Moncarlo, within the Sovereign Sea Fortress. In the tall audience chamber, the aged pirate wore a majestic naval uniform and sat solemnly upon his throne. His mouth was slightly open, and he gazed with clouded eyes at the object in his hand—a short braid of hair entwined with a shriveled, dead snake. “…To think… after all these centuries, you people still kept this thing…” Staring at the object in his hand, the pirate Edward spoke in a hoarse, aged voice. Opposite him, standing upon the red carpet of the audience chamber, a figure responded. “Of course. That thing was your symbol when you were the infamous Captain Bloodwave. Naturally, the Church kept it.” Wearing a cloak and bald-headed, the man named Tonic spoke matter-of-factly, showing no sign of respect for the ruler of Moncarlo seated before him. Edward, however, did not rebuke Tonic’s disrespect. He merely continued staring at the braid as he murmured. “Captain Bloodwave… What a nostalgic title. I haven’t sailed in thirty years. If you hadn’t brought it up, I might’ve forgotten it myself… And the Church still remembers. How… thoughtful.” “Heh… How could they not? Of all the captains who betrayed the Church back then, you were the one who dealt it the heaviest loss. Many in the Church have remembered you their entire lives. As long as you live, they can’t sleep peacefully at night…” Tonic’s voice was serious as he stared at the old man on the throne. Edward set the braid aside as he replied. “Indeed… I still remember. When I first defected and joined a new faction, the assassins sent after me were endless. Fortunately, the zealots of my new faction valued me—otherwise, I’d probably have died a hundred times over. Later, as my territory expanded and my foundations deepened—and as the Church grew weaker—those assassins stopped being a threat… Let me think… the last serious assassination attempt by a Crimson was nearly a hundred years ago now. Since then, all the minor attempts have been easily dealt with by my underlings… “So now… the Church sent you here just to continue this game? Even after all this time, they still want to clean up a so-called grand traitor like me?” Edward looked down and spoke slowly. Tonic spread his hands and shook his head. “No, no. The Church long ago lost interest in killing you. Your time is nearly up anyway. Even if no one does anything, you’ll be gone soon…” Tonic’s tone carried open mockery, and Edward’s expression darkened in response. His skeletal hand gripped the armrest of the throne tightly as he spoke in a low voice. “So… the Church sent you merely to humiliate me in my final days?” “Of course not, honorable Captain Edward. I’ve not come to kill you or mock you—quite the opposite. I’ve come to save you. The Church, in its great mercy, is prepared to pardon past transgressions and preserve your pitiful, lingering life…” Wearing an eerie smile, Tonic addressed the old man radiating danger from the throne. Edward stiffened at his words, a trace of disbelief appearing in his eyes. “…What did you say?” “Hmm? Are your old ears failing you? I’ll repeat it, then. I’ve come on behalf of the Church to extend your rotten life… using the Waters of Youth—the miraculous spring that can turn back time and restore vitality.” Tonic grinned as he spoke, and at the mention of the Waters of Youth, Edward’s eyes widened. He trembled as he slowly stood from his throne. “The Waters of Youth… the Waters of Youth! The Bounty of Abundance… the Water of Life! You’ve found it? You’ve taken control of it?!” Edward’s voice quivered with disbelief and excitement. Tonic replied nonchalantly. “What do you mean ‘taken control’? It belonged to the Church to begin with—now it’s simply been returned to its rightful owner. Old man, let’s not beat around the bush. The Church has prepared a bottle of the Waters of Youth for you—enough to extend your miserable life another fifty years. All you need to do is repent and once again submit to the baptism of the Abyssal Lord. Then the spring water will be yours.” Tonic declared directly. Upon hearing this, Edward—who had moments before seemed overwhelmed—suddenly fell silent. He steadied himself and appeared to be quietly thinking. After a moment, he looked at Tonic and spoke slowly. “Return to the Church… and I get fifty more years… On the surface, this seems like a bargain for someone like me. But in truth, what I’d be giving up far outweighs that. If I were to publicly declare my return to the Abyssal Church… Moncarlo—the city I’ve built and ruled for years—would be obliterated