The good news was that Annan hadn't overheard Ashe's blasphemous remarks. The bad news was that she meant every word she said.

"The second future ranking depends on two key factors, love and family," Annan spoke with crisp clarity. "You get it by now, don't you?" 

Compared to the Blood Moon Kingdom, the Gospel felt like a place where even the air carried a saccharine sweetness. There was no need for hypotheticals. Ever since the National Friendly City Ranking was established, Vanmura had held first place without fail. It stood as the undisputed most loving city in the country. This honor granted every Vanmura citizen a yearly reward of five Gospel Points.

If the second ranking required love and family, they had indeed come to the right place.

Harvey walked to the window with a Catnip cigarette held between his fingers. A wisp of pale gray smoke curled upward, looking as thin and hazy as his own confusion. "No, I...