Lily felt a tingle as she looked at [Cardinal] Atticus’s smile.
“Your Eminence, I—”
“Aurora,” the man stopped her with a raised hand, “let me finish. You understand how the Holy Flame makes Lumius a feared fighter, I gather?”
Lily nodded eagerly, feeling anticipation brew in her heart. She knew that the Holy Flame acted both as a tremendous buff for oneself and a pure destructive force that one could coat oneself in. In fact, if Lumius ever actually used any of the two aspects against her, there would have been no contest at all during their fights. The little edge she had, thanks to her instincts, would have been obliterated by that skill.
“See, Aurora,” the [Cardinal] looked troubled now, “the Holy Flame is not something that can just be bestowed upon someone. Especially… well, you know the history of your family and the [Pope]’s.”
She cringed in response but still nodded slowly, wanting to know what the trade-off would be. The [Cardinal] couldn’t have possibly offered this without any strings attached.
“The [Pope] has expressed great interest in your martial prowess. Shadows take me, I was impressed, too, when I came down to watch Lumius and you. But without a skill to empower your constitution, your viability on a battlefield is only in the [Healers]’ tent,” the old man paused briefly before resuming, “You are still part of the Gens Claudia, Aurora. Until you formally marry Lumius, you will be part of the Gens Claudia. That means, what we can do here… is limited. Your new skill, for example. We cannot ask you what that skill is and share it with the rest of our family. It would be a faux pas.”
The [Cardinal]’s words were more than sensible, but something stirred inside Lily as the smile on the man’s face got wider and wider: for the first time in her life, she felt a pull.
It was unfamiliar at first, something she had never experienced before, she believed. However, in a matter of milliseconds, it dawned on her just exactly what she was dealing with – the thirst for power. Power was what had set her free-er in the Papal Estate; showing the [Cardinal] what she was capable of in healing terms had given her the kind of freedom not even her mother had allowed her.
Lily had first tasted power when it came to healing. Finding oneself in the body of a newborn but with the mental faculties of an adult was the kind of head start most people would dream only dream of. Moreso, she had been a biology teacher in her previous life, granting her a great aptitude to learn Light Magic for healing purposes. It had been just par for the course in her life.
Now, instead, she found herself salivating in front of something she had only watched from afar: ‘professional’ fighting. Yes, she had fought with Elysium and Lumius, but she had never been a proper fighter. Never, up until this moment, had she had a concrete shot at it; on top of that, this was the very first time that she would be given… support to become a fighter.
My first-class ticket to true freedom, she thought to herself.
The [Cardinal], clearly a man who knew how to make an enticing offer, remained silent. He smiled at Lily, but he let her stew in her own juice.
“I—I… would have to tell you about my new healing skill?”
“If you decided to be a part of our family, dear child, yes. But not now… well, not until you are of age. See, the problem you’re grappling with is that the [Pope] issued your marriage. So… eventually…”
The [Cardinal] let the young girl finish his words.
“…eventually, I would have to tell you the skill all the same,” Lily realized, cringing.
“I fear so.”
There was less of a smile and a little bit of sadness on the man’s face, probably fake, but it did have some effect on her.
If I refuse to accept the Holy Flame, they will still find out about [Divine Geometry] one way or another… also, what happens when they find out where I’ve got the skill from?
“Would I be allowed to choose a fighting class?” Lily asked, not knowing what else to ask.
“If you chose to accept the offer?” The [Cardinal] asked, receiving a nod from the girl. “Yes, you would. In fact, how about I tell you something else—”
“Wait,” Lily said, her temper flaring up, “what would I have to do to get the skill? Would I need to take a… [Vow]?”
“Yes, child. A [Vow]. You would need a [Vow], and the Holy Flame would be bestowed upon you by His immediately…” The [Cardinal] trailed off. “All it would take is swearing to marry Lumius and becoming a part of our family, pledging your allegiance to it, just like we all did.”
