Amid the steam of the industrial revolution, mysteries surge beneath the surface. Cults and secret societies seek the extraordinary in the shadows, while hidden gods gaze upon humanity from the hea...
Click once, pause, click twice, pause... Dorothy combined her information into multiple times and sent it to Artchery in a rhythmic manner. In the mist of the dream world, the information Dorothy sent to Artchery was still in the form of garbled text, but each transmission of information was not long, but very short. These short chaotic symbols kept appearing in a certain rhythm. Artchery couldn't help but open her eyes wide after seeing it.
“This guy…”
After smiling and muttering softly, Atchley also picked up her pen and began to dot rhythmically on her text. Her precepts also appeared on the pages of the book in front of Dorothy. After seeing this, Dorothy nodded silently and interpreted Atchley's meaning.
"I am now in the dream world. An accident occurred while I was hunting down Gu Mian, the leader of the Black Dream Hunters. I am trapped in the mist created by divine power and cannot escape for the time being."
This is what Dorothy interpreted from Atcherie. Dorothy used the divine power of "enlightenment" to transmit information into the mist. Although the order of the content could not be guaranteed, it at least maintained real-time. Although the information sent by both parties would be garbled every time, at least they could receive each other in real time. In this way, the normal way of communicating by letter can be completely abandoned, and the communication can be carried out purely by rhythm in the form of telegrams.
Artchery was the chief minister of the church, so she must have mastered the universal codes of all the countries in the world, and Dorothy was even better. She had already memorized practical knowledge such as universal codes, and there was no obstacle at all for the two sides to communicate in this way.
"Fortunately, my divinity ensured the accuracy and real-time nature of the information transmission... Otherwise, I would have no idea what to do..."
Seeing the content of the code that Atchley responded to, Dorothy couldn't help but feel fortunate in her heart, and then she began to formally communicate with Atchley through the hand-telegram.
"I contacted you this time to remind you that Bajian and Heimeng may have prepared some kind of trap for you and your men. Unfortunately, I was not able to catch up. Now you are already trapped in their trap, but there is another round of traps for your men. If they are not stopped, they will step into it. The most urgent task now is to deal with the problems of your men."
Dorothy sent a letter to Atcherie to communicate, and after a while, she got a response.
"Tell me in detail, what is this trap?"
"This trap...is about King Pritt, Charles IV. I'll tell you what I went through before, and you'll probably understand..."
After Dorothy recovered in this way, she continued to click rhythmically and frequently on the pages of the book, sending information to Atcherie. Atcherie soon learned what had happened in the Sofox mansion not long ago and understood Dorothy's meaning.
"I roughly understand what you mean. You want to say... isn't Charles IV in cahoots with Bajian and the others now? Can Bajian and Hei Meng now direct our hatred towards Charles IV?" Atcherie's words appeared on the pages of Dorothy's book, and Dorothy quickly responded.
"Yes, judging from the current situation, we cannot be led by Bajian and his men. Now your men have been waiting for no news from you and are preparing to report to Mount Saint-Lin. By then, your other cardinal colleagues will go to Tivian to arrest Charles IV, and those guys will be completely exposed, right? So do you have any way to stop your men from reporting? Tell me if you have any."
Dorothy said this to Atcherili, and the other party paused for a long time before responding.
"Charles IV is the most suspicious target in my eyes. Now you want me to stop Mount Saint-Denis from sending reinforcements to Tivian just based on a judgment without any solid evidence? Stop other cardinals from rescuing me?"
"Yes, after all, it is said that there are some crazy people among your colleagues. Once they come over here, who knows what will happen... I don't think they are more reasonable than you.
“I know you are counting on your fellow cardinals to rescue you, but I think other cardinals coming here will only make things worse, so you should just be patient for now. At least wait until the expo is over before notifying the other cardinals. Of course, I will also try to find a way to help you out, and maybe you can get out earlier.
"In addition, although I currently have no conclusive evidence to prove that Charles IV and the Eight Points are not on the same side, now is not the time to rush to find evidence and open a trial... I can only trust my intuition. I hope you can trust me this time... Your Excellency the Privy Councilor..." Dorothy said this to Atchery, and then after a while, Atchery responded.
