Chapter 562: Puppet Mark
In Moncala, within a small alley far from the bustling main street.
After the conflict, in the alley paved with broken stones, the city guards and the knights of the巡礼团 (Pilgrimage Corps) stand on guard, focused and alert. On the bl**d-stained floor, corpses and injured individuals lay together, while a nun in white is using her abilities to heal the severely injured from the conflict, regardless of whether they are city guards or gang members.
Suddenly, a horrific scream emanates from a tavern beside the alley. Vania, who is tending to the injured, cannot help but be drawn by the cry and looks towards the tavern with an expression of curiosity. What she sees is Roland, a man stepping out of the tavern with an indifferent expression.
“Mr. Roland? What happened inside? Is there a seriously injured person who needs treatment?” Vania asks curiously, glancing at Roland, who had exited the tavern with a stern look. Roland shakes his head in response.
“No, it’s nothing. The person inside is just a ‘cup’; he’s not going to d*e from that level of injury. Just ignore him.” Roland says, then glances at the injured individuals Vania is healing and continues, “Thank you, Sister Vania, for your effort in helping us with the treatments. This was our own issue in Moncala, and I appreciate your assistance.”
“It’s nothing. Since the previous distressed person called for my help, I cannot stand by. I also know I shouldn’t interfere in the internal matters of Moncala, so I just wanted to provide whatever assistance I could with my abilities, offering a little help. The narrative teaches me to empathize with the pain of others, so healing others is also a form of healing oneself,” Vania speaks earnestly to Roland. After hearing her words, Roland pauses for a moment before gently chuckling and continuing, “I’ve come to understand Sister Vania’s kindness. However, I must add that your healing efforts should be limited to the city guards; those gang scoundrels are not worth your spiritual energy.”
Listening to Roland’s words, Vania maintains her smile as she stands up and replies, “Yes… some of these evildoers indeed do not deserve mercy, but their deaths should still come from a just trial under the laws of Moncala. I believe that for Moncala to free itself from the continuous violence and chaos, it requires not just the Holy Mother’s merciful heart but also the just and authoritative judicial spirit of the Holy Father. Only by strengthening Moncala’s laws can we better guide this city towards order. Therefore, rather than promoting more extrajudicial executions, we should advocate for just trials. That is why I treat all the injured here.”
Vania speaks with conviction. Hearing her words, Roland, who has managed Moncala for decades and understands its flaws, cannot help but feel a slight admiration for her perspective.
“Before Sister Vania arrived, there were many rumors suggesting you were merely a vase of the church. However, I thought that an ordinary vase would not withstand the storm of Adus without breaking. After interacting with you personally, I am more convinced of that.”
Roland candidly praises Vania, who humbly responds, “I am just doing what I ought to do…”
As Vania speaks, at that moment behind Roland, the hand of a gang member who should have been lifeless on the ground twitches slightly. Unnoticed by everyone, he slowly lifts his bl**d-stained head, appearing confused as he looks ahead; his hand begins to move, reaching underneath himself. All of this is witnessed by Vania, standing behind Roland.
“Watch out behind!”
Seeing the gang member stirring back to life, Vania instinctively reaches out her hand and loudly warns Roland. Hearing her shout, Roland immediately turns around and sees a shaky gang member getting up, holding a pistol and angrily pointing it at him.
“d*e! Ten son of a b*tch!”
“Bang!”
Without hesitation, the gang member pulls the trigger, firing a b*llet from his revolver. Seeing the b*llet flying towards him, Roland quickly sidesteps and narrowly avoids serious injury while sustaining a graze on his arm. He then focuses his gaze on the assailant, a water arrow condenses in mid-air, shooting swiftly towards the attacker, piercing through his skull and leaving a hole bigger than a thumb. bl**d and brain matter pour out as the gang member falls to the ground, eyes wide in shock.
“Ten son, are you all right?” A city guard runs over, concerned for Roland’s well-being, and Roland, holding his injured arm, replies nonchalantly, “I’m fine; I just didn’t expect there would still be some survivors. Hmph… too lucky, yet unaware of the value of life…”
Looking at the now motionless corpse on the ground, Roland speaks slowly, before turning to Vania and continuing, “Thank you for your warning, Sister Vania; otherwise, my injury might have impacted my appearance.”
