Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Invitation

‘Viscount Field?’

Sitting in the seats of the orphanage classroom, Dorothy couldn’t help but recall this seemingly familiar name after hearing Anna’s words. She felt she had heard it somewhere before. After some thought, she realized that she had often seen his name in the newspapers.

Viscount Field, a local nobleman from Igewent, an hereditary viscount, and a traditional aristocrat. He had traveled extensively outside for a long time and, upon returning to Igewent six years ago, began engaging in charity work. It was said that he frequently entered the lower districts to understand the living conditions of the poor and provided relief. He could be considered the most knowledgeable among the privileged class in Igewent about the lives of the lower-class people.

Dorothy had recently seen him criticize Igewent’s police system for its inaction, not taking the safety of the underprivileged, especially the destitute, seriously. He claimed that people often went missing without anyone caring. At that time, Dorothy once wondered if these so-called disappearances were the work of the Holy Communion and worried about the viscount’s safety.

She didn’t expect this viscount’s love to be so great. With a charity event held annually, and adopting an orphan after each event, he would have adopted six orphans in six years. This year would be the seventh…

Even for a benevolent noble, wouldn’t this number of adoptions be a bit too much?

“What’s wrong with you, Teacher Meschos?”

At this moment, Anna, who was standing beside her holding a fairy tale book, looked at the somewhat dazed Dorothy with confusion and spoke. Hearing Anna’s words, Dorothy was slightly taken aback, then smiled in response.

“Haha… nothing, Anna. I just remembered something… Oh, right, I wanted to ask you, do you know any of the children who were previously adopted and left?”

Dorothy asked Anna, who immediately replied after listening.

“Um… I don’t know the few brothers and sisters from the earlier years, but I do know those from later years, like Gijil and Boom… They were only adopted by Viscount Fidel a couple of years ago. They used to be very outstanding individuals in the orphanage and were my role models.”

“Is that so? Then have you ever met them again after they left?” Dorothy continued asking, and after thinking for a while, Anna nodded in reply.

“I did see them, but not often. The previous children didn’t attend many events with Viscount Fidel, and we occasionally saw their photos with him in the newspapers. Also, every year at the charity event, Viscount Fidel would bring two of the previously adopted children, and we could see them there… Well, but why are you asking me this?”

Anna asked with a puzzled tone. After hearing this, Dorothy also responded with a smile.

“Not much, just curious… By the way, Anna, you mentioned that I could attend the charity event as well. You just said that only the upper echelons of Igewent were invited.”

Dorothy asked Anna, who nodded affirmatively.

“No problem! Since our orphanage is a key participant in the charity event, we have a few invitation slots. If Sister Dideli agrees, she will give you an invitation letter. With so many of us, we can definitely persuade Sister Dideli.”

In Anna’s words, there was a sense of certainty and hope. Looking at the front, Dorothy nodded.

“Alright… then I leave it to you all.”

…

In the afternoon, at the Orphanage of Mercy, the principal’s office.

Sitting behind the desk, a wrinkled old nun in her fifties, dressed in black, sat behind the desk. She was the principal of the Orphanage of Mercy, Sister Dideli, and also a formal nun of the Church of Radiance in Igewent.

Sister Dideli took out an envelope from the drawer and handed it to Dorothy, who was sitting across the table.

“Here, this is your invitation. The time and location are written inside. Don’t be late, Miss Meschos.”

“Thank you, Sister Dideli. It’s an honor for me to participate in such a banquet.”

Dorothy thanked her after taking the envelope. Sister Dideli then smiled and said,

“Thank those children instead. Not many students are willing to come here for practical experience. You are the first one to gain their affection, and you deserve this invitation… Alright, I need to rest now. Feiqi, please escort the guest out.”

“Farewell, Sister Dideli.”

Then, escorted by a middle-aged man with a balding head, Dorothy left the principal’s office. When she arrived in the corridor, Anna, still holding a book, was waiting there.

“How was it? Teacher Meschos, did you get the invitation?”

“It’s here. Thanks to you all, I got it.” Dorothy waved the envelope in her hand and smiled. Anna also spoke happily.

“That’s great! Remember to come on time to watch our unit’s performance the day after tomorrow. I need to go do the final rehearsal! Goodbye!”

While saying this, Anna waved and ran away, and Dorothy smiled and waved back. Then, she quietly opened the envelope in her hand and carefully examined the address inside.

“At seven o’clock sharp on the 25th, at the Gem Theatre?”

…

At the same time, in another part of the city, in the upper district of Igewent, within the Church of Radiance.

Inside a small secret room within the church, three figures were present. Two of them were male clerics sitting together in black robes, while the third, a nun with platinum blonde hair and round glasses, sat opposite them.

“Alright… We have a general understanding of the situation. Sister Vania, we will report your account to Tiwyán initially.”

After a prolonged questioning, a cleric stood up and said to the nun in front of him, putting away the documents in his hands. The nun named Vania sighed deeply.

“This… will be the last interrogation, right…”

“Yes, it will be the last. Our preliminary investigation in Red Creek aligns almost perfectly with what you’ve described. We believe there is no issue with your statement. They might question you again when you return to Tiwyán, but it’s just routine and shouldn’t be a concern.

“Thank the Holy Mother that a survivor of this tragedy caused by the heretics has been found.”

Another cleric also stood up and said. Upon hearing their words, Vania’s heart, which had been hanging for days, finally calmed down.

A fortnight ago, after Vania escaped from the underground crypt of the small chapel in Red Creek Town and immediately went to the town to send an urgent telegram to the Radiant Church in Tiwyán, informing them of the situation, Tiwyán urgently contacted the Igewent Church, requesting them to dispatch a Light Executor team immediately to take control of the situation in Red Creek and protectively bring Vania back to Igewent.

Not long ago, several Light Executor teams from Tiwyán came to Igewent County to resume the sacred relic recovery work at Dickert’s tomb. Meanwhile, Vania in Igewent had also begun undergoing several days of questioning.