Chaos erupted in the eting hall. Most of the cardinals stood up from their seats and started talking simultaneously.
"This is impossible!"
"An Archbishop at the age of eighteen?"
"Bishop rank was already pushing the boundary of what was acceptable."
"This can't be allowed! This will set the wrong precedent!"
"SILENCE!" The Pope bellowed and stood up. "I hear all of you judging the young Bard by his age, forgetting to see beyond his achievents! Fine, if age is the case, then tell , you're all old. Have any of you converted two hundred thousand barbarians to the faith of Solis? If yes, then I will accept the refusal to vote. If not—"
The Pope didn't finish speaking as the threat would have gone too far. But he did make the ssage clear.
"The future of the faith lies in young n like the Bard. Talents like him co once in millennia, and we are bothered by his age here? It sotis makes wonder if age is even the case or if perhaps the problem is sothing else. I am adjourning this Supre Council, and we shall et again tomorrow. You all better show up and cast a vote, but if you vote no, be sure to have a convincing reason to do so."
The Pope turned around and left without saying the church's greeting. The Cardinals also left one by one, but many remained.
It surely was going to be a sleepless night for many of them.
…
It was a long day, and Sylvester finished everything in the Bards and got Ashra to the Soul Peninsula. He had to take many asures and teach the guards to avoid hurting her if they didn't want to be attacked.
He had to teach Ashra about the boundary of the whole area and where she could and could not go. At the sa ti, he had to make the guards learn how to advise the new visitors to the Soul Peninsula so everything ran smoothly.
"Ashra, this is where you will be living from now on. Look, isn't this amazing? It's all green, not a lot of heat from the sky, and the big tree has so many places for you to explore. What do you think?" He asked the giant snake.
Ashra looked up, turning her head around and tasting the air occasionally. Her eyes showed a strange innocence and excitent, albeit sowhat suppressed since she still rembered the death of Winter Ghost.
"Hisss…"
"Do you like it?" Sylvester reacted after Miraj deciphered her words in his ears. "Then, I will be seeing you here from ti to ti. If you need sothing, just visit the guards and ring the bell I've installed there. They will notify or soone else who might be able to understand you."
She lowered her head and snuggled near his chest. To say she was huge was an understatent. Sylvester was an ant in front of her head size, but still, he patted her, and she closed her eyes in joy.
'She likely never had close contact with anyone other than Winter Ghost.'
"Alright, I will be going now. By the way, do you rember the bear you saw near the entrance? His na is Yogi, and you should befriend him. He's a kind boy." Sylvester added and let Miraj elaborate correctly.
Ashra then watched him leave, intently looking at his vanishing back. The further Sylvester went, the narrower her eyes got, and the sadness seeped in. She had always lived with Winter Ghost, so living alone was new to her.
"Bye now. I will see you later!" Sylvester turned around once before the entry gates and waved at her.
That instantly cheered Ashra's mood and made her bob her head fast. A reassurance entered her mind that Sylvester wasn't abandoning her; she could have more friends.
…
After a long day, Sylvester finally had ti to return ho. However, it was already nightti, and he was exhausted, so he bid farewell to Lady Aurora and climbed the Bright Mother's housing stairs.
"Ah, you're back?"
"Good evening, Lord Bard!"
He greeted many Bright Mothers on the way and finally reached the door to his ho.
"Maxy! I sll tasty honey banana pie!" Miraj suddenly exclaid before Sylvester could knock on the door.
Sylvester also sniffed and smiled widely. "It seems mum knows what we both want, Chonky. Let's go then."
Knock! Knock!
Instantly, the door opened. "Finally, you're back. Mother Xavia was getting worried for you.
Sylvester silently stared at the man in front of him. "Didn't you go ho, Felix? So what are you doing here?"
'Ah! I sll sothing strange… The scent of rose and spring? Love?' Sylvester looked behind Felix and noticed Isabella standing there, grumpy with narrow eyes and frowned brows. But he noticed the sa scent from her, just a little fainter.
"Sylvester! How could you forget to send any letters? I asked Felix to send letters every week, and he did until they suddenly stopped… Then you left so suddenly to save him. Mother Xavia and I had no idea if you were even alive!" Isabella protested angrily, but it was a different kind of anger… As if she was more worried than just angry.
Sylvester gently apologised. "Well… A lot happened there, the Barbarians, Shadow Knight, the betrayal and Emperor Lich — Honestly, we didn't even have ti to eat, forget writing a letter. But I will ask soone in the Administration Departnt to forward an edited summary of my mission reports to you while I'm away."
Bam!
Isabella hugged him suddenly and, surprisingly, slled of no lust or the scent from the past that revealed her interest in him.
"Thank you for all what you did. I received a letter from Grandpa Gideon. He told you fought against the undead and the barbarians to keep the Kingdom safe until I took the throne. But please don't take such risks for sothing so intangible from now on. I will never be able to forgive myself if sothing were to happen to you. How will Mother Xavia feel?"
