Watching the two of them walk away, Galileo looked a little worried. "What do you think the two of them need to talk about?" he asked anxiously as sister Alexandria turned to face him.

She thoughtfully pondered it. Even looking at Galileo, she couldn't actually construct a good answer. "I wonder..." she said, contemplating for what reason would Richard have to speak with the paladin.

For some reason, she was reminded of a meeting between teacher and student.

----------------------------------------

As they walked to a room seemingly vacant, Richard analyzed the room, sure there was some form of surveillance, yet he was unable to detect it. These serpents were seemingly extremely good at tailing.

The room they were at was another one quite similar to the previous lounge, having been chosen by a serpent elected by sister Alexandria to guide them to this room.

It was nice.

As the two sat down, with Richard sitting on a more bed like structure, seemingly suited for larger beings to sit on, who were less suited to general structures like chairs.

"So uh, what did you want to talk about?" asked Copernicus, seemingly uneasy, much to Richard's confusion. Why was Copernicus anxious?

Copernicus, on the other hand, was worried about what Richard wanted to talk about in private. There was really only one person he would want to hide it from, and that would be Galileo.

What did he want to talk about? Did he do something wrong? Was Richard suspicious of something? Did Galileo say something. As annoying as the brat was, Copernicus adored him. He was a nice child, even with his cold exterior.

The last thing he would want to do is to get off on the wrong foot with Richard, as he could easily tell for Galileo, Richard was everything.

If Richard expressed dislike for him...

Shiver

He could just imagine Galileo becoming that much colder.

"Thank you." Richard said a bit awkwardly, getting Copernicus to snap back to the conversation.

"For what?" asked Copernicus patiently, unsure what he was being thanked for exactly.

Richard looked a bit uncomfortable while he was spitting out his words. "For taking care of Leo." he said, clearly a bit hesitant. It was clear he was a bit out of his depth.

Copernicus looked dumbfounded for a bit, before laughing. "No problem." said Copernicus, reassuring the child. "Galileo's a good kid, even if he's a bit distant at times."

Richard looked measurably relieved upon hearing that. "It's good to hear that." he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I knew Galileo would be trouble, but I thought it best that he went to you rather than paladin Peter."

Copernicus paused. "Wait, you were the one that told him to apprentice under me?" he said, being both astonished, and yet it made so much sense.

Galileo clearly felt cold and distant, often leading him to wonder why he chose him, if he disliked him so much.

Richard nodded. "Yes, originally he was going to request to apprentice under paladin Peter, but I convinced him not to."

Copernicus laughed bitterly. "Of course, everyone wants to apprentice under Peter." he said, an indescribable bitterness filling his throat.

It rarely bothered him, but it did sometimes. The way that his brother in arms was always remembered more than he. Known for his strength, his moral views, the iconography of the shield. No matter what, he overshadowed him.

And even now, it turned out his own student would have chosen the man, were it not for the pressure of the dragon before him.

Richard lost his awkwardness, as his voice hardened and became stern. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, he did not wish to follow Peter for those reasons." There wasn't a shred of hesitation in that voice.

"Then why would he want to follow Peter?"

At this, Richard hesitated once more, clearly unsure how to go about it.

But he does start eventually. This man was Leo's teacher. He had a right to know why the kid showed such an aversion to him.

"What do you know about Leo's father?" he asked Copernicus.

Copernicus responds automatically, having already long since read the report of the student he adored. "Galileo's father John Paul was declared a traitor for his crimes against the church and the people, leading to his execution. His mother, Mary Paul hung herself shortly thereafter. The crimes they had committed-"

"Stop it!" Richard demanded, his voice fierce and clearly angered. Copernicus looked at Richard, confused at the demand when he had been the one who told him to recite what he knew of Galileo's father.

Richard looked angry as he asked. "When did you read that?"

"About 3 years ago."

Hearing that, Richard looked very bitter. "I guess she couldn't change it after all." he remarked.

