"Rose Cross..."
Inside the magnificent Saint Chant Church Cathedral, after hearing Atcherly's words, Hilbert paused slightly, then spoke with a hint of confusion.
"Among the various medium to large secret societies currently active, I haven't heard the name Rose Cross. Is this also a small local society in Igwinte?"
"Whether it's a small society is unclear. Our understanding of this Rose Cross comes from the archives of the local An Yin Bureau in Igwinte. According to these records, this Rose Cross is not a supernatural society that has been active in Igwinte for a long time. It only appeared a few times during the process of the Red Communion Society's demise and came into contact with the local An Yin Bureau, but after the Red Communion Society was destroyed, there were absolutely no records of its activity, so it should have come from outside.
"From various signs, it appears that the Red Communion Society established by Luer was active in Igwinte for a considerable time to prepare materials for his promotion ritual. The ones who ultimately eliminated this Holy Communion Society were not the local An Yin Bureau of Igwinte, but very likely this Rose Cross. The reason they stopped appearing after eliminating the Red Communion Society gives reason to suspect they came for the true crimson mother. The name Rose Cross is almost completely unknown in the secret world, so it is very likely an alias or branch of some other large society."
With a serious expression, Atcherly, sitting in her seat, analyzed and spoke. After hearing her words, Klama on the other side spoke directly.
"Branches or aliases of other large societies? Hmph, in other words, could this Rose Cross also be the Tayi Sect specifically sent to Igwinte to retrieve the true crimson mother? They just didn't know the book had already been sold beforehand?"
Klama said this, and Atcherly shook her head slightly before continuing.
"That's possible, but very unlikely. From the information provided by the local An Yin Bureau in Igwinte, the style of this Rose Cross is quite different from the 'Cup' society. We have had a lot of contact with various organizations of the Placenta lineage, and none of their branch organizations are called Rose Cross. I lean towards the possibility that the Rose Cross's target was the true crimson mother, but I don't think they are aligned with the Fetal Garment Cult."
Atcherly then seriously reported the investigation results of her department to the Cardinal colleagues in front of her. This time, Amanda spoke after listening.
"Putting aside this so-called Rose Cross, do you have any clues about Luer's background? If we can clarify his identity, it should help us further understand the true crimson mother and the recent changes in the Tayi Sect."
"Regarding the specific information about Luer, we haven't found anything yet. Currently, we only know that he returned to Igwinte after controlling a noble who was traveling from outside the area. It's difficult to investigate him thoroughly starting only from Igwinte. The investigation in Igwinte has just begun, and there are many other places to check. After this meeting, I will send more personnel to intensify the investigation in this direction."
Atcherly continued speaking to the Cardinals in front of her. After hearing her words, Hilbert on the other side spoke with interest.
"Rose Cross? An interesting organization that suddenly appeared. But speaking of which, this isn't the only remarkable organization that has suddenly emerged recently, is it? There's also that... Judge of Heaven. I remember they shone brightly in the report from the Bureau of Salvation this time..."
Hilbert said this while shifting his gaze to Amanda, who was sitting opposite him. Seeing Hilbert's action, Amanda paused for a moment, then nodded and spoke directly.
"That's right. The reason Sister Evi and Sister Vanya were able to successfully survive encountering the head of the cult this time was entirely thanks to the help of the ancient 'enlightenment' heritage buried locally in Buserite. The sinner Yunina discovered the Holy Land of the First Dynasty in Buserite, the legendary land of divine enlightenment, Heopolis. She greedily wanted to swallow the 'enlightenment' inheritance contained within, but encountered the counterattack of several ancient undead lords and the ancient sage sleeping in the Holy Land."
"That ancient sage seems to have been the High Priest of the First Dynasty seven thousand years ago. She must have used some secret method; she and the Holy Land of the First Dynasty were sealed until now. Her strength is extremely powerful, capable of directly confronting the sinner favored by the Cup Mother alone without falling behind, and even repelling her in the end. I speculate that perhaps a portion of the divine power of the fallen ancient god of 'enlightenment', the Judge of Heaven, remains on her."
Amanda said this slowly. After she finished speaking, the meeting room fell silent, and everyone's expression showed varying degrees of emotion.
