Dorothy’s Forbidden Grimoire Novel - Chapter 405

**Chapter 405: Investigation and Verification**
**Conqueror Sea – Northern Shore, Wanaha**

Out past Wanaha’s borders, in the open marshland, a brief and one-sided battle had just ended. Dorothy, the undisputed winner, was now overseeing a group of corpse puppets efficiently tidying up the aftermath.

She didn’t immediately scavenge Massimo’s remains. Instead, she sealed his body within her Magic Box, then focused her corpse puppets on removing evidence—especially the scattered bullet casings and pools of blood. Once a rough cleanup was complete, she commanded the puppets to retreat with the Magic Box in tow.

Although this location was beyond the city, it wasn’t completely isolated. The earlier sounds of gunfire and subdued blasts had reached the ears of ordinary citizens nearby, and a few were starting to move toward the marsh. Thankfully, Dorothy had already prepared for this by dispatching bird-type corpse puppets overhead. From their elevated vantage points, she monitored wide sections of the area. Their collective view allowed her to track the movements of curious onlookers and orchestrate her puppet forces’ withdrawal without being spotted.

The cleanup left only faint remnants—nothing an average person would easily detect. And even if something lingered, the incoming tide would soon sweep the ground clean. Confident that nothing major would be uncovered, Dorothy wasn’t overly concerned.

With the help of her aerial scouts, she directed her team’s exit without incident. They mounted puppet horses and veered off along a roundabout path back toward Wanaha. Once all corpses were secured, Dorothy’s true body—stationed in a quiet seaside pavilion—rose and prepared to move out as well.

Her hair tucked neatly beneath a broad-brimmed hat, Dorothy casually guided the adult corpse puppet at her side, heading on foot in the direction of downtown Wanaha.

She took a scenic route along the coastline. Foot traffic was sparse. One side was flanked by thick green foliage; on the other, the ocean rolled gently against the shore, waves singing a calm rhythm as a steady breeze rustled through the leaves. Dorothy found the peaceful vibe oddly comforting.

*Wanaha… such a laid-back little town. I could almost see myself living here.*

As she strolled, taking in the tranquil sights, something caught her attention: a tall stone wall made of grey bricks ran along the inland side of the road. It was much higher than what you’d expect around a residential area.

*That wall’s massive… Definitely not just for someone’s house. What’s behind there?*

Curious, she directed the adult puppet to turn its head toward the wall. Through its eyes, she spotted a heavy iron gate set into the wall and a gloomy, window-shuttered five-story building beyond it. A sign, written in Castilian, hung on the locked gate. Drawing on her self-taught Castilian, she read the inscription aloud.

“Anxi Asylum.”

*Ah—an asylum. That explains the excessive height. I guess the ocean view is supposed to have a calming effect for the patients.*

With that thought, she turned her gaze away and continued on, passing the building without dwelling on it further.

Yet behind those barred gates, within the murky interior of the asylum’s upper floors, someone gently peeled back a curtain just enough to peer out. Their eyes were locked precisely on the direction of the distant marsh where the clash had occurred.

——

Having taken care of Massimo, Dorothy made her way back into central Wanaha. Her plan to head to Ivig had been derailed by the surprise appearance of the Abyssal Cult. With her next steps unclear, she opted to stay in town and recover.

Wanaha, like many of its coastal counterparts in Castilian territory, was plain and relatively unfrequented. Despite its coastal location, the town received little ship traffic, so foreign visitors were rare. That made the recent arrival of over 2,700 passengers from the Church fleet particularly overwhelming. Overnight, the town’s lodging facilities were packed to capacity.

Luckily, Dorothy had anticipated the influx. Being among the first to disembark, she’d booked her hotel before leisurely handling the likes of Costas and Massimo. She knew the cultists would be stuck at the harbor for hours trying to sort out the scent of “Thief K” from the masses. That gave her ample time to secure a room.

After reuniting with her puppets and retrieving the Magic Box, Dorothy strolled toward the hotel she had reserved. Once inside her room and the door securely bolted, she began sorting through what she’d gained.

She didn’t pull Massimo’s body out herself. Instead, a corpse puppet stationed within the Magic Box carried out the search. One item after another was passed out and laid across the desk. Dorothy carefully examined the loot, inspecting each piece methodically.

By the time Massimo had encountered her, he’d already been in a clash with Church forces. The ferocity of their attack had forced him to burn through most of his resources. So, unsurprisingly, what remained wasn’t much: a handful of charms, two “Lamp” energy coins, four small test-tube-sized vials filled with deep blue liquid, a wrist-mounted mechanism for the vials, and a stash of cash.

