Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 162 Bald words
"I am a believer in the goddess." Audrey held the teacup steadily. Although she was panicking in her heart, thanks to her experience as an "audience", Audrey controlled her expression very well and remained calm and composed.

Xio was silent for a moment, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes. Although she didn't burst out because of her strength, the emotions hidden in her heart made her feel even more painful.

Even though Xio's mood swings were very subtle, Audrey, as a mind reader, still keenly picked up on them. She paused for a moment and said, "But you can tell me about your difficulties. You may have heard that my family has close ties with the church and may be able to help you."

Xio took a deep breath. Although she knew Audrey was lying, she still wanted to seize every opportunity to save Fors, so she followed Audrey's words and said:
"Ms. Audrey, Fors is in danger. Every time the full moon comes, Fors hears mutterings that drive her insane. The latest mutterings even caused her body to show signs of abnormal changes. This Wednesday is another full moon night, and there's a good chance Fors won't survive this Wednesday..."

Xio spoke with great sincerity, and continued, "To be honest, I've already entrusted everyone I could, including the official Beyonders of the Goddess Church and the other Mid-Sequence Beyonders I've come into contact with... but none of them can help."

The official Beyonder of the Goddess Church...

When Audrey heard this description, the first thing that came to her mind was Galadilla's face. Then she thought about the fact that Hugh actually had some knowledge of her hidden secret organization identity - Hugh was definitely related to Galadilla!

After Audrey made the guess, she did not put pressure on Hugh to ask him about it. She knew very well that with Hugh's character, he would remain silent even if she asked him in depth.

I'm also a Nighthawk now, so I can ask Galadria directly about this matter...

Amidst her thoughts, Audrey said to Xio, "I'll ask through my channels if there's a solution to this problem. But as for this mumbling, do you know what it is?"

Seeing the curiosity on Audrey's face, Xio explained:
"Fors and I don't quite understand this either. Fors once speculated that it was the negative effects of a magical item in her possession, but even removing and sealing the magical item didn't help."

"After asking some Beyonders, a senior Beyonder mentioned that this kind of whispering is the influence of a higher-level being. To isolate this whispering, one needs the protection of a being of equal status."

Could a higher being actually possess such a strange and terrifying influence? Audrey was deeply surprised. Although she felt sympathy for Fors's tragic fate, every new understanding of the extraordinary world filled her with satisfaction and joy.

Audrey said, "I'll do my best to help you find out if there's a solution. If I have any information, I'll let you know in advance."

Xio emphasized, "Fors' abnormality will erupt on Wednesday night..."

"Don't worry, whether there is a way or not, I will give you a response this Wednesday." Audrey said calmly.

Audrey planned to bring this up with Mr. Fool at the Tarot Club this afternoon. If Mr. Fool was willing to help, Fors's problem would most likely be solved. If Mr. Fool wasn't interested, Audrey planned to seek advice from the other Tarot Club members.

……

At St. Samuel's Church, Claire was summoned to the office by Lord Cecima.

"The Nighthawks suddenly reported that the personnel procedures in your team are not standardized. What's going on?" Cesimar asked gently.

Obviously something went wrong on Meseri's side.

Claire narrowed her eyes and patiently explained, "I did recruit a few new team members, but because they were assigned secret and dangerous missions, I concealed their identities for safety reasons. Is there anything wrong with this?"

"No problem." After hearing this, Cecima clearly expressed her support. "Due to various practical issues, the Church has given each captain the maximum authority they deserve. There is no problem with your approach in this matter."

In fact, before calling Claire to the office, Cecima had already understood the cause and effect of the matter in advance. The inquiry at this time was more of a process, but it was also to understand Claire's attitude.

"But..." Cecima changed the subject, revealing a hint of distress. "Among the Nighthawks, Messeri Doughty is a rather difficult individual. Although you're not in the wrong this time, given his... well, narrow-minded nature, he might give you a hard time in other matters. It just so happens that I'm going out of Backlund soon. If I'm gone, that person might do more tricks. Galadilla, would you consider going on a mission with me?"

Going out?

The Beyonder gathering was proceeding smoothly. This would not only resolve Claire's financial crisis but also effectively help her digest the potion. Furthermore, the investigation into Viscount Press, who was involved in the mystery of her life, was also gradually gaining ground. Claire was naturally unwilling to leave Backlund at this juncture.

