In the dense forest, the figure formed from faint white smoke continued to take shape above the ritual circle. After hearing the words of the man named Yakaru, the smoke-formed figure fell silent for a while, seemingly deep in thought. Once the silence passed, he spoke again to Yakaru. “The situation is still chaotic and unclear. Once you’re safe, continue hiding in Kankdal and try to figure out what exactly happened between Robert and Ma’ad. Try to reestablish contact with Ma’ad and ask how the inheritance process with the Craftsmen’s Guild is going—how soon can the item be retrieved?” “Yes. I was planning to change my disguise and head back to Kankdal anyway,” Yakaru replied obediently. The figure of white smoke nodded slightly and continued. “Were there any unusual signs with Sadroya before she disappeared?” “Unusual? Well… after Sadroya was affected by cognitive poison, she was strange all the time—always muttering to herself. I suspect her disappearance might be connected to a sudden intensification of the poison’s effects.” “Understood. Then in the coming days, try your best to locate Sadroya. Once you find her, secure her immediately—don’t let her run off again. I’ll reassign some support personnel to assist you. Remember, your most important mission is to retrieve the Baruch Royal Sacrificial Book. Use any means necessary.” The smoke-formed figure gave his final instructions seriously. Hearing this, Yakaru nodded solemnly. “Yes, I understand!” ... In a hotel located in the foreign district of Kankdal, after finishing her inspection of the Baruch royal casket, Dorothy stored it back into her magic box. She then sat at the desk and began tallying her resource expenditure from the entire Kankdal incident to assess her current state. First, on the day of the assassination, Dorothy burned 2 points of Chalice to wrest body control from the possessed Vania, then used two exorcism sigils to drive out Sadroya’s spirit—consuming 4 Silence. A small corpse marionette was exposed by Robert’s high-intensity mystical detection, costing 1 “Shadow.” And her last vial from Eight-Spired Nest was used to create an opening for Vania. During the investigation phase, in order to prevent the diplomatic escort team from breaking under Clifton’s interrogation and exposing Vania, Dorothy used Marionette Marks to “help” them endure—some forcibly silenced, others given shared effects of Devouring sigils to alleviate physical pain. This totaled 3 more Chalice. Finally, during the wrap-up, she gained 4 Silence and 3 Revelation in info value from reading the Baruch Royal Sacrificial Book. Summarizing all usage and gains, Dorothy’s current spirituality status was at 19 Chalice, 12 Stone, 9 Shadow, 15 Lantern, 26 Silence, and 50 Revelation. “Phew… not bad. Though the event was major, thanks to Ivy’s support, my spiritual consumption wasn’t too heavy. Except for Chalice, the rest are negligible. But Chalice dropping below 20 again is a bit troublesome.” She exhaled in relief. If she hadn’t gotten that Chalice restock from Summer Tree, she’d be running dry by now. “Now, one major issue ahead… is how to handle the inheritance left behind by Mazarr. Though he had a lot of assets, most of them aren’t readily usable. I either need to sell everything off and convert it into cash, or try negotiating with Beverly to use the assets as collateral to rent a divine artifact. Hopefully she’ll accept the collateral—selling so many securities and properties would take time and could attract attention, especially since these things originally belonged to Mazarr.” Dorothy pondered silently. Her plan was to first try discussing with Beverly about using the assets directly for renting the divine item. If that failed, then she’d consider slowly liquidating them—a risky and tedious process. “Second issue… that woman named Sadroya. To avoid letting her get caught by the Church, I’ve already ordered her to flee in advance. She’s currently under my control through cognitive poison. Whether the control is stable is unclear, but she’s likely still being hunted by her original organization and companions. Until her safety is confirmed, I can’t afford direct contact. She needs to leave Kankdal for now and lie low for a while. We’ll decide her fate later. After all, she’s a member of Nether Coffin Order, and needs to be handled with care.” Dorothy reflected. She had already learned most of Sadroya’s background from their brief interactions—she was of mixed blood between the New Continent and the Main Continent, born in a plantation estate as the product of a scandal between the landowner’s daughter and a field slave. Sold off as lifelong labor in childhood, she lived in misery until she awakened a natural spirit-linking