Haida did not pursue that topic, nor did she address Ahern as father. She directly inquired about his reason for appearing here.
He hadn't shown up even during the descent of the Cup's Servant, so why come at this time?
Ahern glanced at the still-twitching pallid corpse within the [Dissolve the Blasphemous] array, then turned his gaze back to Haida.
"I came to resolve the final hidden danger. However... you have already completed my work."
Haida's elegant brows slightly furrowed, feeling the thoughts she had finally begun to sort out become muddled again in the few words from Ahern.
"What did you mean initially by 'they have already left'?"
"The Red Cup Sect got what they wanted; naturally, they had no reason to stay here."
"..."
Ahern's words plunged everyone into silence. The surroundings grew quiet; even the dripping sounds from the metal pipes became clear and distinct.
"Like the High Priest split into three, the 'Drinker' also has three bodies. After losing two, the sole surviving Cup's Servant escaped my pursuit. He has now returned to Attila."
After speaking, Ahern lightly pressed down his hat brim and once again walked into the shadow cast by the pillar.
"Haida, you completed my hunt. According to the precept, I shall share a trophy with you."
Before his words fully faded, an ancient leather-bound tome emerged from Haida's shadow.
By the time she picked up the tome, Ahern's figure had completely vanished into the deep darkness of the shadows.
Lamplight and shadows intertwined; only the chill aura still lingering in the air proved he had been there.
"Huff..."
Only after confirming Ahern had left did Rosalia dare to breathe a bit more audibly. Merely being scanned by his gaze had made her feel a profound sense of death, as if her head had been severed. Real and intense, like the cold breath of the Grim Reaper brushing past her ear.
She reached back to touch her shirt; it was soaked with cold sweat without her noticing.
Just then, the comms device dangling from Haida's earlobe transmitted an announcement. The eleventh status confirmation had begun.
"Squad One currently holding position. Code phrase: Elderberry."
"Squad Two currently holding position. Code phrase: Joseph's Coat."
...
Since another five rounds had passed, the code phrase order had returned to its initial state. Apart from Squad Four's absence, there were no other errors.
After a brief deliberation, Haida issued the order to conclude the mission.
"The Burial Primus has updated instructions. This purge has been confirmed complete... All squads rendezvous by original route and return to base."
"Termination code phrase: Thorn Apple Flower."
—
Early next morning, Fog Street Clinic.
Night had completely receded, the stars had hidden their light. A sliver of morning sun hung at the edge of the sky, its glimmering light passing through the gauze-like mist.
Ding—
As the Pokémon flute alarm sounded, Fran, clad in thin sleepwear, rubbed her eyes, pushed back the covers, and sat up from her soft, warm, and temptingly decadent bed.
Almost simultaneously, the sound of knuckles knocking on the door also came.
Knock, knock, knock.
Clearly, Sigrid had strictly followed Fran's instructions from last night, coming to wake her right on time.
Fran simply tidied her garments, which had become disheveled from an undignified sleeping posture, put on her shirt and white coat, and then stepped out of the bedroom.
Sigrid was right outside, her hands resting before her abdomen, her maid's uniform worn neatly and appropriately.
"Doctor Fran, Sister Haida is here."
Sigrid had originally intended to let Fran rest longer until noon. But since Sister Haida was visiting... she had to wake her on time.
"Oh? I understand."
Fran quite playfully raised an eyebrow, a meaningful glint flashing in her amber eyes.
She looked towards the front room. The nun lady was currently sitting upright on the sofa, holding a grey-yellow leather-bound tome.
Haida's visit meant she had reached a conclusion about her earlier reminder. Faster than expected... Did she suddenly gain inspiration, or did someone give her assistance?
"Good day, Doctor Fran."
Seeing Fran with her feathered ears disheveled and sleepy-eyed, Haida pursed her lips. She realized she had come too early and might have disturbed the other's rest...
"Mmm~ Good day."
Fran succinctly returned the greeting and walked over to sit slowly on the sofa opposite Haida.
"I've been working on a research project that's reached its final stage recently, so I stayed up a bit. Though I couldn't get a comfortable, healthy full eight hours of sleep, but it's nothing serious. I truly don't mind at all..."
