Chapter 1 Heidi

Heidi suddenly sneezed hard, startling the young cleric who was taking notes across from her.

"Are you alright?" the young cleric asked with concern, looking at the spiritual physician. "Are you feeling unwell? Are you experiencing anything unusual…?"

"I'm fine—it's probably just that I caught a chill in the square, plus the anxiety from before," Heidi waved her hand before he could finish, rubbing her nose as she spoke. "Where were we?"

"We were discussing how, in a state akin to an 'out-of-body experience,' you simultaneously saw two 'realities' superimposed on the city-state, and how the arrival of the Vanishing Sail caused one of those realities to be peeled away and annihilated," the young cleric said, glancing at the notes he had just written while also flipping through the previous entries. "You also mentioned that you have a crystal pendant, and you suspect that the crystal pendant may be key."

"The pendant is already broken," Heidi thought for a moment, then nodded. "My father got that pendant from an antique shop, but I suspect that neither my father nor the shop owner knew of the pendant's special nature—it was just a giveaway item, even…bearing the label of a glass workshop."

"So, an item possessing extraordinary power but concealing its true form—coincidentally flowed into the lower district and into your hands," the young cleric said as he wrote. "Could you tell me about the antique shop and some of the pendant's specific characteristics? This may help us grasp more detailed real-world information during the aftermath, after all, supernatural items often have the ability to influence fate, and its encounter with you may not be accidental."

"Of course, no problem," Heidi nodded immediately, recounting what she knew. After explaining the general situation, she hesitated for a moment, then finally couldn't help but ask, "Has everyone… returned?"

"Based on the information we have… yes," the young cleric nodded. "Although almost everyone remembers the scene of the city-state being destroyed by flames, everything has now returned to the state before the disaster occurred—currently, the Archbishop and Inquisitor explain this as 'a historical pollution disaster at the level of a reality invasion,' but the specific details are yet to be released."

At this point, he paused and added, "But your situation is the most unique—almost no one remembers how the disaster ended, but you 'saw' the key process, so your testimony is crucial."

"I understand," Heidi sighed softly, then seemed to suddenly remember something. "Then shouldn't I let my family know I'm safe? It looks like I won't be able to go back for a while…"

"We've already sent people," the young cleric said with a smile. "You don't have to worry."

"Already notified? That's good," Heidi thought for a moment, then nodded gently. "Then let's continue. What else do you need to ask?"

"Alright, next question, do you remember the specific details of the ghost ship that appeared in the two historical timelines? When you recall those details, do you experience mental confusion, auditory or visual hallucinations?"

Vanna arrived at the Grand Cathedral.

This spacious and sacred place seemed particularly quiet at the moment. Apart from the necessary guards at the entrance, the hall contained only Bishop Valentine, who was standing silently before the holy statue.

Vanna's footsteps broke the tranquil atmosphere inside the Grand Cathedral.

Valentine turned his head. He had already removed the ornate robes and crown that he only wore on special occasions and was simply dressed in a plain robe, wearing a soft cap. Apart from the long staff representing the city-state's bishop clutched in his hand, he looked no different from an ordinary old man.

Vanna approached Valentine, her expression calm. "The Church District has restored order. The garrison troops are heading to their respective bases to reorganize the city-state's security. The high-ranking priests have gone to the main factories to soothe the steam cores. At least before nightfall, we can ensure that the Evening Bells will ring as usual, and the citywide gas supply will not be interrupted."

The old bishop visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your hard work, Vanna."

"It's my duty," Vanna said calmly. "The mental and cognitive confusion remaining after the pollution is still having an impact. Untrained ordinary people have a hard time waking up from the previous disaster all at once. Right now, even City Hall is in chaos, so we can only temporarily let 'professionals' take over order."

Valentine nodded, then reminded her, "After nightfall, in addition to ensuring the gas supply, we must also increase the number of patrolmen in each district, bring enough lanterns and incense, and be vigilant against anything 'running' in from the night… We have just experienced a reality invasion, and Pland's foundation of reality is at its most vulnerable. In addition, we must check all the nighttime shelters in the city one by one. There may still be citizens who are too nervous and have locked themselves inside… Once the holy oil in the shelters runs out, those panicked refugees will become a big problem."

Vanna nodded. "I understand. I'll make arrangements later. I'll personally lead a team to check key areas tonight."

