North Tivian, Cathedral District.
In a quiet corner of the bustling Hymn Cathedral, the corpse marionette controlled by Dorothy, Ed, smiles as he presents his terms to the royal knight Misha. Having dealt with this detective before, Misha isn’t particularly surprised by his proposal.
“Payment, huh… Alright, what do you want this time?”
Looking at Ed, Misha speaks directly, and Ed responds with a serious expression.
“At least four mystical texts, preferably all related to Chalice. If that’s not possible, a mix of Stone and Shadow will do. Additionally, seven Shadow storage items. If you have any information about the Star Numerology Scriptorium, we can adjust the price accordingly.”
Waving a finger, Ed lays out his price to Misha. After a moment of surprise, Misha continues.
“Seven Shadow storage items, plus mystical texts… That’s a bit steep. Unfortunately, the most valuable information we have about the Star Numerology Scriptorium is the underground ruins beneath Crown University. You’ve probably already explored that, so we don’t have anything new to offer. But… since we’re both enemies of the Eight-Spired Nest, can’t you lower the price a bit, considering our shared foe?”
Misha bargains with Ed, who maintains his smile as he responds.
“Enemies are enemies, and business is business. To be frank, Miss Misha, while our relationship with the Eight-Spired Nest is somewhat strained, and we’ve had a few minor clashes, the fundamental conflict between us isn’t that significant—at least not compared to yours. As things stand… we don’t have an obligation to oppose the Eight-Spired Nest to the end.”
Dorothy has Ed speak these words, and upon hearing them, Misha’s expression darkens slightly. After a brief pause, she sighs and says.“Alright, I agree to your terms. Once I return to the bureau, I’ll have the items you need sent through the White Craftsmen’s Guild.”
“Excellent. Pleasure doing business, Miss Misha.”
Ed continues to smile as he speaks, while Misha wonders what this mysterious organization plans to do with these items.
“Most organizations, even if they need mystical texts, would seek specific texts related to their own spirituality. But this group is asking for such a mix—last time it was Lantern and Shadow, and now it’s Chalice and Stone… plus a bunch of storage items. What are they planning?”
Misha ponders this curiously, while Dorothy, sitting in her carriage, continues to control Ed and speaks again.
“By the way, Miss Misha, there’s one more thing I need to remind you of. Given that the ‘big nail’ in your bureau still hasn’t been removed, please don’t disclose any details of our transaction to anyone in your bureau. It’s best if you open a private account with the White Craftsmen’s Guild. We’ll send the materials to that account, and once you receive them, it’s best to study and keep them to yourself. Don’t tell anyone, not even your most trusted colleagues… or your most trusted superiors.”
Ed speaks with a warning tone, and upon hearing this, Misha narrows her eyes and responds.
“You’re essentially asking me to investigate the Eight-Spired Nest on my own.”
“What else can you do? Until the identity of that mole is uncovered, this is the safest approach. Your role is to investigate internal threats, so working discreetly and independently won’t raise suspicions.”
“The Eight-Spired Nest went to great lengths to destroy Barrett’s research, using so many resources. This proves just how crucial Barrett’s research is—it likely points to the core of the Eight-Spired Nest’s schemes. If you truly want to bring them down, this research must continue, and it must be continued in secret, without the Eight-Spired Nest knowing.”
“Right now, the Eight-Spired Nest believes they’ve successfully halted this research. If you continue it in absolute secrecy, they won’t know. We believe that when this research yields further results, you’ll finally uncover the Eight-Spired Nest’s secrets and turn the tide.”
Ed speaks earnestly to Misha, who, after some thought, nods in understanding and responds.
“You make a good point. Duke Barrett’s research is indeed crucial, and I’ll consider your advice.”
“Good. We’ll send the materials to you soon. Keep an eye out for them.”
Ed responds, then pulls a small booklet from his pocket and hands it to Misha.
“This is a mystical item that allows you to contact us. You can write to us through it, which is safer and faster than going through the White Craftsmen’s Guild. Take it.”
With that, Ed hands the booklet to Misha, who examines it briefly before tucking it into her pocket.
