Just heard some interesting rumors, and since I've been bored lately, I came out for a change of scenery and to check on things along the way, Kal'tsit replied, leaning back in her chair.
Hearing such an obvious excuse from Kal'tsit, the Saint did not call her out on it.
It is also true that we intruded upon you uninvited, but it is not easy for Your Excellency to make a trip to Iberia. If the Tribunal takes zero action, you would probably still find it problematic. So... Dasohan, come over here for a moment. The Saint gestured toward an Inquisitor by the door.
Dasohan is a reliable Inquisitor, and he will accompany you on the road ahead. I have other matters to attend to, so I will not intrude any further upon Your Excellency's travels in Iberia. He has walked and is familiar with most places in Iberia; with him acting as guide, I should think everything Your Excellency needs to accomplish will go quite smoothly. The person who entered was a middle-aged man of around forty, whose resolute gaze and upright posture revealed him to be a loyal warrior.
Clank, clank, clank! Before Kal'tsit could speak, Kanna began slapping the table beside her.
Oh! Does the little one have a question? Seeing Kanna's action, the Saint asked with a smile.
Kanna stared straight at Kal'tsit without saying a single word.
If you have something to say, then say it. Why are you staring at me! Kal'tsit glared at Kanna in irritation.
Observing the interaction between the two, a flash of contemplation crossed the Saint's eyes. In his memory, Kal'tsit always appeared in the image of a guiding authority figure, and it was rare to see her heed anyone else's opinions. He had not expected to witness this different side of her today; could this little girl be somewhat unique?
Hmph! You gave me permission to speak, you know! Don't you dare use this as an excuse to double my homework! Kanna first addressed Kal'tsit, and after finishing, she looked toward the elderly man known as the Saint. Old man, look—Kal'tsit and I are both females. Having a big grown man make arrangements for us isn't quite appropriate, is it? Doesn't your In... Inquisitorial Tribunal have any women?
Hearing Kanna's words, the Saint wore an expression of sudden realization. He patted his head and said with a smile, My apologies, that was an oversight on my part. I failed to take the gender of the two of you into consideration. Well then, Ilena, please accompany Madam Kal'tsit and this little one on their travels through Iberia!
A female Liberi of around thirty years of age walked in from outside upon hearing the summons. She respectfully bowed to the old man and then stood quietly a short distance away.
Seeing this, Kanna nodded. Judging by the old man's demeanor, Kal'tsit was bound to have someone accompany her the entire way through Iberia anyway, so rather than having some guy around, it was much better to have a fragrant young lady... Well, though what she ended up with was more of an auntie, that was still better than an uncle.
After finishing his meal, the old man left the shop with his remaining subordinates, leaving behind a deadpan Kal'tsit, Ilena who stood quietly to the side, and Kanna, who was still enthusiastically om nom nom-ing away at the food before her.
Embracing the spirit of eating plenty on someone else's dime, Kanna maintained a completely expressionless face under the shopkeeper's gaze—which had shifted from fear to shock—and cleanly polished off ten large platters of braised pig trotters.
After the group departed, the shopkeeper still looked at those empty plates with incomprehension, unable to fathom how the little girl could finish everything looking completely unbothered, and where on earth all those pig trotters had actually gone.
When heading out, Kanna saw Kal'tsit chatting with the Inquisitor named Ilena about something. Before long, the two reached an agreement, and the Inquisitor climbed into the back seat.
With the journey resumed under the other's guidance, the vehicle sped toward their designated destination, Rock Bay Town.
Thanks to Iberia's vast territory, it took the vehicle nearly half a month to finally arrive not far from Rock Bay Town.
The slightly salty and fishy air blowing in from the ocean chased away the group's exhaustion, finally letting Kanna—who had grown bored all along the way—regain her sense of excitement.
Suddenly, the vehicle came to a stop. Kanna looked with puzzlement at Kal'tsit beside her, who merely lifted her chin slightly to signal that there was someone on the ground ahead of the car.
