North Tivian, within the Historical Scripture Department of the Cathedral District.
In the morning, when the priests and nuns who had come to work discovered that the documents they used for study had been stored away, they were extremely agitated. After reporting the situation to their direct superiors, their superiors, showing great understanding, offered to draft a petition for them to sign collectively. This immediately lifted their spirits.
"That’s great! Let’s not waste any time. Please start drafting it now, Deacon Cork."
"Yes, once you draft it, we’ll definitely sign it!"
"Alright, alright, don’t rush. I’ll start writing now..."
With a cheerful smile, Cork picked up a pen and paper from the nearby table and slowly walked to his seat. He began writing the petition, while the priests and nuns of the Historical Scripture Department watched silently from a distance. Among them was Vania.
Unlike the other priests and nuns, Vania’s expression was serious.
“Deacon Cork... seems a bit strange…”
Frowning slightly, Vania thought to herself. Although she felt this way, she didn’t say anything. She simply watched as Cork finished drafting the petition and then had the priests and nuns of the Historical Scripture Department sign it one by one.
Everyone eagerly lined up to sign their names. When it was Vania’s turn, she had no reason to refuse and quietly signed her name before stepping aside, behaving no differently from the others.Soon, all the names from the Historical Scripture Department were on the petition. Cork picked up the petition, now filled with signatures, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, this collective petition... sufficiently represents everyone’s wishes. I’ll submit it shortly, and by this afternoon, I should be able to enter the archives. Rest assured, I’ll bring back all the documents that were stored away."
With a smile, Cork addressed the crowd, who looked at him with hopeful eyes. However, Vania’s gaze was filled with concern.
“I must inform Miss Dorothy immediately…”
…
Tivian North Suburbs, Green Shade Town, No. 17.
At noon, Dorothy, dressed in casual home clothes, sat on her sofa, staring at the Literary Sea Logbook on the coffee table in front of her. On the page dedicated to Vania’s communication, new words had just appeared.
"Ludo Cork... Intermediate Deacon of the Tivian Diocese of the Radiance Church, Head of the Historical Scripture Department..."
Reading the information Vania had sent, Dorothy murmured to herself. After seeing Vania’s description of the situation, Dorothy immediately sensed that someone might be using cognitive poison to cause trouble. Now, the suspect behind this scheme had emerged.
"Sister Vania, are you sure this Cork is problematic? According to your description, he’s your superior, isn’t he?"
Picking up her pen, Dorothy wrote on the logbook. Soon, Vania’s response appeared before her.
"I’m certain! Miss Dorothy, this morning, everyone in the Historical Scripture Department behaved strangely after losing access to those mystical texts. This is clearly the result of cognitive poisoning. As the head of our department, Deacon Cork should have noticed the anomaly.”
"However, instead of pointing out the unusual behavior, Deacon Cork actually encouraged everyone to sign a collective petition that would allow him access to the archives. This is highly suspicious."
Seeing Vania’s response, Dorothy’s expression turned serious. If what Vania said was true, then Cork indeed was a deep trouble.
“If Vania is correct... Cork is likely the mastermind behind this incident in the Historical Scripture Department. It seems his goal in poisoning the department was to obtain this collective petition to gain access to the church archives. His true objective must lie within the archives.”
Dorothy pondered this. After confirming Cork’s intentions, she realized time was of the essence.
“Cork can enter the archives this afternoon, meaning he will achieve his goal soon. If we want to take any action, we need to act quickly... But unfortunately, I don’t dare send my corpse marionettes into the Cathedral District…”
Dorothy thought to herself. Her first instinct was to take advantage of the situation and strike back, but since Cork was within the Cathedral District, she hesitated. The Radiance Church was arguably the most powerful organization in both the secular and mysticism worlds, a true supernational entity.
“Hmm... perhaps there’s another way…”
Dorothy thought this, then picked up her pen and wrote a reply to Vania in the logbook.
…
"Sister Vania, our waiting has paid off. The mastermind has surfaced. This afternoon is his moment to act, but it’s also our moment to act."
At noon, in the spacious Historical Scripture Department, Vania sat at her desk, intently reading her holy scripture, waiting for Dorothy’s reply. When new words appeared on the page, she couldn’t help but tense up.
“A moment to act? Is... Miss Dorothy planning to intervene in church affairs?”
Seeing Dorothy’s words, Vania was stunned. She had only expected Dorothy to offer some advice, but now it seemed Dorothy intended to get directly involved. As Vania was still processing this, more of Dorothy’s words appeared before her.
"Sister Vania, please prepare for two things now. First, prepare to report Deacon Cork’s actions to the most reliable institution within the church. Second, prepare a letter, typed on a typewriter, with the following content..."
As Vania read Dorothy’s instructions, her expression grew more serious.
…
Time flew by, and the sun began to set. Before long, it was afternoon.
At this moment, the Historical Scripture Department was bustling with activity. Several staff members from the church archives had gathered in the department’s main hall. They were opening the observation instrument safes and reinstalling the mystical texts that had been brought back from the archives. The priests and nuns of the Historical Scripture Department stood nearby, watching with great interest. They were all delighted, as they could finally resume studying these precious documents.
"Thank you so much, Deacon Cork. We truly appreciate your efforts in retrieving these documents. Your contribution to this research is immeasurable."
Standing beside Cork, a priest spoke with excitement, to which Cork replied with a smile.
"Ah, it was my fault for storing these documents away prematurely. Retrieving them is just me making up for my mistake."
