Northern Shore of the Sea of Conquest, Ivengard. Ivengard was a major country on the northern coast of the Conquest Sea, its territory formed by a vast peninsula stretching southward from the mainland, jutting into the sea. Running through the southern part of the Ivengard Peninsula was the unbroken expanse of the Spineridge Mountains, extending northward along the peninsula’s central spine. These mountains divided the peninsula into eastern and western regions. Since ancient times, the Spineridge Mountains had played an extremely important role in Ivengard’s history. Along the long range were many strategic military passes and scenic natural landscapes. Military forts and tourist destinations dotted the mountain chain. Yet, none of these were what the mountains were most famous for. That honor belonged to something at the southern end of the range. Near the coast at the southern tip of the peninsula, nestled among the Spineridge Mountains, was a place called the Rachel Valley. Its name was known across the world and held profound meaning in the hearts of countless millions. It was the most important holy site of the Radiance Church’s Holy Mother Sect, the final pilgrimage destination for countless devotees of the Holy Mother. At the southern end of the Spineridge Mountains was a lush and picturesque valley. Between two verdant hills ran a wide valley, through which a crystal-clear stream flowed out from the depths of the gorge. Along both sides of the river, stone tablets covered in moss and entwined with vines stood every dozen meters, each engraved with scriptures praising the Holy Mother. Gliding upstream on the gentle current were small rowboats, powered by hand. Aboard them sat pilgrims from all around the world. After their long journeys, they had finally arrived at the sacred destination of their hearts. At the farthest depths of the Rachel Valley stood the Cathedral of Redemption, the culmination of the pilgrimage. Legend held that this grand Holy Mother cathedral was built beneath a waterfall, and that the clear waters flowing through the valley originated from this very site. The final leg of each pilgrim’s journey was to row their boat upstream to the cathedral by water, and there, perform the final rites of their pilgrimage. (T/N: Laichel > Leichel) It was late March, and the Rachel Valley was welcoming yet another wave of pilgrims. Together, hailing from all corners of the world, they rowed toward their final destination. Countless small boats advanced steadily through the valley, each on the final stretch of its sacred journey. At the entrance of the valley stood a vast marble plaza, anchored by a towering obelisk. Here, even more tourists than pilgrims had gathered to witness the holy site from afar. To preserve the sanctity of the valley, not everyone was permitted entry for pilgrimage. Each day of each month, only a limited number of entry passes were issued. Most of them were reserved for church-appointed individuals recognized as devout believers. For ordinary visitors, the furthest they could go was this plaza, from which they could only gaze toward the valley beyond. Though little of true significance could be seen, the fame of the site alone drew large crowds daily. Upon the broad plaza, countless visitors lacking pilgrimage qualifications wandered about, taking in the surroundings with curiosity. Though access to Rachel Valley was restricted, the area near its entrance had become a must-see stop on any travel route, thanks to its reputation. At the heart of the bustling plaza, before the immense statue of the Holy Mother, a rugged-looking man stood with his son, who appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old. Their worn clothes suggested humble origins. These two country folk marveled at the sheer scale of the statue and began to wonder aloud about the holy site. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦 “It really is a huge statue, Dad! Bigger than the ones in the village… no, even bigger than the ones in the city chapels! How big a stone do you think it took to carve this? Why would they make it so big?” “Yeah… I guess only a holy site could have a statue this massive. As for why they made it so big… maybe the bigger the statue, the more loving the Holy Mother is?” the man replied, scratching his head. It was clear from his manner that he was not particularly well-educated. “So it’s a holy site, so it has a big statue? Then why is this a holy site in the first place, Dad?” “Uh… why is it a holy site, huh…” The question clearly stumped the man. He furrowed his brow, trying hard to come up with an answer, but his limited knowledge offered no clear reason. Just then, a clear female voice sounded nearby. “Because this is where the Holy Mother once descended to the mortal world.” Startled, the father and son turned toward the voice. There, they saw a beautiful young nun around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in white robes and wearing glasses. She approached them with a gentle smile. “A nun… in white?” the father muttered in surprise. “Ah! A nun sister! So what you’re saying is, this place is the Holy Mother’s holy site because she came here?” the boy asked eagerly, his innocent expression free from the awkwardness and restraint of his father. “That’s right,” the nun answered, “The Holy Mother first descended to the mortal world right here in Rachel Valley. More than thirteen hundred years ago, our great and merciful