Kanna poked her head out from the car window, and Ilena got out of the car as well.
Not far ahead in front of the vehicle, a girl dressed in Church attire had collapsed onto the ground unconscious.
Kanna's ears twitched as she listened; her breathing and heartbeat were both relatively steady. She signaled a safe sign to Kal'tsit, then walked over to the girl.
It's a missionary from our Church. Ilena, who had followed behind, spoke after inspecting the other's condition.
There don't appear to be any wounds on her body, nor any traces of torture. It looks more like she hasn't eaten in too long and fainted from hunger along the road. Ilena breathed a sigh of relief after routinely performing a quick check on the girl.
This isn't far from Rock Bay Town. How could a missionary end up fainting in a place like this? Kal'tsit poked her lynx head out from the car.
Ilena shook her head at that.
Meanwhile, Kanna, who had been observing the other's clothing, spoke up. I think she should be from Rock Bay Town.
Hearing Kanna's words, the other two looked over with strange gazes.
Shoes, Kanna reminded them.
Looking down at the girl's shoes, Ilena experienced a sudden epiphany. There aren't many stains on her socks, and her shoes are relatively clean, which indicates she should have just washed up and hasn't walked very far. The closest city to here is Rock Bay Town, so this girl could only have come from there.
At this, the three couldn't help finding it even stranger: under what kind of circumstances would a missionary leave a town and yet end up 'starving to faint' by the roadside at such a close distance?
Everything about this appeared rather unreasonable.
Anyway, it's not far now. Let's head into town and take a look, Kanna said helplessly upon seeing Kal'tsit and Ilena exchanging glances again.
Ding-dong! At this moment, the system, which had remained quiet up until now, finally stirred and issued a new mission.
While Ilena carried the young girl back to the backseat of the vehicle, Kanna quietly sat back inside and looked at the taskbar.
Safely leave Iberia with Kal'tsit while using only a single system skill; upon mission completion, obtain a randomized enhanced skill.
Kanna blinked in surprise upon seeing the reward. Previous missions fell into one of three categories: obtaining a random skill, a designated skill, or a powerful skill. The concept of a randomized enhanced skill was a first for her; it seemed it should be stronger than a random skill, yet it hadn't quite reached the benchmark of a powerful skill.
The condition for acquiring the skill was even more interesting: before she and Kal'tsit left Iberia, she was restricted to using only a single skill learned through the system.
The implication was crystal clear: combat ahead was not advised to be fought using skills. Even the heavens were prompting her to engage in hand-to-hand combat or use weapons for close-quarters fighting.
Iberia, a coastal city. Non-melee and non-hand-to-hand combat methods were discouraged. With all these conditions piling together, they already hinted at the kind of enemies likely to be faced next.
At this, Kanna merely licked her lips as she gazed in the direction of the ocean. Although those things in the sea looked a little strange, as everyone knew, the weirder things looked, the better they tasted; she just wondered what the texture of these seafood items would be like.
At this moment, Kal'tsit glanced sideways at Kanna, and seeing her drooling toward the seaside, assumed her cravings had acted up again. She merely shook her head and said nothing further.
After all, compared to Kanna, who had suddenly developed a craving for seafood, the missionary girl who had abruptly appeared by the roadside drew much more of her attention. Before leaving Rhodes Island, Specter had grabbed her hands, repeatedly murmuring the words 'Rock Bay Town' and 'Deep Sea,' which proved that the situation in Rock Bay Town might not be overly optimistic. It was only because Specter had suddenly brought up the deep sea that she had the notion to come here in the first place.
Therefore, just as they were about to enter Rock Bay Town, the abrupt appearance of this young girl felt particularly and indescribably strange.
Achoo! Kanna suddenly let out a sneeze, causing Kal'tsit to glance sideways once more. Had this little one discovered something again?
