Southern Shore of the Conquest Sea, Kankdal Port.
As night fell, a clear, radiant crescent moon rose high into the sky. The once-bustling port city now lay in silence, with only a few street corners still lit by the glow of lamps.
On the rooftop of a tall building near the White Dove Hotel in Kankdal’s foreign residential district, the cool night wind—so different from the daytime’s oppressive heat—swept across the rooftop, stirring the rooftop flags and fluttering the nearby robes.
At the edge of this rooftop, a figure stood unmoving, wearing a traditional North Ufigan robe with a headscarf and face veil. Despite the howling wind, the figure remained utterly still, the exposed eyes fixed on a single point ahead: a suite on the third floor of the White Dove Hotel.
As this figure watched, a disturbance suddenly emerged on the rooftop behind them. A projection began to materialize in the air—soon taking the form of a translucent nun.
Appearing behind the watchful figure, Ivy silently observed them for a moment before slowly speaking.
“Stranger… after standing here for so long in this rooftop breeze, don’t you feel cold? Would you like to come inside and sit for a while?”
Upon hearing the voice behind them, the figure at the edge paused, then slowly turned to face Ivy, fixing their gaze upon the sudden apparition. There was a trace of astonishment in their expression, though it quickly vanished as they regained composure and replied in a calm male voice, spoken in flawless North Ufigan.
“Who are you? Are you also here to monitor Sister Vania?”
Hearing this, Ivy responded calmly.“Monitoring… and also protecting. I was sent by order of Holy Mount to ensure that no devout believer of the Church falls victim to conspiracy or malicious framing. So, unknown watcher, explain yourself. Why are you spying on Sister Vania? What is your intent?”
Her tone laced with a hint of danger, Ivy stared at the robed man before her. He paused for a few seconds, then replied warily.
“From Holy Mount, are you? Protection? Hah… from what I’ve heard, the so-called investigation party from Holy Mount arrived in Kankdal this morning and immediately cozied up to the city guard thugs, charging in to arrest Sister Vania. Protection, you say? They wouldn’t even dare act alone without Kankdal’s lapdogs at their side.”
Hearing this, Ivy’s eyes flickered thoughtfully as she responded.
“Judging from your words, it seems your stance is aligned with Sister Vania’s.”
“Where I stand is none of Holy Mount’s concern,” the robed man said bluntly.
Amused, Ivy glanced at him with renewed interest and continued.
“A local North Ufigan, hostile to Kankdal’s forces, and aligned with Sister Vania… I believe you must be one of Shadi’s people.”
She declared this directly, exposing his origin in a single sentence. The man’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of disbelief in his expression.
“No… you’re mistaken. I have nothing to do with that revolutionary general of Addus.”
“Oh, you don’t need to deny it. I bear no hostility toward General Shadi,” Ivy said, smiling faintly.
“You should understand that not everyone in Holy Mount views Shadi and Sister Vania the same way… ask yourself, if Holy Mount truly wished to apprehend her, why would she still be free in that hotel room?”
The man paused, visibly taken aback, before cautiously asking.
“You mean… the reason those investigators didn’t manage to arrest Sister Vania earlier… is because you stopped them?”
“Correct. To obstruct the authority of Holy Mount, one must wield power from within Holy Mount. As I’ve said, I’m here to contain the spread of malicious conspiracy. If you truly support Sister Vania’s side, then trust me: only I can ensure her safety in the face of the Heresy Inquisition.”
She paused, her voice taking on a sharper edge.
“So, stranger, be honest with me—while I still have the patience for civil conversation.”
Faced with Ivy’s words, the man hesitated, visibly troubled. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed, then finally admitted.
“You’re right. I serve under General Shadi. After Sister Vania’s guard was severely diminished during the incident in Addus, General Shadi feared her defenses would be insufficient upon her return to Kankdal. So, he secretly dispatched us to accompany her for protection. Everything was quiet… until we reached this cursed place.”
The robed man responded seriously to Ivy before him. Hearing his words, Ivy gave a slight nod, a look of “just as I thought” flickering in her eyes. She then continued her questioning.
