Under the dark night sky, on the vast sea, three pilgrim passenger ships that had just emerged from the dense fog were slowly sailing on the calm, fog-free surface. The Church fleet that was supposed to escort them had completely disappeared. At this moment, for those with ulterior motives, these three passenger ships were like fish waiting to be butchered.
On the deck of one passenger ship, several sailors lay motionless. Their bodies and the deck were damp. From the slight rise and fall of their chests, it was evident they were not dead but had lost consciousness. Behind these sailors, several crew members knelt trembling on the ground, their faces panicked, with their hands raised.
In front of these crew members, among the unconscious sailors, stood a man in his thirties, wearing only leather pants, with his upper body and feet bare, black hair disheveled, and stubble. He watched the scene before him with indifferent eyes, silent.
Just then, the sound of waves rose from the sea beside the ship. Then, a figure leaped out of the water, like a fish, bursting from the surface and landing on the ship's deck. Looking closely, it was a young man also wearing only pants. He immediately stabilized himself after landing and spoke to his companion.
"Bahoda, the other two ships are under our control. Now all these Light pilgrims have fallen into our hands."
Speaking in a language the crew members present could not understand, the young man addressed the middle-aged man with disheveled hair. The latter, upon hearing, shifted his gaze and then spoke in a calm tone.
"Hmm... Good work, Sukai. How was the resistance you encountered on your side? Were any of our people injured? What were their casualties?"
"The resistance was very weak. They didn't have strong warriors on their ships. We took them down effortlessly. Our warriors suffered no injuries, while they had many wounded. They were simply no match."
The young man named Sukai spoke to Bahoda with a hint of pride in his expression. Bahoda, upon learning the casualty situation, nodded slightly in satisfaction and then continued speaking.
"Good. Now have the crew change course and sail all the ships back... Move quickly. We must leave this sea area immediately before Light reacts."
"Understood, I'll go tell everyone." Saying this, Sukai walked to the deck railing, preparing to jump down. Just then, Bahoda called out to him again.
"Oh, right. Among the injured, if anyone is seriously hurt, you can treat him so he doesn't die from his injuries worsening."
"Treat their wounds... Bahoda, these guys are from Light, they are our enemies. We came aboard and warned them without immediately attacking, which was already being generous. Now we have to treat their wounds!?"
Listening to Bahoda's words, Sukai spread his arms and spoke with some confusion, while Bahoda replied to Sukai in a serious tone.
"They are indeed enemies, but they are more useful alive than dead right now. At this stage, it's best for no one to die. For every extra person they have, we gain a little more leverage."
Bahoda said this to Sukai. After listening to Bahoda's words, Sukai paused slightly, then simply responded without further argument, turned around, and jumped from the deck into the sea.
After Sukai left, Bahoda turned his gaze to the trembling crew members nearby and then spoke in Iweig.
"Alright, now please return to your posts and perform your duties. We are changing course."
...
The boundless vastness of the ocean is its most attractive charm. Countless adventure stories are set against the backdrop of the sea precisely because its vastness and mystery hold infinite possibilities. From ancient times to the present day, countless adventurers have tirelessly explored the sea, but even today, many secrets within the ocean remain unknown, even in the Conquest Sea, which people are relatively familiar with.
Somewhere in the Conquest Sea, there is an area of complex sea conditions and perpetual fog, far from the main shipping lanes. Deep within this area, which often becomes a nightmare for ships that wander in, lies a mysterious region rarely visited by people.
On the sea at night, a faint mist diffused everywhere. Within this sea fog, the blurred outline of an island emerged.
On a mysterious island somewhere in the Conquest Sea, there stood a tall, towering tree. Below this great tree, points of Light flickered, dispelling the darkness. Within this Light, a tall figure was illuminated. Looking closely, one could see it was a human-shaped wooden sculpture.
No, rather than calling it a wooden sculpture, it would be more accurate to say it grew out of the wood itself. The tree's thick, winding roots grew from the earth, intertwining and shaping themselves into a female figure with outstretched hands. Although formed from wood, the figure was incredibly lifelike, its full form embodying natural harmony and beauty.
