"Well then... time is almost up..."
At the center of the Illusory Dream Realm, beneath the holy cocoon radiating a faint white glow, Dorothy was now looking earnestly at the girl identical to herself, who spoke slowly in a light voice.
"The power of the ritual is fading. I need the remaining time to handle some aftermath. I have completed the corresponding part of your path to promotion. The rest of the journey requires you to move forward on your own..."
Listening to the girl's words, Dorothy paused slightly before immediately speaking.
"Thank you for your help today... I want to ask, can I still use the same ritual to summon your power next time?" Dorothy continued to ask Mirror Moon, who slowly replied.
"You can... but the effect will be far less potent than today, and I also need to rest for a while."
"Rest? Is interfering like this today a great burden on you?" Listening to Mirror Moon's reply, Dorothy continued to ask, and Mirror Moon nodded slightly in response.
"If I were in my normal state... this rest would be unnecessary. But now, much of my power and energy are occupied by other important matters in the Night Country. The power available for interference needs to be accumulated..."
"Important matters, what are they...?" Listening to Mirror Moon's words, Dorothy was about to continue asking when she noticed Mirror Moon's figure gradually becoming blurry and transparent, and her voice grew fainter.
"The end of the answers you seek is in the Night Country. When the time is right, come find me here. I will be waiting for you..."
In her final murmurs, Mirror Moon's figure gradually vanished completely, leaving no trace of her voice or form, only scattered silver light particles suspended in mid-air.
Dorothy looked at the floating silver-white light particles in front of her and couldn't help but reach out to gently touch them. After touching Dorothy's hand, these light particles flickered slightly and then disappeared.
Watching the disappearing silver-white light particles, Dorothy sighed softly. Then she slowly raised her head and looked up. What she saw was a huge, pure white holy cocoon radiating a faint glow. Dorothy could see silver patterns gradually appearing on it, depicting countless intricate symbols before collectively forming an exquisite moon wheel pattern.
Suddenly, the scenery of the surrounding dream realm also began to change. Above the forest, from the deep, dense canopy formed by countless giant trees, threads of fine silver light pierced through the gaps between the leaves, scattering down and illuminating the giant cocoon in the dark forest. A gentle breeze stirred the grass beneath the forest, causing the colorful flowers and plants to sway slightly.
After the divine war, peace and tranquility returned to the forest. Dorothy knew that at this moment, the Mirror Moon Goddess had begun her aftermath work with her own power, and this was the focus of the so-called aftermath... "Ugh... it's time to... wake up..."
Standing still, Dorothy stretched lazily and then spoke. Afterward, her dream body slowly closed its eyes and gradually dissipated, just like Mirror Moon before her.
Finally, after a dizzying darkness, Dorothy slowly opened her eyes in a trance. At this moment, she felt herself sitting on a comfortable chair. After slightly re-adapting to her physical body, she, still a little bewildered, looked forward, then narrowed her eyes slightly.
What Dorothy saw at this moment was the ritual site within the magnificent crystal palace. The dark moon in the sky had vanished, once again covered by the sun's radiance. Bright sunlight streamed through the palace's glass, reflecting into this vast space, bathing everything in sunlight. Yet, even so, a cool aura still permeated the interior of the entire palace.
As Dorothy's vision cleared, she saw countless figures floating before her. Upon closer inspection, they were indeed floating specters, translucent and clad in ancient robes or armor, with solemn expressions on each 'person's' face.
These were the former monarchs of Prite. They stood together neatly, led by Balderic and ending with Charles IV. Beside Charles IV was Princess Isabel, still kneeling on the ground, her expression dazed and confused.
"Greetings... Envoy of the Night..."
Led by "The Successor" Balderic, the spirits of Prite's past kings bowed in a grand salute. Dorothy was slightly startled by this scene, then let out a slow sigh and spoke.
"Thank you for your hard work, everyone. The secrecy of Despenser has ended, and your mission is complete..."
