“Gluttonous Wolf, Abyssal Serpent, Plague Vulture...?”
Hearing Adèle’s words, Dorothy couldn’t help but frown slightly. This was the first time she had heard of other deities within the Afterbirth Cult, and the first time she had learned about deities in the Chalice path other than the Gluttonous Wolf.
“According to Adèle, it seems that each branch, when developed to its peak, corresponds to a deity. The Gluttonous Wolf is the pinnacle of the Beast branch, which is primarily Chalice with Shadow as a secondary aspect. The Abyssal Serpent is the pinnacle of the Torrent branch, primarily Chalice with Lantern as a secondary aspect. The Plague Vulture is the pinnacle of the Plague branch, primarily Chalice with Silence as a secondary aspect…”
“I’m already quite familiar with the Beast branch of the Gluttonous Wolf, but this Torrent branch of the Abyssal Serpent... it feels like it might be related to the Hydromancer. I’ve heard before that Chalice is incompatible with Stone, so it has its own unique way of achieving elemental transformation. Now it seems that Chalice relies on Lantern for elemental transformation? Does some property of Lantern catalyze Chalice’s elemental expression? How interesting…”
“And then there’s the Plague branch of the Plague Vulture. From the description, it seems to be a Beyonder path that deals with plagues and diseases. It seems the Chalice path has quite a variety of Beyonder types…”
“Another thing worth noting is that the structure of the Afterbirth Cult seems somewhat similar to the Radiance Church. If we place the Mother of Chalice in the position of the Radiant Savior, then wouldn’t the Gluttonous Wolf, Abyssal Serpent, and Plague Vulture correspond to the Three Saints of the Radiance Church? Both the Radiant Savior and the Mother of Chalice seem to be pure Lantern and Chalice deities, while the Three Saints and the Afterbirth Triad seem to be mixed deities. In the Radiance Church, the Radiant Savior is not the primary object of worship, and in the Afterbirth Cult, the Mother of Chalice is also not the primary object of worship due to the lack of divine edicts. The primary objects of worship have shifted to the Afterbirth Triad... Is there some connection here?”
After hearing Adèle’s information-packed words, Dorothy began to organize the information in her mind. For a moment, Ed, sitting in front of Adèle, fell silent. Adèle, however, was in no hurry. She lit a cigarette and began to smoke, smiling as she silently watched the man before her. After a period of silence, Ed finally spoke again.
"Thank you for the information, Miss Adèle. I haven’t had much exposure to the Afterbirth Cult before, so this has been quite enlightening."
"It’s nothing~ In the mysticism world, information doesn’t flow freely. What might be common knowledge to some Beyonders could be completely unknown to others. Perhaps some of the common knowledge you possess, Detective, might be quite novel to me~"
Adèle said to Ed, then exhaled a puff of smoke before continuing."Compared to your lack of knowledge about the Afterbirth Cult, I’m more interested in your ability to handle cognitive poison. The cognitive poison attached to the information I just shared, though specially treated and not particularly strong, still surprised me with how quickly you recovered..."
Adèle said this, clearly implying that the information she had shared was not without cognitive poison. Having been tricked by Aldrich before, Dorothy was well aware of this. So, while organizing the information, she had Ed appear to be momentarily stunned, giving Adèle the illusion that he had been affected by the cognitive poison.
"As a detective, collecting and analyzing various types of information is of utmost importance. So, it’s only natural to carry some immediate-use cognitive poison prevention measures."
Ed replied calmly to Adèle, who smiled in response.
"Heh... you really do always carry yourself as a detective, Mr. Ed. Alright, do you have anything else to ask? I don’t often owe favors, so you should make good use of this opportunity."
"Alright, I’d like to know more about the Afterbirth Cult. According to you, Miss Adèle, the Afterbirth Cult primarily worships three deities... along with the Mother of Chalice, who has no divine edicts. It seems the structure of the Afterbirth Cult is quite similar to the Radiance Church. Is there any reason for this?"
Ed asked, then waited for Adèle’s response. After hearing his question, Adèle glanced at him and smiled.
"Heh... you’re giving me too much credit, Detective. It’s true that the Afterbirth Cult and the Radiance Church have similar structures, but the reason for this likely involves some divine secrets that are beyond my current level of understanding."
Holding her cigarette between two fingers, Adèle continued slowly.
"However, if I were to say, the similarity between the Radiance Church and the Afterbirth Cult is only superficial. In essence, they are worlds apart.”
