South of the Conquest Sea, Kankdar Port.
At night, the bright and clear crescent moon was rising high into the sky. The originally bustling port city fell into silence at this moment, with only a few street corners still illuminated by Light.
On the top floor of a tall building near the White Dove Hotel in Kankdar's foreign residential area, the cool evening wind, different from the daytime heatwaves, blew across, lifting the flag on the roof and also the robe not far away.
On the roof where the evening wind howled, a figure wearing a traditional North Wu robe, a headscarf, and a face veil stood at the edge, remaining motionless despite the strong wind. The eyes visible from the figure's head gazed forward, their target being the White Dove Hotel not far away, specifically a suite on its third floor.
As that figure gazed, there was a sudden movement on the building's roof. Behind that figure, a phantom appeared out of thin air. Soon after, a translucent, ethereal image slowly emerged, presenting the image of a Sister.
Appearing behind the peering figure, Awei looked at the sound by the edge of the floor in front and quietly observed him for a while, then slowly spoke.
"This guest... aren't you cold standing on this rooftop in the wind for so long? Would you like to come inside and sit down?"
Hearing the sound behind him, the figure at the edge of the rooftop suddenly paused, then slowly turned around, focusing his gaze on the suddenly appearing Awei. His expression seemed unable to hide his surprise, but he quickly returned to normal, after which he slowly spoke.
"Who are you? Are you also monitoring Sister Vanya?"
With a steady male voice, the robed figure spoke to Awei in front of him in pure North Wu dialect. Listening to the robed figure's words, Awei calmly responded.
"It is monitoring... and also protection. I have been ordered by Holy Mountain to come to Kankdar to ensure that devout saint church members are not subjected to plots and malicious framing. Therefore, unknown peeper, state your purpose. Why are you peering at Sister Vanya?"
With a hint of danger in her tone, Awei gazed at the robed man in front of her and slowly spoke. Looking at the translucent Sister in front of him, the robed man paused for a few seconds, then he looked at Awei and slowly spoke in a cautious tone.
"Someone from Holy Mountain? Protection? Hmph... According to the information I have, the Holy Mountain investigation team mixed with the bastards of the Kankdar guard as soon as they arrived at the port today, and rushed here non-stop to arrest Sister Vanya. And they talk about protection? When it was just the Kankdar bastards themselves, they didn't dare to act alone."
The robed man said this to Awei. Listening to the robed man's words, a thoughtful look appeared in Awei's eyes, and then she continued to speak.
"Listening to your words, it seems your stance is on Sister Vanya's side."
"Which side I stand on is none of Holy Mountain's business..." the robed man said with undiminished momentum. Listening to his words, Awei looked at him with interest, then continued to speak.
"A local of North Wu, hostile to the Kankdar guards, and siding with Sister Vanya... I think you are Shadi's man..."
Awei said this frankly to the robed man, determining his origin with a single sentence. Listening to Awei's words, the robed man's eyes widened slightly, revealing a hint of disbelief.
"No... you guessed wrong. I have no relation to that revolutionary General in Adus."
"Heh, you don't need to deny anything. I have no issue with that Shadi General. I hope you understand that in Holy Mountain, there are different attitudes towards Shadi and Sister Vanya... Think about it, if Holy Mountain's intention was truly to arrest Sister Vanya, why is she still there now?"
With a slight smile, Awei spoke to the robed man in front of her. Listening to Awei's words, the robed man couldn't help but pause slightly, then continued to speak.
"You mean... the reason those investigation teams didn't succeed in arresting Sister Vanya before was entirely because you were obstructing them?"
"Correct. What hinders power from Holy Mountain must also be power from Holy Mountain... As I said before, I am here to stop the spread of malicious plots. If you truly stand on Sister Vanya's side, you can trust me. Right now, only I can protect Sister Vanya completely before the otherworld inquisitors... So, stranger, let's be frank, while I still have the patience to use normal communication methods with you..."
Awei spoke silently to the robed man in front of her. Listening to Awei's words, the robed man couldn't help but pause, a hint of difficulty showing in his expression. Finally, after seemingly thinking it over repeatedly, he sighed and then admitted, speaking again.
"That's right, I am indeed a subordinate of Shadi General. Due to the heavy losses suffered by Sister Vanya's embassy guards during the incident in Adis, Shadi General was concerned about her insufficient guard force when Sister Vanya returned to Kankdar, so he dispatched us to secretly accompany and protect her. The journey was uneventful, but we didn't expect to encounter such a situation upon reaching the destination."
The robed man seriously responded to Awei in front of him. Hearing the robed man's words, Awei silently nodded, a look of 'just as expected' appearing in her eyes, and then she continued to ask.
"On the day of the assassination at the South Station, Sister Vanya was controlled by something unknown but managed to break free. Red dense fog with traces of Spirituality also appeared at the scene to cover Sister Vanya's actions of saving lives. Was all of this done by you?"
