East Tivian, on the eastern coast of Preet Kingdom's main island.
In Tivian during the daytime, the bright sun gradually rose, and daylight illuminated the city. With the grand ceremony approaching, the streets and alleys were bustling with activity. The highly anticipated moment was drawing near, and this massive city was already prepared.
Due to the World Expo, Tivian has recently seen a massive influx of tourists, both domestic and foreign. This has made the city's catering and lodging industries particularly popular. Many travelers gather in Tivian's major restaurants to enjoy meals. At this lunchtime, everywhere is busy and packed. Unless you have a reservation made well in advance, you shouldn't expect to eat in a good restaurant now. However, thankfully, with Dorothy's planning, she wouldn't make such a mistake.
"It's really lively... Tivian. I've never seen so many people at once in Igwinte. So many people in such a large place... it feels... truly vibrant."
Inside an upper-level private room of a high-end restaurant, Anna, dressed in a light-colored shirt and long dress, gazed at the endless stream of cars and people on the street outside the window and couldn't help but exclaim. She had never experienced such a large city with such a massive flow of people, having grown up in a remote city.
"There are indeed many people in Tivian, but recently, due to the Expo, there are even more people than usual. To be honest, even the annual New Year doesn't seem as lively as it is now." Sitting opposite Anna, Dorothy, dressed in a white top and a high-waisted black long dress, wearing a small veil hat, sipped her tea and leisurely responded to Anna. Anna then looked at Dorothy and continued.
"The Expo... Indeed, for a city, or even for a Kingdom, it's a grand event more difficult to organize than an annual festival. If it's held successfully, it can make many, many people happy. I can also participate in such a rare event with Teacher Mayshouse.
"It's just a pity... once this grand event is involved with hidden cults, there's a high probability that it won't have a perfect ending." Anna looked at the decorated streets outside the window and said with a hint of disappointment. After arriving in Tivian and being infected by the festive atmosphere here, she seemed to wish in her heart that it was just a mundane festival for ordinary people to celebrate. She could then properly enjoy such a celebration with her teacher during her precious journey.
Listening to Anna's words, Dorothy took another sip of tea, slowly placed the cup back on the table, and leaned back against the soft sofa behind her, also speaking with a slight sigh.
"Actually... if it weren't related to the hidden aspects, this Expo probably wouldn't have been planned. Perhaps the moment it was designed, it was for some Extraordinary purpose... Therefore, it likely cannot exist as a purely mundane celebration from beginning to end."
Dorothy said this. Hearing Dorothy's words, Anna, sitting across the dining table, couldn't help but be slightly stunned, and then said with some disbelief.
"For some Extraordinary purpose... Isn't this Expo organized by the Kingdom government... personally by His Majesty the King? What... what is His Majesty trying to do? He wouldn't be trying to... to his subjects..." Hearing Dorothy's words, Anna had a bad feeling in her heart. After experiencing the events related to Luer, she was very prone to having negative thoughts about similar matters.
"It's still unclear exactly what Charles IV intends to do at the moment, but I don't think he's in the same league as Luer and his ilk. In any case, the situation at tomorrow's Expo will be very complex. As of now, the information we have is still limited, and it's hard to say exactly what will happen. This is also why I called you here. I must ensure that I have sufficient strength to deal with various situations.
"So... I'm sorry, Anna. You were supposed to be here for tourism, but now I'm asking for your help."
Looking at Anna in front of her, Dorothy said frankly, and Anna smiled and replied.
"You don't need to say that at all, Teacher Mayshouse. Even if you hadn't come to find me, the crisis hidden within this celebration wouldn't disappear. I would still encounter it. You are giving me an opportunity to be well-prepared and proactively deal with the crisis; I should be thanking you. I hope we can successfully resolve this crisis..."
Listening to Anna's words, Dorothy also smiled and nodded in response. Then, she relaxed and continued dining with Anna.
After finishing lunch with Anna, Dorothy sent her back to the hotel and said goodbye for the time being. Having completed this welcoming trip, she then moved on to the next reception. After receiving friends from within Preet Kingdom, she began to receive friends from abroad.
...
In the afternoon, somewhere in the port area of East Tivian.
On the edge of the bustling port area, at the edge of a crossroads where people and carriages constantly flowed, there was a young girl standing there at this moment. She was wearing a brown dress, with long, fluffy curly hair tied with a large bow. Beside her was a large suitcase, on which a Black Cat was lying, licking its paws. The girl was looking around at the lively street flowing before her, exclaiming with curiosity.
"Wow... so many people... Is this Tivian? The buildings here seem much taller than those in Castile, and this is the first time I've seen so many people... it feels..."