Sylvester just nodded, as telling more was useless. 'I'm doing this for mum and myself, Isabella. But sadly, such secrets can never be revealed.'
After eting them, Sylvester entered the house and went to the kitchen, where Xavia was cooking. She looked completely healthy and swiftly walked and worked around with her hands.
"I can sll the honey." He comnted.
Xavia looked behind and rushed over to embrace him. Her face was, as always, full of smiles and the warmth of a mother.
Seeing her, Sylvester felt he was truly at ho with the person that mattered to him so much. A mother he never had in his first life, but here he was blessed with the best one.
"I'm sorry, it took longer than expected." He released her from the hug.
However, Xavia was a mother, and when it ca to her son, her eyes were very sharp. "What happened to your index finger?!"
"Oh… It's nothing. I just had an accident. I couldn't keep the finger intact, so I lost it. It was a useless finger anyway, so no worries, mum."
"What do you an useless?!" She exclaid and looked at the healed wound closely, trying to use her healer's knowledge to see if she could do sothing.
Just then, Felix entered the kitchen and told everything plainly. "He lost it because of , Mother Xavia. The Barbarians took hostage, and Sylvester ca to save , but the cruel leader of the heathens asked for a toll, and it was Sylvester's finger."
Xavia's expression changed instantly, and she caressed Sylvester's face while looking up. "Max… You are so…"
"They are dead, mum. All the sinful heathens, along with their leader. Ah! I'm hungry now. Let's eat." Sylvester quickly changed the topic and got closer to Xavia's ears to whisper.
'Greet the fluffy boy too, mum.'
Bam!
Suddenly, Xavia felt a furry softball jumping into her arms and hugging her around the neck. Nothing was visible, but Xavia knew what it was, and she hugged back while whispering.
'Thank you for helping my son, Lord Chonky… I made your favourite sweet bananas today.'
Miraj was on cloud nine, leaving a dozen kisses on Xavia's hand. Only Sylvester could see it, and it was heartwarming.
After the small greeting, Sylvester and the rest placed all the food pots on the table and prepared to eat.
However, Sylvester noticed sothing new. 'Felix and Isabella are sitting together? They seem to be so talkative as well, and the scents… When did all this happen? What the hell did he write in his letters to Isabella?'
Sylvester silently ate while talking with Xavia and keeping an eye on the two. He noticed the little movents, the facial expressions, the movent of eyes. Whenever Felix and Isabella talked, they stared into each other's eyes for too long. Smiles were always present on their faces, and they even put food on each other's plates.
'Hmm… I don't sll the full-blown scent of love, however. Is this the first stage? What's going on between these two?'
"Ehm! Mum, I will be in the Holy Land for the coming few months, but I will spend most of my ti in the Bard's or training grounds. If everything goes well, I might be able to get Sir Dolorem a new set of working eyes."
"What?! Did Healer Hendrix do it? Why didn't he tell in my weekly classes with him?" Isabella exclaid suddenly.
'Ah, so Healer Hendrix did accept my offer to teach her. I'll have to pay him more, it seems.'
"Nothing is a guarantee yet, sadly. We must do so tests first and then decide whether to work on Sir Dolorem's eyes. I will be going to Inquisitor Camp in the morning for this."
"I'll go with you," Felix reacted.
Sylvester scoffed and focused on the food. "No, you should stay here… You clearly want to."
"..."
Felix turned red instantly, and Isabella seed clueless for a while before realising Sylvester had caught onto their change of attitude.
"Ah, I should go now. The slaves you freed are at my ho, Max. Good night." Felix got up quickly and left.
Sylvester chuckled and ate in silence while wondering.
'What made Isabella give up trying to woo ?'
…
The morning ca, and the sun rose from the West, hiding the twin moons of the night. The Holy Land that never slept beca even busier.
Sylvester left his ho on the horse and headed to the Inquisitor Camp. The road leading there was the only path that didn't have much traffic, as Inquisitors were not bothered unless there was a need for burning, beheading or cleansing.
"You slept with mum last night." Sylvester spoke with Chonky. "I hope she didn't spoil you with treats."
Miraj rrily licked himself clean while sitting on the horse's head. "Big mum is kind. She gave a banana but no candies."
"Hah, you and your sweet tooth. You will die from diabetes soday, boy."
Miraj suddenly looked back, "But… You like honey too, Maxy."
"..."
Speechless from Miraj's honest words, Sylvester focused on the road.
Paaaaa!
"Move aside!"
Suddenly, a shout ca from behind, and Sylvester quickly moved the horse down from the road.
Woosh!
Thud!
Thousands of horses donned in Inquisitor garbs, with Inquisitors mounted, appeared. The Inquisitors looked bloodied, and their armours broken from places. Their eyes were tried and yet fierce, telling the tale of their battle wherever it was.
'What happened to them? Wait… Is that the Lord Inquisitor's carriage?'
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