Unabashed Surveillance / The Storm Is Gathering...

"How did it feel?" Kal'tsit suddenly asked after everyone else had left.

Kanna rubbed her nose, then stood by the bed and looked out at the distant sea. "A little strange. A little unsettling."

Kal'tsit nodded. "Rock Bay Town's situation appears more complicated than we imagined. I'll go into town later to gather information. You'll stay in the monastery and not run around."

"Tch. Do you want me to keep an eye on Dona, or someone else?" When it came to serious matters, Kanna was nothing like her usual cheerful, joking self, nor did she try to play mind games with Kal'tsit.

"Just watch Dona. I think she must be a key part of this. Keeping an eye on her will certainly help us understand what happened in Rock Bay Town." Kal'tsit showed no discomfort at Kanna's seriousness. More accurately, according to the information Kal'tsit had gathered on Kanna, the reports from various operators all stated that Kanna had never been lax when handling serious business. That was precisely why Kal'tsit had given her this task.

"Oh! Then remember to bring me some seafood when you come back! I want cuttlefish balls, grilled squid, spicy crayfish..." With the serious business settled, Kanna began counting off the "seafood" she remembered on her fingers.

Kal'tsit looked outside and noticed a figure passing by the window. "All right. Stay here obediently, and don't run around."

In the darkness.

"What's going on? Why would an Inquisitor come here? Could there be a traitor among us?!"

"Impossible. We've always acted in secret here. Could it be like before, just someone passing through by chance?"

"Could it be Dona? Isn't she with the Inquisitor?"

"Impossible. Even if... Dona wouldn't reveal anything to an Inquisitor."

"Wasn't there also a woman and a child who came with the Inquisitor? What's their situation?"

"We don't know, but according to the child, that woman is a doctor named Kal'tsit..."

"A doctor? Could she be here for the lighthouse keeper? As far as I know, that Liberi at the lighthouse hasn't been in good health lately..."

After a long silence, someone spoke again.

"If it's because of the lighthouse keeper, it wouldn't be impossible for him to have summoned an Inquisitor... After all, those bastards have always been using the lighthouse keeper to resist the sea's embrace."

It was clear that, after finding one possible explanation, the atmosphere in the room relaxed considerably.

"Cough, cough, cough! Even so, none of you may lower your guard. Those butchers who call themselves Inquisitors have brutally murdered many of our brethren. They are the hounds of the wasteland; the slightest hint of trouble will draw them here in swarms. Therefore, all of you will suspend your current activities for now. Resume only after that Inquisitor leaves." He was clearly the leader of the group. Once he spoke, everyone fell silent.

"What about Dona? That Inquisitor chose to stay next door to Dona. I suspect she's already become suspicious. Dona knows a great deal. If she reveals it, everything will be over. With those hounds' noses, they'll surely follow the trail and drag us all out."

At those words, panic filled the room once more. Having opposed the Inquisitors for decades, how could they not know how bloody and terrifying the Inquisitors were when dealing with "heretics" like them? If their actions were discovered, then unless they fled into the sea, they would only die miserably in some Iberian prison.

"...To spare our brethren further suffering, a few insignificant sacrifices are necessary." After a moment of silence, the leader gave his final decision.

Meanwhile, after Kal'tsit left, she greeted Ilena, put on a long coat, and walked out of the monastery. Ilena had wanted to follow, but something about the monastery felt strange to her. That odd feeling made her decide to stay and investigate.

After Kal'tsit departed, Kanna waved to Ilena in greeting, then slipped into the room where Dona and Lucy were staying.

Upon entering, she found Dona lying on the bed with her face turned toward the wall, as though rejecting something. Meanwhile, Lucy's face was flushed, and tears lingered in her eyes. Apparently, their earlier conversation had not gone well.

"Sorry, may I come in?" Sensing that something was off in the room, Kanna backed up to the doorway, tucked half her body outside, and left only her head peeking in. She widened her eyes and asked curiously.

"Ah, it's the little one from earlier. Come in." Lucy wiped away her tears and beckoned Kanna over.

"Hello, I'm Kanna. I came here to have fun with my adoptive mother, Doctor Kal'tsit." Before she was sure of the other party's identity and allegiance, Kanna decided to maintain her persona for now. She had carried that persona around for days, yet aside from using it at various national borders, it had never come in handy. That made her very sad.

"Have fun? Rock Bay Town isn't a fun place." Lucy took a hard candy from a nearby cabinet and handed it to Kanna, then sighed.

