Ivengard, Adria
At night, in a high-end restaurant in Adria, Dorothy sat in a private room, her gaze focused intently on the Literary Sea Logbook before her, reading Nephthys’s handwriting and contemplating the important information gleaned from Davis’s notes.
“According to Davis, the Body Possession Path’s advancement to the White Ash-rank requires performing a ritual within a suitable spiritual field. And the criteria for such a field are quite demanding. As things stand, most of the major spiritual fields are either under the control of various national official extraordinary agencies or in the hands of the Nether Coffin Order and heavily guarded. Holding a ritual to release spirits under their noses would be extremely difficult. Therefore, it would be better to choose a field that isn’t under the jurisdiction of any major faction.
“As for such fields not under major organizational control, there are only two options: the New Continent and North Ufiga. Both are peripheral regions relative to the Radiance Church’s cultural sphere on the main continent. The New Continent seems to house a forest of wild spirits, while North Ufiga holds ancient burial grounds.
“Logically speaking, for Nephthys, the spiritual field in the New Continent seems much safer. That’s where Kapak and his Tupa tribe are, and with the help of Elder Shaman, it shouldn’t be a problem to find a usable spiritual field. But the issue is, I don’t currently have plans to travel to the New Continent. If Nephthys wants to advance, she’ll have to go on her own, and it’s really far from here.
“Whereas in North Ufiga, although I don’t have any influence there, don’t know which tombs contain spiritual fields or whether it’s dangerous, my travel plans are already heading in that direction. If Nephthys wants to go to North Ufiga, she can come with me, and we can watch each other’s backs. The only uncertainty is whether we’ll actually find a usable field—it’s possible she might go all that way for nothing.”
Staring at the handwriting on the Literary Sea Logbook, Dorothy pondered quietly. After defeating Atif, she had already acquired several soul-storing bone fragments, perfect for use in the ritual—as long as the spirits could be properly communicated with. Which meant that the only thing Nephthys lacked for advancement was the spiritual field itself. If one could be found, everything else would fall into place.
“I’ll just ask her directly later... it’s her advancement, after all.”
With that thought, Dorothy closed the logbook, then leaned back on the sofa and stretched with a yawn.
“Phew... finally about to head to Ufiga. After half a month of leisure here, it feels a bit hard to leave...”After finishing her stretch, she turned to admire the charming waterside night view of Adria. Truth be told, it was a lovely place for travel. Her time here had truly helped her unwind.
“Such a beautiful place... but everything I was waiting for has arrived, all preparations are complete, and it’s time to move on.
“Still... one last moment of relaxation before I go.”
Thinking this, Dorothy sat up straight and looked toward the center of the dining table. There sat a small, delicate custom-made cream cake, decorated with fresh fruit and charming adornments.
Her eyes then shifted to the side of the cake, where a telegram was laid open. Only a few words were written in Prittish.
“Happy birthday, Dorothy.”
“Hah, didn’t I just give big brother a full White Ash equipment set and some merit for his birthday not long ago? I guess I can skip the gift next time.”
Smiling softly, Dorothy spoke to herself as she picked up the telegram from Gregor and set it aside. She then turned her gaze to the small candle pack beside the cake. Taking it in hand, she carefully inserted one candle after another into the cake.
After placing fourteen of them, the small cake looked a bit cramped.
“Cake’s too small, the candles are a bit crowded... oh well, I’m the only one eating it anyway, huh... Thinking back to my past life’s actual 14th birthday—big cake, lots of people to share it with…”
With a brief moment of reflection, Dorothy picked up the matchbox beside her, struck a match, and lit one of the candles. Using that flame, she lit the rest in turn.
After completing everything, she stared quietly at the gentle glow of the flames. Today was March 27th—the birth date of the girl named Dorothea Mayschoss.
Gazing at the flickering candlelight atop the cake, she paused in silence before softly speaking.
“Anyway... happy 14th birthday, Dorothy.”
With that, Dorothy blew out all the candles in a single breath.
…
In broad daylight beneath a clear sky, the endless surface of the Conquest Sea roiled with waves and howling wind. It was early April, and across the vast ocean, a large white passenger ship plowed southward through the waves.
On the deck of the passenger ship, Nephthys stood in a long dress with a headscarf, gazing out at the distant horizon under the sea breeze. From time to time, she shaded her eyes with her hand as she looked toward the blazing sunlight above, frowning slightly as she spoke.
