This was a spacious room with luxurious decoration and a strong religious style. A carpet with intricate patterns was laid on the floor, and large half-length portraits of different clergymen and Sisters were hung in sequence. A huge bookshelf almost filled one wall, tall candlesticks burning with candlelight stood in the four corners of the room, and small angel sculptures were placed on both sides.
In the back half of the room was a large desk, piled high with countless documents. Sitting on the chair behind the desk was a figure.
This was a mature woman who looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. She had a distinctive, three-dimensional face and light golden long hair, and was wearing a complex, loose red robe. She was leaning back in the chair, napping with her eyes closed, her brows showing undeniable fatigue. On the desk in front of her were scattered pens and a sheet of letter paper filled with elegant handwriting.
In the quiet room, the woman in red, who seemed to have just finished intense work, was resting with her eyes closed. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she slowly opened her eyes. Her deep blue eyes looked at the empty space in front of her desk, and then a faint phantom slowly emerged in that space.
It was a translucent humanoid phantom, like a Ghost, appearing as a blurry, pale Sister. As soon as the Sister's phantom appeared, she looked at the woman sitting behind the desk and then slowly spoke in a clear, cold voice.
"The Iweig diocese, Antonio reported half an hour ago that a pilgrim fleet escorted by the Holy Rite Knights' Third Escort Fleet, heading to Iweig, was hijacked. Including the hijacked pilgrims, crew, and Knights' sailors, there were a total of six hundred and twenty-five people."
Listening to the Sister phantom's report, the woman in red on the chair did not immediately react. After a moment's pause, she slowly spoke.
"The Holy Rite Knights' Third Escort Fleet... I remember they encountered a large-scale Dream World interference incident in Navaja not long ago."
"Yes, before that, they also encountered the sinking of a cruise ship involving the Sea Abyss Church. Currently, the Navaja incident can be initially determined to be related to the'Shadow' society's Black Dream Hunter Group."
The phantom Sister continued to report respectfully to the woman in red. After listening to her words, the woman rubbed her temples, then picked up a few other pieces of information about this escort fleet from the desk beside her, and said with a sigh.
"In just over a week, this fleet has encountered so many things consecutively. Have they touched some kind of fate? So... what exactly happened with this hijacking? What were the losses to the fleet? Can you tell who did it?"
"According to the news from the Iweig diocese, the hijackers used methods of manipulating sea fog and water currents to bypass the escort warships, hijacking three pilgrim passenger ships individually. Besides losing the passenger ships, there were no other losses. The hijackers have sent a threatening letter to the Cleansing Heart Church. They call themselves residents of the Xiatree Islands in the Conquest Sea. They demand that the Iweig diocese stop their forced religious reform actions against them and promise to respect their faith, otherwise, the safety of the pilgrims cannot be guaranteed."
The Sister's phantom continued to report attentively to the woman in red. After listening to her report, the woman couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Xiatree? If I remember correctly... they seem to be remnants of the original Abundant Harvest faith."
"Yes, among the many remote islands in the sea southwest of Kono Island, there are many remaining Abundant Harvest beliefs. In recent decades, the Iweig diocese has focused its main missionary work on that area, and many islands have successfully come under the guidance of the Three Saints."
"Because the Abundant Harvest faith here has been stable and deeply rooted for a long time, the Iweig diocese has adopted many coercive measures in the process of evangelization. According to data, in the nearly thirty years that Justin, the former Archbishop of Iweig, was in charge, there were 43 purifications and 42 forced relocations targeting the islands southwest of Kono Island, with only 7 successful peaceful conversions."
"Compared to other dioceses in contact with primitive beliefs, this is a very high figure. Therefore, in this area, there is widespread resistance against the Church, and this Xiatree is one of the main forces. In the two years since the current Archbishop Antonio took over from Justin, he has advocated a more gentle and conciliatory policy, but so far, no substantial results have been achieved."
The Sister's phantom continued to report to the woman in red. Listening to the Sister's words, the woman holding the documents couldn't help but sigh.
"The previous conflicts have accumulated so deeply, how could there be any effect in such a short time? It would not be too much to give Antonio ten years if he wants to achieve some results. But now, suddenly, such an incident occurs, which will seriously interfere with his original plan."