“Different large organizations often have their own unique methods of communication. This is the first time I’ve seen something like yours… What exactly are your goals? Why are you expanding your influence in Tivian? Why are you clashing with the Eight-Spired Nest? What is your organization’s name?”
After storing the booklet, Misha scrutinizes Ed with a serious expression. Ed chuckles lightly and responds.
“Heh… I’m afraid I can’t answer all your questions right now, Miss Misha. Just remember… our goals pose no threat to the kingdom you’re protecting…”
“For now, the only question I can answer is the last one… You can refer to our organization as the Rose Cross Order. I am a member, codenamed ‘Detective.’”
Ed speaks to Misha, giving her a slight bow at the end. Looking at Ed, Misha murmurs thoughtfully.
“The Rose Cross Order, huh?”
…
Soon after, the meeting between Ed and Misha concludes. From a distance, Dorothy controls Ed to leave the cathedral, then takes some effort to safely retrieve the marionette before returning to the northern suburbs of Tivian by carriage.
After a few hours of travel, Dorothy arrives back at her home in Green Shade Town. She rubs her cold hands together, then heads to the fireplace in the living room. After adding enough firewood and kindling, she ignites the fire with a small spark of electricity from her fingertips.
Next, Dorothy fetches pen and paper and begins copying the documents she saw in Duke Barrett’s study. As per the agreement, she will send these documents to Misha.
“Overall, while I dislike the Eight-Spired Nest, there’s no fundamental conflict between us. There’s no need for me to go all out against them. It’s better to leave the direct confrontation to the authorities. I’ll just provide some support from time to time and reap some benefits.”
As she copies the documents, Dorothy thinks to herself. Although she’s curious about the Eight-Spired Nest’s schemes and the identity of the so-called Night Demon, she doesn’t plan to investigate these secrets herself. Let the internal conflicts of these Shadow-aligned factions play out on their own. At most, she’ll help the Serenity Bureau a little. Dorothy’s focus remains on researching the mysteries of Revelation and her own advancement.
With this in mind, Dorothy quickly copies all the research documents she saw in Barrett’s study, places them in an envelope, and attaches a warning about cognitive poison. She then takes the envelope to Beverly’s house and sends it to Misha.
The next day, Dorothy spends a relaxing day at home. Early the following morning, an automaton in slippers, sipping on oil, wobbles up to Dorothy’s doorstep and drops a package into her mailbox.
Dorothy retrieves the package, brings it home, and opens it. Inside, she finds four different mystical texts and seven silver coins engraved with moon patterns—all Shadow storage items.
Dorothy plans to use these storage items to recharge her family ring. Just controlling the marionettes to enter and exit the Hymn Cathedral once costs her 2 points of Shadow. With her Shadow reserves running low, Dorothy needs to replenish them. Shadow spirituality is crucial for her covert operations, so she decides to stock up on it.
Of the four mystical texts, two are Chalice, one is Stone, and one is Shadow. Dorothy quickly reads through all of them.
…
The first Chalice text is titled ’Diary of Breaking Free’, a diary-style mystical text. It describes the author’s intense feeling of being bound and their struggle to break free and achieve liberation.
At the end of the diary, the author uses scissors to peel off their own skin, and upon freeing themselves from their flesh, they experience unprecedented relief and freedom.
The process of self-flaying is described in great detail. Dorothy mentally simulates the process and finds it somewhat feasible. She thinks that if someone can endure the pain, this might be a decent guide to self-flaying.
From this text, Dorothy extracts 3 points of Chalice and 1 point of Revelation.
…
The second Chalice text is titled ’Charting the Mysterious Seas’, a bizarre and absurd encyclopedia-style mystical text. It records various giant sea monsters, strange oceanic phenomena, and tribes of islanders with inhuman appearances and customs.
Looking at the descriptions and abstract illustrations of the sea monsters, Dorothy wonders if these creatures are related to the Abyssal Church.
From this text, Dorothy gains 4 points of Chalice and 2 points of Revelation.