As Dorothy spoke, the figures of the past kings present faded and then disappeared, leaving only Charles IV's newly deceased soul silently floating beside Isabel. Isabel, still somewhat disoriented, spoke to Charles IV.
"Father... what... what happened to you? Where am I? What's going on around here...?"
"Child, things are a bit complicated. Get up... I'll slowly explain some things to you..." Charles IV said, then bowed slightly to Dorothy again, trying to help Isabel up, but his hand passed directly through Isabel's body.
"Father... you... you are..."
"It's nothing, you get up first. We'll talk aside..."
Looking at the scene not far away, Dorothy also sighed slightly, then stood up from her seat and walked to the side. She also had some aftermath to deal with now... "Your Excellency, the Envoy..."
"Ah... Sister Envoy!"
In a corner of the crystal palace, when Dorothy found the black cat and the little fox again, led by Grandpa Black Cat, the little fox Shalia immediately saluted Dorothy with extremely unstandard etiquette. Dorothy, seeing this, said slowly.
"No need for formalities, I'm not used to them. You can still just call me Scholar." Dorothy said. Listening to Dorothy's words, the black cat nodded slightly, then stood up and spoke.
"Previously, Your Excellency Scholar, you said you followed the oracle of the night sky. I was skeptical because the power you represented seemed to belong to the lost 'start', but I never expected you to be able to summon such a grand miracle of the night today. It's truly astonishing..."
"Yes, yes... that silver dragon that Lord Paarthurnax transformed into earlier was so beautiful and strong! So, Sister Scholar, is Lord Paarthurnax an apostle of Akatosh or an apostle of that Night Sky Empress... or are their relationships very close, and it's fine to use each other's apostles?" Standing aside, the little fox Shalia spoke directly with a very curious and gossipy expression. Hearing her rude attempt to inquire about the gods' secrets, the black cat immediately spoke sternly.
"Quiet, Shalia! That's not something you can ask about!"
"Ugh..." Hearing Grandpa Black Cat's stern words, Shalia immediately closed her mouth and said nothing more.
Looking at the grandfather and granddaughter, Dorothy smiled slightly, then extended her hand, drawing upon a trace of divine power that Mirror Moon had left on her before leaving. A silver-white light particle gradually appeared on her hand, taking the form of a miniature holy cocoon.
"The Cocoon of the Butterfly has been reclaimed by the Empress from the Spider Queen's fangs and is now secretly re-situated within the Dream Realm, with corresponding restrictions reapplied.
"The Empress has allowed the will of the Butterfly within the cocoon to suppress the Moth. In a short time, the Butterfly will complete its metamorphosis, and a new Dream Lord will descend upon the Illusory Dream.
"This is the current Dream Realm coordinates of the holy cocoon and the power to control its restrictions. Take them and prepare for the final arrival of the Dream Lord... Butterfly Dreamland should also be rebuilt..."
With gentle words, Dorothy imitated Mirror Moon's way of speaking to the grandfather and granddaughter. Listening to Dorothy's words, both the black cat and Shalia paused. After a moment, the black cat suddenly excitedly took two steps forward, ready to take the object from Dorothy's hand, but upon seeing its black cat paws, the black cat paused again.
Finally, after a moment of struggle, the black cat let out a long sigh, then turned its head to Shalia beside it and spoke sternly again.
"What are you waiting for! Take it and say thank you!"
"Uh... oh! Thank you, Sister Scholar!" As she spoke, the little fox Shalia hurriedly bowed and extended her hand, while Dorothy gently floated the miniature holy cocoon into Shalia's hand... During the daytime, the sky of Tivian, the scenery of the Illusory Dream was gradually fading. Although the entire city was still in slumber, the boundary between dream and reality had begun to stabilize and thicken again, and Tivian, shaking off the illusory dreamscape, was slowly returning to reality.
In East Tivian, on the rooftop of a building not far from Wanguo Plaza, Dorothy, dressed in casual clothes, stood silently. Before her was a young girl, travel-worn, with black hair and a rather short stature. This was Atcheri, the Custodian Cardinal, one of the Seven Saints of the Church.