Shaliya murmured as she looked around with curious eyes, while the Little Black Cat beside her yawned twice with a mew and wagged its tail. Then, it casually swiped a paw to the side, scratching a deep bloody mark on the hand of a man who was about to casually steal Shaliya's luggage. It then ignored the man as he cried out in pain and ran away.
"Hmm... it seems there are more thieves here too..."
Turning her head to look at the fleeing man in the distance, Shaliya couldn't help but say. Then she took a pocket watch from her clothes, looked at the time, and murmured.
"According to what was said before, the person coming to pick me up should be arriving soon. They said they would come by carriage. There are so many carriages on the street, I hope there's no traffic jam..."
Looking at the pocket watch in her hand, Shaliya said this, and then she continued to stand patiently in place, unable to hide her curiosity as she looked around, curiously observing this strange and huge city before her. She saw banners and flags printed with the large Expo emblem and the Preet Kingdom flag hanging everywhere on the streets, and saw many people on the street holding and wearing free commemorative items. Shaliya, who was very interested, also took some time to go to a nearby distribution point and got a small umbrella as a souvenir for herself.
"Silly girl, there's no rain in this weather, why did you choose an umbrella as a souvenir? Is it easy to carry something this big?"
Just as Shaliya returned after choosing an umbrella from a souvenir distribution point, the Black Cat sitting on the luggage box and wagging its tail couldn't help but mutter in a low voice. Shaliya immediately replied in a low voice as well.
"Hey, Grandpa, you don't understand. I read a book before coming. The weather in Tivian is different from ours; it's unpredictable. The sun is out now, but it might rain any moment. Choosing an umbrella as a souvenir is definitely the most practical!"
Shaliya responded directly to the Black Cat lying on the box. Not long after she finished speaking, a luxurious carriage, exquisitely crafted from wood, drove over from the other side of the road. It stopped in front of Shaliya. After the carriage door opened, a handsome young man, wearing a shirt and vest, and black trousers, stepped out from behind the door. He stood in front of Shaliya and spoke politely and with a smile in Castilian.
"You must be Miss Fox. Please get in. I was entrusted by the Detective Agency to pick you up." Looking at Shaliya in front of him, the young man who got out of the carriage made a very polite gesture of invitation and proactively offered to help with her luggage. Shaliya instinctively glanced at the Black Cat beside her. At this moment, the Black Cat jumped down and into Shaliya's arms. Shaliya also responded politely upon seeing this.
"Uh... then I'll trouble you!"
Saying this, Shaliya got into the carriage. Soon after, the young man who had placed the luggage in the back of the carriage also got into the compartment and sat opposite Shaliya, who was holding the Black Cat. Then the carriage began to be driven forward, merging into the street traffic.
"It must have been tiring for the two of you from Dreamland to travel so far. Your rooms have been booked. I will now take you to the hotel to settle your luggage, and then we will discuss the details of your trip to Tivian. I will represent the Rose Cross in full contact with the two of you..." Looking at Shaliya, who was still curiously looking out and admiring the street scenery after getting into the carriage, the young man continued to speak with a polite smile. Hearing his words, Shaliya first turned back and thanked him directly.
"Thank you very much... Ah, no, did you misunderstand something? Only I came to Tivian this time; there's no one else with me." Shaliya quickly explained to the young man in front of her, correcting his inappropriate use of the word "you" (plural). However, the young man did not immediately respond to Shaliya's words, but sat there with a smile. The Black Cat, which had been stretching in Shaliya's arms, also paused slightly upon hearing his words and stopped its original movements, looking at the young man ahead with rather sharp eyes.
"The hospitality is truly complete. Is this the demeanor of the Preet people? I've seen it today..."
"Grand... Grandpa!"
The Black Cat, which had been silent in Shaliya's arms, suddenly spoke directly, and Shaliya exclaimed with some surprise. As for the young man opposite them, he continued to speak with an unchanging smile.
"Miss Shaliya's 'Grandpa'... the remnant of Dreamland, you and Miss Shaliya are probably the last hope of the Butterfly God in this world. May I ask your name?"
The young man said this unhurriedly, and the Black Cat also replied seriously and calmly at this moment.
"My true name is meaningless, and there is no need to tell anyone, especially not in front of a puppet like you. The person behind the Rose, I want to warn you, trust is mutual. I have already had Shaliya inform you of much valuable information in advance, yet you are still so secretive and hesitant. You speak politely, but in essence, aren't you looking down on people a bit too much..."
"Huh, this is a puppet..."
The Black Cat said directly as it looked at the young man, and Shaliya also looked at the young man with some surprise after hearing this. Facing the Black Cat's words, the young man's expression did not change much, and he continued to speak with a slow smile.
"Mr. Cat, you are right. Compared to your sincerity, this is indeed where our hospitality is lacking. However, rest assured, we have no intention of deceiving you completely. We are very sincere in cooperating and communicating with you."
