The Convent of the Holy Maiden

Elwa stood before the magnificent gates of The Convent of the Holy Maiden, gazing up in awe at the grand entrance.

He had never seen such an imposing structure. The entire gate was exquisitely built, evoking a strong sense of impact. The gate and the high surrounding walls were constructed from pure white stones, symbolizing the purity of the convent. The architectural style resembled that of ancient Europe, yet it was even more exquisite and breathtaking than what he had seen in pictures before.

In front of the gate, the nuns responsible for guarding it wore veils, greeting Catherine with soft smiles as they explained that young girls coming to be novice nuns had to enter through the side door to find the designated staff.

"I’m not eligible to enter through the main gate, am I? Hmph! How can it be that a prince like me must be forced to take the side entrance..." Elwa could only think this in his heart; he was here to escape disaster, and there didn’t seem to be much to complain about regarding his qualifications.

By now, his Adam’s apple had disappeared, and the veil covered his face, hiding his androgynous beauty. From the outside, he appeared to be a tall young girl. This was because the Grand Magician had used an Illusion Technique to make his appearance seem more feminine.

Before the convent's majestic gates, it was empty except for a few of them. People on the distant main road merely gazed at the convent in reverence, not daring to come close. Some even knelt at a distance in a posture of devotion, as if worshipping the Goddess of Life who protected the convent.

Catherine also wore a veil, now taking on the role of Elwa's sister, bringing her devoted younger sister to The Convent of the Holy Maiden to practice. Although she wanted to accompany and protect the prince, entering The Convent of the Holy Maiden was not something one could do at will. The nuns who joined the convent had age restrictions; those over eighteen were not allowed in. Although she was still a virgin, her appearance clearly indicated that she was over twenty, which would certainly not escape the keen eyes of the old nuns.

Even Elwa had a great deal of effort put into forging his identity, along with connections made and a lot of money spent in order to enter the convent. His current identity was that of a girl of reputable lineage named Elsa, hailing from a middle-class family. Because of her deep devotion to the Goddess of Life and a sincere desire to do good, she wished to enter The Convent of the Holy Maiden for training.

At the side door of the convent, it was much livelier, with many beautiful girls gathered there. Some were dressed in the long robes of nuns, while others wore the everyday clothes of secular women. They were there to send their relatives into the convent for training.

The faces of these women were filled with excitement, envy, joy, and a sense of nostalgia, while the young girls aspiring to be novice nuns wore expressions full of devotion and joy. They were overwhelmed with excitement at the prospect of qualifying to enter The Convent of the Holy Maiden.

"They're really devoted, aren't they? They're only entering a convent, not going to Paradise. Is it necessary to be this happy?" Elwa muttered to himself, gazing at the faces of the young girls and secretly swallowing hard. "It's not a beauty pageant; how come there are so many beauties here? Hmm, if I can blend in, I’ll be surrounded by so many beautiful girls!"

Catherine took his hand and led him to the nuns responsible for the assessment, lifting her veil respectfully as she said, "Hello, I have brought my sister."

Catherine signaled for him to lift his veil, and Elwa hurriedly complied, revealing his handsome face.

The two nuns in front of him were also stunning beauties, smiling as they assessed his appearance. They nodded and said, "Very good, you have a pleasing appearance, and you qualify to enter the convent."

Joyfully, Catherine led him to salute the nuns and followed the novice nuns who had passed the test toward the side entrance.

Behind them, a girl suddenly began to cry. Elwa turned to see that the girl had a birthmark on her face, which had led the assessing nun to declare her unqualified and deny her request to enter the convent.

Elwa looked sympathetically at the girl, thinking, "How pitiful! Just because she's not pretty, she can't serve the Goddess of Life? The requirements of this convent are indeed unique! It truly represents the spirit of the kingdom; the first convent of the Goddess of Life on the entire continent is so strict that only pure and beautiful women can be novice nuns."

He noted that all the young girls wishing to become novices were exceptionally pretty; any with slight imperfections would be politely refused entry. Among those beautiful young girls, there were even pairs of lovely twin girls, and the nuns responsible for reviewing them were also a pair of identical beauties.

The twins closest to Elwa were young girls with chestnut-colored hair, exceptionally beautiful with skin as fair as snow. They were only around fifteen or sixteen years old but had already developed prominent chests, making them alluring and enticing. Elwa's eyes sparkled as he looked at them, filled with wicked fantasies.

