Prit East Coast, Tivian.
At dusk, in Green Shade Town in Tivian North Suburb, after a sparse drizzle, the narrow, tree-lined streets were empty, the ground was damp, and the sunlight in the sky was not very bright. In this late summer and early autumn, a sense of desolation lingered over the small town.
Walking on the damp ground, Dorothy, dressed in a white top and black skirt, who had just returned from the City library not long ago, walked between the fresh, rain-soaked lawns. With a leisurely stroll, she followed the familiar path forward and soon arrived in front of a villa house whose walls were covered with vines, looking ordinary and old.
Dorothy stopped in front of the house and looked up to carefully read the house number. This was Green Shade Town No. 37, the first place Dorothy visited when she came to the city of Tivian, and the most familiar place in Green Shade Town besides her own home.
Looking at the only neighbor's house she could visit, Dorothy let out a slight sigh of relief, then walked forward, reached out and knocked on the door, and then stood in front of the door, waiting quietly.
In the past, not long after Dorothy knocked on the door, a boisterous Clockwork Person would immediately open the door to welcome her in. Even if she was busy with something, she would use a mechanism to automatically open the door and let Dorothy in to rest. However, this time, Dorothy waited for nothing.
After standing for a few minutes, Dorothy did not see Beverly come out to open the door, nor did she see the door open automatically. This situation could only indicate one thing: her neighbor was not home and had gone out.
'Sigh... still not here?'
Looking at the motionless door in front of her, Dorothy sighed slightly in her heart. She had come here more than once recently to ask some questions, but each time the result was the same.
Since the divine incident at the Tivian International Exposition last time, Dorothy had completely lost contact with Beverly. After the incident, she originally wanted to consult Beverly about some things, but no matter whether she contacted her using """wen hai hang zhi""" or went directly to her house, Dorothy could not find her. Only when Dorothy came to her door for the first time after the incident did she find a sign hanging on her door that said "Out".
'I wonder where this Clockwork Person went? There hasn't been a single word for so long... Even if she went traveling and couldn't see people, she should be able to send a message back... What is she doing?'
Looking at the tightly closed door in front of her, Dorothy couldn't help but think this in her heart again, then shook her head slightly and turned around to walk towards her own home.
Because she had recently encountered problems related to Friesland, Dorothy wanted to consult Beverly. After failing to communicate using """wen hai hang zhi""" again, she decided to go to her door again to see. As a result, Beverly was still not at home this time, which made Dorothy feel a little disappointed.
'I hope that guy didn't encounter any accidents...'
Dorothy said this in her heart as she continued to walk on the cold streets of Green Shade Town. After a while, she returned to her own home, Green Shade Town No. 17. Just as she was about to enter the house, she noticed something unusual.
'This... there's a letter?'
At this moment, Dorothy looked at the contents stuffed in the open mailbox in front of her house and thought curiously. In the past, only Grego sent her letters; her monthly living expenses were sent to Dorothy's mailbox through a transfer method. Now that Grego had given Dorothy what he considered a large sum of money before going out, he had hardly sent any letters, and besides Grego, not many people should be sending letters to this address.
After looking at the mailbox in front of her, Dorothy did not open it immediately. Instead, she opened the door and returned home first, then instructed a Corpse Puppet servant to go out, open the mailbox, and take out the contents. Upon closer inspection, she found it was a small package containing what seemed to be a book. Dorothy had the Corpse Puppet servant inspect the package and then confirm the sender, after which she saw a relatively familiar initial abbreviation.
This was Beverly's self-used abbreviation... In the past, when Dorothy was traveling outside, she had used this name to send Dorothy some necessary items.
'It was actually sent by the Clockwork Person... That guy is fine after all...'
After seeing the contents on the package in the Corpse Puppet's hand, Dorothy breathed a slight sigh of relief in her heart. Then, Dorothy began to have the Corpse Puppet further inspect the package in other ways. After confirming that it was safe, she tore it open.
After the packaging of the package was torn off, the item revealed, as Dorothy expected, was a thin book with a yellowish, old cover. The title, written in Fria cultural script from the northern part of the Main Continent, was "King of the Dead".
Undoubtedly, this was a secret transmission, a secret transmission that seemed to have been specially sent to Dorothy by Beverly. And Dorothy could roughly guess Beverly's intention in sending this secret transmission, because she had written to Beverly using """wen hai hang zhi""" not long ago to ask about the King of the Underworld and more detailed information. Her visit to her house today was also for this matter, and this secret transmission that was sent seemed to be a kind of response.