A High Priest capable of wielding divine power—such a description couldn't help but remind them of the one they were loyal to, the Pope, the first person under God. And according to Amanda's previous description, it seemed only an existence at the level of the Pope could contend with Yunina. This meant that ancient sage possessed powerful strength at that level. Was she the "Pope" within the faith of "enlightenment"?
Thinking of this, the expressions of many Cardinals couldn't help but change. The reappearance of power at this level in the current world would have a huge impact on its balance. If this ancient sage, who had been silent for seven thousand years, decided to reappear and intervene in the world, her attitude would be enough to rewrite the current world's structure.
"The power of an ancient dynasty from seven thousand years ago still remains today, it's incredible... The activity of the Judge of Heaven in Adus some time ago was also because of her, right? If so, this time the appearance of this sage is not just passive defense against invasion. After being silent for seven thousand years, they also have plans to intervene in this mortal world again... It's really worrying."
Frowning, Marco spoke directly in an old voice. His aged expression indeed revealed a hint of worry. And just after he finished speaking, Alberto spoke directly.
"On the battlefield in Buserite, there are remnants of 'enlightenment' of an incredible scale, no less than the remnants of 'Cup'. At the same time, outside the battlefield, a vast amount of observational data on violent thunderstorms was collected. Although I was not present, from the signs of these remnants, that 'enlightenment' sage's power is quite astonishing... absolutely cannot be ignored..." With a solemn expression, Alberto gave his opinion, while Atcherly on the other side spoke.
"From the intelligence I've gathered, many people witnessed the appearance and disappearance of a city out of thin air. Combined with the report from the Bureau of Salvation, that must be the so-called Heopolis... The Holy Land of the First Dynasty. I'm really curious what kind of technology the First Dynasty had to be able to hide such a large Holy Land for seven thousand years. It truly lives up to its reputation as the most magnificent ancient civilization of the Second Epoch..."
Atcherly said this with emotion and curiosity, while Hilbert also continued in a serious tone.
"The highest faith priest of a powerful ancient civilization, a complete and usable Holy Land, at least four Golden level undead lords... All these combined... That's a terrifying power. Forces of this scale... few of the other existing large cults, heresies, and otherworlds can compare... Even the Holy See must give it high importance."
"If a great holy war is truly to occur with the Tayi Sect later, then the ancient sage and the strength of her cult will be extremely important..."
Hilbert said seriously. He hadn't expected that the mysterious Judge of Heaven could ultimately become a secret force of this scale. Forces of this magnitude, looking at the entire secret world, could only be rivaled by the integrated Tayi Sect, apart from the Shining Light Church itself... Perhaps the Netherworld Coffin Society, which acts mysteriously, should also be included, but the key is that the Holy Mountain is not very clear about the extent of the Netherworld Coffin Society's strength.
Sitting in her seat, after observing a few people, Amanda continued speaking.
"From Sister Evi's detailed description, the Judge of Heaven that was active in Adus previously should not be a subordinate of that sage. That cult should be people from our current era who established it after obtaining the 'enlightenment' heritage. Their purpose is to excavate the ruins of the First Dynasty hidden deep underground and acquire the inheritance."
"This time, that sage's action might have been precisely because the previously active Judge of Heaven awakened her. After repelling the sinner, she immediately hid the Holy Land again and did not reappear. Currently, it is impossible to determine her stance, and whether she wants to intervene in the world again remains unknown."
Amanda said this. Having heard Awei's account, she knew the situation there more clearly.
"Is that so? But regardless, the power held by this ancient sage is too great... Whether she woke up voluntarily or not, we should maintain absolute vigilance."
On Amanda's side, Alberto, who had been silent until now, spoke in a steady tone, and Amanda also nodded in response.
"Maintaining vigilance is good, but with the sinner leading the cult's comeback, we also need to consider the possibility of cooperating with them. After all, that sage once directly confronted and repelled the sinner, and has a conflict with the Tayi Sect. Furthermore, since their Holy Land is in a crucial position, we can also use her hand to deal with the sinner."
Amanda directly stated her thoughts, but after Klama, who was opposite her, heard her words, he sneered and spoke.
"Cooperation? Heh... For a heretical force wielding such powerful strength, Bureau of Salvation, your attitude is a bit too good, isn't it? You don't even fully understand the other party, and you're already talking about cooperation? Isn't that a bit too hasty... Showing such favor towards this unclear and unknown heretical group... Bureau of Salvation, your stance is somewhat worrying..."