"Correct. While we were observing in secret, we discovered that Sister Vanya was possessed by an external Ghost, who wanted to control her to carry out an assassination. So, at the critical moment, I helped Sister Vanya suppress that possessing spirits and performed an exorcism. The second possessed embassy guard was also subdued. But what we didn't expect was that besides the possessing spirits, they also planted ordinary human spies among the train crew...
"After that, the assassination was completed by that spy. Sister Vanya wanted to go save people but was obstructed. I realized the situation was wrong, that those guards might be in cahoots with the assassin, so I used an Extraordinary item to create conditions for Sister Vanya's treatment, recovering some of the losses."
The robed man silently recounted the situation at the assassination scene that day to Awei. The details were sufficient, making Awei feel as if she was there. After listening to the robed man's explanation, Awei thought for a while, then spoke again.
"So that's how it is... Then where did that Extraordinary item you used come from?"
"I bought that in a treasure hunter's black market. At that time, I wanted to buy an item that could save my life, so the black merchant introduced me to this thing, a kind of fog that isn't afraid of being blown away and can heal wounds. It's said to be a product of other Extraordinary organizations, but I don't know exactly where it came from..."
The robed man said this directly to Awei. After hearing these words, Awei nodded slightly, then continued to speak.
"Then... I still have one question. What exactly is Shadi's current attitude? Has he truly broken with the otherworld?"
"Mukhtar is dead. The General can no longer compromise with the Savior Sect in the country. His attitude is already written in the secret letter to you. As soon as the General completes the integration, Adus will immediately announce the absolute unique legal status of the Three Saints in the country..." the robed man responded directly. Awei, with a raised eyebrow, then spoke.
"Then... what about the Judge of Heaven?"
Listening to Awei's words, the robed man couldn't help but pause. After a moment of silence, he responded cautiously.
"The Three Saints will be the only official faith in Adus. As for the secret organizations and cults that exist under the public faith, they are very difficult to eliminate. Isn't this the same in most Main Continent countries?"
"I see... I understand."
Listening to the robed man's words, Awei's expression also seemed to become clear. At this moment, the robed man took the initiative to ask again.
"You've asked enough questions. Now it's my turn to ask. Do you really have a way to completely clear Sister Vanya of suspicion?"
"I can help Sister Vanya clear her suspicion, but given that the otherworld investigation team is clearly biased, this will likely be very difficult. They will only investigate in directions unfavorable to Sister Vanya and unfavorable to Adus. Any clues and evidence that could bring the truth will be ignored by them. Therefore, to bring about the truth, evidence must be obtained."
"This evidence must be direct, powerful, irrefutable, and undeniable, capable of leaving Clifton and the others completely unable to deny it, struck dumb. As long as there is evidence of this degree, allowing me to force Clifton to admit it, then Sister Vanya will naturally be cleared, and Adus's crisis can also be resolved."
Awei said frankly to the robed man. Listening to Awei's words, the robed man nodded after a moment of thought, then spoke.
"I understand. We will search for the evidence you need, and we will get it as soon as possible. During this time, please also ensure the safety of Sister Vanya; she is an important figure for Adus."
"You don't need to tell me, I will do so..." Awei replied, and then she seemed to have thought of something else and continued.
"However, what I am worried about now are the embassy guards who were arrested before I came here. The investigation team has now directly taken them over from the city guard. In the eyes of the public, they are closely related to Sister Vanya. If they make confessions unfavorable to Sister Vanya under the investigation team's torture, I'm afraid I might have some trouble..."
"Embassy guards, huh..." Listening to Awei's words, the robed man fell into thought for a moment.
...
After a while, the robed man and Awei probed each other for a bit longer, then Awei bid farewell and disappeared into the night, while the robed man also left the spot and began to move away from the White Dove Hotel.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Kankdar, Dorothy, sitting in her room, was sipping the red tea in front of her while controlling the distant Corpse Puppet to a safe location. During this process, she was also pondering the information from the conversation she had just had with the Sister named Awei.
'Undeniable, direct, and strong evidence is needed. So, what I currently hold seems a bit insufficient; there's a possibility they could forcefully ignore it. Therefore... therefore, I still need to gather some other strong evidence. Fortunately, I'm not without ideas in this regard, and it should be obtainable with a bit of time and effort.'
'The key now is the embassy guards who have fallen into the hands of the otherworld investigation team. If they are forced to give any unfavorable confessions, it will cause a lot of trouble for Sister Awei. So, I need to pay close attention to that matter as well.'
Taking a sip of red tea, Dorothy thought this to herself, and then her thoughts shifted to Sister Awei, who had come to the rescue today.
'Then there's Sister Awei herself. She is truly a peculiar existence. At first, I thought she was a Ghost, but it turns out she's a projection. Her main body is over a hundred nautical miles away, and the projection is manifested here using a relay... I'm really curious what that Sister's main body looks like. Why does she have to monitor remotely from a military port a hundred nautical miles away? Why can't her main body come over? Could she be...'