Turning his attention to Copernicus, he explained. "That was all fabricated. Leo's father was killed for defying a higher up in the church who was a lecherous man, desiring his wife, Leo's mother. Do you remember father Richmond?"

Copernicus' face contorted in disgust when he remembered that name.

Father Richmond, an infamous slimy criminal, a parasite within the church. He was executed for crimes of corruption, bludgeoned to death for his crimes, and his corse desecrated, denied the right of resting within any grave controlled by the temples.

It was known that the man with his influence as a relative to a marquis had many files changed, and even to this day, many innocent people had their names ruined by the pig's efforts.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

A shame on the whole church of Isis.

Then!...

The horrified expression of realization was apparent on Copernicus' face, causing Richard to nod in confirmation.

"Whether or not his mother actually hung herself or not, I do not know. But I think that hardly matters. The day he pushed me was the anniversary of his mother's death. A random child called his mother some words, leading to a fight as more kids continued to call him names. He happened to see me, get angry, and pushed me. Leo was isolated thanks to what Richmond had done." Richard looked lost in thoughts as he recalled those days. A deep sadness was felt from those eyes.

"I couldn't get angry at him. Both of us, victims of the actions of others, helpless in the face of higher powers. Involved in the machinations of others, forced to merely live with the consequences" Richard sighed. His voice was tinted with frustration, with a little anger too. Copernicus recalled the question he had asked, inquiring if Richard had tried praying to Isis.

Richard seemed unaware, but there seemed to be a hint of anger in him, regret about what had been taken from him, and his inability to lash out at those who had hurt him, and the inability of Isis to heal him.

A sense of helplessness. Copernicus patted Richard on the back, attempting to comfort the unknowingly distraught dragon, prodding him to speak again.

"And you know who killed Richmond, yes?"

"...Yes." Copernicus simply affirmed, now understanding the reason why Galileo wanted to work under Peter.

It had been Peter who had used that shield to crush that man's head, painfully and with great vigor. Peter who had righted the great wrong in his eyes.

Richard continued his talk. "Galileo did too. There was nothing more he desired than to work with paladin Peter."

"Then why did you convince him otherwise?" Copernicus was bitter no longer, understanding why Galileo wanted to work under peter. But why did Richard want him to guide the kid?

"Because he wanted it for the wrong reasons. He did not desire to train under Peter because he was a great man, but because he was a man who dealt justice with great vindication. That he was merciless as he crushed Richmond to death. I worry for Galileo. The boy dislikes much of what the church stands for. He does not believe in its idea of compassion, the ideals of the people there. He believes it's all gilded shit, in no small part thanks to how the kids used to isolate him thanks to Richmond's lies about Leo's family."

Clearly this had been something that had long bothered Richard, as his face looked tired. "We often begged mistress Trenee to do something about the records, but it's not easy. Not all the corruption has been purged from the church, and it's not only the corruption; you have many members of the church arguing with her, for fear of the reputation of the church of Isis plummeting. The whole thing has fallen into a political pit if you will, and with every year Galileo lost faith in the church."

Richard had a forlorn look on his face. "I do not blame children for being children and following adults, but it pains me to see how bitter it makes Galileo at times. If he's been treating you rudely, it's because of that. He doesn't believe in the doctrine of Isis, and you, who embody it the most, reviles him. His experience through a lifetime has taught him that the church is built on a foundation of lies. He cannot or refuses to see the good side of it. "

"No, he hasn't! He's a bit cold and rude, but he doesn't seem to hate me. I think we're getting along great actually!" Copernicus said, vehemently denying this, so sure that Galileo did not hate him, even if he was cold to his own teacher.

Richard did not respond, merely contemplating it, then asked something rather unexpected, rather out of the blue. "Do you know what Paladin Peter has been up to?" The question was not asked innocently, and Copernicus could sense the blatant intent.

He thought back to what he had heard from Devis, a taunting about the activities of his brother-in-arms Peter.

"No." he said simply, his emotions growing turbulent. He didn't want to hear it, not really.