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be here..."
Just as the young man's voice faded, another clear, pleasant female voice sounded in the carriage compartment. Upon hearing this voice, both the Black Cat and Shaliya were startled, and then they turned their heads to look in the direction the voice came from. Immediately after, they saw a young girl who had suddenly appeared beside the young man at some point, seemingly slightly older than Shaliya.
Long silver-white hair, a white top, and a black high-waisted long skirt. The dignified and beautiful girl was now sitting in a seat that should have been completely empty just moments ago, with one leg crossed, admiring something in her hand. What she was holding at this moment was a silver-engraved amulet, on which was inscribed a symbol of a sun disc. In the center of the sun disc, a crescent moon was diagonally curved.
'Ah... what a beautiful older sister. No! Who is this?! How did she suddenly appear here! The person behind the Rose Cross... is actually an older sister about my age?' Shaliya thought with surprise as she looked at the girl who appeared before her. The level of astonishment in the Black Cat's heart at this moment was similar to hers.
'This... was she in this carriage from the beginning?! I didn't sense her at all... What ability did she use? Among the Rose... is there such a high-level Lakhman?
'And... her appearance...'
Looking at the girl in front of it, the Black Cat thought with surprise. Firstly, it was extremely surprised by the girl's sudden appearance, breaking through its perception. Secondly, regarding the girl's appearance, it had a strange sense of déjà vu. It always felt as if it had seen her somewhere before. Recalling what the Rose side had said about the moon when they asked it to come to Tivian before, the Black Cat's mind was filled with various thoughts for a moment.
"Older sister, you are..."
"Hello, Miss Fox, I am the person contacting you, the one you referred to as the person behind the scenes earlier. You can call me'Scholar'..."
Looking at Dorothy in front of her, Shaliya couldn't help but slowly begin to speak, while Dorothy also put away the silver amulet she was holding and smiled at the Black Cat and Shaliya, the grandfather and granddaughter, just as they had said before.
Since Shaliya had previously provided much important information about the Black Dream Hunter Group and herself almost without asking for anything in return, it wouldn't be right for Dorothy not to show some sincerity in return. Therefore, this time she chose to contact Shaliya and them in person, rather than using a Corpse Puppet as usual.
"Scholar, huh... I didn't expect that a prominent figure of the Rose Cross would be such a young girl. The younger generation is truly formidable..."
"Yes, yes, Scholar sister looks so young, she feels about the same age as Shaliya..."
Looking at Dorothy in front of them, the Black Cat said slowly, and Shaliya on the other side also echoed. Dorothy, opposite them, also smiled and said directly.
"Thank you for the compliment, but in this Extraordinary world, appearance is hard to explain everything. Just like Mr. Cat, you are hiding your true abilities next to Miss Fox, even though I look like this, I might actually be some old monster who has lived for hundreds of years or more."
"Huh! Could that be true?"
Listening to Dorothy's slightly playful words, Shaliya said with some surprise, while the Black Cat on the other side let out a puff of air and said with a serious expression.
"Since Miss Scholar, you have revealed yourself like this, let's not talk about jokes anymore. Let's get straight to the point..."
"Your purpose in having us come to Tivian was to say that the Black Dream Hunter Group is about to make a big move here, and it might be with the followers of the Pain Lady... Now that some time has passed, have you investigated the specific situation?"
Black Cat spoke to Dorothy in a rather serious tone. Since the person who could make decisions was already here, he didn't want to wait any longer. He immediately wanted to ask Dorothy for more information.
"Our investigation has been ongoing, and although we have achieved some results, it is not enough to clearly determine their specific intentions. However, it is now clear that Black Dream and Eight-Pointed Nest have indeed reached some level of agreement and joined forces."
"Just yesterday, a friend of mine encountered the leader of the Black Dream Hunter Group, Gu Mian. She is now trapped in the divine mist within the Woodland. Do you have any way to rescue someone from that mist?"
Looking at Black Cat before her, Dorothy spoke her words seriously. Hearing Dorothy's words, Black Cat couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock.
"Gu Mian... You said your friend encountered Gu Mian?! And she's still alive? And even specifically trapped by Gu Mian in a Labyrinth?!"
Black Cat spoke with an expression of disbelief. Having fought against the Black Dream Hunter Group for so long, he obviously knew the leader of the Black Dream Hunter Group. He was very clear about Gu Mian's strength; he was a powerful veteran Scarlet Extraordinary. After encountering Gu Mian, it was extremely difficult to survive without some powerful life-saving trump card. Now, this young girl before him said she had a friend who not only survived after encountering Gu Mian but was also trapped in a Labyrinth by Gu Mian's design. This was as if Gu Mian found it difficult to deal with her friend for a while and couldn't gain a clear advantage in battle, still needing to set up traps.
