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The day had been a whirlwind of emotional tidings and thunderous waves of applause. I had been asked to make yet another heroic speech, this time in the courtyard of the Castle of Amantia during its rededication celebration. Decades of labor had been poured into every inch of the newly reconstructed palace, with painstaking effort to use the same materials and replicate its original splendor.
King Saulus seemed elated to host such an occasion, though I found little time to thank him for his hospitality amidst the constant stream of guests seeking my attention. Everywhere I turned, someone wanted to engage me in conversation, each with their own agenda and motives. Some simply offered congratulations and well-wishes for a bright future, while others sought my blessings and intercessions with the Goddess on their behalf. Some even confessed their sins publicly, believing I held special powers over their final judgment. Trying to explain that making amends in this life as the first step to forgiveness typically fell on deaf ears, the suggested effort seeming to overwhelm them.
More than a few people tried to talk me into meeting with them privately at a later time of my choosing. While the nobles most likely wanted the opportunity to be seen with me, the requests for late-night rendezvous frightened me the most. Innuendos were heavily laced within their suggestions for secret trysts, and it was only by having Relias audibly denounce them that they finally took the hint. There was a reason I preferred to avoid getting cleaned up for such occasions, even if etiquette dictated otherwise. I had long since learned to burn the love letters left behind and keep my sense of sanity instead of reading and responding to them out of pity. Unfortunately, I had been exposed to explicit drawings before learning such a lesson, and I lament that they will haunt me until the end of days.
Lastly but most voluminous were the endless requests and tasks thrust upon me with urgent fervor. Uprooting evil and corruption was the main topic of many a discussion, with detailed reports and lists of locations where such darkness had been perceived. It was overwhelming, and I couldn’t possibly remember or prioritize them all on my own. Aleph, Tetora, and even Vernie did their best to take notes for future reference. I tried not to make any direct promises, as there was no way I could ever get to them all.
Now, as I stood atop Amantia’s battlement in the stillness of the night, I could see for leagues in every direction, thanks to the full moon’s luminous glow. The peaceful tranquility below beckoned, tempting me to leave everything behind and embrace the solitude of the vast open landscape before me.
“I would prefer it if you didn’t jump,” Oliver’s smooth and slightly sinister tone called from my side. “I simply don’t have the energy to chase you tonight. While I know you’ll come back like always, I wish to avoid yet another lecture from the pompous priest.”
“You weren’t there a moment ago,” I sighed regretfully at being caught so early in my attempt. “And isn’t it Vernie’s turn to watch over me?”
Oliver, neatly nestled between two crenels in the stone battlement with a glowing orb hovering above him, simply shrugged as he turned a page in yet another book he was reading. “The only thing she’s watching right now is the bottom of an ale cup. However, you already knew that, didn’t you? In fact, I watched you make sure of it.”
“I could order you not to follow me,” I suggested hopefully, ignoring his last comment. “Relias wouldn’t have much to say to that.”
Oliver scoffed in amusement, bookmarking his place before snapping the book shut. “I love how you pretend that you’re in charge.”
“So this is what we’ll be discussing tonight?” I asked archly, leaning on one of the handy merlons. “How I have empty titles and little authority?”
“It’s good to revisit the classics routinely,” he replied with an airy sigh. “Otherwise, you might start to believe the rhetoric around you.”
“I know more than you think I do,” I snapped without real conviction.
Oliver chuckled. “Oh, do you? Tell me something you think I don’t know that you know.”
“I know what you did to that young nobleman with the two-toned beard.”
“Mmm... the drunk who fell out the window?”
“After you defenestrated him, yes.”
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Oliver shook his head, his locks shining like silver in the moonlight. “I believe ’after’ is incorrect. ’While’ would have been a better choice since the act was one and the same. However, I’m impressed by your vocabulary. Your reading efforts are paying off quite nicely.”
I sighed in exasperation, annoyed that he was forever correcting my grammar, even while misaligning his own. “Why’d you do it?”
“Hmm. Because he deserved it. I’m sure his wife would have even thanked me for it if she knew the circumstances behind his demise.”
“...Well, I suppose at least you’re not comforting her in her hour of need,” I muttered sourly before hesitating. “...He was that bad?”
“He made it a daily task to beat her into submission. I was merely provided an opportunity to send him for final evaluation of his Purpose.”