On the windy rooftop, Dorothy smiled at the cooperative partner who had shown a smiling face during this operation, while the other party, stern and unsmiling, gazed back at Dorothy with a serious yet slightly strange expression. They stared at each other for a while without speaking.
After another moment, Atcheri finally let out a slight breath, then bowed slightly to Dorothy, performing a silent salute.
"Ah... no need for formalities, Custodian Cardinal. You fought hard today, and the Saintess saw your efforts." Seeing Atcheri's actions, Dorothy said with an unchanging smile, and Atcheri, after another glance at Dorothy, straightened her posture again.
"Although I had speculated about the extent of your connection with the Saintess, I never expected it to be so profound... Please forgive any disrespect I may have shown during our first meeting..." Looking at Dorothy, Atcheri spoke earnestly and directly. Then she looked at the sky, which had returned to its normal state, and continued.
"Earlier, I saw the Saintess's avatar enter the Dream Realm and directly confront the evil god. If possible, could you tell me the outcome?" Atcheri asked Dorothy earnestly. She urgently needed to know the final outcome of this event to prepare for its communication at the Cardinal Council, and Dorothy responded directly.
"The outcome... is generally good, but it also left some hidden dangers. Although the Spider Queen was injured, it is far from being unable to interfere with the current world. In short... more detailed circumstances are somewhat complex. I will inform you slowly through 'letters' later.
"I hope, Custodian Cardinal, you can correctly explain today's Tivian incident to your fellow cardinals, so they don't vent their excessive suspicion and energy in the wrong places."
Dorothy informed Atcheri of this, her biggest concern now being that the Church would later rush to Tivian, indiscriminately arresting people and targeting everyone. After listening to Dorothy's words, Atcheri nodded and said.
"When the Saintess's will left me, She left me a brief oracle, instructing me to assist you as much as possible while focusing on maintaining the Church's existence. When the large contingent from Mount Sainthood arrives, I will ensure that you and your people are excluded from the investigation. You can rest assured about that."
As Atcheri spoke, Dorothy's heart was filled with joy. She hadn't expected Mirror Moon to specifically send Atcheri an oracle message as well. This would make their communication much smoother. Previously, although Atcheri had cooperated with Dorothy, she had maintained a considerable level of vigilance.
'Since Mirror Moon has asked Atcheri to assist me as much as possible... perhaps many things can be handled with her help...'
Dorothy thought this to herself, then looked at Atcheri and continued speaking.
"In that case, I actually have something I need your help with right now."
"Something right away? But I'm afraid I'll be very busy for the foreseeable future..."
"Don't worry, it's nothing difficult. It should be relatively simple for you, just providing me with some esoteric knowledge." Dorothy said directly to Atcheri. Hearing Dorothy's words, Atcheri couldn't help but frown slightly in confusion.
"Esoteric knowledge?"
"Yes, esoteric texts. Any type will do. Send me a batch. Doesn't your Church have an organization like the Sutra Court? I heard the various esoteric texts stored there are piled up like mountains. Just send me a batch regularly for me to read, and I'll return them when I'm done. With your authority as a Saint, doing this should be quite easy, right?"
Gently shaking a finger, Dorothy spoke frankly to Atcherie. After hearing Dorothy's words, Atcherie responded after a moment of thought.
"That... that's not impossible. Alright... after I return to Mount Holy Descent, I will arrange for some esoteric texts from the Sutra Court to be sent to you. Do you have any requirements regarding the types of texts?" Atcherie confirmed to Dorothy, and Dorothy immediately replied.
"The types of esoteric texts... while the requirements aren't high, there are a few. I will tell you about them later in a 'letter'..." Dorothy said this, and then, as if she had thought of something else, she continued to add.
"Oh, right, does your Sutra Court have a convenient and fast catalog search function? If so, could you specifically and carefully look for any esoteric texts that mention the name 'Hyperion'?"
