Frank scratched his messy hair, involuntarily recalling the Elf who had knocked him out with a casual flick, and let out an embarrassed, dry chuckle.
Deeply feeling his own weakness, Frank drained the glass of milk that had been politely refused and looked at Klein, saying very sincerely, "Gehrman, I've made up my mind. I'm not going to be a Druid anymore. I want to become a Classical Alchemist!"
Klein's expression froze for several seconds as he walked towards the captain's cabin, feeling the burning gaze from behind him. He resisted the urge to rub his forehead and responded calmly, "Having a goal is a good thing. Good luck to you!"
Then, ignoring Frank, Klein directly closed the door to the captain's cabin. This was the last untouched sanctuary on the Black Tulip that Frank hadn't ruined.
Taking out some daily necessities he had purchased from the port from his spatial pocket, Klein pondered for a moment. After setting up a Spirit Wall, he took four reverse steps to ascend above the gray fog.
The Desi Bay already belonged to the boundary waters between the Berserk Sea and the Fog Sea. In other words, Vice Admiral Iceberg, with whom he had a hunting agreement, should also be in the vicinity of these waters.
Just as he was about to check Danitz's current location, Klein suddenly noticed that among the crimson stars silently suspended in the boundless gray fog, one suddenly brightened, spreading out light like water.
Hesitating for a moment, Klein cautiously extended his spirituality, allowing the constantly expanding and contracting crimson star to reveal the scene it contained:
A robe entirely woven from starlight draped down, and clusters of silver light enveloped Admiral of the Stars Cattleya's entire body.
But the pressure, which only a demigod could possess, didn't attract too much of Klein's attention. He waved his hand to retrieve the Card of Blasphemy depicting layered Doors from the pile of sundries, his gaze fixed on the space above Cattleya.
There was a pair of cold, emotionless, lashless, almost transparent eyes!
And opposite these indifferent eyes was Bernadette, with a calm expression.
-----------------
Deep within Saint Samuel Church, in the spacious room that only Nighthawks captains and bishops could freely enter.
One of the Church of the Evernight Goddess's thirteen Archbishops, the head of the Backlund diocese, Saint Anthony Stevenson, took out an urgent telegram from the Holy Cathedral and whispered concisely, "Feysac's ambition is already evident. We must abandon all illusions. The dispute in the Midseashire will be handled by the Church of the Lord of Storms."
"But the Amantha Mountains in the Winter County and East Chester County are the Holy Cathedral's barrier, and no accidents are allowed. Lady Arianna is already stationed there, and both the Ahorva County and Backlund diocese will dispatch a portion of Nighthawks for support."
At this point, Archbishop Anthony paused, his gaze sweeping over the serious-faced Red Gloves team captain Soest and Bishop Electra, then looking at the figure completely shrouded in a black robe behind them, he added, "Vice Admiral Alfred of the Hall family has returned to Backlund from the Southern Continent. You will accompany him to lead the army to the front line. There, you won't have to worry too much."
To appease the Church's anger over the Backlund Great Smog, the Loen Royal Family allowed the three major Churches to send personnel into the military.
The direct consequence of this was that Colonel Alfred, as the representative of the Church of the Evernight Goddess's interests in the Hall family, "coincidentally" obtained a Sealed Artifact corresponding to the Earl of the Fallen in the Southern Continent, and then very naturally became a true Army Vice Admiral.
Soest and Electra, who knew a little about the identity of the person behind them, exchanged glances but did not speak first.
In the suddenly quiet secret room, a pale hand lifted a hood, revealing an aged face. It was Prince Edessak, whom Aaron had saved earlier:
"The Church and the Kingdom still haven't caught Trissy, have they?"
After receiving an affirmative reply, the former Prince pulled down his hood again, tacitly accepting Anthony's arrangements for him.
Archbishop Anthony lightly tapped the table, and the surrounding light suddenly vanished, as if swallowed by the dimness in the room. The next second, he arrived at Chanis Gate, located underground.
The Nighthawks who were originally on duty had already retreated. In front of the black iron double door engraved with seven holy emblems, Aaron and Pallez looked sideways at the arriving Anthony. The figure of Aaron's wife was faintly discernible in the floating light cluster behind him.
An earthly angel he had never seen before… This thought flashed through his mind. Anthony dared not neglect, and after offering his prayers to the Goddess, he opened Chanis Gate.
But before they could enter, 0-17, which should have still been in a sealed state, already appeared before Chanis Gate, its pure black, indifferent pupils sweeping over the people in front of him.
"Do not resist!"
As the clear, cold voice echoed, the figures of Pallez and Aaron's wife vanished as if erased by an eraser.
Aaron's foot, stepping into Chanis Gate, paused. He glanced at the disappearing figures beside him, sighed, and patted the somewhat dazed Anthony: "It seems this matter doesn't require my help. Come with me to retrieve the Antigonus family's notes...."
The enormous Crimson Moon hanging in the sky dyed the surrounding mist crimson. Pallez stood in the deep, cold night, facing 0-17's emotionless black pupils.
As one of the few great nobles of the Fourth Epoch, Pallez naturally recognized the Mother of the Nation of the Evernight. His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately cupped his hands in greeting, "Pallez greets the Goddess!"
His gaze swept over the two, and 0-17 calmly nodded. Under the illumination of the Crimson Moon, his figure became ethereal, leaving only a clear, cold voice echoing: "This place is isolated from the fate of the outside world. What you wish to do will not attract the attention of those with ulterior motives...."
The feeling of being pricked in the back slowly dissipated. Pallez let out a long breath, only then having the presence of mind to assess his situation.
Not far away was a small town shrouded in mist, the most prominent building being a very ancient-style spire church. It was entirely black, had no bell tower, and at its apex, countless black crows circled and lingered.
A tremor from the depths of his soul startled Pallez. His spiritual intuition told him that something extremely precious might be hidden there.
Forcing himself to push the matter to the back of his mind, Pallez looked at the somewhat silent Will Auceptin, and an illusory, mottled clock appeared in his pupils.
Not far away, in the deepest part of the black church at the very center of the town, stood a stone statue in the form of a human female. Beast legs, covered in hard black fur, grew from her ribs and waist, adding a touch of malevolence.
At the feet of this stone statue, souls slumbered, as if a cluster of stars surrounding it.
The 0-17, which had just disappeared, now stood before this stone statue, looking at the old man in black robes sitting cross-legged diagonally behind the statue.