Drinking red tea, Dorothy looked out the window. While gazing at the moonlight, she let her thoughts become more profound.
...
At night in Kankdar, on the wide dock and port, a huge, hundred-meter-long, black-painted steel ship was moored. On its hull were engraved scriptures, and numerous crosses stood on the front and rear decks. On some crosses, there were emaciated figures tied up, wailing weakly. Besides the crosses, several black iron pillars also stood on the front deck. Below the iron pillars was a circle of iron fencing, inside which there were still ashes that hadn't been cleaned up.
This strange black ship is named Fire Punishment. It is the flagship of the otherworld investigation team led by Clifton, which came to Kankdar. Currently, inside this ship, Clifton and his subordinates are carrying out their work.
Inside the Fire Punishment, in a small prison cell, Gaspare, wearing thin blood-soaked clothes and covered in fine, cracked wounds, was imprisoned. Firmly bound by shackles, he was breathing heavily with his head lowered. In the surrounding space, piercing screams occasionally came from afar.
"Gasparre Priest, I advise you to tell the truth and explain things clearly. That way, you won't have to continue suffering. Today is your first day here, and all the 'care' I've given you is still mild and moderate. According to our tradition here, if you continue to be stubborn, I can't guarantee that it will be as gentle as today on the second and third days..."
Standing before Gaspare's prison cell, Clifton looked at the weak Gaspare inside and said coldly. Listening to Clifton's words, Gaspare slowly raised his head, met Clifton's eyes, and spoke coldly.
"Everything I can say, I've already told you, Your Excellency the Inquisitor. What else do you want me to explain?"
"Of course, how the otherworld corrupted you in Adis! How you colluded with the otherworld! How you plotted against Prince Baruk! And of course, what agreement the otherworld Shadi reached with the otherworld Vanya! What other plans do you have? Explain these clearly, and you still have a glimmer of hope, Gasparre Priest."
Clifton spoke quickly to Gaspare. Listening to these words, Gaspare stared intently at Clifton, then spoke.
"Heh... By the Saint Child, my warriors and I fought bloody battles against the otherworld in Adis. Countless people died at the hands of the otherworld, and the rest were severely wounded. Now you actually say we colluded with the otherworld... What kind of nonsense is this! We defended the sanctity of the saint church with our blood! Yet now you lock us up here and interrogate us! Where do you get your authority! What is your basis!"
Facing Clifton, Gaspare almost roared at him, unable to conceal his furious anger. Clifton, however, replied with a sneer.
"My authority comes from His Excellency Grand Inquisitor Klama; this is a case he directly ordered to be investigated! As for the basis, there is evidence. A large number of otherworld items, ranging from books to holy emblems, were found on the train you were on! The train crew, including that one attendant assassin, also confessed honestly about the process of you and them being corrupted by Shadi in Adis! With both testimony and physical evidence, do you still want to deny it?!"
"That crew? Hmph... What does it matter to us if that crew is from the otherworld? We only knew them for less than twenty days and had almost no contact normally. Heaven knows what they were plotting all day long?
"These despicable scoundrels are not at all like us! They were instigated to frame us and Sister Vanya with a conspiracy, and you just casually believed their accusations. It's simply ridiculous! Are the words of saint church Holy Knights less useful than those of a few commoners who aren't even Extraordinary?! Besides these commoners, look, have any of my warriors lied?"
Not at all afraid of Clifton's authority, Gaspare spoke frankly and pointedly. Listening to Gaspare's words, Clifton gritted his teeth, then spoke angrily.
"Who says none of your subordinates have spoken? Several of them have already confessed in front of me."
"Huh? Several? Who are they? Let's hear it? Call them over here to see? If you don't call those so-called confessors over for us to confront face-to-face, I'll consider what you said to be nonsense!"
Directly with a cursing tone, Gaspare retorted loudly to Clifton. Listening to Gaspare's words, Clifton couldn't help but twitch his mouth, and his entire face sank.
Indeed, up to now, not a single embassy guard has confessed according to Clifton's wishes. Their attitude is very firm, and Clifton hasn't gained any advantage from them. Clifton's words just now were merely to bluff Gaspare.
Seeing that the guard team led by Gaspare was so tough, Clifton realized that he had to find a breakthrough among them. The accusations from ordinary civilian attendants were indeed ineffective; accusations from within the embassy team were necessary. After all, during the Adis trip, the embassy team, including Vanya, was a single entity, and the desert arrow's crew had very little contact with them.
Clifton knew that to make an accusation against Vanya that even Awei couldn't ignore, people within the embassy team had to betray and backstab her, admitting that the embassy team was involved with the otherworld. Looking at Gaspare in front of him, Clifton also deeply realized that making him yield would be very difficult. He couldn't break through the embassy team through Gaspare; he had to change his approach, choose a different person, one with a weaker will.