Klama said this. Hearing Klama's somewhat sarcastic remarks, Amanda couldn't help but frown slightly, then said without much politeness.
"Court of Tribunal... What do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean? Nothing... I'm just a little worried that the mysterious 'enlightenment' cult is not only in cahoots with the Tayi Sect but also has improper intentions towards our saint church, and has been slowly infiltrating its tendrils without us knowing, attempting to resolve crises in the high-level holy hall..." Klama continued speaking in a rather strange tone. After hearing his words, Amanda directly spoke in a low, serious tone.
"Are you suspecting me, Court of Tribunal?"
"No, no, no... Bureau of Salvation, you are a Cardinal personally appointed by the Holy See. How could I possibly suspect you? I would never doubt the Holy See's choice."
"Bureau of Salvation, you have no problem, but that doesn't mean the people around you have no problem. Sister Vanya, whom you favor, is one example..."
"In Adus, she had contact with the Judge of Heaven and even helped her through a crisis. Why would these otherworlds help her? What benefit is there for them? Not to mention that in Sister Vanya's recent resume, she is always involved in various incidents: the Navaja incident, the great theft case in Adria, the Moncarlo incident, the Saint Chant Church attack... She is frequently caught up in so many incidents, and each time she is innocent... unrelated... Is that possible?"
Not to mention the Buserite incident this time, the first appearance of the 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) society was witnessed by Sister Vanya at the scene. The revival of the ancient sages of 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) was also witnessed by Sister Vanya. Are all these just coincidences? Could Sister Vanya have been corrupted by this revived 'Qi' (Awakening/Enlightenment) society long ago? The Judge of Heaven has been secretly influencing her for a long time, helping her step by step to slowly rise to a high position within the saint church, eventually coming to your... Captain's side, and finally slowly influencing you, making you... a tool for them to control the saint church...
With a glint in his eyes, Klama spoke frankly, his tone carrying a hint of alarm. Upon hearing Klama's remarks, Amanda couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle and speak.
"Influence me? Captain, do you think there's any power that can corrupt me, the will of a saint church saint, unknowingly in the dark?"
"That's not impossible, don't forget... Captain, what was the identity of that great sinner before? Four hundred years ago, it was she who sat in your position..." Klama continued to look seriously at Amanda before him, his words hinting at a slight danger, while Amanda spoke frankly once again.
"Didn't you just say that you wouldn't question the Holy See's choice? Am I not the Holy See's choice now?"
"Naturally, I won't question the Holy See's choice at that time. When the Holy See chose you, you were definitely fine, and you are fine now, but it's not guaranteed that problems won't arise in the future... And my job is to eliminate all problems while they are still potential threats. For your position, Captain, which has had serious issues in the past, I need to pay more focused attention..."
Klama continued speaking, his tone seeming a bit more aggressive, while Amanda, after listening to Klama's remarks, continued speaking with a somewhat dangerous tone.
"What... Captain, are you planning to interrogate me?"
"No, unless authorized by the Holy See, I don't have that authority... I also believe that you, Captain, are currently fine. I just wish to interrogate Sister Vanya. Her current suspicious points are too great, and I can no longer turn a blind eye..." Klama continued, and in his words, he seemed to finally reveal his true intention.
"Sister Vanya has now successfully been promoted to Scarlet. You have no right to arrest and interrogate a Scarlet without the Holy See's permission." Amanda sternly refuted Klama's words, while Klama continued to speak in counterattack.
"Don't confuse the issue, Captain. I merely cannot directly arrest clergy of the Archbishop rank. Sister Vanya has only become a Scarlet, she has not yet been appointed as an Archbishop, I have the right to arrest her! Your previous act of sending people to interfere with my subordinates, the judges, has already violated the church rules!"
Klama said seriously to Amanda. In fact, before this meeting, Klama, who had learned a little about the situation in Buserite through his own channels, had already sent people directly to Buserite to make arrests. However, Amanda anticipated his actions and acted one step ahead, sending people faster to protect Vanya, preventing her from being taken. People from their two factions almost clashed in the desert of Buserite. Fortunately, there were also people from the Court of Tribunal and the Bureau of Secrets at the scene who had come to investigate the battlefield situation and recover Awei's ship body, mediating the situation, so nothing major happened.