“On the day of the assassination at the South Station, Sister Vania was briefly controlled by an unknown force but managed to break free. There was also a red spiritual mist that appeared on-site, covering her as she administered aid. Was that your doing?”
“That’s right. While covertly observing, we discovered that Sister Vania had been possessed by an external spiritual entity attempting to use her to carry out the assassination. At a critical moment, I helped her suppress the possessing spirit and performed an exorcism. The second possessed member of the envoy’s guard was also subdued. But we didn’t expect they had also planted ordinary undercover agents among the train crew...
“Afterward, the assassination was carried out by that planted agent. When Sister Vania tried to rescue the wounded, she was obstructed. Realizing something was wrong—and that the guards might be complicit with the assassins—I used a mystical item to create conditions for her to administer treatment and mitigate the damage.”
The robed man explained the events at the assassination site in detail, painting a vivid picture. After listening carefully, Ivy fell into brief thought, then asked again.
“I see... then, the mystical item you used—where did it come from?”
“I bought it off the black-market treasure hunters. At the time, I was just looking for something to preserve life. A black-market dealer offered me this item—a healing mist that doesn’t disperse in wind. He said it was a product of some other mystic society, but I’m not sure exactly where it originated.”
The robed man spoke frankly. Ivy gave a slight nod and continued.
“Then… I have one more question. What is General Shadi’s current stance? Has he truly broken with the heretics?”
“Muhtar is dead. The General has no reason to compromise with the Savior’s Advent Sect anymore. His stance is already outlined in the confidential letter sent to you. Once consolidation is complete, Addus will publicly declare the Three Saints as its sole legitimate faith.”
The man answered directly. Ivy raised an eyebrow and asked another pointed question.
“What about that ‘Heaven’s Arbiter’ cabal?”
At her question, the man paused, then replied cautiously after a moment of silence.
“The Three Saints will be Addus’s only official faith. As for hidden societies and cults existing beneath public religion… well, even most mainland nations can’t fully eliminate those, can they?”
“I see… understood,” Ivy said, her expression showing a flicker of comprehension. At that moment, the robed man took the opportunity to ask a question of his own.
“You’ve asked enough questions. Now it’s my turn. Can you really help clear Sister Vania’s name?”
“I can help her,” Ivy replied.
“But with the current bias of the Heresy Inquisition, it will be difficult. Their investigation is clearly steered toward harming Sister Vania and Addus. Any leads or evidence pointing to the truth will be ignored. To expose the truth, we need evidence.
“And not just any evidence—something direct, forceful, irrefutable. Something Clifton and the others can’t deny or dispute. If I have such proof in hand, I can force Clifton to acknowledge it. Then Sister Vania will be exonerated, and the crisis in Addus may be resolved.”
Ivy’s tone was firm. After some consideration, the robed man nodded.
“I understand. We’ll go search for the evidence you need and bring it to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, please ensure Sister Vania’s safety. She is vital to Addus.”
“You don’t need to tell me that. I already intend to,” Ivy replied.
Then, as if something else came to mind, she added.
“However, what concerns me now are the members of the envoy’s guard who were captured before I arrived. The Inquisition has taken them directly from the city guard’s custody. To the public, they’re closely tied to Sister Vania. If any of them, under interrogation, say something that harms her case... I’m afraid things could get very troublesome on my end.”
“The envoy’s guards...” the man muttered, frowning in thought.
…
During the time that followed, the robed man and Ivy exchanged a few more probing words, and then Ivy bid farewell, vanishing into the night. The robed man also left the rooftop, distancing himself from the White Dove Hotel.
Meanwhile, in another part of Kankdal, Dorothy sat in her room sipping tea at her table while directing her distant corpse marionette to a safe location. As she did so, she mulled over the information she had obtained through Vania’s senses during the earlier exchange with Sister Ivy.
“Undeniable, direct, and forceful evidence, huh… Looks like what I currently have still isn’t enough. There’s still a chance it could be forcibly dismissed. So... I’ll need to gather a few more powerful pieces of evidence. Fortunately, I have leads on that—just a matter of time and effort.
“The key now is those envoy guards who fell into the hands of the Heresy Inquisition. If they’re coerced into giving harmful testimony, it’ll cause a lot of trouble for Sister Ivy’s side. I need to pay close attention to that.”