"How could it not be? It's Kanna's first time seeing the sea. Wow! So this is what the sea looks like! And why is there a tall tower by the edge of town? Are there High Tower Sorcerers here too?"

"High Tower Sorcerers?" It was Lucy's first time hearing that term.

"My adoptive mother said that in Letalia, the greatest sorcerers own Sorcerer Towers of their own. They study spells and Originium Arts inside those towers. Kanna has never seen a Sorcerer Tower, but it must look like the one outside, right?" Kanna deliberately said as she looked at the tall lighthouse near the shore through the window.

"No, this isn't any kind of Sorcerer Tower. It's Iberia's pride—a lighthouse that illuminates the sea and guides ships lost at sea back home." Lucy reached out and ruffled Kanna's hair.

"Come to think of it, Kanna, you don't look Iberian, do you? After all, no one in Iberia would be unfamiliar with the stories of these lighthouses..." Lucy asked.

"That's right! Kal'tsit and I came from Leithanien. This journey has been so much fun! Let me tell you about Siracusa..." Kanna acted like a child who had just learned many things and was desperate to share them. She "openly" recounted all the amusing experiences from their journey, making Lucy giggle. Even Dona, lying on the bed, could not help pricking up her ears as she listened to descriptions of the outside world.

While Ilena chatted with the nuns passing through the hallway outside, she heard laughter coming from this room. She walked over and saw Kanna sitting in Lucy's arms, pointing excitedly at the lighthouse outside. Ilena could not help sighing inwardly. The atmosphere here was so strange—why had Kal'tsit dared to leave this little girl here alone?

Unconcealed Surveillance

As they chatted, waves of singing drifted over from behind the church.

Following the sound, Kanna saw several rows of children and nuns standing on a small slope behind the church. At the front stood a man she had seen before, someone who had followed behind Brother Green.

"Brother Malfoy is also the choir director. He knows more about music than anyone else in Rock Bay Town. He has personally handled every church performance for the past decade or so. Since he likes playing with the children, his prestige throughout the church is second only to Dean Green's."

Seeing where Kanna was looking, Lucy explained.

"Although Rock Bay Town isn't a major city in Iberia, our monastery has always ranked among the best in Iberia's nationwide monastery hymn competition held every three years. Most of the credit goes to Brother Malfoy. He should be teaching the children a new hymn right now."

As Lucy explained, a hooded figure emerged from the monastery, their face hidden from view. The figure approached Brother Malfoy and said something. Then Malfoy began waving his hands wildly before him, looking extremely agitated. The choir's practice was forced to stop.

Malfoy grew more emotional as he spoke, then viciously smashed the conductor's baton in his hand against the ground. His heaving body made it clear that he was furious beyond measure.

The hooded person was frightened by Malfoy's appearance and stumbled back into the church.

"Wow! He's angry, right? He has to be angry, right? It's my first time seeing someone get this mad..." Kanna stared wide-eyed at the scene. She only wished she had sunflower seeds, peanuts, and eight-treasure porridge at hand. Then she could have happily watched the drama unfold.

The commotion below was so loud that Ilena had no choice but to stop gathering information. She came over to Kanna's room, and hearing Kanna's words, she could not help feeling a headache coming on. From what she had seen while traveling with her, this little girl might usually disguise herself as an obedient child and be skilled at winning others' trust by acting cute, but she was actually a professional trouble-seeker. She never spared any effort when it came to watching drama. If there was no entertainment to be found, she would find a way to create some herself—only to be dealt with by Kal'tsit afterward...

"Sigh, it may be because of the matter of choosing a new dean." With something so major happening within their own home in front of outsiders, no one could remain calm.

"But Dean Green looks like she's not even fifty. According to the church's rules, it shouldn't be time to replace the dean yet, should it?" Leaning against the doorway, Ilena asked in confusion. As an Iberian Inquisitor, she knew quite a bit about Iberia's state religion. According to official regulations, if the head of a church or monastery reached seventy and was still alive, the Holy See would bring them to the cathedral to spend their remaining years in peace. The church or monastery they left behind would nominate candidates, after which officials from above would come down to assess them and select one successor.

That was why Ilena found it strange after hearing Lucy's words.

"Don't let Dean Green's appearance fool you. She's already sixty-eight!" Lucy's face filled with admiration.

"Sixty-eight?" Ilena found it hard to believe. Brother Green did not look like someone who enjoyed physical training, and she appeared rather thin at first glance. Yet during their conversation, she had been full of spirit and spoken with a powerful voice. Such vigor was not something a sixty-eight-year-old should possess.

