North Tivian, Cathedral District.
In the deep of night, the Cathedral District is serene and peaceful. The evening prayers have concluded, and the priests and nuns, after performing their final rituals of the day, have returned to their residences. The evening bells have gradually ceased, and the scattered lights have dimmed.
At this moment, in a modest single-room suite within the nuns’ dormitory of the Cathedral District, the glow of a gas lamp shines through the window. Vania, dressed in a white cotton nightgown, sits at her desk by the window. Beside her on the floor is a brazier, its embers crackling softly, providing a gentle warmth to the room.
Seated at her desk, Vania is intently reading something. Upon closer inspection, it is a letter filled with writing. Next to the letter on the desk is an opened envelope. On the envelope, written in Pritt Common script, is the recipient’s name: "The White Prayer."
Adjusting the glasses on her nose, Vania carefully reads the letter by the light of the gas lamp.
…
"To White Prayer,
I am delighted to receive your letter once again. It has been a while since your last correspondence, and I must admit, I was somewhat concerned that the Church might have discovered something about you. Fortunately, that does not seem to be the case.
Now, to the main point. I read your previous letter and was pleased to see your deep insights into the Mother of Chalice. Writing such thoughts suggests that you have begun to engage with the literature I sent you.
Your progress is impressive, and your enthusiasm leaves a strong impression. However, I must remind you that the texts I sent, while only lightly so, do contain cognitive poison. For us free researchers, such influences are inconsequential. Even if it is cognitive poison, it is also truth. To be influenced by truth is something we eagerly seek. We do not fear such influences. But you are different. You are still a follower of the Radiance Church. If your thoughts are too deeply affected, it may manifest as abnormalities. I do not wish for you, a rare seeker of the Mother’s truth, to be sent to the Inquisition due to such anomalies. Therefore, I suggest you slow your pace of reading.
Your insights into the Mother of Chalice are quite profound. Indeed, the Mother of Chalice and the Holy Mother share many similarities. Both are deities who love all living beings, treating every life as their own child. We are all children of the Holy Mother... or the Mother of Chalice. Just as a mother loves her child, we should also love our mother. The similarities between the two deities suggest that there may be a deeper connection between them.
The connection between the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice is a topic of great research value. As you know, our group is dedicated to studying the Mother of Chalice, but we have not made any groundbreaking progress recently. This research topic on the connection between the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice holds great promise. However, due to our lack of resources on the Holy Mother, we have not been able to make much progress. Given that you are part of the Church, our resources could complement each other. If we collaborate on this research, I believe we could achieve significant results.
Thus, this letter is also an invitation—an invitation to jointly pursue the truth. If you are willing to join us in this research, please respond in your next letter.
Yours faithfully, Wolf Scholar"
…
Sitting at her desk, Vania finishes reading the letter and lets out a long sigh. Rubbing her temples, she murmurs to herself.
"Another letter... and this time, they seem to trust me even more... I suppose it’s thanks to Miss Dorothy’s clever writing..."
Vania says this because the letter is from none other than the Wolf Blood Society.
Back when Vania was accidentally kidnapped and taken to the werewolf Smith’s hideout, Dorothy devised a plan to save her. Vania was portrayed as a nun with heretical tendencies, influenced by Cork. Through the words of Dorothy’s marionette, Davic, Smith, who had initially planned to kill Vania, came to believe that she was a hidden heretic of the Holy Mother faction. Thus, he decided to use Vania as a replacement for Cork, whom they had previously corrupted, and reported Vania’s situation to the higher-ups of the Wolf Blood Society.
After Smith died in a series of battles against the Holy Knights, the Hunters, and Dorothy’s corpse marionettes, Dorothy manipulated his corpse to communicate with the higher-ups of the Wolf Blood Society. She informed them that the heretic nun had been sent back and provided contact information. Shortly after, the Wolf Blood Society contacted Vania through the White Craftsmen’s Guild.
Following Dorothy’s advice, Vania created an account at the White Craftsmen’s Guild under the name "White Prayer." The Wolf Blood Society sent letters to this account, and Vania could periodically check and collect them at the guild. When Vania wanted to reply, she would send her letters to the guild account "Wolf Scholar." Since Vania, due to her position, could not frequently visit the guild, she authorized Dorothy to help her collect and send letters. Dorothy would use her corpse marionettes to discreetly exchange letters with Vania.
