After checking in at one of the wall’s entrances and easily being let in without question, Sofia and Erredis entered the outer reach of the Exidion Empire. There was apparently a high-altitude flight ban in effect in the Empire, so they had to stay at most twenty meters above the ground. Although Sofia questioned how such a rule could be enforced, they did respect the law nonetheless, and that gave Sofia an occasion to observe the countryside villages of the Empire.
The terrain here was mostly flat plains, it seemed; most oh the free land that wasn’t a village or forest was cultivated ground. Fields, orchards, livestock, it was a wonder the people could manage so much land, Sofia thought, but the explanation about how jumped to her face very soon. The guards at the walls weren’t level 80 because they were guards. All the adult Exidians were around level 80, while the children Sofia occasionally saw running around in the villages she flew above were usually in the high twenties.
That’s a big advantage over Humans, but it’s also still low enough that it must not make it very hard to have children, so their numbers aren’t limited like the Vampires or the Elves. Truly the best race to build an Empire…
The blue skin isn’t that shocking compared to the green and red orcs. It’s funny how their horns are all so different, and yet they all have white hair.
I think on average they’re a bit shorter than humans? But not as much as dwarves.
Truly an interesting race.
I wonder what their skeletons look like.
As they flew over yet another village which looked like all the other ones before, Sofia had a question, “Say, these people are all under level 100. Is it because the first Trial tower is so far away?”
“No, sweetie. They have their own somewhere to the west of the Empire. For the second one though, they have a teleporter set up by the system to get them there, if I recall correctly. Can you imagine how tough it would be for anyone to level up here if the tower was so far away? There are plenty of towers all around the planet.”
“Hmm. I remember seeing a few when I was at the top of the second one, but not when I was on your back ,weirdly enough…”
“They have multiple layers of dissimulation magic. Usually, you can only see them when the system wants you to. Though I can see through such tricks easily.”
The two women continued their idle chatter until they reached the capital city of Exalta, a massive, sprawling city built in wood and stone, the likes of which made even the ancient elven city from the trial feel small. The slanted rooftops expanded far beyond the horizon, and it made a lot clearer the reason why there had been no other big city on the way. This was THE city. How many Exidians did this place house? Ten? Fifty? A hundred million?
Just look at all these chimneys. This place must burn more wood in one winter than the entire human population in a decade!
With such a huge population… Ah, I’ll think about bones later…
Sofia followed Erredis until a huge stone edifice appeared in the horizon, Erredis pointed it with a finger. “That’s where we’re going.”
“Is that the Imperial Palace?”
“No,” Erredis answered, her voice slightly obscured by the strong gusts of wind accompanying the falling night, “this is the church of Death.”
Oh.
Maybe we could have asked Cinthia to come with us.
She must already be in her student bedroom at the academy with Saria by now, Sofia thought as she observed the massive building that indeed seemed to look more like a giant cathedral, now that she looked at it again. “Why here? Your acquaintance is a priest of Death?”
“Priest? No. Apostle.”
----------------------------------------
Erredis and Sofia landed in front of the entrance to the cathedral. They entered, and on Erredis’ advice, both threw a gold coin through the grates on the entrance floor, as was apparently customary as an offering to Death.
The poor must not come here often.
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The interior was a lot cleaner and white than one might expect from a place dedicated to the worship of Death itself. Even the priests’ robes and hoods were almost entirely white with only a few stripes of gray giving them some volume. A few [Identify’]s showed them all to be supporter classes well above level 100.
It’s interesting that a place would worship Death.
Death is a Recessed, so wouldn’t all this positive attention only diminish Its power?
Unless they preach the fear of Death?
I want to learn more about this place now…
While Sofia busied her mind trying to understand how that Cathedral of Death had come to be, Erredis led her to a side path, going beyond the main hall of the cathedral and into its private quarters. A few priests tried to stop them, but Erredis simply waved their short-term memory away, and the duo was free to move around how they wanted.