Holy Mother stood here on Ivengard’s soil alongside our ancestors and protected them from a calamity that came from across the sea.” Responding to the boy, the white-clad nun began recounting the myth recorded in the holy scripture, and curiosity lit up in the boy’s eyes. “The disaster from the sea—what kind of disaster could come from there? Is it a giant wave?” “No, it’s something far more terrifying than a wave. It was an evil deity—one of the three enemies of the Lord, one of the three Beasts of Calamity...” “The Lord’s enemies? Three Beasts of Calamity…” the boy echoed, his curiosity deepening. The nun in white turned to gaze southward, as if she could see the distant ocean, and continued her tale. “Yes. As written in the holy scripture, the Savior descended to the mortal world in a radiant blaze. In four days, He pacified the vast land and wiped out all evils from beneath our feet. The wickedness of this world began to hate the Savior, and they joined forces to launch a counterattack against Him. Among them, the most powerful were the Three Beasts. “One of the beasts came from the southern sea. It was a female beast—greedy, defiled, impure. “She was insatiably gluttonous, her stomach eternally hungry. Everything alive and moving in her path was devoured. When the sea’s bounty was not enough, she turned to consume the land. “She was so foul that her breath spread a stench across thousands of miles. Those who inhaled her breath would fall terminally ill, writhing in pain. Even before she reached the shore, plagues would sweep across the land. “She was depraved, the most beautiful and the most hideous. She seduced many powerful beings to become her slaves. Her womb was ever-pregnant with hundreds upon thousands of monstrosities, constantly birthing her minions. She was both the Beast of Calamity and the Mother of Calamity. “She came from the depths of the southern sea. The sea bowed to her. The ocean turned into crimson blood at her will. She raised towering waves that drowned countless lands. With the tide of blood, she marched northward to challenge the Savior atop Holy Mount, devouring all life in her path, leaving no survivors.” The white-clad nun spoke as she gazed toward the southern horizon, as if peering into the very direction the Beast once came. Father and son listened attentively, the boy especially enraptured. “What a terrifying beast… What happened to it? Did the Savior defeat her?” The nun smiled softly and resumed her tale. “There were three Beasts, each from a different direction—south, west, and north. They attacked Holy Mount together, swearing to destroy all that the Savior had saved. From the summit of Holy Mount, the Savior saw the simultaneous onslaught of these great disasters. He then split into three rays of light, each flying toward one direction. One of those rays flew south and descended into a valley, where it took the form of a beautiful and compassionate woman. This was the Holy Mother. “The Holy Mother appeared in Rachel Valley and blocked the southern Beast’s path. She healed the people tormented by its plague, saved the slaves ensnared by its seduction, and purified the crimson waters. She defeated the southern Beast and her unclean offspring, banishing their remains from the world entirely. That is why Rachel Valley became the Holy Mother’s sanctuary.” The nun earnestly continued telling the story from the Sacred Canon. After she finished, the boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He blinked a few times and exclaimed: “Oh… So that’s why? The Holy Mother descended here and defeated the evil beast, so this place became holy. I finally understand! Thank you, Sister!” “Hehe, it’s nothing,” the nun replied. The boy’s father added with a smile, “We’re from the countryside, not very educated. I couldn’t answer his questions. Thanks to you, we’ve learned something new today…” The white-clad nun smiled in return. “It’s no trouble at all. If there is even one person in the world who hasn’t heard of the Lord’s deeds, then it’s our duty to share them. I’m simply fulfilling that role.” “Ah… is that so? You truly are a devout sister.” After the story, the father and son bid farewell to the nun and wandered off to explore other parts of the plaza. The nun remained behind, standing alone and gazing southward, seemingly lost in thought. “The tale of the Holy Mother’s first descent to battle the Southern Beast… I’ve read it in the holy scripture many times before. I once believed it wholeheartedly. But now, re-reading it brings new, more complicated feelings. “Let’s put the Holy Mother aside for a moment—the Southern Beast’s description is hard not to associate with the Mother of Chalice, the deity worshipped by the Afterbirth Cult. Many details overlap. Could the Southern Beast actually be the Mother of Chalice? “But if that’s true, then the story in the holy scripture claims that the Holy Mother—a mixed-color god—defeated the Mother of Chalice, a pure-color god? That shouldn’t be possible. According to Miss Dorothea, pure-color gods should be higher beings than mixed-color ones. How, then, did the Holy Mother defeat the Southern Beast? Or... was history really as the scripture describes it?” Still staring toward the southern horizon—the direction from which the Southern Beast was said to have come—Vania pondered deeply, until a strange sense began to creep over her. “Ah... wait, what am I doing doubting the contents of the holy scripture, even