under Holy Mount’s crusade. “I suspect the Church wants more than just a worn-out Crimson-rank asset like me. My unique standing, and that of Moncarlo, in both the mystical world and the mundane world—surely that’s valuable too. If the Church wants me to sacrifice everything to rejoin them openly… then isn’t fifty years a bit… cheap?” Edward’s voice was calm and measured. Tonic did not deny his assessment as he replied. “Correct. With your current identity and influence, wasting it all would be a pity. Thus, the Church does not require a public declaration of loyalty. Your return will be secret. You will continue ruling Moncarlo under your current identity… while serving the Church in the shadows.” For original chapters go to N0veI.Fiɾe.net “Oh… as expected, the Church is thorough…” Edward nodded thoughtfully at Tonic’s words. A flicker of cunning appeared in his previously somber eyes. “Very well. I accept this proposal. I’ll secretly return to the Church. As long as the Waters of Youth are delivered, I will serve the Abyssal Lord from the shadows… So now—where is it?” Edward narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Tonic, who let out a cold laugh and replied. “Hmph. You think the Church would hand it over that easily? Old fox, don’t think we’ve forgotten what kind of two-faced schemer you are. If I just handed you the spring water, you’d probably drink it down and then tie me up to offer to Holy Mount as a token of loyalty, wouldn’t you?” “Now, now. I’m a man of my word. Just give me the water, and I promise you’ll return safely. I’ll also do everything I can to serve the Church from the shadows—” “Your word is worthless! Edward, even if you let me return, you’d never truly stay loyal to the Church. You’d continue playing both sides—courting both the Church and Holy Mount, trying to gain favor and profit from both. And when the time came to choose… you’d side with Holy Mount, not the Church!” Edward’s expression, which had seemed much gentler earlier, instantly darkened as Tonic bluntly exposed the scheming within Edward’s mind. His voice turned sharp as he spoke: “So, what exactly is it that you people want?” “What do we want? Simple. The Waters of Youth can be yours, but you must first present a token of loyalty—something that proves your sincerity in returning to the Church. Once you’ve fulfilled that, the Waters of Youth will be handed to you immediately.” Spreading his arms again, Tonic declared openly, and Edward responded with a slight furrow of his brow. “Then speak—what is it you want me to do?” “You must know, don’t you? That nun who’s been making waves recently under the Holy Mount—she’s just been appointed as the Relic-Bearing Envoy, and she’s chosen your territory as her first stop on pilgrimage…” “The nun? You mean Vania Chafferon? The so-called Benefactor of Addus and Summer Tree, the Redemption Faction’s current darling? You want me to target her? That’s no different from declaring war on the Church outright.” Edward’s tone was serious as he looked at Tonic, who quickly shook his head and replied. “We don’t intend for you to do anything obvious to the nun. What we need is for you to subtly influence her during her visit—quietly corrupt her, so to speak. We’ll provide you with some substances and gifts. When you receive the nun, find a way to mix the substances into her food, and then give her the gifts.” “These items… are seeds of corruption. As long as she accepts them, we can use that as an entry point to gradually begin our corruption plan. The process will be long. From the moment Vania accepts the seeds to the time she becomes one of us, a great deal of time will pass. Even if she is eventually discovered by the Church, that will be far in the future. By then, she’ll have visited countless places and gone through many events—no one will know when or where she was first corrupted. It won’t be traced back to you.” Tonic spoke with a faint smile. His plan held an implicit layer—once Edward complied, the Abyssal Church would have leverage on him. With something to hold over him, Edward would no longer be able to act so freely in future dealings. With that constraint, he would be far easier to control. Having heard Tonic’s proposal, Edward immediately understood the underlying intent. Thus, he didn’t reply right away but instead fell into silent contemplation. Seeing this, Tonic made no effort to rush him, simply standing and waiting. Finally… after a long moment of deliberation, Edward slowly focused his gaze and looked directly at Tonic. “I can’t