'This Clockwork Person... she doesn't have time to properly reply but has time to send a secret transmission... I wonder what she's busy with right now?'
Looking at the old, thin secret transmission in the Corpse Puppet's hand, Dorothy thought this in her heart. In any case, after confirming that Beverly didn't seem to be in great danger, she couldn't help but feel relieved, and then had her Corpse Puppet servant bring the secret transmission back home.
Afterward, Dorothy had the Corpse Puppet servant close the door properly and then took the secret transmission up to the study on the second floor. Dorothy took the secret transmission into her own hands, placed it on the desk, and opened it, carefully reading its contents.
The content of this secret transmission was naturally related to the King of the Underworld. It was a compilation of poems and songs praising the King of the Underworld. Dorothy quickly finished reading it and gained some understanding of this mysterious main god from a side perspective.
...
"Ah... King of the Netherworld, the first rebel against death...
"You were once the King of the Earth, treading the sea and striking the sky, challenging the Sun Tyrant! You are now the King of the Underground, rebelling against death, becoming the Father of Immortality!
"The living praise you, you are the undisputed King of the realm of life... The dead praise you, you are the eternal King of the realm of death... Your people will follow you forever, whether alive or after death... I am willing to offer my bones like them, to build your throne...
"The Forgotten King is never forgotten... The dead cannot die again... You will eventually return to settle all grievances... You will eventually personally end the tyranny of Light..."
...
Sitting in front of her desk, Dorothy carefully read the secret transmission in her hand, seeing the hymns of praise on it, and gradually gained more understanding of the deity "King of the Underworld".
The King of the Underworld is called the first rebel against death by his followers, the King of the Dead, the ruler of all the dead, the Forgotten King, symbolizing eternity and immortality.
In the doctrines of the King of the Underworld's followers, after death, all living beings should become servants of the King of the Underworld, become his people. The followers of the King of the Underworld believe that everything experienced in life is temporary and secondary, and all the pain and suffering experienced in life are a test. The meaning of existence is to lead to death, and death is the ultimate destination of everything.
The followers of the King of the Underworld believe that all living beings, after the end of their short lives and death, will reach the King of the Underworld's realm of the dead, gain eternal and immortal true "life", and live there forever. And they need to do their best to "serve" the King of the Underworld during their short lives. The more they "serve" the King of the Underworld during their lives, the higher status they will gain in the eternal realm after death, and they will be able to step on the backs of those dead who did not "serve" the King of the Underworld and did not believe in the King of the Underworld.
The followers of the King of the Underworld believe that there will be no more life born in the world, and death will take away all living beings. At that time, everyone will reach the realm of the dead and become the people of the King of the Underworld, and they will live forever in the King of the Underworld's immortal realm with a superior attitude. This is the end of the false world and the beginning of a true and immortal world.
According to legend, the King of the Underworld was a great emperor in ancient times. He once led his Kingdom to conquer in order to make the world achieve perfect eternity. However, he was hindered by the evil Sun Tyrant. The King of the Underworld, who was still a human emperor, challenged the Sun Tyrant but unfortunately lost. But in the death of failure, the King of the Underworld comprehended true eternity and became the truly immortal King of the Dead.
The followers of the King of the Underworld believe that the reason the world has not yet reached a perfect eternal state is entirely because the Sun Tyrant is still brutally ruling this world, and the King of the Underworld will one day launch a war against the Sun Tyrant again and truly defeat him, ending the tyranny of Light and bringing perfection to the entire world.
'King of the Underworld... the King of the Dead who symbolizes eternal immortality, the Forgotten King? Interesting...'
After reading the secret transmission in her hand, Dorothy couldn't help but think this in her heart. At this moment, her understanding of the deity King of the Underworld was much greater than before, and she also had many new ideas.
'King of the Underworld... This is undoubtedly a powerful deity of """Silent""". If what is said in this secret transmission is true, in a sense... the King of the Underworld is the master of the world of death, the God of Death...
'The King of the Underworld of the Corpse Coffin, his position in my mind has always been in conflict with the great soul of Shamanism, very confusing. But now it seems, their differences can also be seen. The great soul and the King of the Underworld are both "Gods of Death" in a sense, but the great soul is the god of death and reincarnation, while the King of the Underworld is the god of the dead...
'From the doctrine of Shamanism, the great soul symbolizes reincarnation. All the souls of the deceased return to him, and then he reincarnates them back into the human world, like the heart of the soul flow of the entire world. In the doctrine of the Corpse Coffin, the King of the Underworld seems to be more inclined to fix the deceased, no longer reincarnating but existing eternally in the form of the dead... or perhaps undead, eventually establishing an eternal realm without beginning or end, so that the King and his people can enjoy immortality.