"It feels like the weather is getting hotter and hotter. If we were in Tivian, there’s no way the sun would be like this at this time of year."
"Yeah, North Ufiga has a desert climate—definitely going to be a lot hotter than Tivian. Right now we still have the sea breeze, but once we’re on land... that’s when it really hits."
Standing beside her, Dorothy replied to Nephthys’ comment. Hearing this, Nephthys paused briefly, then continued with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.
"Hot weather, huh? Oh! That means I can wear some of the summer outfits I packed! I brought some of my favorite pieces... and a few beach outfits too..."
"Summer outfits? Are you serious, Senior Nephthys? A lot of your summer clothes show a ton of skin. In North Ufiga, you’ll get sunburned immediately. The sun there is not the same as the summer sun you’re familiar with. Plus, the culture there is way more conservative. Wearing something too revealing could cause trouble. Once we get there, you should just buy some local clothing."
Hearing Nephthys’ enthusiasm, Dorothy turned and gave her a couple of looks before commenting. Nephthys sighed in resignation after hearing that.
"I see… Hmm, I really forgot what North Ufiga was like. What a shame..."
As Nephthys lamented, Dorothy blinked at her and then continued.
"The situation in North Ufiga isn’t exactly stable right now. We should be cautious. But I honestly didn’t expect you to decide to come with me here. Compared to the New Continent, coming to search for a spiritual site in ancient tombs here is much riskier."
Dorothy said this to Nephthys. When she had asked Nephthys where she wanted to conduct her advancement ritual, Nephthys had chosen North Ufiga almost without hesitation, which had surprised Dorothy.
"Well... how do I put this? It’s risky, sure, but Dorothy, you’re here too, aren’t you? Since you’re in North Ufiga, I feel a lot more reassured traveling with you. On the other hand, going to the New Continent all by myself—even if it’s safer—doesn’t feel reassuring at all..."
Nephthys replied while tapping her chin thoughtfully. Dorothy couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth at her words.
"I see..."
"Mhm. That’s the main reason. If I had to give a secondary reason... I guess I also just wanted to visit North Ufiga in person. This is the place where my grandpa built his legacy and made enemies... the place where he met my grandma… a place I’ve been hearing about all my life. I’ve always wanted to come see it for myself."
Gazing at the sea in the distance, Nephthys spoke solemnly, her expression growing pensive. Dorothy fell silent for a moment before speaking again.
"So, have things with your school been sorted out?"
"Yes. I had Grandpa Nust send a telegram to the school, saying there was an urgent family matter that required me to return to Tivian alone. I included a statement that if anything happened during my return trip, the school wouldn’t be held responsible. That allowed me to leave the group and act independently."
Nephthys explained to Dorothy, who gave a slight nod in response. Considering North Ufiga’s current instability, it was only natural that no academic study tour would include it on their itinerary. Nephthys had to break off from her group, but that also gave her a lot more flexibility in her movements.
After chatting for a bit more on the deck, Dorothy and Nephthys returned to the cabin and went their separate ways to their respective rooms. Once back in her first-class cabin, Dorothy sat down by the window and turned her gaze to the newspaper on the table. The most prominent headline read:
"Regarding the Addus uprising, Holy Mount has issued a statement encouraging restraint from all parties. Under the name of the Three Saints, they call for peace. As long as the principles of doctrine are upheld, Holy Mount will actively work toward peace in Addus.
"To this end, Holy Mount has dispatched an envoy to Addus, led by renowned gospel evangelist Sister Vania Chafferon, tasked with easing tensions and seeking..."
Dorothy’s expression grew serious as she locked eyes on Vania’s name in the article. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen it in the papers recently.
Back when she was still vacationing in Adria days ago, she’d already seen news about the Addus unrest and that the Church might send Sister Vania, who had gained merit during the Summer Tree incident, as a special envoy to Addus. Upon reading those reports, Dorothy had immediately contacted Vania—who at the time was still acting as a political figurehead during various promotional events at the holy site—and asked whether the Church intended to send her to Addus. But Vania had said she had no idea; no one around her had mentioned anything about it.