"Can the Nighthawks affect us, the Red Gloves?" Claire raised her eyebrows.

Cecima said decisively: "Of course not!"

Then, Cecima sighed softly:

"I'm just worried about Meseri's temperament... I know she's jealous of Daly, and I know her attitude towards you is simply amplifying that jealousy. But she's affiliated with the Nighthawks, under Alicia's jurisdiction. Until she's proven guilty, I can't say much."

"In fact, the discord between Messeri and Daly isn't unique among the Nighthawks and the Red Gloves. The team system has improved our efficiency in handling unholy incidents, but it has also inevitably led to the Nighthawks and the Red Gloves becoming cliques."

"From our perspective, it's Meseri's jealousy of Daly, but in the eyes of some Nighthawks who have endured Meseri's kindness, it's Daly who's infringed upon Meseri's legitimate interests."

"Although, as Archbishop Chanis, who founded the modern Nighthawk system, said, 'We are guardians, but also a group of pitiful creatures constantly fighting danger and madness.' However, the Nighthawks and the Red Gloves selected from them all have different personalities. With different personalities, there are bound to be clashes and conflicts..."

Cecima scratched her head. "Human nature... Galadilla, you should have your own understanding. From my personal perspective, honestly, I'm not a qualified candidate for overall leadership. I'm not used to working in a group, and I hate complex interpersonal relationships. Therefore, I also hate cooperation, believing it to be a burden. In contrast, I prefer to resolve various unholy incidents on my own."

Perhaps because Cecima was about to leave, she intended to say something from her true nature to Claire. Or perhaps this was Cecima's true nature, free and easy, but she had previously been suppressed and restrained by her identity as the general manager.

Claire wasn't surprised by what Cecima said.

Since her time in Tingen, Claire had been paying attention to Cecima's various Nighthawk reports, because Cecima's reports were detailed and she could learn a lot. From those reports, she could also confirm that most of the incidents were carried out by Cecima alone.

Cecima is an easygoing person, but also a loner.

Out of concern for the Nighthawks, he would write the report as detailed as possible to help the Nighthawks who read it. But he also preferred and was more accustomed to dealing with various evil events alone and silently.

"Sir Cecima, if I had chosen to follow you out just now, wouldn't that have annoyed you?" After hearing what Cecima said, Claire didn't make any comments, but just smiled.

Cecima was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said frankly, "I'm just taking you out. There are many tasks. If you really choose to go out with me, I will assign you to handle other tasks that are different from mine." Claire couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle. It was indeed human nature. Even Lord Cecima had his own thoughts on many details.

It’s just that some little thoughts don’t annoy people, while some little thoughts make people want to slap the other person in the face.

But no matter what, it was not a good thing for Claire for Cecima to leave at this time. Many of the things she did were to walk on the edge of the rules in order to profit herself.

If Meseri persisted in investigating her and finding fault with her like a dog, it would really cause Claire some trouble.

But Claire knew very well that barking dogs were not scary. What was scary were the silent ones, especially those that kept silent in dark corners.

"What kind of person is Alicia?" Claire pondered for a moment before finally asking. If Lord Cecima hadn't left, she wouldn't have considered this matter. No matter what kind of person Alicia was, Cecima would have her back.

Just like this time when Meseri questioned Claire's violation of procedures, he could only report it to Cecima.

Cecima frowned and warned Claire:
"Messeri is fine, but Alicia... don't mess with her. She's a dangerous person who seeks power! Her quest for power is truly dangerous. That's why I never expected Alicia to be recognized by the relic and become its new bearer."

Pursuing power... If that's the case, then Alicia and I are actually the same kind of people? Claire was surprised.

Claire honestly realized that she lacked the awareness of a Nighthawk, and her desperate fighting in the Battle of Tingen was more out of a desire to save herself.

It cannot be said that there is no desire to protect something. After all, under the influence of Dunn, Leonard, Klein and others, people will always "become more familiar with the company they keep", but this awareness is also very limited.

What's more, when she was unable to escape in the end, she had a revengeful mentality to make the enemy suffer, so she activated the two holy objects at the same time without caring about her life.

