In the peaceful and serene garden, Vania sat on a stone bench in her white nun’s robes, a faintly stunned expression on her face as she listened to Amanda describe the new trial awaiting her.
“So, you mean I must now head into those chaotic regions and relieve one hundred thousand innocent sufferers amidst disasters in order to truly complete my advancement?”
“Yes. The Redemption Path must be walked with redemption—by offering it. This is your final trial to advance on this path. Only through truly tempering your compassion amidst countless acts of relief can you rise to a high position within the Holy Church.”
Sitting not far from Vania, Amanda patiently explained. After listening, Vania pondered briefly, then nodded seriously.
“I understand, Your Excellency. I will devote myself to relieving those in need. I will do all I can to help the suffering escape their misery and fulfill the duty of a servant of the Lord.”
Vania spoke earnestly to Amanda. Hearing her words, Amanda smiled slightly and nodded, then continued.
“I see your resolve. Though this mission will be arduous, I will provide ample support to assist you in completing this final trial. Oh, and as for where you should carry out this relief effort, I suggest North Ufiga. You’ve aided the Shadi regime—they can support you to some extent. Additionally, the Church plans to hold a pilgrimage in Addus to assert its influence, but that can be arranged after you’ve successfully completed your trial.”
Amanda offered her counsel with care, and Vania respectfully replied.
“Understood, Your Excellency. I will complete this trial. I will not fail your expectations!”
With solemn determination, Vania addressed Amanda. Seeing her response, Amanda finally nodded.
“Very well… I’ll be watching closely, Sister Vania.”
…
Still within the same peaceful garden, Amanda remained seated in her simple long robe, silently appreciating the tranquil beauty around her. Beside her, the translucent form of the nun remained standing, her gaze fixed on the direction where Vania had recently disappeared.
“What do you think of her, Ivy?”
Suddenly, Amanda withdrew her gaze and looked toward the spectral nun at her side, speaking calmly. Hearing the question, Ivy paused briefly, then turned and replied respectfully.
“You mean Sister Vania?”
“Who else would I mean? You’ve been the one looking after her all this time. Tell me—what’s your impression of her?”
Amanda took a sip from the teacup on the stone table, savoring it, as Ivy took a moment to gather her thoughts before answering slowly.
“Sister Vania… At first glance, she appears kind, polite, devout, compassionate, gentle, and diligent—she has all the virtues expected of a faithful Holy Mother believer. And she doesn’t come across as faking it—it’s easy to like her at first sight. That said, she often seems overly tense. She’s constantly cautious, no matter the occasion. While this could be attributed to her being new to Holy Mount, sometimes it feels like she’s hiding something deep down…”
Ivy gave her assessment, and Amanda, placing her teacup back on the table, continued.
“Your instincts aren’t wrong. Vania is indeed a good child. But it’s also true that she carries secrets.”
“She really is hiding something…? You’ve already discovered it, Your Excellency?”
Ivy asked in surprise.
Amanda nodded.
“She definitely is. There’s no other way to explain the string of miracles and events that have occurred around her. I’ve suspected for a long time that she’s hiding something extraordinary—and just now, I caught a glimpse of it…”
Amanda spoke calmly, and Ivy asked curiously.
“What did you glimpse?”
“Traces—spiritual traces. When I helped her ease the aftereffects of the rite just now, I also conducted a thorough examination of her body. What I found was a residual, unusual spiritual trace—specifically, a trace of Revelation spirituality, which is exceedingly rare these days.”
Amanda explained slowly, and Ivy furrowed her brow upon hearing it.
“‘Revelation spirituality…? Sister Vania can accumulate that within herself?”
“Yes… and in substantial amounts. From what I could see, her body has long been accumulating Revelation spirituality frequently and in great volume. But before coming to Holy Mount, she deliberately expended most of it. This little nun organized and regulated her own spiritual composition before arriving. She cleaned it thoroughly—but inevitably, some subtle traces remained. The residue is so faint that only I, through direct examination, or perhaps the Holy See themself, could have detected it.”
Amanda continued casually, and Ivy froze slightly. Then, as if recalling something, she spoke.
“Spiritual traces of Revelation… Could this be connected to the Heaven’s Arbiter Sect? Sister Vania may have deeper ties to those people. That thunder judgment incident in Yadith wasn’t as simple as it seemed. Those people… they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to protect Vania during the Kankdal incident without a compelling reason…”
Ivy responded with understanding, then her expression turned serious as she asked Amanda.
“Your Excellency, should we detain Sister Vania immediately and interrogate her to uncover the truth?”
“Heh, if I wanted to detain her, I wouldn’t have let her walk away just now.”
Amanda gave a soft laugh and shook her head in reply. Ivy, still confused, pressed on.
“Sister Vania has deep secret dealings with external societies. This isn’t just a significant hidden danger—it’s a serious violation of Church law. If we don’t handle it internally right away and the Inquisition catches wind of it, it’ll be extremely detrimental to you…”
Ivy’s tone was solemn and blunt, but Amanda responded slowly.
“Inside the Church or out, Vania is under the scrutiny of many. Her promotion has long become a matter of public interest among the entire Cardinal Council. If we suddenly halt her advancement without cause, that will cause far greater problems—and hand Kramar the perfect excuse to launch an investigation. In our current situation, we can’t afford even the slightest misstep regarding Vania. Even if there are issues, they must remain undisclosed for now.”