She had been paying attention to her taskbar earlier and hadn't noticed, but after Kanna's focus shifted away, she suddenly felt that an extra scent had appeared inside the car—a scent resembling seawater, yet far more complex. If not for Kanna's sufficiently sensitive nose, ordinary people would probably have filtered out this odor beneath the sea breeze.
Without even needing to turn around, the sound of breathing told her that the girl who had fainted halfway was sitting behind the seats, so this new scent naturally emanated from that girl.
Considering that the other person lived by the sea, it was entirely normal for her body to carry the aura of the ocean, so Kanna didn't pay it too much mind. At this moment, her mind was still filled with new-style seafood dishes like cold-dressed madflower and scalded curious eggs...
Another half hour or so passed. After rounding a bend, the appearance of Rock Bay Town finally came into view.
Rock Bay Town is one of the few coastal towns that still retains a lighthouse. Or rather, this place wasn't originally close to the ocean; it was after the 'Great Silence' that the sea level rose and completely submerged the areas in front of Rock Bay Town, transforming it from a city near the sea into a coastal city. Looking at the city before them and the lighthouse glowing within it, Ilena introduced the place to Kal'tsit and Kanna, who were visiting for the first time.
Let's head to the monastery first. We can drop this child off along the way, Kal'tsit stated.
Hearing Kal'tsit's words, Ilena nodded. Alright, and we can use the monastery as our stronghold for the upcoming period. No matter what you plan to do, Madam Kal'tsit, having a secure rear base is always a comforting thing.
Very well! Then communication with the monastery will be left to you, Ilena. Kal'tsit expressed no objection to this.
However, they failed to notice that at the mention of the monastery, the unconscious girl's body suddenly stirred slightly.
The vehicle quickly drove into Rock Bay Town. Upon spotting Ilena inside the car, most of the townspeople appeared extremely nervous, grabbing their playing children and hurriedly scurrying toward their homes.
Are you really that terrifying in the eyes of these people? Kanna asked, looking at the streets that had quickly emptied out.
Ah, there's nothing that can be done about it. After all, the 'Abyssal Church' runs amok everywhere. To purge these heretical factions, the Tribunal has always adopted a high-pressure policy. Whenever members of the 'Abyssal Church' are discovered operating in a certain area, they launch extremely rigorous searches and arrests there. While such searches leave the remnants of the deep sea with nowhere to hide, they also bring no small amount of terror to the common folk. Although Ilena's voice carried a hint of a sigh, her tone was steady and firm, showing no belief that the Tribunal's actions were wrong.
The Abyssal Church? Kal'tsit had some understanding of this organization, but from what she heard in Ilena's words, this cult possessed a force far stronger and more stubborn than she had imagined.
*This church is a cult group founded within Iberia by the 'Sea Creatures' and their worshipers following the 'Great Silence.' By the time we discovered them, they had already spread across the entirety of Iberia.
They believe that compared to humanity, the hive-minded 'Sea Creatures' are a superior life form, and that individuals should make selfless contributions to the 'population' to achieve the evolution of the 'Sea Creatures' collective. These cult members address one another as 'compatriots.' Their ultimate goal is to expand the boundaries of the 'ocean' and assimilate all terrestrial races into the 'Sea Creatures.'
To this end, they secretly construct human experimentation bases in various strongholds, conducting cruel human experiments in an apparent attempt to combine humans and 'Sea Creatures' to cultivate even more powerful individuals.* Reaching this point, Ilena ground her teeth slightly in anger.
Then your official authorities are truly a bit incompetent, Kanna muttered while looking at the empty streets.
After all, for ordinary people who hadn't witnessed the true appearance of this 'Abyssal Church,' they would simply view it as an emerging religious sect, whereas the Tribunal's forceful suppression was merely a dispute over religious faith.
Furthermore, following the 'Great Silence,' Iberia's economy had practically collapsed, and officials were powerless to attend to many regions. When survival was pushed to desperate extremes, it only took a tiny bit of food to make a group of 'ignorant people' change their faith with absolute ease.
