North Ufiga, border region between Tossep and Addus.
Under the twilight glow, aboard the Desert Arrow halted at the edge of a ravine, Dorothy sat in her compartment, focused on the divination coin in her hand, her eyes locked on the sun-emblazoned face of the Lantern symbol.
During the conversation between Vania and Gaspard, Dorothy had maintained her spiritual link with Vania’s senses. Thus, everything Gaspard reported was transmitted to her accurately. The day’s findings by the envoy escort were all relayed to her as well. When she heard that the Addus Revolutionary Army was identified as the mastermind behind the ambush, she was equally surprised—and immediately conducted her own divination for verification. The result confirmed Gaspard’s reading: the Addus Revolutionary Army was indeed the one behind it.
“So it really was the Addus Revolutionary Army that orchestrated the ambush? That can’t be right… Why would they do this? According to what Vania said, the Revolutionary Army had clearly stated in their letter to the Church that they didn’t wish to be enemies. They even welcomed the envoy, expressing a willingness to negotiate. And now they pull this kind of betrayal?
“More importantly… the Addus Revolutionary Army is powerful enough to nearly overthrow a country. They’re the ones who defeated the Addus royal forces and seized Yadith. How could their anti-divination defenses be completely nonexistent? Every divination hits the mark… That’s seriously suspicious…”
Dorothy’s brows furrowed slightly as she pondered. Addus wasn’t some small country—it was a mid-sized nation with over twenty million people. Though not as powerful as the Great Powers of the mainland, it wasn’t far behind. The overthrown Baruch dynasty had ruled for nearly two centuries and undoubtedly maintained a comprehensive official system of mystics. At the top of that system was a Crimson-rank Beyonder.
For the Revolutionary Army to have overthrown the Baruch Dynasty, they had to have defeated these official Beyonders in direct confrontation and therefore must also have Crimson-rank Beyonder among their ranks. And yet, they had zero anti-divination protection, allowing their secrets to be easily read? To Dorothy, that was completely unbelievable.
“Something’s off… Seriously off. In a world like this, a revolutionary force strong enough to topple a monarchy shouldn’t be wide open to divination like this. Not in a land like North Ufiga, where there are First Dynasty ruins everywhere and where Revelation can be mined from nearly every one of them. Most of the Revelation items on the market come from here, and yet we’re expected to believe the Revolutionary Army has no anti-divination measures? That’s nonsense.”
Still deep in thought, Dorothy began considering possibilities.
“Maybe… they burned through their Revelation stores fighting the Baruch forces, and just haven’t had time to restock? It’s plausible. After all, Baruch ruled for two centuries—they’d have amassed a ton of anti-divination resources. If there was a full-blown divination war between them, even if the revolutionaries won, their own losses would’ve been steep.” Normally, Dorothy would’ve left it at that. But now that she was certain they lacked divination defenses, she had a rare chance to probe deeper.
Making up her mind, she retrieved another Lantern coin—a spiritual storage item and component for her sniper rifle’s Ignis Converta shell. Originally, the Eight-Spired Nest had loaded five of them into it; she’d only fired once, consuming two, and now had three remaining.
“Has the Addus Revolutionary Army exhausted its anti-divination resources?”
She whispered the divination phrase, tossed the coin, and slapped it down on the back of her hand. When she lifted her palm, the dulled coin showed its reverse side: a clear negation of her query. Which meant the Revolutionary Army still had anti-divination resources.
Dorothy’s gaze immediately sharpened.
“So they still have the resources… yet their defenses failed entirely. That’s interesting. They have counter-divination measures but chose not to use them? Has their system broken down—or…”
She picked up another coin and posed a new query.
“Does the Addus Revolutionary Army suffer from severe internal divisions?”
With the ritual phrase spoken, the coin spun and landed. Dorothy removed her hand and saw the face-up sigil—confirmation.
Her eyes gleamed with intrigue.
…
While Dorothy was uncovering the truth through divination, Vania, in a compartment at the front of the train, was facing a difficult choice.
After reporting the results of the ambush investigation, Gaspard strongly advised Vania to abort the journey and turn back at the next station. The Revolutionary Army, he argued, had shown their true colors and posed a deadly threat. Continuing on to Yadith would be suicidal. His words left Vania deeply conflicted.
On one hand, the divination had clearly shown hostility from the revolutionaries. Marching into their stronghold knowing this was reckless. On the other hand, before departing, she had been given strict orders: to see the journey through to the end. Whether the negotiations succeeded or failed, she had to try. She must not return halfway.
Though the heavy responsibility had been thrust upon her without warning, Vania had accepted it. She genuinely wished for peace, hoping to save Addus from further war. Raised in the teachings of the Holy Mother, she was inherently kind.
The danger ahead and the duty she bore clashed within her, and her face reflected the weight of that indecision. Gaspard stood silently in front of her, awaiting her decision.
Then, suddenly, a faint but familiar voice echoed within her heart. Upon hearing it, Vania’s expression firmed. Slowly, her features softened, and a determined light filled her gaze.
Then she spoke to Gaspard.
"Father Gaspard, I believe… we should continue forward."
Hearing Vania’s words, Gaspard paused slightly, a strange glint flashing through his eyes. Then, maintaining a serious tone, he spoke again.