"Although it may seem like their structures are similar, in reality, the three major factions within the Afterbirth Cult have significant conflicts. The three sects of the Afterbirth Triad often engage in internal strife and even outright warfare. It’s more accurate to say they are three independent churches rather than three sects of the same cult.”
"The Wolf Blood Society, which worships the Gluttonous Wolf, the Abyssal Cult, which worships the Abyssal Serpent, and the Filth Monastery, which worships the Plague Vulture, are all nominally part of the Afterbirth Cult, but in reality, they operate independently, with no one able to control the others. In this regard, they are quite different from the Radiance Church. Although the Three Saints of the Radiance Church have their own factions, they are able to maintain unity, act in concert, and build the church together. This is quite different from the Afterbirth Cult, which is rife with infighting.”
"If the Afterbirth Triad could act in unison, they might be able to confront the Radiance Church head-on. But unfortunately, that’s impossible."
Adèle spread her hands as she spoke. Hearing her words, Dorothy gained a deeper understanding of the Afterbirth Cult. She realized that the deities within the Chalice domain didn’t seem to get along well with each other. The Afterbirth Cult seemed more like an empty shell, with the real power and authority lying in the three sects under its name.
“From this perspective, the Radiance Church seems quite united. It’s likely that the cooperation between the Three Saints is what has allowed the Radiance Church to become the most powerful force it is today. I wonder what factors enable the Three Saints to be so unified. Is it because they are all incarnations of the Radiant Savior, and thus fundamentally one? Meanwhile, the three children of the Mother of Chalice are at each other’s throats.”
Dorothy pondered this in her mind. After thinking for a while longer, she continued to ask Adèle through Ed.
"Thank you for your explanation, Miss Adèle. But I still have some questions. You mentioned the three branches within the Chalice path, but your ability to control desires doesn’t seem to align with any of those three branches. Your path isn’t among those three, is it...?"
Dorothy continued to have Ed ask Adèle. Hearing Ed’s question, Adèle smiled slightly.
"Oh~ Now you’re asking about my path? Asking a Beyonder about their path is quite impolite, Detective. It’s like asking a lady her age."
"It’s just curiosity. I believe I’ve shown enough goodwill to avoid any misunderstandings. If you feel offended, Miss Adèle, I can apologize."
Ed spoke politely, while Adèle tapped her cigarette into an ashtray and responded.
"Hehe... it’s fine, I was just joking. You’ve helped me a great deal tonight, Detective. How could I refuse a request to know more about me? I can tell you, but don’t spread it to the reporters~"
Adèle spoke half-jokingly, her tone still filled with a teasing undertone. Seeing this, Dorothy couldn’t help but twitch her lips, wondering if this woman was actually trying to seduce Ed. Just as Dorothy was thinking this, Adèle spoke again.
"My path is the Desire branch, primarily Chalice with Revelation as auxiliary. I am currently a White Ash rank Desire Dancer. Among all Chalice path Beyonders, those of my branch are extremely rare."
Adèle revealed her branch to Ed. Hearing this, Dorothy’s heart skipped a beat. Although she had suspected as much, she hadn’t expected Adèle to actually be a Revelation-auxiliary Beyonder!
"Your auxiliary spirituality is Revelation? Heh, Miss Adèle, I think not just among Chalice path Beyonders, but among all Beyonders, those with Revelation as an auxiliary are quite rare."
Ed spoke, and at the same time, Dorothy’s heart grew eager. After all, encountering a Revelation-auxiliary Beyonder could mean gaining information about the Star Numerology Scriptorium. The ruins beneath King’s Campus were revealed to her by Aldrich, a Stone-primary, Revelation-auxiliary Beyonder. Now, meeting Adèle, she might be able to obtain some crucial information.
"Indeed... Revelation-auxiliary Beyonders are few and far between in the mysticism world. I was guided onto this path by my teacher, and it was also by chance that I ended up on this path."
Adèle responded. Hearing her words, Dorothy raised an eyebrow, noticing the key point in her statement, and had Ed ask.
"Miss Adèle’s teacher? So you were also guided onto this rare path by someone? May I ask what kind of person your teacher was?"
"It seems the Detective is quite interested in my teacher."
"Indeed, I am very interested. To be honest, the society I belong to is collecting information on all aspects of Revelation spirituality. I believe a truly experienced Revelation-auxiliary Beyonder would be someone we’d like to consult."
