Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire Novel - Chapter 402

Chapter 402: Cover
Over the restless waters of the Conqueror Sea, the Glorious Church’s pilgrimage fleet surged northward, bound for the mainland. Fresh from rescuing the passengers and crew of the Flash White Pearl, every ship now groaned under the weight of hundreds of new occupants. Survivors spilled into every corridor, nook, and exposed deck space, packed shoulder to shoulder with little room to breathe.

Inside the command vessel of the fleet, Senior Deacon Jode—the flotilla’s leading ecclesiastical authority—was in deep discussion with Captain Kostas, former master of the sunken liner. Kostas’s posture stiffened the moment he heard where they were headed, and how quickly they’d arrive.

“Wanah? You’re serious? We’re going to Wanah? And… we’ll make landfall in just one day?”

Kostas, standing straight-backed in the captain’s quarters, could hardly conceal his disbelief. According to the calculations he’d made—based on his own deliberate course adjustments—they should’ve ended up much farther south. The projected route to Wanah from their actual location didn’t line up. Something wasn’t adding up.

“Yes, Wanah,” Jode confirmed, calmly leaning back into his chair as he began to steep tea. “It’s the closest functional port on the charts. Small, yes. Its facilities are modest, but they’ll suffice for disembarking passengers. We’ll only stay as long as necessary.”

Kostas’s jaw tightened. The sudden appearance of the Holy Fleet had already thrown him off balance, and now this… Jode’s mention of Wanah verified the creeping suspicion gnawing at him. They weren’t anywhere near White Tear Island anymore. His carefully planned navigation had been subverted. The conclusion was bitter but clear: sabotage. Thief K. That insufferable pest. She must’ve tampered with their heading in secret, manipulating the course right under his nose despite his constant monitoring.

While Kostas stewed in this growing realization, Jode finished preparing his tea and took a slow, contemplative sip. Then, fixing a curious look on the captain, he spoke again.

“By the way… during the rescue, I heard something intriguing from a few passengers. There was a theft during your voyage, was there not? Someone going by ‘K’ stole a priceless blue sapphire right in the middle of a public viewing? Quite brazenly, I gather. No one could stop her. Can you verify this, Captain?”

The question snapped Kostas to attention, though his face remained composed.

“Ah… yes. That thief—Thief K—was remarkably elusive. Both Collector Massimo and I were thoroughly deceived. She made off with the Deep Blue Heart. We admit, had we been a little more cautious, we might’ve prevented it.”

He spoke in a level, measured tone, portraying the event as a professional failure rather than anything extraordinary. Jode regarded him with sharp interest, like a man peering beneath the surface.

“And this thief… did you observe anything during her escape that defied normal human capacity? Exceptional strength, unnatural reflexes, anything uncanny? Also, would you say there’s a possible link between her and the catastrophic boiler incident?”

“Superhuman traits…?” Kostas frowned slightly, as if trying to recall. “She was agile, yes—very physically capable. Performed some impressive acrobatics. But nothing beyond the realm of trained performers. I’ve seen circus acts do similar things. And no… nothing overtly supernatural. Her exit involved a lot of smoke and distractions—very stage-show in style.”

He shook his head firmly when addressing the other matter. “As for the boilers, I don’t believe there’s a connection. After she fled, we swept the entire ship. We were down one lifeboat, leading us to conclude she abandoned ship immediately after the theft. The sabotage occurred well after. Given her apparent goal was to steal the gem, it seems irrational to jeopardize the entire ship’s infrastructure. No real gain there.”

Kostas framed Thief K as a high-level pickpocket—brilliant, but human. Jode took another long sip of his tea, then gave a thoughtful nod.

“I see… That perspective certainly downplays any link between her and the mechanical disaster. Unfortunate. If she had been involved, we might’ve had a path toward finding the true cause of the failure.”

He glanced over his cup at Kostas. “Still, your recollection clarifies things. Thank you, Captain. You’ve carried a great burden, managing chaos while your ship crumbled around you. I recommend you take some rest.”

“I appreciate your understanding, Eminence,” Kostas replied, his expression formally respectful. He turned and left, pulling the door closed behind him with silent finality. The moment he was alone in the corridor, he exhaled a quiet, suppressed breath—laced with tension.

Outside on the open deck, Kostas stepped into the crowd of evacuees sprawled across the wooden planks like so much debris. His eyes swept across them coldly, not with compassion, but calculation.

Forced into playing the part of protector for that vermin… how revolting, he thought bitterly. Aligning himself with the Church’s rescue fleet had come with a cruel cost—he had to conceal the true nature of what had transpired. If the clergy even suspected involvement of an unnatural kind, the scrutiny would intensify. All of them—crew, cultists, infiltrators—would be in jeopardy.

So long as suspicion remained in the realm of the ordinary, his deceptions could hold. That meant keeping Thief K’s true capabilities hidden, even if it chafed at every nerve in his body. Each lie he’d offered to Jode was a small torment—but a necessary one.

Now, aboard this holy vessel, he and that insufferable girl were in the same prison. However much he wanted her dead, their fates were chained together. The moment one was revealed, the other would follow. He had no choice but to play the long game.

Wanah. That’s where it would end. Once they reached land, the real pursuit could begin. But even now… even trapped, he was already hunting.

< So then… Thief. ><e/m>

His fingers curled around the small button hidden inside his coat pocket—the key to locating her once the moment was right. As the fleet pressed onward over darkening waves, his thoughts sharpened to a singular point.

Solid ground was near. And when they touched shore… there would be no more hiding.