*No ‘Shadow’ reserves left. Figures—he probably used them all up evading the Church’s detection spells. Pity… But hey, two ‘Lamp’ coins still count as a win. Saved me from burning through my own energy.*

She picked up one of the “Lamp” tokens and placed it on a ritual sheet etched with a diagnostic circle. The glow faded quickly as the spell granted her temporary appraisal powers.

She started with the charms. Among the standard Life-Eating variants, she also spotted Water Absorption Talismans—the same ones Massimo had used to trace “Thief K”’s scent, and which had prompted her to employ the button decoy tactic.

*Breath-searching talismans—perfect. I’ve been out of these ever since Adel’s last batch. Finally, a good restock.*

One other charm, which she hadn’t seen before, drew her attention. The sigil on it pointed to the “Cup” affinity. Her ritual confirmed its identity:

“Water Absorption Charm: Allows a human to breathe underwater like a fish, powered by ‘Cup’ energy.”

*Underwater breathing? Now that’s useful. No wonder Massimo’s people could swim ashore unnoticed. At sea, these are gold.*

There were three of them. Quite pleased, she moved on to the dark blue vials she’d recovered from Massimo’s sleeves and the odd wrist-mounted frame.

“Sealed Water Flask: Capable of holding around 30 liters of liquid despite its size. Contents remain compressed, appearing dark blue.”

*Thirty liters in something this tiny? Four of them means 120 total. That’s more water than in a full dispenser!*

Intrigued, she analyzed the wrist device next. The appraisal confirmed its role as a launcher—when fitted with a flask, it could unleash the water instantly. This explained the water-based assaults she’d witnessed. Clearly, Water Elementalists used these tools to simulate aquatic settings wherever they went.

*A must-have for Water Path casters away from natural water. Sure, they can summon water using energy, but this gives instant volume. Like my lightning—it’s all about environmental synergy.*

Given what Massimo could do, she silently gave thanks that their battle hadn’t taken place out at sea.

*Valuable for their type. Not something I can use… yet. Still, worth keeping.*

With the gear assessed, Dorothy tallied the currency Massimo carried. Being an international traveler, his money came in a variety of denominations. After converting it all to Prutik pounds, she counted roughly three hundred.

*Three hundred pounds… Not exactly rich. I expected more from a gem chaser. Not even a single artifact. Just plain cash.*

A bit underwhelmed, she returned everything to the Magic Box—everything except the item she most wanted to inspect.

From within the Box, she carefully retrieved the sizable, dulled blue crystal—the Deep Blue Heart. Both Costas and Massimo had gone to great lengths for this artifact tied to the Abyssal cult. Now, it was her turn to uncover why.

She channeled spiritual pressure into it and placed it on the ritual circle. The appraisal spell activated immediately:

“Deep Blue Heart: Sacred item blessed by a ‘Cup’ divinity. Essential for multiple rituals. When placed on water, draws fish from a vast radius.”

*Blessed by ‘Cup’… That makes sense. So it’s been sanctified by a water-aligned deity? Explains the cult’s obsession.*

Divine objects were sacred to cults and organizations. They represented a connection to their patron power.

*A key ritual item… Carrying divine power. No wonder they prized it so highly. Unfortunately, unless I plan to fish full-time, it’s not all that helpful.*

Still, as she tucked it back into the Magic Box, she had no intention of letting it go. Even if it wasn’t useful now, its spiritual and ornamental worth was undeniable.

*Not immediately practical, but definitely valuable. Could sell it later—or find a use I haven’t thought of yet.*

With the circle packed away, she reviewed her energy budget. Her recent upgrades had reduced puppet costs, and the electromagnetic burst she used with Nevis to take down Massimo had cost 2 “Stone” and 2 “Enlightenment”. Adding that to what she’d spent fighting Barns earlier, her current spiritual reserves now read:

5 “Cup”, 5 “Stone”, 5 “Shadow”, 2 “Lamp”, 14 “Silence”, 7 “Enlightenment”

Vania’s story aboard the Church ship had helped her save on Shadow energy too.

*Tch… Running low again. Especially on “Cup” and “Stone”—my core elements. These affinities eat through reserves like nothing. Gotta resupply soon.*

Night had settled in fully. Looking out at the darkened city, she made her plan.

*Tomorrow, I’ll explore the town. Check if there’s a White Stonemason Guild nearby. Maybe pick up some learning material.*

As she wound down for the night, she had already decided what tomorrow would bring.