Chapter 104: Scent
“Huff… It’s good that I don’t need to be interrogated by a deacon for this situation; otherwise, there would be no way to hide it.”
In the small room, Vania, who successfully passed through the questioning, thought with relief. After the incident, she immediately notified the Church and actively cooperated with the investigation. Her statements were reasonable and matched the scene, with nothing suspicious. Added to her clean background and good behavior, the investigators sent by the Church only questioned her instead of interrogating her.
If it had been an interrogation, the Church would have deployed a Black Tier or higher deacon. In front of high-ranking “Lamp” Extraordinary Beings, lying would not work as they possess the ability to see through lies.
Regarding the events in the tomb that night, Vania described them clearly. She talked about how they discovered the tomb, explored it, encountered an ambush, and how she managed to hide in a side chamber.
In the final part of her story, Vania recounted how the last injured heretic entered the side chamber. In her panic, she used her sword to counterattack, killing the heretic due to his injuries, despite her lack of experience.
As for the other heretic killed by a sword deflection, Vania placed him among a chaotic battlefield with many corpses, pretending he died in the melee. Using a sword to k*ll an injured heretic could be justified since the heretic indeed had other wounds, but deflecting bullets with a sword was too far-fetched.
“Alright, Sister Vania, the pursuit of heretics and the recovery of Bishop Dickert’s relics are ongoing. For safety, those relics will first be transported to Igewent, then transferred to Tivyán by healthy forces. You can return with us when the time comes, considering the recent increase in heretic activities. This route is safer.”
“Before then, take some time to relax in Igewent and rest properly.”
After organizing the documents on the table, a cleric smiled at Vania and said. Listening to this, Vania was slightly stunned but quickly stood up to thank him.
“Thank you so much. After seeing the cruel methods of those heretics, I have been quite tense these past few days. I really need a break. I might as well tour Igewent while I’m here.”
“Heh, go ahead and enjoy yourself, Sister Vania. Our Igewent has its own charm, like the school built by Saint Amanda. Oh, and the annual charity event is coming up soon. That’s one of our local highlights.”
The cleric introduced his hometown to Vania, who responded with confusion.
“Charity event?”
“It’s an annual charity banquet hosted by Viscount Field to help the poor. At the event, Viscount Field calls upon other wealthy locals to donate. There are also many performances, making it quite famous.”
The cleric’s eyes rolled as he looked at Vania again and spoke.
“In fact, to respond to the Holy Mother’s compassion, we send representatives each year. Since you’re here, would you like to join us?”
The cleric thought that as a nun from the capital diocese, Vania could be shown the positive aspects of the charity event. Upon returning, she might spread positive impressions about Igewent, such as the high level of education and the generosity of the rich, which would leave a good impression on their superiors.
“Charity event…”
Hearing this, Vania nodded thoughtfully.
…
Time flew by, and two days passed quickly.
In the evening, in the upscale area of Igewent, at a bustling crossroads, the sound of hooves echoed as carriages gathered under the twilight glow.
On one side of the crossroads, a brightly lit sign hung above a wide-open gate with guards. The renowned Gem Theatre in Igewent was welcoming its guests tonight.
Many carriages were already parked along the broad avenue. From these carriages, well-dressed gentlemen and elegant ladies emerged, chatting and laughing as they walked down the red carpet to enter the grand entrance.
Beside the avenue, a carriage slowly came to a stop. Then, a young girl cautiously stepped down.
At this moment, the girl had her neatly combed white hair loose, wearing a gray-black dress with a slight formal touch. She wore a flower-adorned hat, black knee-high socks, and small leather shoes. A bow tied around her waist, with lace accents at various points.
This was Dorothy, who had come to attend the gathering. To fit in with the upper-class event, she spent money on a relatively appropriate outfit and even went to a makeup shop for a light touch-up.
After dressing and applying makeup, her first self-indulgent look in the full-length mirror lasted nearly half an hour. Reminded by the shop owner, she hurried over, managing to arrive just in time.
The clothes Dorothy wore now cost more than all her previous purchases combined, but she didn’t mind spending this much.
“Huff… Still in time. Let’s get inside…”
While speaking, Dorothy controlled the zombie driver to park the carriage, then walked towards the theatre’s entrance. This drew many glances; men glanced sideways, and women gathered to whisper behind their fans about which noble family’s daughter she was.
‘Looks like I’m drawing too much attention. I should have dressed more modestly.’
Thinking this, Dorothy quickened her pace. After showing her invitation to the guard and receiving an unexpected glance, she entered the theatre. Many others entered simultaneously.
Entering the main door, Dorothy followed the crowd down a long corridor. Ahead, a group of men in theater uniforms approached. Their distinguishing feature was half-masks covering the top half of their faces.
Half-masked staff seemed to be a characteristic of the Gem Theatre. Neither the surrounding men nor women were surprised, and Vania only gave them a brief curious look before passing by.
Afterward, one of the half-masked men stopped, turned back, and surveyed the multitude of figures gradually entering the venue.
After a brief pause, the man continued forward, exiting the theater and directly approaching a roadside spot where a luxurious carriage was parked.
Approaching the carriage, the man removed his half-mask, revealing Bill’s face.
Then, with a respectful demeanor, he addressed the carriage.
“Master, I seem to smell a familiar scent—the one I noted at the Buck household…”
