Chapter 371: An Unusual Aura

Under the slate-grey sky, Agatha found herself standing alone on the city street. The wind was as bitter as the frozen north, surging through the barren gap between towering buildings and ruthlessly assaulting her exposed face. It had a chilling touch that snapped her out of her pensive trance and back into the harsh reality. Despite the stark awakening, her mind remained consumed by a myriad of questions that threatened to shake the very foundations of her understanding and beliefs.

“Is it not the norm to commend those who take the initiative to report suspicions of heresy in Frost?”

“Is it possible that you’ve never operated a bank account? Does your church not engage in day-to-day interactions with ordinary folks?”

“Did you fail to identify that what you saw was a bank account number?”

The mere thought that her most significant oversight in dealing with the ethereal could happen in such mundane circumstances was beyond Agatha’s wildest imagination. She was certain that Bishop Ivan of the cathedral, and the passionate cryptographers and diviners who were tirelessly deciphering the “cryptic numbers” in the sacred hall, would share her astonishment.

A rhythmic clatter of approaching footsteps broke her contemplation. Her subordinates, who had taken refuge in a shelter adjacent to the building, were closing in. One of the guardians, dressed in an austere black uniform, noticed Agatha’s dazed demeanor and voiced his worry, “Are you alright? That house...”

Agatha swiftly raised her hand, cutting him mid-sentence. She took a brief backward glance, then laboriously moved towards a nearby steam-powered car, heavily reliant on her cane for support. Her voice was barely above a whisper, “Leave the inhabitants of this house undisturbed. Alert the local chapel and advise the guardians to steer clear from here. The Silent Cathedral will manage all direct communications with this residence.”

“Understood, Gatekeeper,” the black-clad guardian bowed in acknowledgement of his new directives. “Do you... require some rest?”

Agatha paused, then exhaled a weary sigh, “If it were possible, I’d immediately visit the closest church sanctuary or seek guidance from a reputable psychiatrist...”

The subordinate appeared startled, “Pardon?”

“Never mind that. I don’t need any rest,” Agatha dismissed his concerns with a wave of her hand, “Let’s head back to the cathedral. We need to initiate the search beneath the city-state immediately.”

...

“The church’s representatives have departed,” Morris observed from the comfort of his window, keeping a keen eye on the street activity. As the grey-blue steam car vanished into the intersection, he turned to Duncan, “I was certain they’d leave behind a few of their ‘observers’.”

“A gatekeeper in the Church of Death holds the same stature as an inquisitor in the Storm Church. She is bound by her promise. If she vowed not to cause disturbance, there wouldn’t be any underhanded tactics,” Vanna interjected from the side, “Moreover, she realizes that such actions would be futile.”

At this, Duncan quirked an eyebrow, shooting a glance at Vanna, “I half-expected you’d want to engage with that gatekeeper. After all, both of you tread the same path.”

“I struggle to envision any topic we could engage in,” Vanna dismissed the notion with a shake of her head. “My standing is rather complicated. As an inquisitor of the Storm Church or a representative of the Vanished, initiating dialogue with Frost’s church at this stage would only invite unnecessary complications.”

Duncan grunted noncommittally, choosing not to comment. The silence stretched on until Nina’s curiosity compelled her to speak up. “That ‘gatekeeper’ nun appeared rather enthused when she departed as though she harbored some strategy... What’s this search plan she hinted at? Uncle, do you have any insights?”

“I didn’t dare to reveal myself just then!” Dog recoiled slightly, “She is a gatekeeper after all. Of course, she’s no match for you, but given that Frost is currently sweeping the entire city for disciples of Annihilation and shadow demons, I feared that exposing myself could lead to a misunderstanding, which might inadvertently impede your operations...”

Dog’s justification held some weight, and Duncan decided against interrogating him further, but the situation it had reported certainly took everyone by surprise.

Gatekeeper Agatha, the preserver of Frost... how could she possibly harbor the aura of the Nether Lord?!

“Could it be... has the gatekeeper fallen from grace? Or has she been corrupted?” Morris pondered aloud, his tone laden with concern. “But her demeanor appeared utterly normal. There wasn’t any discrepancy in her speech or behavior...”

“Could she be oblivious to it?” Shirley tentatively chimed in from the sidelines. “Isn’t it said that cognitive corruption is the most elusive to detect, particularly for the person at the heart of it?”

Duncan remained silent but shifted his gaze towards Vanna.

“She doesn’t seem to have fallen or been corrupted, and she’s definitely not an imposter,” Vanna’s brow furrowed as she slowly articulated her thoughts, revisiting the various nuances of Agatha. “I didn’t detect any abnormal aura emanating from her. Dog, are you absolutely certain about what you sensed?”

“As I mentioned earlier, I’m not entirely confident if I interpreted the sensation accurately,” Dog articulated, his voice resonating with a sense of unease. “It was merely a subtle aura that echoed the profundity of the abyssal deep sea... It might not even be intrinsically hers. Besides, didn’t she mention that she recently apprehended some disciples of Annihilation? Even though they weren’t particularly significant figures, wouldn’t it be expected for her to have inadvertently absorbed some aura from the abyssal deep sea after incessantly dealing with them on a daily basis...”

Nevertheless, Duncan continued to furrow his brows.

While Dog’s rationale appeared plausible, he sensed that the situation wasn’t that straightforward. Would a seasoned priestess, a “gatekeeper” of the city-state, neglect to purify herself after interrogating heretics? Would she nonchalantly roam about, tainted by the aura of the heretics?

Vanna stepped forward, posing a question, “Should we summon the ‘gatekeeper’ here to clarify the situation? Or should we go to her?”

“Neither. If she is indeed on the brink of falling or has forged an alliance with the shadowy entities, any direct interaction could potentially tip her off,” Duncan shook his head, his gaze trailing in the direction Agatha had vanished. “I’ll stealthily monitor the situation. The rest of you should refrain from contacting her.”

Stealthily monitor?

Vanna paused, about to probe what Duncan meant by “stealthily monitor”, when something seemed to jog her memory—certain past recollections floated to the surface, leading to a sudden realization.

“You... implanted a mark on her?”

“She has seen me.”

Duncan responded with a slight nod. In his peripheral vision, a tiny green flame flickered softly at a spot a fair distance from their location.

That was the direction in which Agatha had exited.