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Before we translocated back to the Forums, Captain Corwin threw heavy, hooded capes over Nora, Vernie, and me. The fabric was rough and thick, designed to hide us from the prying eyes of those waiting for us. The Captain then gestured to the rest of our entourage. “After we arrive, keep your heads down and don’t engage with anyone. We’ll head straight for the Temple’s entrance, but only after I give the order to move out.”

Director Saira and Warren agreed, and the rest of the group nodded mutely. We took turns making the magical leap in quartets, each of us taking a few moments to get our bearings before moving off the pad to allow the next group to arrive. Once we were all accounted for, Captain Corwin led us to the High Temple’s main entrance while the rest of his soldiers held back the masses. Judging by the crowd’s shouts and cries that echoed through the air, some onlookers weren’t fooled by his attempts to conceal us.

“Hey, you! Is the Chosen One with you?” someone shouted. “Is that her in the robe?”

Another let out a shrill whistle. “How come they get to go in? What makes them special?!”

“I want to enter the Temple, too!”

A few people tried to break past the holy knights but were roughly pushed back. Although no swords were drawn, there were sounds of a serious scuffle to my right. I winced, refusing to look, fearing it would only escalate the situation. Each step I took filled me with anxiety, even though I had only myself to blame for the upcoming denunciation.

At least any reprimands will likely happen in private. Publicly berating the hero isn’t exactly good for the church’s image.

Of course, given their recent track record…

I shivered and pulled the hooded cape tighter around myself as we entered the Temple’s sacred halls. Captain Corwin led us up several seemingly endless flights of stairs, escorting us to a hallway with a single door at the end.

“After you,” he said curtly, holding the door open for all of us.

Beyond the threshold was a large office in mid-renovation. Wooden crates were scattered along the sides in front of empty bookshelves, filled with ancient books and scrolls awaiting filing. Relias, with his dark-rimmed, sunken eyes fixed on the large, ornate wooden desk in front of him, gestured for Captain Corwin to excuse himself.

Didn’t he notice we’re a bit over capacity in here?

“Your Holiness,” Captain Corwin said, a note of dismay in his voice. “I’ve brought some others as well, at Captain Lightbringer’s insistence.”

At the mention of my title, Relias’s head snapped up, and our eyes briefly met before he registered the strangers in his office.

Did he just flinch? Or was that a twinge of anger?

I couldn’t tell.

He then narrowed his gaze slightly, evaluating Director Saira, Warren, and the locals who had followed. “Welcome, guests,” he said in a low, measured tone. “Please enlighten me with the reason for your visit.”

“The crystals!” Director Saira blurted. “There’s something wrong with them!”

Relias’s brow furrowed as he rummaged hastily through a stack of parchment on his desk. “Is this about the complaints of increasing flashes?”

“Yes!” Saira replied, with Warren and the rest agreeing. “I performed a visual inspection this morning on Kaikias’s Eye—”

“The northeast crystal?” His Holiness asked loudly in clarification, trying to be heard over the small but slightly unruly mob.

Saira nodded and waved at Warren to calm his neighbors. “There are several hairline fractures on its surface. Although I cannot fully inspect its depths with my limited equipment, I—”

Relias abruptly jumped out of his seat, clearly shaken. “Corwin! I need Father Irijah and Master Landon. See to—” he stopped abruptly as the Captain was already running down the hallway. “Ah, miss…?”

“Director Saira,” she introduced herself. “Ignore my entourage. Your Holiness… Has there been similar observations from the other districts?”

Relias took a moment to straighten the reports in his hand before skimming through them. “Not that I see…” he sighed in relief. “Let us be thankful to the Goddess that it is the only one affected.”

“That doesn’t mean there’s not a problem,” Saira replied carefully. “The teams routinely inspecting my crystal didn’t pick up on this fracturing phenomenon, either. I know you’re very busy here in the Temple, but you should know that our resources and budget have been…” she trailed off, unsure how to finish.

“Usurped?” Vernie suggested. “Outright stolen?”

Saira glanced nervously at Relias. “Um... Reappropriated…”

Relias’s lips tightened into a thin, sharp line. “Under whose authority?”

“I believe the General Assembly ordered it…” she murmured, stepping back. “I’m not sure who called for it first, however, Your Holiness.”

