After the final demonstration of his holy affinity, Lucian was shown all of the hospitality that the monastery had to offer. He had gathered with the mbers of this holy order to enjoy a feast. Despite appearances of austerity, they were amply provisioned. In particular, they had an abundance of wine and other spirits. Lucian didn’t indulge, but the others did. Beyond that, they had staple crops and ga hunted from the local mountains.
This place was infinitely warm and uplifting. After having been given the cold shoulder by all of his peers, his family, and just about every person walking on the street, this was a welco change. The monastics of Heavenwatch were friendly, joyful, and sowhat dull. They were boring, frankly—and that wasn’t an insult. They lived the idealized rustic life. They were a small, extrely high-trust community where everyone knew everyone. They all got by without any grand ambitions, living one day at a ti.
Naturally, their isolation bred curiosity.
“Lord Lucian,” they’d all say eagerly, swarming him with half a thousand questions. He was subjected to an endless inquisition about the most mundane things. Even still, they weren’t impolite. Rather, their extre propriety made him more uncomfortable than any invasive questions they asked, of which there were few. They treated Cate with the utmost care, entertaining all of her whims and being very mindful not to frighten or overwhelm her. Cate enjoyed being around them, it seed, which made Lucian feel happy.
In short, the people of Heavenwatch Monastery were all very kind-hearted, good people. All except one, that is.
“Brother Lucian!” Pell shouted. His pale skin made the redness on his face from drink the more obvious. “You asked to see my transformation before. Have a look!” he said eagerly, hooting.
So of the other monastics tried to restrain him, but it was fruitless. A cocoon of holy energy surrounded the man, and monts later he burst into the form of a divine beast. Lucian watched with a curious smile on his face. The forms of the divine beasts were quite splendid. They ranged in size from a horse to about the size of a rhinoceros. He’d already seen quite a few transformations. They weren’t quite dog, cat, or fox, but rather sothing in between all three. So would lean toward one or the other, but most occupied a healthy middle zone.
“Brother Pell?” Aurelia called out.
When Aurelia spoke, it was as if the entire banquet hall went silent to listen. Pell quickly relented, transforming back. Aurelia directed a few of her brothers and sisters to attend to him. All of them hurried to obey—not out of fear, but out of respect and love. They eagerly listened to her words. Lucian suspected that even if she hadn’t been prioress, they’d be scrambling to act.
Aurelia turned and t eyes with Lucian. She put on a plastic smile and glided toward him gracefully, followed shortly after by a coterie of her sisters. “Lord Lucian. I’m Aurelia.” She bowed her head, then fixed her shrewd yellow eyes upon him. “We haven’t had a chance to speak yet. I imagine that you have answered your fair share of questions today, so I’ll ask none beyond this: do you need anything?”
Her face was a perfect mask of sincerity and polite concern. This eting appeared to have been anticipated, because several people went quiet to listen to their exchange.
Lucian didn’t answer the question, instead saying, “I’ve been enjoying everyone’s curiosity. I have so of my own. As a matter of fact, I was hoping to see more people take the form of the divine beast. Perhaps I could see yours?” he suggested.
Aurelia put on a vaguely troubled face, and stuttered, “I-I’m not sure if I would be as… as impressive as those you’ve already seen…”
At Aurelia’s false show of vulnerability, all of her sisters imdiately sward in to support her. They provided such uniform words of support that it was difficult to distinguish them from one another.
“But… it would be improper to show my cursed form,” Aurelia argued demurely.
Once more, a tide of denials ca.
“Aurelia, never call yourself cursed,” one of them said. “You’re the brightest light in the whole of this monastery.”
“Cursed?” Lucian asked, acting ignorant.
“I would ask sincerely you pay that no mind,” one of her sisters said imdiately. “Ever since childhood, Aurelia has been haunted by a dreadful superstition that has no credence simply because of the form her divine beast takes. In truth, she is the single most virtuous among all of us.”
“Her transformation is spectacular, Lord Lucian,” another continued. “Her coat is as black as a moonless night, and she possesses nine splendid tails.”
“Really? Fascinating,” Lucian said, playing along.
