“Hello, hello!”

“What? What do you want?”

“Nice to see you too.”

I pushed open Maxwell’s gilded doors, receiving an enthused greeting and an even more enthused glare.

If he wasn’t always like this I might actually think he didn’t want me here.

I stood in front of his desk and smiled.

“What do you want?”

“Do you have a house or anything? I only ever find you here.”

“I do, but I can’t bring you there or you’ll start bothering me there too.”

“Man, you didn’t even sugarcoat it. Whatever. Check this out.”

With a grin, I brought out the head of the Royal. Maxwell narrowed his eyes.

“A Royal?”

“That’s right. It could shoot lasers out of its eyes like the Cyclops Scout. What do you think about making it into a Crown?”

“...Well, it’s even more suitable than the Scout. But how did you get this?”

“A simple story…”

I gave him a quick explanation of my most recent expedition. He seemed rather unbothered by the fact I had even acquired such a unique material.

“You’ve stumbled yourself into another very lucky situation, haven’t you? I hadn’t expected you to be back so soon… Very well, you have a suitable medium, and the sooner it gets processed, the better. Looks like I need to make a visit.”

“Where to?”

“An old friend with the Church. Hold on to the material and come back here tomorrow morning. We’ll leave then.”

“Cool. And that reminds me, I have a friend heading to his Peerage tomorrow. His name is Vetsmon Verga.”

“A Verga? That’s a valuable friend to have. Their knights are exemplary. The wife of their current Head was a student of mine as well. Nevertheless, if it’s a Peerage, then we’re going to the same place. You’ll get to see him.”

“Groovy. I’ll head back for now then.”

“Mm.”

We talked for a bit longer, then he rushed me out of the study.

As I made my way back to my room, I notified Vetsmon that I would be heading to the Peerage as well, wherever that was.

We talked for a bit, and I found out that the Church controlled its own massive city that rivaled the Capitol. That’s where all the Peerages were located, and from a cursory description, it seemed to be an incredibly rich place.

I learned that Vetsmon would be using the Capitol’s teleporter to head there. After a call to the mentor, I learned that Maxwell and I were planning on doing the same. Perhaps we would run into each other, but Maxwell had made it clear that he wanted me to stick with him for the duration of business. He said that his presence within the Church was sensitive, and he didn’t need to make his arrival a big deal. I would need to keep my head down so long as he was there.

I couldn’t go see Vetsmon immediately, but I would later once we finished all our business.

After hanging up those calls, my walk lapsed back into silence until I got back to my room.

I told Umara the recent news.

“You’re going to the Peerage?”

“Yeah. Maxwell apparently has a friend there that can help me with my Crown. Vetsmon is going too.”

“I see. Well, I was talking to Tana and she said that she’ll be visiting the Vergas at the Peerage after she’s done with her parents.”

“Oh? Then maybe you should come with me. We can all meet up.”

“Will that be fine?”

She asked while taking a seat beside me, bringing over a package full of treats.

I grabbed one and chomped down while nodding.

“I don’t see a reason why not. Worst case, you just stay with Vetsmon until I’m done. I’m not sure how long business will take, but it can’t be that long.”

“Alright. Let’s do it then.”

She smiled and threw a cookie into her mouth.

I watched her for a second, the two of us just staring at each other.

“You’re so pretty.”

“So are you.”

“I am quite the looker aren’t I? By the way, I have a question.”

“What’s that?”

She scooted as I thought back to our recent battle.

“During the fight with the Royal, you never brought out your Flicker Companion. I haven’t seen the pup in a while at all. Was there a reason?”

“Oh, yeah.”

Umara waved, the six legged wolf jumping out of her body and appearing in front of the couch.

My eyes widened. The snowy blue wolf with horns and wings was now twice as big as it was before, clearly stronger.

“Turns out, there's a period of time that the companion needs to spend assimilating with you. Bringing it out minimally is best for a while until that assimilation period has passed. As for how long it takes, it entirely depends on the age of the Flicker and the difference in power between it and the host. I’m quite a bit stronger than him, so it’s taking a while to fully assimilate. It’ll be less than a month until we’re both on the same page, but that also meant I couldn’t take him out.”

“Was it just because he was weak?”

“Yes, and the fact that he’s even more vulnerable than normal while assimilating. There was a high risk of death if he had engaged the Royal, and his speed wouldn’t have helped me much, so I just decided that he was better off staying put.”

“Makes sense. Come here.”

I waved to the wolf, the creature trotting over before nudging my hand with its snout, tongue flopping out and tail wagging.

