"You are definitely a good person, Sister Mina."

"Right, I should let you know that every follower who serves the goddess of light is..." Mira then started preaching the greatness of the goddess of light to Anita, though the latter wasn't listening and just kept stuffing her stomach with food while sending dangerous glares at the starving people in the cell who were gazing at her enviously.

One hour later, the door of the cell was pried open, and a man with an overly muscular body and a cold expression walked in.

He stared at those in the cells for a second then announced in an icy tone:

"We will resume our journey in a moment. I don't want to hear anyone of you speak or make the slightest sound the whole time we will be on the road, otherwise..." He stared at Anita in particular, his gaze becoming colder, and his aura bearing down on her. "...I will immediately kill you, and don't think that I wouldn't dare do it."

'Gulp, I shouldn't mess with this one,' thought Anita.

Without saying anything further, the man turned around and walked out of the cell, not even bothering to close it.

Thirty minutes later, the captives were led out of the basement and loaded into several carriages, the vehicles heading towards an unknown destination.

****

"I think everything is ready; we are set to go," informed Lilia as she tended to the white pegasi to whom a cart was hitched. Since they didn't have an accurate distance separating them from Cedrix's daughter's position, not to mention the fact that her kidnappers were moving, it was deemed necessary to travel on pegasi. However, Alex had decided not to bring a coachman with them, so Lilia was the one tasked to take that position. Lilia was also strong, so it was necessary to bring her.

Beside her, Alex had decided to take both Amelia and Anna with him. With her ability to make herself invisible, Anna was a perfect scout, while Amelia was brought in case the old man's daughter was wounded and needed treatment. He could have taken more people with him, but Alex deemed that the four of them were enough. In the case it wasn't enough, he would ask for assistance from the rest of the branch members.

Alex made an acknowledging sound to Lilia's words.

"Anna, could you go fetch Cedrix?" he asked.

She nodded and went to bring the old man.

An instant later, she came back with Cedrix following her. When the old man saw the pegasi, his breath was stolen from how beautiful they looked.

"You have never seen one?" questioned Alex with an amused smile, seeing the old man's marveling eyes.

"Where would a mere farmer like me see such magnificent creatures?" Cedrix smiled bitterly. "Can I sit in with the coachman?" he requested an instant later.

Alex gazed at Lilia, who nodded.

"You can come sit with me," she said with a smile.

"Thanks!" replied Cedrix with a beaming smile.

Lilia sat on the coachman box, then helped the old man sit next to her, then signaled to the other three.

"Get on; we are leaving."

Alex opened the carriage door then gestured:

"Ladies."

Both Amelia and Anna thanked him and got into the carriage.

Since the only ones Alex had informed of their departure were Ava, Grace, and Candace, and the three were busy either training, reading, or committing mischief to come wish them a safe journey.

Alex got into the carriage just after the girls entered, and the next instant, their carriage took off in the direction at which Cedrix's daughter was headed.