In many ways, the tale of Heavenwatch Monastery was a sad one. It was a story that told of setting aside prejudice, only for that very benevolence to be returned with malevolence. From Aurelia’s birth, her betrayal was portended. She was the cursed child foretold by prophecy to turn against them. The good-hearted monastics of Heavenwatch decided that killing such a child would be inhumane. They thought it was nurture, not nature, that would decide Aurelia’s temperant. They believed a cursed child was made, not born—the divine beast had gotten it wrong.
A noble ideal, perhaps. Ultimately, they couldn’t have been more wrong.
Even from his brief observation, it was no exaggeration to say that Aurelia was the center of the monastery. Throughout her childhood, she’d been the subject of all their attention. They treated her kindly—spoiled her, frankly—and attempted to educate her on the manner in which she should conduct herself. Instead of absorbing their magnanimity, Aurelia beca a master of manipulation. To be fair, her targets were quite easy, but Lucian himself might’ve been fooled if he didn’t know the truth.
This visit wasn’t just about dealing with tterand. Ideally, it also needed to involve dealing with Aurelia. The crux of his plan involved compelling her to kill tterand, and the resultant demon that erged when he died. He also needed to reveal her true nature. Easier said than done, definitely. She’d grown up without raising one iota of suspicion. Lucian was no master scher.
Lucky for him, though, he’d brought one with him.
“If it makes you uncomfortable, Aurelia, I won’t press,” Lucian said, staring her in the eyes.
Aurelia smiled. “You are most generous, Lord Lucian. A nature befitting the purity of your affinity.”
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“I should say the sa to you,” Lucian returned.
The smile that then graced her face was awkward, and she quickly turned and rejoined the rest of the feast. Lucian turned to look at tterand, and gestured with his head toward a balcony.
***
Lucian stood on a balcony overlooking the whole of the monastery with Duke tterand. The chancellor had a few drinks, but not enough to impair his judgnt. He was simply a bit more… open.
“You must be facing quite a dilemma, ‘Lord Lucian.’ So many beautiful people so busy looking so good,” tterand comnted, then hopped up to sit on the railing. “It must be difficult to content yourself with only one. Perhaps a special arrangent can be made. It would be another flourish in a long line of diplomatic achievents were I to secure two monastic brides for my dearest brother-in-law. Indeed, you’re my favorite brother-in law. And coincidentally… my only.” He giggled a little.
Lucian didn’t pay him any mind, staring into his clouded eyes. “You said that you were here to help get a fiancée.”
tterand’s amusent vanished. “I did say that.”
“There’s a troubleso detail. This isn’t like a noble house, where all you need is the permission of the head of the household for an engagent. Even if the abbess likes , that doesn’t matter if the party in question doesn’t consent.” Lucian stepped forward. “It needs to be mutually agreed.”
“I heard the sa. You must be concerned. Getting a woman to actually like you? You have mommy issues—whatever will you do?” tterand laughed and took another drink of wine. “I’ve heard you tend to solve your problems with potions. Is that the plan? Slip your favored bride a sleeping potion? Rest assured, dear brother—I can procure it.”
Lucian couldn’t help but scoff at his mockery. “No. What I need is information—that’s it.”
“Such confidence. That’s needed. And who, pray tell, has struck your fancy?” tterand asked, sloshing his cup about.
“Considering what I need most is material wealth… Aurelia seems to have the most sway with the monastery,” Lucian said.
“Ahh… the cursed child. The one foretold to bring doom upon this monastery, consigning it to hell.” tterand nodded. “A perfectly sensible choice. You disappoint . Despite her supposed curse, I’ve found she’s quite… dull. Steadfast. I suspect you’ll spend the rest of your life sleeping in nightclothes in separate beds. But…” tterand stood up once more. “Very well. I’ll investigate her. Should be no trouble.”
Hopefully, tterand would get himself caught, and Lucian wouldn’t have to do anything to compel them to fight. Either way, there was no one more suited to finding out information about Aurelia. Despite the fact that they both had strong ties to the First Emperor, neither of them knew about the existence of the other. The demon’s network was incredibly decentralized, which made it highly resilient but simultaneously vulnerable to situations like this.
Besides… Aurelia is highly independent, and highly possessive of the First Emperor. Hell, if she found out tterand had a demon within, she’d probably kill him all the sa. Though… maybe that’s a quirk that appears later.