Finally, they arrived in front of a closed steel door.
Erredis spoke up, “I’m coming in.” She kicked the door open, shattering the magic protections imbued on it that Sofia hadn’t even noticed.
Someone inordinately tall and large compared to the Exidians was inside of the brightly lit room, wearing a very long and loose white robe that covered its massive body, the person wore a pitch-black mask that looked like Erredis’ baby scale that Sofia could have chosen for her arm harness.
Except she quickly noticed that it was no mask. This was the person’s face that sat atop their muscular neck. The Apostle’s face. One deprived of any features. A blank slate topped with small spikes, perhaps the remnant horns of this person’s original ones as an Exidian.
[Leverlehoenmoll - Son of Death - Lv. 499]
The Apostle was hunched over a wrinkled old lady, alive but barely, who was unconscious, sprawled on a flat steel table.
I feel like we interrupted something…
The apostle’s mask turned abruptly to face the newcomers. “I have a patient.”
“And I am impatient. Surely we can work something out, Leverle?”
The white-robed demon shook his flat head. “I am honored by your visit, great calamity. But this must be dealt with first. Please wait outside,” he answered with a silky voice. His tone left no room for negotiation.
“... Sure.”
Erredis took a step back out of the room and by some magic, fixed the door back in place without even touching it.
About five minutes later, the door opened by itself, and it was the old Exidian lady who slowly walked out.
“Thank you, Doctor, I feel so much better,” she sweetly thanked the Demon in the room she had just left. She looked at Erredis with a smile, “You can go now, I understand your impatience, but the Doctor’s services are worth waiting for,” she told her with a smile before leaving.
Inside the bright room, Leverle came to the door, he had to bend his massive frame to let his flat head through. His movements had an unnerving, almost unnatural smoothness and preciseness to them, devoid of any unnecessary motion. A stillness that made him feel like a statue coming to life. “I suppose you are not here to get a dysfunctioning spine treated, Moon Guardian,” he started, but his faceless flat head turned toward Sofia. “Hmm. Sorrow. It has been a long time. The headless must be overjoyed. Welcome among our kin. I feel Death on you. However faint. What is it that you both need?”
Erredis was straight and to the point, “Get her a vouch on her ID. She’s gonna be a professor at Beligenus’, I want her to have a good stay here for this one year. Treat her as you would my apprentice.”
There was an instant of silence.
“The calamity has an apprentice. This world might be doomed after all.” The Apostle’s flat face rotated to the side with a sickening crack. “Three stones.”
Stones?
Erredis threw a pouch at Leverle’s head, who caught it with a black arm shooting out of one of his robe’s folds. The arm and pouch then disappeared back inside the folds.
“Here’s five. If an old one does something to her, I’ll come back personally to kill you.” There was not a hint of hesitation in the Dragon's voice. This was no empty threat.
There are a lot of implications in this that I have not been warned about… The old ones? Literally?
Do I have something to do with them?
Or is it because I came here with her?
Ah… I can tell it’s best not to ask for now. Maybe I’ll ask this Leverle Demon later, then. He is a bit unsettling to be around though…
“You have a deal, Erredis. Now leave, before you bring trouble to my door. I will take care of your apprentice. Invite me to meet you somewhere else, next time. Your presence in this holy place is a risk. To my priests and patients.”
“Fine then. Take care of her ID tonight,” Erredis ordered. “For everything else she can handle herself, just bring her to the old sage.”
“It will be done,” the calm and smooth voice of the Demon confirmed.
“This is where we part ways, Sofia. I am going back to the Sect, have fun with your year off, don’t neglect your training, and come back to see me when you’re done.”
“Will do, Grandma. Have fun in your workshop.”
The Apostle recoiled at the word ‘Grandma’, And Sofia could swear she saw Erredis smirk.
After a short hug and a last goodbye, Erredis just disappeared from the corridor.
I hoped you would stay a bit longer…
----------------------------------------