Chapter 612 Duty
Southeast of the main island of Prit, Gramorn.
During the day, near the outskirts of Gramorn, by the lakeside of Twinkling Star Lake, there was an open grassland where many figures had gathered at this moment.
In the gently blowing breeze, citizens from various parts of Gramorn were gathering along the picturesque lakeside, forming orderly lines under the guidance of municipal guards as they watched. Their target was a glass display cabinet in the crowd, where a white-robed nun stood beside it, smiling and explaining to the queued citizens the origin of the holy relics inside the cabinet. She patiently answered all sorts of questions from ordinary believers.
Following the predetermined route, Vania began her pilgrimage of holy relics within Prit. In nearly ten days, she had traveled through several cities, finally arriving in Gramorn, where she immediately started the exhibition after being warmly welcomed.
Due to the limited space in the local church, the exhibition was held on the lakeside grassland of Gramorn, a landmark of the city. Under the beautiful scenery and refreshing breeze, Vania skillfully preached to the citizens who came to observe the holy relics.
Although practically speaking, the preaching process would be the same with or without the holy relics, most of the worshippers’ attention during this pilgrimage was still focused on Vania herself. She spent most of her time talking, shaking hands, and answering questions with believers. Occasionally, she would discuss the holy relics, which, although more tiring for her, she had grown accustomed to after months of pilgrimage. Now, she could handle these situations quite adeptly.
The exhibition and preaching by the lakeside lasted for several hours. As the sun gradually set in the sky and other guards maintaining order felt tired, the preaching came to an end. After Vania announced to the still-gathered citizens, there was a wave of disappointment among the crowd, followed by gradual dispersal. However, many citizens remained on site, some choosing to stroll by the lake, others wanting to find a place to get a better look at Vania from afar.
“Oh my… Sister Vania, you truly worked hard. I didn’t expect your pilgrimage to attract so many people. Even on New Year’s Sunday, I don’t often see so many people come to listen to the sermon. No wonder Sacred Summit has such high regard for you.”
Not long after the exhibition ended, Vania, resting by the lake, quickly noticed someone approaching to greet her. It was a middle-aged man in clerical robes, smiling widely. He was the bishop of the local church in Gramorn, accompanied by the mayor of Gramorn and the chief of the An Yin Bureau.
“It’s nothing, Bishop Hogg. I only benefited from the holy relics. Today’s honor comes from the martyrs who created them…”
With her usual smile, Vania responded politely to the local dignitaries, engaging in some brief exchanges. She courteously responded to various compliments in an appropriate manner.
Finally, after dealing with all the important officials locally, Vania could rest properly. After sending off one local elite after another, she sighed with relief as she stood up from her chair and slowly walked to the lakeside. Gazing at the vast, tranquil lake before her, she couldn’t help but feel refreshed.
“Sister Vania.”
At that moment, Vania heard a familiar voice calling her name. Turning around, she saw Captain Gaspare, wearing half-armor clerical robes, walking towards her. Seeing him, Vania relaxed her expression and spoke.
“Father Gaspare, how is the preparation going?”
“It’s almost done. Everything that needs to be packed is ready. We can set out early tomorrow morning,” Gaspare said while walking up to Vania. After glancing at the lingering crowd nearby, he continued.
“Hard work, Sister Vania. I thought that after leaving the capital city, fewer people might come. But it turns out there are still quite a few. You always have to deal with so many people; it must be exhausting. Perhaps you could simplify things in the future, just set up a platform to talk a bit and let them see the holy relics themselves instead of receiving them one by one.”
Gaspare said this, and after hearing his words, he continued to respond.
“Doing that would make me seem aloof. I am merely a nun, not a lord or queen issuing orders. If people want to be closer to me, I will try to be with them. As a clergy member, it is my duty to serve as a link between the faithful and the Lord.”
With an extremely devout tone, Vania replied to Gaspare. Hearing her words, Gaspare couldn’t help but be moved by her sincerity.
“Sister Vania’s devotion is truly exemplary. The more we follow you, the more we feel your inner steadfastness and purity. Sometimes I wonder if the rumors about you being guided by the Holy Mother are true,” Gaspare said to Vania. Upon hearing this, Vania immediately responded.
“Don’t say such things, Father Gaspare. In our faith, only the Holy See can receive divine revelations. I have never heard the voice of the Holy Mother. If she truly guides me, it is in a silent and unnoticeable way. Please do not easily believe in rumors about me being a ‘child of the Holy Mother.'”
Vania said this with slightly urgent tone. After listening, Gaspare continued.
“Haha, I was just joking. Don’t worry, Sister Vania. You’ve been through a lot in the past six months, yet you remain unscathed and continue to spread the grace of the Lord. It’s normal for people to have their own thoughts.”
“Alright, it’s getting late, and I need to attend to other matters. The city has prepared a banquet, so let’s go over. After dinner, Sister Vania, you should rest well. There’s a new journey tomorrow.”
Gaspare said this to Vania, and she nodded in response.
“Mm, I’ll head over after taking a short break. This is also a good chance to appreciate the scenery of this city. Honestly, this lake feels quite nice.”
Looking at the expansive Twinkling Star Lake, Vania said this. Listening to her words, Gaspare also turned his gaze to the lake. Seeing the reflection of the sky and mountains on the calm surface, blown by a comfortable breeze, Gaspare couldn’t help but sigh.
