Chapter 34 – In which some weather conditions are unusual

“Your Excellency, can I have a question?”

“You may even ask a question, Geod.”

“Ah, yes…”

The attendant still hesitated.

It was only a few days since he was blessed with the opportunity to talk with the Saint he admired for such a long time and he was still awkward around Amara.

Even though both of them always behaved as master and servant, and didn’t step out from their roles, the air of casualty and occasional snarky comments Amara threw made Geod feel like there was something wrong.

Maybe because he gleaned a person under the idol mask that Amara always wore.

Of course, Geod was aware that there was a person under the mask, because he saw it a long time ago, but…

“Geod. Your question?”

Amara’s calm voice brought him out of his thoughts.

Currently, him, Amara, Alexandrit and Phlox sneaked out of the temple again, something that seemed to happen too often and too easily in Geod’s opinion, and were heading to the Brook District.

Geod’s question was related to that.

“Who exactly are they? I never saw them among the people who came to visit Saint, but Your Excellency seems to know them.”

Geod was interested in the two strange priests of the Temple of Dead and Forgotten Gods.

He only met with them twice, but both meetings left him mystified and oversugared.

“I do not know them.” Amara spoke slowly, as if deliberating over what to say. “I just knew that I can find experts I need in the Temple of Dead and Forgotten Gods.”

Experts?

From the conversation Amara had with them, they seemed to be information gathering experts.

But why would someone like this be at such a small and unpopular temple?

Amara seemed to be unwilling to say anything more.

“Ah! Is it perhaps related to Great Arrangements?!”

Suddenly Phlox perked up her head with shining eyes.

“Great Arrangements?”

Geod couldn’t help, but ask.

He was much more comfortable around that energetic priest than around Saint.

Though the human-sized doll of him, which she made, still creeped him out.

“Arrangements made by His Holiness Amaranth, before his sacrifice!”

“There is something like that?”

Now even Geod’s eyes shined.

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The old man sometimes told him about His Holiness Amaranth, but never mentioned anything like ‘Great Arrangements’.

“Right. It broadly refers to anything that His Holiness did and which is still in effect today, even though we cannot comprehend the wisdom behind it. For example, the Universe Temple is the most broadly known Great Arrangement. Some think it may be a giant seal.”

“A giant seal? For what?”

“It’s unknown, but there are two similar structures in Rubrun and Flavun. And they are destinations of Great Pilgrimage Saints do every five years.”

The Great Pilgrimage referred to an event when a saint circled Purplus, Rubrun and Flavun visiting holy places.

Apparently, saints did it even during war times and rulers of Rubrun and Flavun allowed it.

Geod once heard a story that people of Purplus once tried to stop the saint from going on the pilgrimage and delayed their departure. After a few weeks of delay the entire sky of Luminere suddenly turned dark and all people started to suffer from terrible nightmares. The nightmares only ceased after the saint completed half of their pilgrimage and light returned only after they made the entire circle.

Afterwards no one attempted to stop the saint from going on the pilgrimage.

‘His Excellency will also go on a Great Pilgrimage this year…’

Geod was worried about his Saint traveling to barbaric lands, but he wasn’t planning to make the same mistake as his ancestors and try to stop him.

Especially not now when he learned that it was an arrangement made by His Holiness Amaranth.

“But Priest Phlox, you mean to say that the Temple of Dead and Forgotten Gods is one of the Great Arrangements, like the Universe Temple and Great Pilgrimage?”

“Mhm, I once was looking through ancient records for inconsistencies and found a description that His Holiness Amaranth made a deal with ‘People of Heavens’ to create a temple.”

Geod was a bit bothered by the word ‘inconsistencies’, but there was something he was more curious about:

“People of Heavens?”

“Yeah, that's what they were called in the records! They asked for a temple to leave their ‘Eyes’ there. The name of a temple wasn’t mentioned, but considering those two holy siblings’ demeanor… Well, I’m sure Your Excellency knows if I’m right or not.”

“Priest Phlox has indeed a blessing of investigator genius.”

Amara vaguely confirmed Phlox’s words.

“Haha! Indeed, my nose can sniff anything!”

“Priest Phlox, please remember that sniffing old books too much is unhealthy, when you’re at it.”

“... Your Excellency, you don’t have to worry about this humble one’s life! I shall be immortalized in your light.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

Amara shook his head with a twisted expression, as if he couldn’t hear anything more of it.

Observing that brilliant face, Geod suddenly had a question.

“Priest Phlox, may I ask a question?”

“Why are you suddenly asking if you can ask?”

“Because it may be a sinful question.”

“Ooooh. Please wait a moment.” Phlox suddenly took out a metal flask, which Geod was pretty sure was something soldiers keep alcohol in, and scooted closer to him, whispering: “Okay, please tell me, if it's a sinful question, I’ll shower both of us in holy water.”

Geod glanced doubtfully at the military flask and then asked:

“In those records… Are there any descriptions of His Holiness Amaranth?”

“Aaah…”

Phlox’s eyes opened wide and she whispered very quietly:

“It’s indeed a very sinful question, but I’ll accompany you in this sin, Geod, sir. The records say…” She made a dramatic pause “That His Holiness Amaranth was the most beautiful man that ever looked at the stars of the universe..”

As expected from His Holiness.

The moment when Geod felt relieved that all his fantasies were true, he was smashed with cold water.

He heard Phlox mumble:

“Oh, Universe, have mercy on those two sinful souls…”

And his old man sighing at the side:

“You punks…”

And even Amara saying something as if to himself:

“This face isn’t worse than that of Amaranth…”

But it had to be a hallucination.

There is no way that His Excellency became self-conscious, because of His Holiness' beauty, right?

Right, they had to be hallucinations caused by a shock of cold water.

*-*-*

“Hello… Did you face unexpected rain?”

Perlliar, who was waiting for them at the doorstep of the temple, looked at Geod and Phlox, who were completely soaked, with worry.

“They suffered from a sudden wave of heat and had to visit the fountain to recuperate.”

Amara decided to omit the exact details.

For Perlliar it was more than enough to understand the situation.

“I see. We will prepare some clothes to change into and dry these ones while we talk.”

“I’m sure they will appreciate it.”

The two water-dripping people quietly nodded their heads.

“Cotteo wanted to welcome you, but he is… occupied with our guest.”

“Did something happen to Mr. Seven?”

A few days ago, Amara sent Phlox and two attendants to bring the prisoner, nicknamed Seven, to the Temple of Dead and Forgotten Gods.

Perlliar’s expression was very peculiar.

“We are not sure… He seemed scared, so we did our best to make him comfortable and show him we mean no harm… but we seemed to only scare him even more.”

Amara thought for a moment.

Alexandrit mentioned to him that Seven stiffened when he saw two priests of the Temple of Dead and Forgotten Gods.

Could Seven sense who the two of them were and that made him wary?

When Amara gave Perlliar a questioning look, they smiled gently and replied:

“There is particular blood flowing through his veins. It may indeed make him wary of us.”

“I see…”

It seemed that it would be better if someone went to check on him…

Amara looked around thinking who would be the best candidate.

Considering that he and Phlox were priests, they weren’t the best choice.

Geod didn’t have many interactions with Seven and was currently a wet squirrel…

“Alexandrit. Can you please go check on Mr. Seven?”

“... Yes, Your Excellency.”

Alexandrit bowed, but the look in his eyes seemed to say ‘why am I getting involved with this guy again?’.

All Amara could tell him was:

‘Maybe it’s a trick of fate… or your god.’