At dusk, in a spacious office decorated in the Shining Light Church style, a blonde woman in a scarlet robe stood on a luxurious carpet before a tall window with the curtains drawn, gazing at the dazzling sunlight outside. Deep within her calm eyes, a hint of worry was visible.
"Captain, there's new information from Iweig..."
Following a clear, cold voice, a translucent, blurry Sister suddenly appeared out of thin air behind the woman. Hearing the words from behind her, the woman named Amanda did not turn around but spoke slowly.
"Is that so? The operation there has already begun..."
"No, the rescue and purification operations originally scheduled to begin promptly at ten this morning have been declared an emergency suspension. The reason is that they received a message from the Priest of Natsuki in the Xiatree Islands. Natsuki is willing to release all pilgrims and collectively convert to the Holy Mother in exchange for peace."
The translucent Sister continued. Listening to her words, Amanda, who had been standing by the window, paused for a moment before slowly turning around. Although her expression was still calm, deep within her eyes, there was clear surprise.
"What... Natsuki compromised? They actually proactively offered collective conversion as a condition? Is the intelligence source reliable?"
"This is a message personally reported by Archbishop Antonio. I have also repeatedly confirmed it; there is no problem. Currently, the Grey Hermits have arrived at Natsuki's main island and confirmed that all the pilgrims are safe and sound. Natsuki did not offer any resistance..." The translucent Sister continued to reply. After listening to the Sister's words, Amanda's brows couldn't help but furrow slightly.
"Antonio's appeasement policy towards Natsuki has been ineffective for many years. They have always been the most stubborn old belief force in the Kono Southwest Sea. How could their attitude suddenly change so drastically?"
With a vigilant tone, Amanda murmured. The Sister in front of her quickly responded again.
"According to the content of the public telegram from Natsuki provided by Archbishop Antonio, Natsuki claims that they decided to convert on the spot after being enlightened by a Sister among the pilgrim fleet."
"A Sister?" At the translucent Sister's response, a clear look of surprise finally appeared on Amanda's face, and the translucent Sister before her continued.
"Yes, it is said that this is a Sister from Prit, a Healing Priest who believes in the Holy Mother. It is said that she not only healed the people of Natsuki with a spirit of selfless great love but also debated with many elders of Natsuki during scriptural discussions, convincing them wholeheartedly, and thus they decided to convert."
After listening to the Sister in front of her, Amanda fell silent for a moment. No sign of joy appeared on her face. Instead, after thinking for a moment in contemplation, she spoke in a deep voice.
"Antonio has been the Archbishop of Iweig for over two years. What means of benevolence hasn't he used to preach to Natsuki? What eloquent missionaries hasn't he sent? None have been effective. Natsuki, which the entire Iweig diocese couldn't appease for so long, was actually enlightened and converted overnight by a little Sister who is just a Healing Priest?"
With clear skepticism, Amanda spoke to the translucent Sister in front of her. It was obvious that she did not believe that Natsuki could be enlightened and converted by just one Sister. In her opinion, there must be other factors hidden behind Natsuki's sudden conversion.
"Yes, Natsuki's sudden conversion is not that simple. The previous statement is just the reason Natsuki publicly disclosed. According to Archbishop Antonio's report, after this public announcement, Natsuki actually sent him a secret transmission explaining the deeper reasons."
"According to Natsuki's secret transmission, their Priest of Natsuki claims that Natsuki was actually infiltrated by the Ebergrass Church. They have spies in their high ranks who were corrupted by Ebergrass, and this spy was also an important source of intelligence for Natsuki. The surprise attack on the pilgrim fleet was a result of the deliberate intelligence influence from this spy."
The Sister continued to report seriously to Amanda. After listening to the Sister's words, Amanda did not show surprise. Instead, she nodded as if she had expected it.
"Ebergrass Church... I knew it. This strange incident is very likely their doing behind the scenes. As expected... So, the reason Natsuki suddenly took such a risk to hijack our fleet was due to a misjudgment caused by the intelligence from the Ebergrass Church?"
"That should be correct. According to Natsuki's secret transmission, Ebergrass likely provided Natsuki with information about the fleet's weak defenses through the spy, and then used some other false intelligence to make Natsuki believe that the pilgrim fleet was very important, and that using it as a bargaining chip could threaten us into withdrawing the forced relocation resolution, so they took the risk and launched this hijacking operation."