"I can't confirm anything you just said. Why should I trust you on such an important matter? Miss Meshhosh, we have only met once, right?" Atcherie asked, and Dorothy thought for a moment, then picked up the pen and continued writing.
"Because I am the only one who can contact you now. Because you are the saint, my queen, for the sake of the night sky and the moon, please trust my judgment, Master Atcheri..."
Dorothy reported this, and then continued to wait silently for the other party's reply, and soon after, Atcherie's rhythm finally appeared on the pages of Dorothy's book.
"My holy steel ship, the Twilight Shadow, is currently anchored at the Axo naval port not far from Tivian. It has mechanical servants that only accept my orders. I will tell you how to perform an emergency message sending ceremony to it without key equipment and contracts, and will also give you the password to unlock the highest authority, so that you can send messages to the Twilight Shadow as me.
"This Holy Steel Ship is the mobile command center of the Secret Surveillance Court. It has communication devices for contacting various intelligence agencies. I will instruct you to use the Secret Surveillance Court's various secret messages and codewords to bypass all restrictions that require personal verification. Disguise yourself as me and tell my subordinates that I have carried out difficult and long-term missions in the dream world. There is no danger and they can handle the current difficulties on their own. Ask them not to report to Shenglin Mountain for help for the time being...
"You will temporarily take over the control of the Tivian Prison Chamber on my behalf. This is the only way for me to regain control of my men. It is very risky for me to do this, so you'd better not have any other ideas in it... I have a way to watch you...
"This is because of your face. I can give you the greatest trust. How about it?"
Atcherie responded to Dorothy like this. After Dorothy finished reading, she breathed a sigh of relief and then continued writing.
"Thanks."
…
In the dark night in Tivian, Dongcheng District, in the shadow of an alley, an agile figure was running at high speed. He was running wildly at high speed in the winding and complex alleys, flipping continuously on the rugged low walls and roofs, and moving quickly in the dark, as if he was running away from something.
Finally, the black shadow flew over several low buildings in an incredible manner and arrived at an inconspicuous corner on the edge of the city. After stopping in the shadow of a corner, it began to lean against the wall and gasped.
When the faint moonlight in the sky shone into the alley, a slender female figure with sweat all over her forehead was revealed. She was Misha Devonshire, the former royal knight of Pritt and captain of the Security Bureau.
Just as Dorothy went to the Security Bureau to check the situation, Misha, who had parted with Ed, also started her own action and went to where the king, Charles IV, was, trying to meet Charles IV in person and find out what he was planning. If possible, Misha wanted to question Charles IV in person.
Not long ago, Misha approached the location of Charles IV, the Crystal Palace, the venue of the East Vian Exposition. During the last period of the construction of the Crystal Palace, Charles IV had been living here, almost completely isolated from the royal palace and other political activities in the kingdom. He personally supervised the construction of the Crystal Palace with his few attendants and concentrated all his efforts there.
Just now, Misha approached the Crystal Palace secretly, but was discovered by Charles IV's guards. Then these guards attacked Misha. Misha wanted to talk and explain, but the other party didn't listen at all.
Charles IV's guards were very strong, so strong that it was beyond Misha's expectations. After only parrying two attacks, Misha was completely unable to resist the attack of those guards. When she was almost killed, Misha's clothes were cut open and an item she carried with her fell off. After seeing that scene, the guards suddenly stopped as if they had received some order.
Although she didn't know why the other party suddenly stopped, Misha took the opportunity when the other party stopped attacking and immediately chose to evacuate the area, canceled the plan to meet Charles IV, and fled here as quickly as possible.
"Huh... Huh... Those guards... are so strong and weird, and their abilities are totally different from Despenser's Storm Power... King... where did you get these guards to protect you? Does the Despenser royal family... inherit this kind of power?"
With her hands on the wall, Misha gasped and muttered. After finally adjusting her breathing, she stood up again, then reached into her clothes, fumbled around for a while, and pulled out an object.