As Elwa and Catherine stood at the side entrance, two nuns politely asked Catherine to wait, explaining that The Convent of the Holy Maiden did not permit outsiders to enter.

Catherine stood at the door, reluctantly stroking his face, and gently said, "Sister... Elsa, you will have to rely on yourself from now on. Be sure to take care of your body, alright?"

Elwa nodded in agreement, seeing tears shimmering in her eyes. He bit his lip hard and turned to leave.

Elwa stood inside the gate, watching Catherine's solitary figure recede into the distance. Suddenly, he understood that he would have to spend his time within these high walls from now on, and everything would depend on his own strength.

The Convent of the Holy Maiden, located on the outskirts of the city, covered a vast area and housed thousands of nuns within its high walls made of pure white stones. Due to the strict selection criteria, each of the thousand nuns was as beautiful as a fairy and deeply devoted. Of course, Elwa, who had blended into the nunnery, was not included among them.

Their ages ranged from fifteen or sixteen to fifty or sixty, with most being young girls in their teens. According to the regulations established by the Holy Maiden of Light at the founding of the convent, nuns would undergo selection by the time they turned twenty. Some would be chosen to take higher positions as heads or deputy heads in various smaller convents throughout the Kingdom of St. Ann.

As a result, every year, nuns over the age of twenty would be assessed, with the Council of the Holy Maidens deciding which nuns would depart and how many new young girls would be accepted into The Convent of the Holy Maiden for training. This led to an increasing scarcity of older nuns while the number of younger girls remained overwhelming.

Every nun selected to head another convent left in tears. Training at The Convent of the Holy Maiden symbolized a noble honor, and all nuns could maintain their youth and beauty. They firmly believed this was because The Convent of the Holy Maiden was the closest place to the Goddess of Life in the mortal realm. Owing to the goddess’s favor, the convent was filled with her power, allowing them to retain their beautiful appearances forever. Thus, The Convent of the Holy Maiden became a legendary holy place with mystical powers, revered by all followers of the Goddess of Life.

The vast grounds of The Convent of the Holy Maiden resembled the largest garden, with countless flowers blooming in the courtyard. The entire convent radiated an atmosphere of purity. Young and beautiful girls, as well as mature women, all wore long white nun’s robes, their faces filled with expressions of devotion. Many newly admitted young girls cried tears of joy, excitedly throwing themselves to the ground, kissing the earth, thanking the Goddess of Life for the blessing of being able to practice in this magical place. They believed that being able to train here would ensure their future elevation to Paradise, becoming members of the angels of purity.

Seeing their devotion, Elwa could only go along with the customs, kneeling and leaning on the ground among them, pressing his lips to the surface. The thought that this ground had likely been stepped on by countless young girls made him feel incredibly frustrated.

Looking at the nun’s robe on his body, he thought gloomily, "Why must I be a nun? Others come to another world and become emperors, princes, or at the very least, rich young masters. Sure, some turn into eunuchs, but why did I become a nun, forced to practice here? Hmm? The name The Convent of the Holy Maiden sounds oddly familiar."

Suddenly, he remembered that the last book he had read before coming here seemed to have this very title!

The intense shock of reincarnation had left him in a daze, and he hadn't had the chance to recall the last book he had read in his previous life. Now, suddenly remembering its title made everything clear.

It appeared that the last book a person reads in their life holds great significance. If he had known this would be the outcome, he should have chosen a book like "I Am the Creator God" to read, ensuring that he would reincarnate as a creator god, thereby avoiding the fate of becoming a nun.

However, now that he found himself in this situation, lamenting over fate was pointless. He could only silently advise future souls to be sure to choose the last book of their lives wisely, and to never randomly pick a book as a gamble, lest they end up in the tragic position of becoming a nun.

The ground exuded a pleasant fragrance, and Elwa suddenly recalled that this very ground had been stepped on by stunningly beautiful women over the ages, and that countless nuns had surely kissed this ground. Did that mean he had indirectly kissed the same ground as those beautiful women?

Thinking about this lightened his spirits, and he straightened up to look around at the nuns, who were indeed all young and beautiful girls.