"Hyperion..." Listening to Dorothy's words, Atcherie couldn't help but show a curious expression between her brows.
And at this very moment, an invisible giant object was slowly approaching in the sky above them. Amidst a growing roar, a massive vessel slowly materialized in the air—the Surveillance-Grade Holy Steel Ship had arrived to pick up its master... Time flew by, and soon, several days had passed.
East Coast of Preet. After the great catastrophe, Tivirian stood in its original location as before. During the day, dark clouds densely covered the sky, and tiny drops of rain fell from the heavens, scattering upon the wet ground.
In the rainy Tivirian, sparse citizens walked back and forth on the streets carrying umbrellas. Carriages traveled along the roads as usual. Various signs for the World Expo decorated the streets, fluttering in the light rain. Some performances held for the Expo continued despite the drizzle, and many spectators still watched under umbrellas, occasionally bursting into laughter and applause. Even with the rain, the World Expo activities throughout Tivirian had not ceased.
Besides these performances, the streets of Tivirian now featured many more priests and nuns. They walked through various streets and the different exhibition halls of the World Expo, distributing free items while also publicly preaching and lecturing scripture, sometimes even conducting their sermons adjacent to other Expo events. Many citizens believed the Church was using the Expo as an opportunity to increase its influence. Because the sermons of these priests and nuns truly seemed to bring inner peace to listeners, many citizens liked to specifically gather to hear the scripture.
"So many people... Mount Holy Descent really went to great lengths to mitigate the secular impact of this incident..."
In North Tivirian, sitting on a long bench inside a pavilion in a small street park, a pale man with deep-set eyes and an aquiline nose, wearing a trench coat and a short bowler hat, commented as he looked at the street view. Next to him, a short-haired woman, also wearing a trench coat, spoke frankly.
"After all, this incident affected too many people; millions across Tivirian were impacted. If they don't want the supernatural to spread, they must intensify efforts and deal with it quickly." The woman named Misha said this, then glanced at the priests and nuns on the street before continuing.
"Although the impact of this supernatural incident was significant, even involving divinity, fortunately, there was no large-scale loss of life or massive urban destruction on the material level. The greatest effect on ordinary citizens was simply that everyone suddenly fell asleep during the day. Dealing with an impact of this magnitude alone is not difficult," Misha assessed. Meanwhile, Ed, who was nearby, continued to speak.
"Indeed. The greatest material impact Tivirian suffered was the complete disappearance of the entire Cathedral District and the surrounding area for several miles. I was curious how Mount Holy Descent would handle this, but I didn't expect them to have such a trick up their sleeve." As Ed spoke, he turned his gaze to the distant side, where he could see the spires of the Hymn Cathedral, which should have vanished, and could even hear the ringing of the church bells, as if the cathedral were still there. But Ed knew it was just an illusion.
Following the Spider Queen Invasion Incident, large groups of people from Mount Holy Descent quickly arrived in Tivirian through various means. Under the direct command of the Cardinal, they split into multiple teams and immediately began their operations: investigating the incident and handling the supernatural fallout.
To avoid causing widespread public panic or negative press, the World Expo continued after the citizens awoke. The Church also dispatched many Scripture Preachers to read special scriptures everywhere. These scriptures, in the name of God, could gently suggest to the masses, by fostering fervor and faith in ordinary people, that they ignore certain questions that should have felt strange, such as why everyone in the entire city suddenly fell asleep at the same time.
Initially, this issue was highly discussed among the awakened citizens, but soon after the Church personnel arrived, no one discussed the topic anymore.
For those in the Church responsible for cleanup, the collective sleeping issue was minor; the disappearance of the entire Cathedral District was the major problem. However, despite the size of the problem, Mount Holy Descent's methods were grander. After sealing off the corresponding streets, personnel from the Foundation Court directly used a Supernatural Item to project an illusion of the Cathedral District, filling the empty space. This allowed citizens to see the Hymn Cathedral still standing perfectly fine from a distance, complete with absolutely realistic sound effects. Aside from the inability to enter, no abnormalities could be detected.