It was a silver shield amulet, and behind the shield was a string of ancient Prithvi. This was a relic that Misha and Dorothy had retrieved from the Devonshire family cemetery, the Hall of Glory, during a joint operation last year. The original owner of this relic was Misha's ancestor, a famous general who was very active in both camps during the Wind King Rebellion, Ampel Devonshire.
Ampel served the Black King Jeffrey during the Wind King Rebellion, and later switched to the legitimate successor Baldrick. He is the ancestor of the Devonshire family's honor and glory. This shield amulet is a relic that Misha found in Ampel's tomb. Dorothy once relied on the inscription on it to find the Mirror Moon Temple in Gramorn. After obtaining the key inscription information, Dorothy returned the amulet to Misha, a descendant of the Devonshire family. And those strange guards stopped attacking Misha after seeing this amulet, giving Misha a chance to escape.
"Hoo...Hoo...Ampel, does this have anything to do with Pritt's secret today?"
Looking at the amulet in her hand, Misha spoke while breathing slightly. Finally, after catching her breath, she took another serious look at the amulet in her hand, and then put it on her body.
"Perhaps... we can find out more through this clue..."
After collecting the amulet, Misha's expression became firm again, and then she stepped forward, her figure gradually disappearing into the shadows of the night.
…
Under the waning moon, on the outskirts of East Tivian, somewhere on a wide plain.
Under the moonlight at night, a huge and strange building stands on a wide square, surrounded by flower beds, fountains and pillars, vertical lengths of steel are densely interwoven and connected, growing and extending towards the sky to form a complex and huge skeleton. On top of the skeleton, countless transparent peelings are being installed on it, covering the areas left out of the skeleton one by one, forming a layer of transparent and crystal outer walls. These crystal outer walls are bent and linked to each other, forming a huge dome, sharp spires and magnificent halls. From a distance, the whole building looks like a crystal art piece that has been magnified countless times. While it is exquisite in every detail, people will also be surprised by its grandeur and magnificence.
The Crystal Palace is the main venue for the upcoming World Expo in Plitvice. It was built under the supervision of the contemporary Plitvice King Charles IV and took three years to complete. At this moment, it is quietly waiting for the arrival of its own grand event in the dark.
Inside the crystal, under the huge round dome, on a tower with flowers and plants, a tall and thin figure was standing at this moment. He was an older man, who looked to be about forty years old. His hair was neatly combed with many gray hairs. He had a light beard, and his solemn face was covered with various wrinkles. His solemn eyes revealed fatigue. He was wearing a simple-looking but extremely high-quality Pratt officer uniform. He wore white gloves with his hands behind his back, and did not wear any military rank.
He is officially the current nominal supreme ruler of Primit, King of Primit, Charles IV.
"Your Majesty, in compliance with your order, the peeper has been released..."
Beside Charles IV, a woman in black, wearing a black robe and a hood, was standing next to Charles IV and reporting. After listening, Charles IV spoke softly.
"Devon Hill... Although I don't know which side she is serving now, I will let her go for the sake of her ancestors...
"After all, Ampere's contribution to the kingdom is... indelible..."
Charles IV whispered this, and at this moment, the woman who seemed to be a servant next to him continued to report.
"In addition, we have received news that the Saint of Shenglin Mountain, the Supervisory Secret Court, has directly launched an action against the Anyin Bureau. Judging from the current situation of the Anyin Bureau, His Royal Highness Prince Harold's final fate may not be too good..."
Listening to the servant's words, Charles IV paused slightly, then sighed softly and spoke slowly.
"This... there is nothing that can be done about it. I hope God can help him escape this disaster..." Charles IV said this, and the guard paused for a moment and continued to ask.
"Your Majesty, the Secret Court will inevitably expand the scope of the investigation to other members of the royal family. I'm afraid there will be many people affected. Can we really ignore it?"
The attendant asked Charles IV, and Charles IV shook his head slightly before speaking.