Nearby, a group of about a dozen young girls, all appearing around sixteen years old, knelt on the ground. They were slim and had delicate, adorable faces, exuding the vibrancy of youth—like ripe, fresh fruit waiting to be picked.

Elwa swallowed hard as he gazed at the slender girl next to him. Although he wanted to reach out and pinch her waist, he didn't want to be perceived as a lecherous nun, which could result in being expelled from The Convent of the Holy Maiden on the spot.

The girl sensed his gaze and turned her head, a pure smile blooming on her face. She sweetly said, “Sister, did you just enter The Convent of the Holy Maiden too? My name is Cillian; what’s your name, sister?”

Being called "sister" felt somewhat frustrating to Elwa, but he couldn't avoid answering. He could only reply in his gentle, androgynous voice, “My name is Elsa; you can just call me by my name.”

Cillian’s lovely face showed a look of envy as she said, “Sister, you’re so beautiful! You’ll definitely be able to stay in The Convent of the Holy Maiden for a long time and maybe even have the chance to become a saint!”

Elwa chuckled dryly at the idea of becoming a saint but had little interest in such good news. However, Cillian continued cheerfully, “We’re so lucky to be assigned to Aries Temple to serve Holy Maiden Alice! It really feels like a dream!”

Elwa laughed dryly again, knowing that his luck was indeed quite good; he had been selected by the senior nuns to directly enter Aries Temple among the Twelve Temples, without having to practice in the outer palace of The Convent of the Holy Maiden for a year like most new novices.

There were over a dozen proclaimed holy maidens residing in The Convent of the Holy Maiden, each controlling the internal affairs of the Twelve Temples. The leader of each temple was called a holy maiden, and together they formed the Council of the Holy Maidens, which decided all significant matters concerning The Convent of the Holy Maiden.

Elwa was now to serve the Holy Maiden of Aries Temple, named Alice; however, he was too lazy to remember such long foreign names, so he preferred to refer to her in his mind as the Aries Holy Maiden.

An older nun walked over along the white stone wall, smiling as she greeted them, "Let's hurry! The prayer meeting is about to begin."

The young girls' faces sparkled with excitement, their cheeks becoming flushed and appearing extremely cute. They laughed as they followed the older nun along the main path.

Elwa followed the young girls forward, stealing glances at the older nun. She was about thirty years old, elegant in demeanor, beautiful in appearance, and exuded a mature charm that made Elwa swallow several times.

In the center of The Holy Maiden's Twelve Temples was a massive hall, exceedingly spacious and grand, supported by dozens of thick columns that held up an extremely high ceiling. Standing in this majestic hall, Elwa suddenly felt very small.

This enormous hall could accommodate over a thousand nuns, and they were all neatly arranged, bowing their heads in devotion as they prayed. Sneaking a glance, Elwa noticed that every single one was stunningly beautiful, with graceful figures that were simply extraordinary. The sexy, mature beauties among the nuns made Elwa drool.

His gaze drifted somewhat; in his previous life, he would have never dreamed of finding himself in such a place, surrounded by so many beautiful women. Any one of the beauties here could compete with the top women on Earth, and if Hollywood's self-assured starlets were to visit The Convent of the Holy Maiden, they might feel so ashamed that they'd never want to show their faces in public again.

"So many beauties! Is this Paradise?" Elwa thought absently, lifting his head to gaze into the depths of the great hall at the enormous mural depicting the Goddess of Life. She looked so beautiful, embodying purity in every way, that he couldn’t help but bow deeply and sincerely lower his head.

His actions were not out of place; the nuns present were all bowing down in devotion, pledging to dedicate their lives to the great Goddess of Life.

Elwa wanted to do the same, and in addition, he wished to offer himself to all the beautiful nuns present, but he didn’t dare to believe he had much chance of fulfilling that goal.

He lifted his head and faintly saw over a dozen women dressed in elaborate nun’s robes leading the other nuns in prayer at the front. They must be the holy maidens of the Twelve Temples. From the back, they all appeared very slender, and Elwa longed to see if their faces were as beautiful as their figures, but without the visibility, it filled his heart with regret.

The three hundred newly admitted young girls in The Convent of the Holy Maiden wore novice nun robes, forming a long line as they slowly circled the hall along the walls, receiving the blessings of the Goddess of Life.

