At dusk, inside a spacious office adorned in the decorative style of the Radiance Church, a blonde woman in a crimson robe stood upon a luxurious carpet, facing a tall window with its curtains drawn open. She gazed silently at the brilliant view outside, sunlight cascading down, while a trace of concern was faintly visible in the depths of her otherwise calm eyes.

“Your Excellency, there’s news from Ivengard...”

With a crisp, cool voice, a translucent, blurry nun suddenly appeared out of thin air behind the woman. Without turning around, the woman—Amanda—calmly replied.

“Is that so? The operation over there… it’s already begun, then?”

“No. The rescue and purification operations originally scheduled to begin at ten this morning have been urgently suspended. The reason is that they received a message from the Summer Tree Archipelago’s Bountiful Tree Priest—Summer Tree has offered to release all the pilgrims and collectively convert to the worship of the Holy Mother in exchange for peace.”

The translucent nun continued speaking. At her words, Amanda paused briefly before slowly turning around. Her expression remained composed, but a distinct look of surprise flickered in her eyes.

“What… Summer Tree backed down? They actually initiated full conversion themselves? Are we sure this intelligence is accurate?”

“This information was personally reported by Archbishop Antonio. I’ve confirmed it several times—there’s no mistake. The Grey Hermit has already arrived at Summer Tree’s main island and confirmed that all pilgrims are safe and sound. Summer Tree has made no move to resist.”

The nun continued her report. Amanda frowned slightly upon hearing this.

“Antonio has been promoting conciliation in the Ivengard region for over two years, and Summer Tree has always been the most obstinate old-faith stronghold in the southern Knoss Sea. How could their stance shift so suddenly?”

With a tone laced with caution, Amanda murmured. The nun before her quickly responded again.

“According to the public message forwarded by Archbishop Antonio, Summer Tree claims they were moved and enlightened by a nun who was among the pilgrims.”

“A nun?”

Amanda’s expression finally showed a clear trace of surprise, and the translucent nun went on.

“Yes. Reportedly, she is a nun from the Pritt District, a Healing Prayer Priest who worships the Holy Mother. It’s said that not only did she selflessly heal the people of Summer Tree with great compassion, but she also engaged in doctrinal debate with many of their elders—and they were completely convinced, thus choosing to convert.”

Amanda fell silent upon hearing this. There was no trace of joy on her face—only thoughtful contemplation. After a moment, she spoke in a low voice.

“Antonio has been Archbishop of Ivengard for over two years. What methods of appeasement hasn’t he tried to convert Summer Tree? What eloquent missionaries hasn’t he sent? None succeeded. Yet now, all of a sudden, a single low-ranking Healing Prayer Priest manages to move them overnight?”

With evident skepticism, Amanda addressed the nun before her. It was clear she did not believe that one nun could truly bring about the conversion of all Summer Tree. She was convinced there must be deeper factors at play.

“Yes. Summer Tree’s sudden conversion isn’t that simple. The story they’ve released is only the public reason. According to Archbishop Antonio’s confidential report, after that public message, Summer Tree sent him a coded transmission explaining the deeper cause.”

“In this encrypted message, their Bountiful Tree Priest stated that Summer Tree had in fact been infiltrated by the Abyssal Church. A spy from the Abyss had corrupted someone high up—someone who had been an important source of intelligence for Summer Tree. The raid on the pilgrim fleet was based on misleading intelligence deliberately planted by this spy.”

The nun continued seriously. Amanda, upon hearing this, showed no surprise—rather, she nodded knowingly.

“The Abyssal Church… I thought so. This bizarre event reeked of their interference. So the reason Summer Tree suddenly took the risk of attacking our fleet was due to disinformation planted by the Abyssal Church?”

“That seems to be the case. According to the encrypted report, the Abyss provided Summer Tree with information about the fleet’s weak defenses, then manipulated them with more false intelligence—making them believe the pilgrim fleet was incredibly important, and that taking them hostage could force us to abandon the forced relocation plan. So they took the risk and launched the hijacking operation.”

“But afterward, the spy slipped up and was discovered. Once they realized they’d been used and that the hijacking wouldn’t force us to yield—in fact, it could bring about their annihilation—they were desperate to reverse course and avoid disaster.”

