"Welcome, Mister Zen, to my humble abode," spoke Father as he welcomed me into his church.
It was time for both of us to talk after I handed in the letter with Peter's order sometime ago, informing him that there were things we needed to discuss. Rose decided to follow along as she was worried that I might "accidentally" kill Father. Such little faith she has in me.
"Thank you, Father. Is there somewhere we can discuss in private?" I asked him.
"Of course, of course. Right this way, my private quarters are exactly where I showed you last time," he gestured us to follow after him.
And we did, once again I'm inside this very church that I raided previously but sadly, couldn't find even a single dirt about them. But things will be different this time. I'll find some evidence about your dirty deeds. There is too much coincidence happening around the world that is somehow tied to this very church.
As we were following Father, who was talking about the things that he does to keep the place "holy", he somehow noticed my cloak pin had changed colour.
"What an interesting cloak pin you have there. Is there a particular reason for it to be changing colour?" he asked.
"Hmm? Oh, this? Yes, it detects the slightest change in temperature as a way of warning me when I'm on my journey. You can never imagine the dangers on the northern continent. This is invaluable to me," I spoke nonchalantly.
"Interesting, for something to be able to detect temperatures aside from thermometers. Tell me, does that symbol represent something? That's a unique—circle, one might say," he asked.
"Yes, this symbol represents my name. Even I never knew there was a symbol that represented me," I chuckled. He's oddly observant, always being suspicious of everything when he doesn't need to.
"We're here, step right in," he gestured for both of us to head into his private quarters.
As we entered, the atmosphere was rather gloomy in his quarters, as the curtains were blocking the lights coming in. Shouldn't you raise your curtains during the day to brighten up your room? The only thing lighting the room were a few candles. What a peculiar person.
"Alright, what do you want to discuss with me? I hope this is not another one of your attempts at accusing my church further. The only reason we're talking is because of Peter's request and nothing more," he completely changed his tone and demeanour the moment he sat in his fancy chair opposite a ridiculously designed table.
"Nothing of the sort, there's just a matter where we would appreciate it if you could enlighten us with," I raised my hands lightly as a form of surrender.
"Really, what is it?" he asked as he gestured for me to show him.
"Have you seen this before? It looked similar to the church's symbol, so I wanted you to confirm it for me," I handed him the necklace.
"Hmm—this… this is—!" he shouted as soon as he got a good look at the necklace.
"Where did you get this?" he questioned me, his tone concerned.
"Could you answer my question first?" I smirked. I got you right where I want you.
"This necklace belonged to a close student of mine. He was the first vicar, and his name was Laurel," he explained. Did he just say Laurel or was it Yanny? Either way, he confirmed that Horrus did originate from the church. That's what I needed to know.
"Mind telling me where you get this from?" he asked again.
"I found it on my travels when I was in the East. There was a merchant selling this necklace at a hefty price that somehow intrigued me. I asked him where he got it from, and he said that a member of a church sold it to him in exchange for some coins. He never met the man again after that. Seeing the symbol so closely related to the church, I thought of purchasing it and gifting it to you as a sign of peace for our… strained relationship," I explained to him.
"Still buying things on a whim, I see. Your reputation for flaunting your wealth certainly knows no boundaries, Mister Zen. But I do appreciate the thought. This necklace is dear to me as he was my very first student. I wonder where he is now?" he said.
"Tell us more about him. I'm curious about your first student and how you started out," I asked.
"Seeing as how you're putting effort into mending our… relationship, I guess this is the least I can do. I was as broke as a joke; I spent all of my wealth on gambling, liquor, and women whenever I had some money. Day after day, I lived the life that I thought I always wanted, but as it turns out, there was something more to life than that."
"I began to realise that there is actually more meaning to life than just spending money on such things; and it was that faithful day, when a Goddess appeared before me. She introduced herself as the Imperatrix of Mortal and I was to spread her teachings and guidance. I was blessed by her when she decided to choose me and it was then and there I made the change to how I lived my life. It wasn't easy starting out as I didn't have much money, influence, or fame. But little by little, people started believing my ramblings as I stood on top of a box every day to spread her guidance. I still kept that box with me over there," he smiled as he pointed to an old-looking box.
"You said she appeared before you, did you catch a glimpse of how she looked?" I asked him.
"Not just a glimpse but her whole features. She is no common lady, I tell you, pardon my words, but she is beyond what beauty can describe, leagues even above your lovely wife. She had gorgeous wings and, best of all, she was a holy God that was beyond my comprehension. Serving her has been an honour indeed," he looked content as he explained.
We kept silent as we listened to his story. My face said it all as he realised that he had left out the main question that I had asked him earlier.
"Oh right, about Laurel. Almost got ahead of myself there. He—was the first individual that came to me when I was still a propaganda speaker. He reached out and agreed to help me that fateful day. I was surprised that he was willing to do so when there was nothing for me to give him. Not to mention he was just a young lad at that time with so much potential to be doing something else. Yet he stayed with me and helped me to spread the message about the blessed Imperatrix. It was not long after that one of the council members decided to listen to our preaching and was willing to give us a chance. A chance to spread her guidance and grace in a more—proper establishment,"
"And from there, we worked our way to create the foundation of our church. He was there with me from the very start—and we were inseparable. I daresay without him, I would not be where I am today," he ended his story.
