Chapter 61 — In which people slap themselves and others
The garden of the Day and Sun Gods Temple was filled with white lilies.
Phlox always found it strange that something that usually was given to the dead was cultivated on such a scope in the Day and Sun Gods Temple.
No one could ever explain it to her.
An ancient tradition, apparently.
‘General Saffaron supposedly visited all Day and Sun Gods temples in Luminere every year to offer lilies, until the day she died.’
It was blasphemous to think about someone who had a hand in His Holiness’s death, but Phlox always found those records suspicious.
Her nose, experienced with many odors of corruption, was sniffing something strange about ‘Three Great Rulers fell to each other’s blades’.
‘In the first place. It’s strange that His Holiness would hurt someone.’
No matter how Phlox looked, there were no records of Amaranth ever resorting to aggression.
Of course, it could be that historians just didn’t think it was worthy of mentioning.
For all Phlox knew, it was a time when blood sacrifices were very common across numerous religions.
‘But those two also didn’t sound like bad people…’
They were just little snippets of information, but there were reasons why they were called ‘Great’.
Phlox, who sorted the rumors she heard in her head, had an idle thought.
‘I wonder if she was as pretty as rumored…’
Slap!
She smacked herself before she quite realized what she was thinking about.
Such blasphemy…!
“Priest Phlox?”
She looked up and met the concerned eyes of the priest in rich golden robes.
“Head Priest, hello.”
She performed a customary bow, greeting the head priest of the Day and Sun Gods Temple, who stood at the doorstep of the temple.
The priest returned the bow.
“Hello. I didn’t expect you to come today. That was quite a surprise.”
The head priest, a middle-aged woman with black like night hair, smiled kindly and then gestured for the Phlox to come to her side.
“Please come. May I ask why are you hurting your face on such a fine morning.”
“Uh, that was… a snake…”
“A snake?”
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“Uhu, yeah, I thought a snake was crawling on my face…”
“Is that so…? What a strangely terrifying thought.”
The head priest led Phlox to a remote, only used by priests area of the temple.
There she gestured for Phlox to sit down on the white marble, warmed by the sunlight and after sitting down beside her, she called an attendant and whispered something into the attendant’s ear.
Soon, the same attendant, with an additional few in tow, returned bringing bowls of dry fruit and fried nuts, and a quite big bottle of red wine.
“I can’t drink.”
“Are Universe Temple’s rules so strict?”
“No, I just must make sure to be in my top form.”
‘I have to organize the schedule for the next week!’
Seeing Phlox’s grave expression, the head priest nodded and gestured for attendants to take back the wine.
“Then I won’t be drinking either. So what brought you here? I don’t think it was nostalgia.”
Though she said it like a joke, Phlox’s heart pricked.
Looking at the paintings of wolves and birds covered by flames and sunlight, Phlox said:
“It’s not that I don’t feel nostalgia towards this place. I still think about this place as my home.”
When she was a child, after she escaped that dreadful place, she was raised at a Day and Sun Gods Temple.
However…
“And yet you left us.”
And yet she left.
“It’s not because I don’t love this place. It’s just I feel I need to find something. And that something is not here.”
“I know, I know. I’m just still a little hurt that you went to the Thousand Gods Temple. Those bastards make an entire show out of it.”
“Sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault. Haa… I’m just a bitter old lady. Don’t concern yourself with me, dear. Now. Tell me, what are you here for?”
The head priest shook her head with a smile and put a few raisins in her mouth. Her expression immediately turned better.
Phlox acted as if she hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
“Um, I had a strange vision… I’m not quite sure, but… Did anything disappear recently from the temple?”
“Disappear?”
The head priest frowned.
“I don’t think so… But I’ll have to check. If you had a vision related to our temple, then it’s very concerning. Do you have any details about what disappeared?”
“No… I’m sorry, I only made out it was related to one of the Sun gods.”
“Okay. Thank you, dear. Leave it to me, I’ll make sure to investigate it, Priest Phlox.”
“Thank you.”
“No, no. It’s only my duty as a head priest. Besides, it should be a good distraction from the entire scrambled eggs controversy…”
After lengthy goodbyes, as the head priest insisted on treating Phlox to a meal, Phlox finally freed herself when she explained that she had a LOT of work.
Because it was an hour when devotees gathered to pray, Phlox opted for taking a back exit, as to not disturb them.
“Little Priest Phlox.”
Phlox halted and looked towards the shadowed corner she heard a voice from.
The figure stepped closer, revealing himself fully.
“Ah, Record Keeper. Hello.”
“Hello.”
When the Record Keeper bowed his head, full of thinning hair, a strong smell of candles wafted over.
“What can I help you with?”
“Ah, it’s really nothing. I just overheard Little Priest is looking for something missing?”
“Yes. Do you know anything about it, Elder?”
The old man laughed.
“How the old man like me could know. I’m almost blind.”
He pointed at the thick glasses decorating his nose.
And then he shook his head.
“Ah, but you’re out of luck, Little Priest. I think people at this temple may have even worse eyes than mine.”
“What do you mean, Elder?”
“Haa, don’t even ask. A week ago, someone mixed pomegranate among the grapes. The other day, we found out that foxgloves were mistakenly planted at the red hollyhocks' orchard. And now I noticed that a strange, rusty fungus is eating our yellow paper, because someone forgot about ventilating the room… Those old bones are not what they used to be, and there is no reliable help here.”
“I’m very sorry, Elder, I wished I could help…”
“No, no, don’t make that face, dear child. That’s just old man’s grumblings. But, when you find some fine lady, make sure to hold on to her, okay? Don’t be a fool like me, who lets his husband run wild.”
Phlox laughed.
“Yes. I understand. Thank you, Record Keeper. I’ll take Elder’s advice to heart.”
“Yeah! You better! Now go. Don’t let me hold you here any longer.”
“Yes, yes. Goodbye!”
After waving, Phlox left the temple and stepped onto the street.
While heading towards the Universe Temple, she recalled Record Keeper’s words and her face gradually turned grave.
‘Everyone in the temple lost their sight…?’
*-*-*
“Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our first Vacation’s Strategic Meeting!”
Clap clap.
At Saffra’s words, everyone gathered in the enclosed drawing room applauded.
Then Apric raised her hand.
“Yes, Miss Apric?”
“My Lady, I understand that it’s a very important meeting, but then there is something I’m concerned about.”
“What is it?”
“Why is he here?”
Apric’s eyes, and so everyone else’s, headed towards a man sitting at the edge of the table.
Citrie smiled in response to the cold gazes.
“He is here under my permission.”
“Is it really okay, My Lady?”
Tangeri seemed dubious.
“Yes. I vouch for him.”
When Saffra nodded with a firm face, the sharp gazes directed at Citrie softened slightly.
Then they concentrated on Saffra who was standing before the seat of honor.
She addressed the people gathered: Mimosa, Citrie, Craya, Apric and Tangeri.
“Yesterday evening, Miss Tangeri shared a suspicion she has with me, and I agree it needs to be investigated. Am I free to share that suspicion, Miss Tangeri?”
After Tangeri nodded.
Saffra spoke with the same tone she used when planning war operations.
“Miss Tangeri suspects that Miss Monachra she met yesterday is not a person she used to know. This is a meeting to determine how we will proceed with this agenda. And also…”
Saffra took out a big pot from under the table.
“To eat as much of spicy curry as possible!”
There was another applause. Though, one seemed particularly weak this time.
*~*~*