"That's right. I've been at the monastery since I could remember. Over all these years, I grew from a child into an adult, but Dean Green has not changed at all. I have no idea how the dean maintains herself. It's so enviable!" A passing nun overheard their conversation and chimed in.

As soon as the nun spoke, Kanna casually shifted her body, allowing herself to see the two people inside.

Just as expected.

At the nun's words, Dona's body visibly trembled. For a brief instant, killing intent flashed in Lucy's eyes, though she quickly concealed it.

Kanna formed a few thoughts, and when she turned her head, she found Ilena looking at her.

"Oh, Ilena, we forgot to take something from the car. Could you come get it with me?" With her back to Lucy, Kanna winked at Ilena.

Seeing Kanna's expression, Ilena nodded without giving anything away. "All right. Dona needs to rest anyway. You're too noisy and might disturb her."

"I'll arrange for someone to accompany you." Seeing that the two were leaving, Lucy stepped out and said.

Ilena pointed at the vehicle parked not far downstairs. "No need. It's only a short walk. Asking Miss Lucy to arrange someone for such a small matter would be too much. We Inquisitors aren't helpless people."

Seeing that it really was not far away, Lucy could hardly send someone after them. Her eyes shifted. "Since Dona is resting, I might disturb her if I remain inside. I'll come down with you. I can also see whether Brother Malfoy needs help."

By now, the choir had already dispersed. Only Brother Malfoy remained, sitting blankly on the small slope as though lost in thought.

"Then we'll trouble you." Ilena stepped aside to clear the way out.

The group walked downstairs. Aside from Kanna constantly tugging at Lucy and asking questions along the way, Ilena did not say another word.

When they reached the car, Kanna climbed onto the roof like a gecko under Lucy's astonished gaze. Then, with a few quick motions, she untied the ropes on top and jumped down while carrying a wooden box even larger than herself.

Kal'tsit had hurriedly commissioned this box in Siracusa as a sword case for Kanna. After all, there was no way they could cross Laterano's and Iberia's borders with such an absurdly long weapon tied to the car roof.

After jumping down from the car with the wooden box on her shoulder, Kanna nodded in satisfaction. "Got it!"

Unhurriedly, Ilena took a lantern from the car, held it in her hand, and shut the door.

"I'd heard that every Vayvan was a mighty warrior with incredible strength. I thought it was merely a rumor from Sargon, but it seems the reputation is well deserved!"

Kanna had never taken the box off the car during the entire trip. Ilena had always assumed that it was part of the vehicle or something belonging to Kal'tsit. Only now did she realize this enormous box belonged to Kanna.

"Kanna, what's inside this box?" Lucy crouched down and asked with feigned curiosity.

"Hehe, it's Kanna's treasure!" Kanna had no intention of opening the box. She hoisted it onto her shoulder and thumped upstairs.

"Hey! Wait for me! Sorry about that, children can be so thoughtless!" Ilena apologized to Lucy as she hurried after Kanna.

Gathering Storm

She had originally planned to make an excuse about forgetting something upstairs and follow them back when they returned. She had not expected the two to give her no chance to speak.

Since she had just said she was going to check on Brother Malfoy, Lucy could not directly follow them back. That would seem far too deliberate.

She could only hurry toward the monastery to arrange for someone else to follow Ilena.

After entering the hallway, Ilena saw Kanna standing at the corner with the box on her shoulder. Upon seeing Ilena, Kanna looked past her.

"Don't worry, she didn't follow us. But others will probably come soon. What did you find?" Ilena's expression immediately turned grave.

"At first, I suspected Dona was strange, but after coming in, I discovered that wasn't what I thought. Lucy definitely has a problem, and Dean Green also seems very suspicious. I haven't interacted much with the others, so I can't say. Brother Malfoy seems to disagree with them on some matters, though. We could try talking to him." As they headed upstairs, Kanna spoke quietly.

"But we must be careful. Our enemy is more sinister and cunning than we imagined. That Malfoy might also be putting on an act. He could be bait thrown out for us." Thinking of the mad methods used by the Abyssal Church members she had encountered before, Ilena did not yet know what was happening in Rock Bay Town, but she faintly sensed that it was definitely connected to the Abyssal Church.

"Also, judging from what we just saw, only some people in this monastery seem abnormal. But seriously, the head of this monastery hasn't changed in twenty years, and you Inquisitors never noticed?" Through her senses, Kanna could tell no one nearby was eavesdropping, so she grew increasingly bold.

