Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire

Conquest Sea, nighttime in Moncarlo.

Dorothy, dressed in pajamas, sat on the sofa of her suite, gazing at the moon outside the window while maintaining communication through the information channel with the distant Vania. At the moment, she was transmitting a series of image data directly into Vania's mind, having her examine each one. These images depicted various individual objects—each of them an item scheduled to be auctioned in tomorrow's event.

According to the intel Dorothy had obtained, a secret and crucial transaction would take place during tomorrow's auction between Edward and Swordscale. After confirming the success of Vania's corruption, Swordscale would hand over a vial of the Fountain of Youth to Edward. The success of this deal would mark the beginning of Edward's covert return to the Abyssal Church.

Upon learning this, Dorothy was immediately puzzled—what method would Swordscale use to verify the extent of Vania's corruption? Vania was constantly surrounded by tight security. During the auction, she would remain inside her private box, making it almost impossible for outsiders to approach her. Any unfamiliar person getting near her would arouse suspicion—let alone attempt a cognitive poison test.

Therefore, Dorothy deduced that Swordscale's method of corruption assessment must not require direct contact. With that assumption in mind, she considered the nature of the auction itself.

An auction, in essence, is a public exhibition. Items are placed on display, shown before all attendees, drawing their attention—including Vania's.

If the Abyssal Church had the capability to develop symbols and patterns that only those slightly corrupted could perceive and feel attracted to, then why not apply that to the auction items? Swordscale could have crafted a seemingly ordinary artwork, infused it with those unique markers, and placed it in the auction.

Once that artwork appeared before the lightly corrupted Vania, it would immediately attract her attention. She might inquire about it, bid on it, or even if she failed to win it, she would still remain focused on it. Swordscale would only need to observe her reaction to that particular item to determine whether the seed of corruption he had planted had taken hold, and whether Edward's mission had been successfully completed. Even if Vania did purchase the item, her escorts would find nothing suspicious about it.

Using this method, Swordscale could assess Vania's corruption without direct contact and without arousing any suspicion. Conversely, if Dorothy could determine in advance which item would elicit a reaction from the lightly corrupted Vania, then she could track down the consignor and thereby uncover Swordscale's disguised identity on Moncarlo Island.

The Moncarlo auction was divided into two phases.

The first phase involved mundane items, attended by common merchants and the wealthy. After the first phase ended, the general public would be dismissed, leaving only those involved in the mystical world, where extraordinary items and mystical goods would then be auctioned in the second phase.

Naturally, the second-phase items were more valuable and stored under strict security. However, Swordscale, to avoid attracting suspicion from Vania's escorts, would likely place his corruption-testing item in the first phase, since an out-of-place interest in a mystical item might raise alarms.

Thus, Dorothy deliberately had Vania consume the food Edward served and read the gifted scripture at the banquet—both of which would induce light corruption. Following that, Dorothy began feeding Vania the compiled auction item images one by one for verification. Finally, upon reaching Item No. 12, Vania reacted.

It was a beautifully crafted Holy Mother's Emblem Necklace. This emblem wasn't only made of gold; it was also inlaid with a ruby at its center and surrounded by ornate decorative patterns. The design suggested a heavily refined religious artifact—a piece of sacred jewelry reimagined from a standard emblem. Similar items were common among wealthy churches and collectors.

"This is…"

In her hotel room, Vania stared at the newly projected image with rapt attention, visibly entranced. Dorothy immediately caught her reaction and asked via the information channel.

"What is it, Vania? Is there something unusual about this photo?"

"Yes… this 'Warmhearted Holy Mother Necklace' gives me a strange feeling. When I look at it, it feels similar to how I felt while reading that scripture—it's subtle, hard to describe. But I can't shake the urge that… if it were in front of me, I'd want to pick it up. I would really… want it…"

As she murmured, Vania unconsciously reached out, brushing the air above the table as if the emblem were truly in her hand. Seeing this, Dorothy stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"So the item used to test Vania's reaction is a holy emblem necklace, huh? Those guys sure went out of their way to make something like this…"

While thinking that, Dorothy recalled the auction registration info related to the necklace. She quickly confirmed its consignor: a North Ufigan merchant named Iloku.

