Conquest Sea, Moncarlo Archipelago.
By late morning, as the darkness of night faded away, the vast Moncarlo main island slowly awoke from a deep slumber. Bathed in sunlight, the island’s residents—who had mysteriously fallen asleep in the thick fog the night before—began to rouse one by one. All across the streets and alleyways, countless people rose groggily, clutching their aching heads as they looked around in confusion, trying to recall what had happened the previous night.
With the entire city waking from its collective deep sleep, the once-quiet Moncarlo erupted into noise and chaos almost instantly. Unlike the people of Navaha, who would typically remain disoriented for a while after such an event, the residents of Moncarlo were quick to act—even before fully regaining their senses. Some immediately set their sights on those who were still unconscious, leading to a sudden surge of opportunistic thefts and even worse incidents across the city. The city guards, barely awake themselves, were inundated with reports and emergency calls, sending Moncarlo into utter disarray.
While the city descended into chaos, a far more tense confrontation was unfolding inside the Sovereign Sea Fortress.
Within its vast main hall, at a long table, Vania, clad in pristine white nun’s robes, sat at one end of the table. Standing beside her were several Sacrament Knights, alert and watchful. At the opposite end, on the master’s seat, sat the aged Edward, wearing a thick, fur-trimmed cloak, his expression silent and composed. Only his son, Laurent, stood beside him.
“Lord Edward, perhaps now you can explain the massive anomalous mystical phenomenon that occurred in Moncarlo last night? The mist that engulfed the entire island, the powerful hypnotic waves that swept through the city, and that giant otherworldly creature flying above Moncarlo—what on earth happened here?”
Vania’s expression was grave as she addressed Edward across the table. During the upheaval the night before, she and her escort had been inside one of the auction house’s private boxes. As a Lantern Beyonder, she had detected the abnormalities as soon as the fog began to rise and had immediately taken precautions.
Her Sacrament Knights began escorting her out of the venue and onto the streets. Though the group was also briefly overcome by the hypnotic waves and collapsed, thanks to the presence of an Ascetic monk from the Holy Father Path, the core members had awakened quickly. This allowed them to sense the intense mystical battle taking place elsewhere on the island—and to catch a vague glimpse of the fantastical giant creature soaring through the mist.
Since the squad’s priority was to protect Vania and the holy relics, they had refrained from getting involved in the chaos and simply held their ground. Only after confirming that things had settled by morning did they proceed to the Sovereign Sea Fortress to confront Moncarlo’s ruler and uncover the truth.
“Ah… I sincerely apologize, Sister Vania, for the disruption you suffered last night. As the host, it was our failure. I apologize on behalf of my father.”
“The truth is, while Father was resting within the fortress, he suddenly detected through Moncarlo’s mystical detection array that an intruder had infiltrated the area. He sent guards to apprehend the trespasser, but the individual proved exceptionally capable—not a mere Beyonder. After several unsuccessful attempts, Father decided to take action himself.”
Laurent’s explanation was smooth and calm. Hearing this, Gaspard, one of Vania’s knights, furrowed his brows slightly and asked.
“What sort of intruder… would require Lord Edward to personally intervene? Could it have been a Crimson?”
“Correct. It was a Crimson-rank Shadow—more precisely, a high-ranking member of the heretical group known as the Blackdream Hunting Pack, a Moth-Chaser.”
Laurent answered with confidence, prompting Gaspard to grow even more serious.
“The Blackdream Hunting Pack? A Moth-Chaser? You mean one of those parasitic dream-realm beings—the Scale Moth symbiotes? Then the creature we saw flying above Moncarlo must have been the Blackdream’s Scale Moth?”
“To my knowledge, Moth-Chasers are major figures within the Blackdream Hunting Pack. They rarely show themselves. And after the Navaha incident, there hasn’t been any news about them at all. Why would one suddenly appear in Moncarlo? Do you know their identity or name?”
Laurent replied confidently.
“Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to determine their exact identity. But we do know a bit about their purpose. The Moth-Chaser infiltrated Moncarlo to steal a specific item from my father’s treasury—an artifact called the Moonarc Gem.”