Inside that illusion, on the site of the former Hymn Cathedral, which had become a massive crater, Foundation Court personnel were working overtime to rebuild the Hymn Cathedral. With the support of various supernatural powers and tools, the cathedral was nearly reconstructed within just a few days. After a little more time, the illusion could be removed, and citizens could enter for worship. However, the cathedral built this way was merely a superficial shell; its original function as the Glorious Pantheon was entirely absent. The Pantheon's abilities would require Foundation Court personnel to spend a long time reconstructing them beneath the new cathedral.
"Speaking of which, the Church is truly busy everywhere in Tivirian right now. They're busy preaching scripture, busy repairing cathedrals and building temples, busy thoroughly investigating this Divinity Invasion Incident, purging the remnants of the Evil God, and busy auditing and restructuring the entire upper power structure of Preet. Your area must be the busiest and most chaotic, right?"
Remaining seated, Ed spoke frankly to Misha. He knew that Misha was no longer in a feigned death state; she had officially returned to the Preet government, specifically to the Bureau of Covert Security, and immediately began cooperating with the Church on the auditing and restructuring work.
"If not the most chaotic... it's certainly one of the most chaotic. Right now, His Highness Harold is still under surveillance and house arrest. The investigation involving her and His Highness Spring is far from over. I am practically in charge of the entire Bureau of Covert Security now, and there are truly countless things to deal with..."
Misha said this, scratching her head and sighing softly as she spoke. The Bureau of Covert Security now has to maintain its original function of coordinating national supernatural defense while also conducting large-scale audits and power restructuring. The matters requiring attention are far from being resolved overnight, and the current state of the Bureau of Covert Security is a microcosm of the entire upper power structure of Preet. Although Tivirian appears calm on the surface, immersed in the celebratory atmosphere of the smoothly running World Expo, various forms of chaos permeate every government department. If the Church were not assisting in maintaining order, Tivirian would already be in disarray.
Fortunately, as one of the core causes of the chaotic incident, this mess had nothing to do with Dorothy.
Sitting in his seat, Ed paused slightly after hearing Misha's words, then asked again.
"So, what is the situation with the Royal Family? They must be the main focus of the audit."
"Yes, basically every Royal Family member of note is under house arrest, and many nobles carrying royal blood haven't been spared either. The focus of the audit is squarely on them... To be honest, I feel the Church personnel in charge of this are going a bit overboard. The Evil God's influence has clearly faded, yet they are interrogating these people as if they were cultists. Fortunately, although His Majesty passed away, his soul remains, and with him organizing and mediating communications, conflicts have been avoided for now."
Misha told Ed this. Although Charles IV was now dead, his soul remained to help Preet handle the aftermath. Sustained by various supernatural methods related to'Silence,' Charles IV's soul could be maintained for a period without distortion or mutation, allowing him to handle unfinished business. However, when the time came, he would still have to travel with other souls to the Netherworld, returning to the Great Spirit according to Shamanism. Souls that do not return for extended periods risk dissipation or mutation, potentially becoming Malevolent Spirits even without immense resentment.
Since the situation in Preet is currently unstable, Charles IV's death will not be announced for a short time. It is estimated that a considerable period must pass before the King's funeral can be held.
"To have to continue working for the country even after death—that's certainly hard work... What about the successor issue? Has Charles IV designated an heir yet?" Ed said with some emotion after hearing Misha's words. Misha immediately replied to Ed's question.
"The successor issue... it's still unclear right now. I don't know if His Majesty intends to follow the Royal Succession Law or has other plans... I estimate he will arrange everything before his final slumber."
Misha replied this way. She then chatted with Ed for a few more sentences, and after answering a few more of Ed's questions about the current state of Preet's high command, she finally stood up, preparing to leave.
"Alright, I have to go now. I still have a lot of things to deal with. If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the last time I meet you this way and bring you intelligence."
