East Tivian, Blue Moon Bay Street.
In the afternoon, a harsh cold wind carrying snowflakes blew across the streets of the East District. People bundled in thick clothes walked back and forth along the streets. The Boyle residence was located next to this street.
Wearing a homely woolen sweater and loose trousers, Naifnis sat at the desk in her bedroom. Beside her was a brazier burning charcoal for warmth. While warming herself by the fire, Naifnis looked at the books on her desk, occasionally glancing out at the cold street outside the window, observing the patrolling police officers who occasionally passed by.
'More than a week has passed... The tense atmosphere on the streets still hasn't subsided much. It seems Duke Barret's death has made His Majesty the King and the others very angry.'
Looking at the scene outside the window, Naifnis thought this to herself. Then, she glanced at the newspaper placed beside her desk. The news reported in this newspaper from two days ago was about Duke Barret's death after medical treatment was ineffective.
'I really didn't expect it... The events I participated in that day were actually an assassination plot targeting the Duke... I originally thought it was just about the natives, but it turned out to be a conspiracy by the Eight Point Nest.'
'This Eight Point Nest... I originally thought they were just a bunch of scoundrels who specialized in targeting university students for control and extortion. I never expected their power to be so great, daring to directly murder a Duke...'
Looking at the newspaper by her desk, Naifnis thought this to herself. After learning from Dorothy that the mastermind behind this assassination was actually the Eight Point Nest, she couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. She never imagined that the organization secretly controlling students in her school would actually have the means to assassinate the Royal Family.
Originally, Naifnis thought that the main goal of the Eight Point Nest was to control students and then slowly extract wealth from these wealthy children, considering them a low-level extraordinary society targeting students. Now that they had suddenly caused such a big sensation, Naifnis couldn't help but feel a chill in her heart. An organization capable of assassinating the Royal Family was certainly not a low-level society.
'So I was... always going against an organization like this before? It feels really terrifying... If it weren't for Aka and Miss Dorothy's help... I don't know how many times I would have died by now... Me, an ordinary university student... actually got involved in such a major event?'
Naifnis thought with some lingering fear. Originally, she had been quite happy and excited after successfully advancing to Black Rank, but after learning the truth about the events on New Year's Eve, that excitement in her heart didn't last long before she calmed down.
Thinking that she was now opposing a terrifying secret society capable of challenging the Royal Family. Thinking about the Kingdom government's serious investigation attitude towards the Duke Barret case, and that she was a person involved in the case. Naifnis found it hard to be happy for a while. For more than a week, she had been in a state of worry.
After all, Naifnis was just an ordinary university student who knew very little about the extraordinary not long ago. Although she had participated in many secret activities, due to the separation between the secret world and the mundane world, she couldn't really feel the impact of her actions. She had always felt the secret world was distant, until that night when she participated in the Duke's assassination case, which had a huge impact even in the mundane world. Only then did she realize the true significance of what she was doing.
'Unconsciously... I actually got involved in such a major event... I feel very unaccustomed... Especially with the tense atmosphere throughout the city recently... Whether it's the government or the Eight Point Nest, I feel it would be very dangerous if I reveal even a little bit...'
Naifnis thought this to herself. The tense atmosphere on the streets of Tivian at this time made her feel a sense of unease, and she even had a thought about whether she should go out and avoid the spotlight recently.
And just as Naifnis was having such thoughts in her room, there was suddenly a knock on her door. Seeing this, Naifnis immediately spoke.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Miss. Your letter was just received downstairs." Outside the door, a slightly aged voice came. Naifnis recognized it; the voice belonged to Nu Nuo Te, the Boyle butler.
Hearing this familiar voice, Naifnis immediately stood up from her seat, walked to the door in a few steps, and after opening the door, she saw her old butler standing in the corridor behind the door, holding an envelope in his hand.
"A letter for me? Who sent it?"
With a slightly puzzled expression, Naifnis took the letter into her hand, and Nu Nuo Te also replied in a timely manner.
"According to the address, it's from your school. It might be a list of things you need to purchase for the next semester."
"From school?" Looking at the wax seal on the envelope, which belonged to the Royal Saint Crown University, Naifnis murmured. Then, after thanking Nu Nuo Te, she closed the door.
