Six hundred and ninety-nine Rescues
In the vast and scorching desert of Northern Ufeiga, beside the lush oasis, stands the ancient city of Bastis, weathered by the sands of time. Vania, after a long and arduous journey, finally arrived at her destination in Bussairite, but what awaited her here was far beyond her expectations.
“Servants of the Evil God of Illumination… Stay back!”
“Get out! Foreigner! Don’t even think about coming closer!”
“Don’t you dare bring more pain to this land!”
In front of the towering gates of Bussairite, numerous civilians, dressed in various garments, gathered, shouting furiously at Vania and her companions not far ahead. They waved their crude weapons, threateningly demonstrating their defiance.
Watching the civilians shouting and brandishing their makeshift weapons, Gaspare, leading the guards, frowned and a clear anger rose on his face. Just as they were about to draw their weapons, Vania gestured to stop them.
“Nun Vania… These people are extremely dangerous cultists…” Gaspare said seriously, noticing Vania’s gesture, and Vania responded softly.
“It’s not that serious yet… It’s still too early for violence.”
Listening to Vania’s words, Gaspare paused slightly, then glanced at the other guards before putting away their weapons, following Vania’s orders. After seeing this, Vania turned her gaze back to the agitated citizens of Bastis and spoke softly.
“Citizens of Bastis, although I don’t know what lies you have been told or who you misunderstand, the supreme deity has never abandoned any of its children. The lambs may stray, but the supreme deity foresaw your confusion and thus sent me here to guide you.
“Do not be afraid, do not panic. What I bring is guidance and relief. I will do my utmost to help you escape disaster and suffering. We have food, medicine, and blessings… these can help you through this calamity. Please let us enter the city to provide aid, and do not listen to the slander of any wicked people.”
Vania spoke gently to the crowd, attempting to ease the tension, but her words did not dissolve the hostility in front of her. They continued to hold their weapons, showing no intention of lowering them.
“Do not believe her! People of Bastis, have you not seen what the Evil God of Illumination can do in this disaster? They can do nothing! They cannot stop this disaster; they brought it upon you! Think about it, who saved this city? Who freed you from suffering? It was the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life!”
The bald, obese man with an odd staff, standing in front of the crowd, incited them again. Behind him, several people began to echo his words softly.
“It was the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life… yes, it was the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life who saved us… it was the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life who relieved our suffering… the Evil God of Illumination failed, but the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life succeeded!”
The crowd murmured continuously, seeming to trust this man more than Vania. None of them lowered their weapons; instead, they held them tighter.
“See! They don’t welcome you here! Servants of the Evil God of Illumination, the Supreme Ancestor of Eternal Life despises conflict. You and those nailed to the cross are different; you haven’t done evil in this city, so today I’ll show mercy and let you go, but don’t think you can step into this city!” The man continued waving his staff, and many behind him echoed his words.
“That’s right! Get out!”
“Out, foreigner! This place doesn’t welcome you!”
“Move away! There’s no place for you here!”
Countless Bastis residents gathered in front of the gate, shouting furiously, driving Vania away with their words. Seeing this, Gaspare’s anger flared again. He whispered to Vania.
“Nun Vania, these people are beyond saving. Let’s take action directly. Let them see the wrath of the supreme deity.”
“Stay calm… Cleric Gaspare, we came here to save lives, not to k*ll. We need to understand the situation first. Don’t act rashly…” Vania said sternly to Gaspare. After stopping her guards’ impulsive actions, she looked at the clearly hostile civilians and spoke softly again.
“Even those lost in the wilderness will not be forsaken by the supreme deity. Any living being has the potential for redemption. I will wait here for that moment…”
With these words, Vania led her group away from the city gate, which had refused them entry.
As Vania left, she seemed to glance back inadvertently, looking at the ancient city of Bastis behind her. After observing the few figures nailed to the city walls, she turned back and left the scene.
…
After being denied entry to Bastis, Vania did not choose to engage in a direct confrontation with the opposing party. Instead, she led her group back to the camp first. She did not immediately order the mission team to leave but instructed them to set up camp outside the city.
Under Vania’s orders, the mission caravan chose the opposite end of the oasis, establishing a camp across a large lake from Bastis, using the oasis for rest. Within just a few hours, under the hard work of countless church employees, tents of various sizes sprang up on a wide grassland by the lake. A large-scale camp was established without any interference, except for some Bussairite guards watching from the city walls.
At dusk, on the lakeside of the oasis, tents of all kinds were erected, with numerous people moving around. Groups of camels were led to the lake to drink water, smoke rose gently from various parts of the camp, and the clamor could be heard everywhere.
In the center of the camp, inside a huge white tent, Vania sat on a newly laid exquisite carpet, facing two figures standing in front of her. One of them wore the same white nun’s habit as Vania, her assistant medical nun Phil. The other was a more mature woman.
