On the Conquest Sea, Moncarlo Island.
During the daytime, on the main island of the Moncarlo Islands, within the island's only Church, the Church of Conversion, it was currently crowded and unusually lively. On the small square in front of the Church, countless people were swarming here, and the not-so-large chapel was already overflowing with people.
In Moncarlo, a city where desires flowed freely, although the Church as a public facility existed, it did not receive much attention. The number of people who came here on weekdays was pitifully small. The Church of Conversion was not large; in Moncarlo, a city of several hundred thousand people, it was considered very small. Even with a small Church and a large city, it remained very idle on weekdays, with only a small number of priests and Sisters serving some devout elderly people. A scene like today was seen for the first time.
The reason why this Church suddenly became so lively was entirely due to the Holy Relic Exhibition that began today in the Church of Conversion. Holy Relics from the Holy Mountain were exhibited for the first time within the Church of Conversion, attracting a large number of local residents and foreign tourists to visit.
Within the not-so-large chapel of the Church of Conversion, people were currently packed together. The original pulpit had been removed and replaced by a large glass display case guarded by four serious knights. On the silk inside the display case, a large piece of grayish-white, old, rough sackcloth was unfolded and placed. The edges of the cloth had obvious burn marks, and on this dirty sackcloth, densely packed scriptures were written. In front of the display case was a standing sign on which deeds related to this Holy Relic were written.
Vita Meo's Holy Terror Scripture, according to legend, this was the Holy Terror Shroud of the martyred Saint Vita Meo during the Turbid Current War. In the war against the otherworld, the body of the hero Vita Meo was once seized and desecrated by the otherworlders. The saint church warriors who had always followed Vita Meo fought bravely, attempting to reclaim Vita Meo's body, but this fell right into the otherworlders' trap, and the retrieval team suffered heavy casualties in the trap.
At this time, Vita Meo's spirits could not bear to see people make fearless sacrifices for his body again, so he let his body spontaneously combust, severing the retrieval team's target of retrieval by self-destruction. After the body was burned out, only the tattered Holy Terror Cloth floated into the hands of the retrieval team. Who knew that the retrieval team would thus obtain Vita Meo's blessing, and in their grief and indignation, they erupted with powerful strength, not only breaking out of the surrounding trap but also turning back to annihilate the surrounding otherworlders, winning a tragic victory.
Later, this piece of Holy Terror Cloth was subjected to a ritual by one of the seven living Saints of the Holy Mountain by transcribing scriptures, thereby obtaining the Lord's blessing because it was elevated into one of the precious Holy Relics. To commemorate Vita Meo and the fearless bravery and piety of the retrieval team, it must be kept by a dedicated Church or a qualified Holy Relic Curator.
The above... is the introduction to the Holy Relic in the display case on the exhibition board. The Holy Relic in this case is the center of this exhibition event, yet strangely, although there were many people gathered in the Church at this time, there were very few people surrounding the Holy Relic display case. It was clearly a Holy Relic exhibition, yet the public's attention to the Holy Relic was very low, and everyone's attention was focused in another direction.
"Thus, although Vita Meo's body did not return, his devout and fearless spirits and will were entrusted to this piece of Holy Terror Cloth and returned among us. To commemorate Vita Meo and the brave warriors who followed him, the living Saint specially transcribed scriptures for it, and this Holy Terror Shroud also became a Holy Relic..."
Standing not far from the Holy Relic display case, a Sister in a white Sister's habit was standing in the middle of a group of people, smiling as she finished narrating the legendary story of the Holy Relic not far away. After listening to the Sister's narration, these people also nodded in understanding and couldn't help but let out a series of 'oh' sounds.
"Well then... I have finished telling everyone the story about the Holy Relic. You can go over there to get a closer look at the actual Holy Relic. If you have no more questions, please move along for now. I still need to continue explaining for others..."
Vanya said softly to the crowd in front of her, but they seemed to have no interest in the Holy Relic on the other side. They still surrounded Vanya, and some of them even shouted loudly.
"Sister Vanya... I have a question I want to ask you. May I ask what year and month you were born? How old are you this year?"
