Chapter 68
Aivina's home was not far from Amy's, both located in the Jazz Bridge district. Soon, the carriage came to a stop in front of Aivina's door.
Since the special medicine had not yet been widely distributed, Aivina had not summoned the other servants back to the manor. The gravel and ruins on the right side of the estate remained untouched.
"Where can we ensure the privacy of our conversation?"
After entering the manor, Xiar turned to Aivina and asked.
"The study... my room," Aivina replied after a brief pause. "My room is smaller than the study, making it more suitable for setting up the ritual."
Xiar looked at Aivina with some confusion. Wasn't it in the study that Aivina had set up the ritual during the simulation? Could the size of the room really affect the ritual?
However, Aivina maintained a blank expression, staring straight ahead, and Xiar couldn't discern any strange emotions on her face.
Not wanting to dwell on it further, Xiar returned to her guest room on the second floor. After placing the potion and the ritual for resurrection alongside the potion she had previously stored for the "Judger," she made her way to the third floor, stopping outside Aivina's door.
Knock, knock, knock—
Xiar rapped on Aivina's door and waited for nearly half a minute before Aivina finally opened it.
"Come in."
Aivina stepped aside, allowing Xiar to enter.
Xiar walked into the room, which she had previously slept in, so it felt familiar. She chose a sofa and sat down, noticing that two cups of brewed black tea were already set on the table in front of her.
Tap—
After locking the door behind her, Aivina joined Xiar on the single sofa beside her and asked, "The ritual to block prying eyes is set up. What do you want to discuss?"
Even when it came to topics about Aivina's life and death, Xiar had never required such a secure environment for their conversations.
She scratched her neck, where Aivina had bitten her before. The wound was nearly healed now, leaving only a faint mark and a slight itch from the healing process.
Aivina had chosen not to use ointment to speed up the healing, and she didn't quite understand why. Or perhaps she simply hadn't thought about applying any medicine at all.
After taking a sip of the tea on the table, Xiar looked at Aivina and asked, "Have you studied Sheren's notes?"
Aivina nodded. "I read through them carefully before handing them over to the Redemption Society. I wouldn't call it research, but I still remember the contents."
"What do you think are the suspicious points in the notes?"
Xiar continued to probe, knowing Aivina had a knack for solving mysteries.
"Now that you mention it, I do have a few points that I can't quite figure out."
Aivina perked up at this.
Although she hadn't absorbed the "detective" potion favored by the Russell family, her upbringing had instilled in her a keen interest in unraveling puzzles.
"His notes are filled with an obsession over his research results, yet the descriptions of the research itself are somewhat ambiguous, as if he couldn't explain the principles behind them. Adele's later comments confirmed my suspicions."
"Aside from that resolved point, there are three other unresolved issues."
Aivina paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts before looking down at her cup of tea and saying:
"First, where did his 'Cholera Source' potion and the resurrection ritual come from?"
"The Redemption Society operates on a contribution point system, where publishing papers and research results earns points that can be exchanged for needed items. Generally, the amount of pounds distributed isn't much. Where did he get the money to buy the potions and rituals?"
"Second, the source of his sealing items is very unclear. The sealing items sold at Dutton Manor are usually low-level ones with weak side effects and effects. It's impossible for them to sell something as specifically targeted as what you mentioned."
"This sealing item is clearly tailored for his 'Dehydration Disease' contagion, with a high degree of compatibility. There's no way he could have obtained this set of potions, rituals, and sealing items on his own."
"Third, at the end of his research notes, there is a sudden and jarring expression of hatred towards the Goddess of Salvation..."
As she spoke, Aivina's voice trailed off, and she looked up at Xiar.
Is this what Xiar wanted to discuss with her?
When she had speculated about this earlier, she had considered certain possibilities but hadn't thought them through in detail.
Because she felt it was unlikely; that organization operated in secrecy, and almost everything they did was only discovered long after their plans had succeeded. It was impossible for them to be caught like Sheren had.
But Aivina thought that if it weren't for Xiar, perhaps this matter would truly...
Looking at Aivina's expression, Xiar understood that Aivina must know something.
"Aivina, do you know about Sa..."
Just as Xiar was about to say something, Aivina suddenly stood up and lunged forward, covering Xiar's mouth with her right hand and urgently whispering, "Don't!"
Xiar slowly closed her mouth, watching Aivina, who was clearly growing tense, with a puzzled expression.
"Don't say his name."
Aivina gradually released her hand from Xiar's mouth and shook her head. "This simple ritual definitely can't block his prying eyes. If you say his name, he might take notice."
Just mentioning his name could draw attention...
What kind of existence had she gotten involved with? Was the deity worshipped by that cult a real god?
"Him?"
Xiar frowned slightly and asked, "Is the one they believe in really a god?"
"Uncertain," Aivina shook her head. "But when it comes to these heretical matters, it's safer to assume they are real."
Uncertain?
Xiar's mind raced, and soon she found herself filled with doubts.
She felt... that Sadana was not a true deity.
Or at least, Sadana was not his true name.
If he were a real god, according to the system, communication with them could only occur through the Otherworld.
Xiar had seen fragments of the Otherworld, and one could even say she had been there and returned.
Let alone the texts within, even the descriptions were enough to make a third-tier Radiant Bishop rush over to cover Xiar's mouth.
A normal person couldn't remain sane after hearing the name of a true god.
As for whether Sadana was truly a god, Xiar had no answer for now.
She could only set that question aside for the moment and ask, "How much do you know about that cult? That's what I wanted to ask you."
"They call themselves the 'Saviors of the Holy Arrival'... Yes, it's just one word different from the Goddess of Salvation. Rumor has it that this cult is a faction within the Goddess of Salvation, called the 'Holy Arrival Sect.'"
Aivina continued, "After an internal conflict, the entire 'Holy Arrival Sect' collectively betrayed the Goddess of Salvation, fleeing with a large number of sealing items and ritual potions, becoming a cult that operates in the shadows."
"The characteristic of the Holy Arrival Sect is that they not only recruit 'Avengers' and 'Ascetics' as followers but also accept extraordinary individuals from other paths. Moreover, the number of extraordinary 'missionaries' within their ranks is likely greater than that of the Goddess of Salvation—this is a vast secret society."
"In my family, there's a saying: 'If you find a Holy Arrival follower in a certain district, that entire district may already be under the influence of the cult.'"
"Their higher-ups and members maintain a single-line connection, and they have a unique brainwashing method that makes them completely unafraid of exposure or internal betrayal."
"Every notable sacrificial event they hold is aimed at the Goddess of Salvation, almost as if they are deliberately seeking revenge, locked in a never-ending conflict..."
As Aivina spoke, she took a deep breath and looked at Xiar, asking with some difficulty, "You don't mean to say... the potion... was given to Sheren by the Holy Arrival Sect, do you?"
"Most likely."
Xiar nodded.
"Can I ask... how did you find out about this?"
Aivina seemed reluctant to let it go, seeking confirmation from Xiar.
"... My intelligence network," Xiar replied nonchalantly, "They told me that the Holy Arrival followers in Boren City already know we disrupted the ritual."
The very thing Aivina had dreaded most had finally come to pass.
Having dealt with Sheren, who had wanted her dead... it turned out that Sheren was backed by the Holy Arrival Sect.
That feeling of kicking against an iron plate was something Aivina hadn't experienced in a long time, let alone this iron plate had come crashing down on her.
"Aivina."
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