Chapter 279

Chapter 279: .

Compared to Vanna’s flustered confusion, Pope Helena remained calm from start to finish. She wore a smile, and that smile even seemed a little pleased.

Vanna, however, could not feel pleased at all—she could not see how any of this was “reasonable”!

“I think… this is far too sudden,” the young Inquisitor was racking her brains. She had no idea why the topic had suddenly veered in such a strange direction, and she was trying her best to make her logic catch up with the speeding carriage. “I understand the need to establish contact with the Vanished, but I think it should be done step by step. And if it is only for communication, we already have a way. That Captain Duncan…”

“He visits in dreams or speaks to you through mirrors, doesn’t he?” Helena interrupted gently. “I know. You mentioned it in your reports.”

“Then…”

“That is not enough,” Helena said with a smile, shaking her head. “That is only ‘conversation’, private conversation between you and Captain Duncan. This kind of channel has neither special status nor binding force. It is far from an official channel between the Deep Sea Church and the Vanished. Vanna, you should understand the difference.”

Vanna’s lips moved a few times. A thousand words surged to her throat, but in the end nothing came out.

She had already confirmed that this was not a joke, nor was it some whim of the “God’s Herald” before her. From Helena’s attitude and eyes, Vanna sensed something carefully thought out, and… some feelings she could not yet understand.

After a while she suddenly asked: “The Goddess’s will?”

“You can understand it that way—if it makes you feel any better.”

“…I understand,” Vanna took a light breath and finally calmed herself completely. She returned to her usual strict demeanor and lowered her head with a serious face. “Then I will obey this arrangement.”

“Go rest first,” Helena nodded lightly. “There is still much to do tomorrow.”

Vanna bowed her head again to accept the order, then turned and left the room.

Helena watched the tall figure of the young Inquisitor disappear beyond the door. Only after a long time did she pull back her gaze. Then she suddenly chuckled and shook her head with a hint of helplessness: “This child… She didn’t even ask how I plan to send her to that ship, and she still tried to pretend to stay calm…”

A steady, imposing voice sounded from the side at that moment, mixed with the crackling of leaping flames: “I am curious too. How do you plan to send her onto the Vanished?”

In front of the full-length mirror in the corner of the room, the flames on several candlesticks suddenly turned deep green. The eerie light lit up the mirror. The surface inside became dark and bottomless, and amid the phantom flames that spread quickly, Duncan’s figure stepped out from the depths of that darkness, quietly fixing his gaze on Helena standing in the room.

Helena did not turn around. Even after hearing Duncan’s voice behind her, she still quietly gazed out the window and said: “Ah, you were watching after all.”

“I couldn’t help it. The abacus you are shaking is too loud. The beads are bouncing right into my face.”

“…What is an abacus?”

“It’s a Subspace joke,” Duncan said with a straight face. After all this time, he had already grown used to occasionally making things up in the middle of a conversation. Watching people’s confused reactions had become his greatest joy in the process. As for how the other side filled in the blanks afterward…

Anyway, whenever he spoke to people in this world, they always made up their own explanations.

Helena very wisely did not ask further. She still did not turn around and drew all changes in her emotions back inside. Her tone remained calmly gentle as she said: “You probably don’t need it, but I will introduce myself anyway—Helena, a humble servant of the storm Goddess Gamona. I am pleased to speak with you.”

“Duncan Abnomar, captain of the Vanished,” Duncan replied casually. “I like straightforward conversation, so let’s be open—what is your goal, or rather, what exactly does the Deep Sea Church want to do?”

“We are only focused on maintaining the order of the civilized world and responding to all the unsettling changes across it,” Helena answered lightly. “You should already have heard what I said to Vanna just now. This world is changing—and in fact, the situation is far more serious than what I told her.

“Many Shadows are drawing close to the dimension of our Mortal Realm. The abnormal behavior of Vision 001 may only be the beginning. The destructive actions of the Ender in Pland may be only one part of another great conspiracy. In the north, some city-states have sent disturbing news. At the borders, the Veil is becoming more and more unstable. Within the borders of civilization, Border Collapse incidents are happening with increasing frequency. And among all these changes, the Vanished may be the only one with which there is hope of rational communication.

