"How do you feel?" Kal'tsit suddenly asked after everyone else had left.
Kanna rubbed her nose, then stood by the bed, looking at the distant sea. "A bit strange, and a bit awkward."
Kal'tsit nodded. "The situation in Rock Bay Town seems more complicated than I imagined. I'll go into town to gather information in a while. You stay in the Monastery and don't run around."
"Tsk, am I supposed to watch over Dona or someone else?" When it came to serious matters, Kanna didn't act as playful as usual, nor did she try to scheme with Kal'tsit.
"Just keep an eye on Dona. I think Dona is definitely a key part of this. Watching her will surely help us understand what happened in Rock Bay Town." Kal'tsit didn't seem uncomfortable with Kanna's seriousness. To be precise, according to the intelligence Kal'tsit had on Kanna, in the reports from various Operators, Kanna had never shown any sloppiness when doing serious work. This was precisely why she entrusted this task to Kanna.
"Oh! Then remember to bring me some seafood when you come back! I want to eat cuttlefish balls, sizzling squid, spicy crayfish..." With the serious talk over, Kanna started counting on her fingers, listing the "seafood" from her memory.
Kal'tsit looked outside and saw a figure pass by the window. "All right! Now you stay here obediently and don't run around."
...In the darkness
"What's going on? How could an Inquisitor come here? Did we have a traitor among us?"
"Impossible, our actions here have always been very secretive. Could it be like before, just a chance passing?"
"Could it be Dona! Isn't she with the Inquisitor?"
"Impossible, even if... Dona wouldn't reveal information to the Inquisitor."
"Wasn't there also a woman and a child with the Inquisitor? What's their situation?"
"We don't know about that, but according to the child, the woman is named Kal'tsit and is a doctor..."
"A doctor? Could it be that fellow from the lighthouse? As far as I know, that Liberi from the lighthouse hasn't been feeling well lately..."
...After a moment of silence, someone spoke again.
"If it's the lighthouse's problem, it's not impossible to attract an Inquisitor... After all, those scoundrels have been using the lighthouse to resist the embrace of the sea."
It was clear that after a possible explanation was found, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably.
"Cough, cough, cough! Even so, everyone must not underestimate them. These butchers who call themselves Inquisitors have savagely killed many of our compatriots. They are like the hounds of the wasteland; even the slightest whisper will attract countless others. So, everyone, please temporarily suspend your activities and resume them after the Inquisitor leaves." The leader of the group, apparently, spoke, and everyone fell silent.
"What about Dona? The Inquisitor chose to stay next to Dona; I suspect she has become suspicious. Dona knows many things. If she reveals them, everything will be over. With the noses of those wild dogs, they will surely follow the clues and expose everyone."
Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room became panicked again. Having contended with Inquisitors for decades, how could they not know how bloody and terrifying Inquisitors were when dealing with these "heretics"? If their actions were discovered, then unless they escaped into the sea, they would only die miserably in some prison in Iberia.
"...For the sake of our compatriots suffering no further harm, some insignificant sacrifices are necessary," the leader said after a period of silence, making the final decision.
On the other side, after Kal'tsit greeted Ilena, she put on a long coat and walked out of the Monastery. Ilena wanted to follow, but she felt there was something strange about the Monastery, and this strange feeling made her decide to stay and investigate the situation.
After Kal'tsit left, Kanna waved to Ilena as a greeting, then slipped into Dona and Lucy's room next door.
Upon entering, she found Dona lying on the bed with her head turned inward, as if refusing something, while Lucy's face was flushed, and her eyes were teary. It seemed their previous conversation had not gone well.
"Excuse me, may I come in?" Noticing the unusual situation inside, Kanna stepped back to the doorway, shrinking half her body outside, leaving only her head to look into the room, asking with wide, curious eyes.
"Oh, it's the little friend from before, come in!" Lucy wiped away a tear and waved to Kanna.
"Hello, my name is Kanna. I'm here to play with my adoptive mother, Doctor Kal'tsit." Before confirming the other party's identity and faction, Kanna decided to maintain her persona for now. After all, she had kept up this persona for several days, and it had only been useful for immigration at various borders, with no other opportunities to use it, which made her very sad.
"Play? Rock Bay Town is not a fun place." Lucy took a hard candy from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Kanna, then sighed.
"How could you say that! This is Kanna's first time seeing the sea, wow! So this is what the sea looks like! And why is there a tall tower at the edge of this city? Are there also Tower Keepers here?"
"Tower Keepers?" Lucy had never heard this term before.
"My adoptive mother said that in Laterano, the most top-tier sorcerers would have their own sorcerer's tower. They study magic and Originium Arts in the tower. Although Kanna has never seen a sorcerer's tower, it must be like the one outside!" Kanna deliberately said, looking at the tall lighthouse near the sea outside the window.
"No, it's not a sorcerer's tower. This is the unique pride of Iberia, a lighthouse that illuminates the ocean and guides ships lost at sea back to port." Lucy raised her hand, ruffled Kanna's hair, and said.
"Speaking of which, Kanna, you don't seem to be from Iberia, do you? After all, no one in Iberia wouldn't know the stories of these lighthouses..." Lucy asked.
"That's right! Kal'tsit and I came from Laterano. The journey was so interesting! Let me tell you about Siracusa..." Kanna acted like a child who had just learned some things and was eager to share them, "unreservedly" recounting the interesting stories of their journey, which made Lucy giggle. Even Dona, lying on the bed, couldn't help but prick up her ears, listening to what the outside world was like.
Outside, Ilena, while chatting with the nuns passing in the hallway, heard laughter from this direction. She walked over and saw Kanna sitting in Lucy's arms, pointing at the lighthouse outside. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly; despite the strange atmosphere here, why would Kal'tsit dare to leave this little girl alone here?
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 chapters of this story on Patreon.
If you're enjoying it and want to read ahead, feel free to check them out here:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thanks a lot for your support, it really helps me keep going.