What kind of friend is this? So strong? Could it be a Golden powerhouse within Rose Cross? This young girl before him called a Golden existence a seemingly peer 'friend', so what about herself...?
For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through Black Cat's mind. Then, after a slight pause, he looked at Dorothy and solemnly asked again.
"That friend of yours... is she also from your society? Who is she? How did she encounter Gu Mian?"
"Regarding these questions... I'm sorry, I can't answer all of them. I can only say that that friend is in a cooperative relationship with us, not a member of our society. According to her request, I cannot reveal more to you. You only need to know that she is very powerful, and if she can be rescued, it will add a lot of help to us."
"We now need more information about Black Dream and the so-called Labyrinth in the Dream World River. If possible, please tell us as much as you can. Don't worry, I have already taken some Spirit Sight precautions, you can speak freely."
Looking at Black Cat before her, Dorothy spoke directly, and Black Cat, after a moment of silence, spoke slowly with a serious expression.
"Gu Mian... was once one of the three highly respected 'Great Dream Awakeners' in Illusory Dreamland. He was the first person most deeply influenced by Moth and the core figure of the Moth faction during the Black Dream rebellion. It was because of his defection that Illusory Dreamland was destroyed."
"Gu Mian was originally a devout follower of 'Butterfly', but for unknown reasons, during the process of meditating and linking with the Saint Cocoon, he crossed the red line and came into contact with the sleeping will of 'Moth', which he should not have contacted, thus being passively corrupted. After being corrupted, Gu Mian still maintained a normal appearance in everyday life, but secretly he was already dividing Butterfly Dreamland. He cultivated his own forces, using his status and prestige to teach other middle and lower-level members of Butterfly Dreamland with incorrect theories, causing them to unintentionally come into contact with Moth and be corrupted into Gu Mian's secret companions."
"After a long period of operation, Gu Mian secretly controlled nearly half of Butterfly Dreamland, and even many nobles in Castile related to Butterfly Dreamland. After sufficient preparation, Gu Mian led his followers to launch a large-scale Black Dream rebellion, attempting to seize control of Butterfly Dreamland. The sudden attack by the Moth faction gained a huge advantage, and many members of Butterfly Dreamland who had not been corrupted died due to the premeditated sudden attack. Gu Mian and his subordinates had a great advantage from the start. On the secular surface, war also broke out among the nobles in Castile who were influenced by Butterfly Dreamland, but the Moth faction still had greater suppressive power."
"Under Gu Mian's surprise attack, soon, besides him, one of the other two Great Dream Awakeners of Butterfly Dreamland was defeated. The other, after being injured, saw the severe situation and, in order to prevent him from using the branch path connection as a channel to massively pollute the Saint Cocoon and other people in Illusory Dreamland in one go, assisting Moth's corruption, sacrificed himself to briefly awaken the will of 'Butterfly' within the Saint Cocoon."
"Relying on Butterfly's temporary awakening, the remnants of Butterfly Dreamland repelled Gu Mian, and the Dream Eater Path was destructively'sealed'. The entire branch path was attacked by powerful divine power from the source, causing most of the Extraordinary on this branch path to instantly die due to the spiritual outburst. While Butterfly Dreamland was destroyed as a result, those corrupted Moth faction members also perished with it. The once prosperous Butterfly Dreamland was almost instantly annihilated... At first glance, this war seemed to have no winner."
"We initially thought that Gu Mian would perish along with his followers due to the backlash from the branch path, but to our shock, at the last moment, he abandoned the branch path and transformed himself into a creature similar to an Apostle, an Extraordinary creature outside the branch path, using some ancient secret method..."
"He recovered his strength decades after the great war ended, and after decades more of searching, he found the weak remnants of Butterfly Dreamland, destroyed them, and completely controlled the Saint Cocoon. Then, based on the secret method he held, he began to cultivate Pseudo-Moth and gradually established the Black Dream Hunter Group to assist in realizing his vision of welcoming the arrival of 'Moth'..."
With a serious tone, Black Cat spoke in a deep voice to Dorothy before him, recounting the past of Butterfly Dreamland and Gu Mian. Listening to Black Cat's narration, a somewhat interested expression appeared in Dorothy's eyes.
'So this is... the past grievances between Little Fox's organization and the Black Dream Hunter Group? So that's what it was... This means that the reason the Dream Eater Path is so desolate now, and Black Dream uses the method of symbiotic Pseudo-Moth to inherit, is all because of the destruction plan launched by Butterfly Dreamland at the last moment of the Black Dream rebellion... By summoning divine power to attack the branch path source point, they vibrated and destroyed all the Extraordinary on the branch path... In that situation, it was indeed the best way for both enemies and allies to perish. How ruthless.
