### Chapter Four Hundred Fifty-Three: Connection
North Coast of Conquer Sea, Adria.
As the sun gradually sets in the west, the twilight of Adria is bathed in the glow of evening clouds. At this moment, the Port of Adria is bustling with activity, with a crowd gathered at the seaside dock.
On the vacant dock’s edge, a dense crowd has assembled, with hundreds of figures bustling near the water’s edge. This scene is quite unusual for the dock at this time. Among those gathered are reporters desperately trying to push forward, police officers maintaining order, dockworkers observing from a distance, serious-looking municipal officials and social elites of Adria, as well as many clergy members dressed in formal attire.
At the center of this crowd, within a small circle separated by several armed knights, stand three figures: a middle-aged man in a bishop’s robe with glasses, who is the bishop of the local church in Adria; another young man in a crisp suit, who is the head of the secret police, the Iwig Deep Guard in Adria.
These two can be regarded as the absolute decision-makers of the extraordinary power of Adria’s secret world. In previous occasions, their simultaneous attendance at an event would signify they were the most important figures. However, the current situation is somewhat different; positioned between them is an elderly man in even more ornate bishop vestments, with a kindly demeanor. The local high-ranking officials of Adria stand solemnly beside him, not daring to show any signs of neglect. He is Antonio, the archbishop from the capital of Iwig, Peji, and the overall head of the entire Iwig diocese.
Since the incident at XiasTree, Antonio has placed significant emphasis on the matter, even shifting his primary focus to it. To better coordinate the efforts regarding XiasTree, he personally arrived at the home port of the church fleet in Adria several days ago and has been handling matters related to XiasTree until now.
Due to the XiasTree incident, Antonio has been in Adria for nearly ten days. Now that the situation is finally drawing to a close, with the originally kidnapped pilgrims about to arrive, all Antonio needs to do is patiently await the ships’ return. After personally presiding over a welcome banquet for the returnees, this matter will almost come to an end.
Antonio casts his gaze towards the distance, and almost all the eyes of those present follow his lead, looking out toward the distant sea. Amidst everyone’s expectations, the silhouettes of military ships gradually rise on the horizon. As the fleet continues to approach, the neatly arranged vessels appear increasingly vast in the eyes of the crowd. Finally, when the flagship docks at the nearest berth, everyone looks up at this grand and massive warship.
Once the flagship is docked, the gangway is quickly brought up to the deck, and amidst the sound of a prepared band playing music, figures begin to descend from the deck. Senior military officers of the fleet walk towards Antonio amidst applause, formally complete their salutes, and then swiftly retire. After the officers withdraw, everyone’s attention shifts back to the gangway, where a nervous-looking white-robed nun slowly descends, making her way onto the ground amidst anxious glances. The moment she appears, the reporters present are all instantly energized, eager to push forward, but are directly halted by the police maintaining order.
With clear signs of tension, the white-robed nun steps nervously up to Antonio. Looking at the kindly smiling elderly man before her, she finds herself momentarily at a loss for words.
“Um… you… you…”
“You must be Sister Vania, right? It’s great to finally meet you. I’m Antonio. Thank you for all your hard work. May the Lord bless your safe return…”
Facing the white-robed nun, Antonio speaks cheerfully in fluent Prit language. After hearing his words, the now-regenerated Sister Vania quickly realizes her situation and respectfully bows.
“Ah… it is Archbishop Antonio. I am Sister Vania Chafiln from the Tivyán Church. Praise the Lord, please forgive my rudeness…”
“Sister Vania, you are the one who helped to educate XiasTree; you’re the guest of honor at tonight’s banquet. There’s no need to be overly formal. Come, there are many more people waiting at the venue…”
With that, Antonio turns to leave, and the two people beside him quickly follow. Seeing this, Vania also immediately follows suit.
…
Time flows swiftly, and soon the sun has completely disappeared from the horizon. Night gradually envelops the entire city, and with lights igniting here and there, the whole of Adria begins to bathe in the reflection of the shimmering water.
At night, the old lord’s mansion in Adria is brightly lit. In this residence once belonging to Emmanuel, a grand banquet is underway.
In the hall of the old lord’s mansion, crystal chandeliers illuminate the vast space, where tables are laid with delicious food. The uniform choir and orchestra perform beautiful music together, while high-ranking individuals from all walks of Adria and representatives of the pilgrims engage in conversation throughout the hall. The entire dinner is steeped in a peaceful atmosphere.
However, the only disharmonious element lies in a corner of the hall, where a throng of reporters has cornered a white figure against the wall, bombarding her with a barrage of questions.
“Sister Vania, how did you educate those savage marginal people?”
“Sister Vania, it’s said you even took the initiative to treat those barbarians who kidnapped you. Is that true? Where did your courage come from?”
“Sister Vania, many of Adria’s believers think that it was the Holy Mother’s divine intervention that enabled you to educate the savages in a crisis. What is your view on this?”
“Um… I only did what I was supposed to do; it’s nothing special…”
…
An unending stream of questions rain down on Vania like a storm. Having never faced such a situation before, she feels flustered and overwhelmed, unsure of how to respond. Finally, the event staff manage to disperse the reporters, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief.
After escaping from the reporters, Vania takes a deep breath, grabs a glass of juice from the table, and moves to a window to drink. Just as she is halfway through, a familiar voice sounds behind her.
“Hehe, Sister Vania, how do you find the banquet?”
Hearing that voice, Vania immediately turns around, seeing Antonio approaching her with his usual smile. Upon seeing him, Vania jolts slightly with the cup still in her hand, then sets it down and immediately bows to Antonio.
“May the Holy Mother bless, Your Grace Archbishop, this banquet you arranged is wonderful. The venue is beautiful, the music is lovely, and the food is delicious. I’ve encountered many important figures… I’ve never attended such a lavish and grand banquet in my life… However, this banquet feels a bit too extravagant for me…”
“Extravagant? No, no, no! This is not extravagant at all. For someone who has saved hundreds of pilgrims and brought tens of thousands from the fringes of XiasTree to convert, this banquet is just a meager welcoming ceremony. Your achievements are, indeed, substantial for the Church. After your promotion, there will be even more rewards for you. If merely one banquet makes you feel it’s extravagant, then perhaps you need to reassess your position. Sister Vania, you are no longer just an ordinary mid-level deacon…”
With a smile, Antonio addresses Vania, while Vania hesitates, a hint of unease appearing on her face before she continues.
“Your Grace Archbishop… I know that the merit of converting over a hundred thousand people from XiasTree is significant, but… I feel it’s a bit strange for such accolades to suddenly fall upon me.”
