Deep in thought Alex left the War academy and walked down the central street. It was quite busy – mules pulling carts and carriages in the middle, merchants shouting their advertisements at the sides. Alex ignored all of the chaos and continued on his way, from time to time bumping in another passerby.

Few minutes later he arrived at the central market – yesterday they arrived too late and decided to check it out today. Since Alex wanted to visit the academy first, Bill decided to use time and went to inquire about the possible employment and afterwards they would meet here.

Suddenly Alex raised his head and shuddered in horror. Thirty, thirty five meters away from him at a street stall sat an elderly man with unkempt hair and beard, dressed in a white linen robe. In his left hand he was holding some kind of scroll, but in right a sweet-roll he was currently munching on. While eating, the man was looking directly at Alex with a wide smirk on his face.

Alex sighed and shook his head. Turns out he still underestimated the power of the force of nature. But then he shook his head and smiled – this had been a good life! He learned quite a lot and even had a real brother.

Alex came up to the stall and said, “One sweet-roll, please! Just like the one the old man is having!”

When vendor passed the sweet roll over, Alex fished all the coins he had in the pocket and gave it to the man. Vendor stared at the silvers in his palm with surprise – from time to time some rich kid rewarded him handsomely, but this one was obviously a pauper.

“Don’t worry! I don’t need money anymore!” Alex smiled at the vendor and sat right next to the old man, “Right, Theodor?”

“Oh? You remember this old man?” Cardinal Theodor smiled back.

“Nah, who could remember you – I recognized the scroll in your hand.” Alex joked back.

They sat and each ate their sweet-rolls. Alex ate his especially slowly – it was really one f*cking sweet snack!

“You won’t try to negotiate with me?” Finally the cardinal spoke.

“Nope, that would be stupid.” Alex smiled again, “If an old man dragged his feet so far, he had already made his mind.”

“Mhm.” Cardinal nodded.

They sat there for few minutes and then Alex spoke, “Although we could chat a bit, what do you think?”

“Sure! I like to chat!” Cardinal Theodor laughed back.

“Qi is amazing thing, don’t you think.” Alex asked.

“Indeed, as a creation of the Lord, holy power is basically omnipotent.” Cardinal nodded.

“Come on! Don’t give me that crap!” Alex laughed, “I bet you don’t even believe in what you said. The Lord … ye, right!”

“Hmmm, but you have to agree there is something bigger than us out there.” Cardinal seriously said.

“Definitely.” Alex agreed, “But you are a scholar, not a religious nut. Why do you hang out with those people?”

“Sigh … it’s complicated …” Cardinal said in a sad tone.

“I bet it’s not.” Alex shrugged.

“Alright, you would win the bet. Adolfs is my friend, that is why.” Cardinal explained, “He was also the one who asked me to find you.”

“I guessed as much.” Alex nonchalantly said. The pope was probably the only one who could ask anything from this old man.

“Do you want to know how I did it?” Cardinal asked.

Alex thought for a bit and said, “My guess is that it has something to do with that scroll in your hand.”

“Correct!” Cardinal nodded, “So you recognized it after all. You are one weird chosen.”

“I don’t think I am.” Alex said, “I mean – I don’t think I’m chosen. And I’m not being modest here.”

“Oh? Then why did you take the seeds?” Cardinal asked.

“They are really good!” Alex replied with a smile and looked the old man in the eyes. He didn’t lie – the Lord’s seeds were really, really good!

“Where did you stash them?” Cardinal asked, “They will go bad without the maple-oak containers.”

“We ate them all.” Alex said and even felt how cardinal shuddered, “Your boys left us trapped underground for months! We had to survive somehow!”

They sat in silence for few minutes observing the busy marketplace.

“What’s the deal with the seeds anyway?” There was a competent person who could finally answer this question and Alex couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“Sigh … there is a holy place … well, a place with incredibly rich holy power. Only Adolfs knows the location, well … and I do. There is a tree there – the seeds come from it. In many years we were not been able to find a way to grow another one, so in the end we just consume them. The problem is – the tree gives birth to its seeds only once in a decade …”

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“Then why don’t you keep them all? Why did you have to give any to the chosen?” Alex asked.

“You are too young to understand – we have to groom the next generation. Those three clowns who call themselves cardinals are not worthy of inheriting the empire.” Cardinal Theodor sighed again and then continued, “The problem is – the seeds were meant for the most outstanding chosen, but that moron Phelippe decided to give out a seeds to every chosen each year.”

“So in the end you didn’t groom anyone special, but just a random rape squad.” Alex nodded.

“Oh? You do understand after all.” Cardinal said in surprise, but then sighed again, “Too bad it came to this.”

Alex shrugged and said, “Could you answer one question? I promise it would be my last one. I’ll answer anything you want in return.”

“There you go – you want to bargain after all!” Cardinal sighed again.

“No, you misunderstood. I was just interested in your knowledge and experience, that’s all.” Alex said.

“Do you really think there is something a whelp like you knows what I can’t find out or think of?” Cardinal laughed back.

