During the previous battle in the woods, Dorothy took advantage of the ambush by the hunter squad on the personnel sent by the mysterious organization. She manipulated the corpse marionette black dog to snatch away the briefcase containing the "reward." However, in the process, the leader of the hunter squad noticed her actions and hurled a short sword, injuring the black dog and causing it to collapse.
Just as Dorothy thought her stealthy operation had failed, the hunter squad leader was attacked by the resilient squad leader of the mysterious organization, who had not yet succumbed to his injuries. The leader’s strike knocked off the hunter’s mask—a scene Dorothy witnessed through the vision of the black dog marionette hidden in the bushes.
The face of the hunter squad leader was one Dorothy recognized instantly—or rather, someone the original Dorothy would have recognized.
It was none other than her older brother, Gregor, who had left for the city years ago to find work!
Although he had grown taller and more mature, Dorothy could still identify him at a glance due to her deeply ingrained memories.
Dorothy never would have imagined that her brother Gregor had joined the Serenity Bureau and even risen to become the leader of a squad!
So this was what he meant in his letters when he said he was "doing well"?
"Sigh… well, I guess you’ve officially made it into the system. Aunt Hannah would definitely be overjoyed to hear about this," Dorothy muttered with a wry smile and a shake of her head.
In her memories, Gregor had always been a troublemaker in his youth. He loved to get into fights and stir up trouble, in stark contrast to the quiet, gentle, and well-behaved Dorothy. Aunt Hannah had spent countless hours worrying over him.
Gregor’s personality had been impulsive, and although no one in the village dared provoke him due to his fighting prowess, he was not fond of studying. Even basic literacy was a struggle for him. Aunt Hannah had assumed he would end up working in a factory if he went to the city—perhaps lucky enough to eventually land a foreman’s job. Who would have thought he’d become a government official with a respectable position?"I guess his job mostly involves fighting anyway, which suits him just fine…"
Shaking her head again, Dorothy dismissed her thoughts about Gregor. She shifted her focus to the wooden briefcase before her, the matter at hand being far more pressing.
"Let’s see what they call a generous reward…"
With that, Dorothy picked up the briefcase and walked away, her figure gradually vanishing into the night.
…
Carrying the spoils of the night, Dorothy returned to Vulcan Town and made her way to the inn where she was staying. Once inside her room, she locked the door securely behind her.
Sitting at the desk, Dorothy placed the briefcase on the table. After carefully examining it for any traps or surprises, she opened it. She had already instructed the corpse marionette to test it earlier, just to be safe, but now she began to thoroughly inspect its contents.
The briefcase was small and held only a few items: a folder containing documents, a small booklet, and a rectangular wooden box. After surveying the contents briefly, Dorothy first picked up the folder and opened it to examine its contents.
The folder held nothing extraordinary—some ink, blank writing paper, and a map of Igwynt County. Igwynt County was an administrative region of the Pritt Kingdom, roughly equivalent to a province. Dorothy’s current location was within this county.
In addition to the map, the folder contained a few letters written by Edrick to the organization. None of the letters held particularly meaningful information. Dorothy also found the photograph she had sent earlier in the folder.
"At least I managed to retrieve this…"
Relieved, Dorothy pocketed the photograph, thinking about the trouble it could have caused if it had fallen into the hands of her brother, the hunter squad captain.
After reviewing the contents of the folder, Dorothy turned her attention to the small booklet in the briefcase. The booklet appeared to be thin, with a dark red cover. On its surface was an indistinct, shallow imprint that barely resembled a simple cup.
Examining the booklet briefly, Dorothy picked it up. The moment she did, her brow furrowed slightly.
All of a sudden, she felt a strange sensation emanating from the seemingly ordinary booklet. It was as though she could sense something unusual contained within it…
The odd feeling only made Dorothy pause for a moment before she opened the booklet. The first page revealed a foreword, written specifically for Edrick, who was meant to receive this booklet.
______________
Congratulations on passing the test, Mr. Edrick. We will not forget your contributions to the organization. As promised, we present you with the reward we agreed upon. While the contents of this booklet may appear simple, they represent precious knowledge from the realm of beyond—secrets inaccessible to the average person. It will guide you into the beyond.
First, you must understand the origin of the beyond. It stems from spirituality. The concentration of spirituality gives rise to the beyond. If you ask where spirituality resides, the answer is that it is everywhere. Everything in this world, including yourself, possesses spirituality. The difference lies only in its abundance or scarcity, richness or poverty.
Next, you need to know that spirituality has attributes. Different spiritual attributes give rise to different forms of the beyond. The so-called path of the beyonder is the process of gathering specific types of spirituality within oneself and elevating one’s existence!
There are six attributes of spirituality, each with unique properties and symbolic meanings. I will provide a brief introduction to each. Keep in mind, however, that their true essence is profoundly complex, beyond even our complete understanding. What follows is only a cursory explanation.
The first is the "Lantern" of Order, also referred to as "Light" or "Staff." Call it what you will—the name isn’t fixed. This spirituality symbolizes the positive aspect of things: it is upward, active, orderly, and serves as a guide.
The second is the "Shadow," also known as "Moth" or "Sword," among other names. In contrast to the Lantern, it represents the negative aspect of things: it is downward, passive, chaotic, and hidden.
The third is the "Stone," which may also be called "Coin" or other such names. It symbolizes inanimate matter—mountains, water, minerals. It is the most materialistic and mundane of attributes, often considered the most boring.
The fourth is the great "Chalice"! The spirituality of "Blood"! The spirituality of "Flesh"! The spirituality of "Desire"! It represents the vitality of life and the pursuit of sensory and carnal pleasures. It is the greatest spirituality and is tied to the greatest true god! This is also the path you are destined to take! Praise the Blood Chalice! Under this great spirituality, let us follow the instincts of life…
______________
Dorothy skipped over the subsequent paragraphs filled with lengthy praises and moved directly to the fifth attribute.
______________
The fifth spirituality is commonly referred to as "Silence," the dangerous "Silence"! It is one of the spiritualities closely tied to the soul, symbolizing death, eternal rest, decay, and corruption. Always be wary of this spirituality!
As for the final spirituality, I initially thought there was no need to include it, as those who tread this path are so rare that you may never encounter one in your lifetime. However, for the sake of completeness, I will briefly mention it. Know that due to its rarity, most Beyonders remain entirely ignorant of this spirituality.
The final spirituality is called "Revelation." It is said to be another spirituality tied to the soul. According to legend, it symbolizes insight and awakening, profound intellect, and all-encompassing knowledge…