"Sister Vania, you must think this through. Yadith is now the stronghold of the Revolutionary Army. Everyone there may wish you harm… they want your life… The dangers you’ll face there could be a hundred times worse than today’s ambush. If the entire Revolutionary Army chooses to target you, we won’t be able to guarantee your safety."
Gaspard spoke with a warning tone, his voice growing heavier with each word, even carrying a hint of intimidation by the end. Vania’s expression changed slightly at his words, but her response remained firm.
"I understand what you’re saying, Father Gaspard. Indeed, after today’s incident, the situation in Yadith is much more severe than we had anticipated. However… I don’t want to give up because of that.
"Though the divination shows the Revolutionary Army as the mastermind… there are still doubts. Such a large organization, yet not a single trace of anti-divination protection? With such glaring inconsistencies, there may be some hidden scheme at play. I believe the divination result might not reflect the will of the entire Revolutionary Army… Maybe… it’s only certain factions within who hold hostility toward us?"
Vania spoke with reasoning. Gaspard replied without delay.
"You’re not wrong, Sister Vania. There are doubts, but the divination result is accurate. At the very least, it proves that the Revolutionary Army is not as sincere as their letter to the Church claims. We’ve already exhausted the divination resources provided by the Church, and we can no longer perform additional readings to determine whether internal division really exists. Your theory… is just speculation.
"You believe they might be divided, but I believe they’re all cut from the same cloth. Sister Vania, your guess has no evidence to support it. Are you truly willing to risk your life on a mere possibility?"
His words were laced with clear intimidation. Vania’s expression shifted, but her resolve remained unwavering. Placing a hand on her chest, she calmly replied.
"Of course I am. I believe the Lord dwells in the hearts of all people. Even within the Revolutionary Army, there must be those who genuinely wish to negotiate. As long as such people exist… as long as there’s even a sliver of hope to prevent Addus from falling back into war, I will go—no matter how slim that chance may be.
"Not long ago, when I and other pilgrims were taken to the island of the Summer Tree people, the situation seemed hopeless. But even then, I believed the Lord lived in every person’s heart. If I could awaken that presence with words, things would change… and they did. Today’s circumstances are not nearly as desperate. So how could I give up now?"
As Vania continued, her voice grew stronger and her expression more resolute.
"My mind is made up, Father Gaspard. No matter what danger lies ahead, I will go. The peace of Addus rests upon me—I won’t abandon this journey so easily.
"It’s true that what happened today has proven the road ahead is extremely dangerous, and under normal circumstances, no one should take that risk. So I won’t ask anyone to risk it with me. All of you… everyone aboard this train—if anyone wishes to turn back, you are free to do so. I won’t stop you. But even if I have to walk to Yadith alone… I will go."
With firm determination in her tone, Vania addressed Gaspard. Hearing her words, Gaspard was visibly surprised. He stared wide-eyed at the white-robed nun—small in stature but exuding a solemn and resolute aura. He could hardly connect her current image to the hesitant, soft-spoken girl from before.
After a moment’s pause, Gaspard finally replied with equal determination.
"By the Holy Son… Since you’ve made your decision, Sister Vania, we shall not retreat in cowardice. Our mission is to protect you—and even if it costs our lives, we will fulfill it!"
…
After reaching a consensus with Vania to continue toward Yadith, Gaspard bid her farewell and left her compartment. Closing the door behind him, he walked to another car, opened the window, and looked toward the distant setting sun.
"So you really are the Enlightener of Summer Tree… I had underestimated you.
"You may have been placed here by sheer chance, but it seems you’re not just a mere figurehead after all… You’re different from what I expected."
Watching the sunset, Gaspard murmured to himself. He couldn’t help but wonder—what if Vania had wavered earlier, succumbed to pressure, and chosen to turn back?
The Enlightener of Summer Tree, the Gospel-Bearer of the Holy Mother, the Nun of Peace… setting off for Addus in the name of peace, only to be frightened away before even arriving by a single failed assassination attempt? What would that say about the one who had once risked everything to preach among over a hundred thousand uncivilized islanders? Would it all be a farce?
Had Vania chosen to retreat, the blow to her public image would’ve been devastating—worse than failing the peace talks altogether. That kind of disgrace would not only destroy Vania’s standing in the Church but also tarnish Amanda, the patron behind her, dragging Amanda’s entire faction into serious political backlash.
Retreating halfway through… or failing after doing one’s best—those are two very different things. The former would be far more damning.
"Well then… Let’s see how far you’ll go, Sister Vania," Gaspard whispered as he watched the sun sink below the horizon.
…
Inland North Ufiga – Addus Kingdom – Yadith.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, relentlessly baking the war-scarred city below. Within the battered train station, countless soldiers in headscarves and wielding rifles stood in formation on the platform, awaiting the guests approaching from the distant railway.
At the front of the formation stood two figures.
One—a middle-aged officer, slightly dark-skinned, wearing a high-ranking mainland-style military uniform, a sword at his waist, and eyes fixed with solemn focus on the distant tracks.
The other—an elder wrapped in a robe embroidered with religious symbols and an abstract sun emblem on the back, holding a thick scripture in his hands. His eyes remained closed as he waited in silence, looking nowhere in particular.