“We hope to establish stable, effective communication with you. Just as you want to know the goals of the Deep Sea Church, we… also want to know about the Vanished. Since that is the case, why not build a bridge?”

Duncan frowned and said: “So you confidently arranged for Vanna to become this bridge. It’s a fine idea, but how do you know I will agree?”

“You care about her and have helped her before. From the intentions you have shown, you are also very interested in today’s civilized world,” Helena said. “You have regained your reason and humanity, so you have the need to rebuild ties with the civilized world. In my view, Vanna is very suitable for this role—or would you rather trust some ‘strange Messenger’ randomly chosen by the Deep Sea Church?”

“…True. Vanna at least counts as an ‘acquaintance’ of mine. From your perspective, sending her over is the best way to keep the Messenger safe,” Duncan said slowly. “But even so, are you really not worried that sending Vanna onto the Vanished will be like sending a sheep into a tiger’s mouth? Given the fine reputation my ship and I have in the civilized world, if your actions were made public, people might find it more reasonable to see them as a bloody sacrificial rite.”

Helena fell silent for a few seconds. At last she slowly turned around and fixed her gaze on the mirror where green flames were now rippling.

“That is why this matter will not be made public. Apart from the people of Pland, most people in this world still cannot talk about the Vanished with a straight face. Vanna will become a Secret Envoy. Those who know about this will be limited to the upper ranks of the Deep Sea Church and a small number of City-State Governors—or other necessary informed parties when the situation requires it.”

Helena lifted her eyes and gazed at Duncan’s figure in the mirror.

Shimmering, twisted starlight filled her field of vision.

“As for your ‘sheep into a tiger’s mouth’… I am not worried.”

Indescribable, flowing starlight kept swelling and pulsing across the surface of the mirror, as if trying to break through that fragile layer of glass. Fine black cracks spread from the mirror’s edge and crawled across it, and their presence seemed to fill the whole room. Deep, chaotic roars filled her head, and every roar seemed to carry endless knowledge from Subspace.

“I can hear your voice. Your voice is full of calm reason. I believe you truly have regained your humanity. That humanity is proof that you stand on the side of civilization and order.”

In her sight the mirror seemed to turn into a vortex. The starlit giants inside it had completely lost their shapes. All Helena saw was endless starlight. Broken fragments of light exploded in her mind, but in the next second, gentle waves sounded in her head and reshaped her thoughts that were on the verge of falling apart.

“You are friendly and trustworthy. My God has given guidance, and I believe in my God unconditionally. Since He ordered me to work with you, I will act accordingly.”

The crawling starlight in the mirror overflowed. A stream of light flowed out into the air, stretching and pulsing. It swayed slowly in front of Helena, as if studying prey, yet also as if sniffing the air of the room. The light-shape formed from the writhing starlight leaned to within half a meter of Helena’s face, and its countless specks seemed filled with unnumbered eyes.

Through the mirror, Duncan carefully studied Helena’s expression. He tried to read the Deep Sea Pope’s true intentions from the details of her words and actions. In the end, he found only calm and honesty in her eyes.

After a long time, he withdrew his gaze.

“Then the agreement is made. I will keep a place for Vanna on the Vanished. But in return, once she is on the Vanished, she will be one of my Crew Members. She will act under strict rules whose priority will even stand above her identity in the Church. I hope you understand that.”

He did his best to speak with a stiff, imposing air, making the matter sound formal and businesslike.

But inside, he was delighted.

Ever since long ago he had thought that Vanna had a connection with the Vanished. Back then he had already been planning how to coax this high-ranking Cleric onto his ship as a fighter, but he never found a suitable chance or excuse. He had not expected the opportunity to fall from the sky like this.

The Deep Sea Church needed a formal channel to learn the intentions of the Vanished, which would ease their unease. The Vanished also needed a bridge that could communicate with the Church forces of the civilized world, which would help Duncan’s future actions. It was something that pleased everyone.

“I understand,” Helena nodded slowly. “Then the agreement is made.”