Richard nodded solemnly. "I do not know either, but what I do know is that he's been going down a destructive path. Peter is too focused on his failures, and I suspect the corruption of the church broke him in some capacity. 3 years ago, when Leo had started talking about becoming a paladin already. I knew who he was planning to train under, and considering his outlook, that bothered me so. My worries were merely amplified when I investigated." Richard's face took on a more worried look. "I'm sure you've noticed it too. He became erratic, off the rails. Started talking with some of the less pleasant people of the church. They say he's changed them, but I think it's worse than that."

Copernicus reacted protectively. "So what do you think he's done, huh? Joined the darker side of the church? Become corrupt? Even if he's going down a darker route, the man I knew would never do that!"

"But he might do something suicidal, no?"

"..."

"He started pushing his apprentices away a few years ago, around the same time as when he started approaching the ambiguous people." Richard started listing off the multiple things he had discovered by sneaking around the church, and quietly listening to news and rumors.

"..."

"The shield wasn't meant to be used that way, not to crush its foes beneath its weight, but to protect the innocent with it's power. The day he used the shield to bludgeon father Richmond is the day he deviated from the way of Isis."

Seeing Copernicus conflicted look, Richard sighed. "I don't care what he's up to. I'm not involved. As long as he still has Isis' power, it means that Isis has continued to support him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to use the shield he famously boasts, which is a sign of his devotion. What I was worried about was his darkness corrupting Galileo. He's skeptical, but I feared if he followed Peter, he would've followed the man onto that dark road. I didn't want that for him. To be jaded as Peter has become. You-" his voice changed tone, as it became more positive. "-I believe you could help him."

"Me?!" To this, Copernicus looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"

"Because of your positivity. Your strength. Most of all, your ability to move on. To not linger and to move on instead. It's clear you and Peter care very much about the church. Both of you were involved in the purging of the church those many years ago. And yet, only one of you has remained steadfast in your positivity. Peter has let regret plague him. It's not what I want for Galileo. I don't want him to live his life bitter over what he's lost, but to move on, to learn how to take things and move on."

Richard asked him sincerely. "Can you do that?"

Copernicus didn't have a response to that at first, but quickly made up his mind. " I can try! Just leave it to this old man here!" he said with a determined attitude, relieving Richard.

One of his few regrets with dying was never getting a chance to check up on Leo, and to make sure that his choice hadn't been a mistake, since he hadn't gotten a chance to see Galileo since then.

And he felt he owed Copernicus an explanation, to explain why Leo disliked, maybe even hated the man. It was his fault the man ended up teaching an unwilling student.

Luckily hate seems to have been his own worry, though RIchard would still check with him.

Regardless, Richard felt a weight was lifted, knowing that Leo was in good hands.

Before Richard can get up with a load off his back, Copernicus said something that caught him off guard.

"A word of advice for you kid. You seem unsure about when to leave and go back to civilization. Remember this:

you may have all the time in the world, but not everyone does. Make sure not to hesitate too long or you may miss your chance"

Copernicus got up with this warning, having decided to also offer the young dragon a little enlightenment, in return for his enlightenment on Galileo's situation.

----------------------------------------

The young dragon looked conflicted as he left the room, where he met sister Alexandria.

To his surprise, she has nothing to say, merely accompanying him back to the room the dragons had been resting in.

Richard looked at sister Alexandria. "You don't have any questions?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

"What about?" said sister Alexandria, much to Richard's confusion.

"Didn't your serpents tell you-" Sister Alexandria stopped him in the middle of the sentence.

"No, they didn't tell me." said sister Alexandria, as she explained further. "I merely told them to make sure you were safe. Not to report me however." she said inspecting her tail, before resting it on Richard's shoulder reassuringly. "I won't ask unless you're willing to tell. "

Richard was quiet for a bit, before finally responding. "Thank you." he said, grateful that she was willing to give him the space.

He said something out of the blue, surprising sister Alexandria.

"Do you think I'm ready to leave?"