Ed spoke frankly. Hearing his words, Adèle paused, her expression darkening slightly. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.
"I see... In the past, I might have introduced you to her, but now that’s no longer possible. The society my teacher founded, the Joyous Dance Society, was destroyed by the Wolf Blood Society. She died at the hands of those wolf cubs. I am one of the remnants of the Joyous Dance Society."
Adèle spoke slowly, her tone no longer as lighthearted as before. Hearing this, Dorothy’s heart sank slightly.
"I’m sorry to bring up such painful memories, Miss Adèle."
"It’s alright, Detective. I’m not that fragile. As for my teacher... I do know a bit about her. If you’re truly interested in her, you can ask me."
Adèle said, placing a hand over her chest as she looked at Ed. After a moment of silence, Ed continued.
"Then allow me to be blunt... Miss Adèle, do you know how your teacher entered the Desire branch? Or rather, where did she find the method to use Revelation as an auxiliary?"
"This... I’m not entirely sure. I’ve heard my teacher say that she was able to walk this path due to a stroke of luck, but she never told me what that luck was..."
Adèle responded. Hearing her words, Dorothy felt a bit disappointed. At this moment, Adèle, deep in thought, continued.
"However, my teacher often conducted various researches alone to advance in the Desire branch. These researches involved a lot of knowledge about Revelation. For these studies, she consulted many Revelation mystical texts, visited many Revelation-related ruins, and left behind a lot of materials... I think if your society is also researching Revelation, you might be interested in my teacher’s materials."
Adèle said, tapping her chin. Hearing that her teacher had left behind materials, Dorothy’s spirits lifted, and she immediately had Ed speak.
"Then may I ask, where are those materials now? If possible, we might be interested in purchasing or borrowing them."
"That’s quite unfortunate. The materials aren’t in my possession. After the Joyous Dance Society was destroyed, almost all of its remaining assets were looted by the Wolf Blood Society. Those materials are likely still in the hands of the Wolf Blood Society in Tivian. If you want to get your hands on them, Detective, it might be quite difficult…”
"Of course, if you or your society are willing to take action against the Wolf Blood Society for those materials, perhaps we could help~"
Adèle said to Ed, her eyes glinting with a peculiar light. Dorothy immediately understood her intentions.
“This woman... she’s trying to use the materials as bait to tie me to her and fight the Wolf Blood Society together. What a schemer.”
"If you can confirm the whereabouts of those materials, Miss Adèle, we might be willing to take on the Wolf Blood Society. Of course, this is only if the information is accurate. We wouldn’t want to waste effort on something that might not exist."
Ed continued. Dorothy’s meaning was clear: if Adèle could confirm the location of the materials, she would be willing to help them fight the Wolf Blood Society.
Hearing Ed’s words, Adèle smiled with satisfaction and replied.
"In that case, we’ll do our best to gather relevant information and confirm the location of the materials. But once we have the information, how should I contact you, Detective?"
Adèle asked Ed. Hearing this question, Ed paused for a moment before responding.
"You can reach us through the White Craftsmen’s Guild. Just pay a fee and request their letter delivery service."
"The White Craftsmen’s Guild? Letter delivery? When did those profiteers start offering new paid services?"
Adèle frowned upon hearing about the White Craftsmen’s Guild, while Ed smiled and replied.
"Just recently. They’re probably still promoting it. If you go early, you might even get a discount."
Ed said this, and indeed, after Dorothy had Beverly help anonymously deliver items to the Serenity Bureau, Beverly immediately saw the business opportunity. As an organization that interacts with various secret societies, the White Craftsmen’s Guild could easily serve as a postal service for the mysticism world. They had recently launched a mailing service for secret societies, and even with early discounts, the prices were still quite steep.
"Heh... those profiteers always have new ways to make money. Alright, if we get any information about the materials, we’ll send you a letter through the White Craftsmen’s Guild. But... for the letter to reach you, we’ll need a recipient name. What should I write to ensure the letter reaches you?"
Adèle continued to ask, and at this moment, Ed smiled, straightened his clothes, and replied.
"You can address it to: The Rose Cross Order—Detective."
"The Rose Cross Order..."
Adèle murmured the name, seemingly deep in thought. Just then, a chime rang out in the room. Turning to look at the standing clock, she saw that it was now 9:30 PM—the time the performance had ended.
"It seems the performance is over, Miss Adèle. I should take my leave now. I look forward to the day we can cooperate again.”