Inside the theater’s auditorium, Dorothy sat in her seat, pondering how to resolve the current situation. To her, the circumstances were proving rather troublesome. The best solution she could think of was to manipulate the corpse marionette still stationed outside in the carriage. It could try to create a commotion, forcefully halting the charity event and thereby interrupting Bill’s search for her. However, this plan would cause a major disturbance, potentially exposing more vulnerabilities and drawing unwanted attention from others, making it an option Dorothy wasn’t particularly fond of.
Even so, if there were no better alternatives, Dorothy would have to go through with it. Just as she was weighing her options, a woman’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Lord, please save me! I just want to quietly watch a few performances…”
Hearing this unexpected voice in her mind, Dorothy was momentarily stunned. She quickly began investigating its origin, asking the system.
“System, where did that voice come from?”
“It originated from a prayer.”
The system responded in its usual indifferent manner, surprising Dorothy slightly.
“A prayer? A believer’s prayer? But wait… since when do I have believers? No, hold on… judging by the tone of that prayer, it’s that Radiance Church nun from before, isn’t it? But why can I hear her prayers? Aren’t the ‘Lords’ in her prayers supposed to be the saints of the Radiance Church?”
“The praying party subconsciously associates the term ‘Lord’ with you, and given her close proximity, her prayer was received.”
Hearing this explanation, Dorothy was taken aback. Raising her eyebrows slightly, she began to contemplate. “So… this Radiance Church nun subconsciously associates the term ‘Lord’ with me instead of the Trinity Saints? Could it be because I saved her and gave her tangible blessings? Interesting…”
“What’s even more interesting is that she’s nearby and wants to enjoy the performances in peace. Is she attending the charity show too?”
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Dorothy raised her head, scanning the surroundings. Before long, her gaze landed on an upper-level private box where several clergy members and a handful of nuns were seated.
“That must be the Radiance Church’s designated box. If she’s in this venue, she’s probably there…”
Looking at the distant box, new ideas began forming in Dorothy’s mind. She quickly turned her attention back to the system with another question.
“Hey, system, can I send a message back to the praying party in the same way I received hers?”
“You can. The communication channel has already been established. It remains silently closed under normal circumstances but can be activated at any time for unrestricted information exchange with the linked party, regardless of distance.”
“Wow, that’s convenient. So, once the channel is established, I can use it permanently? And it can even transmit prayers? That’s way more efficient than writing things down in the logbook.”
Dorothy found this direct method of communicating via the channel far more convenient. Writing messages in the logbook had always felt cumbersome and insecure. Being able to exchange information directly was undoubtedly preferable.
Now, Dorothy only needed to activate the channel to transmit a message to that believer. Perhaps she could rely on her to resolve her current predicament.
Dorothy considered issuing a “divine decree” in the name of Akasha, informing the believer that a Chalice cultist was hiding within the charity show. She could then instruct her to mobilize the Radiance Church to terminate the event and seal off the venue for a thorough investigation. If the believer had been sent by the church to attend the event, her status was likely not insignificant, so she should have some influence.
Just as Dorothy was about to implement this plan, she abruptly stopped, realizing a serious problem.
“No… I can’t notify her this way. What if the church questions her about the source of the information afterward?”
Dorothy furrowed her brows in thought. To the Radiance Church, Akasha—the entity she was impersonating—was a foreign god. If she truly issued a divine decree to that believer, even if the believer managed to mobilize the church to terminate the charity show and capture some members of the Eucharist, she wouldn’t be able to explain the source of the information when questioned later.
If she claimed it was her own investigation, she wouldn’t be able to concoct a plausible chain of evidence in such a short time. If she attributed it to a revelation from a foreign deity, it would spell trouble. And if she said it was a revelation from the saints of the Radiance Church, who knew whether the church had a way to verify the authenticity of such claims?
“Ugh… so, is there really no better way?”
Dorothy pondered deeply again. After some time, a new idea emerged.
“Maybe… I can adopt a different identity…”
As this thought took shape, Dorothy glanced toward the theater staff collecting invitation letters. Due to their repeated apologies to guests, their progress was slow, and they were still some distance away from her. Dorothy realized she had a bit more time.
Confirming the situation, Dorothy stood from her seat and quickly exited the auditorium. She headed to the second floor, finding an empty corridor where she located a restroom.
Once inside and ensuring she was alone, Dorothy closed her eyes and began formulating her thoughts in the tone of a prayer.
“Upon this endless mortal world, great Akasha… I pray to you. I am currently at a charity show in Igwynt City, Pritt Kingdom, in the Old Continent. I’ve made initial progress in investigating the ‘wolves,’ but I’m now in a predicament. However, I sense a companion nearby. I need her help. I’ll wait for her in the restroom on the second floor, left corridor, outside the venue.”
Dorothy then sent her prayer through the communication channel to the believer.
…
Inside the Radiance Church’s private box, Vania, who was struggling with tiresome socializing, suddenly froze. A female voice praying unexpectedly resounded in her mind.
“Upon this endless mortal world, great Akasha… This… does this refer to the divine Akasha? There’s another believer of Them in this venue? And they’re in trouble, sensing my presence and requesting my help?”
Vania’s expression momentarily turned blank with shock. Her unusual demeanor drew the attention of a nearby priest.
“Sister Vania, is something the matter?”
“Ah… haha, my apologies. I suddenly felt the need to use the restroom. Please continue chatting; I’ll be back shortly.”
Realizing the situation, Vania quickly covered up with a smile. The priest, unconcerned, replied, “Oh, I see. Go ahead, but don’t miss the main performances.”
“Like I could enjoy even one performance with all of you here…”
Vania muttered inwardly but maintained a polite smile. “Of course, I’ll be back soon.”
She excused herself and left the box. After exiting the auditorium, she hurried up to the second floor, walking briskly toward the empty left corridor before stepping into the restroom.
There, she saw a young woman dressed in a gray-black formal gown and hat adorned with ribbons. Her long white hair cascaded down her back, and she appeared to be a couple of years younger than Vania. The beautiful girl greeted the slightly winded Vania with a smile.
“Hello, fellow seeker of truth, my ‘companion.’”