The nun continued her explanation. Amanda, upon hearing this, calmly concluded.

“So they realized they’d been manipulated and were on the path to destruction, and hurriedly tried to salvage things by releasing the captives and feigning conversion. Their public explanation is that they were moved by a pilgrim nun—but in truth, the nun is just their cover, a convenient excuse.”

“That’s correct. Though, according to Archbishop Antonio, the pilgrim nun did play a role. Her genuine efforts to heal and preach in Summer Tree are real—it’s just that her influence alone couldn’t possibly lead to immediate mass conversion. The priests and elders of Summer Tree saw her as a pretext to justify their decision publicly.”

The translucent nun responded to Amanda like this, and after hearing her words, Amanda finally managed to piece the entire situation together. In essence, although that pilgrim nun had indeed attempted to influence Summer Tree, it was not her efforts that truly shook their beliefs. What truly caused Summer Tree to waver was the exposure of the Abyssal Church’s spy—only after realizing they’d been used did they seize the opportunity to accept the nun’s teachings and publicly announce their conversion.

With that, everything made much more sense.

“I never expected it... The most stubborn holdout in the southern Knoss Sea, Summer Tree, would end up converting under such circumstances. In a way, we should be thanking the Abyss this time... and of course, that little nun who dared to preach even while being held hostage.”

Letting out a long sigh, Amanda said with a touch of emotion. Her expression had clearly relaxed, showing that her mood had lightened considerably. In front of her, the translucent nun continued speaking.

“Summer Tree taking the initiative to release the captives and convert is the best possible outcome for us. Not being destroyed in a purge and instead successfully converting is a major achievement for Archbishop Antonio—and for you, who endorsed him, it will strengthen your influence in the cardinal assembly.”

“Yes... I thought I’d be suppressed by Hilbert for a long time after this, but I didn’t expect the situation to reverse so quickly. I imagine his expression isn’t very pleasant right now.”

Amanda continued, a faint, unintentional smile tugging at her lips. At that moment, the translucent nun spoke again.

“Although the reversal of the Summer Tree situation prevented the purge, I imagine His Excellency Hilbert will insist that it was the threat of purification that caused their change in stance. He’ll likely use that to justify continuing his policies.”

“Of course he will. That’s why we need to respond accordingly—by emphasizing the role of that little nun. Regardless of the actual truth behind the incident, she is the perfect figure for our propaganda.”

“Propaganda?”

“Yes. Whether for the public or within the Church, people much prefer to hear stories about a noble figure preaching in the face of danger with steadfast faith and selfless love—rather than one about pagans converting under the threat of violence. Stories like that lift morale…”

“One tale is of a saint who sacrifices herself to preach. The other is about forced conversion through military intimidation. I think the Holy See will know which story benefits the Church more—regardless of the truth…”

“In short, we just need to portray that little nun as the key hero who resolved this crisis. As long as her saintly deeds are widely spread and accepted, whatever Hilbert insists on as ‘the truth’ will be meaningless.”

Amanda spoke plainly with a slight smile. The translucent nun nodded in understanding. At that moment, Amanda asked directly.

“By the way, what’s that little pilgrim nun’s name? What’s her background?”

“Her name is Vania Chafferon. She belongs to the Pritt Diocese and serves at the Tivian Hymn Cathedral. Our people are currently requesting more detailed records from that side.”

The translucent nun answered Amanda’s question. Amanda responded with a thoughtful murmur.

“Vania, huh...”

...

Northern Shore of the Conquest Sea — Telva, a major southern stronghold of Cassatia.

Early in the morning, near the Telva port, inside a luxury hotel suite, Dorothy—still in her pajamas, hair a disheveled mess—sat by the window at a desk, sipping milk while nibbling on breakfast that had just been delivered by room service. While eating bread and drinking warm milk, she flipped through the morning paper, scanning for any news that might be worth her attention.

“It’s been a full day since the Summer Tree incident... and there’s still nothing about it in the papers. Looks like the Church hasn’t released the details to the press yet. I wonder if this kind of event will ever be revealed to the mundane public. Probably not, huh.”

