"Cough, cough, cough..."

Ulu woke himself up with a violent coughing fit. As he stared blankly at the ceiling, the metallic taste of blood lingered in his nose, leaving him momentarily disoriented.

That familiar yet distant voice suddenly echoed in his mind, like a death knell: "Heh, you killed your mentor and still managed to sleep soundly. Seems you have more potential than I thought."

The mocking tone instantly brought the events of the past two days flooding back. Ulu jolted upright, looking down at his bloodstained priest's robes, cold sweat starting to drip down his back.

Hiroshi "tsk'ed": "Maybe I overestimated you after all."

"No, no, Lord Visah'Su," Ulu tugged nervously at his collar. "I just... had some trouble breathing, cough, cough, cough. It's an old issue, nothing to do with my nerves. I'm perfectly calm. I wanted that old man dead for a long time."

"Heh, there's no need to explain yourself to me." After that, Hiroshi fell silent again.

This left Ulu feeling uneasy. Before last night, his fear of Visah'Su's power had come mostly from ancient legends. But having witnessed it firsthand, the feeling was entirely different.

That power, beyond the reach of "rules."

And the snap of his fingers—it was Ulu who had performed it.

Ulu looked down at his left hand, recalling the power he had unleashed last night. A strange sense of exhilaration welled up inside him.

That was my power.

As long as Lord Visah'Su resides within me, that power is mine.

With thoughts like these in his mind, Ulu dared not anger Hiroshi. In fact, he didn't even want to disappoint him, fearful that such power might leave him if he did.

I'd better find a way to please Lord Visah'Su more, Ulu thought.

Why is there still blood on my finger? And all over my clothes too. I should've cleaned up before going to sleep last night. Now the blood has dried, and the whole bed's a mess.

...Hopefully, Lord Visah'Su doesn't have a thing about cleanliness.

Ulu couldn't help muttering in his mind.

Then he heard Hiroshi's voice, calm but cutting: "Sorry to disappoint you, but I do have a thing about cleanliness. So, from now on, don't use your left hand to wipe after you relieve yourself."

Ulu shuddered. "Y-yes, Lord Visah'Su."

Didn't think he'd hear that too.

Ulu wasn't sure which of his thoughts Hiroshi could hear and which he couldn't, but he didn't dare test it. He got up to start cleaning up.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

But then he remembered something even more important—the letter from last night, the one Lugi had written to Bishop Corry. He had to deliver it as soon as possible.

He pulled the letter out of his pocket, checking to make sure there was no blood on the envelope. Only after confirming that it was clean did he breathe a sigh of relief and put it back.

All of this, of course, was observed by Hiroshi.

If only this guy were a bit more careful—he'd have opened the letter and seen the blood on the paper. But no, he had to be lazy at a crucial moment, making Hiroshi's plan a success. Not that it mattered much; even if Ulu had found the blood, the letter was just an extra precaution.

Perhaps the letter felt too "hot" in his pocket, too much of a liability. Ulu couldn't focus on tidying the room. He just changed out of his bloodstained priest's robes and rushed out the door.

He wanted to get the letter to the post office right away.

But as soon as he stepped outside, an unexpected figure blocked his way.

It was the boy from before.

"U-Ulu, Priest Ulu." The boy's eyes were bloodshot. "Priest Lugi told me to come see him last night. I... I've been waiting here all night, but I didn't see him."

Almost forgot about this.

Seeing the boy standing there, Ulu felt a surge of annoyance.

Still looking for Lugi? That old bastard's already been taken care of!

Ulu wanted to shout this at the boy, but he held back, instead yanking his arm away. "Get lost..."

Ulu expected the boy to cling to him like before, but this time he didn't. After being pushed away, he just stood there, eyes filled with despair.

It was then that Hiroshi's voice echoed in Ulu's mind: "Give him some food."

Ulu paused. "What did you say?"

"Do I need to repeat myself?" Hiroshi's tone was icy. "Give him some food—enough for his whole family."

Confused but not daring to disobey, Ulu told the boy to wait and hurried back inside to fetch some food. He then shoved it into the boy's hands.

With the boy staring at him in bewilderment, Ulu relayed Hiroshi's instructions: "Come back at the same time tomorrow. And don't tell anyone I gave you this. Now get lost."

The boy looked incredulous. He pressed his lips together, wanting to say something, but Ulu was already walking away.

Afterward, Ulu asked Hiroshi cautiously, "Do you have a fondness for that boy? If you like him, I can bring him to my room tonight. No need to give him that much food."

Hiroshi's response was dripping with mockery: "Heh, your vision really is limited."

"I... don't understand what you mean, my lord."

"That bit of food you keep is just some money. But if you give it to him... you gain something far more valuable—his life."

...A life in exchange for some food?

Ulu wasn't sure about Hiroshi's reasoning, but he didn't dare question it. It wasn't much food, after all. If Hiroshi wanted to do things this way, then so be it.

Best to get the important business done first.

Ulu hurried to the post office.

As he arrived, Hiroshi suddenly asked, "What's today's date?"

"The date?" Ulu thought for a moment. "Rhyo calendar, March 7th. Is there a problem, Lord Visah'Su ?"

Hiroshi didn't reply.

Ulu found it strange, unsure why Hiroshi suddenly cared about the date.

But he didn't dwell on it, assuming Hiroshi had been asleep for so long that he'd lost track of time.

He entered the post office with the letter.

He had assumed that, given the famine, there wouldn't be many people there—the post office could hardly afford to employ many workers. But to his surprise, several knights in armor were standing inside.

This is...

Ulu's pupils narrowed slightly.

Knights of Rhyo. An inspection team.

Were they sent to survey the famine?

Anxiety welled up in Ulu, and he wanted to leave immediately. But several pairs of eyes were already on him. Leaving now would be far too suspicious.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Ulu approached the counter, took out the letter, and said evenly, "I am Priest Ulu. Please send this letter to Bishop Corry in Sien."

Before he could finish, a man's voice sounded behind him: "Oh? A letter to Bishop Corry? Why not hand it over to me directly?"

Ulu froze, turning slowly to see a heavily armored man grinning at him, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Long time no see, Ulu."