'It's just that the people of Butterfly Dreamland didn't expect that Gu Mian actually had a way to escape outside the branch path, so although they almost completely destroyed the rebellious Moth faction, they failed to destroy the most crucial Gu Mian. After Gu Mian rose again, facing the weak remnants of Butterfly Dreamland, he naturally easily seized the 'Cocoon'... How did he get that secret method that turned him into an Extraordinary creature?'
Dorothy analyzed and pondered this in her mind. After thinking for a while, she seriously looked at Gu Mian again and said.
"The specific situation... I understand it now, but there are still some small questions, for example... Did Butterfly Dreamland know about the existence of Moth's will inside the Cocoon before? How did Gu Mian obtain that secret method that transformed himself into an Extraordinary creature?"
"The upper echelons of Butterfly Dreamland at that time knew about the existence of a dangerous will other than Butterfly within the Saint Cocoon. Therefore, when meditating and linking with the Saint Cocoon, they would strictly restrain themselves, set red lines, and avoid contacting the unknown areas within the Saint Cocoon. Theoretically, as one of the Great Dream Awakeners, Gu Mian should not have made the mistake of accidentally crossing the line, because the process of his corruption is still a mystery, just like the ancient secret method he mastered. Perhaps only he knows the secret clearly..."
Black Cat continued to respond to Dorothy in a serious manner, and Dorothy nodded slightly after listening, then continued to speak.
"Since the Saint Cocoon has been in Black Dream's hands for over a hundred years now, can you confirm the current situation? Is Pan Moth about to emerge from its cocoon?"
Hearing Dorothy's question, Black Cat paused slightly, then responded.
"When Butterfly Dreamland controlled the Saint Cocoon, we used the methods left by the former Dream Lord day and night to guide the sleeping will within the Cocoon. It can be said that at that time, although both Butterfly and Moth were sleeping and could only passively contact and resist, Butterfly's will was stronger. But now Gu Mian has guided the Saint Cocoon for hundreds of years, the strength between Butterfly and Moth has swapped, and Moth is undoubtedly the stronger side."
"For most of the time when Butterfly Dreamland controlled the Saint Cocoon and when Gu Mian controlled the Saint Cocoon, the Saint Cocoon was not protected by mist, and dreamers could directly contact and link with the Saint Cocoon. But the appearance of the mist now can be said to indicate that the struggle within the Saint Cocoon has reached a critical moment. Some mechanisms within the Cocoon, besides the two wills, have come into play and created the mist to block outside interference with the Cocoon... I speculate that this mechanism may have been left by the previous Dream Lord, the final safeguard before the god within the Cocoon was completely corrupted..."
Black Cat continued to seriously tell Dorothy what he knew. Dorothy listened carefully, nodding silently, then she began to ask again.
"So, what will happen now if the people of Black Dream successfully cross the mist and re-contact the Cocoon?"
"At this critical point... if Gu Mian contacts the Saint Cocoon again to support Moth, I'm afraid the twin gods will immediately decide the winner... The already dominant Moth will achieve a great victory and immediately emerge from its cocoon after defeating Butterfly. The most terrible Dream Lord will be born at that time..."
With an extremely solemn expression, Black Cat said this to Dorothy. After listening to Black Cat's words, Dorothy's brows couldn't help but furrow.
'When Gu Mian contacts the Cocoon again... a new evil god will be born directly. The situation is so serious... The reason Black Dream is cooperating with Eight-Pointed Nest, could it be that they want Spider Queen to help them cross the mist... Spider Queen has the title of God of Conspiracy, aren't they afraid of being schemed against?'
Dorothy thought this in her heart. Soon after, she opened her mouth and asked Black Cat again.
"So, do you know of any way to cross that mist? Or a way to rescue someone from the mist?"
"That mist is a divine product of the Dream God. As far as I know, unless guided by the powerful divine 'Light' or commanded by a higher-level, main god-level'Shadow', there is basically no other way to find direction in the mist... Black Dream is currently very eager to cross the Dream World and find the Saint Cocoon, but both of these points are extremely difficult for Black Dream to achieve. I don't know what kind of agreement they have reached with Pain Lady... but with Pain Lady's power, she should also not be able to cross that mist. Because although both are'Shadow' gods, they are of the same divine rank. Although Pain Lady is currently stronger and the Dream Lord is weaker, in terms of nature, one cannot rule over the other."
Black Cat continued to respond seriously to Dorothy's words. After hearing his words, Dorothy couldn't help but sigh in her heart. She had originally wanted to find a way to save Atcheri from Little Fox and her Grandpa, but now it seemed there was no way. Atcheri wouldn't be able to get out anytime soon.
'How troublesome...'
