Ruth’s unexpected words took Maxi aback, but Riftan seemed to know why the sorcerer had made such a request.
Lost in thought, Riftan regarded Ruth briefly before responding calmly, “While I may hold the lustrous title of Wigrew’s reincarnation, I am still a mere vassal knight. A public audience, yes, but a private one might be difficult. And besides, the pope is currently eager to assert his authority. He won’t readily agree unless we have something enticing to offer.”
“In that case,” Ruth said sardonically, “tell him that I possess knowledge of the object they’ve been relentlessly hunting for the past few years. Let him know that it would be wise to comply with my wishes if he wants to avoid a bigger problem.”
Riftan cocked an eyebrow. “You want me to threaten God’s representative?”
“Isn’t that your specialty?” Ruth retorted flatly. “There is no time to waste. I’d like to speak with the pope today, if possible. If he refuses, out of pride or whatever else, inform him that I will turn to High Priest Garis. That should persuade him.”
Maxi’s jaw dropped. Was Ruth truly asking Riftan to threaten the most influential leader of the Seven Kingdoms?
Horrified, she hastily blurted out, “Stop talking around the matter and tell us what you found! If we antagonize the pope over something trivial—”
“Very well,” Riftan interjected, cutting her off. “1 will go request an audience with him right away.”
It was not until Maxi heard the faint, echoing footsteps in the corridor that she realized someone had been eavesdropping on their conversation. Her face drained of color, and Ruth let out a small sigh.
“I will explain everything after I’ve seen the pope,” he said.
Only then did Maxi grasp the reason behind Ruth’s excessive caution. The Grand Basilica of Osiriya was currently a battleground for numerous factions. The frictions between the Orthodox and Reformed Church, the subtle power struggles among the monarchs, the nobles vying for favor, and the servants acting as spies for a few coins…
Maxi suppressed her curiosity and nodded. “1 understand.”
With her consent, Riftan unfolded his arms and headed toward the door. “I will go see Father Lugias. 1 want both of you to wait here.”
As the right hand of the pope, High Priest Lugias was responsible for entertaining nobles on the pope’s behalf. After Riftan left the room, Maxi and Ruth settled next to the fireplace to wait in anxious silence.
Maxi’s mind was in turmoil. Ruth had mentioned that the church was searching for something, and his cryptic tone indicated it was not just about the dark mages. If that were the case, what exactly were they looking for?
Questions led to more questions, tangling like threads in her mind. Growing impatient, Maxi was relieved when Riftan entered the room.
“His Holiness has agreed to see you immediately,” he said, his dark eyes gazing down at Ruth. A crooked smile twisted his lips. “I must warn you, though, that he appeared greatly angered by your words. Don’t expect him to tolerate your insolence as 1 do. You might find yourself facing the gallows for blasphemy.”
“I appreciate the warning,” Ruth muttered through gritted teeth as he rose.
As they stepped out of the room, Maxi noticed a Temple Knight and a cleric in a black habit waiting outside. They must be there to escort Ruth to the pope, she surmised. Her stomach twisted into knots. From the looks of it, the pope had deemed Ruth’s information highly dangerous.
“Please… take Riftan’s warning to heart,” Maxi anxiously pleaded with Ruth. “Be careful not to offend the pope.”
“Do you take me for a thoughtless child?” he said, shooting Maxi an incredulous glare. He shook his head. “The audience should not take long. 1 will be back before you know it, so there is no need to worry.”
With that, he followed the cleric down the dim corridor. Maxi watched him go, concern etched on her face.
“Sh-Should we not go with him?”
“He will be fine on his own. You needn’t worry,” Riftan replied tepidly, guiding her toward the fireplace.
Maxi looked up at him, her eyes filled with questions. “You know what Ruth discovered, don’t you?”
“One would have to be a fool not to know that the Reformed faction is hiding something,” was his evasive reply.
Furrowing her brow, Maxi glared at him as he tossed a piece of kindling into the fireplace. Sensing that she was waiting for a more detailed explanation, Riftan let out a small sigh.
“Over the past few years, the Temple Knights have been scouring the Seven Kingdoms for something. At first, we thought they were hunting down the remnants of the monster army, but further investigation made us question that. It’s now clear that they are searching for an object.”
“W-What sort of object?”
After silently staring into the crackling flames for some time, Riftan raised his head to meet Maxi’s gaze. She could see him hesitating, torn between his desire to protect her from harm and his obligation to inform her.