Though her tone was as gentle as ever and her lips carried a familiar smile, Haida could very clearly detect a deep-seated grievance within...
"...My apologies."
Adhering to the Secrets-Hunter's consistent sense of right and wrong, Haida very decisively admitted fault.
Fran gave a slight nod, accepting the apology.
By now, Sigrid had prepared two cups of coffee, placing them quietly and steadily on the tea table before them.
"From the Falscher Islands, 'Geisha.' A gift from a previous patient. Relatively high sweetness, with tropical notes of flowers and fruit. I hope you don't mind tasting it."
Hmm... Was it truly a "gift" given by others?
For some reason, the scene of Fran taking silk tea bags from Ms. Solani's cabinet flashed through Haida's mind.
At that time, her actions were fluid and natural, with an almost innate feel, as if everything was meant to be that way.
"Thank you."
Harboring not-so-great speculation, she took the teacup and took a small sip. Haida never doubted Fran's taste in food and drinks.
It entered the mouth smoothly, with a rich floral aroma, with complex layers of flavor, sweetness hidden within. Though Haida usually drank extra-strong coffee for alertness at work, she didn't actually like overly intense bitterness.
"It's very good." Putting down the porcelain cup, Haida offered a sincere compliment.
"Just some minor collections, not worth mentioning."
Fran watched Haida with interest, then interlaced her fingers, adopting a slightly more serious demeanor, steering the conversation to the main point.
"Haida, regarding that spur-of-the-moment little reminder earlier... I presume you've found the answer?"
"Yes." Haida nodded, then displayed the tome Ahern had given her.
—The Skin Creed scripture, Crimson Visage.
Though not the original, it was an ancient rubbing of the same format, tanned and stitched together from the skin of a deceased High Priest.
"O Great Mother, the mountain ranges are her progeny, birth and devour exist because of her. Satiated delights, desires and temptations weave her skin and flesh; gestation and stripping, suffering forms her heart chambers and marrow bone."
Haida recited this ancient text of that creed, her voice clear, cool, and solemn.
"The sundial's shadow is forever stagnant at her fifteenth hour; the three parts of the Holy Grail shape her primal, original form. Remember this, take it as the feast. Do not transgress, do not be lacking, O all you fools who falsely claim bloodline..."
After reading two paragraphs, Haida paused slightly, raising her hand to close the Skin Creed scripture.
"'The sundial's shadow is forever stagnant at her fifteenth hour' indicates her sacred hour is 15:00, that is, 3 PM."
"This also corresponds to 'the three parts of the Holy Grail shape her primal, original form.' Moreover, her holy symbol is a cup-shaped inverted triangle. From this, it can be known... her sacred number is three."
"Correct! A flawless deduction!"
Before Haida's words fully faded, Fran's applause had already sounded. A smile played on her lips; she seemed quite pleased.
"I only did some insignificant work. If not for the text within this scripture, my conclusion would have been much simpler."
Haida waved her hand quite modestly.
Knowing this deity's sacred number and hour, many previous anomalies could now be explained.
For example, why were there exactly 15 survivors left in the Birth-Feast Hall cradles? Why did the High Priest split into three bodies? And why did the first-category ritual [Summon the Drinker] require three High Priests to sacrifice themselves at three widely separated array nodes?...
"No need for undue modesty, Sister Haida. Appropriately accepting praise can effectively improve a tense mental state, you know?"
Fran lifted the porcelain cup's handle and drank the remaining coffee in one go. Then she extended her pink tongue to lick clean the dense milk froth clinging to her lips.
"Actually, you sensed the incongruity early on, didn't you?"
"Even if Red Cup High Priests truly were death-defying fanatics, they shouldn't be so readily expended. That they so gladly sacrificed themselves—besides 'faith,' could there be another reason?"
"Now, the answer is obvious. The reason they feared not death... was because another self of theirs still lived."
Haida agreed with Fran's assessment.
Fanatics were cunning and vicious, having discarded all morality and principles from common sense. They could not be simply described by the stereotype of "fearing no death."
"However... Haida, how did you obtain this Skin Creed scripture? A trophy from the purge mission?"
