Led by Carmen, everyone returned to the church.
Walking through the square, I saw thousands of Retribution Army soldiers stationed there, forming a fan-shaped perimeter around the church. Unless the Seaborn were to silently tunnel through the Retribution Army's defenses, they wouldn't be able to affect anyone inside the church in the slightest.
And even if they did break into the church, what then? The church was home to almost all the Inquisitors who had come to Gran Faro. Currently, this could be said to be the safest place in all of Gran Faro.
Seeing Carmen lead his people into the church, the two Inquisitors at the entrance merely glanced at the lantern hanging on the door. Finding no movement, they paid no further attention.
Kanna-chan looked at the lantern curiously. Just as she entered, she felt a spell pass through her, but it had no effect on her.
Carmen looked back and saw Kanna-chan's gaze. "This is a spell developed by The Inquisition specifically for detecting Seaborn and Abyssal Cultists. If it's those filthy things, the lantern will automatically sound an alarm. Since The Great Silence, Iberia and the Abyssal Church have been fighting for decades. The sacrifices of countless Inquisitors over these years have not been in vain; at least in terms of detection, we've achieved some results."
"What if they've joined the Abyssal Church, but haven't transformed into Seaborn, and are just ordinary people?"
Carmen was silent for a moment, then said, "Every year, The Inquisition dispatches Grand Inquisitors to lead teams to patrol city by city, precisely to clear out those rats hiding in Iberia's gutters. Unfortunately..."
Every year, many Inquisitors, including their families, suffer attacks from the Abyssal Church. What's most despicable about the Abyssal Church is that they don't directly kill the Inquisitors' relatives, but infect them with the flesh and blood of the Seaborn. In the end, the Inquisitors have no choice but to tearfully send off their own loved ones with their own hands.
Some Inquisitors fall into despair from then on, while others take the Abyssal Church as their lifelong enemy, torturing anyone who comes into contact with them until they are unrecognizable.
Decades of hatred between the two sides have reached a point where, no matter when or where, once the other's identity (or weakness) is discovered, they will not hesitate to drop what they are doing and rush at them with weapons.
And the fate of these ordinary people who betray humanity and side with the Abyssal Church, if they fall into the hands of The Inquisition, will be no better than that of the Seaborn.
"Come in. You should know this person, Inquisitor Dathrohan. His family used to run an auction house, so his appraisal of items is quite accurate. With me, this old man, the two of us will give you a price for the things you want to sell. If you agree, we'll take them. How about it?"
Carmen pointed to a familiar face inside, then sat down at a nearby table.
"No problem, old man. I trust your reputation. Iberia is a big business, so I'm sure it won't cheat a child like me!" Kanna-chan finished speaking, then looked at the table in front of her, then glanced at the curious Inquisitors around, among whom she also saw Dario and the young Irene. "Are you sure here?"
"Of course, right here. Since it's Iberia's former property, I don't think there's anything to hide." Carmen was quite open. He knew how many treasures were on the Fools Ship back then. Even after so many years of damage, what remained was basically priceless. If everyone saw it, then no matter if the royal family or the internal church asked about it, there would be enough people to testify.
Kanna-chan didn't care about this either. Although she was selling their own things back to them, who made it so that they couldn't preserve and bring these things back? This was the result of her own hard work.
"Alright, but this place is a bit small. Let's do it in batches..." Kanna-chan waved her hand, and dozens of various items filled the tabletop.
Although these items looked old and weathered, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that they represented Iberia's last glory.
Irene, not far away, widened her eyes. Although many things on the Fools Ship were seen only in passing, she still recognized a few familiar items. These items, taken out by Kanna-chan for "sale," were precisely the treasures from the Fools Ship.
Dario noticed his apprentice's abnormality and quietly asked, "What's wrong?"
"Those things are from the Stultifera Navis. I've seen half of them before..." Even though she had already agreed to go out with the Rhodes Island group, at this moment, as a member of The Inquisition, Irene's identity did not allow her to lie about this.
