Chapter 2379: The Returning Nun

Chapter 2379: Chapter 2379: The Returning Nun

Since two months ago, the residents of Moon Bay City—already used to major incidents inevitably happening in the city every Sunday—naturally did not doubt the police when they talked about a "leak of optical smoke," so tonight the fog-drenched Moon Bay was eerily quiet.

The Countess went out to investigate the situation for tonight, and of course the people left in the manor would not just sit idle. With all the Witches gathered, Shard explained what had happened that afternoon in his communication with the Guiding Light Hermitage.

His original plan had been to take out twenty Dragon Scale Coins, then look up some information on the Light Worshipper Training Association and trade with Mr. Chekhov. But after Miss Aphrola heard Shard’s explanation, she directly made the decision for him:

"Two Keeper of Secrets Level Relics that can produce Dark effects, is that it? Just Keeper of Secrets Level. The Council’s collection can definitely turn up two such items. When I report the local situation to His Excellency the Speaker at the Council tonight, I’ll bring this up; the others won’t object."

That was fine too, and it could save Shard those Coins that might yet have other uses. While waiting for news from Miss Belindel, Shard also did another thing—he had Tifa bring the Maids and help him sort through the document pouch sent that afternoon by MI6.

"My Vampire Kind friend got hold of the timing records for large-scale cargo transactions carried out locally by the Dragon Feast Cult. Using these records to look up the account transaction information around the corresponding dates, we finally screened out thirteen suspicious accounts. That’s still too many, and MI6 doesn’t know what exactly I’m investigating. Now we need to further filter based on the transaction data."

"No problem, the girls here are all very good at this sort of clerical work."

Megan smiled as she took Shard’s document pouch and handed it to Tifa beside her. Tifa then went to pick Maids to join this task; with volunteers Margaret and Angelina joining in as well, the sorting of those account records should be completed soon.

Only, while they were still flipping through the materials provided by MI6, the Great Witch of Destiny returned to the manor out of the glowing dense fog of this long deep night, leading a group of Maids.

She called in Van, the Witch of the Earth who was sensing the Earth in the manor courtyard, and then had a Maid summon Miss Sylvia, who was in the basement reinforcing that semi-permanent Portal, along with Miss Aphrola who was handling experimental materials. Finally, passing through the Portal, she had Luviya and Miss Aphrola on the ship at the docks brought over as well, and everyone sat together in the manor’s dining room.

"Things aren’t looking great. How many Sundays has it been now that Moon Bay has had major incidents?"

The blonde Countess sat in the main seat, pressing a hand to her forehead:

"Let’s first talk about those bizarre ’Bulb Men.’ They’re troublesome: because of the infectiousness of the Glimmer, there’s practically nothing that can contain them, so the Church of the Five Gods still hasn’t managed to obtain first-hand research data.

But we’ve now confirmed that the crack opening after this Edge of Life and Death lost control covers the area from Mongerton Street to Saint Rune Pedestrian Street. That region is now entirely in a state where Life and Death overlap. The citizens have been evacuated, but within the fog the Undead Tides are locked in fierce combat with the Church’s squads; the Church has only just forced their way in.

As for the Thirteen Rings of the Church and the Academy, most of them are still holding their positions, in case other situations arise in the city tonight. If they were lured away again like in last week’s ’Night of the Long Night,’ that would be ridiculous. Still, the Church and the Academy are concentrating their efforts on stabilizing that overlapping region of Life and Death so it doesn’t expand further.

The news from the two Thirteen Rings who entered the Edge of Life and Death with the squads—Natural Church’s ’Beast Hunter’ Mr. Bill Camorra and ’Nightmare Sorceress’ Miss Maria Ingram—is that the situation inside is extremely complicated; they are currently fighting more than ten Bone Dragons."

"Bone Dragons? Those people again?"

"For now it’s unclear whether they were summoned by Cultists or awakened from local Undead in Moon Bay. Didn’t Shard say that a great war was fought here during the Ancient Era? The Dragons who died back then surely weren’t just one or two. And my connections can’t reach the Church’s combat units for truly first-hand information."

The Countess shook her head and turned to ask Shard:

"What do we do this time? Look for a chance to go see the situation, or stay put for now and wait for things to develop?"

"Stay put for now."

Shard answered decisively:

"This incident doesn’t directly involve us for the moment, and it’s not as if the Church can’t handle this sort of situation. We don’t need to do everything. Better to use this mutation of the Moonlight to collect data and run experiments, try to analyze these strange Glimmers and the newly emerged monsters. More severe anomalies will inevitably appear later; it’s good to prepare in advance now."

The Witches naturally had no objections, and neither did Luviya and Miss Eles. Only, just as they rose, ready to go about their respective tasks, Van suddenly stiffened, and the Witch of the Earth gave a warning:

"An earthquake is coming. Five, four, three, two, one."