…
The third Stone text is titled ’The Rondova Manuscript’, the engineering notes of an architect named Rondova who attempted to reconstruct a shattered large-scale sculpture in the deserts of North Ufiga. However, before the sculpture was even halfway restored, Rondova and the workers involved were driven mad by cognitive poison.
From the sketches in the manuscript, Dorothy can vaguely make out that the partially restored sculpture resembles a four-legged beast. However, among the remaining fragments, there are pieces that look like human ears.
Looking at the manuscript, Dorothy reflects on how dangerous professions like art, literature, and archaeology are in this world.
From this manuscript, Dorothy extracts 4 points of Stone and 3 points of Revelation—an unexpectedly high amount.
…
The fourth Shadow text has no specific title. It’s a lullaby meant to aid sleep, mentioning that a fairy in the mirror will guard the sleeper at night. Clearly, this “fairy in the mirror” is likely the same entity as the Lady of the Lake—another ancient Pritt folk song.
After reading the lullaby, Dorothy realizes that various folkloric representations of the Mirror Moon Goddess must have been widespread in Pritt centuries ago. Under the watchful eye of the Radiance Church, the worship of the Mirror Moon Goddess was disseminated through folklore.
From this lullaby, Dorothy gains 2 points of Shadow and 1 point of Revelation.
…
After finishing all the texts, Dorothy summarizes her current spirituality reserves.
8 Chalice, 10 Stone, 5 Shadow, 2 Lantern, 14 Silence, 7 Revelation.
In addition, she has seven Shadow storage items.
“Phew… The immediate spiritual crisis after my advancement has been temporarily resolved. With this much spirituality, I should be able to handle any emergencies… Thanks to the knight from the Serenity Bureau…”
After finishing all the texts and organizing her spirituality, Dorothy leans back on the couch, feeling relieved. Her biggest fear was running out of spirituality and being unable to handle unexpected situations.
Fortunately, thanks to the knight from the Serenity Bureau, trading information about the Eight-Spired Nest has allowed Dorothy to replenish her spirituality reserves.
Looking at her modest but sufficient spirituality, Dorothy feels a sense of security.
…
With her short-term goals finally achieved, Dorothy decides to take a few days off to relax. After the New Year, she stays at home, enjoying a peaceful life. However, she doesn’t completely idle away her time. Instead, she keeps an eye on her companions and offers assistance when needed.
First, there’s Kapak’s issue of returning home. Although the truth about Duke Barrett’s assassination hasn’t been revealed to the public, security across Tivian has tightened, including at customs. The sudden strictness has made it difficult for a group of suspicious-looking indigenous people from the New Continent to board a ship.
Fortunately, in the mundane world, money can work wonders. After giving Kapak 200 pounds for bribes and leveraging Adèle’s connections in the East District to arrange things with local underworld figures, Dorothy finally manages to get the dozen or so indigenous people, who originally came to carry out a terrorist attack, onto a ship bound for the New Continent. Kapak, after a brief stay in Tivian, successfully purchases some supplies and returns home with them.
On another front, Vania, as the first person to discover Duke Barrett’s assassination scene and the one who saved the princess, is deeply involved in the case. In the days following the New Year, she has been cooperating with various investigations by the Serenity Bureau. During these investigations, she often prays silently, seeking Dorothy’s help. Dorothy, in turn, covertly assists her in handling the interrogations.
As for Gregor, he’s facing a wave of overtime work at the start of the year. This major case has shocked the entire Serenity Bureau, and the entire organization has gone into overdrive, launching a full-scale investigation into the Eight-Spired Nest.
The assassination of Duke Barrett has elevated the Serenity Bureau’s—and indeed the entire Pritt Kingdom government’s—focus on the Eight-Spired Nest to the highest level.
According to information Dorothy obtained from Misha, the incident has shaken the royal family. King Charles IV was furious and ordered a nationwide investigation and crackdown on the Eight-Spired Nest at any cost. Archbishop Francesco of the church expressed sympathy and condolences for the duke’s assassination, pledging the church’s full cooperation with the government’s efforts.
The church and the government have launched a full-scale crackdown on the Eight-Spired Nest, while the Eight-Spired Nest’s final orders to Gregor are…
Be quiet, wait for the storm to pass.