"The one who violated the church rules first is you... Captain, your accusations against Sister Vanya have no evidence, they are all just suspicions. I am merely ensuring that the Lord's loyal believer does not fall into prison and be forced to produce some trumped-up 'evidence'...". Amanda continued to respond to Klama tit-for-tat. Listening to Amanda's words, Klama's expression immediately revealed a hint of anger.
"Captain... you are truly intent on protecting that little Sister to the end. The Holy See is not here now, your attitude is becoming more and more arrogant...
"I have absolutely sufficient reason to detain Sister Vanya. Your obstruction violates church rules and is unreasonable. If you don't believe it, we can let the Cardinals present vote on it. With the Holy See not here now... isn't this the best way...?" Klama said, then glanced at the other Cardinals around, seemingly wanting to make the decision of whether to detain Vanya an agenda item for all Cardinals to decide together.
"Everyone decides together? That's fine..." After hearing Klama's words, Amanda smiled slightly and then spoke again.
"However, I still want to say that without evidence... Captain, your accusations based solely on conjecture might not be accepted by anyone. If you can't produce evidence, it's best to continue investigating diligently yourself. If you truly can't find any evidence, what you should be doing is not making baseless accusations here, but focusing more on your main job...
"The saint church is so vast, there are many places where otherworld activity can occur. Don't always focus your attention on Sister Vanya. As far as I know, there are problems in many places... For example, in the Faloro diocese, Flotz, in the recent assassination case of the Governor, there seemed to be traces of otherworld activity... I already have some leads here, Captain, do you want me to cooperate with you in the investigation?"
With a hint of meaningful tone, Amanda squinted slightly and looked at Klama, speaking. Listening to Amanda's words, Klama paused completely, frozen in his seat, silent for a short while.
"Hmm... Captain's suggestion just now was very good. Perhaps we can decide whether you have the right to arrest Sister Vanya through a direct vote. How about we start now?"
Listening to Amanda's words just now, and looking at Klama's current reaction beside him, Hilbert stroked his chin and said with interest. Klama, after hearing Hilbert's words, turned his face and glared at him, then spoke.
"Forget it, there are enough topics for today already, no need to add anything more. Let's finish discussing what needs to be discussed as soon as possible."
With a hint of dullness, after seeing Klama's reaction, Hilbert spoke with a more obvious smile.
"Okay, then let's continue..."
Afterwards, the Cardinal Council continued. The subsequent content of the meeting mainly revolved around the details of the Great Holy War preparations. After much discussion, several Cardinals finally produced an initial war preparation plan.
Next, they also discussed how to deal with the newly rising Judge of Heaven. Facing an extremely powerful ancient revival force, at this special time facing the Great Holy War, the Cardinals were temporarily unsure how to interact with it.
Some Cardinals represented by the Court of Tribunal believed that this revived force should be monitored, investigated, and guarded against, while some Cardinals represented by the Court of Salvation believed that they should proactively make contact and win it over as an aid against the Tayi Sect in the North Wu region. In the end, no one had enough ability to convince the other side, but they also didn't get entangled with each other, forcing a decision.
After all, the diplomatic attitude during the first formal contact with such a powerful revived force would basically determine the Shining Light Church's future relationship with it, which would have a profound impact. With the Pope still absent, no one could confidently insist on making a decision.
In the end, the Shining Light Church's attitude towards the so-called "Revival Dynasty" remained undecided when the Cardinal Council finally concluded.
...
Daytime, North Africa.
Beneath the scorching sun, there was an endless expanse of yellow sand and dust. In the vast desert, a long railway stretched for thousands of miles, extending to the edge of the sky. On the railway, a speeding train rapidly advanced on the tracks, heading towards the distance.
Inside the long train, Dorothy, still dressed in North Wu robes, was sitting in her compartment at this moment, looking at the desolation outside the window, embarking on another journey.
After returning to Adus, Dorothy and Naifnis took a short rest, then set off again, leaving Adus by train, preparing to go to Kankdar to board a ship and leave North Wu, ending this trip to North Wu.
During the return journey, Dorothy had also been continuously paying attention to Vanya's situation in Buserite, observing her specific situation when dealing with the Church afterwards, in order to decide whether to provide help.
