There is a high platform near the cathedral in the upper town. It used to be part of the city park, but with the renovation of the steam core, the original park facilities were moved elsewhere, leaving only a lonely high platform - like a forgotten knight, standing high and watching over the factory and square below.

From the high platform, you can overlook the entire church area and the central factory area.

In her occasional free time, Fanna would come here to relax. When she felt uneasy, she would also come here to think quietly in order to sort out her mood.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and even though there was a slight breeze, it was not very cold on the platform. When the gentle sea breeze blew across the platform, it would lift up the hair around the ears, making it a little itchy.

Vanna threw her long white hair behind her head and stared quietly at the winding and misty steam pipes in her field of vision. After a long time, she broke the silence and said, "I'm going out for a while."

"Going out?" Heidi turned her head in surprise. "Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure. It might be a very far place, and I might be away for a long time." Vanna looked into Heidi's eyes. "I can't reveal the specific itinerary, but I should tell you before I leave."

Heidi blinked, looking a little confused: "But you are the Inquisitor of the City-State-Can an Inquisitor travel far away at will?"

“I…” Vanna opened her mouth and tried to make her expression look like a smile. “It was arranged by the church. The order was directly issued by Storm Cathedral.”

"Ah... So that's how it is," Heidi nodded in realization. She actually didn't quite understand the rules of the Deep Sea Church, but when the name "Storm Cathedral" was brought up, many things didn't need to be explained. "So it seems this is a sacred mission? Are you being sent outside the diocese to fight against heretics?"

Vanna's expression seemed to freeze for a moment: "...In a sense, it does have something to do with heresy, but it's not a combat mission."

Heidi didn't notice the subtle change in her friend's tone, she just sighed suddenly, "Hey, my father has been away recently, he didn't give any warning, he just told me he was going out to do something, my mother didn't let me ask any more questions - now you are leaving too, I feel like you are all being mysterious."

"Mr. Morris is out too," Vanna muttered, but soon shook her head with a self-deprecating expression on her face. "He should be meeting his friends in the academic world, or attending some activities. Scholars like him are often invited by various city-state universities... Anyway, it's not the same place I'm going."

Heidi turned around and looked at her friend with some confusion: "Why do I feel that you are weird? You seem to be worried. Are you a little uneasy about going on a long trip? It seems that you have hardly left the city-state."

"That's not the case. I'm probably just a little nervous because I was suddenly assigned a mission I've never been involved in before." Vanna shook her head, "Don't worry about me."

"Okay then," Heidi exhaled, and then seemed to suddenly remember something, and suggested with a little excitement, "By the way, how about we go to the theater together? There's a new play coming out recently, let's change our mood - you should get in touch with more popular things, maybe this can expand your social circle..."

Vanna didn't pay any attention to what her friend said in the last two sentences. She just raised her eyebrows curiously: "New drama? What's it about?"

"This is a work by the great director Sandoko, called "Frontier Terror". It tells the story of a small border village that falls into a heretical cult and sacrifices the women in the village to the 'cave evil spirit'. In the end, the brave defenders wipe out the evil. It is said that this drama also uses a new technology called 'sound track'. When the picture is played, there is synchronized sound coming from the machines on both sides of the screen..."

Heidi was excitedly introducing the "new popular elements" to her friend, but she found that Vanna's face was getting weirder and weirder. She hesitated and stopped talking halfway. Then she thought about it and waved her hand: "Okay, you may not like this. There is another drama called "Night Watch". It tells the story of a brave guardian who enters a secret realm but is accidentally trapped in a heretic's nest. He has to rely on his own wisdom and experience to survive in the nest and find a way to stick to his original intention... You don't like it either?"

Heidi scratched her hair and tried to search her mind: "Then let me recommend you a book. It's a popular novel called "Walking with Shadows". It's about..."

Vanna finally couldn't listen any more, and interrupted her friend's chattering with an almost livid face: "Thank you, but it's really not necessary."

Then she seemed to realize that her attitude was a bit stiff, and she couldn't help but sigh slightly. She rubbed her forehead with her fingers and explained in a low voice: "Thank you for your concern, but the mission I am about to perform requires a firm will and pure thinking. It is best not to come into contact with too many things that can easily disturb the mind before leaving."

"Oh, well, that was my inconsiderateness," Heidi smiled awkwardly, "I forgot you were a 'professional'."