This is how Vania and the Wolf Blood Society have been communicating for quite some time since the Smith incident.
During this period, the Wolf Blood Society has continuously tested Vania in their letters, probing her beliefs and intentions from various angles. Upon receiving the letters, Vania would immediately consult Dorothy about how to respond. Dorothy, after understanding the contents of the letters, would offer her advice for Vania to consider.
Thanks to the reference of the Cork corruption texts, and with Dorothy’s help, Vania has successfully portrayed herself as a nun influenced by heretical Holy Mother faction ideas, gaining the initial trust of the Wolf Blood Society. In the previous letter, the Wolf Blood Society even sent a mystical text along with their correspondence, aiming to further corrupt Vania.
“Just as Miss Dorothy said, they are starting to try to deepen my corruption. They probably want to turn me into a replacement for Cork... This mystical text is just the beginning…”
Vania thinks to herself, then glances at the leather-bound book next to the letter. This mystical text was sent by the Wolf Blood Society, and with Aka’s help, she can read it without being affected by its cognitive poison.
“According to Miss Dorothy, these people ultimately want to turn me into a replacement for Cork and secretly harm the Church. Pretending to be a heretic and communicating with them feels awkward... but it is a way to uncover their plans. Now, I have the ability to monitor these cultists’ schemes.”
“These cultists are doing everything they can to corrupt the Holy Mother’s faith, creating heretics like Cork within the Holy Mother faction. Perhaps I can use this opportunity to understand their true goals.”
Looking at the letter and the mystical text, Vania thinks to herself. Initially, when Dorothy suggested she pretend to be a heretic and interact with the Wolf Blood Society, Vania was reluctant. It felt uncomfortable, and there was a risk in acting alongside such a dangerous organization.
However, Dorothy eventually convinced Vania by arguing that this would allow them to preempt the Wolf Blood Society’s evil schemes, save innocent lives, and prevent the corruption of the Holy Mother’s faith. Dorothy could see that, despite Vania’s seemingly timid nature, she was deeply responsible at heart.
Although Vania’s faith had essentially shifted to Akasha, since Akasha’s faith had no doctrines or commandments, Vania could not express her piety through adherence to any rules. Thus, she continued to follow the Holy Mother’s teachings and remained hostile to the Wolf Blood Society’s attempts to corrupt the Holy Mother’s faith.
And so, under Dorothy’s persuasion, Vania willingly agreed to cooperate and pretend to be a heretic to interact with the Wolf Blood Society.
Putting the letter down, Vania pauses for a moment, then turns her gaze to the Holy Scripture beside her. She continues to think.
“It’s time to reply to them again. As usual, I’ll seek Miss Dorothy’s advice.”
With that thought, Vania picks up the Holy Scripture and flips through it. Soon, she finds Dorothy’s communication page and begins to write.
"Miss Dorothy, the Wolf Blood Society has sent a new letter. They seem to almost fully believe that I am a heretic now. They have invited me to collaborate with them on researching the connection between the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice."
Vania writes this in the Holy Scripture, and soon, a familiar handwriting appears on the page in response.
"Good. Now, tell me in detail, what exactly did they say..."
For the next while, Vania and Dorothy discuss the contents of the Wolf Blood Society’s letter. As usual, after understanding the latest correspondence, Dorothy guides Vania on how to craft her reply. Following Dorothy’s advice, Vania begins drafting a new letter.
Finally, after the reply is mostly finalized, Dorothy writes one last response in the Holy Scripture.
"Then, respond to them as outlined above. Oh, and since they are starting to trust you, you can add one more thing. Vania, remember to write this at the end of your reply...
“Respected Wolf Scholar,
In our recent exchanges, I have come to understand the Mother of Chalice more deeply. Indeed, She may not be the evil deity the Church portrays Her to be. With your help, I have learned that the Mother of Chalice and the Holy Mother share so many similarities. The teachings of the Mother of Chalice complement those of the Holy Mother in many ways. After thorough consideration, I have developed a deep curiosity about the Mother of Chalice.