"Deacon Cork, you’re so humble. Having you as our leader is truly a blessing from the Holy Mother."
"Not at all, I’m just doing my duty."
Cork spoke with a kind smile, but a faint glint of cunning flickered in his narrowed eyes.
“Having subordinates as easily influenced as you all is the real blessing…”
Cork thought to himself, his hand brushing against a hard object hidden beneath his robe, causing his smile to deepen.
Everything was going according to Cork’s plan. By storing the documents prematurely, he had caused the cognitively contaminated members of the Historical Scripture Department to express their dissatisfaction. He then drafted the petition, guided them to sign it, and used the collective will of the department to gain access to the archives, securing the authority to view and borrow books.
While drafting the petition, Cork had expanded the scope of the documents to include mystical texts that were not part of the original batch. As a result, Cork had successfully obtained additional mystical texts from the archives.
These additional texts were Cork’s true objective. When they were brought out of the archives, they were mixed with the other documents and transported out. Now, they were hidden beneath Cork’s robe.
“Next, I just need to find an opportunity to leave the Cathedral District and hand over the texts... In a few days, I’ll arrange another maintenance check to replace the fake lens in the instrument. The cognitive poisoning among these people is still mild, and for now, they’re only showing an increased focus on the documents. With regular prayers... the poisoning will fade over time.”
Glancing at the scene before him, Cork thought to himself. As the head of the Historical Scripture Department, he had the authority to arrange maintenance checks for the department’s instruments. Previously, during one such check, he had replaced an enchanted lens in the instruments with an ordinary one, weakening their resistance to cognitive poisoning and causing the department members to be mildly contaminated.
However, if he quickly replaced the lens and restored the instruments to normal, the mild cognitive poisoning among the department members would gradually dissipate. Meanwhile, the mystical texts that had been smuggled out of the Cathedral District would be rapidly studied by specialists outside at great cost.
“Once the smuggled texts are studied, they can be returned and re-entered into the archives along with the other documents. This way, there will be no trace left. Everything will be perfect.”
Cork continued to think. This was a well-thought-out plan, executed in collaboration with a secret society outside the church. If everything went smoothly, he wouldn’t be suspected, and no evidence would be left behind. He could continue serving as a deacon within the Radiance Church.
"All for the true essence of the Holy Mother..."
Leaving the noisy crowd, Cork muttered silently to himself as he walked toward the edge of the hall. After pushing open a door in the wall, he entered his office. As he approached his desk, his eyes were drawn to an envelope lying on it.
Seeing the envelope, Cork didn’t pay it much attention at first. His desk was often cluttered with various documents, letters, and newspapers. However, when he glanced at the recipient’s name written on the envelope, he froze.
"To Deacon Cork, who has just returned from stealing books from the archives."
Seeing these words, Cork’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly reached out and slapped the envelope shut. After glancing around, he immediately closed the office door.
Then, Cork sat back down at his desk. He slowly picked up the envelope, opened it, and pulled out the letter inside. Unfolding it, he began to read carefully. The letter had been typed, so there was no handwriting to identify.
After skimming through the letter, Cork’s heart tightened.
"Respected Deacon Cork, I am aware of the scheme you are carrying out within the church. Your plan is quite meticulous, but unfortunately, it has been leaked. Aside from myself, others are also aware of your intentions.
"Not everyone shares my hope that your plan will succeed. Those who know of your actions have already reported you to the Inquisition. I believe the heresy inquisitors will be coming for you soon.
"Due to various reasons, I do not wish to see you arrested. However, I cannot stop the reports against you. Therefore, I am sending you this letter to urge you to flee immediately. Leave the Cathedral District and run as far as you can. There’s still time, but if you delay, it will be too late."
Reading the letter, Cork sat frozen in place. A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead, and a chill ran down his spine.
…
North Tivian, at the edge of the Cathedral District.
A towering, castle-like building stood guarded by heavily armed Church Militia, who patrolled the area with strict vigilance.
This was the Inquisition, the headquarters of the Radiance Church’s heresy inquisitors, who were responsible for handling internal church affairs.
While Cork was reading the letter in his office, Vania was inside the Inquisition, undergoing questioning.
In a small, dimly lit room within the Inquisition, Vania sat nervously on a hard stool. In front of her was a small table with a cup of tea on it. Across the table sat two stern-looking priests with close-cropped hair, their shoulders adorned with badges featuring crossed swords and torches.
"Let’s confirm this again. Vania Chafferon, nun of the Historical Scripture Department, Junior Deacon, are you formally accusing your superior, Ludo Cork, Intermediate Deacon and Head of the Historical Scripture Department?"
One of the priests asked in a serious tone, staring at Vania. Vania swallowed hard before answering firmly.
"Yes, I confirm. Deacon Cork is highly suspicious of harboring heretical beliefs and may have even used heretical mystical texts to poison our entire department."
"Can you provide evidence?" the priest continued, and Vania immediately responded.
"The evidence is in the Historical Scripture Department. If you seal off the area now, inspect the mystical text observation instruments, and conduct cognitive poisoning tests on all department members, you’ll find the issue."
Vania’s tone was resolute. Hearing her words, the two inquisitors exchanged surprised glances. One of them then asked sternly.
"Sister Vania, can you take responsibility for your words? If your accusation is false, you will face severe consequences."
Hearing this, Vania felt a wave of anxiety, but she quickly composed herself and answered seriously.
"Yes, I can take responsibility."