Ilena could do nothing about that. "Compared with vast Iberia, Inquisitors are like tiny grains of sand in the sea. Few Inquisitors stay in any one city for more than a few days. Most abnormalities are discovered and reported by local churches and monasteries. The Holy See then decides from those reports whether to send Inquisitors or the Punishment Army to investigate."

"So if the enemy has corrupted the church, it means your eyes in Rock Bay Town have vanished." Kanna was speechless.

Ilena also recognized the severe flaw in this. As Kanna said, if the local church had been occupied by the enemy, then unless Inquisitors happened to pass through and notice something unusual, the place would become the enemy's paradise.

After this incident, she decided that she would report the matter to Saint Carmen as a top priority. The thought that large numbers of Abyssal Church remnants might be hiding somewhere and living freely right under their noses sent a chill through her entire body.

When they reached the upper floor, Kanna saw Ilena looking dazed and shook her head. Iberia's problems could only be solved by Iberians themselves. At most, Kanna could turn any seafood that dared to show itself during this incident into grilled delicacies. The problems elsewhere would still have to be handled by the Inquisitors themselves.

Meanwhile, Kal'tsit realized she was being followed as soon as she left the monastery. Her pursuers were extremely alert and numerous. Along a single street, she sensed dozens of different gazes upon her.

Kal'tsit exhaled softly and continued walking through town without changing her expression, though turmoil raged in her heart. The number of Abyssal Church believers in this town was far worse than she had imagined.

Having lived through many events, Kal'tsit knew more about the monsters of the deep sea and their circumstances than even Iberian Inquisitors, aside from those Abyssal Hunters of Sargon. For that very reason, she was even more curious about what was so different here that so many Abyssal Church believers had gathered in one place.

Before long, she arrived at her destination: beneath Rock Bay Town's lighthouse.

Looking up at the lighthouse, whose bright beam still shone, Kal'tsit rolled her shoulder. Deep down, she could only hope the situation had not yet reached its most dreadful stage.

She entered through the open door and surveyed her surroundings. Aside from the absence of people, nothing seemed unusual. She continued up the stairs, and upon reaching the top, she saw an elderly Liberi standing before the lighthouse transmitter.

"Hello. Are you the keeper of this lighthouse?"

"Lighthouse keeper... It's been a long time since I heard that term. Nowadays, people call me the lighthouse administrator..." Under the lighthouse's glow, a captivating light surfaced in the elderly Liberi's eyes, as though he were recalling something.

When the keeper turned around, Kal'tsit gave him an ancient Iberian salute.

"Fifty years ago, everyone was proud to be Iberian. We had an invincible fleet and mighty armed forces. Whether Bolivar or Letalia, they had no choice but to yield before Iberia's technology. But after a disaster, Iberia was never the same. Don't laugh at me, but this is the first time I've seen such etiquette since that disaster. I thought the old Iberian salute had been buried beneath the sea along with it."

The old man tremblingly returned her salute.

Kal'tsit then asked the old man about Rock Bay Town, and he answered every question with intimate familiarity.

"Then do you know whether there are cultists from the Abyssal Church in the town?" Kal'tsit suddenly asked.

The old man fell silent upon hearing her question.

"Rock Bay Town is dangerous. You should leave quickly."

Though he did not answer Kal'tsit's question directly, his stance was clear enough.

"There is also an Inquisitor traveling with me. She is currently waiting for news at the monastery. You should know what it means for an Inquisitor to have come here. Saint Carmen has already set eyes on this place. Not a single cultist in this town will escape."

Kal'tsit did not become angry at his words. She merely spoke calmly.

Rather than being pleased, the other party was alarmed by what she said.

"The monastery! How can she be at the monastery?! That's their main base! Your companion is in danger. Go quickly! If you wait any longer, you won't be able to leave either!"

His face turned pale, and his tone became extremely agitated.

"Don't worry, sir. My companion is much stronger than you imagine. If there truly is a problem, it's still uncertain who will be left alive in the end."

Standing at the edge of the tower and feeling the sea breeze rush toward her, Kal'tsit could take in all of Rock Bay Town beneath her feet. Even the distant monastery was clearly visible.

Kal'tsit looked at the gloomy weather outside. The darkness in the sky was like the ill omen flowing through Rock Bay Town. Suddenly, she recalled an old Yan poem.

"The wind fills the tower before the mountain rain arrives."

It perfectly described Rock Bay Town's current situation.

The Inquisitor's Might

Just as Kanna and Ilena reached the third floor, they suddenly heard a scream. The two looked at each other, then rushed to Dona's room. They found her sitting upright in bed, apparently drawn awake by the scream outside.