"But after that, the Ebergrass spy in Natsuki was discovered by Natsuki after revealing their tracks. After capturing the spy, they realized that they had been used by Ebergrass with incorrect intelligence, and that hijacking the pilgrims would not only fail to make us yield but might also lead to devastating purification."
The Sister in front of Amanda continued to speak. After listening to her words, Amanda spoke with understanding.
"So, Natsuki realized they were used and that the only outcome awaiting them was destruction, so they were eager to salvage the disastrous situation and decided to release the people and convert. The public reason on the surface is the preaching of that pilgrim Sister. Essentially... that Sister is also being used by Natsuki; she is their public excuse for converting."
"That is correct, but according to Archbishop Antonio, that pilgrim Sister should have also played a certain role. It is true that she was diligently performing healing and preaching in Natsuki, but the effect couldn't possibly be as significant as making Natsuki collectively convert immediately. Natsuki's priests and elders likely took advantage of this Sister's actions as an excuse to justify their decision to convert publicly."
The translucent Sister responded to Amanda in this manner. After listening to her words, Amanda finally understood the situation clearly. In essence, although that pilgrim Sister attempted to enlighten Natsuki, this could not change Natsuki's beliefs. What truly caused Natsuki to waver was the exposure of the Ebergrass Church spy. After realizing they had been used, they simply went along with the pilgrim Sister's preaching and announced their conversion.
This way, everything makes much more sense.
"I never expected... Natsuki, the most stubborn force in the Kono Southwest Sea, would finally convert in this manner. In a sense, we should even thank Ebergrass this time... And, of course, that little Sister who dared to preach while being hijacked..."
Taking a long breath, Amanda said with emotion. Her face became relaxed, and it was clear that her mood had significantly improved. The translucent Sister in front of her also continued.
"Natsuki's voluntary release of people and conversion is the best possible outcome for us. Natsuki was not destroyed during the purification but successfully converted, which is a merit for Archbishop Antonio. For you, who recommended Antonio, it can also enhance your influence in the Cardinal Council."
"Yes... I originally thought I would be suppressed by Hilbert for a long time after this, but I didn't expect the situation to reverse so quickly. I imagine his expression isn't very pleasant right now."
Amanda continued, a casual smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. At this moment, the translucent Sister continued to speak.
"Although the reversal of the situation in Natsuki prevented the purification from succeeding, I believe Captain Hilbert will certainly insist that the change in Natsuki's attitude was primarily due to the threat of purification, and he will continue to push his policy under the pretext of coercing Natsuki to convert through purification."
"Of course he will do that, so we need to respond accordingly and emphasize the role of that little Sister even more. Regardless of the truth of this incident, and how much of a role that little Sister actually played in it, she is our excellent propaganda material."
"Propaganda material?"
"Yes, both the public and within the Church, everyone prefers to hear stories of noble individuals in danger, preaching with steadfast faith and selfless universal love, rather than stories of heathens being coerced into converting by purification... Such stories are very morale-boosting..."
"One is a story of a saint sacrificing himself to preach, and the other is a story of the army threatening conversion. I think the Holy See will see which story is better for the Church, regardless of the truth of the matter..."
"In short, we just need to portray that little Sister as the greatest contributor to resolving this incident in front of the vast congregation. As long as her saint-like deeds can be widely spread and accepted, then whatever truth Hilbert insists on will be useless."
With a slight smile, Amanda stated frankly. The translucent Sister, having heard her words, nodded in understanding. At this moment, Amanda directly asked her.
"By the way, what is the name of that pilgrim little Sister? What is her background?"
"That Sister is named Vania Chafilun, she belongs to the Prit diocese, Saint Chant Church in Tivian. Our people are currently requesting detailed information from there."
The translucent Sister continued to respond to Amanda. Listening to her response, Amanda murmured slightly.
"Vanya, huh..."
...
North Shore of Conquest, Truva, a major town in southern Castile.
In the early morning, near the Truva port, in a high-end hotel suite, Dorothy, in her pajamas with messy hair, sat at the table by the window, drinking milk and eating the breakfast that had just been brought up by room service a short while ago. She munched on bread while reading today's newspaper, checking if there was any news worth her attention.