“Yes… This lake is indeed beautiful, large and clean, making people feel at ease. I didn’t expect such a nice place in a relatively remote area. To be able to visit here is a kind of gain…”
As he admired the lake, Gaspare continued speaking, but Vania, standing next to him, did not respond. Instead, she began to silently gaze at a particular spot on the distant lake, her expression revealing a subtle nuance.
…
On the summit of Observation Mountain overlooking Twinkling Star Lake, Dorothy stood alone on the observation platform, looking down at the vast expanse of the lake. Glancing at the setting sun, she slowly spoke.
“It’s time…”
Muttering softly, Dorothy raised her right hand slightly. On her finger, a ring emitted a gentle silver light.
At this moment, Dorothy was using this ring, passed down from her mother whom she had never met, to connect with the great secrets hidden beneath Twinkling Star Lake. Ever since entering the secret space of Mirror Moon Cathedral, this ring had been partially activated. Using it as a medium, Dorothy could directly link and control the Mirror Moon Cathedral within the hidden space from her location around Twinkling Star Lake, performing all possible operations within her current authority.
“Come, flip over…”
Under Dorothy’s muttering, the originally calm surface of Twinkling Star Lake suddenly stirred. The ripples caused by the gentle breeze suddenly became still, and any waves in that area were smoothed out. The entire surface of that section of the lake instantly transformed into a smooth mirror, reflecting the sky without any ripples.
Then, changes began to occur on the surface of this mirror-like lake. With no objects in the air above, a disturbance occurred underwater. Through a series of hazy changes, a reflection slowly formed, eventually solidifying into the shape of a massive building.
Gradually, a huge cathedral appeared in the reflection on the water’s surface. This independent reflection had no corresponding physical entity and existed paradoxically within the water’s reflection.
Once the cathedral fully appeared in the water’s reflection, the entire vast mirror began to flip. Under the distortion of soft light, the entire lake resembled a simple round mirror, effortlessly flipping over. The massive dome-like structure that originally existed only in the water’s reflection quietly flipped from the mirror world to the real world, appearing on the surface of Twinkling Star Lake and seemingly floating there.
In just a few silent seconds, a majestic and towering cathedral appeared on the wide surface of Twinkling Star Lake. The once dull bricks, now illuminated by the light of the present world, displayed various colors on their surfaces: gray-yellow columns, colorful arch windows, and dark domes. The previously distorted cathedral gained a sense of “reality.”
After countless years, the Mirror Moon Cathedral returned to the surface of the lake. However, for Dorothy, who stood atop the mountain observation platform, this cathedral was invisible because it was protected by a barrier that concealed its presence from ordinary eyes. However, Dorothy did not need this barrier. With a slight gesture, she dispelled it.
As the barrier concealing the cathedral vanished, this massive structure suddenly appeared before everyone’s eyes who were gazing at the lake. Many citizens strolling by the lakeside were stunned to see such a massive building suddenly appear in the familiar lake, frozen in place.
“What is that!?”
Amidst cries of surprise, countless citizens who had come to participate in the exhibition rushed to the lakeside, astonished by the enormous building in the distance. Even longtime residents of the city were witnessing this for the first time, causing them to discuss loudly. The entire lakeside of Twinkling Star Lake was filled with a sense of astonishment.
“Sister Vania! Did you see that? That building… the cathedral on the lake, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It can’t be an illusion, right!”
From the lakeside where the exhibition was held, Gaspare, who was originally gazing at the lake, exclaimed in surprise. He wiped his eyes, wondering if he had misseen. At this moment, Vania’s pupils were surrounded by a circle of orange light as she stared at the distant building, surprised.
“This doesn’t seem like an illusion, Father Gaspare. It’s real… a real cathedral, suddenly appearing without any warning. How could something like this happen?”
Vania said this, and just as Gaspare was about to speak further, a hurried set of footsteps sounded behind them. They turned to see the local bishop, in a panic, running towards them.
“Sister Vania! Sister Vania! What is that cathedral on the lake? Did you do something? Did you use some extraordinary ability? Everyone on the lakeside saw it!”
“I was just about to ask you that, Bishop Hogg… You are the local bishop. Don’t you know anything about the secrets of this lake?” Vania asked seriously as Bishop Hogg approached. Hogg continued in a panicked tone.
“No… No! Although there have been some strange legends about this lake since ancient times, our people from the An Yin Bureau have investigated it several times and found nothing unusual. This thing… we’ve never seen anything like it before. Not just us, but no one in this city has ever seen this before!”
Hogg said this, his tone and demeanor showing that he genuinely seemed unaware. Seeing this, Vania’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and after a moment’s thought, she immediately spoke.
“Bishop Hogg, immediately contact the local An Yin Bureau and city government to evacuate all ordinary citizens from the lakeside back to the city. Do not let them approach the lake.”
“Yes, I’ll go right away.” Listening to Vania’s words, Hogg immediately withdrew. Then, Vania turned her gaze to Gaspare beside her and continued speaking.
“Father Gaspare… please immediately organize the guard team. We need to go to the lake to conduct reconnaissance and confirm the situation.”
“Sister Vania, the sudden appearance of that cathedral is too strange. Approaching it recklessly could be dangerous,” Gaspare said worriedly upon hearing Vania’s words. Vania, with a determined look, responded.
“Because this cathedral is so strange, we need to figure out what it is. We must quickly assess its potential danger and determine if it poses a threat to ordinary people.
“Among the most experienced extraordinary beings here, we must take responsibility. At least, we need to roughly understand the situation there and send a report to Tivyán. As long as we proceed cautiously, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
Vania said this in a serious tone. Hearing her words, Gaspare was momentarily stunned, then nodded decisively.
“I understand.”