give you an answer yet. I’ll need a few days to consider it.” “Very well. Take your time to consider it. Until the nun leaves Moncarlo, you have time. I’ll wait patiently for your answer… Captain Bloodwave.” Tonic said with a slight bow, then turned and withdrew. … Several days later, still within the Sovereign Sea Fortress of Moncarlo, in Edward’s audience chamber—Tonic once again stood on the red carpet of the hall, looking up at the old man seated on the throne, speaking in a measured tone. “Have you made up your mind, Captain? It’s been seven days… You’ve haggled with me every day, but I’ll tell you again: our demand has never changed. Plant the seeds of corruption in that nun… or forget about the Waters of Youth!” Tonic shouted toward Edward, but the old pirate gave no immediate response. He simply sat silently on his throne, staring at Tonic. “That nun is already in your territory… What are you hesitating for? Let me guess—you’re not thinking she came to Moncarlo on some secret Holy Mount mission, are you? That maybe she brought something to help extend your life? That Holy Mount came to save you, and you won’t have to yield to our threats…? “I saw your son when I arrived… He’s likely the one you assigned to accompany the nun, yes? So—did she reveal any secrets to you? Did she find out about your secret dealings with the Church? Or maybe they’ve developed some miraculous cure and sent her to deliver it to you?” When Edward still didn’t reply, Tonic continued with his same high tone. At those words, Edward’s lip twitched slightly. Lowering his eyes, he finally responded curtly. “No… the nun hasn’t mentioned anything related to me. She came here purely for her pilgrimage.” Edward’s voice was deep and steady. Upon hearing that, Tonic froze slightly before suddenly laughing aloud. “Ha! Just as I thought! You’ve been discarded! Edward, to them, you’re an unstable variable they can’t control. They’ve long since had enough of you. The only reason they never moved against you was because your defection earned you too much credit—it was politically inconvenient. But now they’ve almost waited you to death. They can’t wait for you to finally keel over. Why on earth would they send someone to help prolong your life? Once you’re dead, your useless children don’t have your strength, and Moncarlo will become just another puppet of Holy Mount or some continental kingdom!” Tonic’s voice was brash and unpleasant to Edward, but it was all true. Edward’s face grew uglier by the moment, but he did not refute a word. “Accept your fate. If you want to live, then beg the Church! Return to the embrace of the Abyssal Lord! Then you may once again walk beside Them and bear witness as we unleash a new tidal wave of vengeance upon Holy Mount! The greatest congregation is already moving under the supreme call. The Abyssal Lord and Their brethren shall soon unite again. You must choose your place in the coming world-shaking tide…” Tonic continued, his voice filled with uncontainable fanaticism. Edward, long silent, finally exhaled deeply and spoke in a subdued tone. “I accept the Church’s terms. I will help you plant the seed of corruption in that Redeemer nun… Now—where is the Waters of Youth?” With his life in the Church’s hands, Edward had no bargaining chips left. He could only accept Tonic’s proposal. Hearing Edward’s submission, Tonic’s grin turned all the more sinister. “Hehehe… The Waters of Youth? Of course, I don’t carry it. It’s currently in the hands of Lord Swordscale. He’s here in Moncarlo too. Only I can contact him through special means.” “Since I’ve agreed to the terms, what now?” “Now you carry out your task. Once it’s done, Lord Swordscale will find a chance to verify the results.” “And how will he verify it?” “That’s not your concern. All you need to do is invite her to the auction taking place three days from now. That’s Moncarlo’s biggest elite gathering in recent days. Lord Swordscale will attend in secret and verify the results himself. If everything checks out, he’ll deliver the item to you in a way that arouses no suspicion.” Tonic answered with a smile, while Edward rubbed his temples, lost in thought. Meanwhile, in a hidden corner of the chamber, a pure white little fox sat silently, having witnessed the entire exchange. A look of undisguisable astonishment flickered in her eyes. In the real world, Dorothy sat on the sofa in her room, frowning as she recalled the dream scene experienced through the little fox’s senses, murmuring to herself. “So… the auction, three days from now…”