### Chapter 21: Current Affairs and the New Abyss
With Margaret’s assurance, Victoria felt a big weight lift off her shoulders. At least now she didn’t have to worry about where the coins were going to come from. I was quite happy for her, really.
After sitting down again, Margaret picked up the notebook resting on the tea table and said to me, “Miss Silvya, can we leave this in the care of the church?”
“Yep!”
I nodded eagerly.
This was meant to be handed over to the church anyway. I didn’t understand much about all that deity stuff; it was useless in my hands, and I couldn’t spot any problems with it, but Margaret might have a better idea.
“Great! Let’s recap the whole situation based on what we currently know,” she said as she tucked the notebook into a neat little pouch at her waist, straightened her skirt, and suddenly looked like the diligent class representative, ready to raise her hand in a grammar class.
“‘Boswell’ in the Royal City has been planning to take possession of the Gate of Truth for at least four years now… If we count the time, that was exactly two years after Teresa decided to throw in the towel on becoming a saint. At that time, she had just been appointed by the Pope as the head of the Royal City’s diocese.”
“So, that means Teresa must have had some involvement with the heretics back then, and it seems it was quite deep,” Victoria said, pressing her thumb to her temple in a dramatic manner. “According to Peilo, she calls herself the third councilor of the Gate of Truth. I know that councilors are the highest titles among the heretics, so Teresa is one of their ‘leaders’.”
After a brief moment of awkward silence…
“Let’s set aside why she became a leader of the heretics for now. What we can confirm is that Teresa is the mastermind behind this disaster in the Royal City. She plotted this for years, even risking her own life, and transformed herself into a monster to ensure the ‘Boswell’ medium was safely taken away. That bl**d Pearl… there’s no way it’s just something to steal a divine relic; it must have some other purpose.”
After listening to Margaret rave like this, Victoria started tapping the table thoughtfully.
“So what’s the monster? The Abyss?”
“Not quite.”
Margaret and I spoke almost in unison. She and I exchanged looks, then she hurriedly explained, “That’s some unknown demon not recorded by the church. I don’t know much about it, but it’s probably tied to the dark powers of the heretics.”
Is that so…
I was mentally scratching my head over Margaret’s answer. I still remembered that monster using Teresa’s voice, claiming to be some angel from who-knows-where. Of course, I recalled its dying form—calling me “Rabishixemos.”
My heart was racing with curiosity and dread. But at this moment, I was afraid to share that with them.
So I switched topics.
“Teresa, what does she want with that eggshell? Could it be that the Gate of Truth is facing an unbeatable enemy?”
“Not necessarily the eggshell you mention,” Margaret replied.
I froze, slightly confused by her words.
“That bl**d Pearl… the heretics call it the ‘Tear of the Goddess,’ and it’s probably used as a new medium to store something. What exactly it is, I don’t know, but transferring a medium is unprecedented; nobody in the church knows what happens after that. Whether the transferred medium retains the same divine miracle or experiences new changes, nobody can clarify that.”
“Only the great deity can perceive everything, and what we know now is merely that the heretics need the power of the medium to achieve some aim… this aim, according to what the church has gathered about the Eastern Continent, may be related to—”
“The Land of Dragons.”
I confidently interrupted Margaret.
Because back in the academy, it was me who told Teresa that there were indeed dragons in Woodward Forest. I made her believe that. I was quite sure in my heart. And according to Teresa’s notes, that bl**d Pearl was definitely tied to the Land of Dragons.
“Exactly,” Margaret nodded, seemingly agreeing with me. “There’s something you both don’t know. Just recently, the Holy Church confirmed a piece of alarming news: a large number of heretics are planning to cross the Ipos Sea, attempting to travel directly from the Mete Islands to the coast of Silgaya. I think these two matters might be connected.”
I was taken aback. “How many people?”
“The exact number is hard to determine, but it’s safe to say there are definitely a lot, possibly even some councilors among them. The church has already dispatched Knights Orders and many members of the clergy from various regions to intercept them. We’re not planning to let those demons set foot on Silgaya’s territory.”
I started feeling anxious.
Those lunatics aim to reach Silgaya…
If their goal really is the Land of Dragons, Grandma’s village is so close—wouldn’t it be affected?
“Any updates on the bl**d Pearl?” Victoria asked.
Margaret shook her head with a wry smile.
“Can’t find anyone; we’re completely in the dark.”
“Those heretics…,” I pondered for a moment, then looked up seriously at Margaret, “Is there anyone named Ailna among them?”
“Ailna? Mentioned in the notes?”
“Yeah. I encountered a heretic in the Valen Empire who mentioned the same name. She could be an important figure.”
“Not that I know of.” Margaret frowned, her hair brushing her lip as she pushed it back. “I haven’t heard any news about this person; this is the first time I’ve come across that name today. Councilors of the Gate of Truth usually don’t easily reveal their identities; it’s difficult to trace them.”
…That makes sense.
If it were that easy to find the Gate of Truth, the church would have caught them all by now. If I hadn’t gone through the mess with Valar and Teresa, I wouldn’t even know Ailna’s name. But now that I do…
“I want to go with you to Silgaya.”
Victoria glanced at me, a bit surprised.
“What do you intend to do?”
Do?
To get them!
“Miss Silvya, please hold on,” Margaret waved her hands in front of me. “I understand your concerns. First, calm down. The Ipos Sea is vast; just crossing it isn’t something you can accomplish on a whim. The heretics will need a long time to reach the Western Continent. In the meantime, the Holy Church has set up many obstacles for them, and as I said, we won’t let them step onto Western soil. You can trust us.”
Though she sounded confident, I still felt uneasy.
Just as I was about to say something more—
Gurgle~
My stomach emitted a loud grumble, reminding me it was time to eat.
Looking at the two women who turned to me in unison, my face instantly flushed red.
“I’m just hungry…”
I slowly lowered my head, covering my face as I mumbled.
Before long, a delicious aroma wafted into my nose. Before I could process it, Victoria had already shoved a piece of custard pie into my mouth.
“Eat up.”
“Mm-mm!”
I eagerly took a big bite and chewed quickly.
“Don’t worry about Silgaya; if there’s any further developments, I’ll notify you. I didn’t just come here to learn about Teresa; there’s one more very important thing I need to ask of you.”
Very important?
What could be more important than this…
I tilted my head in confusion, looking at Margaret’s serious face.
“In about a month or two, a new Abyss will awaken in Ethanbel. When that happens… please join us, Miss Silvya.”
She paused before adding, “This is also the Pope’s will.”