Fran was somewhat curious about this.
Such rubbings of original scriptures were very rare. High Priests might possess them, but wouldn't necessarily carry them on their person...
"Not exactly. I encountered the third body of the Suffer-Walkers High Priest in the sewers. After dealing with him... father appeared and gave me this Skin Creed scripture."
Haida described the situation of the purge mission, a complex expression surfacing in her grey-chestnut eyes.
"Oh, so the Burial Primus returned so early. That means he likely only chased down one Cup's Servant..."
Fran gently rubbed the black seams on her neck, lost in thought.
—
Haida listened quietly, a complex look flickering in her grey-chestnut eyes.
In outsiders' eyes, as the daughter of the Burial Primus, Haida should be the one who understood Ahern best.
But in reality, she knew very little about her father... From birth until now, their time spent together probably added up to less than a year.
Though she witnessed Ahern behead a Dancer High Priest during the Budding Moon rite, that was the prowess expected of the Chief Hunter, not surprising. But being able to effortlessly hunt a Cup's Servant alone... truly let her feel astonishment.
After all, that was a divine servant descended via the first-category ritual [Summon the Drinker].
Shedding mortal bones, tainted with divinity, even if its form was not yet stable upon initially entering the material world, the Cup's Servant had displayed overwhelming power. If Yvonne hadn't used primordial magic to annihilate it in one strike, the Blood Sacred Tree it was finally forming would likely have claimed everyone present.
That such an entity had perished silently in Norlington's sewers...
No wonder those heretical priests who accompanied evil spawn always referred to the Burial Primus with fear as "Taboo" or "Monster."
Fran curved her lips slightly, seemingly having already guessed Haida's thoughts.
"No need for excessive surprise, Sister Haida. A Cup's Servant freshly entered into the material world is actually quite fragile. Before the transformation of the 'heart' is complete, if the White Cup Cult were willing to shell the entire district, there would also be a high probability of destroying it."
"Yes. Its form was indeed very unstable, much more fragile than imagined."
Haida, after all, had experience in assassinating a Cup's Servant and had some insights on this.
"But... still, one Cup's Servant managed to escape. The Red Cup Sect's goal has been achieved."
With a touch of regret, Haida lowered her eyes and brows, sighing softly.
A Cup's Servant was so dangerous even at its most fragile. If it obtained enough sacrificial offerings and sufficient time to complete its heart transformation... it would likely grow to a difficult-to-handle level in the future.
Fran picked up a slender silver spoon between her fingers, tapping it lightly against the cup's rim.
"Their plan began during the Great Plague and was executed without regard for cost. Acolytes, High Priests, even the Cup's Servant itself could all be discarded as pawns when appropriate. Such a grand scheme naturally requires corresponding ambitions."
Though unclear who the mastermind behind the scenes was, Fran quite admired that kind of reckless yet calculated gambling mindset.
If given another such opportunity, she would like to play a game with that person.
Fran then leaned back, pressing all her weight into the sofa's velvet cushions, her expression lazy and comfortable.
"No need to worry too much about it. Even if a 'Cup's Servant' fully adapted to this world, it's not unmanageable. After all, every cult has first-category rituals... just the costs differ."
"Yes."
During her several years stranded in the Lands Between, Haida had witnessed Demigods and true deities, as well as her "student" Yvonne lift the Elden Ring and ascend the throne... This had made her threshold for acceptance exceptionally high.
Though the future trouble of a divine servant's escape could not be underestimated, there was no need to panic over it.
"Doctor Fran, what have you been busy with lately? Is there an important research topic?"
From the moment they met, Haida had noticed Fran's slightly bluish eye circles and had been quite concerned.
+++
T/N: Hey readers~! New Translator here! Before I say anything, I'd first like to thank the original author for creating this wonderful story. Without them, I wouldn't have the chance to share this adventure with you. I hope my translation does justice to their work, and that together, we can enjoy this story.
With that said, I'm happy to let you know I'll be uploading daily chapters. And for those who wish to support my work and gain early access, I've set up a Patreon where advanced chapters will be available.
[email protected]/PeakTL