“It’s no problem… but Mr. Roland, you still got a minor injury. Please let me treat you,” Vania offers, noting Roland’s arm. Roland, naturally, sees no reason to decline and answers almost without thought, “Then please, Sister Vania.”
With Roland’s confirmation, Vania steps forward, gently unfastening the fabric over the wound on his arm. She places her hand over it and channels her spirituality, emitting a warm glow. Roland immediately feels a comforting warmth rushing through the injury, and the initially minor wound quickly heals completely. Throughout this process, Roland silently observes Vania’s focused actions.
Once the wound is fully healed, Vania withdraws her hand, and Roland begins to knead the skin where the injury once was. Then, he shakes his arm and carefully checks the state of his injury. Seeing that everything is fine, he smiles at Vania and says, “I have received treatment from many healing priests before, and some of the less sincere ones left the healed area itchy for several days. Sister Vania, your healing is exceptional; there are no unusual sensations at all. Your piety is indeed as rumored.”
“For a nun, piety towards the Lord is the most fundamental quality,” Vania responds with a continued smile, and at this moment, Roland looks around at the evening sky and speaks again.
“Well, it’s getting late. We have already delayed here for too long, and since everyone has been rescued, let us continue on to Junhai Fortress.”
“Okay.”
Thus, after a few incidents, Roland continues to guide Vania toward the ruling center of Moncala. If there were any differences in this team after the episode, aside from some members being injured, it is that many of them can now sense a distant will that seems to be watching them.
At this moment, on the other side of Moncala, in a high-end hotel, on the balcony of a luxurious suite, Doro is sitting in a comfortable chair, gazing into the distance at the pirate fortress and perceiving the team moving toward it.
During Vania’s healing of the city guards and gang members, she naturally inscribes Doro’s Puppet Mark in the form of flesh and bl**d beneath their skin. To ensure that Edward the Tenth, Roland Gibbs, also receives the mark, Doro has orchestrated an ambush using the manipulation of corpses, which results in Roland receiving a minor injury. Under Vania’s healing, that minor injury, while restoring, also embeds the flesh marking within him. Roland will be the key for Doro to uncover the secrets of the Great Pirate.
“Next… it’s time to wait…”
Watching the sun sinking below the horizon, Doro mutters to herself. Then she considers and retrieves her Navigation of the Literary Sea from her magic box. After flipping to a new, unwritten page, she begins to write.
…
Time passes, the sun sets, and the moon rises.
After dusk, the dark night officially blankets the sky over Moncala. Accompanied by bright lights more numerous than the stars, the city of Moncala welcomes a much more prosperous night than the day.
To the north of Moncala, within the expansive pirate fortress of Junhai Fortress, a reception banquet is currently underway. In a lavishly decorated, spacious dining room, beneath the glittering chandeliers on a smooth marble floor, a long dining table laden with numerous delicacies stands prominently.
The white-clad nun sits on one side of the table, eating light food, while on the other side, other key figures from Moncala sit with their knight captain.
“Oh… I truly didn’t expect that the renowned savior of Adus, Vania, is so young and beautiful. I couldn’t tell just by looking at the newspaper. Your naturally beautiful face actually makes me a bit envious…” From one side of the table, a beautiful woman dressed in vibrant attire with heavy makeup and a ponytail, is looking at Vania with a playful smile while using her fork. Upon hearing this, Vania softly replies, “In fact, having a good appearance is merely a part of the Lord’s grace and not an important aspect. Compared to the exterior, a true and kind heart is the priceless gift. Therefore, you need not envy me, Miss Peiling.”
“Hah? Looks aren’t important? I think, without that pretty face, your fame would certainly be halved. You managed to convince the Adus Revolutionary Army… didn’t that beauty play an important role? Let me tell you… since you announced your arrival, many here…”
The woman named Peiling seems eager to share something with Vania, but at that moment, Roland frowns, sets down his red wine, and speaks up.
“Be quiet, Peiling. Mind your manners…”
“Oh… alright, Ten Brother…”
Upon hearing Roland’s words, Peiling immediately shuts her mouth and reluctantly resumes eating. Meanwhile, from the other side of the table, another voice speaks up.