I messed with it for a bit while conversing.

“Have you played with him at all?”

“Not really. He’s not a pet. Although the way you interact with him has me questioning that.”

She muttered as I pushed the beastly canine to the floor, rubbing his belly.

I chuckled.

“Well, do what you need to do. If it makes no difference, might as well bring him out more. I can't imagine isolation inside a cold dark mind is very nurturing.

“Excuse you, but I think my mind is plenty substantive, thank you very much.”

“Come on, look how deprived he is. I can almost see his ribs.”

I poked his chest, having to reach through a thick layer of fur just to hit skin. Even then, it seemed there was a huge layer of muscle coating his entire body.

Umara rolled her eyes.

“Uh-huh. Unfortunately, the pup needs to stay inside. Assimilation is fastest that way.”

“Well then I guess the pup needs to hurry up, doesn’t he? Yes he does!”

“Haarrr!”

The Flicker let out a small howl in response, making Umara laugh.

“Anyway, if you’re coming with me, then get ready to leave tomorrow morning. Prepare for a multi-day trip.”

“It should be fun. I’ve only been to the Holy See once as a child. I’ve yet to see it again.”

“The Holy See, huh…”

I pondered, thinking how the Vatican on Earth was located within a tiny city-state by the same name.

I was curious to see what it was like.

……

…

“So this is where you brought me. It looks nice.”

Umara looked around as we entered the Polaris Headquarters hand in hand.

We made our way straight to Maxwell’s study, throwing open the doors to find the man himself preparing some materials.

“Maxwell!”

“It’s too early for your voice. And why did you bring your girlfriend?”

“She wants to see the Holy See.”

“I’d also like to thank you for what you did for me during my Enlightenment.

Umara stepped forward and curtsied formally.

Stolen story; please report.

“I may not have been conscious, but I hope I wasn’t too much trouble.”

“Mm, don’t worry. Nothing more than a rudimentary procedure. Your mother and I already discussed it. Now, delivery man, carry those cases. We’re heading to the Teleporter Nexus.”

“Can’t even use my name.”

I clicked my tongue while grabbing a stack of cases. They were kind of heavy.

“Why can’t we put these into a spatial sack?”

“Unless you want to degrade the integrity of your own, I suggest carrying them. They’re special materials to be used for your Crown.”

“I see. How much besides the corpse do we need?”

“A significant amount. Your body will be altered on several levels. I will not simply glue the head on, despite how much it might improve your looks. We will attempt to give you the greatest benefit afforded by the corpse while focusing on sensory aspects. Regardless, you should be prepared for an extensive, invasive, and possibly dangerous operation.”

“Alright. So it’s genetic. I can see how that would be dangerous.”

“I’m not sure what that means…”

Maxwell frowned at the term he was unfamiliar with.

I sighed.

“Nevermind. Where’s the carriage?”

“Will be arriving in a moment.”

“Then why am I carrying this…”

I rolled my eyes and set everything down until there was a place to put it.

Eventually, the carriage came and took us and our luggage to the teleporter platforms. I didn’t see Vetsmon there, and the batch of transports we were assigned to were idling.

Before we knew it, we had teleported and arrived in the Holy See.

My feet planted themselves onto another platform, identical yet different from the one we arrived from, the rest of my body taking a half second to reorient to my new surroundings.

As we walked out of the transporter building, through the gaps the tower of boxes afforded me, I noticed the incredibly intricate black stone patterns on the walls. We exited into a massive plaza, and…

The Church sure as hell knew how to make a view.

Eight massive towers circled the plaza, each stretching around 600 meters into the sky. Despite their distance, I could still vaguely tell just how monumental each tower was.

There wasn’t any accurate way to gauge how much land they covered, despite my heavily enhanced thinking processes, so I reverted to measurements I knew well.

“That’s gotta be at least 100 football fields of area in total… Ridiculous…”

“Come on.”

Maxwell waved, walking straight toward one of the towers.

Each of the 8 towers had their own unique styles ranging from brutalist architecture to sleek and minimalist to golden and rich and artistic. Despite some base similarities, all of them were distinctive in manner.

In the center of this circular formation of towers was a statue with a height I had never seen before, even on Earth. Easily triple the height of the towers was a statue of Jesus, a simple sword raised and pointed off into the horizon. It had a vibe very much at odds with the Christ of Earth. I had to crane my neck just to see the top because of its incredible height; it would easily top even the tallest skyscraper if placed on Earth. Its strangely inspiring presence reminded me somewhat of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.