The woman in red said with a sigh, and the phantom Sister paused slightly before speaking.
"Such a result, for Captain Hilbert, is probably what he hoped for."
"Of course that's what he wants. A small matter, a small matter initiated by those ancient faith heretics themselves, a small matter that he can use to make a big fuss and expand his influence. Ha... Tomorrow, he will probably make a big deal out of this before the Holy See."
The woman in red responded as such, her eyes revealing undisguised fatigue. It seemed that the occurrence of this incident was not what she wished to see.
"I feel that this hijacking incident is somewhat strange. According to the current intelligence, the Holy Rite Third Escort Fleet just replaced its commander due to the Navaja incident, and immediately encountered the Xiatree hijacking. This incident tonight can become Captain Hilbert's leverage to exert pressure on Captain. Considering Captain Hilbert's relationship with the Judge, could this be him secretly..."
The phantom Sister said to the woman in red with a speculative tone. Listening to the Sister's words, the woman's eyes narrowed, and she immediately spoke.
"Do not speculate recklessly about a Cardinal. The risk of this matter is very high, and Hilbert does not need to take it... Compared to him, this matter is indeed strange, but I suspect the Sea Abyss's hand more than Hilbert's."
"Sea Abyss Church... Captain, do you think there is a Shadow of Abyssal Serpent believers behind this incident?" Listening to the woman in red's words, the phantom Sister said with a slight frown, while the woman in red answered affirmatively.
"Of course. One third of the problems that occur at sea are caused by them, and another third are related to them. Besides, escalating the conflict between the natives and us is also beneficial to them."
"Since Justin served as the Archbishop of Iweig and adopted tough measures against the distant island natives for decades, many of those islands have indeed converted. However, in contrast, the frequency of the Sea Abyss Church's activities in the corresponding sea areas has also increased significantly. According to intelligence compiled by the official secret agencies of the countries on the North Shore of Conquest, there were 542 confirmed extraordinary incidents involving the Sea Abyss last year alone, more than 100 more than the previous year."
"Our evangelization, on the contrary, is strengthening the power of cultists..."
"Yes, under Justin's strong pressure, the natives secretly turned to the Sea Abyss. A large number of survivors from purifications and forced relocations were absorbed by the Sea Abyss Church. While gaining sufficient manpower, the Sea Abyss Church also obtained many extraordinary remnants of Abundant Harvest. Ha... While our 'evangelization' activities were in full swing, the power of the real cultists was rapidly growing, not only in Iweig but also in other marginal dioceses."
"There is evidence that the Sea Abyss has played the role of instigator in a series of conflicts between us and the distant islands. This is also why I wanted to implement a more gentle policy, but I didn't expect such an incident to suddenly occur."
Rubbing her forehead, the woman in red spoke with fatigue. The current situation was not optimistic for her.
"As far as I know, the natives of the Xiatree Islands are among the most stubborn group in the southwest islands of Kono. The possibility of peaceful persuasion is low. Even Archbishop Antonio has drafted a forced relocation plan for them, but after this incident, the forced relocation may have to be escalated to purification."
"Currently, Archbishop Antonio is organizing a rescue operation targeting the pilgrims, but regardless of whether the rescue is successful, the fate of Xiatree will not be good. Archbishop Antonio's plan will be disrupted, and the policy we are promoting will also be hindered..."
The phantom Sister continued to report to the woman in red in this manner. Listening to the Sister's words, the woman in red's expression deepened even further.
"What a bad situation..."
"Is there... no turning point in this matter?" The phantom Sister asked tentatively, and the woman in red, leaning back in her chair, also shook her head and said.
"Unless Xiatree now announces conversion on the spot, repents, and automatically hands over all the hijacked people, there is no room for a turning point. But for them, who dared to do such a thing to protect Abundant Harvest and resist forced relocation, this is impossible... So it is almost equivalent to no turning point..."
The woman in red murmured with a hint of bitterness. As the situation stood, the fate of Xiatree was already sealed.
For the Shining Light Church, this vast supranational organization, the matter of Xiatree was just a small issue. However, this small issue was significant because it occurred at a crucial juncture, giving it special meaning. It could be exploited by different forces within the Church, thereby generating great influence.
