Tivian, east coast of Prit main island.
In Tivian during the daytime, under a gloomy sky, a cold wind blew, and the autumn chill was slightly cool. A faint haze, as always, shrouded the entire city. In a quiet city park in the East District, a few citizens were leisurely strolling. In a pavilion within the park, a man with deep-set eyes, a hooked nose, a thin figure, and wearing a grey trench coat sat on a stone bench. Not far from him sat a woman wearing a fitted overcoat, a round hat, and a scarf covering her face. She was focused on the newspaper in her hands.
"According to the information I've obtained, the activities of the Eight Point Nest in Tivian have significantly decreased again. It seems your operation has achieved good results." Misha, disguised so thoroughly that she was completely covered, said slowly while looking at the newspaper in her hands. Ed, not far away, replied leisurely while admiring the scenery in the distance.
"Yes, the operation was quite successful. Not only did the Eight-Pointed Nest fail to achieve its objective this time, but it also suffered some losses. A further contraction is predictable. This time, thanks to you, we successfully obtained Ample's relic. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to grasp the movements of those spider guys."
Ed said this in a relaxed tone, while Misha continued to speak seriously.
"I've also heard about the Glamorgan incident. Since the Eight-Pointed Nest failed there, it proves that your plan to involve the Church went quite well. What are the specific details there? What exactly was the Eight-Pointed Nest's objective?"
"I'm not very clear on the specifics there at the moment. I've been stationed in Tivian and didn't participate in the Glamorgan incident. It was another group within the society. The Eight-Pointed Nest's objective is still hard to say, but it can only be confirmed to be related to Despenser's royal bloodline and the ancient Prit faith before the Shining Light Church. Their purpose in going to Glamorgan this time was to seize and utilize the ancient faith ruins there. After we discovered their intentions, we created an opportunity to draw the Church in, successfully obstructing them from achieving their goal."
Ed replied slowly. Misha had also participated in the plan to involve the Church back then, so she could roughly glimpse the outline of this incident.
"Ancient Prit faith? It seems that to truly understand the Eight-Pointed Nest's real objective, further research into the hidden secrets of Prit history is needed. Speaking of which, how is Professor John recovering now? If he's doing well, I'd like to meet him and explore this issue together."
Misha mused like this. Listening to her words, Ed's eyebrows slightly raised, and then he spoke.
"From what you're saying... you want to build your own team?"
"Pretty much. Didn't you teach me some lines when you asked me to put on an act for those Church people before? Something about a secret patriotic organization... That reminded me, while these organizations are fake, in my opinion, they can indeed exist..." Misha said this to Ed, and a faint light flickered in her eyes.
"Within the An Yin Bureau, I'm not the only one who has noticed the abnormalities at the top, nor am I the only one who is wary and dissatisfied with it. I'm just the one with the most initiative."
"It's not just the An Yin Bureau. If the Eight Point Nest is truly directly influencing the entire Prit high command through some powerful means, then other systems like the Army, Navy, and even the Royal Guard might also be affected. There are definitely many people among them who feel something is wrong. If I can secretly contact these people and organize them through covert means, we can form a powerful force to resist the Eight Point Nest."
Misha said solemnly to Ed in front of her. Listening to Misha's words just now, Ed couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and then he reacted and spoke.
"You mean... you want to make the so-called Prit Vigilance Faction real?"
"Exactly. After all, Prit's problems are best solved by Prit people themselves. Constantly troubling you Rose Cross members isn't a good option, wouldn't you agree, Detective?"
Misha said this to Ed. Listening to Misha's words, Ed thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, and continued to speak.
"What you said makes sense. In this Tivian, you can never have too much usable strength. If you can truly recruit people from various circles of Prit's military and government, that would naturally be good. You were originally a close minister of the Royal Family and are more familiar with the situation of Prit's upper class than we are. It's very appropriate for you to do this."
"Go ahead, but remember to be careful. If there's anything you need help with, you can also come to us. We can provide some extraordinary technical support."
Ed said this. Dorothy knew very well that when it came to opposing the Eight-Pointed Nest, it was naturally good to have more help. At the same time, she also understood that Misha had always maintained a certain degree of vigilance towards the so-called Rose Cross. She also didn't want matters concerning Prit's safety to be entirely entrusted to a mysterious organization that she didn't truly understand.
Misha knew that the reason the Rose Cross helped her fight the Eight Point Nest was because the Eight-Pointed Nest possessed something the Rose Cross wanted. They might not truly care about the future of the country of Prit, so she also had to have her own plans, so that even if the Rose Cross no longer supported her, she would still be able to contend with the Eight-Pointed Nest.