"Me too, me too! Sister Vanya, how did you manage to enlighten the otherworlders in Adus before? What did you say to them? I heard that as soon as you arrived in Moncarlo, you took down the Hook Shark Gang. Is that true?"
"Sister Vanya, you suddenly went from being an ordinary Sister to a celebrity star in the Church. What are your thoughts? You managed to accomplish so many almost impossible major tasks. Is there some inside story behind it?"
"I also want to ask Sister Vanya, what is your exact height? If it's convenient, could you reveal your weight, bust size, and waist size..."
...
All of a sudden, all sorts of questions came at Vanya from all directions. Vanya was surprised to find that the people surrounding her seemed as enthusiastic and inquisitive as reporters. She was instantly surrounded by all kinds of noisy questions, and almost none of these questions were about the Holy Relic; they were about herself.
"Uh... well, everyone, please consider your questions carefully. My duty here is to introduce the Holy Relic to everyone. I am mainly here to answer everyone's questions about the Holy Relic and scriptures." Looking at the enthusiastic crowd around her, Vanya said with an awkward smile, and someone in the surrounding crowd quickly responded.
"Holy Relics and scriptures are nowhere near as good-looking and interesting as you are, Sister Vanya. Let's talk more about yourself, Sister Vanya..."
"Yeah, yeah... Nobody here is interested in that broken cloth. Everyone came for you!"
"Sister Vanya, I like you! For you, I pray devoutly every day!"
"Ah... this..."
Looking at the lively and awkward scene in front of her, Vanya could only wear an expression like a sweating emoji, momentarily unsure of what to do. She could only slowly deal with this group of so-called "devout believers" who seemed to be chasing a star.
Finally, after being truly unable to bear it any longer, Vanya found an opportunity to withdraw from the crowd and temporarily hide in another room of the Church behind the chapel. Here, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
"Hoo... hoo... Holy Relic exhibition... Aren't the people who come here all to visit the Holy Relic? How could this happen..."
Sitting on a chair, Vanya, who had finally escaped her predicament, sighed and said this. Just at this moment, a voice she was familiar with came from beside her.
"I'm very sorry, Sister Vanya. Compared to other places, the religious atmosphere here in Moncarlo is relatively weak, and people lack reverence for the Church, which is why this situation has occurred."
Hearing this voice, Vanya paused slightly, then turned her head to look in the direction of the sound. What she saw was Lao Lan, who had just entered the room. He was speaking to her with an apologetic expression.
"Mr. Lao Lan, you actually came over? Although I've encountered some trouble here, I don't need to bother you for help..."
Looking at Lao Lan who appeared before her, Vanya spoke with a tone of surprise, while Lao Lan responded with a smile.
"You've misunderstood. I didn't come here for the exhibition. I have something else to discuss with Sister Vanya."
"Something else... What is it?"
"It's my father, the true ruler of Moncarlo. He is hosting a banquet tonight at Jun Hai Fort to entertain you, Sister Vanya, and the escort knights. He hopes you can participate as scheduled..." Looking at the puzzled Vanya in front of him, Lao Lan said calmly. After hearing his words, the confusion in Vanya's eyes turned into surprise, and she couldn't help but ask Lao Lan with an unexpected tone.
"Your father... that is, Captain Edward... Didn't he not arrange a meeting for me with him before?"
"Uh... that was a mistake on our part, as his children. We didn't accurately understand his intentions. He didn't mean not to meet with Sister Vanya; we just misunderstood. Not long ago, when he asked us about the dinner preparations and we said there weren't any, he gave us a good scolding..." Lao Lan said to Sister Vanya with a slight apology, and Sister Vanya also nodded thoughtfully.
"So that's how it is..."
"That's right, it was just a mistake on our part. Sister Vanya has come to Moncarlo, and Father will definitely receive her. Please be on time tonight..."
"Since it's Captain Edward's invitation, there's absolutely no reason to refuse. We will attend the banquet on time." Sister Vanya then said to Lao Lan, and Lao Lan immediately responded politely.