'From the perspective of the followers' doctrines, the great soul and the King of the Underworld are completely opposing existences... But there is only one main deity position for """Silent""", and I don't know which of them is the main deity of """Silent"""? Could it be that they are also like butterflies and moths, opposing twin gods in the process of metamorphosis? But the only god with a metamorphosis stage seems to be the god of dreams... Can the god of """Silent""", who does not have the nature of a "cocoon", produce such twin gods?
'Also, another point worth noting is that this secret transmission also says that the King of the Underworld used to be a human emperor and even challenged the so-called Sun Tyrant but failed? If that's the case, the King of the Underworld might have been a mortal before? Could he have ascended to godhood from mortality? Also, this Sun Tyrant must be referring to the """Light""" god. So, is it the Sun God of the Second Epoch? Or the Emperor of Light of the Third Epoch, Hyperion? Or... the current Save the World or the Three Saints?'
Looking at the cover of the secret transmission in front of her, various thoughts were now emanating from Dorothy's mind. She already had some guesses about many issues, including the identity of the King of the Underworld. Although these guesses were not necessarily correct, she still had something correct she could confirm.
What Dorothy could now almost confirm was... where did the influence of Friesland come from, and where did that mysterious power of oblivion originate?
The King of the Underworld also has a title called "Forgotten King" in this secret transmission. The titles of deities are almost all related to their authority and symbolism. The abnormality in Friesland now is perhaps the masterpiece of the King of the Underworld's followers, the Netherworld Coffin Society... Dorothy had suspected this before, which is why she used """wen hai hang zhi""" to consult Beverly for relevant information again. Now, from the secret transmission sent by Beverly, Dorothy's suspicion has been confirmed.
The Netherworld Coffin Society is causing trouble in Friesland! Although she still doesn't know what those followers of the King of the Underworld did in Stinam, it must be a major event related to divinity, and absolutely should not be taken lightly!
After confirming that the matter in Friesland was related to the divinity of """Silent"""... or possibly even the main divinity of """Silent""", Dorothy couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement in her heart. This meant that the next stage of her ritual finally had a direction. Originally, Dorothy thought that in her promotion ritual, the divinity of """Silent""" involving the most mysterious Netherworld Coffin Society would be the hardest to find clues for, but she didn't expect the clue to be clearly laid out in front of her now.
"It seems... I'm going to be busy again..."
Rubbing her shoulders, Dorothy prepared to put away the secret transmission in front of her and convey the newly acquired information to Atcherly. But as Dorothy checked the secret transmission one last time, she found that there seemed to be a line of other text written on the back page of the secret transmission.
Seeing this, Dorothy turned the secret transmission over and held it in her hand, and carefully observed that line of text, finding that it was actually a line of printed text that was out of place with the overall handwritten font of the secret transmission. This seemed to be Beverly's "handwriting".
"Never try to merge opposing divinities, not even with the most perfect preparation! Otherwise, Hyperion is an example, and the current state of the Night Sea is the consequence!!!"
Looking at the text on the back of the secret transmission, which seemed to have been personally written by Beverly, Dorothy couldn't help but freeze in place for a moment. After being stunned for a while, she couldn't help but narrow her eyes and began to stroke her chin with interest.
'This... is a warning? A warning specifically for me from Beverly? She knows I have the divinity of the Judge of Heaven... From the questions I asked her using """wen hai hang zhi""", she can see that I am preparing to contact the King of the Underworld, to contact the divinity of """Silent""", so she specifically gave me a warning at the end?'
Dorothy analyzed it in her heart. She had known before that Beverly's identity was unusual and that she was aware of her having the Judge of Heaven divine nature. What she was more interested in now were the other contents of this advice.
'Beverly's advice is... don't try to merge opposing divine natures... The examples to learn from are indeed Hyperion and the Night Sea. Is there any connection between them? Could it be that Hyperion's disappearance in history is related to this attempt?'
Dorothy thought this in her heart. From the information previously gathered from other secret transmissions, it seems that the six divine natures in the world today, at the very beginning... at least in the First Epoch, were very likely only three. That is, the six divine natures were actually split from three divine natures.
From the secret transmission obtained from Atcherly before, the two sets of three divine natures that are currently contradictory and opposing were once one... "Cup" and "Stone"... "Shadow" and "Light"... "Silence" and "enlightenment"... They are contradictory to each other, but also unified. The six main gods in the First Epoch were very likely only three main gods, which are the three totems worshipped by the giant race...
