n

n

nThe clouds crackled, the thunder erupted, and the rain showered, yet the world seemed so silent at that moment.

n“How far must a mind be pushed for it to become so hopeless? That one can think of no other way of liberation but to kill oneself?” Sylvester wondered vocally and pushed back Augustus’ body so it could rest.

n“Augustus, I understand why the church has been getting weaker since its inception. It turns out, the church itself is its own biggest enemy.”

n“Maxy, why didn’t you save him?” Miraj asked in a low, sad voice from underneath Sylvester’s robes, near the chest.

nSylvester sighed and brushed Miraj’s hair with his palms. “I know a broken man when I see one. He had made up his mind, and sometimes, you should respect a man’s choice no matter what. Even if I had saved him, he’d have been like an empty husk with no emotions.”

nSylvester then picked Augustus’ body in his arms and started walking towards the village of the tribe. “That Saint Seer sure likes to dig his own grave, it seems.”

nSo, he sauntered into the darkness of the night. The pale face of Augustus would always attract Sylvester’s attention from time to time and put him in deep thought. The sword was still planted in the chest, as Sylvester refused to touch it until he had shown it to those who needed to see it.

nEventually, he arrived at the tribal village and found someone waiting for him.

n“Priest of Solis, I was ordered by the Priest to bring you to the temple. You will be staying the night there.” The tribesman informed him with his head held low and a voice full of fear.

nSylvester passed by him. “Thank you. You can leave and rest now, my brother in faith.”

nHe spent no time climbing the short stairs and entered the building at the end of the village. Inside, a small fire was lit, and two mattresses were placed near the walls, while near the idol of Spirit Mirnor, a few candles were kept lit.

n“So you knew only one of us would be returning alive?” Sylvester asked after seeing the two mattresses.

nOnly Sir Dolorem was there, sitting. “Was it a fight?”

n“Worse. He took his own life, Sir Dolorem. But it wasn’t because of me or the secret he had learnt. It was because of what the church tried to do to my mother; they did it to him and succeeded. Augustus knew who did it and was only looking for a reason to kill himself. Today, I gave him one.” Sylvester explained in the least words possible and placed Augustus’ body near the idol of the spirit.

nSir Dolorem moved and sat beside the dead body. Then, he took out two silver coins from his pocket and put them on Augustus’ closed eyes. “May the holy light enlighten your path in the life after, Archpriest. Forgive us if you can. We failed you.”

nThen, Sir Dolorem sat beside Sylvester and patted his shoulder. “Lord Inquisitor only hinted that it was the church that tried to harm Mother Xavia. Do you know who it was? D-Did the Holy Father sanction it?”

nSir Dolorem’s voice cracked from time to time. Understandably so, as he was a man who gave his all to the faith, and now that he slowly noticed all the wrong things, he saw the Pope as the last beacon of purity. So, if even the Pope was evil, he didn’t know what to do.

n“It is Saint Seer, Sir Dolorem. He’s been behind everything from the start to the end. He is the reason why the Shadow Knight is after me. He tried to kill mum so that I wouldn’t have any weakness. He did many more things in the name of the good of faith. But, sadly, he did all this without the Pope’s permission.” Sylvester revealed everything to Sir Dolorem as he was still unsure if he could trust the man with the secret that had just got exposed.

nThud!

nSir Dolorem punched the wall in anger. “How is that man still alive?”

n“Because he’s not easy to replace. That man is said to be the best spy we’ve had in a long time. His devotion is unquestionable. Only his means are problematic. So the Pope has to tolerate him, albeit with some strings attached now.” Sylvester replied as he understood the matter.

nStill, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to kill that man. For that reason, he needed to work on his own spy network. For now, it only included Bright Mothers. But, even Bright Mothers were not always allowed to enter every place. So, he needed something else, a network that existed everywhere.

n“Let’s go to sleep, Sir Dolorem. I’m honestly tired tonight. We still have a whole mess to deal with. How will we explain Baroness and her entire army’s death to the people? And the bigger question is, how do we save this tribe?” Sylvester didn’t change his clothes or take off his armour. He simply rested down.

nSir Dolorem sighed and did the same. “Good night, Lord Bard.”

nSylvester didn’t reply and fell asleep with Miraj tucked near his chest. But, in all honesty, Augustus’ death was something that affected him deeply.

nAs he wondered if he’d have been in the same condition if… Xavia wasn’t so lucky.

n…

nThat night, the storm raged as if the heavens wept. The heavens that blessed a boy with so much power and talent died because of the same blessing.

nBut the world never stops. Time waits for none.

nEventually, the storm passed, and the sun shined its warm rays of light on the forest again. The scared birds came out of their nests, flew around, and tweeted again. The animals also went out to hunt or just to see their territory.