Dorothy sighed in her heart like this. At this moment, just as she was about to ask Black Cat something more, suddenly, she felt a slight reaction from her "wen hai hang zhi". It seemed someone was contacting her.
"Excuse me, please wait a moment."
Dorothy said this to Black Cat before her. Then she took out her "wen hai hang zhi" and openly flipped through it in front of Black Cat and Shaliya. After flipping to the contact page for new information, she found that it was a message sent by Adele.
"Little Detective, I have sent people to investigate what you instructed, and no abnormalities were found."
Dorothy looked at the text on the page, couldn't help but pause, then picked up her pen and wrote back.
"Are you sure not even a tiny abnormality was found?"
"Yes, my people have thoroughly investigated the company where those two little thieves were before, and there really isn't even a hint of secrecy or the Extraordinary. This entire case from beginning to end is completely a mundane case, and you can't find any point involving the Extraordinary at all. I have also found the batch of high-grade dyes they stole, and they are really just dyes, there is nothing strange about them..."
Adele responded to Dorothy like this. After Dorothy learned from Grego last night that Eight-Pointed Nest seemed to be paying attention to this seemingly ordinary mundane case, Dorothy asked Adele, who had considerable underground influence in Tivian, to help her re-investigate this seemingly ordinary theft case carefully. Now the result was here, but it still exceeded Dorothy's expectations. Under Adele's investigation, the case was still a very ordinary mundane case, and no suspicious points could be found at all.
Could this really just be an ordinary mundane case? But what did the people of Eight-Pointed Nest suddenly want to do by paying attention to such a case?
For a time, many doubts lingered in Dorothy's mind. After being perplexed and thinking for a while, she picked up her pen again and wrote directly to Adele.
"Is there really nothing suspicious about those two people and their surroundings? Not even a single point worth paying attention to?"
Dorothy asked Adele directly like this, and soon Adele's side gave an answer.
"It's really like that. This kind of similar theft case is really too common throughout Tivian. I also personally went to contact them. Their goods, those two people, and the others those two people have contacted, no abnormalities were found. If I had to say there was something worth paying attention to, there is one thing.
"I found that the batch of high-grade dyes stolen by these two thieves was originally supposed to be supplied to a garment factory of a clothing brand I quite like, but because they used low-grade goods to make up the numbers and replaced them, many of the mid-to-high-end clothes produced by that garment factory recently have quality problems."
"Oh right, you should remember this. The reason I didn't arrive on time when I came to the appointment yesterday was because I happened to go to that brand's clothing store to exchange clothes and encountered a bunch of people complaining. The reason this brand's clothes have problems is because these two little thieves swapped their goods."
Adele wrote to Dorothy in this way, and looking at Adele's handwriting on the "wen hai hang zhi", Dorothy couldn't help but be slightly startled, then her eyes widened, as if she had thought of something.
'Dye... clothes quality issue yesterday...'
While thinking, Dorothy couldn't help but look out the car window, observing the lively scene of the pedestrian flow outside the window. She saw people happily flowing through the streets, holding various souvenirs in the festive atmosphere, then her eyes narrowed slightly.
After some thoughts appeared in her mind, Dorothy immediately picked up her pen again and wrote on the open "wen hai hang zhi", responding to Adele once more.
"Adele... Regarding the low-grade dyes those two petty thieves used to replace the high-grade dyes, have you checked them?"
"I checked, but still found nothing. Although these dyes are low-grade, no Extraordinary traces were found in them. They are all ordinary goods."
Adele wrote back to Dorothy like this, and Dorothy immediately continued writing.
"Then, where were those low-grade dye products originally supposed to be supplied?"
"I also checked this. These goods are basically supplied to factories and workshops in the south of the city. What these factories and workshops produce are relatively low-end mass-market daily goods, so the raw materials used are not high-grade, and the usage and scale are very large. To be safe, I also visited several workshops. There were many workers inside, but no abnormalities were found from top to bottom."
Adele continued to write back to Dorothy, and Dorothy was also slightly silent after reading Adele's response. Then she continued to pick up her pen and write.
"Are these factories and workshops currently mainly producing the International Exposition series of souvenirs?"
"Huh? How did you know? That's right, based on my previous investigation, the producers supplied with those low-grade dyes are now taking orders from the Kingdom government, running at full capacity to produce exposition souvenirs for free distribution. Most of the souvenirs you can see everywhere in the city are produced by these few manufacturers."
"These low-grade dyes seem to be used for dyeing clothes and handkerchief-type souvenirs. In addition, there are also large quantities of cheap pigments, fabrics, and many other materials here, which are all bulk goods that are almost impossible to have any Extraordinary problems."
Not long after Dorothy's response, Adele wrote back with this reply. After silently thinking for a while after reading Adele's handwriting on the book page, Dorothy looked at the clear sky outside the car window, then picked up her pen again and wrote.