"I can manage... even if I can, I can't manage... once I manage, once I interfere in the affairs of the kingdom, once I am entangled with those complicated people... complicated things again, there is no way to get rid of it easily...
"The thorns of the Lady of Pain have pierced this country and are secreting venom. Under the shadow of the goddess of conspiracy, no one can clearly understand who is the enemy and who is the friend. Only a lone man can be immune to the consequences.
"Otherwise, I will be the next mad king..."
Having said this, Charles IV slowly raised his head and looked up at the huge dome of the Crystal Palace. Through the extremely complicated steel frame and transparent glass, Charles IV gazed at the waning moon in the sky.
…
Time passed quickly, the night gradually faded, the day gradually rose, and when the waning moon set in the sky, a burst of morning light appeared in the eastern sky. After Tivian got rid of the night, he welcomed the day.
On a hill far outside Tivian, on the top of a church bell tower, at this moment a figure was standing there, standing before the bell in the morning light.
It was a tall woman, wearing a dark red robe with numerous intricate patterns and many bloody spike pendants. The woman was not dignified, but she was thin with prominent cheekbones, pale skin and black lips, and had a short buzz cut. Her face, head, and neck were densely pierced with horrifyingly long, thick black iron nails.
These iron nails were deeply pierced into every part of the woman's face, including the throat and temples. The densely packed nails made people feel severely uncomfortable when seeing them. These nails, which could be fatal, were pierced into her body, but she lived extremely freely, as if she was not affected by it in any way. On her forehead was a tattoo of an eight-legged spider with pointed legs. Below the tattoo, her cold eyes were staring at the rising sun in the distant city.
"Until now...there is still no abnormality in the Holy Land Mountain...even the local church has not had any extreme reaction. Is this a little different from what we expected...Moth Seeker..."
The woman with nails said with a hoarse and shrill voice and without any expression. At this moment, inside the clock tower behind her, under the roof, a blurry, real and illusory figure was falling down there, making a sound that seemed real and illusory.
"We have trapped the Secret Supervisor in the maze. It is impossible for her to escape alone, nor is it possible for her to communicate with the outside world..."
"But do you think this is the reaction the church should have after the disappearance of a saint? If Shenglin Mountain really lost a saint, would they still be so quiet?" The woman continued to ask, with a hint of doubt in her words, while the hanging Gu Mian continued to speak indifferently.
"I've said before that the Secret Supervisor is now in the maze, and it's impossible for him to come out, nor can he communicate with the outside world. Unless you meet the Secret Supervisor again in the real world, don't even think about questioning me... Sore face... Gesijina..."
There was a hint of coldness in Gu Mian's tone. After hearing this, the woman named Ge Sijina snorted coldly in response.
"Hmph... Then before the Secret Service appears again, you have completed your mission. Just think of it as the Secret Service having some backup plan that came in handy, and Charles IV just got lucky...
"But he can only hide for a while. Today is the final moment. On that day, he will no longer be able to hide any longer..."
Gesijina said this, and Gumian also spoke silently after being silent for a while.
"Tomorrow...will be the day when everything will be clear...when the world will know what is real and what is fake..."
"This is also the moment when we can finally fully understand the grievances with Pritt over the past thousand years... Madam is fed up with continuing to be entangled with the descendants of Arthur, and will end it all tomorrow." Geskina said this, with a fierce look on her face, and added.
"At the same time... it is also the beginning of the end of the Moon Bitch Era..."
…
Rooted in the past of Plitvian, the shadow of the past has quietly entangled the city of Tivian. Although the danger is looming, the name of the World Expo still attracts tourists from Plitvian and abroad.
On the sea off Pritt Island, a ferry fully loaded with passengers was heading towards its final port, Tivian. On the bow of the ship fluttering in the sea breeze, a brown-haired girl named Sarah and her black cat were looking expectantly at the distant coast.
In the inland of the main island of Pritt, on the railway tracks in the countryside, a long train is roaring forward at high speed. In the first-class compartment, Anna, wearing simple travel clothes and a small hat on her head, is reading a book attentively, and in her spare time she looks at the scenery outside the window.