Those two holy objects... Claire felt distressed and indignant whenever she thought of this. At that time, she clearly felt the recognition of her by the two holy objects. If the two holy objects were still in her hands, although she could not rely on these holy objects to forcibly improve her own sequence, but even if she could only use the power of these holy objects to a limited extent, Claire was confident that she could beat Tessa to the point of crying for her mother, instead of having to slowly plan like now.

"By the way, what kind of holy object does Alicia possess?" Claire asked Cecima.

This is not something worth hiding. On the contrary, the holders of the relics often use the names of the relics as their own titles to deepen their connection with the relics, and eventually use the relics as magic potions to complete their promotion.

"It's the 'Holy Coffin'."

Claire further confirmed, "The 'Holy Coffin' once held by the late Claire Meazza?"

"Yes." Cecima nodded. As far as he knew, Galadia was deeply involved in the investigation of the Tingen incident, and was even dispatched by Her Highness Arianna. It was not surprising that she knew that Claire had once possessed the Holy Coffin.

Even if Galadriel had described the Holy Casket's abilities, it wouldn't have surprised Cecima.

After all, when Arianna took away Claire's body and the holy coffin, Galadia, who was in the same room with Arianna, was the only witness.

"Then... can the holy object be borrowed?" Claire continued to ask with a shameless face.

This question made Cecima's expression tense. She looked at Claire with her dark green eyes strangely and said:
"Sacred artifacts carry a high level of contamination. Without the protection of the owner, anyone unauthorized to handle them will be in danger. Therefore, no sacred artifact owner will lend their sacred artifact to others."

"You suddenly asked about borrowing it. Is there some problem that needs to be solved with the help of the holy object?" asked Cesima.

Claire first considered the pros and cons of revealing Fors's situation to Lord Cecima, but thinking of Xio's anxious expression and Xio's words that Fors was in a very bad state, she spoke up.

"I have an informant who suffers from insane mutterings every full moon. Given her condition, I'm afraid she won't survive this week's full moon... I once heard from His Highness that the 'Holy Coffin' has the ability to seal things, so I'd like to try and see if I can save my informant."

"So that's how it is... The 'Holy Coffin' is indeed suitable for this situation." Cecima paused, thought for a moment, and then made the final decision:
"Don't show up for this matter. Leave it entirely to me. Since it's the night of the full moon, that's Wednesday night, right? I'll stay for two days. Things in East Tucker County aren't that urgent... By Wednesday, I'll invite Alicia to help you resolve this issue. Preventing Beyonders from losing control is our responsibility."

"But the 'Holy Coffin' only seals the problem; it can't solve the root cause. 'Full Moon Whispering'... I think I've heard of this phenomenon somewhere before..."

Cecima rubbed his forehead and thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Oh, right, it's Abraham! I've heard that members of Abraham's family have similar symptoms. Could it be that your informant has Abraham's bloodline?"

"The Abraham family?" Claire had seen vague records in various documents. The Abraham family was a noble family in the Fourth Epoch, and seemed to be related to the "apprentice" path.

Fors was also an "apprentice"... Claire was stunned and couldn't help but wonder: Could it be that Fors's real name is Fors Abraham?

Claire asked, "Has anyone from the Abraham family solved the problem of 'Full Moon Whispering'?"

"Solved?" Cecima chuckled and sighed, "Based on the rumors I've heard and the related events I've experienced, I've come to a conclusion that the Abraham family may have been solved by the 'Full Moon Whispering'!"

"The once powerful and prosperous noble family is now hard to find even a trace of."

……

Oak Leaf Bar, East Side.

Tessa looked around the bar in confusion and noticed that neither Xio nor Flora were present today. "The party is about to start on Wednesday. Don't these two feel any sense of urgency? They're both absent..."

Tessa held the excerpted information in her hand and sighed softly, "I was thinking of doing Xiou a favor. I've been searching the secret vault for information for a long time, and I didn't expect the 'Full Moon Whispers' to actually involve the Angel Family and the Abraham Family of the Fourth Epoch... Some of the methods listed there can slightly resist the whispers. They don't seem very reliable, but at this point, I guess Xiou can only try his best."

"But how effective are these methods? Such a large angel family actually had its disintegration exacerbated by the 'Full Moon Whispering'? Tsk tsk, according to records, the Abraham family lost all of its High-Sequence powerhouses in the war, while its mid- and low-sequence descendants fell into madness under the 'Full Moon Whispering'..."

(End of this chapter)