"Speaking of which, it seems the weather in Tivian has been pretty good these past few days. Not a single cloud in sight. This is quite unusual for this time of year in the past..."
"Why did you suddenly start talking about the weather again? The continuous sunny days these past two days are indeed rare in previous years, but that's because of the Kingdom government's intervention. Anyone with some level in the Tivian hidden world knows that the Kingdom government, in order to ensure good weather for the exposition, arranged for military personnel in the outer sea and surrounding areas of Tivian to use Wind Art Users to regulate the weather for a few days before and after the opening ceremony."
"It is said that because these military personnel constantly used wind to disperse the rain clouds that were supposed to gather over Tivian, Tivian has maintained continuous sunny days recently. It is said that in order to ensure suitable weather, there are even big figures in the military participating in controlling this weather."
On the pages of the "wen hai hang zhi", Adele's words appeared one after another. After silently glancing at them, Dorothy was silent for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Shaliya in front of her. Shaliya noticed Dorothy's gaze and said in surprise.
"Huh, Scholar Sister, is there something you need?"
"Miss Fox, could you hand me that souvenir next to you?"
Looking at the small umbrella souvenir next to Shaliya that was also brought into the carriage, Dorothy said directly, and Shaliya, although her face was confused, still nodded and responded affirmatively.
"This one? Here..."
Saying so, Shaliya handed the umbrella next to her to Dorothy. After receiving it, Dorothy examined it, then partially opened it and carefully observed the umbrella surface. Finally, she found a prominent mark on the outer side of the umbrella, which was the emblem of the International Exposition, modified from the Preet Kingdom's national emblem.
Looking at the emblem, Dorothy directly took a water bottle used for drinking water from the side of the carriage door. After opening the lid, she poured the water from the bottle along the opening, directly onto the brightly colored emblem.
Washed by clean water, the emblem on the umbrella didn't show any special phenomenon at first. However, after being washed for a little longer, the emblem on the umbrella actually began to fade. Most of the color attached to the paper gradually darkened, with only a small portion of the color remaining on the umbrella surface under continuous washing.
And those remaining colors, after losing the other colors, formed another pattern completely different from the exposition emblem. The emblem on the umbrella was simplified due to fading, and finally turned into another symbol because of the remaining colors.
It was a symbol of a flying insect with spread wings within intersecting curves. The appearance of this flying insect seemed to be in the form of a moth.
"This... this is..." Looking at the pattern that suddenly appeared on the umbrella surface at this moment, the Black Cat, who had been sitting silently on the side, couldn't help but utter words of surprise.
...
Just as the sun was shining brightly in the sky, in the suburbs on the other side of Tivian, at the Devonshire family's main residence, a Lakhman was currently infiltrating.
The shadow from Devonshire itself skillfully passed through countless restrictions and arrived in a study located deep within the ancient mansion. In the dusty study, Misha, masked and dressed, looked at the books displayed everywhere, recording the family head's past, and couldn't help but fall silent.
'Ampere Devonshire... that ancestor of mine had a close relationship with the secrets hidden within this country. I wonder if I can find any valuable clues here...'
Misha couldn't help but think this in her heart, and then began to flip through the old books around, checking their contents.
After more than an hour of searching, Misha did not find anything particularly valuable until she found an old book in the corner of a bookshelf that was even dustier than the other books. Misha picked it up, wiped it, and looked at the cover, struggling to spell out the archaic vocabulary.
"The Mystery of the Howling Spear's Decline - The 'Great Deed' of the Mad King"
...
Time flew by quickly, and soon the daytime had passed. When the new night fell, the remaining crescent moon in the sky had almost disappeared, and the moon phase in January was finally about to reach the moment of "Dark Moon" (Dark Moon). By tomorrow, the moon would almost officially disappear from the sky over this land.
On the almost moonless night, Tivian was extraordinarily lively due to the influx of numerous tourists. Countless areas became sleepless streets, and an unprecedented festive atmosphere enveloped the entire city.
And this atmosphere would reach its peak when the night ended and the second day arrived.
After three years of preparation, the International Exposition, which the Preet Kingdom government had invested a huge amount of human and material resources in preparing, was finally opening today.
In the morning, the dazzling sun was rising from the eastern horizon, gradually climbing high into the sky. Tivian, which had awakened from silence, was now focusing on the International Square in the East City. Countless people were converging there at this moment. Even if they couldn't see it with their own eyes, many Tivian citizens wanted to experience the grand opening ceremony up close.
Corresponding to the city's surging enthusiasm, the sky over Tivian today was still clear and cloudless, just like the previous few days. Citizens who didn't know the truth attributed this somewhat rare phenomenon to the Three Saints blessing the country. Only a few people knew that this credit should be attributed to the Preet military that had been on alert around Tivian.