"Then we will await your arrival."
...
Time flew by quickly. Soon, the sun in the sky set below the western horizon. Daylight receded, and night arrived.
As night fell over Moncarlo, dense, twinkling Lights also lit up in various corners of the city, and the largest building in the city, Jun Hai Fort, was even more brightly lit.
In the great hall of Jun Hai Fort, at the long dining table filled with various delicacies, Vanya sat in the seat she had occupied not long ago, enjoying the simple and plain dishes on the plate before her. At this time, the long table was almost full of people, much more than when she attended the welcome banquet last time.
Just like the previous time, the attendees of the banquet were members of the Gibbs family, the rulers of Moncarlo. Not only were Bu Na and Pei Ling, whom Vanya had met before, present, but there were also a large number of Gibbs family members whom Vanya had never seen before. They varied in age, from young children of about seven or eight years old to elders in their sixties or seventies...
Although many members of the Gibbs family were gathered here, none of them showed contempt or spoke rudely to Vanya as before. Everyone sat properly in their seats, meticulously dining. Even Bu Na, who previously had impolite dining habits, was now using a knife and fork properly, silently enjoying the food in front of him. The entire space was unusually quiet except for the sounds of knives, forks, and chewing, filling the space with a sense of oppression.
The source of this oppression was the withered old man in a beast-skin robe, slowly chewing the food in front of him, who sat at the head of the long dining table. Every movement of the terrifyingly aged old man exuded an invisible pressure, making none of the surrounding Gibbs dare to act rashly. He was Edward, the unquestionable patriarch of this place.
"I heard... that the Church was almost full of converts today, it was very lively. The people of Moncarlo being so devout is something this old man hasn't seen in hundreds of years. To be able to attract so many people to the Church, which they don't visit even once a year, Sister Vanya's appeal is truly extraordinary..."
Eating a bite of fish, Edward spoke to Vanya with a smiling attitude, and Vanya immediately responded humbly.
"The people of Moncarlo gathered at the Church, drawn by the call of the Holy Relic. It is the power contained within the object blessed by the Lord..."
"Hehe... The object blessed by the Lord? To those common people who are unrelated to the hidden, that Holy Relic is nothing more than a piece of tattered cloth. No one would care about it. What attracted them is Sister Vanya's own charm..." Edward continued to say with a smile, and Vanya immediately responded with some panic.
"No, no... As a clergy member, how can I talk about charm..."
"Why can't you talk about it? You are such a young Sister... with such legendary deeds, plus your not-bad appearance, you can naturally easily gain a lot of affection among people, especially young people, in this era of developed newspapers. Appearing in the news and showing your abilities is much more important than preaching in the eyes of many people. You are the star that the Church has promoted to adapt to the new form of propaganda... just like some well-known dancers... and singers today. Listen to me, if you learn some singing and dancing... your influence will be much stronger than those ordinary stars."
Edward said this as a matter of course. Listening to Edward's words, Vanya was momentarily at a loss for how to reply.
"Uh... this..."
"Haha... Sister Vanya, you don't need to take my words too seriously. Just treat it as a joke. In any case, Sister Vanya, your visit to Moncarlo this time has not only helped us eliminate a hidden smuggling chain, but also allowed many people to truly experience the Church. Your arrival is truly very welcome. Here, this old man will toast you."
Saying this, Edward raised the red wine in his hand, and all the Gibbs family members present also stopped what they were doing and raised their wine glasses to Vanya. Seeing this, Vanya immediately raised the wine on the table and slowly drank the wine in the glass after accepting the toast.
Edward, at the head of the table, watched Vanya finish drinking the wine in her hand, then silently put down his wine glass and spoke again.
"Sister Vanya has come a long way. As the host, I naturally have to show something. I have a Golden Holy Scripture that I accidentally collected here. Although it is not an extraordinary item, it is of great value. I will give it to Sister Vanya."
Saying this, Edward waved his hand, and a maid slowly walked out from the side of the hall. On the plate in her hand, there was a Light Holy Scripture with a golden decorated cover and countless exquisite patterns. Vanya's gaze froze when she saw it, seemingly attracted by its cover at first sight.
