Eastern coast of the main island of Pritt, Tivian.
During the daytime in Tivian, under the gloomy sky, a chilly autumn wind blew through the air. A faint haze hung over the city as always. In a quiet city park somewhere in the eastern district, a few citizens were strolling leisurely. Inside a pavilion within the park, a thin man with deep-set eyes and a hooked nose, wearing a gray trench coat, was seated on a stone bench. Not far from him sat a woman dressed in a fitted coat, with a round hat and scarf concealing her face. She was intently reading a newspaper in her hands.
“According to the intel I’ve received, the Eight-Spired Nest’s activity in Tivian has once again significantly declined. It seems your operations have been quite effective,” said Misha softly, her identity well-disguised as she looked down at her paper.
Ed, gazing leisurely at the distant scenery, replied casually.
“Yeah, the operation went well. Not only did the Eight-Spired fail to achieve their objective this time, but they also suffered some losses. A temporary retreat is to be expected. We have you to thank for that—without your help securing Ampere’s relic, we wouldn’t have been able to track the spiders’ movements so clearly.”
Ed spoke with a relaxed tone, and Misha responded seriously.
“I’ve heard about what happened in Glamorne. Since the Eight-Spired lost there, that suggests your plan to involve the Church worked out. What exactly happened over there? What were the Eight-Spired aiming for?”
“I don’t have the full details yet. I remained in Tivian the entire time, so I wasn’t directly involved in the Glamorne incident. It was another team from the society. As for the Eight-Spired’s objective… it’s still unclear. What we can confirm is that it had to do with the royal bloodline of Despenser and the ancient Pritt faith predating the Radiance Church. Their goal in Glamorne was to seize and exploit the old faith relics there. Once we discovered their intent, we created an opportunity to draw the Church in and successfully disrupted their plans.”
Ed explained calmly. Misha had taken part in the plan to involve the Church, so she already had a rough idea of how the situation had played out.
Misha spoke thoughtfully. Hearing this, Ed raised an eyebrow slightly before speaking again.
“Sounds like… you’re planning to build your own team?”
“More or less. Remember how, when you had me stage that act in front of the Church folks, you gave me those lines to use? That whole ‘secret patriot organization’ routine… it got me thinking. Even though the group was fictional, I realized—it could be real,” Misha said, a glimmer appearing in her eyes.
“There are others in the Serenity Bureau who, like me, have sensed that something is wrong at the top. Others who are wary, even dissatisfied. I’m simply the one with the strongest initiative.
“And it’s not just the Bureau. If the Eight-Spired Nest really is exerting some powerful influence over the upper echelons of Pritt, then other branches—like the army, navy, even the royal guard—might also be compromised. There must be others who’ve noticed something’s amiss. If I can contact them in secret and quietly gather them into one group, we could form a powerful force to stand against the Eight-Spired Nest.”
Misha spoke solemnly to Ed. Her words made Ed blink in momentary surprise before replying:
“You’re saying… you want to turn the so-called ‘Pritt Vigilance Faction’ into something real?”
“Exactly. After all, Pritt’s problems should be solved by the Pritts. Constantly relying on you folks from the Rose Cross Order isn’t ideal, don’t you think… Detective?”
Misha said this calmly. Ed considered her words for a moment before nodding slightly and replying.
“You’ve got a point. In a place like Tivian, you can never have too many assets. If you really can pull people from Pritt’s military and government sectors, that’d be excellent. You were once close to the royal family, and you know the upper echelon of Pritt better than we ever could. You’re well-suited to handle this.
“Go ahead—but be cautious. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can provide technical support on the mystical side.”
Ed’s words carried understanding. Dorothy (observing through Ed) clearly knew that when it came to the fight against the Eight-Spired Nest, every bit of help counted. She also understood that Misha had always viewed the Rose Cross Order with a measure of caution—she didn’t want the fate of Pritt to rest entirely in the hands of a secret organization she didn’t fully trust.
Misha understood that the Rose Cross was helping her not out of concern for Pritt’s future, but because the Eight-Spired Nest possessed something the Order wanted. Their goals weren’t aligned forever. So she needed her own contingency. Even if the Rose Cross ceased to support her, she would still need the strength to continue the fight.