From Amanda’s current standpoint, no errors could be allowed concerning Vania. At this sensitive moment, Amanda had already poured significant political capital into her. In a sense, she and Vania were now intertwined in interest—she couldn’t easily or willingly terminate Vania’s advancement.
“So Your Excellency is concerned about those factors…? You must’ve long suspected that Sister Vania harbored certain issues. Even so, you continued pouring resources into her, until it’s now impossible to sever ties… This sort of recklessness doesn’t feel like your usual style.”
Ivy spoke with some confusion. Amanda replied, sounding slightly helpless.
“There’s no helping it. Ever since the Holy See’s absence, all the cardinals have lost restraint, expanding their power and attacking each other. I wanted to remain bound by rules, but others never stopped their assaults from the shadows—especially Kramar. He’s the boldest and most blatant. Every time they attack, the most effective weapon I have at hand just happens to be that little nun.
“From Summer Tree to Kankdal to Tivian—it’s always been the same. I initially wanted to properly evaluate Vania long-term, to thoroughly understand her before truly promoting her. But Kramar and the others wouldn’t give me the chance. Since they were the ones to first break the rules again and again, I couldn’t keep abiding by them either…”
Amanda narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke. Her choice to turn a blind eye to Vania’s problems was ultimately a helpless reaction to the escalating internal Church power struggle. The current political rules within the Church were already vastly different from what they had once been.
“If I could, I’d prefer to handle all this cleanly—avoid entanglements with vague external societies altogether. But the current situation is unlike the past. Kramar has become so brazen, he’s even begun dealing with the Afterbirth Cult just to get at me. If I keep sticking to the rules, I won’t be able to hold him off.”
Amanda continued. Ivy’s expression changed in surprise.
“Lord Kramar has been in contact with the Afterbirth Cult?”
“Yes, though indirectly, it still counts. This was revealed in a secret letter sent to me through covert channels by the Fourth Consul of Falano. It details the full account of a recent assassination attempt he survived. You can take a look…”
As she spoke, Amanda pulled a small, opened envelope from her robe’s sleeve, removed a letter from it, and placed it on the table. Ivy stepped forward and scanned it quickly—her brow furrowing deeper as she read.
“To think… such a thing happened… Lord Kramar actually interfered in Falano’s internal politics and even went as far as to contact the Afterbirth Cult… They have no principles left at all? And someone like that… is a cardinal of the Radiance Church…”
Ivy spoke in disbelief as she finished reading. Amanda sighed in response.
“Yes. Ironic, isn’t it? We cardinals, chosen by the Holy See itself to represent the Church’s highest power, have become utterly consumed by ambition. Strip away just a little oversight, and we swell out of control like this. We’re not even as devout as that little nun… That’s the most twisted, deformed reality at the upper echelons of the Radiance Church.”
She sighed again as she put away the letter. Ivy then added solemnly.
“So… because Lord Kramar contacted the Afterbirth Cult, you’ve likewise tacitly accepted Sister Vania, despite her deep ties with the Heaven’s Arbiter Sect.”
“In a sense, yes. Compared to the Afterbirth Cult, this mysterious Heaven’s Arbiter group seems, at least for now, more tolerable. At least they haven’t committed any atrocities yet. Perhaps they’re more like the White Craftsmen’s Guild—some sort of special, neutral faction.”
Amanda responded evenly. After hearing this, Ivy continued gravely.
“Even if they seem better, Your Excellency, you can’t afford to take the Heaven’s Arbiter Sect lightly. It seems they also intend to use Sister Vania to infiltrate our ranks.”
“I’m well aware of that… That’s why, Ivy, I have a task for you. When Sister Vania departs for North Ufiga, I want you to accompany her—protect her from a distance. And during the journey, if possible, try to make contact with that Heaven’s Arbiter group again. Make our position clear, and try to learn more about their goals.”
Amanda gave her command. Ivy nodded immediately.
“Understood, Your Excellency.”
“Alright then. Go make your preparations.”
At Amanda’s instruction, Ivy gave a slight bow and gradually faded from view.
Watching Ivy vanish, Amanda let out a long breath. She gazed toward the westering sun on the horizon, deep in thought about something.
Amidst her reflection, Amanda pulled an item from her sleeve and held it in her hand. Upon closer inspection, it was a worn and aged necklace featuring a small figure of the Holy Mother.
…
Pritt, Eastern Coast, East Tivian.
Daylight bathed the bustling streets of East Tivian. Amid the flow of people and passing carriages, a black carriage slowly moved with the traffic. Inside it, Dorothy, newly returned to her homeland, sat quietly, gazing out the window at the passing scenery.
“Ugh… I just got back, and now I have to leave again. All this traveling is such a pain…”
She scratched her head and muttered. Though she had a new objective, she wasn’t rushing off to North Ufiga from Falano. Instead, she had returned first to Pritt.
Even though Dorothy was now a Crimson-rank Beyonder, it was still necessary to check in with her family—or more precisely, her older brother—before setting off on a long journey. Though the back-and-forth was exhausting, it was still something she felt she had to do.
“Though this works out nicely… I can just buy mystical texts from Beverly. I need a lot of spiritual replenishment this time, and ordinary Craftsmen’s Guild branches only carry a few copies of each spirituality. That won’t be enough for me. Beverly can prepare in advance and get me everything I need. Very convenient.”
So Dorothy thought to herself, while calculating her finances and deciding how many mystical texts to purchase. At the same time, she guided her corpse marionette-driven carriage swiftly through the city streets, gradually heading toward her home.