Therefore, after Dorothy finished reading the secret transmission, she speculated that once one becomes a pure main god of a divine nature, perhaps they can go a step further and merge opposing divine natures to become the original main gods like those in the First Epoch. This might be even more powerful than ordinary main gods...
And among all the gods that Dorothy knew, the only existence who was most likely to have mastered the complete dual opposing divine natures was the Light Emperor of the Third Epoch, Hyperion. From various pieces of evidence, it seems that in addition to being the main god of "Light", Hyperion also mastered the authority of "Shadow" through some unknown method. In Dorothy's previous understanding, he was the most likely existence to become an original main god, although she didn't know why Hyperion ultimately disappeared...
'If Beverly's advice is credible... then Hyperion's disappearance is very likely related to his attempt to completely merge opposing divine natures. While he was the divine emperor of the Empire, he wanted to merge the two powers of 'Light' and'Shadow' to become an original main god. This might need to be completed through a massive ritual...
'But from the current situation and the subsequent advice from Beverly... Hyperion's ritual seems to have failed. This failure led to his disappearance or fall, and it is also very likely to have caused some extremely serious impact, which prompted the birth of the Night Sea...'
Dorothy analyzed this in her heart. In the previous secret transmission, behind Hyperion's portrait, there was a marked location on the eastern part of the disappeared continent, also marked with an eclipse point.
According to the totem of the original main god related to light and shadow in the First Epoch, the symbol seems to be an eclipse. Then the moment of the eclipse might be the sacred time to hold such a ritual...
'That mark on the map... it's possible that there was an eclipse in the eastern part of the Main Continent during the Third Epoch. Could it be that Hyperion held the ritual there! Then the ritual failed, and Hyperion somehow mostly disappeared... The failed ritual spread, affecting a third of the Main Continent...
'According to Beverly's tone, did Jingyue create the Night Sea and conceal the entire eastern continent essentially to clean up after Hyperion's failed ritual? The failure of a ritual merging two opposing main god divine natures... It feels like the resulting disaster would be enough to destroy the world. Such a level of disaster could be suppressed... What exactly happened back then?'
Dorothy speculated while thinking in her heart with a slight sense of alarm. She herself now possessed a little bit of main god divine nature, although she couldn't use it perfectly, it didn't prevent her from estimating how strong a complete main god divine nature would be based on this.
Based on Dorothy's estimation of the power of a pure main god, even with the lowest and most conservative estimate, it would be easy to arbitrarily rewrite or destroy a world. If Hyperion really had a problem during the process of merging opposing main god divine natures as she estimated, leading to the failure of the ritual, then the fact that this world still exists and only lost a third of a continent is simply a miracle. Perhaps the preventive measures were in place... or could there be other reasons?
'If the above speculations are all true, the purpose of the Night Sea's existence is very likely to help Hyperion clean up his mess. The failure of that ritual might have some extremely serious continuous impact, and Jingyue has to continuously stay there and take some actions. This might be the reason why he is unable to get away?'
"I wonder why things are like this?"
After a soft sigh, Dorothy temporarily stopped thinking. Then she formally put away the secret transmission placed on the desk and took out the "book-sea navigation record" to turn to the contact page with Atcherly.
...
After communicating with Dorothy, Atcherly finally knew the root cause of the problem beside her. A city related to a saint Cardinal that had also disappeared must be investigated as the top priority...
Because the situation was urgent, Atcherly had to communicate the relevant information with Cardinals other than Klama. Therefore, after learning the seriousness of the situation, she immediately began to meet with the other four Cardinals individually, excluding Klama.
"A place forgotten by everyone? Related to Klama?"
Holy Mountain, within a secluded small garden, Amanda, dressed in loose casual clothes, sat on a seat in a pavilion, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at Atcherly, who had suddenly paid a visit. Her tone carried a hint of seriousness.
"Hmm... Anyway, this is what I discovered while investigating the current situation of the Court of Tribunal, a very special situation. I need to talk to you and the other three so that we can carry out more in-depth actions against Klama later."
With her usual serious expression, Atcherly said directly to Amanda. Listening to her words, Amanda couldn't help but fall silent for a moment, then turned her eyes to Vanya, who was standing not far away. As soon as Vanya met Amanda's gaze, she immediately spoke respectfully.
"Ah... then I'll withdraw first..."
Seeing that the two Cardinals seemed to be talking about something confidential, Vanya spoke and prepared to leave. At this moment, Atcherly spoke directly.