At that point, Dorothy realized something was off. Multiple newspapers were reporting that Vania might be sent to Addus, yet Vania herself was completely in the dark. That meant either unscrupulous media outlets were using baseless speculation to chase headlines—or someone was deliberately orchestrating a media campaign behind the scenes. Given that it wasn’t just one or two publications pushing this narrative, Dorothy had already concluded that the latter was far more likely.
As expected, Vania really was appointed as a special envoy and sent to North Ufiga. She was named a special envoy almost without any prior notice—essentially swept up and packed off while still serving as a decorative figure in the church’s publicity campaigns. She was suddenly delivered to the Church’s naval base in Adria and departed for North Ufiga with the fleet—only one day behind Dorothy’s own departure.
Faced with this situation, Vania was completely caught off guard and could only be ushered, bewildered, onto the ship to North Ufiga by a crowd of people. Meanwhile, Dorothy, noting that Vania had been urgently appointed without prior communication, sensed something was off. She suspected it was the result of another round of political infighting within the Church hierarchy.
“Vania may be just a decorative figure in the eyes of the Church’s upper ranks, but she’s still a focal point in the current internal struggle. It’s only natural she’d get dragged into it. She was likely pulled into the Addus affair because one faction of the Church leadership wants to use her presence there to achieve some particular effect.
“In any case, Vania is now directly caught up in the Addus conflict, and since I’m heading there myself, I should use this opportunity to better understand the situation over there.”
With this thought, Dorothy took out her magic box and retrieved the Literary Sea Logbook from within. She placed it on the table and flipped it open to Beverly’s correspondence page.
After glancing over it for a moment, Dorothy picked up her pen and wrote,
“Are you there? I have something I want to ask you.”
She hadn’t planned to expect a reply right away—but before a few seconds had passed, print-style lettering appeared on the page.
“What is it?”
Dorothy blinked in surprise at the almost instant reply, then wrote.
“That fast? Were you just sitting by the book again?”
“No, no, I’m not next to the book. I just built a container mechanism for the copy you gave me. It’s linked to my consciousness and comes with a built-in typing function. So wherever I am, I can read and reply to your messages.”
Seeing Beverly’s words, Dorothy paused for a few moments, then thought to herself that this was just like a crafter—inventing gadgets to solve whatever problem came her way.
After processing that, she picked up the pen again and wrote.
“What a convenient invention… I’m contacting you because I wanted to ask if you’ve heard anything recently about the situation in Addus, North Ufiga.”
“Addus? Of course I’ve heard. Things are lively over there lately, so I looked into it a bit. What exactly do you want to know? If it involves one of our clients, I won’t be able to share anything classified.”
Beverly’s printed text appeared rapidly on the page, much faster than typical handwriting—so fast that Dorothy couldn’t help but picture a typewriter clacking away in midair with no one operating it.
“Don’t worry, I’m not asking for anything that deep. I just want to know some general info—like what’s been circulating publicly in the local mysticism scene. That should be fine, right?”
Dorothy wrote that on the page, and within two or three seconds, Beverly’s response appeared.
“Public intel in the mysticism world? That’s fine. Let me give you the general rundown. Basically, the Baruch Dynasty that originally ruled Addus was trash—corrupt to the core and a puppet of major powers from the mainland, oppressing the lower classes and selling out national interests. That’s what sparked the rebellion.”
“Corruption and treason leading to rebellion… That doesn’t sound very mystical.”
Dorothy replied after reading the line, and soon Beverly wrote back.
“Not mystical? That’s just how it looks on the surface. In reality, there’s a huge mystic element. This uprising has religious undertones. All available evidence now shows that the rebels have been using the power of a Radiance Church heresy—the Savior’s Advent Sect—to win over the people and oppose the Baruch military’s mystical forces. That’s why the rebellion is so massive—they’ve even taken the capital. And it’s precisely because of the Savior’s Advent Sect that the Church has to formally respond to the Addus situation.”
“The Savior’s Advent Sect? That’s a Radiance Church heresy, right? I didn’t know they were active in North Ufiga.”
Dorothy wrote in some surprise. In her mind, North Ufiga had always seemed more like a place where Silence-aligned treasure-hunting organizations were more prevalent. She hadn’t expected a Radiance Church heresy to be that active there.
“Active? They’re beyond active. North Ufiga is practically the stronghold of the old Lord’s Advent faith. That heresy meshes incredibly well with the local culture.”