"Karov had investigated the monastery, and so did I. But we didn't find much. Apart from confirming the existence of the fourteen people on the list, there was very little other information." Doran finished the rest of the wine and put the glass on the table. "Generally speaking, the people living in that kind of place are very united, and they are also very wary of outsiders. I was worried that I would alert the Church if I continued to investigate, so I stopped the investigation. But during this period, I made an unexpected discovery."
"Oh? What did you find? "
"There was a Grade 2 Priest with the Pope's token on him. He went to the monastery the day after Mother Bernice passed away, but he didn't stay long. Coincidentally, he was there when the new Dean was inaugurated. The two of them had a secret discussion for the whole afternoon, so I sent someone to follow him after he left the monastery," Doran said.
This was the second time Lolo heard someone mention such a person. Previously, under the rule of Ao Grimm, Mother Teresa had also mentioned that a priest with the Pope's token had come to the monastery to look for her after Eluria's departure and before the wedding. If she was not mistaken, the person that Doran had found should be the same person that Mother Teresa had mentioned.
Lolo's eyes lit up. The figure of this priest had been faintly discernible throughout the entire incident, and it was obvious that he was a very important person.
"Unfortunately, that guy is very cunning. After he realized that he was being followed, he disappeared. However, I found his place in Stanton. It's a rented room. It's not big, and it's on the second floor of a bookstore. It's very clean inside. Before my men arrived, he probably went back and packed all the important things away. The things that he couldn't take away were thrown into the fireplace to be destroyed. However, he left in a hurry, so he still left something behind."
"What is it?"
"A piece of paper."
"A piece of paper?"
"Yes." Doran opened the drawer again. "A blank piece of paper. He wrote a letter on his desk. When we write, the force of the pen tip sometimes passes to the next page, leaving some traces on it. I used a charcoal pencil to draw out the handwriting and copied it down. Take a look for yourself."
Doran took out an envelope from the drawer and handed it to Lolo. She opened it and saw the words written on it.
— Year 976 of the Magic Calendar, October (blurry), Katerina's plan is progressing smoothly. The twenty-eighth candidate is currently in the North, waiting for more details (missing words in the middle). The Shepherd Dog is suspicious and asking if she should be replaced. Also, she is suspected of being targeted by an unknown force and will be switching identities in the near future.
"Katerina is the first name on the list." "Although it's been a long time, it's the first time, and the Temple of Light isn't very familiar with the method, so they left behind the most information. I found the girl's hometown, a small village in the western part of the Free City-State. The year she was born, there was a big fire in the village. Including her parents, more than twenty people died. Interestingly, most of the people who died were relatives and friends of her parents."
"Are the orphans in the Sith Abbey all man-made?" Lolo thought of a terrifying truth and felt a chill run down her spine.
"To be more precise, the girls on the list are indeed orphans. The people on the list are from different places: the Free City-State, the Lionheart Empire, the Sacred Alliance. I even found a human girl born in the Dwarven Kingdom. She lost her parents and family for various reasons and was brought to the Sith Abbey. The youngest is just a month old, and the oldest is 15. The Temple of Light seems to have some kind of method to find the people they want. Unfortunately, the handwriting on the paper is very light and unreadable."
"How is that possible? What about the abbesses of the Sith Abbey? Do they know the origins of these children?"
"Obviously, Mother Bernice knows the most. After she retired, Mother Teresa took over her job, but it was a short time. Before she had the time to learn more, something happened to Eluria. After that, she rushed to the Bretton Family's territory. During this period of time, everyone's attention is basically on the North. The Sith Abbey is managed by an old nanny, and the new abbess will be appointed in half a year. However, I suspect that even if the people in the abbey know anything, even if they do, it would be very limited."
Doran paused. "Sheepdogs don't need to know whether their owners are raising sheep for meat or shearing sheep. They only need to help their owners guard the sheep loyally."
"So what you're saying is that what happened to my mother is related to this Katerina Project? If she hadn't met my father, would she have disappeared from this world without a trace? "
"This project is an absolute secret, even in the Temple. All these years, I've caught some ordinary clergymen and interrogated them, but none of them have heard of such a thing," Doran said. "But don't worry, I'll continue to investigate Eluria's matter. In the meantime, you can stay in this manor. I've managed this place to be very safe, and the Temple won't be able to find you."
"Thank you for doing these things for my mother and me, but I can't just wait here and watch strangers risk their lives for me. I'll look for the whereabouts of the Grade 2 priest, and I'll make a trip back to the Sith Abbey to see if I can find anything else. Do you have any other clues that you can tell me?" Luo Luo carefully put away the name list and the letter, but she did not have any intention of staying.
"This is not a wise choice. You've triggered Gotaris's trap, and the Temple will soon realize that you've returned to the North. They will definitely start a search for you. In this land, there's no one you can trust except me."
"No, there's one more person. I know that I can trust unconditionally at any time," the girl said firmly.
"Women always make the same mistake, don't they?" Doran muttered.
Lolo frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
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