"So, what happened? Did you have a fall out with him? There has to be a reason as to why he left, isn't it?" I asked as politely as possible.
"Not at all. He actually went on a quest to spread his blessings in other locations. We didn't separate on a bad note, if that's what you're asking. I was actually worried about him since he hadn't gotten back to me in such a long time. I really hope he's fine," he said.
"I hope so too. May he fare well on his travels and his quest," I nodded lightly.
"Is there—anything else you would like to discuss?" asked Father.
"There is, but it's from me. I want you to hear it directly from me instead of rumours or such. I have started a gathering of my own that worships an entity completely different from yours. I'm not competing with you or your worshippers as my gathering is rather small, nor does it conflict with who you're worshipping," Rose explained cautiously.
"So I heard; I have no qualms with that. We do live in a city of democracy after all. Do tell me though, which cosmic being that miraculously gained your favour? Last I recall, you visited the church of the Goddess Of Divinity. Are you opening a branch for humans?" he asked.
"No, as much as I would have welcomed that, I doubt the elves are eager to allow me to run a church belonging to their God. The one I'm worshipping is a completely separate entity that has so benevolently bestowed her blessings upon me. The being that I'm worshipping is the Goddess of Mercy," explained Rose.
I take it that is all the information Rose is willing to indulge. No reason to explain things further to him when it's not necessary.
"I—see. Then I wish you and your flock the best. You have my blessings, and rest assured, I won't interfere with your group. Any potential problems that may arise will not be from me and will face severe punishments if any of them are from my flock," he bowed lightly to Rose.
"Then we will be on our way so as not to disturb you any further. You can keep that necklace, by the way," I gestured him farewell.
"Mister Zen, I—thank you for this. Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for you to bring this to me. I will forever remember this deed of yours," he bowed to me which felt genuine.
"Think nothing of it. It's best to mend bridges when possible. For the Imperatrix," I nodded to him and proceeded out the door.
***
"Well? What say you about the conversation we had? Goddess of Mercy, huh? Why do I recall hearing of such a deity before?" I asked Rose as I scratched my head.
We were in our favourite tavern, 'Sleeping Daisies', to have a meal but opted for a private room instead since there would be many confidential conversations to be had.
"He's lying, Onii-chan. The Imperatrix isn't what he described at all. She doesn't look like that," she frowned.
"Are you sure? Did you happen to catch a glimpse of her, by the way?" I asked with curiosity.
"Zen, don't question me. I know how she looks," she answered with a sour tone.
"Rose—I am only asking out of concern as your husband. Please don't dismiss me like that," I explained to her politely.
"I… You're right. Sorry, Onii-chan. My emotions are in distress right now," she sighed and began to calm herself by breathing deeply.
"Alright, c'mere. Come on, stand up," I gestured to her.
She looked at me in confusion but somehow obliged my request. I gave her a hug and stroked her head. Glad I wasn't too short to be unable to do this.
"Better?" I asked her.
"You really do know how to cheer me up. I think it's your smell," she giggled.
"Comfortable enough to answer my question then?" I continued stroking her head.
"I saw her, Onii-chan. While it's true that she was beautiful, she didn't have any wings. She was surprisingly humble, and she only told me these few words: 'I shall grant you faith, but you must clear my name; for I am the Imperatrix of Mortal'. She even introduced herself to me, Onii-chan. But never did she ask me to worship or spread her guidance. Whoever appeared before Father is definitely not the Imperatrix. On that I am certain," explained Rose as she continued to hug me.
"What if—she decided to show her true form to Father but her humble self to you? That could be a possibility, isn't it?" I asked after some thought.
"If that was true, why would the Imperatrix ask him to spread her guidance when she didn't offer anything in return? The Imperatrix gave me a chance to save you, Onii-chan. She could have taken the opportunity to turn me into her slave or whatever if she wanted people to really spread her name. But she didn't, Zen. She didn't even ask me to worship or serve her. All she wanted was for me to clear her name; whatever that may be," she explained.
"Hmm, that's true. What better way to take advantage of someone when they need something?" I put on a thinking face.
"That's because that is not who she is. Believe me, Onii-chan, I have thought of this for a very long time now. She could have appeared in front of me like some saviour of humanity, expecting me to do her every bidding, but instead—it was more like she was pleading for help. Alright, enough about the Imperatrix, let me worry about her. Don't you have more pressing matters to worry about?" she asked.
"Nothing I can do until both of them arrive. Speak of the devil—" I heard a knock on the door and approached closer.
"Save Martha," I asked whoever was on the opposite side of the door.
"Why did you say that name?" answered a familiar voice.
I nodded to myself and grinned slightly on my mouth as I opened the door, revealing John and the Dark Lord on the other side. John was the one who had answered my little passcode entry.