“Thank you, then. In the early stages of this organization, I’ll definitely need your help. In return, we’ll support you as much as we can in Pritt—sharing intelligence and so on.
“To be honest, I’ve already begun recruiting in Tivian and gathering intel from various circles to track the Eight-Spired’s movements. I’ve already caught wind of something rather interesting.”
Misha added with a touch of mystery in her tone. Ed’s interest was immediately piqued.
“Oh? What is it exactly?”
“There’s a rumor currently circulating in Tivian’s unofficial mystical circles. They say that Archbishop Francesco of the Hymn Cathedral was severely injured and sent to Holy Mount for treatment. And for some reason, the new Archbishop hasn’t been appointed yet. In the meantime, the one serving as acting Archbishop of Pritt… is none other than that recently famous nun—Sister Vania Chafferon…”
Lowering her voice slightly, Misha relayed the rumor to Ed. Upon hearing this, Ed’s expression tensed, and after a moment of thought, he muttered.
“…So that’s already begun spreading?”
…
Elsewhere in Tivian, in a secluded corner, Dorothy sat quietly, reflecting on the message she had just overheard from Misha. Her thoughts gradually sank into contemplation.
“If I remember correctly, the Church didn’t publicly announce Archbishop Francesco’s critical injuries or the upcoming replacement in Pritt’s leadership to avoid complications. The fact that Vania is currently acting Archbishop of the Hymn Cathedral shouldn’t be known to the outside world. Even if the Tivian Church’s internal confidentiality wasn’t watertight, the news shouldn’t have leaked this quickly…
“The only plausible explanation is that the Eight-Spired Nest deliberately spread the information. While the Tivian Church didn’t release official news about Francesco or Vania, the Serenity Bureau—as a fellow official Beyonder institution—would still have some insight into the Church’s internal situation. After all, their duties intersect often. And at this point, the Serenity Bureau is practically a one-way mirror to the Eight-Spired Nest, meaning the Nest can access that intelligence too.”
Dorothy thought with a somewhat heavy expression. The fact that the Eight-Spired Nest was intentionally circulating this news within Tivian’s mystical underground set off warning bells in her mind.
“There’s no doubt this is a targeted attempt to cause trouble for the Church—a limited act of retaliation for the Glamorne incident. In the current state of affairs… it’s impossible for the Eight-Spired Nest to confront the Church directly. But by spreading this key piece of intel, they might be hoping to stir up other factions into action…”
That was the conclusion she arrived at. To Dorothy, the Eight-Spired Nest’s intentions were already quite clear: retaliation. Even so, she wasn’t overly worried.
“The Church is a massive institution. Even if Tivian is temporarily without a Crimson-rank overseer, it’s unlikely any other faction would be foolish enough to use this as an opportunity to stir up trouble. A new Archbishop will eventually be appointed. Anyone who tries to take advantage of this brief vacuum would just end up facing the Church’s retaliation later—can they afford that? I doubt any group would be stupid enough to act rashly right now. I don’t need to worry too much.
“What I should be concerned with is recovering enough spirituality to resolve the post-advancement crisis. But the problem is—I’m low on funds.
“The rented Stone divine artifact is still in the process of being returned to the White Craftsmen’s Guild. They’re still auditing its usage to determine whether there was any damage. The whole process will take at least a month before I can get the deposit back. Looks like I’ll be stuck in this low-spirituality state for a while… I seriously need to find a new mystical text.”
Frowning slightly at her current predicament, Dorothy couldn’t help but sigh internally—when suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Oh dear, why such a gloomy face, Miss Detective? Come on now, smile a little! You’re finally wearing this outfit I picked out just for you~”
At the sound of the voice, Dorothy’s mouth twitched. She lifted her head in the direction of the sound and saw a large camera mounted on a tripod in the dimly lit room. Behind the camera stood a glamorous woman in a crimson dress—Adèle.
“Are you happy?”
Pulled back to the present by Adèle’s voice, Dorothy forced a smile. But Adèle didn’t seem satisfied.
“Too stiff. Relax a little, and make the smile more natural—just a little smile is enough. And loosen your posture a bit, you’re standing too rigidly,” Adèle instructed, and Dorothy nodded repeatedly.