“This was a rare treasure my father acquired in his youth. At first glance, it merely seems to lessen the Shadow-path’s cognitive poison effects, but upon closer study, it appears to house a deeper mystery—possibly a critical component for some kind of ritual.”
“My father is not a Shadow Beyonder, so he couldn’t fully decipher its secrets. But he knew it was no ordinary item and stored it in his vault, hoping to one day unravel its mysteries. Unfortunately, word of it somehow leaked, drawing the attention of the Moth-Chaser. I imagine that as members of a Shadow organization, they understand the artifact’s true significance far better than we do. Perhaps they intend to use it in a ritual only they comprehend.”
Laurent continued to explain smoothly. At the mention of a heretical cult preparing for an important ritual, the Radiance Church personnel present all turned grim. Gaspard spoke up sternly.
“Where is that item now? Is it still in your possession?”
“Regrettably, no. The Moth-Chaser was highly skilled. After stealing the item, he escaped immediately. Even though my father tried to stop him personally, he failed to capture him. The Moth-Chaser fled through the other realm.”
Laurent’s answer caused the surrounding Sacrament Knights to exchange glances, silently questioning the truth of his claims. After a pause, Gaspard asked.
“Mr. Laurent, Lord Edward—do you have any evidence to support this account?”
“The evidence is simple—you yourselves felt the battle last night between my father and that powerful intruder. You even saw the Dream Moth fleeing into the sky. I understand you suspect us of plotting something against you, the Church, or the people.”
“But as you can see today, Moncarlo suffered no major damage. All of you are safe and sound. The force that struck this island was a powerful Shadow-path presence—one we do not possess. This was clearly an external invasion by another organization, not some conspiracy of ours.”
Laurent’s response was righteous and firm. After hearing him out, Gaspard fell into brief contemplation, then turned to the previously silent Vania and asked.
“Sister Vania… what do you think?”
“Hm… Well… I believe Mr. Laurent’s explanation is reasonable. It’s probably just as he described. Let’s report it to the Church accordingly.”
After a moment’s thought, Vania responded. Gaspard, hearing her conclusion, nodded slightly.
“If Sister Vania says so, then we’ll report it this way for now… Based on the current evidence, this indeed appears to be a Shadow-path organization intrusion.”
After hearing Vania’s words, Gaspard nodded in agreement. And once the Church’s representatives had clearly signaled their stance on the incident, Edward—who had been sitting silently—unconsciously let out a faint sigh of relief. At last, he spoke up in his hoarse voice.
“Sister Vania’s willingness to understand our position and reach a consensus with us on this crucial matter truly brings this old man great comfort. As a token of appreciation, I shall personally attend your farewell banquet, and prepare a small gift as well.”
“Ah, Lord Edward’s presence would be a great honor,” Vania replied humbly. Edward smiled and continued.
“Haha… Sister Vania, you are too modest. It is I who am honored by your visit, bearing holy relics to this so-called ‘city of decadence.’ I’m sure during your relic tour here in Moncarlo, you must’ve heard your share of unpleasant rumors. As the host of this place, I must apologize. I’ll make sure those slick-tongued offenders are punished.”
“That… really isn’t necessary. I understand that Moncarlo’s situation is shaped by historical factors, so there’s no need for punishment. If anything, Lord Edward, I would rather you consider expanding the Moncarlo church a little. Compared to the city’s scale, the church feels somewhat cramped.”
Edward responded without hesitation.
“The church, is it… Understood. In that case, I will order the construction of a grand cathedral immediately. And everyone shall know—it is thanks to Sister Vania that Moncarlo will have this new house of worship.”
“Ah… well… That’s not really necessary…”
Vania replied with an awkward smile at Edward’s generosity. After some additional light conversation and confirmation of the banquet details, Vania and her entourage took their leave.
Once they were gone, Laurent finally exhaled in relief and turned to Edward.
“Father, this Sister Vania is quite reasonable. If they report things as we said, the Church shouldn’t trouble us—at least for now.”