The current situation was that the state lacked the money to lift those impoverished places out of poverty; under the pressure of survival, people would naturally gravitate toward a 'cult' that could keep them alive, while the authorities repeatedly and aggressively cracked down on the 'cult' without offering any explanations. With just a little bit of incitement from malicious actors, the rift between the Tribunal and ordinary people would only grow deeper and deeper.
In the end, it turned into what it was now: ordinary people turned pale at the mere mention of the Tribunal. Even though the latter were protecting them, it only alienated them further. This situation could only be blamed on the upper echelons having somewhat faulty brains—clearly, simple and frequent communication could resolve the issue, yet they insisted on acting arrogant, playing the riddle-maker to prove their own competence, and ultimately making everyone look bad.
From Kanna's perspective, if the upper and lower levels of Iberia were all foul-mouthed, practical pragmatists who hated riddles like W, this damn 'Abyssal Church' would have been driven back into the ocean long ago.
However, riddles were simply a part of Terra, and Kanna was already used to it. For instance, the old lynx beside her frequently bullied her for not being very bright, deliberately messing with her mindset by using all sorts of historical allusions she had never heard of and cutting off her sentences halfway through.
This was also the exact reason why Kanna often pulled stunts along their journey that made Kal'tsit feel uncomfortable—and even capable of excavating several Rhodes Islands just with her toes.
Ilena did not refute Kanna's criticism, because prior to becoming an Inquisitor, she herself had wondered why they couldn't simply explain things clearly to these citizens. It wasn't until she visited the prisons and saw things for herself that she truly understood the terrifying nature of the 'Abyssal Church.'
Even a shred of weakness or hesitation carried the danger of allowing the opposing side to infiltrate them. Therefore, to ensure the purity of the Inquisitorial ranks and minimize the chances of Inquisitors being corrupted and tainted, they had no choice but to make decisions that completely severed ties with the general public.
Uh, where is this? At this moment, the previously unconscious girl finally woke up.
We are currently in Rock Bay Town, and we'll reach the monastery in a few minutes. There is no easily digestible food in the car, so we'll have them prepare some for you once we arrive, Ilena said.
Rock Bay Town Monastery, is it? So that's how it is... Still... I can't escape after all... The final words were not spoken aloud, but Kanna, who had consistently paid attention to her lip movements, managed to read her lip-sync.
Yet her face bore only the pallor brought on by weakness, and after a flash of disappointment in her eyes, nothing remained except determination—meaning Ilena, standing right beside her, failed to detect anything amiss.
Before long, the car arrived at the monastery. Upon entering, they noticed only a sparse few people inside, and their expressions appeared somewhat flustered.
Upon seeing the vehicle enter, the few individuals inside exchanged glances; then, one person hurried into the depths of the monastery while the others crowded around.
Hello, this is the Rock Bay Town Monastery. Is there anything you need assistance with? one of them asked.
Hello, this is my identification. This lady and I have some matters to handle in Rock Bay Town, and we hope the monastery can arrange two rooms for us. Also, we encountered a fainted young girl on the road; judging by her appearance, she should be one of yours, so we brought her back. As she spoke, Ilena kept her gaze locked intently on the other's eyes.
When the person first took Ilena's credentials and realized an Inquisitor stood before them, their expression grew somewhat nervous. However, upon catching sight of the girl in the car, that tension instantly transformed into pleasant surprise.
Dona! Ever since you went missing two days ago, everyone has been worried sick. The choir members searched all over town for you for so long—thank goodness you're back...
Her expression held only genuine joy, untainted by anything else, causing Ilena to withdraw her guard.
As for the initial tension—in Iberia, no ordinary person failed to feel nervous when facing an Inquisitor—she simply dismissed it.
Lucy, I'm fine. It's thanks to these kind people that I'm back, the girl known as Dona replied with a weak smile, nodding toward the people outside.
Miss Dona is in very poor physical condition due to going without food for an extended period. Does the monastery have any rice porridge? Preferably some for her, Kal'tsit rolled down the car window and spoke.