In the eastern sea area of Tivian in the morning, just as the exciting exposition opening ceremony was underway in the distant city of Tivian, a considerable fleet was majestically patrolling the sea. Under the operation of Preet Navy soldiers in neat uniforms, a dozen steel warships of various sizes were cutting through the waves, advancing majestically on the blue sea. At this critical moment, these naval fleets were still patrolling to absolutely ensure the safety of the Tivian sea area and the safety of the Tivian venue in the distance.
In the middle of the patrolling fleet, on a magnificent giant ship with powerful cannons, an elderly man wearing a very high-ranking navy officer's uniform and hat, with a large amount of gray beard and a resolute face, was standing on the bridge, looking out at the distant sea area. He wore intimidatingly high honors, and the group of high-ranking officers around him were all respectful towards him.
This was one of Preet's military giants, Fleet Admiral Spring, the highest commander of the navy. At this moment, he was leading the fleet, personally protecting the safety of Tivian where the exposition opening ceremony was being held. This was the most critical moment in three years, and there was absolutely no room for carelessness, which is why a heavyweight figure like him personally came to oversee it.
Of course, what Fleet Admiral Spring was defending against in the outer sea at this moment was not just hypothetical enemies, but also bad weather, something that could greatly affect the exposition experience.
After looking out at the distant sea surface, Spring slowly raised his head and looked up at the sky. What he saw then was a strange sight that ordinary people could not see.
At this moment, the sky over the sea was divided into two halves by an invisible line. On the side facing Tivian on the vast blue sky, it was boundless and cloudless; on the side facing the outer sea, it was heavy and gloomy with accumulated black clouds.
Rolling thunder rumbled within, as if a torrential downpour could pour down at any moment.
These were the rain clouds that Spring had driven away and resisted using the powerful force of wind. Spring drove these rain clouds outside, providing a weather barrier for the successful unfolding of the Tivian grand ceremony. As long as Spring was there, Tivian would not be affected by bad weather today...
Of course, provided that Spring himself did not change his mind...
Just as Spring was looking up at the strange dark clouds in the sky, he suddenly froze slightly, then eight sharp points extended outwards from his black pupils in his originally spirited eyes. The serious and solemn expression on Spring's face, which had changed eyes, vanished in an instant, replaced by a wicked smile.
As the smile on Spring's mouth curved, the black clouds in the sky that had been restrained suddenly seemed to break free from the restriction, instantly breaking through the invisible blockade. Large quantities of dark clouds crossed the red line in one breath, and amidst the exclamations of the soldiers on the ship, they invaded the clear sky towards Tivian, rushing into the distance.
"What... what's going on? Why did the clouds go over!"
"The wind barrier is broken! The wind barrier is broken! The clouds and rain went over!"
"What's wrong, Captain Spring! Please maintain the wind barrier!"
Seeing such a phenomenon, the officers around Spring couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, but Spring was completely unmoved in the face of this situation. He continued to smirk as he looked at the invading black clouds in the sky.
And just at this moment, the originally relatively calm sea surface suddenly began to churn violently, with surging waves rising amidst the sound of fierce spray.
From the direction of the clear sky, an incredibly powerful storm suddenly struck, blowing up monstrous waves with a piercing roar, constantly hitting the mighty fleet. Under the influence of the huge waves and strong wind, the entire fleet swayed violently for a while, and even experienced sailors found it difficult to stand steady for a moment.
"What... what's wrong with this wind?!"
"This isn't normal wind!"
The sudden appearance of the strong wind made the officers on the bridge a little surprised, but Spring's smile disappeared at the mouth amidst the turbulence of the wind and waves at this moment. He saw that the black cloud layer, which had just advanced not far towards Tivian, was actually largely dispersed and pushed back a lot by the blowing of the strong wind. Seeing this scene, Spring immediately picked up a telescope and quickly scanned the direction from which the wind came. After a while, he discovered a small figure in the distant sky.
In the narrow field of vision of the telescope, what Spring saw was a small figure of a knight flying high in the sky!
Under the bright sunlight, the knight's luxurious and exquisite skirt-like armor emitted a dazzling flash. The heroic full-face helmet was now lowered, making it impossible to see the knight's appearance beneath the helmet. A wide cloak was constantly being blown by the wind behind the knight. In the knight's hand, a long spear was tightly gripped, and on the spear, a slender triangular flag was tied, fluttering in the wind. Upon closer inspection, the flag was imprinted with the ancient symbol of Preet.
This seemed to be an ancient knight from the medieval era of Preet. At this moment, she was suspended alone in the sky above the sea, facing the fleet and the layered black clouds, seemingly quietly waiting for the start of a battle as if facing a vast army.