The base of the statue almost looked like a small mountain, covering the massive area needed to support such a structure. As we walked closer, I could appreciate the scale more; 100 football fields wasn’t anywhere near a big enough estimation.

The city itself sprawled endlessly around the towers and beyond, hundreds of densely packed buildings visible even from behind my towering stack of packages. Wide paved streets ran tidy grids through the city but still managed to seem crowded, hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people packing them to the brim. This place rivaled the Capital in size, and outstripped it in infrastructure quality. It was like industrial America, and a conservative estimate put a few million in this city alone.

Umara and I walked behind Maxwell, marveling at the sights as we crossed the massive plaza, known as the Walk of Saints, around the statue toward one of the towers.

“So, which tower are we going to?”

“The 7th Peerage of the Franks. They are warlocks specializing in Alchemical practices, especially Crowns. I have a friend there that will help concoct your Crown and perform the procedure.”

“This guy must be pretty old if he’s your friend.”

“Yes. He should be approaching a century. So you better pray he still has the steady hand he did back then.”

“Tsk, now we’re just playing with my life.”

There were so many people going in and out of the tower through a massive translucent black archway that we wouldn’t possibly stick out. Maxwell said his presence within the city was sensitive, necessitating subtlety, but that didn’t seem to be required right now.

Once we entered the building, greeted by a grand hall, Maxwell turned around and faced us.

“I apologize, Lady Umara, but this is where John and I must proceed alone. I wouldn’t want to involve you in any potentially complicated matters, if only out of respect for your mother.”

“I understand. I’ll wait here.”

“Are you sure?”

I asked, letting her nod with a smile.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll just call Vetsmon. It’s not like I can get lost when we’ve got such a convenient landmark.”

She glanced at the huge statue, causing me to bob my head in agreement.

“That’s true. If you need anything though, just let me know.”

“Sure. Just keep yourself safe.”

“After I meet with who I need to and resolve any potential conflicts, you will be free to join John as you wish. For now though, it’s best if there are no misunderstandings that might associate yourself with me.”

Maxwell explained the general situation, easing Umara’s worry.

After that, we said our goodbyes and ascended the tower while Umara lingered around the Walk of Saints. She was a big girl and could take care of herself; I wasn’t worried.

Like the Black Spider Hotel, there were tons of elevators in the tower that could bring you to any floor. There were even mini-teleporters that we used on the higher floors.

Wherever we were going, it wasn’t open to the general public.

Sure enough, after ascending what had to be a hundred floors, Maxwell had to utilize some kind of token to allow himself higher. It didn’t take long after that before we reached our destination.

The floor we entered had floors, walls, and a ceiling of pure white marble that felt more like sterile tile than actual marble.

From the entry hall, we moved into an offshoot where we found a single pair of doors.

“He should be in here. I wouldn’t know him to be anywhere else.”

Maxwell walked up and kicked the door, making them sound like a gong that shook the hall.

A yell came in response.

“Who the hell is it?! Is courtesy a forgotten fucking art?!”

“It’s me, you wrinkly old ass!”

“...”

There was a terrifying silence while I processed the fact that Maxwell could actually be aggressive. Suddenly, the doors flew open, revealing a short old man with a slight hunch.

His most outstanding feature had nothing to do with his person, but rather what he wore. Several incredibly high quality and intricately adorned robes covered him, making him seem like he was wearing an entire suit of armor. He looked like a greedy king, even more so than Maxwell, which was saying something.

His eyes were wide when he saw Maxwell.

“...Albarain?”

“Terrace Gold. You don’t seem to be enjoying retirement. I don’t see two dozen women wrapped around your crotch.”

“Fuck, you just made this reunion a lot easier on me. Can I expect to be questioned by a fucking Paladin after this?”

“Not if you have any common sense. At least tell me you haven’t been pissing away the last years of your life.”

Maxwell barged into the room, looking around to see tall shelves filled with books and stacks of paper.

There were a dozen different tables as well, all filled with what I could only assume were alchemical tools and supplies. Most sat dormant, but some bubbled with life, small flames ignited under glass baubles and clear tubes twisting and turning around containers.

He scoffed, stepping away from the door and presenting an opportunity for me to slip in. I decided I should blend in with the background for a bit.

“Of course I haven’t. You think any of the kids these days are smart enough to replace me? I swear, it’s like the only thing their parents are good for is teaching them how to wipe their own ass. Otherwise, I need to fill their tiny heads with everything imaginable. God forbid they figure some things out on their own.”