Taking another sip of red tea, Dorothy shifted her thoughts to the Sister Ivy who had saved the situation today.
“And then there’s Sister Ivy herself... what a strange being. At first, I thought she was a ghost, but turns out she was a projection—her real body over a hundred nautical miles away, yet she can manifest here using a relay device. I really wonder what the real Sister looks like… Why is she monitoring things from so far out at a military port instead of coming in person? Could it be that she’s…”
Drinking her tea, Dorothy looked out the window, gazing at the moonlight as her thoughts drifted deeper.
…
Nighttime in Kankdal. On the vast harbor dock, a giant black-painted iron ship over a hundred meters long sat moored. Scriptures were engraved along its hull, and many crosses stood upright on both fore and aft decks. On some of those crosses were emaciated, bound figures, letting out faint moans. Besides the crosses, the foredeck had pitch-black iron pillars, beneath which lay iron fences enclosing ashes not yet fully cleaned away.
This bizarre black ship was the Scourge of Flame, the flagship of the Heresy Inquisition led by Clifton. At this moment, within the ship’s interior, Clifton and his men were conducting their work.
Inside a small prison cell aboard the Scourge of Flame, Gaspare lay shackled, his body covered in blood-soaked rags and countless split wounds. Head bowed, he panted heavily, while sharp screams echoed from far away.
“Cleric Gaspard,” Clifton said coldly from outside the cell, “I advise you to tell the truth now. Confess everything, and you’ll be spared further suffering. It’s your first day here, so I’ve gone easy on you. But by day two or three, I can’t promise we’ll be so gentle...”
Raising his head, Gaspard stared directly at Clifton and replied coldly, “I’ve already told you everything I can, Inquisitor. What more do you want from me?”
“Obviously—how the heretics corrupted you in Addus! How you colluded with them! How you plotted the death of Prince Mazarr! What agreement was reached between heretic Shadi and heretic Vania! And what your future plans are! Confess, Gaspard, and you may yet live.”
Clifton rattled off his demands. Gaspard’s glare hardened.
“Heh… By the Holy Son, my soldiers and I fought the heretics to the death in Addus. Countless of us died at their hands—the rest are gravely wounded. And now you accuse us of collusion? What absurdity! We bled for the sanctity of the Church, and now you imprison and torture us! Where’s your authority? Where’s your evidence!?”
Gaspard nearly roared his indignation. But Clifton only sneered in response.
“My authority comes directly from Grand Inquisitor Kramar! He personally assigned this case! And as for evidence, we’ve found heretical items—books, relics, icons—on the train you rode! Even the assassin train attendant confessed! He described how you were all corrupted by Shadi in Addus! You still want to deny it?!”
“The train crew? Hah... What do they have to do with us? We’ve only known them for twenty days, barely interacted with them! Who knows what they were scheming behind our backs?
“These despicable people are nothing like us! They were manipulated to frame us and Sister Vania! And you? You believed their slander without a second thought! How ridiculous! Are you saying the words of untrained civilians are worth more than the testimony of Radiance Church warriors? Which of my warriors has lied?”
Gaspare hurled his words at Clifton with no fear of his authority. Clifton gritted his teeth and snapped.
“Who said your men haven’t confessed? Several of them have already given statements to me!”
“Oh? Several, you say? Who, then? Name them! Bring them here! If you won’t let us confront these so-called witnesses face-to-face, then everything you’re saying is bullshit!”
Gaspare cursed loudly at Clifton. The inquisitor’s expression twitched, his face darkening.
The truth was, none of the envoy’s guards had said a word in support of Clifton’s version of events. Every one of them had remained resolute. Clifton hadn’t gotten a single useful confession. His earlier words were just an attempt to break Gaspard’s will.
Seeing Gaspard’s steadfastness, Clifton realized that to make progress, he needed to find a new target—someone more fragile, someone within the envoy’s ranks who might break. The accusations of common train workers simply weren’t credible enough. If he wanted to pin guilt on Vania—guilt even Ivy couldn’t refute—he needed betrayal from someone inside the envoy itself. And Gaspard clearly wasn’t the one to break. He needed another angle… another person.