I bet their name started with a ‘P.’

Relias sighed heavily as he once again took his seat, rubbing his temples. “Could I call upon you to assess the other crystals? I would ask for your independent observations as soon as possible.”

“I could quickly inspect the rest within a few hours, but even if ours is the only one with fractures, there’s another problem to consider. The parameters we used to judge their rotational speed are outdated, and I’m afraid we’re not effectively monitoring their functionality.”

“Master Landon should be able to adjust the parameters,” Relias advised. “I’m also sending Father Irijah with you as a witness; I’ll be calling on you all to testify at an emergency meeting as soon as your assessments are complete.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“We… we did it!” Warren suddenly shouted. “We got someone to listen!”

“Hear, hear!” the others with him cheered. “Thanks be to the Chosen One!”

“No, no!” I yelped nervously, jumping out of my seat. Please don’t get me into any more trouble! “You were the ones who—”

“Don’t be so modest!” the old man laughed. “You knew something wasn’t right, but you didn’t ignore it, either! Instead, you burst through the door and spoke to power!” He glanced at Saira with a mischievous grin. “Such as it is.”

“Watch it, Old Man,” Saira snapped back. “I know where you live.”

“…Burst through the door?” Relias asked, giving me an unreadable sidelong glance.

With my head hung low, I whispered, “I would… ask that the church remit reparations commensurate with the damage I caused.”

Nora cleared her throat. “I would have done much worse, so don’t be too mad.”

“The door wasn’t in the best shape to begin with, either,” Vernie added with a harumph.

Before Relias could continue, Captain Corwin returned with Father Irijah and Master Landon. His Holiness quickly summarized the morning’s events, and it was decided that while Warren and his neighbors would remain as guests in the Temple, Director Saira, Father Irijah, and Master Landon would be escorted by Captain Corwin to the other crystals to complete an emergency assessment. After a mass dismissal, only Vernie, Nora, and I were left with Relias in his office.

“So… what else did you do,” Relias asked quietly. “On your recent excursion into the city.”

“Um, I didn’t have any time to get into any more shenan— er activities,” I said lamely before straightening up. “However! For the record, it was my idea to visit the Periphery without seeking permission,” I admitted in a clear voice. “I made Vernie and Nora promise not to say anything about it.”

His Holiness’s chill gaze swept over them. “Is what Captain Lightbringer just said true?”

Nora and Vernie exchanged a long, guilty glance.

“Well,” Nora started. “Yes, but we—”

“I see,” he sighed in reply. “May I speak with Rae alone?”

Nora glanced dubiously at me, and I nodded.

“You have an assignment to work on, right? And Vernie, could you…” I started to pat myself down. “Wait, where…”

“I have them,” Vernie said with a grin, patting her hip pocket. “I’ll look into it.”

“Into what?” Relias asked suspiciously.

Vernie shrugged. “Jewelry? You want me to look into some for you, too?”

He blinked several times, clearly out of his element. “Ah… No, no thank you… I should pick such things out myself…”

I watched the two leave, with Nora carefully shutting the door behind her.

Okay, here it comes.

“Please have a seat,” he said, not really looking at me.

I sat, eyes bolted to the floor.

“I wish to inform you of this morning’s meeting,” he said in a suspiciously soft voice. “First, Prince Mito has informed me of his intent to send his Brother Victor home. We suspect he will resist such an order, but Lieutenant Kendria of the Royal Army of Amantia, along with the soldiers under her command, will ensure he returns to the castle. I am sure Chamberlain Reginald and Duke Chadwick will ensure he is properly attended to.” He cleared his throat. “He has testified in front of the General Assembly already but has offered no information of any import, so I doubt he will be missed.”

Oh. I was the one who told Prince Mito to do what he thought was best, even if it didn’t align with Relias’s wishes…

“I see…”

“I also spoke with your new acquaintance, Ms. Emilia Archambault.”

Looks like I’m racking up all sorts of debts here. “Uh-huh…”

“It seems Procul has been focused on promoting an imposter for something called ‘Project Hero.’ Emilia seems willing to share the details, provided she’s not charged with any wrongdoing.”