“You were cut out for a lot of things Terrace. Teaching wasn’t one of them.”

“That just means I’m still the best at my craft.”

“Humility obviously hasn’t grown on you either.”

“Heh, you’re one to talk. Now what do you want? I can’t imagine you’d come here unannounced if it weren’t a big deal. Not after almost 30 years of silence.”

“...”

Maxwell was silent, observing the room a bit more before turning to his friend and nodding toward me.

“The kid. I need you to concoct a Crown for him.”

“And who the hell is he that you’d come out of hiding just to get him some lousy Crown?”

“My name is John Cooper sir. Pleasure to meet you.”

“So he’s a kiss ass. What else is new with young ones these days?”

“...”

My smile twitched, my approach to the interactions threatening to flip on its head. The only thing that held me in check was the fact that this man actually had to do something for me. I didn’t need him turning me into a blob in the process just because I pissed him off.

Maxwell rolled his eyes.

“He’s my successor. That’s all you need to know. And all I need for you to do is make him a crown and perform the procedure.”

“Successor…”

Terrace faced me, his sharp eyes scrutinizing my body.

I could feel his Aura wash over me in the process. It wasn’t threatening in the slightest, but it was incredibly precise. It felt like there were a thousand eyes observing me, even capable of seeing through me like I was under an x-ray.

Then, he cast a spell that enveloped me with runic formations, Mana scanning through every inch of my body before disappearing.

“Well, he certainly has fantastic integrity. Honestly, it’s one of the best I’ve seen, despite being just an Authority 4 summoner. A strong Crown won’t be an issue. What’s the basis for it?”

“A Royal descended from the Scouting lineage. John, show him the head.”

“Mm.”

I raised my hand, the head of the Royal appearing.

He waved and it flew out of my hand. He scanned it like he did me and shrugged.

“Decent, so long as he wants a sensory type Crown.”

“He does. Vision is his most important tool. Think of him like an archer.”

“Perfect. Vision is rather important…”

“I have the rest of the necessary materials as well.”

“I saw that, but don’t bother. Crown technology has advanced significantly since three decades ago, my pickled friend. I’ll take some of yours, but you probably don't have the rest. Don’t worry, I can get them.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You used your badge to get up here, so someone will-”

“Someone already has.”

I snapped around to lay eyes on the new voice entering the room.

The man I laid eyes on, in a word, was massive. He was even bigger than Vetsmon, standing over 7 feet tall, and was built like a wall. At least, that’s from what I could see from under the large black coat he wore.

Despite the wide grin he wore on his face, he felt dangerous. A grizzled face marred by scars spoke to volumes of experience. He was by far the most dangerous man I’d ever met, and yet, I couldn’t actually detect anything from his Aura. He felt like he didn’t exist and still managed to have all too powerful of a presence.

Maxwell cleared his throat.

“Anderson…”

“Heretic. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, least of all here. And to think you have a successor now. A little heretic. Of all the things, that’s not something I’d ever believe unless you showed me.”

“My protege has nothing to do with my past, and you know that.”

“That doesn’t change what you’re teaching him, Albarain. You know that.”

“And none of it will change the fact that you will not get in my way!”

Maxwell roared in a way I had never seen him doing. The rest of the room seemed equally stunned, falling into silence for a few moments.

Yet Anderson never stopped smiling.

“...You’re right, Maxwell, I won’t get in your way. You know that.”

“It’s been 30 years Anderson. I don’t know, and I needed to make sure. There are few I can trust.”

“Oh ye of little faith. How could I possibly change so much that I wouldn’t at least pay homage to the greatest summoner to ever live?! You know me well enough, don't play dumb.”

“Hm.”

Maxwell harrumphed as Anderson walked over and patted his shoulder.

“I mean, I’ve even saved you the trouble of erasing your entry into the upper levels. And here, use this for now.”

“Your badge? Why are you interfering? You’ve never been one to help.”

“I’m not helping you. I’m helping your successor. The poor kid needs at least one advantage if you’re going to turn him into a heretic. Letting him slide through here undiscovered can be considered a small favor. Besides, I’m curious to see why you of all people chose him.”

“Because if anyone is capable of breaching the Great Barrier, it’s him. If I could ask for anything Anderson, it would be as you said, to let him remain undiscovered. You better hope he’s allowed to grow.”

“High praise. For now, I’ll wait and see.”

After staring into what felt like my soul, Anderson turned around and walked out, the door clicking closed softly behind him.