'It's been a day since the incident in Natsuki... There's still no news in the newspaper. It seems the Church hasn't revealed the relevant information to the media yet. I wonder if they will let the secular public know about this kind of incident. I guess probably not.'
Taking a sip of hot milk, Dorothy looked at the newspaper before her and thought to herself. After not finding any news about Natsuki, she casually flipped through several pages of the newspaper. Seeing no interesting news, she tossed it aside.
'According to Vanya's message, Church people arrived in Natsuki yesterday evening and took control of the situation. I wonder what methods they used to be so fast... From the current situation, there were no conflicts between the Church and Natsuki, and everything is under control."
'Vanya and the others are about to leave Natsuki soon. More Church people will flock to Natsuki before long. I hope Anman and the others can remember the methods I gave them and withstand the pressure...'
Dorothy thought to herself. Before leaving, Dorothy had Vanya tear off a few pages from her Holy Scripture for Anman, as a communication tool between Anman and Dorothy. From now on, Dorothy could communicate directly with Anman and the others as another Priest of Plenty, thereby remotely guiding Natsuki's feigned conversion work to prevent them from not knowing what to do in case of unexpected situations, and also allowing Dorothy to understand Natsuki's situation more realistically in the future.
'In any case, the matter of Natsuki is finally over. Now it's time for my own matters... After finishing breakfast, I'll go into the city to look for clues about the White Stone Craftsmen's Guild. I hope they sell high-quality'Shi' (Stone) secret transmissions here.'
Thinking this, Dorothy sped up her eating pace. After finishing the breakfast on the table a moment later, she wiped her lips and stood up. After washing up in the restroom, she spent a lot of time tidying her hair. After changing out of her pajamas, she chose a white shirt, black skirt, and waistcoat from her luggage to wear. After putting on her decorated hat, she put on a pair of small leather shoes. After tidying up the room, she waved her hand and went out.
Coming out of the hotel, Dorothy looked at the bustling street before her, thinking about how she should look for the White Stone Craftsmen's Guild in this large city. After some thought, she quickly had an idea.
The White Stone Craftsmen's Guild is usually an important trading place for various Extraordinary or secret practitioners in a city. Therefore, as long as she slightly contacts the secret circles of Truva, she will be able to quickly find the White Stone Craftsmen's Guild through them.
So how could Dorothy quickly find and contact the secret circles of Truva now? The answer was simple: just go to places where secret practitioners often frequent and look around.
For secret practitioners, many basic rituals such as fascination, sleep aid, Spirit Sight, basic resistance to Spirit Sight... do not require any Spirituality materials to perform. The materials for these basic rituals are often various herbs, mineral powders, animal organs, and spices, which can be found in ordinary life and do not require special Extraordinary transactions. They can be obtained from specialized shops, and Dorothy is very clear about what these materials are, because she used to buy these things all over the street.
Hidden, old herbal shops, spice shops, butcher shops for rare animals... Going to these places might lead to encountering secret practitioners. There are also places like old bookstores and stalls selling rare old items, where secret practitioners might look to see if they can find secret transmissions or even Spirituality items related to the Extraordinary. Just think, Clifford, the bookstore owner of the Holy Communion Society in Igwinte, fell after receiving the ""Cup"" secret transmission while collecting old books. Edrick, the leader of the gang in Wokan Town, also found the Corpse Puppet Ring he possesses at an old item stall. Going to these places always offers a chance to find secret practitioners.
In addition, there are the city's gangs and grey industries. From the situation in Igwinte and Tivian, the grey and black forces in many cities are influenced by secret forces behind them. For example, the Holy Communion Society previously influenced various nightclubs in Igwinte, and Brandon was affected in those places. For example, there are a bunch of gangs in East Tivian that are, in a sense, peripheral forces of Adele. Many grey businesses underground in East Tivian are also handled by Scarlet Heart. Adele can even use this to help Dorothy smuggle various supplies and weapons to the New World to support the Tupa Tribe.
'All in all, there are quite a few ways to find the secret circles. I can take my time and not rush. I can browse and travel while I look~'
Thinking this, Dorothy walked towards the bustling streets of Truva with a smile.