gift, encountering a wild spirit and becoming a Silence Beyonder. After becoming a Beyonder, Sadroya was wanted for killing her owner and went rogue, committing robbery and murder indiscriminately. Later, while fleeing to the north to seek resources for her path, she became a treasure hunter and rose to the White Ash rank. In pursuit of support from a major mystical organization, she made contact with the Nether Coffin Order and was accepted as an outer member. For several years, she had worked alongside a man named Yakaru. Sadroya and Yakaru had partnered for years. According to her, Yakaru was a more central member of the Nether Coffin Order—her assessor, essentially. He had direct contact with the upper echelons, received tasks, and tested Sadroya during their missions. If he deemed her trustworthy, she would officially join the core circle. This current mission was her final trial. According to her, their mission was to assist Robert and Ma’ad in framing the diplomatic envoy, mainly by providing soul-related support. In return, Robert and Ma’ad promised to give a certain item to the Nether Coffin Order. Sadroya didn’t know exactly what that item was—that information was between Yakaru and the higher-ups. Though Sadroya’s betrayal hadn’t yet been exposed, Dorothy didn’t dare keep her close. She feared Sadroya would attract the Nether Coffin Order’s attention. And since she was fundamentally unwell due to the cognitive poison, she wouldn’t make a good infiltrator. Letting Sadroya return to the Nether Coffin Order would likely trigger full-scale spiritual cleansing treatment, which would eliminate the cognitive poison—and Dorothy’s control with it. If left untreated, it might arouse suspicion. Keeping Sadroya perpetually ill but uninvolved wouldn’t yield any valuable intelligence either. So rather than turning her into a double agent, Dorothy had ordered her into hiding—to see if the Nether Coffin Order would come looking. If not, she’d find other ways to put Sadroya to use. “The final issue—the most urgent one right now—is how to tomb-raid the Rachman Royal Mausoleum and retrieve the Goblet of Nether Guidance. This is the tomb of a founding monarch and a Crimson-rank Beyonder. It’s certainly not going to be easy. While I’ve read a few books on tomb raiding, I’m sorely lacking in actual field experience. What’s more, raiding a grand tomb like this is a team job, and I probably don’t have enough people on my side right now. I’ll definitely need to recruit some help—people with real experience.” That’s what Dorothy thought. The first people that came to mind were Shadi and his crew. Shadi himself was from a treasure-hunting background, and his team was professional. Plus, the Rachman Mausoleum was located within Addus territory, so it’d be easier for his side to send people. However, Shadi was currently busy managing internal affairs. If she contacted him now for help, there was a good chance he wouldn’t have the capacity to respond. So Dorothy decided to wait for a while—until she was fully prepared before heading for the royal mausoleum. "Guess now’s the time for a short break…" Letting out a long sigh, Dorothy stowed everything she had used into her magic box, then stretched her body with a big yawn. ... At the foot of Holy Mount, in the fortress city of Holy Guardian. Beneath a grand dome adorned with intricate ceiling paintings was a crystal-clear sacred pool. Towering stone columns lined the edge of the pool, supporting the massive dome above. Beyond the columns stretched a pure blue sky, and at the center of the pool stood a tall statue of the Holy Mother, both hands raised in offering. A continuous stream of pure spring water flowed from her hands into the pool below. At the far end of the springwater’s cascade, a figure knelt quietly in prayer, bathing under the falling stream. Suddenly, beside the sacred pool, a hazy form began to take shape. Moments later, a half-transparent image of Sister Ivy appeared, silently watching the praying figure before speaking. “Your Excellency, the situation in Kankdal has reached a preliminary resolution.” The praying figure paused slightly, then ended her gesture of devotion and slowly rose from the water. Emerging from the pool was the mature figure of a woman. The soaked, sheer white robe clung tightly to her body, clearly outlining her shape. Damp golden hair hung down to her chest and waist. With a faint look of reverie on her face, Amanda stepped through the water toward Ivy. “Oh? Let’s hear it—what are they planning to do with that Mayor Robert and the remnants of the old royal family?” Amanda asked as she walked toward the pool’s edge. Ivy promptly responded. “Under the will of those behind Kankdal—namely