Taking another sip of hot milk, Dorothy mused to herself while looking at the newspaper. After finding no mention of Summer Tree, she casually flipped a few more pages. Finding nothing of interest, she tossed the paper aside.

“According to Vania’s update, Church agents already arrived at Summer Tree by yesterday evening and took control of the situation. No idea how they moved so fast... From the looks of it, there was no conflict between the Church and Summer Tree. Everything seems under control.”

“Vania and the others will be departing from Summer Tree soon. More Church personnel will probably be swarming the islands after that. I just hope Anman and the rest remember the methods I gave them and hold their ground under pressure…”

Dorothy thought to herself in this way. Before leaving, she had Vania tear out a few pages from her own holy scripture and give them to Anman. These pages would serve as a tool of communication between Anman and Dorothy—from now on, Dorothy could directly contact Anman and the others under the identity of another Abundance Priestess, thereby remotely guiding Summer Tree in their feigned conversion work. This would help them avoid being caught off guard if an emergency arose, and also allow Dorothy to stay more informed about Summer Tree’s real-time situation.

“In any case, the Summer Tree matter is finally settled. Now it’s time for my own business… Once I finish breakfast, I’ll head into the city and start looking for leads on the White Craftsmen’s Guild. Hopefully, they sell high-quality Stone mystical texts around here.”

With that thought, Dorothy quickened her pace as she finished her breakfast. After polishing off everything on the table, she wiped her lips and stood up. She went to the washroom to freshen up, spent a good chunk of time tidying up her hair, and after changing out of her pajamas, she selected an outfit from her luggage—a white blouse with a black skirt and a short vest. Once she donned a floral dress hat and slipped on a pair of leather shoes, she tidied up her room, waved her hand, and walked out the door.

Leaving the hotel, Dorothy looked out at the lively street ahead, pondering how she might find the White Craftsmen’s Guild in this sprawling city. After some thought, she quickly came up with an idea.

The White Craftsmen’s Guild was usually an important trading hub for various Beyonders or mystic researchers within a city. So, as long as she made contact with Telva’s local mysticism circles, she’d be able to locate the guild quickly through them.

So, how could Dorothy swiftly find and access the hidden circles in Telva? The answer was simple—she just needed to visit the kinds of places frequented by mystic researchers.

For such researchers, many basic rituals—such as trance induction, sleep aid, spirit sight, basic anti-cognitive-poisoning, etc.—didn’t require any actual spiritual materials to perform. The materials for these beginner rituals often consisted of herbs, mineral powders, animal organs, and spices—all things that could be acquired in mundane life from ordinary shops, without needing to resort to Beyonder-specific trading. Dorothy was also very familiar with these materials, as she’d once roamed the streets to buy them herself.

Obscure, aged herb shops, spice merchants, butchers selling rare animal meats... these were all places where one could run into mysticism practitioners. In addition, old bookstores and secondhand curiosity stalls were also places where such people went to hunt for mystical texts or spirit-related items. She recalled how Clifford, the bookstore owner from the Igwynt Crimson Eucharist, had fallen after acquiring a Chalice mystical text while collecting used books. Likewise, the Corpse Marionette Ring held by Edrick, a gang boss from Vulcan Town, was something he’d found at a secondhand goods stall. So visiting those places always carried a chance to meet mysticism practitioners.

Beyond that, there were the city’s gangs and gray markets. From what she’d seen in Igwynt and Tivian, many cities’ underworld and gray sectors were influenced by hidden factions. For example, the Crimson Eucharist once held sway over all sorts of nightclubs in Igwynt—Brandon had fallen victim in one of them. In Eastern Tivian, a slew of gangs were, in some sense, affiliated with Adèle’s network. Many of the region’s gray-market dealings were handled by the Crimson Heart, and Adèle could even use that channel to smuggle various supplies and weapons to support the Tupa Tribe in the New Continent.

“All in all, there are quite a few ways to locate the mysticism circles. I don’t need to rush—I’ll take my time, explore the city, and enjoy a bit of sightseeing too~”

With that cheerful thought, Dorothy smiled as she stepped into the bustling streets of Telva.