Therefore, to better understand the Mother of Chalice and to show respect in my research, I hope you can provide me with a holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice. If you agree, please send the symbol along with your next letter.
Sincerely, White Prayer"
…
Dorothy’s handwriting gradually appears on Vania’s Holy Scripture. Reading the words on the page, Vania nods thoughtfully and murmurs.
"Miss Dorothy... do you need a holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice?"
…
North Tivian, outside the east gate of King’s Campus, Green Shade Town.
In the night, the lights of Green Shade Town still shine brightly. Inside No. 17, Dorothy, dressed in a nightgown, sits on the sofa in the living room. The fireplace beside her crackles with a warm glow, and on the coffee table in front of her lies the open Literary Sea Logbook, displaying Vania’s handwriting.
Holding a pen, Dorothy writes in the logbook by the firelight, communicating with Vania. After a while, she finally finishes explaining everything to Vania, closes the logbook, and lets out a sigh of relief.
"Phew... With this, the holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice is also within reach."
Leaning back comfortably on the sofa, Dorothy murmurs to herself. After interacting with the Wolf Blood Society for so long, Dorothy has finally seized the opportunity.
Among the six Pure-Color Deities holy symbols Dorothy needs for her advancement, the holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice has always been planned to be obtained from the Wolf Blood Society. Under Dorothy’s earlier schemes, the Wolf Blood Society was bound to contact Vania in an attempt to control and corrupt her. Since, in the eyes of the Wolf Blood Society, Vania’s heretical thoughts were influenced by Cork—specifically, the heretical ideas about the connection between the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice—the Wolf Blood Society would naturally approach Vania from this angle.
To corrupt Vania, the Wolf Blood Society would continue to feed her Cork’s heretical teachings, deliberately equating the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice. Under the influence of such ideas, it would be entirely reasonable for Vania to request a holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice from the Wolf Blood Society. When the Wolf Blood Society sees a Holy Mother follower asking for a Mother of Chalice holy symbol, they would likely be pleased with their successful corruption efforts.
“So... the holy symbol of the Mother of Chalice should be within reach soon. Adding to the Stone Prince holy symbol I recently bought from Beverly, the Radiant Savior holy symbol donated by the Church, and the King of the Underworld holy symbol obtained from the Nether Coffin Order today, I now have four of the six Pure-Color Deities holy symbols... The collection speed is surprisingly fast…”
Sitting on the sofa, Dorothy thinks to herself. The speed at which she is collecting the Pure-Color Deities holy symbols has exceeded her expectations. She now has four in her possession, leaving only two more: the holy symbols of Revelation and Shadow deities.
“Only two left... but these are also the most elusive... Revelation and Shadow... I still haven’t confirmed who the main deities are or how to obtain their holy symbols…”
Dorothy strokes her chin, deep in thought. Regarding Revelation, she can only continue to search for clues related to the Star Numerology Scriptorium. For now, she can only hope that Adèle might find some of her teacher’s research documents.
As for Shadow, it’s even more uncertain. Dorothy is unaware of any societies that worship a pure Shadow deity. In Dorothy’s view, the pure Shadow deity might be the Mirror Moon Goddess, but according to the inscriptions in the ruins beneath the school, her cult had left Pritt long ago, making it impossible to find.
“Although there are no organizations directly worshipping the Mirror Moon Goddess, both the Serenity Bureau and the Eight-Spired Nest seem to have some connection to her. The Eight-Spired Nest is destroying Mirror Moon statues and performing blasphemous rituals, while the Serenity Bureau headquarters houses a massive statue of her. Both organizations are primarily Shadow-aligned... If I want to uncover information about the Mirror Moon Goddess, I might have to start with them.”
Dorothy thinks this as she gazes into the fire, formulating a plan for her future investigations. Then, she stretches and yawns.
"Alright... I’ll take my time with the holy symbols. For now, it’s time to sort through today’s spoils~"
With that, Dorothy takes out her magic box, opens it, and begins to lay out today’s loot—the mystical texts obtained from the Nether Coffin Order—on the coffee table.