Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 219 Disregard
Claire anticipated the reaction this statement would cause, but she hadn't anticipated the hostility it would provoke. She spoke softly, "Ms. Cattleya, I simply wish to inquire about organizations that would shelter secret prying individuals. I harbor no ill intentions. However... it seems the rumors about your rift with the 'Queen of Mystery' are true."

Cattleya's eyes turned cold. "This isn't just my personal hatred. The Dawn of Elements is also a hostile force to our Moss Ascetic Order."

Both are secret organizations that spy on secrets, but they are hostile to each other?
Claire had no information on this matter, so she feigned surprise and said, "We all suffer the same pain, yet we still hate each other? Can't we peacefully work together to find a way to fight the madness?"

As she spoke, Claire let the polluted aura of the Hidden Sage slip through her body, and her exposed parts, such as her hands and neck, revealed tiny, eyelash-less eyes.

Sitting across from her, Cattleya was affected by the contaminated aura of the hidden sage. She heard whispers in her ears, and the muscles on her cheeks cracked, revealing a ball of flesh that looked like an eyeball.

Cattleya's condition is more serious than I thought...

Claire suppressed the contaminated aura of the Secret Sage, and the illusory visions on her body and Cattleya's distortion gradually disappeared at the same time.

Cattleya stroked her cheek, which had returned to its fair, smooth complexion. She took off her thick glasses, and the purple light in her black eyes deepened. She asked in surprise, "Who are you?"

"A poor, polluted person. Ha..." Claire laughed helplessly and pathetically beneath her pure white mask.

"I hope to find a solution to this problem, and the best way is undoubtedly to join a secret organization that controls the secret path of the Secret Peeper."

"'The Church of the God of Steam and Machinery', 'The Moss Ascetic Order', 'The Dawn of the Elements'—these are all large organizations I've heard of..."

Cattleya stroked her cheek and fell silent. The pirates' presence outside the house gradually faded away. Then, Cattleya said, "If that's the case, I don't recommend you join any secret organization. The Steam Church, which believes in the true God, is the most suitable for you."

"But the Beyonders of the Orthodox Church are extremely harsh towards wild Beyonders like us. As you said, the 'Moss Ascetic Order' only trusts its own people trained in Utopia... Moreover, isn't the Moss Ascetic Order a hidden organization that truly believes in... that god?"

"Do you really want to throw yourself completely into the embrace of the gods?" Cattleya's eyes narrowed, but she couldn't see Claire's expression through the pure white mask.

Cattleya seemed to have made up her mind. "It's near the Gargas Islands in the North Sea. Its capital is the 'White City' Naas."

Cattleya mentioned a place name and hinted, "Go there and find a whaler staying at the Big Stone Inn. He will guide you on your way."

A whaler? A contact for the Morse Trappists?
Claire nodded in gratitude and said, "Ms. Cattleya, I will remember your guidance. Perhaps, in the near future, we can become true companions."

"I hope so." Cattleya put on her thick glasses again and smiled slightly.

The Shepherd's potion formula was exchanged for information on the Morse Ascetic Order and the main ingredients for the Scroll Professor's potion. After the transaction was completed, Cattleya did not allow Claire and the others to stay on the Future. After letting them return to the Blue Avenger, she led the Star Pirates' fleet away.

"Is this really just a deal?" Alger, who was on the ghost ship, ready to pick up the fleeing party at any moment, asked in surprise, "Doesn't this 'Star Admiral' have any other purpose in inviting you aboard?"

Claire deliberately didn't use the Storage Spirit. She held the material box engraved with the seal symbol and answered Alger's question, "She invited us to join the Star Pirates."

"I see... Did you refuse?" Alger looked puzzled. He didn't know whether this "Admiral of the Stars" had good eyesight or was too blind to actually invite the "Hound" of the Church of Evernight.

"Of course." Claire nodded and chuckled. "Purchasing these materials was a pleasant surprise... Our purpose at sea was to hunt down Tracy, so we certainly wouldn't lurk in the Star Pirates." Claire naturally wouldn't mention the Morse Ascetic Order to Alger. After returning to her room inside the cabin, Tessa, who had been restrained for a long time, gently reminded her, "Cattleya's attitude is a bit problematic. She doesn't seem to want you to join the Morse Ascetic Order."

"Yeah." Claire looked at Tessa and said, "Tessa, what did you find?"

Although she didn't think Claire would suffer any loss, Tessa, who had been observing the whole scene, still grumbled:

"She concealed her feelings well at first, complaining a few times about the organization behind her, but her feelings were sincere. This sincerity wouldn't make people think she had any ulterior motives towards the organization behind her."

"But her reaction after hearing 'Dawn of the Elements' was so intense... I initially thought it was something like 'convert fervor.'"

"But after you revealed your taint with the evil god... if she truly had this kind of 'convert fervor,' she wouldn't have introduced you to the recommender, but would have taken the initiative to bring you to meet the recommender."

"But she didn't do that. Apparently her true attitude didn't match her appearance."

After listening to Tessa's analysis, Claire pondered for a moment and asked, "Then why do you think she doesn't want me to join the Morse Ascetic Order?"

At this point, Tessa had confirmed that Claire hadn't been fooled by the witch-like pirate captain. She shrugged and said, "Based on the time you revealed the evil god's taint, there are two different reasons."

"At first, I probably didn't want to trap you in the Morse Ascetic Order. I can see that Lady Cattleya has a kind heart. Ha, a female pirate who maintains good intentions towards others..."

"But after you revealed the taint of the evil god, she didn't want you to come into contact with the Moses Ascetic Order. I'm afraid she was worried that your taint, unlike that of ordinary people, would bring about some kind of change that would allow the Moses Ascetic Order to develop."

Tessa glanced at Claire with an inquiring gaze and said with a smile, "She seems to think you're a follower of the Hidden Sage or a person of special status like the Son of God."

"Yeah... She thought I was a follower of the evil god who wanted to join the Moss Ascetic Order." Claire nodded and sighed.

Tessa looked genuinely puzzled by this. "I don't understand why you would bother doing something like this."

Claire said, "I'd like to use this opportunity to get in touch with the 'Mysterious Queen'."

Tessa was surprised: "Are you so sure that Cattleya hasn't severed contact with the 'Mysterious Queen'?"

"It's just a test." Claire smiled. "If she really has any connection with the 'Mysterious Queen', then she must be 'in Cao's camp but her heart is with Han'."

Seeing that Tessa fully understood this vocabulary, Claire continued:

"Then she wouldn't want me, someone tainted by the evil god, to come into contact with the Moss Ascetic Order. But this contact made her realize that the Star Pirates alone would have a hard time stopping us. So, her most likely action would be to report this to the 'Mysterious Queen'. This way, I have the opportunity to contact the 'Mysterious Queen'."

"If she truly severed contact with the 'Mysterious Queen', it would simply be a matter of each going their separate ways. It wouldn't be a big deal. She'd simply have missed out on the opportunity to get to know the 'Mysterious Queen' and the support she could have gained."

(End of this chapter)