questioning the power of the Three Saints? Since when did I start thinking that the Holy Mother shouldn’t have been able to defeat the Southern Beast? These are truths beyond question, stories we are meant to believe unconditionally—so why am I starting to doubt? “This is truly disrespectful, Vania…” Tapping herself lightly on the forehead, Vania chastised herself internally. Within the Radiance Church, the holy scripture was to be accepted without question, beyond any doubt. To suddenly begin rationally analyzing it in her heart was an act of blasphemy. She had even begun to question the power level of the Three Saints themselves—thoughts wholly unbefitting of a nun. “Hmm… I’ve been talking with Miss Dorothea too much lately, and without realizing it, I’ve started to pick up a little of her influence. She’s always the type who wants to analyze everything—gods included… “So should I maybe limit my conversations with Miss Dorothea for a while and focus on cultivating a devout heart instead? But if I stop talking to her, there really isn’t anyone else in the whole church I can openly converse with... Lord, what should I do?” Standing before the towering statue of the Holy Mother, Vania let out a soft sigh in her heart. At that moment, a voice suddenly called out behind her. “Sister Vania, so this is where you are.” Turning around at the sound, Vania saw an elderly cleric walking toward her. Upon seeing him, she immediately responded. “Ah, Father Volka, were you looking for me?” “Yes,” he said. “The last group of boats is almost ready. Sister Vania, we can head to the dock now and prepare for departure. The preparations for your ceremony at the cathedral are all complete—we’re just waiting on you.” Hearing this, Vania was slightly surprised. “Eh… the ceremony’s ready already? That was fast. I thought it wasn’t going to be held until after the pilgrimage.” Vania voiced her confusion, to which Father Volka explained. “That was the original plan, yes. But now that you are the Gospel Evangelist tasked with enlightening the Summer Tree, this pilgrimage has included content promoting the Summer Tree’s conversion. You’ll be playing a more central and special role in this pilgrimage, so your rank cannot be too low. That’s why we decided to advance your advancement ritual.” “All the necessary preparations are done, and every condition has been fulfilled to the highest standard. All that’s left is for you to attend, so let’s not delay.” After listening to Volka’s words, Vania nodded and answered. “Oh, alright. I understand. Let’s head out, then.” And so, Vania followed Volka to the dock at the mouth of the valley. After boarding a small boat prepared in advance, they rowed into Rachel Valley, making their way upstream toward its depths. On the boat, Vania rowed symbolically while admiring the stone tablets lining the riverbanks and the beautiful scenery. After about an hour of travel, the boat finally reached the deepest part of the valley. At the valley’s end stood a massive waterfall cascading between two mountains. Beneath the waterfall sat a grand cathedral straddling the river like a colossal bridge. Flanking the cathedral were dense clusters of religious buildings. Vania knew that this must be the Redemption Cathedral of Rachel Valley. Having reached the end of the valley, Vania expected the boat to stop, but to her surprise, it did not. Instead, it kept moving forward, gliding beneath the bridge-like cathedral and continuing straight toward the immense waterfall. Vania grew uneasy at this, but Volka reassured her calmly. “Don’t worry, Sister Vania. We’re heading toward the true Redemption Cathedral. It’s alright.” “The… true Redemption Cathedral?” Hearing Volka’s words, Vania tried to quell her unease and watched as the boat entered the torrent of falling water. She noticed that the boat was moving steadily on its own, even without her rowing—gliding smoothly through the turbulent current. As they passed beneath the waterfall, Vania was astonished to find that the water somehow parted for them—the falling torrent diverted around their small boat. Not a single drop fell inside. Without so much as getting her robe damp, she crossed through the cascade and emerged into a softly lit cavern. Within the long, narrow cave, illuminated by scattered lights, the boat floated down a subterranean river. After about twenty minutes, they passed through a small opening and emerged into a vast, open space. Beyond the cave lay a different world: a spacious, fertile valley. In Vania’s eyes, clear streams flowed from the distant highlands. Trees lined the riverbanks, countless flowers bloomed among the grass, and various wild animals, deer-like in appearance, drank calmly at the water’s edge. At the river’s terminus stood a cathedral like a grand fortress—three or four times larger and more ornate than the one outside. The bell towers rose high above the valley, and their melodious chimes echoed throughout the hidden sanctuary. Behind the cathedral stood an enormous tree, its trunk over a hundred meters wide, stretching skyward. Its vast canopy blotted out the sky, shading nearly half the valley below. Seeing this immense tree, Vania stood stunned—not just in awe, but in surprise. She had seen a similar kind of tree before—yes, on Summer Tree Island, at the Abundant Canopy Festival Grounds. That one appeared to be of the same species… only, the sacred tree here in the Holy Mother’s sanctuary was far larger.