She wore a simple long dress, covered by a thick shawl, and sat alone, holding a book. Her posture was elegant, as if the noisy inn lobby around her didn’t exist. Her long golden hair had a soft sheen under the light of the fireplace, and her profile was perfectly sculpted, like a meticulously carved work of art.
Hearing footsteps, Victoria did not look up, merely gently turned a page of her book with her fingertip.
Li Wen walked directly to her table, pulled out the chair opposite, and sat down. The chair made a slight scraping sound on the floor.
Victoria then slowly put down her book and looked up. Her disguised sky-blue eyes looked at Li Wen, a hard-to-describe light flickering within them, as if carrying a hint of anticipation, or perhaps a knowing comprehension of everything. A faint smile appeared on her face, and her voice was as soft as a whisper, “Miss Mephistopheles, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”
“You knew I would come find you?” Li Wen’s voice came through the hood, calm and unruffled.
“It was just a hunch,” Victoria smiled faintly, making it impossible to discern her true thoughts.
Li Wen did not dwell on the meaning of her words, nor did she want to waste time on pleasantries. She spoke directly, “Have you heard of the ‘Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing’?”
Victoria’s smile did not fade, but the light in her eyes imperceptibly receded for a moment. She did not answer immediately. Instead, she picked up the exquisite white porcelain teacup in front of her and took a delicate sip, her posture remaining elegant and composed.
“A ‘new belief’ that is spreading like wildfire in Port Beren,” she said, a hint of subtle sarcasm in her tone. “It preaches eternal life and resurrection, promising wealth and salvation, attracting many desperate souls and those seeking shortcuts. Its influence in the Port District, especially among common sailors and laborers, is almost dominant. What is it, Miss Mephistopheles, are you interested in this cult? Or perhaps… they have offended you?”
Sensing Victoria’s peculiar attitude, Li Wen raised an eyebrow. She changed her strategy, no longer attempting to be direct.
“I recall that the Kingdom of Arthur has exceptionally strict regulations on private worship and has even enacted religious laws for this purpose.”
Victoria put down the teacup, and the porcelain made a slight crisp sound as it contacted the wooden table.
“But that is aimed at heretical worship and demonic beliefs. As far as the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing has shown so far, they are merely using faith to swindle people, which does not warrant such a degree of intervention. Moreover, their core doctrines have many overlaps with the Glor. In this regard, the Kingdom has no room to interfere.”
As she spoke, she looked at Li Wen with a gaze full of meaning, her blue pupils staring directly into the shadow beneath the hood, as if able to see through the fabric to the truth beneath the cloak.
Li Wen frowned beneath her hood. Victoria’s attitude was subtle. She seemed to know something about the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing, perhaps even more than Li Wen had anticipated, but her stance was unclear, even carrying a hint of deliberate distancing.
“Not warranting intervention?” Li Wen’s voice came through her hood, carrying a subtle hardness. “If they use extraordinary power to proselytize, or even to eliminate and kill rivals and enemy targets with this power, does such behavior not disrupt the kingdom’s order and defy royal law?”
Victoria’s fingertip slowly traced the rim of the cup, the white porcelain reflecting the flickering firelight of the fireplace.
“Miss Mephistopheles seems to believe that the Kingdom’s Disciplinary Bureau would make a big fuss over a few lives? Many more people disappear in Port Beren every day than you imagine. How many nameless corpses are not buried in the mud of the Port District each day?” Her voice remained soft, but it was as if it were steeped in ice water. “Furthermore, where is the evidence? Is the ‘extraordinary power’ you speak of something you witnessed personally, or hearsay? The Disciplinary Bureau acts based on irrefutable proof.”
If Li Wen hadn’t dealt with the Disciplinary Bureau extensively in her previous life, she would likely have been deceived by Victoria’s words. The Disciplinary Bureau was like a rabid dog that would bite down relentlessly at the slightest hint of suspicion; evidence meant nothing to them.
Therefore, Victoria’s words probably meant she didn’t want to get involved in this matter. So, what was she worried about? Could it be that the power behind the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing was far greater than Li Wen had imagined? Or perhaps…
Victoria smiled faintly, slowly reaching out to move the book aside, her movements between the cups exuding an elegant calmness. “Actually, Miss Mephistopheles, you still don’t understand the current situation in Port Beren. The city is a mix of sailors, adventurers, foreign cults, merchant guilds, and even passing mages and nobles. They… each have their own agendas, yet they all pretend to be upright.”
“After all, this city is a port city with a short history and a recent establishment. Therefore, the influence of the Glorious Church has not yet reached here, nor has the Kingdom’s Disciplinary Bureau had time to establish a branch in this mixed city. This has given an opportunity for some restless elements. However…”
Her tone shifted.
“In fact, over a month ago, the Leicester branch of the Disciplinary Bureau received an anonymous report regarding the ‘Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing.’ But as you know, not long ago, the changes in Leicester took away most of the manpower from the Leicester branch, so no one has been able to investigate Port Beren in person. As of today, the contents of the report have likely been sent back to the Disciplinary Bureau headquarters. If those influential nobles care about such minor matters, they might send someone to deal with it.”
Li Wen remained noncommittal, vaguely realizing what Victoria was concerned about. “The kingdom’s nobles can interfere in the internal affairs of the Disciplinary Bureau, but you, as a princess, cannot?”
“That’s hard to say,” Victoria blinked.
“What if the intentions of the Divine Cult of Eternal Blessing are related to the Soul Lord?” Not wanting to waste any more time, Li Wen said directly.
The princess’s eyes sharpened. “What do you mean by that, Miss Mephistopheles?”
“You can’t possibly not know,” Li Wen said coldly. “Right here, in a certain area of this sea, a Soul Lord was killed and sealed by an Archmage of the Kingdom. Even though this matter was intentionally covered up by the kingdom’s higher-ups for reasons unknown, as a princess, you have no reason not to have heard of it… Otherwise, why would you have to sneak around and come here anonymously in disguise?”
Victoria tapped lightly on the table, her smile undiminished. “What do you want me to do?”
Li Wen got straight to the point: “Do whatever it takes to make the Disciplinary Bureau act. By midnight tomorrow at the latest, they must send believers with ships out to Black Reef Bay. No matter what you think, once the cult gets there first, the seal will be broken, and the trouble will be a thousand times greater than it is now. You don’t want to see a Soul Lord turn all the life in this port into undead and walking corpses, do you?”