"Everything finally has a conclusion. Although I might not be qualified... I still sincerely want to thank you on behalf of this nation. You saved everything... This is also the main reason I came to see you this time," Misha said. Standing, she then bowed solemnly to Ed, giving a respectful greeting. Ed, seeing Misha's gesture, smiled slightly, pressed down on his hat brim with his hand, and then spoke softly.
"I accept your thanks on behalf of my organization. I should be going now too. By the way, since you're so busy, why don't you find a few helpers? You must have some candidates in mind." Ed said as he brushed off his trench coat and stood up. Misha replied frankly.
"I originally planned to find a helper—the mole you placed in the Bureau, Gregory. But he recently suddenly decided to take a long vacation and travel, so I had to give up on that idea. You aren't planning to recall him, are you?" Misha asked Ed. Listening to Misha's words, Ed pondered for a moment before slowly answering.
"No... leaving the Bureau of Covert Security temporarily, that was his own idea..."
"What?"
...Daytime, East Tivirian.
Beneath the patches of dark clouds, tiny droplets of rain scattered onto the streets of the Eastern District. Although the rain had reduced the number of pedestrians, many people were still braving the weather to participate in the various World Expo activities held on the streets.
On the side of a street in the Eastern District, inside a certain restaurant, a silver-haired girl in casual clothes was sitting by the window, looking playfully at the young man seated across from her.
"Gregory, are you saying... you're going to leave Tivirian for a while?" Dorothy asked curiously, looking at her relative sitting across from her. Gregory replied while eating a piece of cheese bread.
"Mhm... yes. I might have to go on a business trip because of company matters, and I probably won't be in Tivirian for a long time. You need to be extra careful staying here alone."
Gregory spoke to Dorothy with a quite serious expression. Hearing Gregory's words, Dorothy nodded slightly, then took a sip of tea before speaking.
"A long business trip, huh... So, Gregory, where are you going?"
"Currently, the specific destination still needs to be decided internally by the company, as there are multiple potential overseas assignments. However, it's confirmed to be abroad, and the long travel time might take a while, which is why I came to explain everything to you in detail," Gregory said to Dorothy. He then pulled an envelope from his clothes and handed it to Dorothy before continuing.
"Inside are bank checks for your living expenses for a long time. The amount is more than what I've given you before, so remember to use it sparingly. Also, there are a few contact numbers for colleagues I trust at the Tivian headquarters. If you encounter any difficulties, contact them, and they will help you solve them," Gregory said, handing the envelope to Dorothy, who reached out and took it.
After seeing Dorothy take the envelope, Gregory paused slightly again, then took a deep breath, as if having made a decision, and took out an exquisitely designed locket from his clothes.
"Also, Dorothy, take this. Inside is a note. Open it when you get back and memorize its contents, keeping them in your heart. Don't worry about what it means for now, just remember it firmly. If you encounter an emergency where you don't have time to notify other contacts, just silently recite that content in your mind," Gregory said with a solemn tone. As he spoke, he handed the item to Dorothy, who, after taking it, looked at it curiously before speaking.
"Memorize it? Okay, I understand... But Gregory, why are you suddenly giving me all these instructions today? Is the place you're going very dangerous? If it's dangerous, then don't go..." Dorothy said to Gregory, who immediately shook his head in response.
"No, no, no... Dorothy, you don't have to worry about danger. I, your older brother, will handle any trouble myself, and with the company's backing, nothing will happen. However, you being alone in Tivian will need to take extra care of yourself," Gregory said, and Dorothy's expression showed a hint of worry as she replied.
"I see... Then you must be extra careful, okay?"
Dorothy said, then continued to eat the pastries in front of her. Across from her, Gregory looked at Dorothy a few more times, hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.
"Oh, Dorothy, there's one more thing I wanted to ask you. Have you... dreamed of Mom recently?"
"Mom?" Hearing Gregory's words, Dorothy's gaze narrowed slightly, then after seemingly pondering for a moment, she replied.