I squirmed. “I don’t think she meant any real harm... She seemed to think of it as a role to play more than some deep delusion.”

“Regardless of her intentions, I plan to expose the project to the General Assembly. I cannot fathom the goal of this farce, but I suspect it was to strengthen his position in contrast to his colleagues. If I didn’t know any better…”

His pause was so lengthy I couldn’t help but look up at him. His face was shadowed, bearing the hallmark sneer of someone who had just been dreadfully insulted. After an audible swallow and a short shiver, Relias continued on to the next topic. “Aleph, Tetora, and Father Titus have received official permission to begin talks with the leaders in the pilgrim encampment outside the city. I believe this visit will coincide with the public release of research findings showing that hybrids do not generate any more animus than humans do.” He took another long pause. “Would you like to accompany them tomorrow?”

I looked up and stared at him incredulously. “You’re… going to let me go with them? After everything that I… er, I mean, happened…?”

“As long as you do not go alone. That is all I will ask of you from now on.” His face contorted into a guilty pout. “I know it does not even begin to make up for what I did that night… But if I don’t make amends with you soon, I fear our relationship will permanently suffer. So please, whatever I may do to seek your forgiveness…”

“Oh…” I replied awkwardly.

In all my irritation, I had never expected him to apologize without a fight! I had so many things I wanted to yell about—his unreasonable expectations and his lack of communication.

Except… He was doing exactly what I wanted him to do, so now what?

“It was not something I should have ever conveyed,” he continued, his tone regretful. “It is just... you give everyone a chance, seeking to bring out the virtue within them. While this is undoubtedly your greatest strength, it is also your greatest weakness, for not all possess such merit.”

No, that’s not true.

There are many people I’ve judged harshly without a second thought.

My guidance counselor, who was just trying to help me back in high school, for example.

Those three dog hybrids? No excuse for their actions!

Prelate Dolus? Ha, no. I was intolerant of his intolerance. The only reason he didn’t get punished further was that I needed to use him as a tool to heal Tetora.

“I don’t think I’m as nice as you say,” I objected. “And I know not everyone’s good or trustworthy…”

And I know that sometimes, I’m not good or trustworthy, either.

Relias shook his head. “I just don’t want others to prey on your kindness. But I also realize that you will do whatever you need to do, whatever you think is right. And I am beginning to think that this is part of your Purpose, and I was wrong to try to keep you from performing it.” He smiled ruefully. “We would not have known about the crystal, for example, had you not ordered a smorgasbord and surprised everyone by sneaking out instead of eating it.”

“Vernie was the one who ordered all the food!” I proclaimed. “Not me!”

He chuckled almost shyly. “Do not worry. It did not go to waste.”

I frowned. “It wasn’t the kitchen staff’s fault or the guards’, either.”

Relias nodded. “I know. As a trio, you’re practically unstoppable. That’s why…” He tried to smile, but it was clearly strained. “I’m confident… you’ll also be fine to explore the City together… incognito…”

What?

Not only was I getting off without a fight, I was getting a boon to boot!

“Just the three of us?”

“Just… the three of you…” His face began to twitch. “Provided you take Captain Corwin along as well.”

I frowned, considering the deal. “That would be four, then.”

“He can be a short distance away. Three and a half, at most.”

“How close?”

“Ten meters… maintaining direct sight of you at all times.”

“What if I want to shop for clothes?” I teased carefully. “That would be scandalous.”

In an instant, his entire face turned red. “He is forbidden from entering a clothing shop with you!”

I stared at him for a moment and then began to laugh at the ridiculous face he was making.

An officially sanctioned redo on our girl’s day out! Nora would be so happy now!

I'd just have to find the time...

Relias held his breath for a moment. “Then, we are… okay? If I try not to be so… overprotective…”

“I think so. I’ll try not to be so… um… well, I mean, I’ll also try to talk things out before... you know.”

Relias nodded, letting out a long sigh of relief. “Then, there is just one more thing I should inform you of. On the next Day of Rest, three days from now, the General Assembly plans to present you with the Faith of Euphridia. It is to be an auspicious occasion, but I cannot help but think some may try to complicate the services. Please be sure to be on your guard, just as I will be.”

The shield.

The true test of my identity.

“I’ll be ready.”

I even meant it, too.

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