NOVEL NEXT 192. High Priest Caldus
Solious Cathedral, Imperial Palace, Imperial District, Ancorna Capital City, Ancorna Empire
The first light of dawn spilled through the stained-glass windows of the Grand Solious Cathedral, painting the bath chamber in hues of gold and crimson. Steam rose from the sacred waters, infused with oils of myrrh and saffron, as the old yet youthful man submerged himself, the warmth seeping into his bones. His silver hair, still thick despite his years, clung to his shoulders as he cupped the blessed liquid in his hands, letting it cascade over his face in ritual purification. The scent of incense lingered in the air, mingling with the steam, as he murmured the first prayer of the day: a quiet thanks to Solious, Goddess of Sun and Justice, for granting him another morning in her service.
Rising from the bath, droplets tracing the scars of a life devoted to both war and worship, he reached for the linen towel laid upon the sun-engraved bench. His movements were deliberate, unhurried, each motion a meditation. The reflection in the polished mirror showed a face lined with wisdom, but his eyes, sharp and powerful as the dawn, held the vigor of a man half his age. He dressed methodically: first the underrobe of white silk, then the golden sash woven with threads of luxurious material, and finally the outermost vestment, a heavy white mantle embroidered with the sigil of the rising sun. Each layer was a covenant, a reminder of his duty.
Before the small altar in his private chambers, he knelt, hands clasped, forehead nearly touching the cool marble. The words of the Morning Invocation flowed from his lips, a hymn as familiar as breath. "Solious, Light Eternal, judge me worthy this day. Let my hands enact justice, my heart hold mercy, and my soul reflect your radiance." The silence that followed was thick with presence—whether divine or imagined, he did not question.
Breakfast was a simple affair: honeyed figs, warm bread, and a goblet of spiced wine diluted with sacred spring water. He ate alone, as was his custom, savoring the quiet before the demands of the day descended. The cathedral was stirring now; he could hear the distant murmur of junior priests in the halls, the shuffle of sandaled feet against floors.
Finally, he strode toward the heart of the cathedral, his footsteps echoing beneath the vaulted arches. The grand hall stretched before him, its towering columns leading to the centerpiece, the colossal statue of Solious, her stone eyes ablaze, her outstretched hands cradling the sun itself. As he approached, a person sitting in one of the chairs walked up to him.
"High Priest Caldus," the man greeted with a respectful incline of the head. "I seek your guidance."
High Priest Caldus exhaled softly before recognition dawned, his sharp gaze narrowing ever so slightly. "Ah… Apostle Eugene. I did not know you had returned to the capital."
"I have," Eugene replied, his lips curling into a faint smirk as he settled into one of the front chairs, idly tapping the carved armrest. "Just arrived yesterday."
The High Priest's expression eased into a polite smile. "Then tell me, my child, what troubles you so early in the day?"
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"The Church's divine stance on the succession race," Eugene said, his tone losing any pretense of small talk.
High Priest Caldus's brow lifted. "You already know our stance. The Church supports no claimant."
"And yet," Eugene continued, tilting his head, "I hear you assisted Prince Nolan, helping him secure Edward Jola's cooperation… and even lending him a Crusader unit."
The older man's gaze hardened. "I deemed it necessary for the faith. Reports of abominations have been multiplying, emerging even in the depths of old sealed dungeons. You know what that means… We are approaching the end of times." His voice grew fervent, almost gleeful. "If this is truly the final age, then we have an opportunity, one we cannot squander. An opportunity to drive the Herptian degenerates from the Eastern Continent once and for all."
Eugene's expression remained unreadable, though his eyes sharpened. "I see. Then you've also heard the news."
A pause. "Nolan is dead," Eugene continued flatly, rising from his seat and taking a slow step forward. "Two Imperial battalions fell with him, your Crusader unit included in the battle against Princess Ravenna."
"Yes, I heard," High Priest Caldus replied evenly. "It seems the Saintess now stands in the hands of the Herptian faith. The universe itself must be favoring them with her presence."
"Perhaps," Eugene said, voice low, "but something about all this… doesn't fit."
High Priest Caldus's eyes narrowed. "What exactly, my child?"
"According to my sources within the Church, you were only aiding Nolan in securing Edward Jola's allegiance at first. Yet, without Holy Council approval, you abruptly committed a full Crusader detachment and with paladins so green they could barely hold formation leading them. Hardly standard procedure."
High Priest Caldus's composure cracked for a heartbeat. "The Goddess sent an oracle! When she speaks, we do not wait for committees. We obey." His tone flared with irritation.
"And yet," Eugene countered smoothly, "you, of all people… you who once said: 'A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.' Words you used to defend Princess Ravenna, a Herptian Apostle, against the zealotry of your own faith. And now? Now you send untested crusaders without proper vetting to drive Herptian Followers?"
High Priest Caldus's eyes narrowed to slits. "What exactly are you implying, Apostle Eugene? That I would lie within the very house of the Goddess?"
"I'm implying," Eugene said, his voice dropping into an icy monotone, "that unlike you, Prince William and I have been aware of the abominations far longer than you think. He's been researching them for months."
"Blasphemy!" High Priest Caldus's voice rose sharply. "You should have brought this to the Church first. Those things are corruption incarnate! Without divine oversight, your meddling could taint the very soul of those who study them!"
Eugene ignored the outrage, his words deliberate. "We found something. A method to crossbreed genetically distant flowers without dungeon spawns."
The High Priest froze. "What?"
Before he could react further, a shadow detached from the far corner of the hall. A lithe figure moved with predatory grace, golden whips flashing through the air and binding High Priest Caldus's wrists in an instant.
"What is the meaning of this?!" High Priest Caldus thundered, struggling against the bindings. "Who are you?!"
"I," the woman said with a low chuckle, "am Seraphina of the Azure Vales, Your Holiness."
Eugene stepped forward, lowering his sword until its cold edge hovered just beside the High Priest's neck. "We also discovered," he said softly, "a particular spell that could be crafted through that crossbreeding."
His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Your Holiness… you're under mind control."