"Then I thank you for your kindness. The organization I plan to establish will likely need a lot of your help in its initial stages. In return, we will also do our best to help you with matters within Prit, such as sharing intelligence."
"To be honest, not long ago, I already started recruiting some people within Tivian and collecting intelligence from various circles to understand the Eight-Pointed Nest's movements. Recently, I've also heard some interesting things."
Misha continued to speak to Ed, her expression carrying a hint of mystery. Ed, upon hearing this, asked curiously.
"Oh? Could you be specific?"
"In the unofficial secret circles of Tivian lately, there's a rumor circulating that the Archbishop of St. Yong Cathedral, Francesco, has been seriously injured and sent to Holy Mountain for treatment, and for some unknown reason, the new Archbishop has been slow to take office. The person currently acting as the Archbishop of Prit is that recently well-known Sister, Vania Chafilun..." Lowering her voice slightly, Misha said this to Ed. Listening to her words, Ed's expression became serious, and then he mused.
"Oh... has that already spread?"
...
In another hidden corner of Tivian, Dorothy sat reflecting on the words she had just heard from Misha, and couldn't help but fall into thought.
'If I remember correctly, to avoid trouble, the Church did not spread the news that Francesco was seriously injured and that Prit was about to change Archbishops. The outside world shouldn't know that Vania is currently the acting Archbishop of St. Yong Cathedral. Although the internal confidentiality of the Tivian Church hasn't been strictly maintained, this news shouldn't have leaked so quickly...'
'The only possibility now is that the Eight-Pointed Nest deliberately spread this news. Although the Tivian Church did not publicly announce the specific information about Francesco and Vania, the An Yin Bureau, as an official extraordinary agency, can roughly know the situation of the Tivian Church. After all, the two sides have many points of contact in their work, so the An Yin Bureau cannot be completely ignorant of the Church's situation, and the An Yin Bureau is, in a sense, unilaterally transparent to the Eight-Pointed Nest at this stage, so the Eight-Pointed Nest can naturally obtain this intelligence.'
With a slightly heavy expression, Dorothy thought this to herself. The Eight-Pointed Nest's action of spreading such news in Tivian's secret circles made her feel a bit uneasy.
'The Eight-Pointed Nest's action is undoubtedly deliberately causing trouble for the Church, as a response to the Glamorgan incident, causing a limited amount of trouble for the Church. Under the current circumstances... the Eight-Pointed Nest cannot have any major plans against the Church. The reason for deliberately spreading this key information is that this intelligence might make some other societies restless as well...'
Dorothy thought this in her heart. For her, the intention of the Eight-Pointed Nest this time was already quite obvious. This was a form of revenge they were enacting on the Church, but she did not feel too worried about it.
'The sheer size of the Church is there. Although the Tivian Diocese won't have a Scarlet guarding it for a while, no society should be so blind as to cause trouble at this time. The new Archbishop will always come eventually. Even if someone takes advantage of this window period to make a name for themselves and gain something from the Church, can they bear the Church's revenge afterward? No society should be so blind as to cause trouble at this time. I don't need to worry too much about this.
'For me, the most important thing now is to get some Spirituality to alleviate the Spirituality crisis after advancing, but the problem is I don't have much money left on me.
'The rented'Shi' (Stone) divine item is still going through the Craftsmen's Guild's refund process. They are still reviewing its usage to see if there is any damage. The whole process won't be completed for a month or so, and the deposit won't be returned. It's difficult... this state of low Spirituality will have to continue for a while... I must find new secret transmission quickly...'
Thinking of the predicament she was currently facing, Dorothy couldn't help but furrow her brows and think in her heart. At this moment, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Oh dear... why so worried, Detective Miss? Quick, quick, put on a happy expression. It's rare to get you into this outfit~"
Hearing these words, Dorothy couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth. Then she raised her head and looked in the direction the voice came from. What she saw was a large camera set up on a tripod in the dim room. Behind the camera was a beautiful woman wearing a bright red dress. It was Adele.
"Are you happy?"
Listening to Adele's words, Dorothy came back to her senses and put on a smiling expression as she looked at Adele. However, the other party didn't seem very satisfied with it.
"Too stiff, be natural, be natural. Don't exaggerate the smile, just a little bit is fine. Also, relax your body a bit, don't stand too straight," Adele continued to instruct Dorothy, and Dorothy nodded repeatedly after hearing her.