Not long after Dorothy left, she saw, from Vanya's perspective, the subsequent reinforcements from the Church arriving rapidly on new flying battleships. There were many of these reinforcements. They surveyed the scene, investigated the situation, and recovered Awei's ship body. Because the matter was significant, many departments within the Church came, many of them directly representatives of various Cardinals. Dorothy also gained much understanding of the internal situation of the Church during this process.
What surprised Dorothy was that after the people from the Court of Tribunal appeared, two Scarlet judge-level individuals with a group of people wanted to just grab Vanya and leave. Just as the situation became urgent and Dorothy was considering whether she should also step in to help, fortunately, people of a similar rank sent by Amanda also arrived at the scene, confronting the people from the Court of Tribunal, forcibly protecting Vanya and preventing her from being taken away only after forcing the other side to compromise. Although the crisis was ultimately resolved successfully, the situation at the time could be said to be extremely critical, so tense that they almost started fighting.
'After this incident, the forces within the Church that were originally dissatisfied with Vanya can tolerate her even less... The Court of Tribunal is almost certain that Vanya is a spy for the Judge of Heaven or something similar... They directly wanted to arrest her...
'Fortunately... Vanya's interests are deeply tied to Amanda's side, and Amanda herself is also more discerning, so as long as Amanda is around, Vanya is safe enough within the Church...
'I haven't reached Golden yet, and I'm not strong enough to protect Vanya under the Church's full pursuit, so letting Vanya stay in the Church and continue to receive Amanda's protection is the best choice. When I finally complete my promotion and become a Golden demigod, then I will also have the capital to ignore the Church's power to a certain extent. At that time, if Vanya wants to continue staying in the Church and it is safe enough within the Church, then let her stay. If the Church becomes so dangerous that even Amanda cannot protect her, then I can just directly take her away and protect her...'
Sitting in the slightly shaking carriage, Dorothy thought to herself while looking at the scenery outside the window. After finishing her thoughts, she turned her gaze back inside the carriage. After eating some fruit from the plate, she took out her magic box and opened it.
After Dorothy opened the magic box, she fumbled around inside for a while and took out her """wen hai hang zhi""". She placed it on the table and opened it.
After opening the """wen hai hang zhi""", Dorothy quickly flipped through it, and soon rapidly turned to the contact page with Beverly. After a brief moment of thought, Dorothy picked up a pen and wrote the usual greeting on the page.
"Hey, are you there?"
"Do you think there's a time when I'm not?"
Soon, perfectly neat printed characters appeared on the page before Dorothy. After seeing them, Dorothy was about to continue writing a reply, but before she even picked up her pen, Beverly's handwriting appeared again.
"I've been waiting for you to contact me for a long time. I didn't expect you to send a message after so long. I thought something had happened to you."
Looking at Beverly's response, Dorothy couldn't help but pause slightly, then picked up her pen with interest and wrote.
"Oh? You anticipated that I would come looking for you at this time?"
"Of course... Every time you cause a bit of a sensation, there's a high probability that you'll come to me to ask about something. The commotion you caused in Buserite this time is quite significant, and I've already anticipated that the questions you'll ask will also be quite weighty~"
Beverly's response appeared before Dorothy's eyes. Looking at the words, Dorothy couldn't help but write back curiously.
"Was my commotion this time very big? You already know?"
"Of course, don't underestimate the intelligence network of the Craftsmen's Guild. Although Buserite is remote, far away, and extremely desolate, it's not completely uninhabited. The commotion you caused there was so great that almost half of Buserite had varying degrees of perception. Even Adus has observation records, and tribes believing divine miracles appeared are one after another. Recently, to investigate the strange plague there and find business opportunities, we sent out many informants. They are neither blind nor deaf."
"What's more... large-scale, high-level extraordinary confrontations, especially those containing divinity, will cause shockwaves in the inner world. The extraordinary confrontation in Buserite had an impact on the inner worlds of several related fields. These impacts transmit influence within some interconnected inner worlds, and these impacts can potentially be perceived."
Beverly's response appeared so quickly before Dorothy. Looking at the perfectly neat printed text before her, Dorothy couldn't help but think to herself.
'Large-scale confrontations of high-level extraordinary powers with divinity... will cause shockwaves in the inner world and be perceived by other existences? But those who can perceive this influence... how deep is their connection with the inner world...'
Thinking this, after finishing her thoughts, Dorothy picked up her pen again and wrote her response on the page.