Rumble~

The Earth was in Vibration, like the groaning of a Giant echoing from deep underground. During last year’s Milestone incident, every Vibration of the Interstice of Life and Death would also trigger an earthquake, so the ladies who had read the documents merely braced themselves and were not surprised.

Only Shard frowned and looked down at the badge he wore. At the Instant of the quake just now, the badge had clearly Vibrated as well:

"Wait a moment, inside that rampaging Edge of Life and Death in Moon Bay, could there be... hmm?"

He suddenly felt the Flame that had almost completely merged with his own being begin to surgingly stir and grow increasingly active. Shard paused, then said in delighted surprise:

"Sister Delphine has returned!"

Downstairs in the manor, the front doors of the great house stood wide open, yet not a single tendril of the surging dense fog managed to pour into the interior.

The blurred figure walked out of the white mist, the mist curling along the side of her ash-white long hair. The silver eyepatch in the shape of a crown, covered in dense patterns, did not grow dim even as the cold-faced Nun lowered her head.

Her gray-blue robe swayed with the movement of the legs hidden beneath it. She stepped out of the mist, hands clasped naturally and hanging before her, stopping in the middle of the entrance hall.

When this cool Nun raised her head and looked toward the top of the double-spiral staircase where the ancestral portrait of Belindel hung, it was truly hard to say whether the crystal chandelier’s Glimmer reflected on that silver eyepatch was more dazzling, or that slightly cold face was more exquisite.

"Sister Delphine, long time no see."

Shard walked at the front, greeting her with a smile, while the Witches followed behind him. Given Sister Delphine’s status, she was someone worthy of their coming together to welcome her.

And Miss Belindel, walking side by side with Luviya, saw quite clearly that when Shard greeted her, a faint hint of a smile appeared on that slightly raised face of the Nun.

The Countess stared wide-eyed in surprise; she simply could not imagine Sister Delphine actually making such an expression. Noticing her reaction, Luviya kept her mouth still and her eyes forward, speaking softly with the strength from her abdomen:

"What are you surprised about?"

"Sister Delphine actually showed that kind of expression. I thought she would always only have that cold look on her face... Wait a second, could she and Shard..."

She turned to look at Luviya again, and the violet-eyed girl continued speaking with ventriloquism:

"Don’t ask me, I don’t know anything."

Sister Delphine had not only brought the High Ring Nuns of the Spiritual Practice Order to this place, she had even brought news from Iluna:

"We met her on the way here. Her Time is limited; she cannot come in person."

The Nun showed no intention of going upstairs; she spoke of the matter right there in the entrance hall with everyone:

"The Diviners of the Prophet’s Society believe that if tonight’s white mist persists until tomorrow morning without dispersing, once the Sun-Moon-Sun cycle is established, the Glimmer within the mist will make the gaping Edge of Life and Death even more terrifying."

There was almost no intonation in Sister Delphine’s voice, and with her eyes covered by the eyepatch, people could not see her expression either:

"In addition, the Church’s Thirteen Rings have determined that within this restless Edge of Life and Death, there exists a big fellow."

"A big fellow?"

Thinking of the Vibration he had just felt from the badge, Shard hesitated only briefly before altering the plan he had set upstairs moments ago:

"Sister, can you open a passage directly connecting to the core location of the Edge of Life and Death from within this manor?"

"I can."

She answered quickly, so Shard looked around at the ladies. The Witches also realized what Shard intended to do, all looking at him, waiting for him to make the decision.

"Miss Belindel, Miss Sylvia, Miss Eles, the three of you plus me and Sister Delphine will enter the Edge of Life and Death, and we bring absolutely no one else. Luviya, you stay at the manor with Miss Aphrola, Vanessa, and Megan—be careful. The anomaly with the Edge of Life and Death this time is definitely not a coincidence."

He was taking the Countess along because of her outstanding Divination Ability; the Grand Witch of Space would accompany them for her long-distance teleportation ability; and Miss Eles was going because, on the surface at least, she was the strongest here.

"No problem."

Luviya agreed with the choice, but then asked:

"But Shard, which sword are you taking this time? The Night Watchman, which has special damage against Undead; the Holy Weapon Angel’s Right Arm; or the Time Flute, which enhances Time-control powers? Or will you take them all?"

"No, no, even I don’t dare carry that many High-Risk Relics on me. Besides, I’m not good at using two swords at once; that would only weaken my Spellcasting Ability... Let’s do this, Emilia, may I borrow the Time Flute for a while? I’d like to take this opportunity to get familiar with that sword’s Power."

Shard spoke to the sharp-eared Elf Girl at the back of the group, and she immediately smiled and nodded, quickly heading off to fetch that Weapon.

"Do any of you need the other two swords?"

Shard turned to ask the girls who would be departing with him, and they all shook their heads. Though powerful Relics could increase their Power, facing an unknown environment, it was still more reassuring to rely on familiar methods and Strength.