“Wuwu… hey, I say, nun of the church, what’s your ulterior motive for coming here? Is it because the old man is in poor health, and the church wants to meddle more in our affairs?” The speaker is a burly man wearing a pirate headscarf, with a stout body and a beard. He is chomping on a piece of steak and speaks to Vania with some hostility.
“Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Buna. I have come to Moncala merely to make a positive contribution under the light of the holy artifact, especially since Moncala has often been the subject of complaints in various news. I have no ulterior motives,” Vania explains.
“No ulterior motives, huh? Then why are you dealing with our gang issues right upon your arrival?”
“Buna… that’s a matter I’m handling; it has nothing to do with Sister Vania.” Roland sternly addresses the man named Buna, who reacts with a hint of anxiety.
“Ten Brother… don’t be too partial to this nun. You know many people around here don’t like the church, and such favoritism could lead to losing support to Twelve Brother…”
“Alright, now eat properly with your utensils and mind your manners.”
“Ugh…”
Hearing Roland’s words, Buna can only comply, putting the food back on his plate and continuing to eat. The ambience of the gathering continues in a muted atmosphere.
Finally, after the dinner ends, other key figures from Moncala depart early, while Roland stands and finds Vania, apologizing slightly.
“I’m sorry, Sister Vania. Due to some traditional influences, my family tends to have issues with etiquette. Please don’t take it to heart.”
“It’s fine, Mr. Roland. I can sense that Moncala indeed has a natural aversion towards the matters of the Church. I understand that this is due to past mistakes made by the Church. I can empathize with that,” Vania responds. Moncala was founded during the era of pirates by great pirate groups, and most of its pirates were persecuted by the Church as war-torn victims; thus, anti-church sentiments have become tradition, passed down alongside the pirates’ chaotic nature.
“It’s wonderful that Sister Vania can understand that… Well, now it’s getting late. You should return to rest, Sister Vania. I need to meet with my father and report on today’s events.”
“Alright.”
Subsequently, Roland escorts Vania and her guardians out of Junhai Fortress and then heads deeper into it to meet Edward, who has been living in seclusion there. After completing his report, Roland leaves the secret chamber deep within Junhai Fortress and departs from the fortress.
After leaving Junhai Fortress, Roland makes his way to his own manor, a lavish house almost adjacent to Junhai Fortress, also enveloped in Spiritual Fog.
As Roland arrives at his heavily guarded manor, the night has deepened. He returns home and hastily heads to his study. After two hours of sifting through documents and books, the clock strikes midnight, and he changes into his sleepwear before washing up and going to bed.
However, as Roland drifts into a deep sleep, he suddenly opens his eyes. He sits up slowly and blankly scans his surroundings before getting out of bed.
Just like an early morning routine, after only an hour of sleep, Roland dons his formal attire, puts on his shoes, and gently opens his door before stepping out. He walks through his manor, trying to avoid the housemaids and guards. Even when the occasional maid spots him, they merely greet him with respect, intimidated by his usual authority, without any questions. Thus, Roland makes his way outside without any obstruction, stepping out of the Spiritual Fog that blankets Junhai Fortress.
Upon exiting the fog, Roland reaches a fork in the road. At this moment, a carriage is waiting there, seemingly for him. Under the dim light of the streetlamp, he approaches the carriage and takes a seat inside. There are already two figures within.
One is Ed, a deeply sunken-eyed detective with a hooked nose, who looks calmly at Roland as he enters. The other is a brightly dressed woman, exuding the scent of alcohol, who looks at Roland with astonishment.
“This… is this really Roland, the Tenth Young Master of Moncala, one of Edward’s favorite sons? You actually managed to sneak him away… and he came here on his own… what method did you use? Was this a sleepwalking incident?”
The woman exclaims in disbelief, and Ed casually lights a small incense burner and places it by the window, speaking calmly, “To control a living person requires extraordinary means—it’s more than just sleepwalking… This extraordinary world is vast…”
“Alright, now that Young Master Roland has settled in, let’s deepen his state of sleep slightly, and then we can set off. I hope your true body is ready for the dream theft.” Ed looks at the woman beside him and comments. The woman swallows hard and replies, “Alright… let’s get started…”