"Since you've already anticipated my contact, let's cut the pleasantries and get straight to the point. This time, what I want to ask you is, do you know about the secret history of the'Stone Prince'? Roughly speaking... reliable research materials or something? I need to be able to confirm what His current state is like..."
Dorothy finished writing her question, then sat quietly in place, waiting for Beverly's response. Not long after, the neat printed text appeared before Dorothy again.
"Stone Prince... what do you need His information for?"
"Well... there are some things, I need a lot of information about the Stone Prince, to confirm His current state. It would be best if I could find a way to see Him... or see a part of Him." Dorothy continued writing her response, while Beverly wrote back.
"You want to see the Stone Prince?"
"Yes, why? Is there a problem? Has He perhaps fallen and is no longer here?" Looking at Beverly's handwriting, Dorothy quickly wrote back, while Beverly slowly wrote her response.
"No, He is still here... He has always been here, always there... He has never fallen, nor has He ever been replaced, like a giant rock that has been in the wind and sand for years..."
Beverly wrote like this. Looking at Beverly's handwriting before her, Dorothy paused slightly, then continued writing.
"So, do you actually have information about the Stone Prince's secrets, or do you know a way to see the Stone Prince?"
After writing this, Dorothy began to wait silently for the other party's response again. After a moment's pause, Beverly's handwriting reappeared.
"If you want information about the Stone Prince, I will take some time to organize some for you. This is rare information about a deity. You can use the payment we owe you from last time to exchange for it, or of course, you can pay a large sum."
"I see, I understand... Then what about the method to see the Stone Prince? Do you know?" Dorothy continued writing to Beverly, asking. Although she asked this, she didn't expect to find the answer from Beverly's side. After all, the Stone Prince is not a deity of the Craftsmen's Guild. Although Beverly's identity might be a bit special, she's not Doraemon; it's impossible for her to know everything and sell everything. She can't necessarily guarantee that she knows everything about matters involving deities.
Dorothy was thinking this until she saw the content of Beverly's next response.
"You want to see the Stone Prince... This question is difficult, but with me, it's not impossible."
'Huh?' Looking at Beverly's printed handwriting before her eyes, Dorothy's mouth slightly opened in surprise. She hadn't expected Beverly to have a way even for this kind of question. This person is truly this capable, able to even have a way to see a main deity.
Even the Seven Saints of Holy Mountain, except for the Pope, can't see deities, right? It's not certain that Unina can casually see the Cup Mother. And this Beverly can actually have a way to see the main deity of "Stone"?!
"What is the method you're talking about?" Suppressing some confusion in her heart, Dorothy wrote again, asking Beverly, wanting to hear the answer from her. However, Beverly didn't tell her directly.
"Regarding this... I can't just tell you directly for free. What I'm providing here... is not just the method to see the Stone Prince, but also some personal assistance from me. All of this combined is very expensive..."
Looking at Beverly's reply, Dorothy couldn't help but pause. Then, after letting out a soft sigh, she picked up her pen again and wrote, asking.
"Alright, tell me how much it's going to cost this time?"
After writing, Dorothy took a deep breath, waiting for Beverly on the other side to name an astronomical figure. However, Beverly's subsequent response text was somewhat beyond her expectations.
"No, this time I won't take your money. Instead, I'll give you a task. If you can complete this task, I will help you see the Stone Prince..."
"A task? What kind of task? Tell me about it?" Looking at Beverly's response this time, Dorothy immediately wrote back curiously. However, Beverly didn't immediately inform Dorothy of the content of the so-called task.
"Regarding the specific content of this task... I need to prepare further before I can tell you. Before that, you need to wait for a while because I currently need to temporarily collect and confirm a lot of information before I can determine the specific content of the task... When everything is ready to proceed, I will take the initiative to notify you..."
Beverly said to Dorothy on the page. Looking at Beverly's handwriting on the page before her, Dorothy couldn't help but sigh slightly, then wrote her response on the page.
"Alright, I'll wait for you..."
After this, Dorothy and Beverly briefly exchanged some trivial matters, then said goodbye to her and closed her "wen hai hang zhi".
After finishing the chat, Dorothy put the "wen hai hang zhi" back into the magic box, then leaned back on the train carriage seat, thinking about her next plan.