"No need, you stay here. It's fine to listen..."
"Uh... Yes, Captain..." Listening to Atcherly's words, Vanya was first surprised, then sought Amanda's opinion with her eyes. After Amanda looked at Atcherly with a slightly serious gaze, she returned a look to Vanya agreeing to stay.
Atcherly knew for sure the relationship between Vanya and Dorothy. The matter she was going to tell Amanda was something she and Dorothy had jointly investigated, and Dorothy already knew everything clearly. It didn't matter whether Vanya withdrew or not. Instead, letting Vanya stay here allowed Dorothy to have an additional perspective to directly listen to her conversation with Amanda, saving herself the trouble of writing a letter to relay it later.
Afterwards, Atcherly began to tell Amanda about the information she had previously discovered regarding Klama and the forgotten city of Stinam located in Friesland. Amanda's brows furrowed upon hearing this, and her expression became even more serious.
"You mean... Friesland?"
"Yes, that forgotten city of Stinam is located in Friesland. You should no longer have any memory of this city, but if you go and look through the documents regarding Friesland on your side now, you will definitely find many blanks. That is Friesland that has disappeared from the texts..."
Atcherly said this to Amanda, and Amanda, after a slight silence, then spoke in a serious tone.
"I do have no memory of Stinam, but regarding the entire Friesland region... I do have some other impressions..."
Amanda said this, and then, under the slightly puzzled gazes of Atcherly and Vanya, she continued to ask in return.
"Captain, you just said that the Court of Tribunal had problems investigating otherworlds in the Friesland region in April last year. Do you know which otherworld was being investigated there?"
Amanda asked Atcherly this, and Atcherly answered without hesitation.
"According to the documents I got from the Court of Tribunal, the otherworld that the Court of Tribunal went to investigate back then was the 'True Saint Faction'. He chose to go there because he received information from the Friesland diocese about the rampant True Saint Faction otherworld..."
Atcherly said directly, and through Vanya, Dorothy in the distance also heard Atcherly's words.
Regarding this so-called "True Saint Faction", Dorothy had heard about it from Vanya before. It was another otherworld faction under the Shining Light Church, and its influence was almost second only to the Savior Sect among the many Shining Light otherworlds.
The full name of the True Saint Faction is "True Holy Faction". Shining Light Church believers who follow this faction believe that the Saint Father, Saint Child, and Holy Mother... these Three Saints of Light are the most noble and supreme existences in the Shining Light Church. The Radiant Savior no longer exists, and the Three Saints are not incarnations of the Savior but the result of the Savior's division. The Three Saints should be the supreme gods of the Shining Light Church, and the Three Saints love all the believers. The love of the Three Saints is directly conveyed to the ears of every believer and does not require any interpreter or messenger.
Therefore, the True Saint Faction is anti-authoritarian and anti-institutional within the Shining Light Church... especially anti-pope. The True Saint Faction believes that everyone, regardless of status, as long as they are devout in their faith, should be able to directly hear the voice of the Three Saints. Everyone is their own pope, and the interpretation of the Three Saints' oracle should not be monopolized by a certain institution or even every individual.
It can be seen that the True Saint Faction is against the Cardinal Council and mainly against the pope. They oppose the strict hierarchical order of the Shining Light Church and the pope's sole arbitrary control over the oracle of the Three Saints. They believe that the pope deliberately misinterpreted the oracle of the Three Saints and used it to seek power to rule the world.
True Saint Faction believers yearn for the true oracle from the Three Saints without going through the pope. They believe that the massive Church, under the rule of the evil pope, has been twisted into a corrupt and huge oppressive machine. Their task is to destroy and purify this machine and liberate millions of believers.
If the Savior Descends Faction is more about emphasizing the importance of the Radiant Savior and denying the Three Saints, then the True Saint Faction is more about emphasizing the Three Saints and denying the pope.
Although the Savior Descends Faction is called a Shining Light Church otherworld, its overall structure is outside the Shining Light Church. With North Wu as its territory, there is a complete and strictly operating Church system under the Self-Interpreter. In a sense, it is actually a different religion with some common points with the Shining Light Church doctrine.
The True Saint Faction, on the other hand, does not have a clear organizational structure. It is completely dependent on the Shining Light Church for growth. Scattered organizational structures are secretly built within the normal institutions of the Shining Light Church, and it grows by proselytizing and attracting normal Shining Light Church clergy and believers. It is like a parasitic vine growing on a towering tree. Many local Church clergy join the True Saint Faction in secret for various reasons, and sometimes even high-ranking clergy are involved. Compared to the Savior Descends Faction, the True Saint Faction is the primary target of the Court of Tribunal.
