Honkai Impact 3rd: Don't Die For Me/ Book 1: Promise

Chapter 30 Institutions

<Vienna Church>

A nun patrolled the halls of the Grand Church of Vienna. It was late afternoon, the sky was cloudy yet the city was sure to get no rain. Her steps were rushed a little bit frantic, she was speed walking. Her short brown hair fluffed unevenly as she made her way down a secret set of stairs into the dungeon below the church. Stealth was her best friend as she wandered the empty chambers of the dungeon. There was barely a soul locked in there. None were children, only two rough-looking men who had certainly committed the crimes befitting of such placement. The nun searched cell by cell but couldn't seem to find what she was looking for.

'Where are you? Where are you?'

Finally, the nun came to a stop at the final cell of the dungeon. In it, the Holy Maiden laid unconscious heavily chained to the wall with a pained expression on her sleeping face. The guards that stood on duty at the cell waved the nun away. As the nun left she looked back at the Valkyrie within the cell with a bit of remorse, but it was only just for a moment before she hurried away and went back up to the main hall.

It had been three days since the "Holy Maiden'' was captured and three days since Kallen Kaslana had switched places with a Valkyrie who shared similar features. In that time Kallen had managed to slip away from the Valkyrie barracks and disguised herself as a nun. Thankfully, she had managed to keep the corrupted cube but she had to discard her glaive. It hurt her to do so as Otto had essentially gifted it to her but its craftsmanship was easily recognizable. The last thing Kallen wanted to be was exposed when she hadn't even found Otto yet. Her guns, she easily hid along with the necklace that held Otto's promised ring.

In the past three days, Kallen had gone to every church within the city to search for Otto. She infiltrated their secret areas and came up empty. For the most part, Vienna seemed to have a fair church; the only indication of corruption was the indulgences they collected but that was it. As much as Kallen wanted to steal from the rich and give to the poor she couldn't. The city was on high alert and her first priority was to find Otto. She had talked to fellow nuns about his whereabouts.

"I hope the Holy Son has recovered, by any chance, do any of you know where he was taken, his cure saved my sister and I wish to thank him."

"Ah no, I believe he was taken by the Eleventh and we haven't heard from either of them since."

"Do you have any idea where they might have gone?"

"No clue but perhaps they don't want to be found."
"Oh, why so?"

"Well, the Eleventh did save him from the clutches of the evil witch."

Another nun chimed in.

"Yes, yes perhaps he fell in love with his hero."
"The two could very well be spending some quality time with each other."

"Ah isn't that so romantic? A hero and her-"

Kallen felt irritated. Who were they calling a witch and who was Otto's hero? Never mind that, quality time? Wasn't it way too soon? Otto would never consent. He was her great inventor. These nuns were too shameless. Kallen wore a fake smile as she cut them off.

"Sister, we're in a church."

"Oh, my apologies. I just enjoy fantasizing about marriage after I forswore love."

"Oh, you went through the ceremony?" The other nun chimed in.

"Yes, I did it in a fit of passion, though I regret it now."

Marriage within the church wasn't prohibited, in fact, it was encouraged. More offspring meant more potential Valkyries or even Knights could be born loyal to the church. But there was always an option for those who served under the church to swear off love. The ceremony was taken very seriously but heavily discouraged. While all Valkyries were allowed to wear the nun uniform, they weren't true nuns. They were more so honorary nuns and didn't have any duties to the church. Nuns held a little more power than deacons but essentially enacted the same duties of helping the priest.