"Iloku… so that's the identity Swordscale is using in Moncarlo? Even if not him directly, it must be one of his subordinates…"

Having uncovered Swordscale's hidden identity, Dorothy couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction. She spoke to Vania again.

"Well done, Vania. Now, go ahead and pray to Aka, and let Aka help purify the cognitive poison."

Hearing Dorothy's words, Vania exhaled deeply. She closed her eyes and began to pray as usual to Aka. Upon receiving the prayer, Dorothy also proceeded to help cleanse her of the poison.

"Thank the Lord…"

Feeling clarity return to her mind, Vania whispered a quiet prayer. At that moment, Dorothy added.

"You still have a trace amount of the potion's effects in your system. But don't worry, I have a way to neutralize the effects of the Chalice drug. Once we've left Moncarlo, I'll find a chance to detox you. For now, get some rest. Tomorrow's auction is the main event."

"Understood, Miss Dorothy. Good night. May the Source, Aka, bless you…"

Vania whispered her farewell to Dorothy in her mind, then rose from her seat and prepared for bed.

On Dorothy's side, she placed her Literary Sea Logbook back on the table.

"Phew… looks like it'll be another late night of overtime…"

With a sigh, Dorothy opened the book and turned to the page for communicating with the little fox.

…

The bright moon hung high, lights sparkled throughout the city, and sea breeze gently brushed the streets.

Somewhere in the dark of night in Moncarlo, a carriage moved along a deserted street. Inside the carriage sat the detective Ed, clad in a trench coat, silently waiting for the ride to reach its destination. Across from him sat a small figure—cloaked and veiled. Next to her was a black cat, looking on with guarded eyes.

"Mmm… it's already this late and you still have something to investigate?"

The girl named Saria yawned with visible fatigue, and Ed promptly replied.

"Yeah… we've just uncovered some important clues. We need Miss Fox's abilities to expand our gains. Sorry to trouble you."

"Important clues… couldn't it wait until tomorrow night?"

"No can do. The auction is tomorrow night. There are things that must be clarified tonight."

Ed spoke seriously as he looked at Saria, and she asked in confusion.

"So… who are you investigating this time? Someone from Edward's side? Or from the Abyssal Church?"

"Neither. Just an ordinary person."

"An ordinary person?"

"Yeah, just a regular person who might be holding a vital clue. Alright, we've arrived. My puppet is already inside the target's room and providing you with visual access. Go ahead and pray to Aka—I'll link the vision over."

As the carriage came to a slow stop, Ed addressed Saria. Upon hearing him, Saria perked up, closed her eyes, and began praying. Not long after, an unfamiliar view appeared in her mind. In that vision was a man lying in bed beneath his blanket, asleep in his room.

Staring at him, Saria activated her ability and entered his dream. Her consciousness transformed into a white little fox, and she appeared inside a lush green park. As soon as she entered, she saw the dream's owner seated on a park bench, leisurely feeding pigeons.

The little fox glanced around the dream scene, then hopped directly in front of the man—startling many of the pigeons away. This prompted the man to speak.

"Hey, where did this little fox come from?"

"I'm the one asking questions here. What's your name? What do you do?"

Ignoring his reaction, the little fox questioned him directly. The man paused, then answered.

"You don't answer my question, but you ask me one… fine. My name's Allen. I work at the island's auction house—I'm a registrar."

Allen responded truthfully. At that moment, Dorothy began guiding the little fox's questioning via the information channel.

"Do you remember a consignor named Iloku?"

"Iloku… doesn't ring a bell. I don't usually remember names I come across during work."

Allen said after thinking for a moment.

The little fox responded immediately.

"Then what about this—do you remember now?"

As she spoke, a soft glow emanated from her body. She began using her ability to awaken fragmented memories that even Allen's conscious mind might have forgotten. The effect was immediate.

"Ah… now I remember. That Iloku guy—he was a North Ufigan. The item he consigned was a holy emblem necklace. It's been listed as Item No. 12."