"True Saint Faction... according to you, does that mean that in Friesland last year, there was True Saint Faction otherworld activity significant enough for Klama to personally go and investigate?"
Listening to Atcherly's words, Amanda continued to ask, and Dorothy, after recalling the information about the True Saint Faction in her mind, refocused her attention on the conversation between the two Cardinals.
"Yes... I cannot yet read from the Court of Tribunal's documents exactly how active the True Saint Faction was in Friesland at that time. It's possible that the oral message that Klama received back then could explain the situation in Friesland more clearly..."
Atcherly told Amanda this. Listening to Atcherly's words, Amanda couldn't help but fall silent for a moment. She was slightly lowering her head at the moment, thinking about something? Seeing Amanda's appearance, Atcherly couldn't help but ask again.
"Are you thinking of something, Captain?"
"Hmm... The True Saint Faction and this place, Friesland, do make me think of some things..." Listening to Atcherly's words, Amanda responded while thinking. Then, under the confused gazes of Vanya and Atcherly, Amanda looked up at the sky and slowly spoke again.
"Captain, you are the youngest Cardinal in the current Cardinal Council. There are many things you haven't experienced or known... More than four hundred years ago, the Friesland region had a very deep connection with the True Saint Faction..."
"More than four hundred years ago... Are you talking about the Turbid Current War period?" Listening to Amanda's words, Atcherly asked with slightly furrowed brows, and Amanda nodded and continued to respond.
"From the perspective of many believers today, the Turbid Current War was a large-scale holy war between the saint church and the Fetal Garment Cult. However, the matter is far more complicated than that. Although the Placenta was the biggest enemy of the saint church during the Turbid Current War, it was not the only enemy. Other evil cults took advantage of the saint church's weakness at that time and also joined in to take advantage, and even the otherworlds collectively caused trouble during that period.
"True Holy Faction... Although its influence has been small in recent years, not as much as the Savior Sect in North Wu, its influence was extremely large more than four hundred years ago. Its influence once spread throughout the entire saint church, not only local Archbishops but even the Cardinal Council was affected by it..."
"What... The Cardinal Council was also affected by the otherworld?" Hearing Amanda's words, Artcheri said with extreme surprise, while Amanda, after closing her eyes slightly and remaining silent for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"The Cardinal Council four hundred years ago... The then Save the World Cardinal Saint, Amanda, Yunina. The then Holy War Cardinal Saint, Hilbert, Angelo. The then Court of Tribunal Cardinal Saint, Klama, Fabrizio. All three were members of the True Saint Faction at that time. During the war, these three took advantage of the Holy See's ascension to almost control the entire saint church.
"While deliberately sending the remaining Cardinals to the front lines for bloody battles, they gathered at the summit of Holy Mountain, set traps, and attempted to assassinate the Holy See during the return ceremony to achieve what they called 'liberation'. However, they ultimately failed. The three and their large number of followers were all destroyed by the Holy See. Except for Yunina, who might have escaped by borrowing the power of an evil god, the other two were turned to ash.
"And Frisland was where the former Court of Tribunal Cardinal, Fabrizio, once served as Archbishop. When they rebelled, almost the entire Church in Frisland was controlled by the True Saint Faction. The otherworld rebellion that erupted in Frisland and other places dealt a huge blow to the loyal saint church army, which was still fighting the evil cult in the great Holy War, almost causing the entire situation to completely collapse. It indirectly led to the deaths of several Cardinals on the main battlefield in Iweig. After being defeated at Holy Mountain, Fabrizio fled to Frisland, but he was pursued by the power of the Holy See and incinerated into ash along with an entire city. Therefore, Frisland is also Fabrizio's burial place."
"After the Holy See's return, he first quelled the internal strife, and then intervened to turn the tide, defeating the evil cult army at a critical moment and allowing the saint church to win a tragic victory in the Turbid Current War. However, after the war, the original Cardinal Council was almost completely wiped out and needed to be replaced..."
Looking at the sky, Amanda murmured as she recalled, and hearing Amanda's words, Artcheri couldn't help but show a look of surprise. While covering her forehead and focusing her mind to suppress the influence of Spirit Sight, she also spoke with emotion.
