Wait… Could it be some vampire who got lost and came to me?
Ebner mumbled inwardly, but he didn't ask further. After all, Emlyn had joined the Church of Earth Mother as the right god. There was no need for him to interfere.
However, when Bishop Utravsky saw the peculiar look on his face, he explained with a smile, "It's a special Sealed Artifact. It's in… Well, in the words of Emperor Roselle, it's in the maintenance of the power of faith."
A Sealed Artifact that can be regularly protected with the power of faith? Could it be something like the Earth Mother's divine descent vessel? Is there such a terrifying thing in the Harvest Church?
It's no wonder the bishop wasn't worried that her demigod teacher would come knocking after receiving Hazel…
However, if there really was such a powerful Sealed Artifact, how did Ray successfully steal the mystical item from the Harvest Church? Was it before the Sealed Artifact arrived, or did he deliberately let it go?
As his thoughts raced, he tactfully ignored the topic. After wiping the tables and chairs in the prayer hall, he bade farewell to Bishop Utravsky and Miss Hazel.
The latter hesitated for a moment before saying, "My carriage will pass by Cherwood Borough's Golden Street around four in the afternoon tomorrow. You can just wait there."
Ebner was taken aback, never expecting to be given a ride. He then said with a smile, "Alright… Hazel, please thank Member of Parliament Macht on my behalf."
Hazel nodded slightly before she fell silent. She silently began her routine prayer.
…
Outside an abandoned manor on the outskirts of Enmat Harbor, the first mate of the Future, Frank Lee, carefully followed his captain's instructions and used different strengths and intervals to knock on the manor's door.
The first mate was wearing dungarees and a white shirt. He was in his thirties and looked healthy. He had thick hair, making his exposed forearm look like it was covered in a brown sweater.
However, the place he was in was so strange that his spirituality had already wildly issued a "warning." Frank only felt that the "sweater" on him didn't give him any warmth or security. If he didn't trust his captain very much, he would've long fled.
With great difficulty, he knocked on the door according to his captain's instructions. Frank waited silently. Even though he didn't see any abnormalities, he still felt that the manor was like a monster that was about to open its mouth, ready to swallow him at any moment.
Suddenly, green pea vines drooped down from the sky, interweaving into a lush forest.
The "forest" didn't have a peak as the vines formed different paths. They either intersected or spiraled, extending high into the sky.
Frank was taken aback for a second before he came to a realization. Then, he casually found a pea vine to circle around him as he walked down the hanging trail.
The appearance of these special plants soothed Frank's horror. As he walked, he used his powers as a Biologist to instinctively analyze their composition.
If it wasn't for the fact that these plants were seemingly illusory, and how he felt that deliberately destroying them would result in terrible outcomes, Frank would've taken the peas back to study them.
"These beans grow so quickly. If I were to graft it to a cow and let every vine produce milk, wouldn't it be better than simply planting 'cows'?"
After silently muttering to himself, Frank quickly saw the green plants form a hammock that gently swayed from high above.
He couldn't see what was on the chair. All he saw was a pair of black leather boots hanging down. At the same time, a gentle but emotionless voice entered Frank's ears.
"Why did she get you here?"
It seems to be a lady… Is she someone Captain knows? I wonder if you can give me a few of those peas for Captain's sake… As Frank let his thoughts wander, he took out a letter and a small box and handed it to her.
He didn't know who he was meeting, and he was only following his captain's instructions.
A slender palm reached out from the chair to receive the letter and box, but the owner of the palm didn't intend to immediately read it. Instead, he fell silent for a moment before muttering to himself, "She didn't choose to use the messenger… Does she think that the spirit world isn't safe… Or does she think that the information she passes on isn't urgent?"
With that said, she first opened the letter and briefly read it. After pondering for a moment, she said to Frank, "Go back… Tell her that I know what she said. Also, get away from that abandoned manor as soon as possible."
Frank nodded in confusion before he didn't dare delay any further. He planned on retracing his steps.
But at this moment, the pea vines suddenly shrank upwards and gradually faded away. The green forest quickly disappeared.
Frank immediately landed at the entrance of the abandoned manor. There was no one around, other than the manor that resembled a "monster." It looked no different from before.
The fairytale-like scene from before seemed like an illusion.
Frank recalled the mysterious lady's exhortations and his heart palpitated. He quickly ran towards the harbor.
At the same time, on the top floor of the abandoned manor, a lady wearing a white Intis-styled shirt and a dark-black jacket, with a thin rapier by her waist, dressed like a standard sea captain, was brandishing resplendent starlight as she descended onto a monster formed from shadows.
Right on the heels of that, the starlight instantly condensed, creating a huge transparent amber that firmly enveloped the shadow "monster."
After doing all of this, the lady opened the box with complicated patterns and took out a card.
It really is a Card of Blasphemy… This should be the Death card, and it has been activated… It's no wonder Cattleya doesn't dare to hand it to the messenger…
But what's so special about that person named Frank? He actually brought this card to me safely… Only when it was handed to me did this card attract the "monsters" of the spirit world and Underworld…
"How did Cattleya know of his uniqueness?"
As she muttered to herself, the lady picked up the letter and seriously read it a few times before frowning. Then, her blue eyes that resembled the sea turned extremely deep, like the surface of the sea before a storm.
Under such circumstances, she clearly lost her focus as her eyes turned blurry.
She was prying into the secrets of the River of Fate and making a prophecy of Cattleya's and Jane's subsequent actions.
In the next second, the lady raised her right hand.
Her skin immediately turned as white as snow, and her lips turned as red as blood. Her hair turned as black as ebony.
An illusory, ancient mirror appeared in her hand.
Silently, she "saw" a scene:
Black sticky spots surged out of the body of a man who had been possessed by an evil spirit.
Bang!
The transparent Eyes of Mystery Prying suddenly shattered.
The lady rubbed her temples to ease the pain from the backlash and muttered to herself in puzzlement,
What are Cattleya and Jane up to?
…
On Wednesday afternoon, Ebner boarded Member of Parliament Macht's carriage at his doorstep and headed for Duke Negan's mansion in Backlund's Empress Borough.