Dario was stunned for a moment. He looked up, saw Carmen's gaze as he looked at the items, and patted Irene's head. "It's alright. Since Rhodes Island can bring back so many important documents from the Stultifera Navis, it's only natural to bring back some treasures as well. I believe Captain Alfonso willingly gave these things to Kanna-chan as a reward for her bringing back those important intelligence. Saint Carmen also understood this, which is why he generously agreed to the acquisition."
After hearing Dario's words, Irene nodded in understanding, then continued to look at the round table not far away.
One batch, two batches, three batches... A total of seven batches were laid out. Even Kaltsit, who considered herself very composed, felt her cheeks flush a little. Finally, Kanna-chan spread her hands, indicating that was all.
After Carmen and Dathrohan conversed for a while, he gently tapped the table. "Although most of these items are worn or damaged, it's undeniable that they were excellent pieces from back then. And there's also lost Iberian technology among them. After discussion, our answer is one hundred and thirty Originium, to take all of these items. What do you think?"
Kanna-chan looked at Kaltsit, who nodded to her. In Kaltsit's opinion, the items here were worth at most around one hundred Originium. The extra thirty Originium could be considered Iberia's sentimental bonus and a gesture of goodwill towards Kanna-chan.
"Of course, we don't have that much Originium here at the moment, but rest assured, I will relay the message to the Church. Once the Church gathers the funds, they will send a dedicated person to deliver this money to Rhodes Island, and I guarantee that the money will be received within two months."
Watching the batches of treasures being carefully transported to the back of the church, Carmen, somewhat tired, said to Ilena next to him, "Ilena, I'll leave Kaltsit and Kanna-chan for you to escort back. I'm getting old; I get tired after moving for a bit..."
"Grandpa Carmen, can I ask a favor?" Kanna-chan, who had stood up and was preparing to leave, suddenly spoke.
"Oh, little friend Kanna-chan, just say it. If I can do it, I naturally won't refuse." Carmen was curious about what Kanna-chan wanted to do.
"It's that spell," Kanna-chan said, pointing to the lantern at the door. "Can I learn it?"
Chapter 418: Making a Gift
"Of course, no problem," Carmen nodded. "Ilena is very proficient in this spell, so she can teach you!"
Ilena took Kanna-chan's hand. "This spell isn't difficult. I'll explain it to you as we walk. By the time we get back to your lodging, the principles should be clear enough. You just need to practice more."
"Do you have any Star Sand here?" Kanna-chan remembered the ore Carmen had given her when she left Iberia, which was also an important component of Inquisitor weapons.
"Star Sand? I don't have any on me, but a supply station has been established here. I can go apply for a piece." As a Grand Inquisitor, Ilena had the right to apply for some supplies. Although Star Sand was precious to The Inquisition, if Kanna-chan needed it, Ilena could get her a piece using her status, and even if the higher-ups knew, they wouldn't say much.
After all, fostering a good relationship with Kanna-chan was a plan the Church had long ago formulated.
Soon, the three arrived at the entrance of Rhodes Island's temporary outpost. Before Ilena left, she had planned to deliver the Star Sand tomorrow, but Kanna-chan said she needed it tonight, so she personally made a trip to the logistics department.
Holding the Star Sand, Kanna-chan happily thanked Ilena and then slipped back into the house.
"What do you want that for?" Kaltsit asked, leaning against the nearby doorway.
"To make a gift!" she said, then ran into Nian's small room.
"What's up? You said you'd find me a leading lady, but you haven't found her yet, and now you have something else?" Nian said, crossing her arms, looking completely unconvinced by Kanna-chan.
"Leading lady? Haven't you already met her?" Kanna-chan looked puzzled.
"Met her? You mean those three Aegirians?" Nian first frowned, then suddenly realized who the other person was referring to.
"Of course! Look, they have figures, faces, and they're good at singing and fighting... Although the captain might be hard to persuade, Specter and Skadi are both very easy to talk to."
Listening to Kanna-chan's persuasion, Nian stroked her chin and thought for a moment. These Aegirians were indeed quite beautiful in terms of appearance, and their unique mysterious charm, exclusive to Aegir, was also a bonus point for the continent. Kanna-chan hadn't said anything wrong.
