Chapter 322: Ambush
On the outskirts of Tivyán, by the banks of the Moonflow River.
Inside a villa in the darkness of night, within an open secret room, the werewolf Smith sat in his place while Davik stood beside him.
The scar-faced Smith habitually puffed on his pipe, his gaze fixed ahead where his two subordinates stood. Between them was the panicked white nun, Vania.
Examining the nun before him, Smith exhaled smoke from his pipe. Vania, after glancing nervously at Smith a couple of times, spoke first.
“Well, umm… Mr. Werewolf, research shows that smoking isn’t very good for your health…”
“Huh… Smoking is bad for you? You’re worried about my health? Don’t you know who I am? I’m the one who kidnapped you, a heretic despised by your church.”
Listening to Vania’s words, Smith said with interest. Vania then continued speaking after swallowing hard.
“Regardless of whom they believe in, all life is equal and should be cherished. This is what the Holy Mother taught me.
“Werewolf sir, your Wolf bl**d Association belongs to the Placenta Sect. You must have some respect for the Cup Mother, right? From what I understand, the teachings of the Cup Mother align closely with those of the Holy Mother, including the respect for life and universal love… If you can understand the teachings of the Cup Mother, you should also understand me.”
Vania earnestly addressed Smith. After listening, Smith rubbed his chin thoughtfully and continued speaking to her.
“I mainly worship the Gluttonous Wolf, but as you said, people from the Placenta Sect do indeed know and revere the Cup Mother to some extent… What you just said does make sense… However, equating your church’s Holy Mother with our Cup Mother so casually—doesn’t that go against your church’s beliefs? Isn’t our Cup Mother considered an evil deity by you? In your mythology, she was even driven away by the Savior of Radiance. Doing this could get you labeled as a heretic.”
With a tone of pressure, Smith said to Vania. Vania responded calmly.
“Yes, my thoughts might slightly deviate from the orthodox teachings of the church, but I believe that ideas should evolve and improve over time. Honestly… I find some of the teachings of the Cup Mother intriguing. There are many valuable concepts worth absorbing.
“I’m an orphan. Whether it’s the Holy Mother or the Cup Mother, they both feel like my real mother. All beings under a common mother are siblings, so I want to persuade the Wolf bl**d Association to respect the Cup Mother and reduce the bloodshed among brothers and sisters…”
Vania continued to express her views to Smith, clearly diverging from the orthodox teachings of the Radiant Church. As she spoke, Smith nodded silently.
‘Confused about the teachings of the Cup Mother and the Holy Mother, even wanting to combine them… This is typical heterodox thinking from the Holy Mother faction. It seems Davik was right; this nun has been influenced by the Poison Recognition of the True Crimson Holy Mother… She does indeed have potential value.’
Observing Vania as she expounded her theories, Smith thought to himself. At this point, he had largely accepted what Davik had told him, confirming that Vania was an affected heretic whose beliefs could be exploited.
Next, Smith and Vania continued their conversation. In the exchange, Vania portrayed herself as someone holding dissenting views towards the orthodox church teachings and having an interest in blending the doctrines of the Cup Mother and the Holy Mother. Furthermore, she accurately mentioned some content exclusive to the True Crimson Holy Mother, fully aligning with what Davik had previously described.
“Hmm… Yes, Sister Vania, your words indeed hold insight. The rigidity of the church truly wastes your talents. Heh, I think the church will never accept your ideas.”
After their initial exchange, Smith felt he had assessed Vania. He placed his pipe aside and said. Hearing his words, Vania nodded slightly.
“The werewolf sir is right… The church finds it hard to agree with my ideas, but I will strive to change that.”
“Strive? It seems unlikely… I know the church well. Their inflexibility is evident. If you express your views on the Holy Mother too strongly, you might face execution. Unlike us, we interpret the teachings of the Cup Mother more liberally. Your ideas make sense to me and have given me new insights into the Cup Mother.”
“Really? Thank you, werewolf sir, for understanding!”
Vania said gratefully. Then, after scrutinizing her again, Smith continued.
“Sister Vania, thank you for saving Davik’s life. He is important to us. As a reward, not only can I let you go, but I can also report your situation to higher-ups, allowing our Wolf bl**d Association to support your research on the Holy Mother’s new ideas. You said the Holy Mother’s new ideas need supplementation from the Cup Mother’s teachings. We can provide documents related to the Cup Mother. What do you think?”
Smith enticed her. Hearing this, Vania couldn’t help but smile.
“Really? Can you really help me? This is great! I really want to learn more about the Cup Mother!”
Vania responded delightedly. Smith continued smiling and said.
“Of course, heh… Given your reaction, you seem to have agreed to my suggestion. In that case, I’ll report your situation to the higher-ups now. Davik, you and Sister Vania can go rest.”
“Understood, Mr. Smith.”
As they spoke, Smith’s subordinates helped Davik up and led Vania out of the secret room. Once everyone left, only Smith remained.
Watching them leave, Smith slowly stood up and walked to the altar made of bl**d and bones in the center of the room. He placed his hand on the edge of the altar, and the writhing flesh inside began to stir, eventually forming a pair of ears, a mouth, and an eye that floated up from the flesh.
The bloodshot eye scanned around before focusing on Smith. Then, the mouth opened, emitting a hoarse, strange sound.
“Smith… How is everything going?”
“Everything is going smoothly, Elder Duval. Through cooperation with the Spire, I’ve rescued the captured researcher. His intelligence won’t leak anymore. Also, during this rescue operation, I gained an unexpected bonus.”
Facing the altar, Smith spoke respectfully. The mouth on the altar continued to speak in a hoarse tone.
“An unexpected bonus? I’d like to hear what’s so significant that you would specifically report it to me…”
“Like this, Elder Duval, I unexpectedly found a nun during the rescue. She might help us infiltrate the Tivyán Church and obtain something we couldn’t before—the original text of the True Crimson Holy Mother…”
Smith finished speaking. The mouth on the altar fell silent for a moment before continuing.
“Tell me more about this nun. What exactly is her situation?”
…
In a room within the villa, Smith’s subordinate closed the door after bringing Vania inside.
Once the door was shut, Vania sat down and relaxed, breathing heavily.
“Pant… Pant… That was intense. I almost got caught. Good thing Miss Dorothy was here…”