He seemed to come to a decision, and he continued in a calm tone, “Before I left for the campaign, I instructed Ursuline to investigate the past activities of the Temple Knights. Both Princess Agnes and Sejuleu Aren cooperated with the investigation. Thanks to that, we were able to learn some important information.”
Maxi narrowed her eyes, recalling the countless private conversations she had witnessed between Riftan and the princess. She suddenly felt a pang of frustration at being left in the dark about everything.
Pushing aside her petty emotions, she asked, “What… did you learn?”
“Three years ago, the Grand Basilica of Osiriya replaced their treasurer for no apparent reason. A highly unusual move, considering positions within the church are typically held for life unless there’s a valid case for dismissal or the person is too old or infirm to continue. Moreover, only a high priest trusted by the pope is appointed to that particular position. But the dismissed treasurer didn’t voice any complaints despite being ousted without cause. Then, the Temple Knights formed a tracking party and started scouring the Western Continent.”
Maxi quickly grasped the implication of his words. “You believe… something was stolen from the basilica?”
Riftan nodded, his expression wooden. “That is the only conclusion that makes sense. The bastards creating undead all over the continent likely stole something from the basilica during the chaos of the war, and the previous pope kept it a secret to avoid criticism for failing to protect the church’s assets. He then ordered the Temple Knights, who had pledged their allegiance to him, to find and retrieve it.”
Maxi swallowed nervously. Though Ruth had promised to explain everything upon his return, she could not help but ask, “What do you think… was stolen?”
Though she had asked the question in the smallest of whispers, it still sounded much too loud in the quiet room.
After silently regarding her flushed face, Riftan shrugged. “Something dangerous. Its loss would undoubtedly lead to severe condemnation.”
Maxi bit her lip as she tried to recall all the holy relics owned by the church. She doubted the monsters were interested in the sacred remains of Darian the Monarch and his twelve knights. And aside from the broken remnant of Ascalon, Wigrew’s holy sword, the weapons of the twelve knights were currently entrusted to active knights.
There were certainly rumors that the church possessed powerful magical devices and books on magic authored by elves during the height of the Roemian Empire, but if these were the items the monsters sought, they would have raided the Mage Tower instead.
Maxi was chewing her lip when she felt cool fingers brush against her face. Startled, she looked up to find Riftan’s black eyes fixed on her. He gently touched her chapped lip with his finger.
“Don’t worry so much. No matter what happens, I will protect you.”
A joyful smile lit up Maxi’s face. With just a few words from him, she felt instantly reassured. She took his hand and intertwined their fingers.
“I will protect you too.”
An enigmatic expression, somewhere between a smile and a frown, rose on Riftan’s face. Though she sensed he was amused by her words, she chose not to get angry. He had a tendency to underestimate her affection for him. This time, she was determined to show him the full extent of her love, no matter how long it took.
Rising from her chair, she sat on his lap. She felt him startle when she wrapped her arms around his warm neck and rested her head on his sturdy shoulder, but he soon reciprocated the embrace.
Seeking solace in his warmth, Maxi lost track of time when she heard the sound of weary footsteps.
She leaped to her feet and rushed to the door. Swinging it open, she found Ruth making his way down the corridor, looking exhausted.
She inspected him with worried eyes. “A-Are you all right? Did they mistreat you in any—”
“Well, I can’t say 1 was given a warm reception. But it was not as bad as 1 expected,” Ruth replied, rubbing his nape. He headed to the fireplace, his voice grave as he added, “There will be an emergency council soon. A coalition will be formed in a few days’ time, so we’d best prepare for an upcoming campaign.” Maxi felt the blood drain from her face. Though she had anticipated this, her heart sank nonetheless.
Riftan grabbed Ruth’s shoulder, turning him around rather roughly. “Can we have an explanation now?” he snarled menacingly.
“Don’t you already have some idea?” Ruth retorted sullenly, removing Riftan’s hand from his shoulder. “No one knows how, but the monster army infiltrated the basilica and stole Sektor’s magic stone. That stone is how they managed to wreak such havoc.”
Maxi stared dumbfounded at his face as the revelation sunk in.
Meanwhile, Riftan said sharply, “Sektor used up his mana during the last battle. The stone was empty.”
“I assume they are capable of replenishing it,” Ruth replied somberly, his gaze shifting to the blustering snowstorm outside the window. “It’s highly probable that they are also responsible for the continually falling temperature over the past few years and the present erratic conditions. The monsters of the Pamela Plateau seek to resurrect the Demon King of the Lexos Mountains..”