"Speaking of which, it does seem a bit strange... I should have never seen Mom before, but last time when I fell asleep watching the opening ceremony, I seemed to have dreamed of a familiar and kind feeling... I was clearly asleep in the stands, but I felt very peaceful and comfortable... I don't know... what that was all about, or if it counts as dreaming of Mom... By the way, Gregory, why are you suddenly asking about this?"
Tapping her chin with her finger, Dorothy pondered her answer. Hearing Dorothy's reply, Gregory let out a slight sigh of relief, then continued.
"Nothing, just asking casually. Let's hurry up and eat, there's still a lot left."
Gregory continued, then began to eat seriously. Dorothy, seeing Gregory's actions, didn't dwell on it further and also resumed her meal.
Afterward, Dorothy and Gregory finished their meal. After Gregory paid the bill, the two walked out of the restaurant together and arrived at the roadside. After a brief farewell, Gregory saw Dorothy onto a carriage and watched her leave.
Sitting inside the carriage, Dorothy playfully thought about her previous conversation with Gregory. Under normal circumstances, Dorothy would have been confused by Gregory's words, not knowing what he was trying to do, but fortunately, Dorothy and Gregory's interactions were never normal.
As she thought, Dorothy, sitting in the carriage, took out her Sea of Literature Chronicle, placed it open on her lap, and then turned to the page with her conversation with Gregory. With a thought from Dorothy, the words exchanged just yesterday on that conversation page appeared out of thin air on the book, right before Dorothy's eyes, with more than half of them in Gregory's handwriting.
"Your Excellency, Scholar... At the end of the incident the day before yesterday, exhausted from battle, I fell into a deep sleep when the miracle of the Moon appeared... And in my dream, I felt something very strange."
"You might not believe it, but at that time, I felt a familiar and kind feeling... somewhat like my mother. Although my mother disappeared when I was very young, and my memories of her have long been blurred, the feeling in that dream allowed me to recall a childhood I barely remembered myself. It's very strange..."
"In that dream, that familiar and kind feeling, while comforting me, also seemed to be guiding me in some way. It seemed to guide me away from Prit and towards some other place... After I woke up, I tried hard to recall but could only remember the direction, not the exact location."
"So it feels incredible... even a little irrational. I somewhat want to follow that guidance and take a trip to see what I can find, even though the guidance is vague. But I feel that if I just walk in that direction, perhaps I'll remember something?"
"My mother is very mysterious... Besides my sister, she might be the only other living close relative I have. I always feel that this journey... might lead me to information about her. So I want to leave Tivian for a trip. During this process, I might encounter risks again, and I hope Your Excellency, Scholar, can continue to provide me with assistance then."
"Oh, and after I leave, my sister will be alone in Tivian. With the Eight-Pointed Heresy not yet fully purged of its remnants, I worry if she might encounter any risks, so I also hope you can look after her..."
Sitting in the carriage, Dorothy slowly finished reading all of Gregory's previous conversations with her on the page, then paused silently. She then took out the locket Gregory had given her from her pocket. After opening it, she indeed took out a small note. Unfolding it, her gaze scanned the few lines written on it, finally settling and locking onto one particular line.
"...The door and key to infinite truth, the great Akka who records all things..."
Looking at the words on the note that she knew so well, Dorothy pursed her lips, then refolded the note and put it back into the locket, then put it away carefully.
"You're thoughtful... Big Brother..."
Dorothy softly murmured, then sat up straight in her seat and began to seriously ponder the various peculiarities of Gregory's situation.
'On the day of the opening ceremony, the feeling Gregory experienced was undoubtedly from the power of the Mirror Moon Goddess. Although the specific situation cannot be clearly confirmed yet, 'I' and Gregory's mother are undoubtedly intricately and closely linked to the Mirror Moon Goddess. It's not surprising that Gregory would have such a feeling under the radiance of the Mirror Moon Goddess... But the interesting thing is that the Mirror Moon's 'feeling' given to Gregory seems to carry some kind of guidance. This guidance is truly the reason Gregory suddenly wants to travel. Could this... be considered a 'revelation' specifically given to Gregory by the Mirror Moon? It seems I'm not the only one who has come into contact with the Mirror Moon...'