“Oh… okay…”
At that moment, Dorothy was wearing the most extravagant outfit she had ever donned in her life: a lavish princess gown layered with intricate silk textures and an enormous skirt, paired with a fitted top embroidered with golden threads. Delicate white gloves covered her hands, her long white hair had been braided and elegantly coiled, and a crown encrusted with sparkling gemstones rested on her head.
Standing at the center of the room’s carpet, Dorothy folded her hands in front of her and adjusted her posture as instructed—just like a real princess attending a grand formal occasion.
“This dress… is so uncomfortable. It’s heavy and tight… I can barely move. And this skirt… isn’t it a little too massive and dramatic?”
Dorothy grumbled, glancing down at her burdensome outfit. Adèle, however, replied without hesitation.
“This is an authentic Falano court dress—one of my prized pieces! The Falano nobles are all about extravagance, flair, and making a statement—comfort isn’t a factor. It’s the result of decades of nobles competing for the favor of the goddess of beauty herself. Very different from the Prittish preference for simplicity and restraint. I’ve wanted to see you wear something like this for ages, and today I finally got my chance.”
Smiling faintly, Adèle explained. Previously, when Dorothy had asked for Adèle’s help, she had promised that once the Eight-Spired Nest situation was resolved, she would come in person to apologize. At the time, Dorothy assumed it would just be a casual hangout over drinks like last time. She never expected that Adèle would want to photograph her in a series of doll-like outfits.
Eventually, after repeated adjustments and corrections, Dorothy struck the pose Adèle wanted. A bright flash burst forth, and smoke gently billowed—Adèle had captured another perfect shot. Meanwhile, Dorothy bent over slightly, rubbing her sore waist.
“Hmm… that one turned out great. Alright, Miss Detective, take off this outfit—we’re putting on the next one~”
Adèle beamed as she spoke, while Dorothy groaned slightly and replied while still rubbing her waist.
“Another one? By the way, Adèle… where did you even get so many little girl outfits? These really don’t look like something you’d wear at your age…”
“Hehe… A woman’s beauty manifests in different stages, and I collect them all. The budding charm of a young girl—that’s one of the most precious moments of all. I could never pass that up~” Adèle replied with a smile.
Then she pointed to Dorothy’s extravagant gown and added.
“Some of these were bought specifically for my collection, and some I wore myself long ago—like the one you’re wearing right now.
“Loving beauty is in a woman’s nature. Every stage of beauty is worth cherishing and remembering. Once your youthful years pass, Miss Detective, you’ll thank me for letting you wear such beautiful outfits today.”
“Pass”… and how long will that take? Now that I’m at Crimson-rank, this age might last quite a while. If I ascend to Gold, who knows how much longer…”
Dorothy muttered inwardly. Then, suddenly reminded of something, she turned her gaze to Adèle and asked.
“By the way, Adèle, do you have any spare Chalice mystical texts? If so, could I borrow one? I’ll pay you whatever rent you want.”
Adèle paused for a moment before replying with a smile.
“Chalice mystical texts… I do have one or two. I’m not using them myself, so of course I can lend them to you. But I don’t want rent. Next time I get some new pretty outfits, you can come pose for photos again as payment.”
“Ah…”
Dorothy blinked in stunned silence at Adèle’s answer.
…
Beneath Tivian’s overcast haze, in a somewhat shadowy study, a figure sat at a broad desk. Before him was a sheet of letter paper. Pen in hand, he was rapidly writing.
“Dear kind Sister White Prayer,
Greetings. After some days, I write to you once again. May the Mother of Chalice nourish you—may you be well.
I apologize for the recent delay. I’ve been overwhelmed with mundane matters and couldn’t respond to your previous letters in time. Fortunately, I’ve finally found a moment of peace, and now we can continue our exchange on the shared divine truths between the Holy Mother and the Mother of Chalice. I greatly look forward to what insights this round of discussion might bring.
However, before that, I feel compelled to inform you of something: troubling rumors have begun to circulate in Tivian—rumors related to the Hymn Cathedral. It appears that something unsettling may be occurring within the local Church. I worry that in such unstable circumstances, you might be in danger. So I wanted to confirm how you’re doing…”