“Mm…”
Edward nodded silently. The chaos that erupted in Moncarlo last night was sure to reach the ears of the Church, and in such a case, the firsthand report from Vania’s group would heavily influence the Church’s stance. If their report contained anything incriminating toward Edward, it could put him in a very difficult position when handling Church affairs later.
That was why he’d worked so hard to win over Vania during their exchange—almost to the point of flattery. Thankfully, the white-robed nun was just as pious and naïve as rumored, and ultimately accepted the version of events Edward had fabricated. That brought him a momentary sense of relief.
However, that small comfort wasn’t enough to calm the deep unrest in Edward’s heart. After a long pause, he spoke to Laurent.
“Go now. Begin preparations for the farewell banquet.”
“Yes, Father.”
Laurent bowed and left the hall respectfully. Once he was gone, Edward reached inside his robes and, after some fumbling, took out a small crystal vial. He stared at it silently, holding it in the palm of his hand.
After a long moment of contemplation, Edward clenched his hand suddenly, smashing the vial with a sharp crack. The shards sliced into his palm, and blood immediately began to flow.
“Damn it… cough, cough…”
Gripping his chair, the enraged Edward tried to speak but found himself momentarily breathless from the surge of fury. His aging body struggled to recover, and he coughed violently, clutching his chest until he could breathe again.
“Hah… hah… Never thought… I’d be played this thoroughly… Am I truly getting old? Useless in every way now?”
He muttered between labored breaths, staring at his bleeding hand. At this moment, he was trying desperately to calm the storm in his heart, to cool his rage over the loss of the Waters of Youth.
As he forced himself into reflection, Edward began to mentally replay the events of the previous night. He was starting to notice things that didn’t add up. He now realized that the confrontation with the Crimson-rank Moth-Chaser might not have been the full picture. Beneath the surface battle, an invisible hand may have been manipulating everything from the shadows.
“If that Moth-Chaser… really was the one who swapped out my Waters of Youth—then why didn’t he leave Moncarlo immediately, like Swordscale did? If he had just escaped, I would never have found him. Swordscale placed the water into the auction house and left long before it was sold—he had plenty of time to vanish. So why was the Moth-Chaser still on the island when I searched?”
“Suspicious… very suspicious… Could there be another secret I’m unaware of? Was that Moth-Chaser really the thief? If not, then how do I explain the hypnotic traces on the guild members? If it was him, why didn’t he run right away? Was he so confident in his ability to hide that he believed I’d never find him? That’s possible…”
“But if there’s a hidden truth—where is it hiding? Was it Swordscale? Did he give me a fake Waters of Youth from the start? Did he never intend to trade fairly? Was his goal just to trick me into corrupting that nun? Or… what if neither Swordscale nor the Moth-Chaser was the mastermind? What if someone else entirely orchestrated this affair…?”
While wiping the blood from his hand, Edward’s thoughts raced. At that moment, a knock came from the side door of the hall.
“Come in.”
At his command, the door opened, and Laurent entered, looking slightly flustered.
“What is it now?” Edward asked.
Laurent didn’t dare delay his reply.
“Father, just now I received an urgent envelope from the island’s postal service. It’s marked for direct delivery—and the signature reads… ‘Captain Bloodwave.’”
“...What?”
Edward’s eyes widened slightly.
“Captain Bloodwave” was the title he had used during his time with the Abyssal Church—a name almost no one knew anymore.
“Let me see it.”
With a grim expression, Edward held out his hand. Laurent immediately presented the envelope and placed it before him.
Edward took it and performed all standard checks—both mundane and mystical. Once he confirmed it posed no danger, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter inside.
What appeared was a page of cleanly typed text, uniform and crisp, as if printed by a typewriter. As Edward’s eyes scanned its contents, his face froze.
…
“To the esteemed Captain Bloodwave, great ruler of Moncarlo:
Lord Edward, greetings. I am but a humble thief. Tonight, on the 29th, I am planning to use some rather dishonorable methods… to steal away fifty years of your life.
If this letter has reached your hands, then it means I have succeeded.
And yet, those fifty years… are not something I need.
Which means, perhaps… there is room for negotiation between us.”