Chapter 257: “Courteous”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com
The urgent bell tolled, its rapid sequence of seven short rings repeating three times after brief pauses. Tyrian, attuned to the sounds filtering through the window, noted the hurried conversations and footsteps echoing in the corridor, signs of senior priests scurrying to secure key areas for the night watch. The cathedral’s highest-ranking figure should now be retreating to a hidden sanctuary, ready to join the saints’ assembly.
Though not a church member, Tyrian’s half-century of life had familiarized him with its protocols. The bell’s pattern indicated a “listening” assembly, an urgent summons from the Tomb of the Nameless King.
“Could there be an issue with an anomaly or a vision? Is it a new discovery, or has an old one changed significantly?” Lucretia mused aloud. “It feels like it hasn’t been long since the last ‘call’…”
Tyrian listened a bit longer before shaking his head. “This is the Storm Church’s affair; we don’t need to get involved.”
“Mhm,” Lucretia agreed, then turned to her brother. “Do you have any more questions about Anomaly 099?”
Tyrian thought briefly before shaking his head. “No, that’s all. With the urgent bell tonight, the cathedral will soon begin the night watch, so it’s best not to discuss anomalies further.”
“Alright, then I’ll continue with my tasks,” Lucretia said promptly. The crystal ball on the table flickered, and her image began to fade. Just before the connection severed entirely, she remembered something and added, “Oh, there’s one more thing about our father.”
Tyrian hesitated slightly. “Go ahead.”
“Did he seem… normal when he visited you this time?”
“He was very lucid, clear-headed, and somewhat…” Tyrian hesitated but continued, “I can’t be sure, but he seemed almost affectionate.”
“Ah, that’s good.”
Vanna hurried into the cathedral, spotting Bishop Valentine waiting by the goddess’s statue. She approached quickly. “Why is there another call so soon? This has never happened before.”
“I don’t know, but the bell is directly controlled by the Storm Cathedral this time, so there must be a reason,” Valentine replied, nodding at Vanna. As they moved toward the passage leading to the “Flooded Cave,” he continued, “Like last time, it might be due to direct changes in the list of anomalies and visions, with the tomb keeper issuing a summons.”
Vanna followed the elderly bishop, hesitating briefly by the statue of the goddess before bowing respectfully and continuing toward the passage’s entrance.
Soon, they reached the flooded cave, the site for constructing the “psychic channel.”
The secret chamber’s scene remained unchanged, with perpetually damp stone walls and an ethereal flame burning in the fire basin. The tranquil atmosphere was accentuated by the sounds of trickling water and echoing waves.
The door to the secret chamber then slammed shut.
Vanna took a deep breath, pausing before the fire basin to gaze at the fuel-less flames. She tried to calm her thoughts, synchronizing her spirituality with the goddess’s guidance as the leaping flame filled her vision.
Though this process should have been routine, Vanna struggled, her mind plagued by thoughts of the flames turning ghostly green or Captain Duncan’s eyes lurking in the shadows.
Seeking help, she glanced at Bishop Valentine, who had already closed his eyes and was breathing steadily, indicating he had entered the assembly.
Vanna reluctantly looked away, took a deep breath, and tried to concentrate again, finally managing to synchronize her spirituality with the goddess’s guidance.
Ethereal seawater swirled around her, gently enveloping her senses as they detached from her mortal body. Momentarily disoriented, Vanna soon found herself in the mysterious ancient assembly hall, a familiar boundless square surrounded by ancient broken pillars and vague human-shaped shadows.
One shadow quickly approached; it was Bishop Valentine. “Vanna, did you have trouble? It took you longer this time.”
“My mind wasn’t focused enough,” Vanna replied casually. She then noticed a striking figure at the square’s edge—a clear, beautiful woman in a magnificent robe, standing out from the other blurred saintly shadows.
Vanna recognized the figure instantly.
“Pope Helena is here in person?” she asked, surprised. “I really picked a bad time to be late.”
“It’s alright; you’ll get used to being late,” Valentine said nonchalantly. “She was already here when I arrived. She might even have been the first one here. Perhaps she has special arrangements…”
Vanna half-listened, feeling as though the clear and elegant figure was casting an almost imperceptible gaze in her direction. This attention made her uncomfortable, even…nervous.
Just then, Pope Helena turned her head, looked at Vanna earnestly, and smiled gently before nodding.
Vanna was momentarily stunned and was about to return the gesture when a sudden, deep rumble interrupted her.
Looking toward the sound, she saw the stone floor in the square’s center rise rapidly. The shattered ground rippled like water, and within moments, an ancient palace of pale giant stones appeared before the saints.
The Tomb of the Nameless King had emerged.
The saints, who had been whispering among themselves, quickly fell silent as a solemn atmosphere enveloped the square. Vanna hurriedly collected her thoughts, ignoring the pope’s gaze, and focused intently on the pyramid-shaped main building of the ancient palace and its entrance.
The entrance opened, and the towering tomb guardian stepped out.
Wrapped in burial cloth, with half its body burned and the other half entwined in chains, the horrifying creature of flesh, steel, and deadly curses strode toward the gathered saints, just as it had previously.
The chosen one had been decided.
Without hesitation, it bypassed every shadow in the square and stopped directly before Vanna.
The tomb guardian lowered its head, its single eye calmly staring at the saint. “You may enter the tomb.”
It raised its hand, offering a quill and parchment, awaiting Vanna’s response.
Vanna was stunned—as were most of the saints.
The tomb guardian had chosen the same saint to enter the tomb twice in a row!
This had never happened in the past thousand years.
Though there were no explicit rules against consecutive selections, the guardian had always chosen different saints in previous assemblies, creating an unwritten rule. Even if a saint who had previously entered the tomb attended again, it was merely to follow orders and ensure the completeness of the “listening” ritual.
No one expected Vanna to be chosen again.
Vanna hesitated for several seconds, and the tomb guardian patiently waited with an outstretched hand. At that moment, she felt someone’s gaze again. Instinctively, she followed the sensation to meet Pope Helena’s deep eyes.
Her heart tightened, and she guiltily looked away, noticing the tomb guardian still waiting. The ancient guardian calmly lowered its head, extending the parchment and quill a bit further.
“Me again?”
Vanna asked subconsciously, immediately regretting it—why would the tomb guardian answer such a question?
Yet, a hoarse, low voice responded, “Yes, you again.”
Vanna was taken aback and looked up at the tomb guardian’s slightly fearsome face before taking the parchment and quill.
The tomb guardian seemed to nod slightly. “Please write what you heard on it.”
Vanna nodded instinctively but suddenly felt something was amiss.
It seemed… the tomb guardian had become considerably more courteous?
ohh…
is he afraid of our captain?
Not afraid, but respects Vanna as a colleague servant of the master with one step down ranking of his own, I think.
He fears the great Captain!
Better watch out, this little saint has a big backer now!
She’s not afraid to jump-chop you either.
Tomb guardian recognizes the power of another subspace homie
TBF only the Vanished had been ranked
the vision see her as a contact link, doesnt it?