“Do you think you are the Lord?” Alex copied him and the old man abruptly stopped, but then both heartily laughed for real.

“Alright, what do you want to know?” Cardinal Theodor asked.

“What do you know about rebirth? The concept of reincarnation?” Alex asked.

“Are you worried?” Cardinal grinned.

“Not at all!” Alex smiled back, “I was just curious if the mighty empire has any records on research about this subject.”

“Hmm. We do.” Cardinal said, “Unfortunately I’m focused on other things and don’t know much about it.”

“Alright.” Alex nodded.

“Alright, huh? You are really an easygoing one!” Cardinal said in surprise, “You won’t even ask to spare your brother?”

“What for?” Alex laughed back.

He knew that the death only lead to the next life, thus – there was no difference if his brother was spared. Even if he was born next time without the current memories, with how talented he was he would have a good life.

Cardinal, of course, understood Alex a bit differently.

“Alright. I’ll spare him, but tell me in detail how did you managed to do it?” Cardinal finally couldn’t hold back his curiosity, “When I arrived at the college, those morons had dug up the whole place and my divinations didn’t work.”

‘So you are only a human after all!’ Alex inwardly smiled and noted the most important part – divinations!

The old bastard used some kind of ‘hokus-pokus’ to find him! On any given day Alex would call him a charlatan and laugh in his face, but there he was – sitting right next to him thousands of kilometers from home. In addition he was waiting for Alex as if certain he would definitely arrive! This ability was remarkable and scary at the same time.

“How detailed you want the story?” Alex cheekily asked, “I’m getting thirsty, but I’m out of money.”

“Hahaha! You there – two more sweet-rolls and make us some tea as well!” Cardinal laughed and ordered.

From aside it would seem that two old friends or a master with his apprentice were having good time.

For the next hour Alex told his story. Starting from his arrival to Serenity up until they left the empire. Expressions on the cardinal’s face changed as if he was a young child listening to a fairy tale. In the end he could only sigh.

“To think I didn’t want you as an apprentice!” Cardinal exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t want you as master anyway. So no one looses.” Alex winked back.

For some reason even at the doorstep of inevitable he felt mostly liberated.

“Alex? Who’s your new friend?” Suddenly Alex heard his brother’s voice coming from behind.

Either he was worried and went looking for Alex or just arrived and noticed him. Be as it may, Bill was confused seeing his brother laughing and chatting with a stranger, moreover they talked in the Holy empire’s language even though Alex was the one who constantly taught Bill to never speak that language again.

“Alex?” Cardinal was confused.

“Ye, we changed our names for obvious reasons.” Alex explained, “Bill, please meet cardinal Theodor, cardinal, this is my brother, Bill.”

While Alex knew his limits and didn’t even intend to struggle, Bill was much more confident in his skills. Although he couldn’t directly fight this old monster in front of him, he knew they had a chance if they decided to run here and now. There was no way cardinal would risk exposing himself in the middle of the enemy territory, moreover in the central marketplace of the capital. Even he had to have his limits.

With these thoughts Bill quickly glanced around, but Alex, noticing it, said, “Don’t worry. We have an understanding here.”

Hearing it, Bill looked back at him in confusion, but Alex continued, “I’ll have to leave in a bit, but there are few things I need to tell you.”

While Bill’s mind was in a chaos, cardinal glanced at Alex with curiosity.

“There are very few things a younger brother can teach.” Alex began, “But you have to listen carefully. All of it is important! The first thing you already know – under no circumstances, never ever, return to the Holy empire. Next – live your life to the fullest! Don’t only train – have fun as well once in a while!”

Alex paused, thought for a while and then continued, “I’ll give you three tasks to complete. First one – have sex!”

Cardinal, who drank the tea at this moment, involuntarily spewed it all out hearing Alex’s words. On the other hand Bill blushed all over – his younger sibling had no shame! Alex pretended to not notice any of it.

He said, “But you can get intimate only with girls from good families, not some tramps. Remember what I told you about the chosen getting sick penises. And also – if you have sex with a girl doesn’t mean you need to marry her! It’s fine to leave, even if she cries! The next task – you’ll travel the world! I want you to kiss a beautiful girl in the capital of every country, not against their will, of course. And the last task – sample the best alcohol there is after kissing that girl! No matter the cost. If it’s too expensive – find a way to sample it!”

Both cardinal and Bill speechlessly stared at Alex, but the latter finished his tea and got up.

“Alright, Theodor. I’m ready.” He said.

The old man smiled in return, then nodded towards the still confused Bill and got up as well. Both Alex and cardinal soon disappeared in the crowd to never return.

Alex didn’t know Bill secretly followed them, even though cardinal noticed his presence. He also didn’t know that after they left the capital and reached a secluded place, his brother watched from afar how cardinal poked Alex in the forehead and how he afterwards lifelessly fell to the ground. Alex didn’t know Bill buried him with watery eyes, swearing to heaven to ‘enjoy his life to the fullest’, just as his brother ordered.

But if he knew, he would probably just smile and shake his head. The fundamental matters of life and death everyone worried about so much had become a technicality already for some time.