"I never understood that reference, Zen. What does it even mean?" he asked as he entered the room, squinting at me.
"Neither do I, just something I thought of. Do the two of you need food or something?" I asked them.
"Just beverages are fine. Is this going to be a long conversation, Zen?" asked the Dark Lord.
"Depends on how you look at it. The way I see it, it's going to take some time explaining to you two about the monster attacks and our findings thereafter," I explained.
"Snacks and beverages then," sighed the Dark Lord.
***
We ended up ordering food as our conversation ended up being longer than anticipated. Both guildmasters wanted a detailed story about my journey there and how I eventually defeated Horrus. I thought of leaving out the details about Rose being able to use healing spells, but she ended up telling them instead. She seems to trust these two enough to spill her secret to them.
"Oh my—my brain hurts from everything you just told me. And I didn't even take a swig of alcohol. From a Vessel of a God to humans being turned into monsters and now you're telling me that Rose can use healing spells? If you weren't my best bud, I would have taken you for being mad, brother," said John as he rubbed both of his temples.
"Spell, John. I've only discovered one thus far," corrected Rose.
"So that necklace that you showed us before really belonged to the church? And that Vessel you fought was the First Vicar? Yet he became a beast and a Vessel; that is some drastic changes indeed. From a human to a Vessel of a God, I can't imagine the journey he went through in achieving that in the first place," said the Dark Lord.
"You left out the most crucial part of your story, Zen. Did you find any evidence in the church that they are in fact doing something with demons?" asked John.
"About that, let me explain what Stein has created for me," I placed my cloak pin on the table.
***
"This is what I have for you, Mister Zen," he placed a badge-looking thingy on the table for me to inspect.
"What—is this? And this weird, imperfect circle? Is it supposed to mean something?" I asked him.
"For a genius like you, I'm surprised you don't even know what your name represents. That is an Ensō symbol; it represents you, Zen," he explained.
"Oh— I… didn't even know there was a symbol that represented me. What's the reason for you to put this?" I asked.
"Didn't you say you wanted this to be covert? If you pin this to your cloak, no one is going to notice or be suspicious of it since it represents— well, you. Observe, this is what happens when a demonic material is exposed to it," he opened a small container that appeared to be covered in lead.
"It's—turning black. How did you do this? I never thought you'd be able to create this demonic detector in such a short amount of time," I asked.
"Ho ho, it wasn't that hard, to be honest. All I needed to do was to search for the right material that resonated with demonic presence. I never thought there was such a material from the Northern continent that was perfect for this. After that, it was only a matter of figuring out how to turn it into something that you can use on a covert mission," he explained.
"A material from the North that reacts to demons? Colour me intrigued. Please don't tell me it's a common everyday material," I asked.
"It's not. It certainly took me some time to test out the majority of the materials this world has to offer. But thankfully I did manage to find one. Otherwise, I would have had to think of something else to fulfil your request," he sighed with relief.
"Thank you, Stein. This will prove helpful indeed. I am looking forward to using it for my upcoming meeting. This will help me prove their involvement once and for all," I gripped my hand tightly.
***
"So you're telling me this—your badge detects demonic presence? And you said it turned black when you were there. Rose seems to agree with you on that matter, but what I'm curious about is, does it only detect demonic materials? Did you try with other materials before?" asked the Dark Lord.
"I somehow knew you were going to ask that. Alright, here are a bunch of materials that I have with me currently. But in these boxes, there is material from a beast and a demon, respectively. Feel free to test it out," I gestured to both of them.
John stood at the side, observing the Dark Lord as he poured out many different materials from the sack that I brought. It seems like John trusts me even without testing it. There were many things that I brought, from common materials to tree barks, gems, and minerals. Pretty much anything I could find, I stuffed it in the sack. But there was no need to keep it in lead, as my pin would only react to one thing and one thing only.
Seemingly realising this, the Dark Lord didn't waste time and reached out to test the two boxes that I placed on the table. He took the beast's box first and opened it, exposing any beastly presence to the pin, but there was absolutely no reaction whatsoever. It was then he decided to open the box containing a small fragment of a demon's claw. It was then my pin started to rattle and began to gradually turn black.
After some time, seemingly satisfied with what he saw, he closed the box, and my pin stopped rattling as it began to revert to its original yellowish colour. He reached for the pin and inspected it, seemingly intrigued by the material of the pin. He handed it back to me after he was finally satisfied with it.
"Colour me intrigued. Who knew that such a thing existed? You have my full attention, Zen. What do you plan to do then? Another raid at the church?" he asked.
"No, that would be pointless. There are demonic presences there, but I don't think they are actually doing any experiments inside the church. Probably some minuscule materials that some of the members dealt with for the church. There is nothing we can do with this information, sadly, unless we're track all of their members' movements. But enough about that, I have something else in mind, and it requires both of your approval," I told them.
"What is it?" asked John who seemed intrigued.
"I would like to have a conversation with the previous Dragon Lord," I told them bluntly. They did not take my request kindly.