In front of this tall statue, which seemed to have grown naturally, was a burning bonfire. Beside the bonfire sat an old man around fifty years old. He wore a simple coarse linen robe tied with a hemp rope belt. His face was deeply lined, and his hair was white and dry. He sat cross-legged at the edge of the bonfire, silently staring at the flames before him, his expression revealing worry.
The old man sat waiting at the edge of the bonfire. Beside him sat several men and women also wearing coarse linen robes. Most of them looked at the bonfire's flames with expressions of worry similar to the old man's. However, a thin young man in his twenties sitting beside the old man was different; his gaze was fixed on the old man beside him.
"Anman, you should not worry too much. Bahoda is shrewd and capable, with outstanding talent. He is our best warrior, and he will surely handle things well."
The thin young man said reassuringly to the old man. The old man paused slightly after hearing these words, then turned his face towards the young man and spoke with a sigh.
"Of course I know Bahoda's capabilities, Obuye... If he were doing anything ordinary, I would naturally be completely at ease. But this time is different. He is going to deal with people from Light, directly facing those fanatics. The power of Light is not something we can confront... His mission is extremely dangerous, so how can I not worry?"
"Actually, it's alright, Anman. Although Light is powerful, its power doesn't extend everywhere. According to my information, that Light fleet is just for show. There isn't a single strong person on board who can match Bahoda. Bahoda is more than capable of dealing with them."
Obuye said this to Anman. Listening to Obuye's words, the melancholy in Anman's eyes did not disappear. He continued to speak slowly.
"Information is just information in the end. No one can say for sure what the actual situation is like. If there's a mistake, the consequences will be unimaginable. If the situation hadn't reached this unprecedented crisis, I wouldn't have agreed to them doing such a thing."
Anman said this. After listening to his words, Obuye continued to speak.
"Don't worry, the sea is Bahoda and their home ground. Even if the information is wrong and they can't handle the people from Light, they can still escape without a problem."
Obuye continued speaking to Anman. After listening to Obuye's words, Anman sighed again.
"Alas... I never expected things to come to this point. No one thought before that one day we would resort to such extreme measures."
"There's nothing else we could do... To protect Xia Shu Island, to protect our traditions and the faith in our Goddess from those Light fanatics, we could only use this method. We must make Light have something to worry about; only then will they truly respect our opinions and communicate sincerely, instead of always being so arrogant and beyond reproach
attitude."
Obuye said this to Anman. After hearing his words, just as Anman was about to respond, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps from a distance. A young man dressed in linen clothes rushed to the scene from afar. After taking two breaths, he spoke to Anman and the others.
"Huff... huff... Priest! News from Bahoda! Their operation was successful! They have completely taken control of the Light pilgrims and are now on their way back."
"What? They actually succeeded?!"
After hearing the young man's words, Anman, who was by the bonfire, immediately stood up and muttered in disbelief. The others beside him, upon hearing this news, couldn't help but talk to each other happily, and the worry on most of their faces vanished.
"That's great, Anman! Bahoda and the others succeeded. Now we finally have the leverage to have a proper talk with the Shining Light Church!"
Standing beside Anman, Obuye said this to Anman. Listening to Obuye's words, Anman fell silent for a moment, then immediately spoke to the young messenger.
"Inform Faisar and the others on the mainland to immediately send out the letter we prepared to the Shining Light Church. Clearly convey our intentions and our demands to them!"
"Yes, I understand."
After hearing Anman's words, the young messenger immediately responded and jogged away. Looking at the young man's receding back, Anman couldn't help but sigh again. He then silently turned around and looked at the almost naturally formed female "wooden sculpture" under the great tree behind him. Looking at the soft, uncarved face on the "wooden sculpture," he couldn't help but murmur.
"I never expected... that in the end, things would come to this point..."
"Mother of Fertility, please forgive our sins. Please bless Natsuki..."