There was a reason why Lucian liked this plan, after all.
***
Lucian had been given a rather grand apartnt during his stay in the monastery. It was as spacious as his residence in Verne, and that was certainly saying sothing. He stood on its balcony looking out across the monastery. Cate stood beside him. He kept a very close eye on her, because they were quite high up.
“How do you get soone to show their true nature, Cate?” he asked, mostly talking to himself.
Cate didn’t respond. But then, he hadn’t been expecting her to. The tterand issue seed the least of his concerns now that he was here. Aurelia had these people wrapped around her finger. Even the abbess had begun to delegate the vast majority of her authority to the prioress. Everyone bent over backward to make sure that she went through life on easy street. The n thought of her like their precious daughter, and the won thought of her as their beloved sister. Quite the complex knot.
There were two things that Lucian almost neededto get here. One of them was a blessing. Not just a blessing—probably the best in the ga. It was intended for the late ga and consequently scaled as such. Its true power rested in its ability. Beyond that, there was the story item: the inheritance of the divine beast.
Both of those things could be found in the tomb of the divine beast. Getting there would be an ordeal, he could tell. He could see where it was kept: it was a grand, but ancient, building. It was firmly sealed—indeed, it was a mausoleum, never intended to be opened. It was supposed to be broken open during the chaos of Aurelia’s betrayal. She sought the inheritance the sa as the protagonist, and ultimately she succeeded in taking it briefly before Rowan snatched it back. If Lucian wanted to do the sa, he’d have to vandalize a tomb.
Why the hell do I have to commit cris every single blessing I want to get? Lucian stroked his chin. Either that, or nearly die in battle…
If he was incredibly lucky, the battle between Aurelia and tterand might crack that baby open and let him get at the precious loot within. He needed the pharaoh’s gold, so to speak, elsewise he’d be way behind stat-wise for his plans. Co Mission 2… it’d be difficult, to say the least. That is, if Mission 2 even happened the sa way. If the world spiraled off, he needed the stats all the more.
A knock ca at his door, and Lucian turned his head. “It’s open.”
The door opened up, and Brother Pell entered. He looked sowhat miserable, probably hungover. “…Lord Lucian,” he said, swaying. “Prioress Aurelia has requested your presence for tea or a breakfast—whichever suits you—along with several of her companions.”
Lucian felt a bit uncomfortable, but as he thought for a mont he realized it was an opportunity. He brightened, then said eagerly, “Could you get word to tterand that’s where we’ll be?”
“Certainly,” Pell confird.
This could be the opening that the duke needed to get so investigating done. If he played his cards right, he could manipulate things so that Aurelia found tterand at precisely the wrong ti. He didn’t think a perfect opportunity would co so easily.
Am I getting overconfident? Lucian wondered. Well… we’ll find out.
***
“He’s really quite a wonderful man,” Aurelia told her sisters. She looked between them all as they sat down at the table beside her.
Lined up on display, like cattle at the livestock fair, Aurelia thought.
“I think that one of us could live a very happy life with him,” Aurelia concluded, hiding her thoughts.
“It’s just… I truly love it here,” one of her sisters said. “I certainly don’t want to leave you, Aurelia.”
“You can certainly visit. And who’s to say life by his side wouldn’t be better?” Aurelia asked. “I’ve spoken to him so, along with his brother-in-law. He takes very dear care of his sister, but doesn’t restrain her unduly. He’s not lacking in any way, I think. The one among us he chooses will be lucky, I believe.”
And one of you will get lucky, Aurelia thought. Give him what he wants, ship him away. I invited all of the most impressive monastics for that reason. I’ve made sure they’re positively predisposed toward him. One of you will slip out of my grasp, for a ti… avoid your fate. She looked between them, wondering who it might be. But I’ll hunt you down. Lucian, too. And if, by then, love has blossod… it’ll be a kill all the sweeter.
The demons in her dreams had told her about killing, but she’d yet to do it. What was it like? Would it be as glorious as they described?
There was a knock at the door. Aurelia called out for the person to enter. Shortly thereafter, the doors opened up, and Lucian appeared at the threshold to the room with his sister Cate.
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