'Originally, I thought Beverly's help might cost a large sum of money, but I didn't expect her to give me a task this time, and one that can't be explained clearly in a short while. What exactly is this task? Will Beverly be able to help me see the Stone Prince after completing it? This is intriguing.
'But in any case, trying to complete the ritual part of "Stone" in the near future is unlikely now. So, I can only slightly change direction. Then... among the other Spirituality directions, which one is the easiest to achieve?'
Dorothy thought this in her heart, and soon she had a target, which was "Shadow".
'From the previous situation, there are various unclear connections between me and the Mirror Moon Goddess, and the Mirror Moon Goddess also has a certain degree of friendly attitude towards me. Therefore... proceeding with the "Shadow" part is the best choice now.
'As for now, I don't have any clues on how to go to the Night Sea yet, but I can try to summon the Mirror Moon Goddess like before and ask her questions in person. If that's the case... I'll need to go back to Prit again...'
Dorothy thought this, and after several considerations, she finally fully confirmed her next itinerary, deciding to go back to Prit first and try to summon the Mirror Moon Goddess there again to clarify the questions.
After confirming her goal, Dorothy slightly relaxed. Then she picked up the newspaper delivered by the train attendant from the carriage table and started reading it. However, what Dorothy didn't expect was that the first thing she saw in the newspaper was news about Prit.
"Prepared for Years, Attracting Worldwide Attention! The First International Exposition is About to Be Held in Tivian, the Capital of Prit!"
"International... Exposition?"
...
In a mysterious, enclosed small space, incense smoke permeated, shadows flickered, and among several clusters of spectral flames burning in mid-air, a huge magic circle was projected onto the ground.
This magic circle, like a precise reflection of something mysterious, had runes and text drawn on it that subtly pulsed with a strange rhythm, constantly changing. In the center of the magic circle was the imprint of a shadow in the shape of a flying insect.
Just then, in the silent space, a faint white glow appeared out of thin air. Within that faint glow was an illusory moth slowly flapping its wings.
The small moth was originally extremely illusory, but in the process of continuously flying, it gradually turned from illusory to solid, finally transforming into a completely physical moth. The moth, which had completely shed its illusory, semi-transparent state, landed on the magic circle on the ground, then transformed into a surge of shadow that suddenly rose high, and finally, after the shadow receded, a figure stood upon the magic circle.
That was a man, a man whose body was so gaunt that his skin was stretched over bone, with a pale complexion and messy black hair. The man was wearing a simple, light gray long robe. His face showed signs of illness, and his eyes were only black, without pupils.
After appearing, the man looked forward, then slightly opened his mouth and slowly knelt down in a bewildered posture. Then, he kowtowed before the moth-shaped shadow in the center of the magic circle.
"Ah... it failed again..."
"I thought... the disturbance brought to the inner world by the collision of the "enlightenment" of revival and the bloody "Cup" could bring some changes to the source domain of dreams... allowing the true path to have a chance to appear... However, everything is still lost..."
"Oh Moth... the influence of the cocoon has plunged me into confusion... Please point me in the right direction, so that your servant can come to your side again... assisting you in completely defeating that twin enemy..."
"The blood descendants of the "Cup" have begun to act for their mother, the decaying "Light" is vigilantly armed, and the ancient "enlightenment" is being reborn from the grave... The Dragon's fangs are searching for prey it should never touch... The change of era is coming, and we don't have much time left."
"Oh Moth... please guide me..."
Kneeling in place, the man performed his prayer with a bewildered yet devout expression. However, his prayer received no response, and the man continued to kneel alone on the ground, motionless.
And after an unknown period of time, a voice came from outside that space.
"Sir... here is a letter for you."
"I have long had no connection with the mundane world... there won't be letters that can be delivered through such means..." Continuing to kneel and pray, the man responded to the voice outside the space, and the voice continued.
"But... this letter really is addressed to you... And, the appearance of this letter is very strange... quite unusual..."
The voice outside began to describe, somewhat tremblingly, how strange the letter he received was. The man in the space couldn't help but pause after hearing these words, then spoke.
"Send that letter in."
"Yes!"
Just after the voice outside the space fell silent, a black envelope, like a flying insect, floated out from the shadows and flew in front of the man. After receiving it, the man carefully observed it.
Then, his first glance at the wax seal of the letter revealed a blood-red spider mark.