Returning to her desk, Naifnis opened the envelope and took out the letter to examine it. When she saw the handwriting of the letter, she knew who had written it. It was her Mentor from the Crown University Archaeology Department, a middle-aged professor named John.
...
To the diligent and excellent Miss Naifnis Boyle, your studies in the Archaeology Department are about to enter the second semester of your second year. In the past year and a half, you have learned sufficient theoretical knowledge, and your mind is filled with rich learning. However, in our activities of exploring the past, knowledge gained solely from books is far from enough. More knowledge needs to be acquired after we step out of the school gates.
Your path of learning is about to enter a new stage. In the second semester of the second year, our teaching will focus on practical fieldwork. I will personally lead you to some well-known ancient sites and even some frontier excavation sites, allowing you to personally experience the traces left by past stories in the present, apply your past knowledge to practice, and personally excavate the dusty history that is still buried beneath the ground.
Your third year of study will involve a long period of time spent far away from school. The first journey will begin on the twentieth of this month, with the destination being some ancient sites in the Conquest Sea countries. The first stop is the ancient city of Adria in Iweig. Around mid-February, this famous water city will host a rare cultural relics exhibition, where many artifacts unearthed from ancient sites around the Conquest Sea countries will be displayed. This is a rare opportunity for us. After visiting this exhibition, we will continue by boat to visit some other famous sites in the Conquest Sea countries, and finally, if time permits, we can even head south to North Wu to conduct on-site investigations of some excavation sites there.
Our entire trip is expected to last for a long time, two to three months or even longer. To prepare for this long journey, you should get ready now, prepare the funds and bring all the necessary items for the trip. The estimated cost for this trip is specifically...
...
The rest of the letter contained detailed lists of various expenses, including living expenses, boat ticket fees, tutoring fees... and many other items. Adding up all these miscellaneous costs, the total came to roughly a hundred pounds. For mundane expenses, this was a considerably large sum, one that only the group of wealthy children studying at Crown University could afford.
'This is... the bill for the practical class... Right, I almost forgot, in the second semester of the second year, many of our courses require going out for practical investigation... Mr. John mentioned it many times last semester, but I forgot because I experienced too many secret affairs.'
Looking at the bill in her hand, Naifnis thought with understanding, she was a student of archaeology, and archaeology was not something that could be learned well by just staying in school and focusing on research; it inevitably involved a great deal of practical fieldwork.
In the past, Naifnis's Mentor would occasionally take the students of her grade to some historical sites in Prit for short-term investigations, experiencing the various histories of Prit over a thousand years, and now that it was the second semester of the second academic year, they would also usher in their first long-term investigation activity.
'A practical investigation activity lasting two to three months, with the subjects of investigation being the countries along the Conquest Sea, and possibly even going south to North Africa. This is the first time there's been such a long, such a distant investigation activity, and even going abroad...'
'Just right, the situation in Tivian has been a bit tense recently, and I feel a bit panicked staying here. If I can take this opportunity to go out and walk around, by the time I come back, Tivian should probably have returned to normal.'
Examining the content of the letter in her hand, Naifnis pondered in her heart. At this moment, she was already somewhat looking forward to this investigation trip, but after thinking about it again, her brows furrowed slightly.
'But there's still a problem. In a sense, I am now also a member of the Rose Cross... The Rose Cross is now in Tivian, and I have participated in it... It's more or less a help... If I just leave like this, will it have any impact on Miss Dorothy's future plans and arrangements?'
Frowning slightly, Naifnis thought to herself in this way. She was a member of the Rose Cross, and if she were to delay the important activities of the society due to academic problems, she would feel uneasy.
"Phew... No matter what, I'll inform Miss Dorothy about this first and see what she says..."
Letting out a long breath, Naifnis murmured, then she took out a thick history book from the drawer, and after turning to the communication page with Dorothy, she began to write on it.
...
North Tivian, Enchante Hospital.
In the Extraordinary Damage Department of Enchante Hospital, between the long corridors and numerous wards, doctors in white coats and Sisters in white nun's habits were busy coming and going. The pungent smell of disinfectant permeated the air, and various injured people lay on the stretchers moving along the corridors. The sound of wailing rose and fell in every corner of the hospital, and tension and pain continued to spread.