"Alright, I understand the matter now. You may leave for now. I still need to prepare for how to face those people before the Holy See tomorrow."
The woman in red said this to the Sister's phantom. The phantom Sister was about to leave, but after thinking for a moment, she asked with some concern.
"Captain Hilbert and the others will come aggressively tomorrow. I am worried about Captain..."
"Don't worry... There are small matters that Hilbert and the others can exploit, and I have them too... The commander of the Holy Rite Third Escort Fleet being detained is the Judge's doing. With this matter, I won't be too passive. You may leave now."
The woman in red said this to the Sister's phantom. After listening to her words, the phantom Sister paused slightly, then bowed and gradually disappeared from the room.
After the Sister's phantom disappeared, the woman in red looked at the empty room. After watching for a moment, she murmured to herself.
"Abundant Harvest..."
Having said that, the woman in red began to take out a blank sheet of paper, placed it on the desk, and started writing something. After filling a page with delicate and beautiful handwriting, she wrote her name at the bottom—Amanda Petit.
...
Time flew by, the moon set and the sun rose. Soon, the night passed, and daylight arrived.
The three hijacked passenger ships continued to sail on the vast sea. Driven by the water currents manipulated by extraordinary power and the power of steel boilers, they sped south, away from the Main Continent.
After a long period of sailing, the pilgrim passengers on the three ships gradually became aware of the fact that they had been hijacked, which caused a small disturbance. After the small disturbance, the Xiatree hijackers maintained order on the three ships by demonstrating force. They locked almost all the passengers in their cabins to restrict their movements. The pilgrims trapped in their cabins could only pray in panic, praying for the Holy Mother's divine grace to send a miracle to save them.
After Vanya treated all the sailors and hijackers, she was given a more comfortable and proper living environment, but also received stricter surveillance. In this situation, Vanya followed Dorothy's suggestion and did not resist these Xiatree hijackers. Instead, she tried her best to cooperate with them in various matters, hoping to gain their trust.
As for Dorothy, she had successfully arrived at Truva on her own ship. After arriving, she did not go to the White Stone Craftsmen's Guild as originally planned. Instead, she first found a hotel to stay in, and then spent the entire day observing the situation on the three ships through Vanya and three other hijackers who had been marked with puppet imprints.
At first, Dorothy tried to find an opportunity to seize control of the ships, but after thinking about the powerful abilities of Water Manipulator at sea, she completely abandoned the idea of armed conflict. Then, Dorothy began to focus on collecting intelligence. However, since these Xiatree hijackers spoke their own language when communicating with each other, Dorothy couldn't understand much, so Dorothy didn't make much progress in collecting intelligence.
Just like that, as time passed, another day went by. And on the evening of the second day after the three ships were hijacked, they finally arrived at their destination after sailing at high speed all the way.
Just looking from the ship, it was a rather large island. Through different viewpoints on the ship, Dorothy could see, under the twilight glow, vast areas of lush trees on the large island, and stone buildings faintly visible among the trees. The most conspicuous among them was a giant tree that rose from the ground among the forest, as majestic and tall as a Dream World tree.
Unlike Dorothy's previous imagination, the natives on the Xiatree Islands seemed to be far from primitive people on a deserted island. They had a considerable degree of culture. On the cliff of the island, Dorothy saw a towering lighthouse. In the bay of the island, she also saw a stone-built harbor of considerable scale, filled with various fishing boats, most of which were wooden sailing boats, but there was actually also an iron fishing boat with a clear chimney, obviously steam-powered, which showed that the situation on this island was not too isolated, and they had communication with the outside world.
After entering the bay, the island's harbor underwent more than an hour of intense scheduling, and finally cleared enough space to successfully dock the three ships in the harbor. Then, a group of soldiers wearing ethnic costumes with simple patterns and long robes came to the harbor with various types of firearms. Cooperating with the hijackers, they pressed all the pilgrims off the ships. Then, the trembling pilgrims were divided into different batches here and sent to different places via stone paths, while the hijackers, amidst a warm welcome and crowd, walked along the main road back to their city, where a celebratory dinner awaited them.
And Dorothy, on the distant continent, was waiting for the arrival of night, waiting for the moment when these hijackers, who had not closed their eyes for two days and were long fatigued, would fall asleep.