NOVEL NEXT Chapter 180: The Goddess’s Reward [I]
Rain gave him a once over, then a twice over.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned every part of him, her lips parting slightly.
Everything about him was different.
He was even taller than before.
Azel tilted his head, glancing down at them with his usual curious gaze, crimson eyes catching the sunlight.
"Oh? And why do you guys seem shorter than before?"
He knew his training and the bone strengthening process had made him taller, but this was more than he remembered.
To him, everyone else looked smaller, as if the world itself had shrunk in his absence.
"Well…" Emilia sighed, shaking her head. "You're just too tall now. It's ridiculous."
Despite her words, a smile tugged at her lips. "But welcome back, Azel."
Before he could respond, Azel suddenly called out. "Feng!"
A blur swept across the port like a gust of wind.
The figure stopped beside Azel, cradling something in his arms.
Everyone's eyes widened as they realized it was a baby.
Feng held her carefully, almost reverently, his expression soft but cautious, his gaze shifting protectively to those around him.
The girl had silver hair.
Crimson eyes.
Features that were so alike to Azel's that Rain's heart skipped a beat.
'Is she…' Rain thought, her breath catching.
[Yes.]
Nyala's voice rang clearly in her mind, filled with a pride that almost overflowed.
Rain frowned at the smug tone.
She couldn't imagine how the goddess could be this boastful over such a thing, but there was no denying the truth.
"Yes, Master," Feng said softly.
He looked at Azel with rare fondness, then ran a careful hand through the baby's tiny locks of hair. "You called for me?"
Azel nodded, his expression gentling as he gazed at the child.
"Yeah." His voice was protective. "Good job, Feng."
Gradually, more figures descended the ship.
Medusa stepped out first, her eyes sharp as ever.
Anya followed, clutching her notes dearly.
Edna came next, her beauty as radiant as always, leaning slightly against Veyra who walked at her side, supporting her with a gentle hand.
Rain's eyes fell on them all, but when her gaze lingered on Edna and Veyra, her stomach twisted.
Her lips tightened.
'So many women,' she thought bitterly, biting her lip. 'Of course. It's just like him. A man like Azel… a pervert like him… how could it be any other way?'
Her chest tightened, but she pushed the feeling down.
Still, no matter how dark her thoughts grew, Azel didn't seem to notice her glare at all.
His focus was elsewhere, entirely calm.
"Medusa, Feng," Azel said, his tone sounded practical. "You should rent out a big inn. Something that can fit everyone without issue."
Medusa gave a simple nod, her serpentine hair shifting slightly as she turned and began walking into the city.
Feng followed behind her, careful not to jostle the child in his arms.
Azel turned back to the group. "You two," he said, addressing Edna and Veyra.
"Follow them and rest for now."
The women exchanged glances, then nodded in unison.
Quietly, they made their way after Feng and Medusa, leaving Azel standing opposite Rain, Emilia, and Steven's daughter, Anya.
"Well," Azel said, his hands slipping behind his back. "I'll be in your care."
Emilia, her chest pounding, stepped forward.
She reached toward his arm, smiling brightly.
"Come on, I'll show you around. The city has changed so much you won't even recognize it. There are so many things you need to see."
But before her fingers could even brush against him, another hand shot out, something nobody ever expected.
Rain's hand stopped her.
Her palm pressed against Emilia's wrist, stopping her completely.
"He can do that later," Rain said.
Her voice was steady, but beneath it was an edge Emilia had never heard before.
For once, she sounded… like a jealous girlfriend. "I just want to borrow Azel for a few hours."
Emilia blinked, shocked.
Her lips parted as she stared at Rain, then slowly closed again.
Her surprise faded into something else — realization.
This was the first time Rain had ever stood up like this for a man.
She gave her friend a small, knowing smile and even lifted a hand to flash her a discreet thumbs up.
Then she stepped back.
"Oh, Rain," Azel said, "You look great."
It wasn't just a casual compliment. She really did.
The holy energy she cultivated seemed to glow faintly from her skin, making her beauty sharper, more radiant.
It wasn't just appearance; it was the way she carried herself now.
Rain felt her cheeks warm despite the fact she hated compliments.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she muttered, then straightened, hiding the fluster with her usual cold demeanor.
"The goddess told me to prepare a surprise for you."
She leaned slightly closer as she whispered that last part, her voice dropping low.
Azel's crimson eyes flicked toward her and noticed she was looking backward.
Steven and his daughter were already walking away, giving the three space.
Azel knew he'd meet Steven later, but right now, his attention shifted back to Rain.
'Yes,' Azel thought. 'Nyala did say something about a surprise.'
He was curious. Whatever it was, he didn't want to miss it.
"Where's this gift then?" Azel asked, raising a brow.
Rain didn't answer with words.
Instead, she reached for his hand, her grip firmer than expected.
She pulled him forward, her stride confident.
Anya silently moved to his other side, slipping her smaller hand into his free one without hesitation.
Together, they walked, hand in hand, toward the heart of the city.
"It's in the church, of course," Rain finally said.
…
The church loomed before them not long after, its white spires cutting into the sky.
Azel stared up at it, his lips twitching in faint irritation.
'Of all places…'
He had vowed never to step inside. There was no benefit, no reason, only trouble.
Yet here he was, hand in hand with two women, being pulled straight into the lion's den.
There was no use in resisting, was there?
He exhaled, long and slow, and stepped forward.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the world seemed to shift.
His vision blurred, his surroundings dissolving into brilliant white light.
The wooden pews, the marble floors, the stained glass and the people praying — everything vanished.
When he blinked again, he was no longer in the church.
He floated in a vast white space, endless and blinding.
Rain and Anya were at his sides.
Azel narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you didn't sabotage me?"
Rain scoffed, crossing her arms.
"Why would I waste my time sabotaging a filthy man like you?" She sneered, though her eyes darted nervously. "Don't flatter yourself."
She turned forward sharply, her expression hardening.
Magic stirred in the air ahead, parting like a curtain.
From within, a figure emerged.
An old woman floated toward them, draped in white robes that shimmered faintly with divine power.
Her hair was silver, her eyes clear and piercing, and from her body radiated a holy aura so overwhelming that Azel's skin prickle for a moment though..
The woman's lips curved into a serene smile.
"Welcome to the sanctuary," she said, her words echoing across. "I am the Saintess Leaf, and the owner of this hidden sanctuary.