"So... this is the hidden secret of the saint church during the Turbid Current War? I've heard about the three great Cardinals—Save the World, Holy War, and Court of Tribunal—being executed by the Holy See during the Holy War. But the common explanation is that these three Cardinals were irredeemably infected by an evil god on the battlefield, and the Holy See reluctantly and painfully eliminated them... Is the real situation that they were actually otherworld themselves, and even attempted to assassinate the Holy See?!"
Artcheri spoke with obvious surprise, and Amanda also slowly nodded after looking around at the scenery.
"This is the change of the Heavenly Return that indeed happened on this Holy Mountain... Due to the Holy See's strict order, very few people could know about this matter unless they were direct participants from that year. Even in the current Cardinal Council, only a few direct participants like me can know about this..."
Amanda said with emotion, and hearing Amanda's words, Artcheri also couldn't help but take a deep breath. Amanda, in front of her, was among the oldest qualified members in the current Cardinal Council. Compared to a young Cardinal like herself, she indeed knew more.
"Phew... Thank you, Save the World Cardinal, for telling me. According to you, this information should have been strictly ordered to be kept secret by the Holy See? Why did you choose to tell me directly like this now?" Letting out a slight breath, Artcheri said to Amanda, who answered frankly.
"This is a different time... It's a special moment now. If anything is handled poorly, the saint church is very likely to be put in danger. There's no need to hide anything. If the information I just gave you can help you uncover the secrets of Frisland more easily, then it should be said so it can play its part. I think the Holy See will understand me after he knows."
Amanda answered so lightly and frankly. Hearing her words, Artcheri couldn't help but pause slightly, thinking that this was indeed the woman who dared to directly act ruthlessly against Klama in the Great Chapel.
"Oh, and one last question. The Holy See possesses the ability to see through people's minds. With this ability, there shouldn't be any acts of betrayal possible. Why were those three Cardinals able to deceive the Holy See back then?"
Artcheri continued to ask Amanda, and after a moment of silence upon hearing Artcheri's words, Amanda continued to answer.
"Regarding this... I also find it strange. Theoretically, the Holy See should be able to easily see into everyone's hearts, and no disloyal thoughts can be hidden from him. But even under such circumstances, Yunina and the others still successfully rebelled. The only explanation seems to be that their treacherous nature didn't slowly develop, but rather rapidly expanded during the Holy See's ascension? Although this explanation is a bit far-fetched, it's the only explanation I can come up with from my perspective...
"Although I was a direct participant in this incident, my status back then wasn't high enough, so the things I could truly access were limited. The only one who could truly understand the entire course of events back then, besides the Holy See, is Yunina, who has already become the leader of the evil cult..."
Amanda finished speaking to Artcheri, which also caused Artcheri to fall into contemplation. After this, Artcheri talked with Amanda for a while longer, discussing some other specific matters before taking her leave.
Artcheri was going to start secret talks with the other Cardinals. She planned to exclude Klama and hold a small Cardinal Council meeting tomorrow specifically to discuss the issues concerning Klama and Frisland, and decide whether to take some mandatory intervention actions.
And throughout their conversation, Vanya stood nervously to the side, listening to the major secrets of the Shining Light Church while acting as a camera and listening device for Dorothy.
...
'Phew... I didn't expect there to be so many hidden stories during the Turbid Current War. So, Yunina's betrayal back then wasn't a solo act. For three out of six Cardinals to turn at the same time, that's quite something...'
Inside No. 17, Green Shade Town, North Tivian, Dorothy sat at her desk, reviewing the information she had just received from Holy Mountain, and couldn't help but sigh as she thought to herself.
'So... Frisland was once the base and burial place of the treacherous Court of Tribunal Cardinal, Fabrizio, and also one of the main areas of the True Saint Faction rebellion... I wonder what the current abnormality in Frisland has to do with this Fabrizio? I wonder what the Corpse Coffin is planning there?'
While thinking this, Dorothy also stretched her body with a big yawn. After rubbing her shoulders and standing up from her chair to move around, she then thought to herself.
'Next, I just have to wait for those Cardinals to discuss and come up with a result. If tomorrow's meeting is handled well, not only can I suppress Klama, who has issues with me and problems himself, but I can also get the Church to send people to check on Stimnam's situation, helping me as a vanguard. If I'm lucky, I can get a few more Cardinals involved as well, making it easier to borrow their strength when the time comes...'
Dorothy calculated in her mind like this, then looked at the not-late sky outside the window, and left the room, wondering what to eat tonight.
...
The moon set and the sun rose. Soon, the night quickly passed. At the summit of Holy Mountain, eternally enveloped by a halo, the not-so-obvious daytime finally arrived.