In a wave of immense happiness, they all wore dazed expressions, raising their hands together, each holding a flower, mumbling the prayers, dedicating all their faith to the great Goddess of Life.

Elwa held a pure white hibiscus flower in his hands, murmuring the prayers. Although he had crammed for two days to memorize the prayer words, he still couldn’t recall them clearly. However, it didn’t matter, as everyone around him was mumbling too, making it impossible for anyone to hear what was being said.

He walked to the very front of the hall, taking a close look at the mural of the Goddess of Life, his mind drifting. Such a pure and beautiful woman—too bad she was merely a painting and not someone he could see in person. If he had such a beautiful wife in his past life, he wouldn't trade her even for a fairy.

The newly admitted nuns moved forward, receiving blessings from the holy maidens. Lost in thought, Elwa followed the procession until he saw a beautiful young girl standing before him, smiling as she dipped her hand into the holy water. With her delicate fingers, she gently sprinkled the holy water on the faces of the new nuns.

Elwa's eyes widened instantly. This beautiful young girl was like an angel descending to the mortal realm. Her golden hair flowed elegantly, and she looked exquisite, with a slim figure and a prominent chest—she was the kind of beauty that appeared only in dreams.

He stood there, staring at the young girl, moving toward her with stiff steps, his heart racing.

In his past life, if he had gazed so rudely at such a stunning beauty, he would have received at least a harsh glance, and perhaps even a beating from the admirers around her. But in this life, having transformed into a pure nun, he was not met with disdain from the young girl. Instead, she smiled and lifted her hand, gently touching his forehead with her finger that had been dipped in the holy water.

As her soft, smooth finger made contact with his skin, Elwa was completely stunned, mechanically walking past her until he followed the other young girls out of the hall, when he suddenly realized, “Oh no! I forgot to ask for her phone number!”

Immediately, he shook his head vigorously, thinking, “No! Not her phone number; I forgot to ask for her name! A girl as beautiful as that must belong to one of the holy maidens from a temple in order to possess such beauty, but which temple is she from?”

The young girls in front and behind him were also new nuns, so they definitely didn’t know. He dared not ask indiscriminately, fearing that he might reveal his disguise. If anyone discovered that he was a man in disguise, he might get himself in serious trouble—even if they could find his most private parts.

The line of new nuns quickly broke up as the young girls holding hibiscus flowers formed a row and, under the leadership of the elder nun, headed toward Aries Temple.

After walking quite a distance, the grand entrance of Aries Temple finally appeared before them.

The tall surrounding walls were still constructed from pure white giant stones, and the grand entrance was adorned with carvings of a ram; the pure white lamb looked so delicate and adorable, radiating an aura of purity.

A dozen young girls and a lecher who had mixed into the ranks of nuns all wore solemn expressions as they slowly walked through the doors of Aries Temple. The beautiful nun who had led them stood outside in accordance with the rules, not daring to enter.

Elwa, like the other nuns, sat quietly on the white stone, waiting for the Aries Holy Maiden to appear. He felt a bit hopeful, wishing that the golden-haired young girl would appear before him. If she was the holy maiden of Aries Temple, he would gladly serve her devotedly, becoming a well-behaved little lamb by her side.

After what felt like an eternity, a young girl finally walked in through the entrance. She wore a crown woven from hibiscus flowers on her head, signaling to the nuns that she was the holy maiden of Aries Temple.

Elwa quickly stood up and, along with the other nuns, bowed in greeting to her. At that moment, his heart was filled with disappointment, for the young girl’s hair was silver, not the golden hair he had longed for.

However, this disappointment quickly faded away because the young girl's beauty was absolutely on par with that of the golden-haired girl; it was indeed a rare stroke of luck to see two such enchanting young girls up close in one day.

She was half a head shorter than Elwa, appearing to be only about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her smooth silver hair fell down to her waist and sparkled in the sunlight, making her look incredibly beautiful. Her figure appeared somewhat delicate, and her pure, lovely face was filled with an expression of innocence. She exuded an ethereal charm, as pure and beautiful as an angel. Even someone like Elwa, who often harbored lewd thoughts, couldn't help but feel embarrassed, unable to raise his head in front of such a pure young girl.

The Aries Holy Maiden smiled gently and greeted the nuns who bowed to her. Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of childlike innocence. The melodious sound of the pure and beautiful young girl's voice almost entranced Elwa.