This was possibly Lily’s hardest choice. Actually, she didn’t know whether defining it as ‘hard’ was even fair. It wasn’t ‘hard’ in the sense that it wasn’t enticing. It was hard because it was just too logical to take the [Vow] immediately. What else would she do, anyway? If the [Pope] was going to eventually marry her off to Lumius, why not swear on it right away and, in exchange, get a shot at a broader freedom?
But it’s the kind of freedom that comes with a price, a part of her reasoned.
“You can take your time to think about it,” the [Cardinal said. “Now, I have yet another interesting secret to tell you. Why don’t we get up?”
Lily rose from the cushioned seats behind the altar in the Angelic Dome, looking expectantly at the [Cardinal], who started walking back toward the entrance.
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“Do you know what the strongest class available to those who go down the path of Light Magic is inside the Church?” [Cardinal] Atticus suddenly asked.
“Huh… no?”
“Good,” [Cardinal] Atticus smiled, taking out a golden amulet from around his neck, “[Silentium].”
As he spoke the words, a bubble formed around the two, cutting off all sound, and, as Lily felt it, even Mana.
“Precaution against [Scry] spells. Not that they would reach inside here; that’s why I took you to the Angelic Dome. What I’m about to reveal to you is no common knowledge, Aurora. You shall never speak these words out loud ever again; do you understand? Not even Lumius knows about this: that is how much we trust you. That is why the [Pope] is offering you so much. Do you understand, child?”
“I understand,” Lily nodded, shivering.
“Good. Now, [Saint] is a well-known class, but it’s far from being the end of it all. One can be a [Saint] without being Anointed by Our Lord. Tell me what the perfect Class progression for you would be. I’m sure you have studied this ad nauseam. So, please.”
“Well… I was taught that when I get my first class at thirteen, it should be the strongest Class with the purest, Healing-Attuned properties. If possible, it shouldn’t have any offensive capabilities at all because that would maximize the Healing output…”
“Yes, yes. We might have to revise that part if you accept what His Holiness is offering. But that is beside the point for now. So, what about your second Class, at level 60?”
“For my second Class, I should stack another Healing Class so that, at level 180, I can get the [Saint] Class as my third Class.”
The [Cardinal] looked around briefly before shaking his head in a paternalistic way.
“That is what we taught you, but it is not true. I hope you don’t mind us lying to you for your own good, child. That is not the progression path we drew.”
Lily was taken aback.
“Er…?”
“See, Aurora, your second Class will be [Saint], paired with whatever specialty you’ll take up. [Saint of Healing], or maybe a more general [Saint of Light]. Classes can get particular, as you have studied. But to even hope for [Saint] as your second Class, you will need to be Anointed. If Our Lord decides to Anoint you, [Saint] would be just the start. At level 180, you’d receive the strongest Class one can ever hope for in our Church. Stronger than [Pope]. A class whose details and broad existence we hide from our enemies and allies.”
Lily looked at the [Cardinal] with a hint of fear in her eyes.
“Do not fret, child,” the [Cardinal] got closer to her and held her hand. “Why do you think we call this place the Angelic Dome?”
Lily’s eyes went wide.
“Exactly. Stronger than our [Pope], a class more advanced than [Saint]. Dear, if you stay on the course we chose for you, you’ll become an [Angel].”
…
It took almost two minutes for her ears to stop ringing and for her to realize what the man had just explicitly said.
“An [Angel]? Like, with wings?”
“Yes,” the [Cardinal] nodded. “This knowledge is only available to the patriarchs of the Gentes, [Cardinals], and the [Pope] himself. Sharing this knowledge is punishable with summary execution, Aurora. Be careful. Only Our Lord can grant this privilege. And let me reiterate that you can never speak of this to anyone.”
Lily nodded in a daze.
As [Cardinal] Atticus’ words began to sink in, a series of thoughts unfurled in Lily’s mind.
An [Angel]…
If she had felt a distinct pang for power before, now it had turned into greed.
