Bella had grown thin.
The arduous voyage across the sea and the fierce, repetitive battles against the mist on the Archipelago had not managed to weaken her.
But since coming ashore, during the journey from the port to the City of Oaths, she had seen the mycelial blanket spreading everywhere and the mushroom forests standing tall.
Whenever she activated her Vision of Truth, the sky remained the sky, but the earth was no longer the earth. The entire world appeared as a writhing, churning mass of chaos.
It was especially difficult whenever it was time to eat. Seeing others stuff that kind of thing into their mouths with looks of pure enjoyment made her lose her appetite completely.
The best solution, naturally, was to stop using her ability.
However, whenever Bella encountered a presence that felt significantly threatening, her body would activate it instinctively, bypassing her brain and judgment as naturally as breathing.
Priest Samuel had once told her that this was proof of her natural talent for combat.
In the past, this instinct had helped her discover monsters disguised as allies, identify magical creatures hidden underground, and avoid invisible curses.
Now, however, this very instinct was nearly the death of her.
She had spent almost the entire journey vomiting until she was utterly exhausted.
There was no doubt about it—the mycelial blankets were dangerous.
During this time, she had managed to ask enough questions to understand why the mycelial blankets and puji were everywhere, and she knew that the world becoming like this was an unavoidable outcome.
Fortunately, after vomiting her way across the land, she had finally started to grow accustomed to it.
It wasn't that she had grown used to the chaos, but her body finally seemed to accept the fact that 'this is just how the world is.' She no longer activated her vision as a reflex every time she encountered mycelium.
And so, Bella's group finally arrived at the City of Oaths.
Looking from a distance, the City of Oaths was already vastly different—it had become the central node of the New Defense Line.
The city walls extended from their original foundations toward both sides, reaching as far as the eye could see, their surfaces densely carved with runes.
She recognized some of them. They were the standard protective runes of the United Kingdom: fortification, anti-magic, and warning. Most of this knowledge had been taught to her by Priest Samuel.
Of course, she only knew how to recognize them; Bella had no talent for magic herself.
However, among them, there seemed to be a mix of runes from other systems. She couldn't identify them, but her intuition suggested they originated from the Elves.
'If only the Archipelago had defenses like these...' When she thought about the small-scale defense systems on the Archipelago that could only protect the slave owners' manors, she could only sigh.
Those loathsome slave owners had nothing but their own interests and safety in their heads, never considering the other people on the islands.
Fortunately, they had all disappeared.
Some had vanished into the mist, while others were simply presumed to have vanished into the mist.
Duke Lorenzo personally greeted Bella at the city gate.
When he saw how haggard Bella looked, he froze for a moment before stepping forward with sincere concern. "I heard you went to the Archipelago. Are the conditions there truly so harsh? If the Brave or the others have any material needs, please do not hesitate to speak up. We will do our utmost to provide aid."
—
"No... Duke Lorenzo, it is not what you think..."
An official from the group also hurried forward, quickly and quietly explaining the situation to Lorenzo.
After that, Bella was settled into a clean residence.
The so-called "cleanliness" here referred to the fact that there was not a single mycelial blanket nearby. Even in the garden outside, there were only normal plants instead of various kinds of mushrooms.
This environment almost moved Bella to tears after the suffering she had endured on the road.
It was here that Bella and Lorenzo discussed official business.
During the Great Human-Demon War, the mist had continuously advanced, even surging onto the mainland, let alone the Archipelago.
However, the Archipelago had not been completely wiped out. Although the losses were heavy, by relying on years of experience in dealing with the mist, the people on several islands had managed to repel the mist time and again, barely surviving.
After the great war, the mist receded. While these people had survived, the Archipelago had been turned into little more than a wasteland.
Even worse, they were frequently attacked by insects crawling out of the sea.
It was during this time that Sophia arrived at the Archipelago. In the name of the Brave, she gathered the remaining people to her side.
Originally, Priest Samuel wanted to rebuild the Archipelago and turn it into a force that could assist the Brave, which would be much safer than returning to the Kingdom.
However, heaven refuses human wishes. Reconstruction was only halfway finished when the mist, which had previously receded, began to press forward once more.
Although the mist's speed was not fast this time, anyone could see that the Archipelago was no longer suitable for habitation. They had to consider returning to the mainland.
To prevent traitors from selling information regarding the Brave's whereabouts, Bella had come alone this time to establish a direct line of communication with Duke Lorenzo.
The official discussion went very smoothly. Lorenzo mentioned in passing that the Elves also wanted to send people to assist Sophia, and Bella stated she would relay this to the Brave upon her return.
Once their business was concluded, Lorenzo suddenly asked, "Speaking of which, is the skill that caused your physical discomfort along the way called Vision of Truth?"
Bella nodded.
Lorenzo continued, "In that case, there is someone who might be able to offer you some useful advice."
"Useful advice for me? Who?" Bella asked, puzzled.
"Her name is Solarine. She is a warrior of the Light Church's Wings of Judgment. Like you, she possesses the Vision of Truth skill. She should be able to help you."
Bella's eyes instantly lit up. She remembered Priest Samuel mentioning that there was someone in the Church who also possessed the Vision of Truth skill. Now she knew it was this Solarine.
"I would be honored if you could introduce us, Duke. Thank you."
Not long after, Bella met Solarine and saw those silver-glowing eyes that matched her own.
To Bella's surprise, Solarine actually kept her silver eyes active constantly, even before she had entered this clean manor.
One had to remember that the outside was covered in mycelium!
After they were introduced, Bella couldn't help but ask about it.
—
Upon hearing the question, Solarine smiled brightly. "Forgive me for asking, Bella, but your Vision of Truth hasn't reached level eight yet, has it?"
"Probably... not."
Currently, there was no way to check one's own skill levels on the Archipelago, and Lady Sophia couldn't always be there to tell her about changes in skill levels. Therefore, Bella wasn't entirely sure about the specific levels of her various abilities.
But she had only possessed the Vision of Truth for a few years; it was clearly impossible for her to have trained it to level eight or higher.
Solarine leaned in a bit closer, her silver eyes staring intently at Bella. "Use your Vision of Truth more. it will lead you to see everything clearly! Believe me, that is not filthy corruption, but a salvation descended from the Lord that embraces everything!"
"Everyone shall be saved."
Solarine left, but Bella felt a chill run down her spine.
She felt that the other woman might have already been driven mad by those infinite blocks of chaotic color.
'I won't end up like that too, will I?'
After this, Bella met several more people.
There were envoys from the Elves, scholars from the Relic Association, and generals who commanded the army.
These were all people who might cooperate with the Brave in the future.
Finally, she met Inanna, the Duke's daughter who was known as a war hero.
The moment she shook hands with Inanna, her Vision of Truth activated instinctively once again.
Then, she saw a color so pink it bordered on purple, as well as a crimson red that wrapped around Inanna's entire body, appearing as if it would burn everything in the vicinity to ash.
Bella instinctively took two steps back to create distance. Once the silver glow faded from her eyes, she saw no sign of any intense fire.
Faced with Bella's rudeness, Inanna didn't seem to mind. She simply spoke, "Bella, I have something to say to you."
Bella was still a bit shaken. "Is it regarding the Brave...?"
"No, it has nothing to do with the Brave. I am here to find you." As Inanna spoke, she followed the Boss's request and handed an Image-Recording Crystal to the bewildered Bella.