Six Hundred and Eleventh Steady
Southwest of Prit, Gramorn.
In the morning hours, Gramorn, one of the key cities in the southwestern part of the Stone Wind Kingdom, was as peaceful as ever today under the overcast sky. Sparse raindrops fell onto the streets, and the unpaved roads were wet with mud as the hooves and wheels of carriages trampled the damp earth. Pedestrians hurried along the sides of the road with umbrellas. The air, unpolluted and fresh, revealed a refreshing scent amidst the rain.
At a crossroads in the city, by a café on the second floor, Doro and Neve were sitting by a window, savoring coffee while exchanging intelligence gathered over the past few days.
“Those are all the tales about the ‘Full Moon Water Nymph’ in this city. It started spreading among the fishermen at Twinkling Star Lake and eventually reached the whole of Gramorn. It’s widely known here, often used to scare children by adults.”
“I originally thought these stories might provide clues to uncovering the secrets of Twinkling Star Lake, but I didn’t expect you, Miss Doro, to have already found the temple and clarified the truth behind the story. Truly unexpected…”
Neve, sitting opposite Doro, spoke to her directly, then picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of the black tea. Afterward, she showed a slight disappointment. She had hoped to share important clues with Doro and help solve the mysteries of Twinkling Star Lake, but Doro had already figured everything out.
“Your information played a crucial role in solving the secrets of Twinkling Star Lake. If you hadn’t provided the clue that Silver Peak is actually Observation Hill, I wouldn’t have made such progress. Even now, members of the Eight Pinnacle Nest are still struggling to understand this lead,” said Doro with a smile, seated comfortably. Hearing that her own information had been so vital, Neve couldn’t help but feel uplifted.
“Is that clue really that significant? Thinking about it, it makes sense… I got it from an old ghost, who himself is a hundred years old. Such an elderly local person had only heard rumors about that mountain by chance. In this era, it would be rare for people to know these things…”
Neve mused thoughtfully, then shifted her gaze back to Doro and asked:
“So, based on the current situation, if we can successfully deal with the Eight Pinnacle Nest that is entrenched here, our mission will be considered successful, right, Miss Doro?”
“Yes, but it’s easier said than done. This time, they’ve dispatched two Red Tiers. Handling them won’t be easy…”
Doro said, her smile fading as she spoke about the Eight Pinnacle Nest, which monitored Twinkling Star Lake every night. Her expression turned serious, and she raised her coffee cup to drink some sugared hot coffee. Meanwhile, Neve, after hearing Doro’s words, pondered and replied:
“Two Red Tiers, that’s quite troublesome. I didn’t expect the Eight Pinnacle Nest to have such strong forces here. It seems they truly value the temple you mentioned. But we’ll find a way to handle them. Considering you’ve dealt with many Red Tiers before, adding one more challenge shouldn’t be too difficult.”
Neve spoke confidently. Hearing this, Doro’s lips twitched slightly, unsure how to respond.
‘Goodness, to you, dealing with two Red Tiers is just a bit more challenging. If you encounter a Deity, would you say even the Seven Saints of the Church are nothing?’
Doro thought to herself, feeling frustrated. Because she had been dragged into many events by Doro, Neve’s understanding of the extraordinary world came from Doro’s experiences. Due to Doro’s somewhat exaggerated achievements over the past half year, Neve felt that the Black Earth was as common as dogs and White Chalk walked everywhere; only the Red Tier seemed to have real power. Seeing Doro handle multiple Red Tiers, Neve naturally believed she could manage two more.
“I hope things go as you say…”
Facing Neve’s words, Doro responded with a light smile. Then she picked up a newspaper from the table and unfolded it, looking at the headline on the front page. There, a half-body portrait of someone familiar to Doro was printed.
“Major News! The youngest relic custodian in the history of the Church, the new century saint born in Prit! Sister Vania Chafelin will conduct a relic pilgrimage in her hometown, Prit. Our city has been selected as one of the pilgrimage cities. Mayor Lehman has…”
As Doro silently calculated the dates from the headline, she picked up a biscuit and ate it while nodding silently.
…
A few days later, in front of the city church in Gramorn.
The continuous rainy weather gradually dissipated, and the sky finally cleared up. Bright sunlight shone down on the streets of Gramorn. Under the sun, countless citizens stepped out of their homes and gathered on the streets around the modest-sized city church.
Cheering and commotion echoed through the air. Amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere, everyone’s attention turned to the center of the street, where a path had been specially cleared by police from the crowd. At the end of the path stood familiar figures of priests and the mayor, and between them was another white-robed figure capturing everyone’s attention.
With a constant smile, Sister Vania, dressed in a white nun’s robe, was warmly welcomed by the citizens of Gramorn. Accompanied by the local government and church, she slowly advanced toward the church ahead.