Vanna waved her hand.

After a while, she heard Heidi's voice again: "My break is almost over. I have two more patients scheduled this afternoon."

Fanna exhaled softly: "You go and get busy. I should also prepare to leave."

Heidi hummed, but suddenly stopped before leaving the platform. She turned her head, and in the afternoon sunshine and breeze, her expression was a little hesitant: "Can I see you off when you leave?"

"…No, this is a special mission."

"Will you write back?"

Vanna hesitated.

She looked at Heidi, the breeze blowing her long white hair. In the tangle of flying hair, it seemed as if a fluttering curtain had been drawn between her and her best friend.

"...I don't know," Vanna said in a low voice, "but I will...try my best. Maybe it's not that strict there."

"Okay, I'll wait for your letter then." Heidi smiled brightly, then she suddenly stepped forward, pulled out the crystal pendant from her collar and shook it in the air, then pointed at Vanna's chest, "The same amulet - you will have good luck."

The friend left.

On the high platform in the wind, Vanna was the only one left.

The young inquisitor lowered his head and looked at the small pendant on his chest.

"...Good luck," she muttered softly, her expression becoming a little strange, "I hope the antique shop owner's things can really bring some good luck."

A loud bell suddenly rang from the direction of the church, interrupting Vanna's thoughts.

She raised her head and looked in the direction where the bell rang. She saw that the huge dial on the bell tower was indicating the time, and the sun's light had gradually passed the highest point in the sky and was slowly moving towards the west side of the cathedral.

She took out the parchment and looked at the words on the back of it - that was her "Job Instructions".

According to the instructions on the job orientation, a messenger would come to pick her up in an hour, and she should go to the atrium of the cathedral before then to wait. The entire handover process would not be disturbed by irrelevant people.

What kind of messenger would that be? How would he be sent to the Lost Homeland far away in the boundless ocean?

Vanna had huge doubts in her heart, but she still took a step forward and walked towards the cathedral.

She had many plans. Before leaving the city where she was born and raised, she wanted to visit the shops she was most familiar with, go to the theater, go to the port, meet a few friends, and pray in the church...

But there was not enough time, she didn't have that much spare time.

In the atrium of the cathedral, Pope Helena and Archbishop Valentine had been waiting for him for a long time.

"The messenger hasn't arrived yet," Valentine nodded to Vanna who walked into the atrium, "Are you ready?"

Vanna looked at the things at hand.

★Illustration 29★

Apart from the greatsword that she always carried with her, she only had a packed suitcase - she did not have many personal belongings. In the suitcase, besides the necessary clothes to change into, the most important items were her prayer book and some blessed church reading materials.

★Illustration 30★

It was something that could be read safely on the vast ocean, and perhaps it could relieve the boredom of life on the ship.

"It's all here," Vanna nodded, then looked up at the silent Pope beside her, "I can still pray on the boat, right?"

"Of course," Helena smiled, "Captain Duncan even promised that you could turn one of the extra cabins into a chapel."

"...Then I'll just look forward to my 'crew life'," Vanna sighed, "I can't imagine what that life will be like."

Helena opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but at this moment, the crackling sound of flames and flapping wings suddenly came from the sky, interrupting the communication in the atrium.

The messenger has arrived.

Fanna looked up in surprise, but she only had time to see a green flame falling from the sky like a meteor. Huge bone wings suddenly opened in the flame. The next second, the flame had "fallen" on the path in the atrium and turned into a rotating and rising door.

"It's time to set off." Pope Helena's voice came from the side, with reminder and urging.

"Yeah." Vanna nodded slightly, put aside the last bit of hesitation in her heart at this moment, and took a step forward.

She took a deep breath and stepped through the rotating gate of flames. At this moment, her mind was boiling with thoughts.

What would be behind the door? What kind of life was waiting for him on that ship? Would he see the scary ghost captain first? Or a sailor on the Lost Homeland?

What kind of strange appearance would the crew on that ship have?

The flames rose up and then faded away, and it only took a moment to cross the door.

Fanna felt herself in a trance for a moment, and then the moist and cool sea breeze blew towards her, and the sound of crashing waves came to her ears.

She blinked and slapped her forehead hard.

She thought maybe something went wrong with the transmission.

Or maybe there is something wrong with my eyes.

Because she saw... Morris standing in front of her, smiling at her.