nBut Sylvester didn’t sleep the entire night as the face of his friend and his last words echoed in his mind again and again. When morning came, he still sat by the temple wall and watched the sword planted in Augustus’ chest.

n‘I will make your death count, Augustus. I won’t let this whole campaign go to waste.’ He told himself and stood up to stretch his back.

n“Priest of Solis, good morning!” The temple’s Priest arrived, the same man Sylvester had spoken to initially.

n“Come, sit here with me. We have a lot to talk about and plan for the survival of you and your tribe. I talked to Mirnor for a long time yesterday, and she told me much about your history.” Sylvester invited the man to sit beside himself.

nSir Dolorem also got up and came closer. Of course, the man had not slept the entire night either.

n“What did Mirnor tell you, Priest of Solis?” The Priest asked excitedly.

n“Tell me your name first.”

n“I am the Priest of Mirnor, Maligard. I’ve been a priest all my life, and before me, it was my father.”

nSylvester saluted the man like he would in the church. “May the holy light enlighten us. So, I spoke with Mirnor, and she informed me that Solis is a god that you can worship too. As Mirnor herself believes that she is the daughter of Solis.” 𝘦.𝘰𝘳𝑔

n“What! That’s blasphemy! How dar–”

nBam!

nA vine came out of the ground. It knocked on the priest’s bald head and forced him to sit down.

nSylvester nodded. “See that? She’s talking to you, Priest. Do me a favour and stay down, and then close your eyes. She will speak to you in your mind.”

n“She is sacred and never speaks to us lowl—”

nBam!

nThis time, the vines knocked on his head so hard that he fell unconscious. After that, two vines touched his temples and made his body twitch.

n“Wah!” The Priest jumped back to his feet within five seconds and started dancing.

n“S-She talked to me? Holy mother Mirnor! She spoke to me… And you…” He stared at Sylvester with fanatic eyes. “You are her chosen one! Favoured by the goddess Mirnor!”

n“…”

nSylvester was speechless. ‘That spirit, she played with me. I didn’t sign up to be Spirit’s Favoured.’

n“Indeed, Priest Maligard. Please sit down and listen to my words. My plan is the only way to ensure this forest and your people’s safety.” Sylvester still played along. “All you have to do is pray to Solis alongside Mirnor. From now on, in this temple, you must add the symbol of Solis too.

n“You must memorise the various hymns I have written and other religious prayers. This way, whenever someone from outside will come to visit you, be it a noble or clergyman, you ensure they see your faith in Solis.”

nPriest Maligard bobbed his head repeatedly with a big smile on his face. “Understood, favoured one. I will convey the word to every man, woman and child. From now on, we shall pray to Solis as much as to Mirnor—For she showed me how without Solis, none of us would be alive.”

nThe Priest crawled to the idol of Mirnor and prayed. “Who knew this misery would become a blessing? Thank you for your grace, mother Mirnor.”

nSylvester agreed. “Go and inform all the members of your village and gather them outside the temple. I shall speak with them before leaving.”

n“Understood, favoured one!” Maligard excitedly ran away, defying his old age.

nAfter that, once again, the silence took over. Sylvester took a long breath and started wrapping Augustus’ body in cotton sheets from the bedding.

n“What are you thinking?” Sir Dolorem questioned.

nSylvester looked over in wonder. “Sir Dolorem, why are you not appalled by my bloodline? By all means, I am a heathen in your eyes. You being an Inquisitor, I’m sure you’d have beheaded me in normal circumstances.”

n“I would have killed you, Lord Bard.” Sir Dolorem softly replied. “But, I’m not that man anymore. Ever since I started being your guardian and mentor, I’ve seen more miracles with my eyes in a few years than most men do in their entire lives.

n“From day one, I knew you were different. I knew you were made for greatness. Then, slowly, I saw you grow up and become the man you are today. While being cruel and harsh on enemies and heathens, you help people and show genuine warmth.

n“I’m not ashamed to say that I received that warmth, too, when you went beyond reason to save me and avenge me. Now, I don’t see you as a stranger or a mere clergyman. To me, you are much more—A Family. Sadly, I couldn’t stand by my wife and son when they needed me, but I sure hope to take my last breath beside you.

n“Because no matter what happens—I believe in you and your path.”

nSylvester had stopped moving long ago and just watched the blind knight. He smelled all the emotions, and they couldn’t be more precise—Worship, hope, and a lot of familial love.

n‘I guess, even if I turn out to be a demon tomorrow, this man will still stand by my side. It seems, in a rush to find gold, I’ve found a diamond.’

n“Thank you for your trust, Sir Dolorem.”

n“What is the plan now, Lord Bard?” Sir Dolorem changed the topic consciously, tensed that he spoke too much.

n“We still have a Barony to make ours—For good.”

n________________________

n1000 GT = 1 Bonus chapter.

n1 Super Gift = 1 Bonus chapter.

nApe Together Strong

n