This tall woman had a full figure, black wavy hair, and wore a modified black-gray nun’s habit, which was more fitted and shorter than the usual style. She had brown eyes, with a very serene expression.
“Nun Vania, this is Nun Feith, a dispatched nun from the Surveillance Chamber, who has been active in Bussairite for a long time. Bastis is her main activity base. She can tell us about the recent situation in Bussairite.”
Phil introduced the nun beside her to Vania. Vania knew that the Surveillance Chamber was one of the important institutions within the church, similar to her own Salvation Chamber, both directly managed by the cardinals. It was the intelligence agency of the church, sending spies worldwide to gather information, both public and secret. These people often operated in remote areas where the church’s influence was low or non-existent, including Bussairite.
“Oh… So you’re Nun Feith. Please sit down… Living in this desolate place for so long, it must be tough.” Facing the nun, Vania smiled and said. She wasn’t unfamiliar with the Surveillance Chamber; during her first visit to Adus, she had met members of the Surveillance Chamber who were secretly operating there. It was they who informed Vania about various intelligence about Adus, including a detailed account of Shadi’s rise to power.
“I’ve heard that you, Nun Vania, have a gentle personality and are humble towards others. It seems to be true… It’s quite nostalgic,” Feith replied with a smile as she sat down. Vania, curious, tilted her head and asked.
“Nostalgic? Do you feel nostalgic when you see me?”
“Sort of… Living in such remote places for so long, I haven’t seen a regular church member for a long time, especially someone who shares the same faith in the Holy Mother… Being assigned to a dangerous place like this, only those who believe in the Holy Father or the Holy Son would come. Finally, I’ve encountered someone I can share beliefs with…”
Sitting on the carpet, Feith continued to maintain a warm smile. Her words surprised Vania.
“So, Nun Feith is a follower of the Holy Mother? How rare, working in the Surveillance Chamber and still having faith in the Holy Mother’s path. Wouldn’t your task be affected by the Holy Mother’s kindness?”
“No… As long as I remember that ‘temporary sacrifices lead to greater redemption, and minor cruelties pave the way for great benevolence,’ my faith won’t be affected. My faith drives my work rather than hindering it.” Feith said, waving her hand. Vania nodded interestedly after hearing her words.
“‘Minor cruelties pave the way for great benevolence’… I understand. Persisting in this land and making contributions to the church is truly difficult. I respect you for that…” Vania said, then bowed slightly to Feith before continuing.
“Our purpose in coming to Bastis is to provide widespread relief, but the current situation here has changed somewhat from what we previously understood. The people here seem to have been influenced by certain rumors. Do you know the specific situation, Nun Feith?”
Getting to the point, Vania asked Feith. Feith immediately responded.
“It’s the Rotten Sect. The southern Rotten Sect has taken action. This ‘Plague’ spreading throughout Bussairite was deliberately created and spread by the Rotten Sect. The epidemic appeared about two months ago and quickly spread throughout Bussairite, soon reaching Bastis.
“The infection rate in Bastis was very high. The heretical sect, the Savior Faction, initially tried to treat the epidemic actively, hoping to win over hearts and spread their heretical ideas. At first, they achieved some success.
“Because of the activities of those heretics, the spread of the plague in Bastis slowed down significantly. They handled the patients quickly due to the presence of some extraordinary beings practicing the Path of the Holy Mother. The speed of infection could not keep up with the speed of treatment. Initially, the plague in Bastis had a risk of being completely eradicated by the heretics.”
Feith explained intently to Vania, while Vania’s brows furrowed slightly. In her memory, this kind of plague was not supposed to be easy to treat.
“I thought those heretics would handle the plague in Bastis well, but surprisingly, their pace of treating the plague slowed down. People who could have been cured instantly now required much more time, and the duration kept increasing, causing the plague that was almost extinguished to flare up again in Bastis. The plague spread rapidly at an even fiercer rate, infecting not only those who hadn’t been infected before but also those who had been infected and cured once before.
“At this stage, the number of patients in Bastis began to increase explosively, surpassing the capacity of the heretical sects to handle. During that period, the entire Bastis completely lost order and plunged into chaos. The heretical sects thus lost control over Bastis.
“During that chaos, the Rotten Sect arrived. That bald man you saw earlier, named Jawadin, is a subordinate of Amayaba, the leader of the Longevity Sect. He arrived during the most chaotic period in Bastis and began spreading their evil deity’s faith under the guise of healing. The heretical sects couldn’t solve the plague, but Jawadin could easily alleviate the suffering of the patients. Thus, the influence of the Longevity Sect rapidly expanded in Bastis and soon surpassed that of the heretical sects.
“During this process, the conflicts between Jawadin and the heretical sects escalated and eventually erupted into a violent confrontation. And the result… I think you, Nun Vania, have already seen it… right at the gates of Bastis…”