I inhaled sharply, a sick feeling bubbling in my stomach. “Aren’t you afraid of Euphridia’s judgment?”
“Actually, I look forward to the opportunity to talk to her... If it ever comes to pass.”
“I don’t think she’s going to ignore you, even if you don’t think much of her.”
Oliver simply grinned, his upper lip curled in contempt. I considered telling him his actions were getting riskier, but I knew it wouldn’t lead to any discernable change in his behavior. He was well aware of the situation he was in.
“When can I have the next book?” I asked abruptly, changing the subject.
“After I’m done reading it.”
“You’re taking forever,” I objected. “I know you can read much faster.”
“I’m simply enjoying it. I’m rarely able to find a book I haven’t read before. This is even one I like.” He held it up so I could see the title emblazoned in large lettering.
“Beyond Dogma...” I read aloud. “A Critical Examination of His Holiness’s Teachings in Contemporary Society...? Oliver! This is a banned book!”
He tilted his head with a frown, one emerald eye gauging my expression. “It hasn’t been added to the list yet, so technically, it’s not.”
“Why don’t you just walk around with a pile of papers that say, ’Ten Reasons Why I Don’t Like Relias,’” I hissed in frustration.
Both of his eyes opened as his face lit up. “Perhaps I could pen the sequel. I’ll consider what you said as the working title, but I think I could develop something a little more intriguing.”
“It’s like you’re begging for trouble,” I dropped to the ground. “Why can’t you just pretend to get along with him?”
“Because that would be a lie. I want him to know that I find his incompetence infuriating. He needs to change, not me.”
How convenient it must be to live in a fantasy of your own making.
“He can’t,” I eventually admitted quietly. “He’s stuck in the past.”
“No,” Oliver demurred disdainfully. “It’s not that he can’t; it’s that he doesn’t want to. It’s evident in his slapdash sermons and negligent actions. The man is ensnared in an endless loop of errors by his own choice. What he desperately requires is an adversary bold enough to break that cycle. And as fate would have it, I find myself luxuriously unencumbered. So, consider my challenging behavior as a free service I’m all too delighted to provide.”
“Your challenging behavior is quite taxing... and there’s no such thing as a free service... Aha! You just lied to me!”
“No, I just said, ’consider’ it. I didn’t say it truly was. I applaud your effort to find fault in my words, however. Be sure to do that with others, and you’ll do just fine.”
I threw back my head as I rolled my eyes, only for it to hit the stone wall behind me. “Tch!”
“Maybe I spoke a little too soon.”
“Just hurry up with the book,” I grumbled, rubbing the knot forming on the back of my head.
“You... still want to read it after knowing what it’s about?”
It was time once again to teach him something he didn’t know. “You just spent the last quarter hour trying to teach me about understanding diverse perspectives and the necessity of embracing change, both topics I’m well acquainted with. What is difficult for me to obtain are dissertations that provide reasonable rationale for critical positions against Relias, or more correctly, the institution humanity has built around his perspective.”
He immediately surrendered the book. “I’m beginning to think you’re the one who has been playing me this whole time.”
“Not hardly,” I replied as I tucked the book into my cloak. “You played yourself.”
“A most worthy opponent,” he laughed, hugging his arms around himself. “Let’s talk again after you read it. I can’t wait to argue over it. Maybe I’ll even convince you to let him know when he’s wrong about something.”
Don’t you think I’ve tried that already?
“Maybe,” I said with a sigh.
“Oh, one bit of advice before you depart for the evening,” Oliver rose, his form unfolding with a serpentine grace. “The others, bless their hearts, harbor good intentions but are distressingly prone to the lure of falsehoods. Allow me to scrutinize any side quests you might consider embarking upon throughout our journey. Frankly, I suspect many are crafted with the sole purpose of halting your progress entirely.”
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I woke up with a startled gasp, gripping my pained right wrist. As I released it slowly, a puff of black vapor poured out of the vertical scar running through it, dissipating as it hit the light seeping through the window. I flexed it slowly, noting in wonder that it no longer burned or ached.
A memory of the villain... telling me to be suspicious of everything, including those around me.
And I hadn’t disagreed with him. In fact, his advice still seemed quite sound.
“We really, really need to talk,” I mumbled under my breath. “Now, all I need to do is figure out how.”