"...Just leave it to your deputy," Valentine looked at the young inquisitor with some concern. "Rest after you finish what you have on hand. You're still injured."

"My injuries have basically healed since returning to the Grand Cathedral," Vanna said immediately, and looked the old man up and down. "Your injuries from before were more serious than mine…"

"Can it be the same?" Valentine said sternly. "I've recovered from historical pollution, but you actually fought your way through the entire city-state, inside and out, twice! I can see your weakness right now."

Vanna said nothing, but silently turned around, raised her head, and quietly stared at the statue of the Storm Goddess Gomona in the light of the candles and gas lamps.

The Grand Cathedral fell into a brief silence until Valentine broke it. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how to write the second half of this report," Vanna sighed. "When the Papal Court wants to understand the disaster in Pland, how should we explain how it ended?"

The expression on Valentine's face became a little interesting.

"In a sense… well, not even 'in a sense,'" the old bishop comforted her for a long time, then could only sigh like Vanna. "The fact is, the arrival of the Vanishing Sail extinguished the historical pollution brought by the Eschatological Missionary and prevented the Black Sun from being born in the mortal world. Although we don't know what that ghost captain's purpose was in doing all this, there's no doubt…"

The old bishop stopped and was silent for nearly half a minute before he had to say in a deep voice, "Pland survived because of the Vanishing Sail."

"Perhaps, he was coming for the 'Sun Fragment'," Vanna had many thoughts in her mind, but she didn't say them all out loud. "Do you remember the White Oak? That ship encountered the Vanishing Sail head-on and retreated safely, only Aberration 099 was taken away—perhaps the goal of that 'Captain Duncan' is simpler than anyone imagined."

"Stealing a Sun Fragment is not the same concept as stealing an Aberration," Valentine shook his head. "But you're right, that's indeed the only explanation we can think of right now. If the Papal Court needs an answer, then that's the only answer we can give… The rest can only be reported truthfully, and we'll see what conclusions the clerics of the Storm Cathedral can discuss."

Vanna hummed softly, then turned her head again, her gaze falling on the statue of the goddess.

"Your heart is still very uneasy," Valentine, who had known her for many years, could naturally sense that Vanna's condition was not right. "Vanna, we have discussed the affairs of the city-state and the church. What else is shaking your will right now?"

"I… I'm fine."

"We've known each other for many years," Valentine shook his head. "Although you are my equal in terms of divine office, in our interactions, you have always regarded me as a trustworthy elder—I can see that your condition has been a bit off since you came back. What exactly happened?"

Vanna was silent for a moment. She looked up at the veiled goddess, and after a while, she lowered her eyes and looked at her own body. Dante Wayne's words seemed to still echo in her ears.

In the great fire eleven years ago, in the "source of fire" that the Eschatological Missionaries used to unleash historical pollution,

Her uncle… had actually failed to save her.

That great fire was the beginning of historical pollution, the dividing line between "true history" and "false history." The people who died that night died for real, and after that great fire, Pland's destruction and survival split into two completely opposite "world lines."

In other words, she, who had died on the night of the fire… should not have survived.

It was the "compensation of the sub-space" that allowed her to live to this day.

The Eschatological Missionary's crazed shouts from the top of the clock tower still rang in her ears—

"You who die and are reborn will also be born and die again…"

She had died and been reborn.

But had not been born and died again.

The appearance of the Vanishing Sail interrupted all of this.

Now, she was still standing here, breathing the air of the mortal world, enjoying the warmth of the living.

Even the Storm Goddess was still bestowing blessings upon her, using the power of the sea breeze to heal all the wounds she had suffered in the previous battle. This even made Vanna have a confusion related to the goddess for the first time in her life—

The Storm Goddess… didn't she care about the fact that she had survived because of the "sub-space blessing"?

And this confusion continued to expand, and what she could associate with it made Vanna feel a little chilly—if, according to that Eschatological Missionary and Captain Duncan, the entire city-state of Pland at this moment had actually been infected by the flames of the Vanishing Sail, that everyone in this city-state, even the land itself, was already a "blasphemous heretic."

However… the blessings in the Grand Cathedral were still there, and every Deep Sea Priest in Pland's prayers to the goddess were still being answered as usual. For the first time in her life, Vanna had doubts about her long-held faith.