The leading woman named Lucy immediately instructed the person closest to her, It just so happens that the monastery distributes porridge to the town's impoverished citizens every day. There is fresh white porridge inside.
Big sister, big sister, can I have a bowl too! Kanna stretched out her small hand and chimed in.
Of course you can. Katy, hurry to the kitchen and fetch two bowls of white porridge.
Hearing Lucy's words, Katy swiftly walked toward a building not far within the monastery.
Guided by Lucy, the vehicle parked in an open space within the monastery grounds. Pointing to the buildings beside them, Lucy explained, These are the monastery dormitories. The third floor consists of the dormitories for our monastery's nuns. Dona isn't looking too well; why don't you hand her over to us, and we'll take her back to her dorm?
Sister, this girl doesn't look like someone who's only been starving for two days. Kal'tsit happens to be a top-tier doctor—how about letting Kal'tsit take a look first? Seeing Lucy preparing to take Dona away, Kanna spoke up.
Hearing Kanna's words, Kal'tsit walked over to Dona without batting an eye and began sizing her up. Seemingly realizing she had appeared a bit too eager, Lucy nodded as well.
No problem at all. Dona's health has never been particularly good in the choir; if Dr. Kal'tsit is able to treat her, that would be wonderful.
Just as they were chatting, the woman named Katy approached carrying two bowls of white porridge. On the other side, the monastery gates swung open, and several friars hurried out from within.
Initially, the person in the very front looked somewhat hurried and impatient, but upon spotting Ilena in her full Inquisitorial attire, his stride faltered and he froze in place.
Only then did he resume his approach toward them.
As Katy drew near, Kanna deliberately stepped into her path, took the bowls of white porridge from her hands, gave them a sniff, and handed them back to Kal'tsit behind her.
The white porridge is here. The temperature is just right; you can drink it directly...
Kal'tsit took the porridge and silently handed it to Dona. Though Kanna's words sounded ordinary, they were actually signaling to Kal'tsit that the other party had not tampered with the porridge.
Taking the other portion, Kanna happily thanked the person, then hid her small face behind the oversized bowl while her two eyes darted toward the incoming group of people.
Greetings, I am Brother Green, the abbot of this monastery. I wonder if this Inquisitor lord requires any assistance? All of us at the Rock Bay Town Monastery will surely give it our utmost effort.
The self-proclaimed Abbot Green wore a calm expression, yet the fire within his eyes burned with intense fervor.
That won't be necessary. We merely need to stay temporarily at the monastery for a few days, and we hope Abbot Green will excuse our intrusion. Ilena calmly rejected the offer of assistance.
No problem at all. Assisting an Inquisitor with their duties is the responsibility of every Iberian. I will immediately have someone clear out two empty rooms for you. How does the first floor sound? Despite being rebuffed by Ilena, the other's enthusiasm remained unabated.
That won't be needed. I heard from Sister Katy that the third floor houses the nuns' dormitories. Since we are all females, we'll simply be accommodated on the third floor.
Granted, the first floor offered convenient entry and exit, but ever since before entering Rock Bay Town, Ilena had been plagued by an odd feeling. She had thus decided to place their temporary quarters on the third floor where the nuns rested, making it convenient for her to ferret out information from the daily activities and lives of these nuns.
Ah! No problem. Katy, you will take full responsibility for accommodating Madam Inquisitor and her friends. Meeting consecutive rejections, Abbot Green's expression remained completely unchanged as he turned to give instructions to Katy, who had been receiving Kal'tsit's party.
Understood, Abbot! Katy offered a slight bow and walked over to Ilena's side.
After both Kanna and Dona finished eating, Katy led the group up to the third floor.
Under Katy's arrangements, Ilena stayed in a room by herself, while Kal'tsit and Kanna occupied the adjoining room. On their other side happened to be the room belonging to Dona and Lucy, whereas Katy's room was located on the opposite side of Ilena.
Before you continue