Then, the knight guard beside Vanya immediately got up, took the Holy Scripture at the first moment, and began to examine it. Seeing this, Vanya shifted her gaze back and looked at the old man at the head of the table, saying.
"Thank you, Captain Edward."
Seeing that Vanya had accepted the Holy Scripture, Edward also nodded silently.
...
Soon, the banquet in Jun Hai Fort ended. After finishing the meal, Vanya said goodbye to the Gibbs family and left the castle, getting into the carriage back to the hotel. As she got into the carriage, she asked the guard knight beside her.
"Gasparre Priest... Is there anything wrong with that Holy Scripture?"
"Hmm... We have thoroughly examined it and found no suspicious traces on the Holy Scripture. There is no Spirit Sight in the content, nor are there any extraordinary traces." Listening to Vanya's words, Gasparre thought for a moment before responding, and Vanya spoke again.
"In that case, give it to me. I think it's quite exquisite, and I want to admire it in the carriage."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
Just like that, Gasparre handed the examined Golden Holy Scripture to Vanya. Vanya took it and got into the carriage, then began her journey back to the hotel under escort.
In the slightly swaying carriage, Vanya, with the help of the Light, admired the Holy Scripture in her hand with some fascination. After looking at the cover, she opened it and began to browse the contents of the book.
On the thick pages, Vanya was browsing content that was so familiar it couldn't be more familiar, and even such content seemed to contain some kind of magic, making Vanya look at it page by page. Her gaze constantly moved between the words and the ornate decorative lines on the pages, as if she could comprehend some different truth from them.
The initial browsing in the carriage could not satisfy Vanya. After returning to her hotel room, Vanya was still reading by Light late into the night, engrossed in the familiar content of the Holy Scripture, as if she could comprehend some different meaning from it. She quickly turned the thick pages until she had finished the entire Holy Scripture, by which time it was already early morning.
"The sea... is amniotic fluid... the initial amniotic fluid... the amniotic fluid of the Holy Mother..."
After flipping through the entire Holy Scripture, Vanya leaned back in her chair, muttering blankly. Just then, a female voice sounded in her mind.
'How is it? Vanya, how are you feeling now?'
'Hmm... I feel... it doesn't seem particularly strange... just a little bit odd. I can say it feels strange, possibly because Miss Dorothy reminded me beforehand. If you hadn't reminded me beforehand, and I hadn't paid special attention, I might not have felt anything...'
Holding her temples, Vanya said with a slight frown. After thinking for a moment, she spoke again in her mind.
'Miss Dorothy, is my current state affected by Spirit Sight?'
'Yes, although it's very slight, there is indeed some Spirit Sight already eroding your mind. However, don't pray to Aka to remove it for now. Let's cooperate with me to do some experiments first.' In Vanya's mind, Dorothy's words sounded again, and Vanya asked curiously.
'What experiment?'
'The experiment is simple. I will send some images into your mind now. Tell me if you have any special feeling when you see any image.'
'Images? Okay... then let's start now.'
Vanya responded to Dorothy in this way, and soon after, the first image transmitted by Dorothy appeared in Vanya's mind.
It was a black and white photograph. In the photograph, a luxurious silver treasure pot was displayed. Below the silver pot, there was a small stand, on which was written.
Lot No. 1, Latia Jade Ring Pot.
'How is it? Do you feel anything looking at this photo?'
'No, I don't feel anything...'
'Okay, let's move on to the next one.'
Dorothy's voice sounded again in Vanya's mind, and then the scene in Vanya's mind changed, and another photo appeared. This time it was a curved knife inlaid with gems, with a label below it as well.
Lot No. 2, Prince Adus Gem-Inlaid Saber.
'How about this one?'
'Still no feeling...'
'Then don't rush, we'll go slowly...'
Just like that, different object photos kept flashing before Vanya's eyes. After Vanya looked at them, if she said she didn't feel anything, the next one would appear immediately. After more than ten such photos, finally, one object photo attracted Vanya's attention.