Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire

Kankdal, inside the luxury suite of the White Dove Hotel.

Vania stood frozen in place, staring in stunned silence at the translucent nun hovering in the room. She gazed at the woman's ethereal form—unlike any ordinary person—and confusion filled her heart.

"This… when did this nun appear? How did she suddenly show up in my room…? She looks like a ghost, but somehow not quite… What on earth is this…?"

As Vania stared at the nun who wore garments similar to her own, the one called Ivy fixed her calm gaze upon Inquisitor Clifton, her eyes meeting his simmering fury with an unflinching coolness.

"Sister Ivy," Clifton said sharply, "with your interference here, should I take this as an obstruction of official Inquisition business?"

"If your 'official business' is in serious violation of proper conduct… then yes," Ivy replied flatly.

Clifton's expression hardened.

"I don't recall the Redemption Court having oversight over Inquisitors."

"Of course I don't have oversight over Inquisitors," Ivy replied, her voice still calm.

Hearing her words, Clifton's face grew darker. He retorted with equal severity.

"Sister Ivy, let me remind you: Shadi's Addus is a heretical nation. A Holy War against it is not a humanitarian disaster for the faithful."

"Whether the Shadi regime qualifies as a heretical nation is something the Cardinal Council has yet to define," Ivy said coldly.

"I'm not sure where you get the authority to label a nation of twenty million as heretical in their place. The results of this investigation will weigh heavily on future decisions by the Cardinal Council. Therefore, I will document your entire process here and present it to the Council as an additional point of reference."

Glaring at her, Clifton sneered.

"So it seems… the Redemption Court's jurisdiction grows broader every day. Now you're meddling in our affairs."

"It's mutual, Inquisitor Clifton," Ivy responded with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

"You don't have the right to torture a devout nun based solely on vague suspicions either, do you?"

She called him out directly—Clifton's intent to take Vania back to his ship clearly laid bare. Clifton snapped back.

"If the suspicion is strong enough, we do have the right to interrogate without solid evidence!"

"Then you're saying Sister Vania is highly suspicious?"

"Absolutely. After the assassination attempt, we immediately contacted the Tivian Diocese to lift the divination protections around her. Once removed, we attempted our own divination—but found another unidentified anti-divination shield still surrounding her. Our divination failed.

"And she's not the only one. Other members of the Addus envoy and even the train crew of the Desert Arrow had similar protections. They were all shielded by non-Church anti-divination systems. Isn't that highly suspicious?"

Clifton laid out the results of their preliminary investigation. Ivy responded in a composed tone.

"Unidentified anti-divination shielding proves nothing. It could easily be a setup—a misdirection tactic. Enveloping someone in anti-divination isn't difficult. All it takes is some basic information and minor traces. It's quite possible that the real heretics purposely placed Vania under their own shielding in order to frame her."

"That's just your speculation!" Clifton snapped.

"And even if we ignore speculation and speak only of facts," Ivy replied, "you still can't justify arresting her. During the attack, Sister Vania not only harmed no one—she subdued one of the assassins and saved two victims. Every action she took was in opposition to the assailants. How can someone who clearly intervened to prevent bloodshed be your primary suspect? Inquisitor Clifton, you arrived in Kankdal and immediately came here to detain the person who saved lives—without questioning far more suspicious individuals. That's… questionable at best."

With her hands calmly folded in front of her, Ivy stated her case. Clifton's eyes turned increasingly dangerous. He growled.

"Her 'rescue' may have been a ruse—an act to mask her role. She stopped one attacker, sure, but another one still succeeded. Yes, she saved lives, but Prince Mazarr still died. She may appear to have thwarted the assassination, but the end result was still achieved. So isn't it possible that she staged the entire thing to shift suspicion? Her position is special—too valuable to have her captured outright.

"So they put on a show—sacrificing one attacker, ensuring Vania's safety, and still achieving their objective. Reports show that when she stopped the first assassin, everyone's attention shifted to her. That's when the second attacker struck, catching the guards off guard and causing maximum damage. Hard not to think that Vania's intervention was rehearsed—a deliberate distraction to let the second assassin succeed."

Staring at the visibly shaken Vania beside him, Clifton delivered his conclusion without hesitation. But Sister Ivy only smiled slightly, then spoke with a trace of irony.

"A performance? What a creative notion, Inquisitor Clifton. Your speculation just now is far more elaborate and audacious than mine... So, mine is meaningless, while yours holds meaning?"

"You—"

Clifton's fury spilled from his eyes to his face at the sight of the faintly smiling, translucent nun. His rage surged visibly. Clenching the scripture at his waist, he turned to Ivy and snapped.

"Sister Ivy, it seems you intend to oppose me to the bitter end. Do you truly think you can stand against me?"

"Oppose? Not at all. I'm merely fulfilling my duty, Inquisitor Clifton. We are all faithful servants of the Three Saints, each performing our assigned roles within the Radiance Church. How could that be considered opposition? Let's work together to handle this matter—don't you agree?"

Facing Clifton's growing wrath, Ivy remained composed. When she noticed his grip tightening on his scripture and the dangerous spiritual aura emanating around him, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she spoke in a dangerous tone.

"Oh right, Inquisitor Clifton—if you feel that my current form as a projection is insufficient to cooperate with your work, then worry not. Though I appear here only as a projection, the relay equipment I'm using is just a single one."