Dorothy thought to herself. Due to the time constraints that day, the Mirror Moon hadn't explained many things clearly to Dorothy, and Dorothy didn't know how She handled the aftermath. Now it seems She gave different degrees of 'revelations' to Atcherley and Gregory.
Giving a revelation to Atcherley is easy to understand, as she is a saint of the church and needs specific instructions. But the revelation to Gregory is intriguing. Does She want Gregory to go somewhere specific to do something? Does it have to be Gregory? What exactly is at the guided location?
All sorts of doubts arose in Dorothy's mind, but after pondering for a while, she didn't delve deeper. She thought that with Gregory's journey, the Mirror Moon's intentions would eventually become clear.
From the Mirror Moon's perspective, Dorothy didn't believe this guidance was meant to harm Gregory. Moreover, during Gregory's journey, Dorothy herself would maintain communication and provide various assistance as a "Scholar" throughout, so Dorothy wasn't too worried about the risks of Gregory's trip.
Things will take care of themselves. In short, once Gregory finds the place, Dorothy should roughly understand the Mirror Moon's intentions.
Just like that, Dorothy yawned and was about to put her Sea of Literature Chronicle back when a spiritual reaction suddenly came from within the Chronicle. Someone was contacting her through the Chronicle. Dorothy paused slightly, then immediately opened the corresponding contact page and found that it was Atcherley contacting her.
"The first batch of esoteric texts has arrived in Tivian..."
'It's already here? That's fast...' Looking at Atcherley's brief, reminding notification, Dorothy thought to herself. She then immediately manipulated the corpse puppet disguised as a taxi driver and drove towards the previously agreed-upon delivery location.
Afterward, Dorothy quickly arrived at the place, manipulating the corpse puppet to receive the goods from Holy Mountain at the Craftsmen's Guild stronghold in the East District. It was a large suitcase, filled to the brim with esoteric texts.
'Heh... so many. With Atcherley as a channel, I feel like I'll never have to worry about spirituality again.' Looking at the suitcase packed full with the corpse puppet's vision, Dorothy couldn't help but smile as she thought this. With such a large quantity of esoteric texts, and a continuous supply, she would never have to worry about spiritual tension again.
After getting her hands on the first batch of goods sent by Atcherley, Dorothy immediately took a carriage back to her home in Green Meadow Town in the northern suburbs. Then, after taking about ten esoteric texts from the suitcase, she happily went to her study alone, closed the door, and began to carefully read them one by one.
Dorothy carefully read the contents of each esoteric text. Most of the esoteric text content was of no practical significance to the current Dorothy, only providing spirituality. It was only after reading several esoteric texts that Dorothy found one with very interesting content.
This esoteric text belonged to the Third Epoch Imperial period, a manuscript from an Imperial archaeologist. Since Dorothy didn't understand Imperial script before, among the esoteric texts Atcherley sent this time, there was specifically a translation comparison and learning tutorial for Imperial script and the current common script, summarized by the old scholars of the Scripture Court over many years. Dorothy read this first and successfully learned most of the Imperial script.
Now, Dorothy could finally read Imperial script esoteric texts relatively smoothly, and the first Imperial script document she read after just learning it was this historical research manuscript.
This manuscript recorded that an archaeological team during the Imperial period, while conducting a deep underground excavation, discovered relics of a truly ancient era, an ancient civilization, beyond typical ancient civilizations, beneath layers upon layers of strata containing countless artifacts from the early Third Epoch and even the Second Epoch.
They discovered the magnificent ruins of a Giant Civilization that existed in the First Epoch's barbaric era, and found traces of the barbaric civilization's belief culture.
Among these traces... they vaguely discovered bits of information about the Three Barbaric Primordial Gods.