According to yesterday's agreement, Amanda, dressed in casual clothes, brought Vanya with her to the location agreed upon with Artcheri the day before – a secluded small chapel on Holy Mountain. However, when Amanda walked through the chapel door, all she saw was Artcheri standing there alone with a solemn face; none of the other Cardinals had come.
"What... Did I come too early? I thought I was late..."
Seeing the current situation, Amanda said with frank confusion, while Artcheri also spoke with a solemn face.
"You did come a bit late... It's just that they aren't coming at all."
"Not coming? Did you fail to persuade them?" Hearing Artcheri's words, Amanda couldn't help but ask in confusion, while Artcheri replied with a slight shake of her head.
"No, I already told them about Stimnam and Klama's abnormalities yesterday. I woke them up from their state of forgetting, and they agreed to hold the meeting now. But when I arrived, I found none of them had come... So I went to find them again, but found that they had actually forgotten Stimnam again, along with almost all the series of topics about Stimnam that I discussed with them yesterday..."
"They actually... forgot again?" Hearing Artcheri's words, Amanda said with a frown and concentration, while Amanda continued to speak seriously.
"Yes... Yes, even if I explain things clearly to them again and wake them up again, they will forget again within two minutes. It's the same no matter how I change my wording or approach. In this situation, there's no way to gather them, and no way to make them notice the abnormality...
"It's really strange... Why is this happening? I haven't gone back since I woke up..." With a grim expression, Artcheri said frankly, and hearing Artcheri's words, Amanda and Vanya couldn't help but be slightly startled. Then they exchanged glances, and Amanda said with a serious expression.
"Actually, to be honest, the reason I came late today is also because I forgot about yesterday's matter."
"What, you forgot too... Then how did you..." Artcheri said in surprise and curiosity, and just as she was wondering, she suddenly thought of something and looked at Vanya beside her, who then swallowed a mouthful of saliva and spoke.
"Yes... Your Excellency, the Cardinal of Surveillance, you guessed correctly. Not long ago, because Her Excellency Amanda was delayed in setting off, it was I who reminded her, making her suddenly remember. And the reason I have been able to maintain my memory is because I have always maintained a special connection with that existence...
"Now it seems this power of forgetting is extremely powerful, so powerful that only that one can awaken the forgotten things in the forgetful... But it seems this awakening is not permanent, and the forgetful person will still forget after a while...
"Your Excellency, the Cardinal of Surveillance, you have been continuously communicating with that one about these matters through letters recently, so naturally you won't forget. And I, maintaining contact with that existence, also won't forget. Her Excellency Amanda established an indirect communication link with that one through me, so she can maintain her memory for a slightly longer time. As for the other Cardinals who communicated with you but don't even have an indirect connection with that one, they can't even maintain short-term memories...
"In this Sea of Forgetfulness, it seems only the existence of that one is the visible isolated island. Only by being on it or near it can we resist the flow of memory..."
Facing the two Cardinals before her, Vanya said seriously, and upon hearing Vanya's words, Amanda and Artcheri couldn't help but feel their hearts sink.
They knew that in this incident, they might not be able to rely much on the power of other Cardinals.
...
Prit East Coast, Tivian.
In the early morning, in the port area of East Tivian, the buzzing sound of steam whistles spread everywhere on the bustling dock.
Among the coming and going crowd, under the shadow of a huge steamship, a woman with dark skin and a good figure, wearing a plain long dress and a sun hat, pulling a large suitcase, was standing there, looking at the boat ticket in her hand.
"Heading to, New Jacque..."
"Phew... It's been a long time... time to travel far away ahhhh wuwu~"
While sighing, Naifnis said with a big yawn. Then, as she stretched to shake off her sleepiness, a sea breeze blew in from the sea, directly blowing away the boat ticket that she was only holding a small corner of, sending it fluttering away into the distance.
"Hey... Hey... Hey hey!! Don't go, my ticket!"
Seeing the blown-away boat ticket, Neff immediately ran after it without stopping, and after less than two steps, she finally grabbed the ticket back into her hand, making her let out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... Thankfully, thankfully..."
Letting out a long breath, Neff said thankfully, holding the fluttering ticket in her hand. But when she turned around, her entire body froze in place, because the suitcase she had placed there was now nowhere to be seen.
"Uh..."
For a moment, one of Tivian's saviors, the Extraordinary who had once channeled the past kings of Prit, stood frozen in place. And Dorothy, who had been observing Neff's perspective, couldn't help but slap her forehead and say with a somewhat helpless shake of her head.
"Ah, she's almost a Scarlet person... This is really..."