"A single relay…"

Clifton froze for a moment, then his eyes widened as he looked at the ghostly nun before him. The rage on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a flash of subtle alarm. As that alarm faded, his expression turned grave. He asked slowly.

"Sister Ivy… you're actually in Kankdal?"

While speaking, Clifton cast a glance out the window toward the open sky before shifting his gaze back. Ivy answered calmly.

"I am currently patrolling the airspace 114 nautical miles north of Kankdal, en route to Qiansha Island's military harbor. From that position, I can observe the situation in Kankdal with ease. If I wish to personally come to Kankdal, I can arrive swiftly. Until this matter is resolved, I will remain stationed there. So over the next few days, let us take good care of each other, Inquisitor Clifton."

Her words carried a clear undertone of threat. Upon hearing them, Clifton's expression flickered with a hint of panic. He hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth. His expression calmed, and turning his gaze to Vania, he spoke.

"Heh... It seems Lady Amanda truly values this Sister Vania. Since Sister Ivy is present, we won't impose any further. Farewell…"

With that, Clifton turned and exited the hotel suite through the door. Hajetta, beside him, was visibly stunned by the scene. After glancing at Vania and Ivy in the room, he quickly followed Clifton out. Soon, only the two nuns remained in the room.

Clifton's departure marked the failure of his attempt to arrest Vania by force. Pressured by Ivy, he had no choice but to retreat despite his unwillingness.

Watching the once-imposing Clifton walk away, Vania let out a silent breath of relief. She then turned her gaze to the projected nun beside her, wanting to speak but unsure how to begin. After a brief moment of nervous hesitation, she finally said.

"Thank you so much… Sister Ivy. If it weren't for you, I might already have been taken away…"

Floating gently, Ivy turned with a faint smile and replied.

"It's nothing. Beneath the Lord's radiance, no innocent soul should suffer unjust imprisonment. This entire incident was born from greed, ambition, and madness. If left unchecked, it would pose great harm to the future of the Radiance Church. By Lady Amanda's command, I came here to ensure the bare minimum of justice."

"Amanda… Could it be Saint Amanda? That Saint Amanda is paying attention to me?" Vania asked in shock. She never imagined that the saint—one of the Radiance Church's true high authorities, known only from stories and legend—was watching over her.

"Of course. Lady Amanda has been observing you for quite some time. Your deeds and conduct have earned her approval. You've been under her gaze since long ago."

"I… have been under Saint Amanda's gaze for so long? Then… Sister Ivy, can Lady Amanda help me escape this crisis?" Vania asked, hope rising in her voice.

Ivy responded gently.

"That is precisely why I am here. But the current situation is deeply entangled and complex. Resolving it will not happen overnight. We must plan with caution."

As Ivy spoke, her gaze shifted toward the doorway. At that moment, a robed cleric entered the room and approached Vania, presenting her with a box.

"Open it and take out what's inside…"

Following Ivy's instruction, Vania opened the box and took out its contents. Upon closer inspection, she found it to be a small metallic mechanical sphere, within which tiny, intricate gears were visibly operating. A fine ticking sound could be heard from within, and a ring of crystal embedded around the sphere gleamed as it caught the light. Curious, Vania spoke up.

"This is…"

"It's a relay receiver. As for its specific use and mechanism—you don't need to understand. What you do need to know is this: as long as you keep it on you, my projection can appear at your side anytime, anywhere. I'll also be able to clearly perceive everything happening around you. Just keep it safe, and no one will dare attempt anything malicious against you."

Facing Vania, the translucent Ivy offered a simple explanation. As she listened, Vania was briefly taken aback. She suddenly realized that this object, aside from being a protective tool, was also a means of surveillance. If she kept it on her, and if any secrets concerning the Rose Cross Order or Aka were somehow discovered…

Just as a trace of anxiety began to stir in her heart, a familiar voice spoke within her mind. The moment she heard it, Vania's unease vanished. She let out a soft breath, accepted the mechanical orb, and turned to thank Ivy.

"Thank you, Sister Ivy. I'll take good care of this."

"Mm…"

Seeing the gentle, obedient young nun before her, Ivy smiled and nodded. Yet deep within her phantom gaze, there flickered a different light.

…

At dusk, in another hotel within the foreigner district of Kankdal.

Dorothy sat on the hotel balcony, watching the distant sunset while processing the intelligence gathered through Vania's senses. Everything that had occurred in Vania's room just moments ago—she was completely aware of.

"Inquisitor Clifton of the Heresy Inquisition… and Sister Ivy from the Redemption Court. I really didn't expect this. Two different parties from Holy Mount showing up in one day… things are getting even messier."

Rubbing her temples, Dorothy muttered softly to herself. She had anticipated the church sending someone, but the specific identities had taken her completely by surprise. She hadn't expected the inquisitor, the supposed lead investigator, to be so blatantly biased—and even more unexpected was that the church faction which had previously treated Vania like a mere political tool had now chosen to reveal itself and shield her so overtly.

"Things are getting more and more complicated… I didn't think the internal strife within the church had escalated this far. Still, perhaps it's a blessing in disguise—at least there's someone in the church who still supports Vania… That Sister Ivy… she's quite intriguing."

Resting her chin in her hand, Dorothy pondered deeply. She now found herself genuinely interested in the nature of this projected nun.

"No matter what, right now that Sister Ivy and the faction she represents are effectively allies. And since that's the case, I need to find a way to make contact—share information. But… how should I go about contacting that nun?"

With that question in mind, Dorothy watched the sunset as she quietly slipped into contemplation.