Towards the wooden statue of the deity, Anman prayed devoutly.
...
North Shore of Conquest, in Peran, the capital of Iweig.
In the city of Peran at night, everything was safely asleep. Inside the Purifying Heart Cathedral in Peran's Church District, points of Light shone through.
Inside the Purifying Heart Cathedral, Archbishop Antonio, wearing a simple silk robe, with graying temples and a slightly plump build, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression stern, before a tall stained-glass window. In front of him was a respectful young priest.
"What did you say... The pilgrim fleet from Lecher Valley was attacked this year? All the pilgrims are missing?"
With a hint of surprise, Antonio spoke to the priest before him. The latter nodded and continued speaking.
"Yes, according to the message sent by the Holy Rite Knights' Third Escort Fleet using a signal light, they were harassed by thick fog during their escort mission. They were attacked by multiple Extraordinaries, including suspected Wave Chanters. Although the ships and personnel ultimately suffered no damage, the three passenger ships carrying eight hundred and fifty-one pilgrims were lost in the dense fog created by extraordinary abilities and completely lost contact."
The priest reported to Antonio. After listening to the priest's report, Antonio was silent for a moment. A faint Light flickered in his small eyes. After seemingly suppressing something, he spoke slowly and calmly.
"The Third Escort Fleet... Just the day before, someone swore to me how important the investigation into the otherworld was, so important that detaining four high-ranking deacons in one go was considered a'small matter', snort... I wonder if this situation is still a so-called'small matter' to him now?
"From top to bottom, from red to black, our Judge is simply full of good-for-nothings."
Antonio said with a cold, mocking laugh, his words seemingly full of dissatisfaction with the Judge, this vertical organization. Upon hearing Antonio's words, the priest before him was immediately startled.
"Uh... well... Your Excellency, you should be careful with your words. If someone with ulterior motives heard you say that..."
"So what if they heard? How many things have those guys from the Judge messed up by arresting people everywhere? People outside call them lunatics and neurotics. I think calling them lunatics is even praising them."
Antonio expressed his dissatisfaction with the Judge frankly. The priest beside him couldn't help but feel embarrassed. After finishing his sarcasm towards the Judge, Antonio refocused his attention on the incident.
"The pilgrim fleet was attacked... This hasn't happened for a long time. And this time, it's three ships, over eight hundred people, all missing. The severity is quite high... Just who are these guys with such nerve? Could it be the cultists of the Serpent again..."
Antonio murmured. Hearing the priest's description, the first thing he thought of was the Sea Abyss Church. As the Archbishop of Iweig, he often dealt with the Sea Abyss Church.
Just as Antonio was silently analyzing, the door of the Purifying Heart Cathedral suddenly opened, and another priest rushed in from outside, saying as he ran towards Antonio.
"Your Excellency Antonio, there is an urgent matter!"
"What's happening now?"
Facing the new priest, Antonio said with a frown. The priest immediately replied.
"Reporting, Your Excellency, just now, the telegraph office received a telegram, a telegram claiming to be from Xia Shu Island!"
"Xia Shu Island?"
Listening to the priest's words, Antonio paused slightly, as if he had thought of something, and then spoke with a more serious expression.
"What does the telegram say?"
"The telegram says... their warriors from Xia Shu Island have 'invited' the Light pilgrims to visit their island. If we want these pilgrims to leave safely, we must immediately cancel the military operation about to be launched against the Xiatree Islands and publicly promise never to proselytize in the Xiatree Islands, and never to force the people of the Xiatree Islands to change their faith."
"They say that the people of the Xiatree Islands will adhere to the traditions they have upheld for a thousand years. They will forever believe in the Mother of Fertility, the Goddess of Harvest who nourishes all things, and will not accept any other faith."
The priest read the contents of the telegram to Antonio. After listening to the priest's words, Antonio fell silent for a moment. After a long silence, he slowly spoke.
"Xiatree Islands... I didn't expect it would be them... This time, were they pushed too hard?"