The ship slowly entered the waters controlled by the Holy Mother Church.

Although the entire region was under the Church's dominion, its territory was far smaller than that of the Blood Gold Alliance, roughly a quarter of its size.

On every island within its sphere of influence, the Virgin Mary was worshipped. There was something undeniably strange about it.

The treasure-hunting group was, in essence, affiliated with the Holy Mother Church, yet no one had ever attempted to spread the faith among them. Logically, every member aboard the ship should have been a believer.

After all, churches devoted to her existed even within the Blood Gold Alliance. On Turan Island, for instance, where Ed had first gone ashore, there stood a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

The Blood Gold Alliance did not forbid belief in her. If anything, it regarded the faith as a stabilizing influence.

Ed stood by the window, gazing at the island in the distance. No large ships sailed near it; only a few small fishing boats bobbed on the waves.

It did not appear to be an important island.

"Why are we stopping here?" Ed asked Jason, who was leaning against the ship's railing, enjoying the sea breeze.

Jason smirked. "We're a private treasure-hunting group, Ed. We can't just sail directly to the Cathedral of the Holy Mother. We need to stop here first and receive official permission. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

Ed nodded, falling deep into thought. The only thing on his mind was whether he would get some free time, and if there was a decent brothel. Judging by the undeveloped port and the size of the island, however, he didn't have much hope.

The ship gradually docked, settling into one of the berths.

Ed glanced around the port. The island was clearly a minor outpost; there was barely enough room to accommodate their three-masted sailing ship. Still, it was fortunate to have a port at all.

The crew gathered on deck. Andre scanned the group and asked, "Does anyone want to come ashore with us this time?"

The question was met with indifference.

Seeing their lack of interest, Andre sighed. "Fine. Everyone else will wait here on the ship."

He glanced at Ed and one other crewmember before shaking his head slightly. The group then dispersed.

Ed and the other sailor followed Andre ashore.

Ahead lay an unremarkable port town, only slightly more developed than the one on Golden Wheat Island, where Ed had been born. As for how developed that island was? It lacked even a barber shop—one could imagine the rest.

Andre led them through the town to a church nestled at its edge.

Ed looked up. This was his first real look at a church of the Holy Mother.

The structure was built of grayish-white stone. Its shadowy hue stood in contrast to the bright midday sun, which seemed unable to impart any brilliance to the building.

The church featured an arched dome adorned with intricate patterns and finely crafted statues. Its walls were engraved with depictions of flowers, plants, and sprawling fields of wheat.

The group stepped inside.

The central aisle was covered with a dark, earth-toned carpet, flanked on both sides by rows of simple pews.

At the front stood a statue: a woman with a blurred face cradling a baby, while a child knelt at her feet, holding a bundle of wheat.

Ed stared at the statue, then turned to Andre.

Andre had crossed his arms over his chest in what appeared to be a devout gesture of prayer—a clear sign of reverence.

It was only then that Ed realized: the so-called Virgin Mary was, in fact, the Stone Mother. No wonder he had felt a sense of déjà vu when he first heard the name.

These were merely different titles for the same deity, a common practice, as a god could have many names reflecting various aspects of their power and reach.

Ed mirrored the gesture, crossing his arms over his own chest. After all, she had demonstrated her divine power, so of course he believed in her. Superficial as it might be, it cost him nothing to show respect.

He thought it over: wasn't his home island, blessed by the Stone Mother, essentially a sacred land? No wonder no one had ever preached to him about her. He had been born in one of the faith's strongest bastions, already living under the Stone Mother's protection. How could outsiders dare preach to someone like him? It seemed he had been a regular follower all along.

After a brief period of prayer, an old man dressed as a priest approached.

He wore a brown robe embroidered with a pattern resembling wheat ears. Walking up to Andre, he crossed his arms, and the two exchanged nods.

"Andre, your message has been received. The ship will arrive within the hour. Go to the harbor and prepare."

His voice carried a gentle authority. He then glanced at Ed and Jason standing beside Andre. His gaze lingered on Jason for a moment, a slight smile crossing his face as he nodded. Finally, his eyes settled on Ed. Without hesitation, he reached out and patted Ed gently on the head.

"Good boy," He said warmly.

The look in the priest's eyes was reminiscent of how one might regard a grandson. The affectionate gesture left Ed feeling somewhat stiff, but he managed a polite smile and a slight nod in return.

Is this the benefit of being a devoted follower of the same god? This old priest seems deeply pleased with me, even upon a first meeting. Ed smiled inwardly, maintaining an outward calm.

"May the Stone Mother protect you," Ed said, folding his hands respectfully.

The priest's smile widened. "Alright, you may proceed."

Andre gave Ed a subtle thumbs-up and led him and Jason toward the back of the church.

Without waiting for Ed to ask, Andre began to explain. "The Virgin Mary is the Stone Mother. The title 'Virgin Mary' is simply more convenient for preaching. As for our secret treasure-hunting operations, our duties are minimal. Our primary purpose is to help the church recover artifacts related to the Stone Mother, as well as gather any information pertaining to powerful [Treasures]."

"So that's how it is," Ed replied, nodding in understanding.

"Priest Pakshi was once my direct superior," Andre added casually.

No wonder Priest Pakshi had been so confident entrusting me to Andre's team, Ed realized. From the beginning, Andre and his companions had exuded an unwavering, almost familial confidence.

For instance, even though Ed had only just joined, they had shared all manner of secret information and ongoing activities with him without a second thought. It had felt as though Ed had been born into their group, a sentiment that had initially struck him as peculiar. He had assumed it was simply their way of operating, but now he understood: they genuinely saw him as one of their own.

As these thoughts passed through his mind, the three traversed the path behind the church, eventually entering a tunnel carved through the mountain. Emerging on the other side, they found themselves in a vast cavern. The ceiling soared high above, spacious enough to accommodate a ship the size of the Blue Fist.

Sure enough, as they continued forward, a simple port came into view, a hidden harbor, concealed within the cliffs encircling the island. Ed surmised the church at the front had been constructed specifically to obscure this secret entrance.

The three found some stools nearby and sat down to wait, chatting idly to pass the time. Before long, Ed spotted a ship on the horizon, sailing steadily toward the cave mouth.

As the vessel drew closer, its full form came into view, gliding gracefully into the cavern. Ed lifted his gaze to study it.

Its figurehead was a statue of a heavily armored knight wielding a longsword. The ship's hull was painted in a blend of gold and milky white, radiating a palpable sense of sanctity. The sails were pure white, bearing a distinct emblem: a pair of simple crossed arms, encircled by two ears of wheat.

This, Ed thought, must be the true symbol of the Church.

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