Since the Kingdom government mobilized forces to carry out retaliatory clearings against the hidden realm of Tivian, Enchante Hospital has been in a state of constant busyness.
Nearly eighty large and small strongholds throughout Tivian were cleared in just over a week, which meant the occurrence of dozens of conflicts. A large number of injured people resulting from these conflicts were sent here, and for a time the entire hospital was in a state of continuous busyness.
In a ward, Sister Vanya, dressed in a white nun's habit, was healing the wound of a Hunter with a severely injured chest. Under anesthesia, Vanya used tweezers to remove broken fangs from the patient's horrifying wound, and after cleaning the wound, she used the ability of a Healing Priest to accelerate its initial healing. In the patient's lethargy and the admiring gaze of the nurse beside her, she completed another treatment. How many such tasks had Vanya performed in the past few days?
Letting out a long sigh, Vanya, who had completed the main medical work, handed over the subsequent tasks to the nurse beside her. She picked up the water cup next to her, and after drinking the water inside, she walked out of the ward with a tired expression. However, after opening the door, she saw an unexpected figure waiting for her outside.
"Sister An Lei?"
Looking at the old Sister with a kind smile in front of her, Vanya spoke with surprise. The person in front of her was precisely the one who had guided her onto the path of a Healing Priest. In a sense, she was also the direct superior of Vanya, who did not yet have a fixed position in the Church.
"Hehe... How have you been recently? Sister Vanya, it looks like... you are facing new trials again."
"Not at all... I'm just doing my normal work, this isn't considered a trial..."
"I just looked at your records. In the past few days, you have worked continuously and efficiently treated twelve serious injury cases, and the treatment results were very good. You, who are not yet a regular hospital staff member, have undertaken such heavy treatment work. You have truly worked hard."
With her hands placed in front of her, Sister An Lei smiled and spoke to Vanya after observing the busyness of the hospital at the moment, and Vanya also responded respectfully upon seeing this.
"This is not a trial, and there's no need to talk about hard work. This is just my general function. Now, the injuries of all Tivian are converging here. As a servant of the Holy Mother, my duty is to do my best to heal them."
With a devout and humble demeanor, Vanya spoke to Sister An Lei in front of her. Looking at Vanya's appearance, Sister An Lei couldn't help but smile and nod slightly.
"Hmm... It is a good thing for the entire Church that the Holy Mother has such a loyal, diligent, and exceptionally talented devout servant as you... Sister Vanya, in my opinion, you are worthy of this exceptional reward."
"Exceptional reward? Sister An Lei... What you mean is..."
Listening to Sister An Lei's words, a hint of doubt couldn't help but arise in Vanya's eyes, and at this moment, Sister An Lei continued to answer with a smile.
"A few days ago, you were caught in the chaos of Bishop Square. At that time, you performed very well. Not only did you timely treat all the injured civilians who were affected, but you also saved many seriously injured guards, pulling many people back from the brink of death. Although the occurrence of the tragedy was unavoidable, you timely curbed the spread of the tragedy. Your correct handling of the situation allowed the damage to be finally controlled, allowing the residents to be safe and our subsequent work to proceed better. Many people have a high evaluation of you."
"This is what I should do..."
Vanya continued to answer humbly, and in her heart, she thought that many of her actions at that time were the result of her consultation with Miss Dorothy and her guidance and suggestions.
"Your activity that night was impressive... And more importantly, you timely treated Princess Isabel's injuries, allowing her to escape danger. The Royal Family thus avoided the continuous loss of two important members. The Queen conveyed her regards to Mr. Francesco, and she personally expressed her gratitude to you."
Sister An Lei continued to speak slowly, and after listening to Sister An Lei's words, Vanya was first stunned, and then immediately bowed and spoke.
"It... It was actually the Queen herself? I am truly honored!"
"All in all, due to your activity, our relationship with the Despenser Royal Family has been further strengthened. Mr. Francesco also greatly appreciates you. Coupled with your previous merit in secretly assisting in eradicating the cult stronghold, Mr. has decided to grant you a certain reward."
Saying this, Sister An Lei examined Vanya again, and then continued to speak.
"Sister Vanya, Mr. Francesco has decided to give you an opportunity for promotion. He recommends you to go to Iweig, to our Holy Mother faction's holy land, Lecher Valley, for a pilgrimage."