Something deep inside Lily told her that an [Angel] was something she wanted to be above anything else—that if she got the Class, not even the [Pope] would be able to dictate what she might or might not do!
The solemn atmosphere of the Angelic Dome seemed to amplify as Lily’s eyes took in the grandeur. The towering statues, the intricately designed frescoes, the massive stained-glass window, and the heavenly dome itself; it all suddenly felt more surreal, more significant than ever.
For a moment, she saw herself standing under the same dome, not as a mere mortal but as an entity of divine power. Wings spread wide, a halo gracing her head, she could almost see the awe in the eyes of her worshippers. Her heart fluttered at the image, a sense of arrogance filling her momentarily.
She quickly shook her head, trying not to let this get to her.
But it wasn’t easy.
Her gaze landed on the distant statue of [Saint] Seraphina. Lily saw the serene expression etched in moonstone, the very symbol of divine dedication. She thought about the power the [Saint] wielded, the respect and reverence she commanded. And then, she imagined herself standing next to the [Saint] and leaving even such a figure in her shadow…
An [Angel].
Suddenly, the [Cardinal] dispelled the bubble that had shielded them from unwanted ears.
“If you want to imagine that being your future, child, you’ll have to learn how to restrain your… shadows. You must learn what your duty is and how it resides with your people, our family, and everyone else in our state.”
The [Cardinal] took a deep breath and launched into a speech.
“Dear, the Church guides the believers. [Healers], [Templars], [Paladins], [Priests], [Monks], and all orders—they all work for the greater good. And they know that their impulses must submit to the will and the teachings of God. See, Aurora, I can feel rage in your heart. I see rage because of my skills and experience. And I see how it spurs these flights away from your duty. What I can tell you, however, is that duty is sacred—much more than any fit of individual rage. A life of sin is not a life worth living. And if you want a fulfilled life, you’ll have to start behaving. You have a sacred duty to our people—you are their savior. Without you, we might all succumb to the Necromonarchy… millions will die.”
Lily paled.
“It’s a great ask for a child as young as you. But we all believe that you might level countless times once we get you on the battlefield. You’ll reach new heights and elevate the entire Papal State, even helping to expand our borders. One day, a new [Pope] will have you be his right hand. Your position will be only second to his—and your duty second to none.
“Do you understand, child? And so, will you choose the way to glory, to becoming an [Angel], or do you choose to remain a captive in our family, one day to… you know what Lumius’s brothers might do. I know that he told you; so what is your choice?”
“Your Excellency,” Lily bowed her head with a red face, her heart squeezing every last bit of blood into her brain. “I—I…”
…
Lily was sitting on the steps of her family mansion, looking emptily at the blue sky. All the [Cardinal]’s words still resounded in her mind, not leaving her in peace. What the man had essentially promised her sounded otherworldly. But perhaps, after more than nine years in this new world, she had started forgetting that this was indeed a world of magic and fantasy.
An [Angel]…
“Pssss, pssss,” she heard someone call her and turned to find Elysium hiding behind some bushes. “Lily!” He whisper-shouted.
“Elysium?” Lily got up and frowned, approaching the bushes. “Elysium… I’ve told you that we can’t be friends anymore. What are you doing here?”
“I’ve got some cool torches, more potions, and even a crossbow. Do you want to go dive into the sewer again? I’m sure we can catch whatever attacked us last time. Also, we can just leave that baddie behind. We could even live in the sewers!”
“No,” Lily replied curtly, ignoring the childish proposition. “I—I have important things to do.”
She couldn’t explain to a young kid like Elysium what kind of responsibility had been offered to her.
“Oh, come on, I know that face. Don’t be a baby, come on. Come on!”
That was the last straw for Lily.
“A baby?! You are a stupid baby! I have more important things to do anyway! Bye!”
Lily turned on her heels and walked away.
“If you don’t want to come, you crybaby, I’ll just go by myself!”