Allen said with realization. The little fox continued.

"Show me what he looked like."

At her request, the dream manifested a phantom image of a traditional North Ufigan merchant—draped in robes, wearing a turban, slightly overweight. Dorothy compared the figure to her memory of Swordscale and noted the discrepancy. This Iloku was likely one of Swordscale's subordinates.

"Do you know where this Iloku is staying?"

The little fox continued to question, but Allen shook his head.

"No idea. When he registered his item, he refused to provide a local address. He just said to leave the auction proceeds with us and that he'd come pick them up later. We can't really force him."

Hearing this, Dorothy furrowed her brows slightly, then instructed the little fox to press further.

"Is there anything else distinctive about Iloku?"

"Not really. If I had to say something, it's that when he submitted his item, he specifically requested for it to be auctioned earlier in the order. But the earlier slots were already full, so we gave him number 12."

Then Allen seemed to remember something else and added.

"Oh, right! There was another person worth mentioning. After Iloku finished registering, a man named Gaede, from Falano, came in. He also consigned an item and specifically requested that it be listed after item 12—within the three slots following it. He even said he didn't mind paying extra to ensure his item came after the Holy Mother necklace. Strange guy."

"He insisted on being after number 12…"

Dorothy, seated on her sofa, raised her brow at Allen's statement, as if she had realized something. She directed the little fox to ask.

"What does this Gaede look like? What did he consign?"

"Here, take a look."

Allen responded, and a phantom image of a blond, middle-aged man in a suit appeared in the dream. Floating beside him was a small, finely crafted crystal bottle.

"Item No. 17: Vic Palace Crystal Bottle, consigned by Mr. Gaede. It even comes with a small vial of royal nectar."

Allen explained to the little fox, while Dorothy, seeing the image through the fox's vision, kept her eyes locked on that tiny dream-borne crystal bottle.

"Let me ask one more question: are all these registered auction items currently in the auction house's possession?"

"Some are, some aren't. Certain clients prefer to keep their items themselves. As long as they hand them in half an hour before the auction begins, that's fine. Like Item No. 17, the crystal bottle—it's still with its owner. He just has to bring it in before the auction and give us time to verify it."

Allen answered plainly. Hearing that, a curious glint surfaced on Dorothy's face. Then, using Ed's voice, she addressed the little fox.

"Miss Fox, we've asked about all we can here. Time to change locations and question someone else."

"Ugh… we're going again? Who now?"

"The usual place. An old acquaintance… I need to review Tonic's memory one more time."

…

Not long after, Ed brought Saria once again to the area near the secret prison. With Dorothy's assistance, Saria successfully entered Tonic's dream once more. Within the dream—aboard a ship—the little fox once again encountered the dream-formed Tonic.

There, the little fox asked the question Dorothy had instructed her to.

"I have one more question for you: After Swordscale confirms Edward's success, how will he hand over the Waters of Youth? Will they meet face to face for the exchange?"

Tonic replied.

"Until he notifies me, I don't know what method Lord Swordscale intends to use to deliver the Fountain of Youth to Edward. But one thing I am certain of—Lord Swordscale will absolutely not meet Edward in person. Edward is fickle, untrustworthy, and constantly switches allegiances. If Lord Swordscale were to appear in person on Edward's turf, there's a real risk that Edward could betray him at the last moment, ambush him, and seize him—using him as a bargaining chip to atone before Holy Mount for having consumed the Water."

"Moncarlo is Edward's territory, a stronghold he's spent a hundred years building. If he decided to double-cross at the very end of a face-to-face exchange, Lord Swordscale would be at a severe disadvantage. So, for safety's sake, Lord Swordscale will undoubtedly devise a method to transfer the Waters of Youth without ever meeting Edward directly. And that method will definitely ensure that he retains full control over the transaction at all times."

Tonic spoke firmly to the little fox. And upon hearing his words, Dorothy, from afar, let a faint smile appear at the corner of her lips.

At that moment… she had already figured out how to maneuver among the Crimsons during tomorrow's auction.