"Oh oh..."
At this moment, Dorothy was wearing the most luxurious outfit she had ever worn in her life. She was wearing a complex princess gown with layers upon layers, exquisite silk patterns, a huge skirt, and extremely intricate details. Covering her body was a fitted top adorned with countless gold thread embroideries. A pair of thin, silky white gloves were on her hands. Her long white hair was intricately braided and coiled up, and a crown inlaid with countless sparkling gems was on her head.
Wearing these elaborate and precious clothes, Dorothy stood on the carpet in the center of the room, her hands clasped in front of her, adjusting her posture according to Adele's instructions, like a real princess attending an important occasion.
"Wearing this outfit... is so uncomfortable, so heavy and tight... it's hard to even strike a pose, and this skirt... it's too big and exaggerated..."
Looking at the heavy clothes on her body, Dorothy complained a little, while Adele on the other side spoke directly.
"This is a genuine Faloro court dress, one of my treasures. This is the style of the Faloro nobles. They go for whatever is luxurious, eye-catching, and flamboyant, without considering comfort. This is the result of a large group of nobles competing and conforming in the Temple of Beauty for many years. It's very different from Prit, which emphasizes a simple and minimalist style, isn't it? I've wanted to see you in this outfit for a long time, and today I finally have the chance."
With a slight smile, Adele said to Dorothy. Because when she asked Adele for help before, Dorothy promised that after the matter of the Eight-Pointed Nest was temporarily settled, she would come in her true form to apologize in person. At first, Dorothy thought this visit to Adele would at most be like the last time, just having some drinks with her. But she never expected that when she actually arrived, what Adele wanted was to take pictures of Dorothy, and in various different doll clothes.
Finally, after repeated corrections, Dorothy's posture finally reached the effect Adele desired. After a flash of light and a mist of smoke, Adele successfully took another photo, while Dorothy slightly bent down and covered her sore lower back.
"Hmm... this time the effect should be good. All right, Detective Miss, now take off the clothes. Let's change into another outfit for the next shot~"
Looking at Dorothy in front of her, Adele said with a smile, while Dorothy rubbed her waist and responded with a slight hint of distress.
"There's another outfit? By the way, Adele, where did you get so many little girls' clothes? These aren't for your age, are they..."
"Hehe... the beauty of women is distributed across different stages, you see. And I am appreciating different kinds of beauty, collecting different kinds of beauty. The stage of a small girl just blossoming is one of the most beautiful moments, I can't miss it~" Adele said with a smile, then she pointed to the court dress on Dorothy and continued.
"Some of these clothes are collections specifically bought, and some are ones I wore myself before, like the one you're wearing now.
"Loving beauty is a woman's nature. The beauty of every period is worth showcasing and remembering. After this age of yours passes, Detective Miss will also thank me for letting you wear so many beautiful clothes today."
'Later... how much later will that be? I'm Scarlet now, this age will probably last for a while. If I advance to Golden, it's even more uncertain...'
Dorothy muttered this in her heart. Suddenly, she remembered something and looked at Adele, asking.
"Oh, by the way, Adele, do you have any leftover 'cup' secret transmission here? If so, can I borrow it? The rent is negotiable."
Hearing Dorothy's words, Adele paused slightly, then continued with a smile.
"'Cup' secret transmission... I do have one or two copies right now. They are useless to me anyway. Of course, I can lend them to you, but I don't want rent. The next time I collect other beautiful clothes, you can just come and help me take pictures."
"Ah..." Hearing Adele's words, Dorothy couldn't help but open her mouth in surprise.
...
Under the hazy mist of Tivian, in a somewhat dim study somewhere, a figure was sitting before a large desk. In front of him, a letter was placed, and the figure held a fountain pen, writing rapidly on the letter.
"Kind 'White Prayer' Sister, hello. Writing to you again after many days. Cup mother nurtures, wishing you well recently.
"I am very sorry, I have been tied up with trivial matters recently and haven't been able to reply to your letters in time. I finally found some free time recently, and now we can finally continue to communicate and discuss the common true meaning contained in the doctrines of the Holy Mother and the cup mother. I look forward to seeing what results we can achieve in this round of communication.
"However, before that, there are some things I also want to tell the White Prayer Sister. Recently in Tivian, some unsettling rumors have been circulating, related to the St. Yong Cathedral. These rumors seem to be suggesting that the situation of the Tivian Church is starting to become turbulent. I am worried that you might be in danger in that increasingly unstable environment, so I specifically want to confirm your condition..."