This nun, who enjoyed a certain reputation both domestically and internationally, undoubtedly ignited the enthusiasm of the residents when she arrived in Gramorn. The number of citizens who came out to welcome her or watch the spectacle exceeded the expectations of the local government, causing traffic congestion. Faced with this situation, the municipal government of Gramorn could only mobilize more resources to maintain order.
Amidst the crowd welcoming Sister Vania, various attentions converged on her from all directions. These attentions came not only from the surrounding populace but also from hidden corners.
Beside the bustling street, atop a roof along the street, two figures stood silently, observing the scene below from above. Two high-ranking members of the Eight Pinnacle Nest in Gramorn, Ed and Gethsmoor, watched the street with dangerous eyes. Their gazes were like sharp spears, fixed firmly on the white-robed nun, unyielding, as if they wished to pierce her with their eyes.
“Sister Vania Chafelin… One of the most prominent young members of the Church in recent years, a famous figure in Northern Ufeiga and the Middle Conquer Sea, even capable of making pirates willing to repair the church—why would such a person suddenly appear here?”
Ed, watching the nun surrounded by the crowd, spoke solemnly. Beside him, Gethsmoor, playing with a spider in his hand, casually remarked:
“What else could it be? Just passing by coincidentally. Haven’t you seen the newspapers saying she’s on a relic pilgrimage? Naturally, she would travel around, and appearing here isn’t surprising.”
Hearing this, Ed turned to look at Gethsmoor and said:
“I know she’s here on a pilgrimage, but the route being set in Gramorn seems a bit too coincidental. We’re currently executing such an important task here…”
“Coincidence? Prit is the nun’s hometown. Conducting a pilgrimage in several cities here is quite reasonable. Gramorn is also a relatively important city in the southwest of Prit. Having the pilgrimage route pass through here isn’t unusual. What are you worried about? That the Church has already detected our presence and sent her over?”
Gethsmoor shrugged, showing no signs of concern. Ed responded seriously:
“This isn’t impossible…”
“Huh? Not impossible? I mean, it’s impossible. If the Glimmers knew what we were doing here, how could they send just a little nun? They would send the Holy Steel Ship with the Knight Order directly. Although this nun is quite prominent recently, her strength doesn’t reach a Red Tier. Do you think the Church would send such a person to deal with us?”
Gethsmoor continued. Hearing this, Ed rebutted:
“What if… she’s just here to probe the situation?”
“Probing the situation? That’s even less likely. The Church has its own investigation agencies. If they really sensed something amiss in Gramorn, they would first dispatch secret investigators from the Tribunal. How could they send such a public figure to cause trouble? It makes no sense.”
Gethsmoor explained to Ed. Listening to this, Ed paused momentarily before responding:
“You do make a point, but I still feel that her appearance here is a bit sudden… I’m worried.”
“If you’re worried, why don’t you take care of her? Whether it’s killing her directly, capturing her for interrogation, or using Poison Recognition to contaminate her, any of these could alleviate your concerns.”
Gethsmoor smiled and said directly to Ed. Hearing this, Ed’s expression became serious, and he replied bluntly:
“Don’t joke around, Gethsmoor. None of these options are possible. Though this little nun isn’t powerful, she is now a major focus of Sacred Summit. Any mishap involving her could bring more than just a few Knight Orders to Prit.”
“Oh, so you know that? Taking action against that little nun carries too much risk. If anything happens to her, Sacred Summit will definitely intervene in affairs in Prit. Our plans for Prit are at a critical stage. If Sacred Summit gets involved now, it will severely impact our operations nationwide. Getting rid of the An Yin Bureau was hard enough; nobody wants to deal with the Church again. Those deities are much tougher to handle than those black dogs…”
Gethsmoor said straightforwardly, highlighting the core issue. The attention on Vania was too high; taking action against her, regardless of the method, carried too much risk, easily inviting high-intensity intervention from Sacred Summit, which would be very detrimental to the Eight Pinnacle Nest’s overall plan in Prit.
Taking action against Vania offered no tangible benefits for the Eight Pinnacle Nest, but the risks were enormous, potentially affecting their entire plan in Prit. If the plan in Prit faltered because of this, neither Ed nor Gethsmoor could bear the consequences.
“…”
Listening to Gethsmoor, Ed fell silent. His words made sense. He couldn’t afford to take such a huge risk due to minor concerns. After careful consideration, Ed decided to abandon any thoughts of reconnaissance, even at a low level, targeting Vania. Finally, he sighed deeply and said:
“You’re right… It’s unwise to act against this little nun now…”
“It’s good you see it that way. I checked her itinerary; she’ll stay in this city for only two days before moving on. With just two days, it’s not enough to wait for the full moon. As long as we keep our composure during these two days and let her leave, there’s no need to do anything extra.”
Gethsmoor continued. Hearing this, Ed fell silent again, then murmured:
“But I hope it turns out that way…”
Ed said, facing the renowned nun. He made the most cautious choice. Now, he could only hope that she would complete her pilgrimage quickly and leave, not interfering with their actions.