the major powers of the Main Continent—the primary blame for the incident has been placed on Ma’ad and some associated former royals, as well as on Robert himself. “They claim Ma’ad and his association heavily bribed Robert to assist in their plot to assassinate Prince Mazarr and frame the envoy group. Robert, they say, knew the act was wrong but was tempted by money. Without consulting his own government in Falano, and without coordinating with other foreign representatives in Kankdal, he accepted the bribe and helped carry out the plan—lying and hiding it all.” “Recently, the Falano government officially contacted Holy Mount, expressing outrage and condemnation for Robert’s morally bankrupt behavior, and extended an apology and condolences to the Radiance Church for the damage done to the envoy group. Prior to Falano, several other nations also sent similar telegrams to Holy Mount.” With her usual calm expression, Ivy explained. Amanda had now stepped out onto the dry edge of the pool, and all the moisture on her body vanished in an instant. “Heh… They’re certainly quick to cut ties. Looks like the mayor’s been turned into a scapegoat… But since they’ve extended condolences to the envoy group, have they offered anything concrete?” While pacing around the edge of the pool, Amanda asked. Ivy responded smoothly. “Falano and the other countries have expressed willingness to facilitate reconciliation and resume construction on the previously disputed new cathedrals in Kankdal and four other Free Port cities in North Ufiga. They agreed to construct them in the style of the Holy Mother’s Cathedral. They’ve also offered to increase personnel allocation, and in Kankdal’s mayoral election, they’re open to considering input from the Radiance Church.” “Five Free Ports… That’s quite the concession. Did they ask for anything else?” “Yes. Falano hopes Your Excellency might use your influence to have the Inquisition hand over jurisdiction of Robert’s trial to them,” Ivy answered calmly. Amanda’s expression turned to show realization. “So they’re afraid Robert might fall into Kramar’s hands and spill something under pressure—something that Kramar could use to leverage them.” “Exactly. Once someone is in the Inquisition’s hands, their confession often reflects the Inquisition’s intent. If Robert, a high-ranking official, were to reveal information about heretical elements within Falano’s sphere of influence, it would give them an excuse.” Ivy continued. Amanda nodded thoughtfully. “This time, we’ve also caught a little tail of Kramar’s. We can use this to put a bit of pressure on him—it’s doable. But Falano will need to offer something more in return… How about this: if they agree to grant the Redemption Court unconditional access to at least five of Falano’s military ports, I’ll consider helping Robert.” “Five Falano military ports, unconditionally… Understood. I’ll relay that to Falano.” “Good. Now then… what about Sister Vania and the rest of the envoy team?” Amanda asked again. Ivy promptly answered. “Sister Vania has been under my protection and has not suffered any harm from the Inquisition. The rest of the envoy members have been released. They showed signs of prolonged torture, but despite three full days of interrogation, none of them confessed. They are now receiving comprehensive treatment.” “Three days of torture and still no false confession? Impressive. I didn’t expect Hilbert to assign such elite guards to that young sister…” Amanda said, sounding surprised. Ivy confirmed. “Yes, they didn’t break. It was unexpected for me too, but it saved me a lot of effort—I didn’t even have to resort to my contingency plans.” She paused, then added, “There’s another point worth noting… The anti-divination shielding that had been mysteriously cloaking the envoy team disappeared after Robert’s arrest. Evidence suggests it originated from Falano. Once they realized the situation was beyond salvaging, they lifted the shield. “After it was gone, Clifton—who had been unwilling to give up—requested a public divination with all parties present. I approved and assembled the relevant witnesses. On the Scourge of Flame, he conducted divinations on Sister Vania and the entire envoy group to check for Radiance Church heresy. The result was negative. Sister Vania and all envoy members have been completely cleared of suspicion. I’ve already notified the Church’s various dioceses to reintegrate them into the Church’s anti-divination system.” Eivy concluded. Amanda nodded lightly. “Completely cleared, huh? That’s good… As long as they aren’t heretics, that’s good…” Amanda murmured gently. What she didn’t know… was that Vania’s current situation wasn’t called heresy. It was called… apostasy.