"Alright then, you pass this round. But whether my movie can have a protagonist still needs an audition; it's not just any random cat or dog that can catch the eye of me, Director Nian. So, what do you need?"
After some bargaining, Nian finally agreed to Kanna-chan's request. She pulled her hands apart and chanted, "Heaven has a great furnace, Earth gives birth to five metals, tempered by heat and cold, clear as clouds!"
Countless pieces of equipment appeared in the small room, originally used for sleeping, transforming it into a small workshop in just one second.
Taking the Star Sand Kanna-chan handed her, Nian kicked the bothersome Kanna-chan out of the room, then turned and began forging.
The "clinking and clanging" sounds quickly attracted the attention of others. Kanna-chan knocked on the door, "Hey, the sound is a bit loud!"
As a wave of Originium Arts spread from inside the room, the crisp sound of hammering just now disappeared from everyone's ears.
Ifrit walked out of the room. "What's Nian doing? I think I heard hammering!"
"Nothing much, she's helping me with a little trinket. It'll be done soon." Kanna-chan waved at Ifrit.
"Oh, and show me your Flame Dancer spell model. I want to see if I can make a Thunder Dancer."
When it comes to elements, water and earth are the easiest to control, like docile golden retrievers. In contrast, fire and lightning are like huskies that run wild.
It was no problem for Kanna, with her strength, to control lightning in a small area according to her will, but she still couldn't make the lightning transform into a controllable miniature figure without it dissipating.
At this moment, Ifrit appeared with Flame Dancer. Kanna had long coveted this spell; in reality, the Flame Dancer was not merely a toy in one's palm. If the caster imbued it with enough energy, this thing could do everything a small doppelganger could.
This was also why Kanna sought to learn from Ifrit; she hoped to use this spell to compensate for her doppelganger's inability to shrink.
As the "Thunder God," Kanna undoubtedly had her talent points maxed out in lightning-based spells. It wasn't long after Ifrit spoke that Kanna had a rather convincing, crackling mini-Kanna in her palm, striking various JOJO poses.
"Huh! The movements of your little figure are so strange... Is it sick?" Dahlia leaned close to Kanna, curiously staring at the strange poses of the small figure in Kanna's hand.
"Yes, it's sick. It has chuunibyou!" Kanna nodded with a serious expression.
"Wow! If it's sick, it needs to be treated, Doctor Kaltsit..."
Before Dahlia could finish speaking, both of them received a crisp flick on the forehead.
"If you're going to be silly, don't influence Dahlia! Dahlia, you too, can't you tell Kanna is joking?" Kaltsit, passing by, rubbed her brow with a hint of helplessness. Since Kanna arrived, she felt more exhausted than working overtime for three days and three nights straight on Rhodes Island.
"Oh!" Kanna and Dahlia, clutching their heads, retreated inside the house.
Looking in from outside the door, one could see the three of them, each with a small figure in their hand, all mimicking Kanna's figure, striking various strange poses.
Saria, witnessing everything, remained silent. In her opinion, Kanna's usual irreverence was a disguise, not that Kanna had ulterior motives, but rather a kind intention, hiding her strength behind her usual nonchalance.
If you could become Kanna's friend, she could offer all sorts of unexpected gifts. But if you underestimated and treated her as an enemy, then being reduced to ashes by thunder would be the best outcome.
She also hoped Ifrit would learn this from Kanna, to understand how to hide herself, and not expose her strength unnecessarily. Only then could she live longer and better on this perilous continent.
An hour later, Year pushed open the door. She held a fist-sized bead and tossed it to Kanna. "What you wanted is ready, but there's only one, so no room for failure!"
Kanna took the bead and nodded, recalling the various details Ilena had explained on the way.
Knowing she was doing something serious, Ifrit picked up Dahlia and sat in a corner of the room, curiously watching the two in front of her.
Powerful lightning energy swirled around Kanna, and thunder and lightning began to flash in the sky above.
This was a spell usage that Year and she had discussed before: storing one's spell in a certain medium, and then achieving the activation and maintenance of the spell through others' triggering and energy supply.
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