Under the Oak Tree

"All the rats in Balbourne have been hunted down. Nothing like this will happen again during your stay."

"How can you be sure?" Ulyseon retorted, his eyes full of mistrust. "If a dragonian managed to pass off as a cleric, they could be disguised as peddlers, mercenaries, traveling bards...They could be hiding in-"

"We are rigorously checking the identities of all visitors," the clergyman snapped. "And any settlers who arrived within the last five years have been investigated. All suspicious persons have been looked into, so you may rest assured."

Maxi's eyes bored into Kuahel's face. Though she certainly could not say she knew the man well, she knew he was not one to make hasty judgments. Surely he would only make such assurances if he was certain. Still, there remained a few unanswered questions.

"You mentioned five years...Do you mean the dragonians have been disguised as humans in Balbourne all that time?" Maxi asked in a strained voice.

The clergyman made no response, but his silence was answer enough. A chill ran down Maxi's back. Monsters had infiltrated the basilica years back, living within its walls as servants of God.

"H-How is that even possible? How could they have deceived the clerics?"

"Max!"

Maxi turned to see Sidina and Garrow running into the alleyway.

"What on earth was that?" Sidina said breathlessly. "You have no idea how scared I was when you and Ulyseon disappeared. It must have been an illusion spell. I don't remember ever seeing this alley..."

Her rambling trailed off when she noticed the dragonian's body on the ground. Grasping the situation, she rushed up to Maxi, her face ashen.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Thanks to Ulyseon's timely rescue, I have not a scratch on me," Maxi replied, wiping the monster's blood from her face with her sleeve.

Sidina ran her eyes over Maxi to make sure she was telling the truth, then turned to face Kuahel. "How did this happen? Why are you here, Sir Kuahel? And what is a dragonian doing in-"

"I am under no obligation to answer questions," the clergyman said coldly, clearly displeased by the interrogation. "I advise you to find your own answers."

With that, he left the handling of the corpse to his subordinates and vanished down the alley. Sidina watched him leave, then turned to the other Temple Knights, who similarly showed no interest in explaining. After hastily burning the corpse, they followed their superior into the alley.

Ulyseon snorted as he wordlessly watched them go. "They are trying to keep this quiet. It would be a disgrace for the church if word got out that monsters had been disguised as one of them."

Deep in thought, Maxi stared down at what remained of the dragonian. It suddenly occurred to her that someone within the Basilica of Osiriya might have assisted the monsters in stealing the dragon stone. This meant that the dragonian had been posing as a cleric for at least four years. An image of the high priest of the Orthodox Church rushing out of the banquet hall rose in her mind. Had the monsters infiltrated the grand basilica through the church in Balto?

If that was the case, the Orthodox Church was complicit in the theft of Sektor's stone. The pope could use this to quash his detractors.

Maxi was mulling over the possibilities when there was a commotion outside the alleyway. It seemed the disappearance of the dragonian's illusion had caused a stir.

"We should head back, my lady," Garrow suggested.

They immediately left the alleyway and boarded their carriage.

As it started moving, Sidina, who had been silent thus far, said with a downcast look, "I'm sorry. This is all my fault for inviting you out."

"Nonsense," Maxi said assuringly. "The monster was disguised as a cleric. It could have easily attacked me in the basilicia."

Sidina furrowed her brow. "But why was it even after you?”

After pensively staring at the carriage floor, Maxi let out a small sigh. "It was likely after the golem rune."

She could not think of any other reason. A heavy silence followed her statement.

Finally, Garrow said stiffly, "We should increase your guard for now, my lady."

"I don't think that will be necessary. Sir Kuahel said it was the last dragonian in the city."

"How can we take his word for it?" Ulyseon argued. "The man is impossible to read! Take today, for instance. He likely knew about the monsters in the basilica but chose to keep it hidden."

His anger seemed to grow with each word. "It is inexcusable! I shall report this to Sir Riftan and lodge an official complaint with the church-"

"I don't believe this requires a report to Riftan," Maxi interrupted.

"My lady, of course I do!" Ulyseon exclaimed, his eyes ablaze. "You could have been harmed! Sir Riftan must be informed of this."

Maxi's expression grew troubled. She feared Ulyseon would dramatically exaggerate what happened in his report. If she was not careful, it could cause Riftan's chronic ailment to flare up again.

"Then...let me inform him," she said beseechingly. "I shall tell him this evening, so please do not talk of it until then."

"Forgive me, my lady, but if Sir Riftan asks us about your day, we are obligated to tell him," Garrow replied with an apologetic look.

Though Maxi wanted to argue, their adamant expressions left her no choice but to accept with a resigned sigh.

***

Riftan unbuttoned the top of his doublet with one hand, finding it uncomfortably tight. He surveyed the room with a hint of irritation. The hall was brightly lit, the warmth from thousands of flickering candles making it stifling hot.

He wrinkled his nose at the sickly sweet aroma of wine and observed the feudal lords around the table. King Reuben had the assembly captivated with his renowned eloquence, while the King of Livadon tipped his goblet back with a board expression. Riftan would wager his entire fortune that the man was absorbing every word exchanged around the table.

The old lion of Livadon had sided with the Pope when the armistice was being threatened, only to become cautious when His Holiness strengthened his position. The man was likely making all sorts of calculations in his head.

Heimdall VI had changed his stance as well. It was difficult to believe that this affable ruler was the same one who had viciously provoked disputes. As soon as he found himself in an unfavorable situation, he had styled himself as an ardent supporter of the Council. Such a blatant shift in attitude fooled no one, but it seemed the King of Balto cared little about appearances.

Riftan was quietly observing the northern monarch when a calm voice came from behind him.

"That man's more cunning than I thought."

Turning, he saw Sejuleu Aren approaching to sit beside him. "Heimdall VI, I mean. After doing all he can to break the armistice, he's acting like it never happened. I hear he has privately summoned the representative of Balto's Southern Confederacy to bestow a generous reward."

Riftan cocked his eyebrow. "A reward? Even when his actions were tantamount to an act of treason?"

"It seems he would rather placate his southern lords than anger them. I'm sure he secretly wants to hack the man to pieces, but that would only deepen Balto's inner strife."

"Even Heimdall VI must appreciate the armistice at present," Riftan said with a hint of sarcasm. "Given it's the only thing stopping the Confederacy from sparking a civil war."

"Your plan played out quite nicely."

Instead of replying, Riftan brought his goblet to his lips.

Sejuleu studied him intently before giving a deflated chuckle. “Somehow, the pope has silenced the Orthodox faction. Even those demanding him to be tried for rigging the conclave have quieted down. With Heimdall VI declawed, hr has practically defeated the opposition. We should see some peace for a few years." He prattled on as though he were talking about the most mundane thing in the world. Then, his voice dropping, he said, "But it won't last long."

Riftan looked up from his goblet.

"They are biding their time," Sejuleu added. "This precarious tightrope will eventually collapse. you've merely bought yourself a short reprieve."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That I am starting to believe that true peace will only come when the Seven Kingdoms unite."

Rfitan laughed. He doubted anyone in the noisy hall was listening, especially given Sejuleu's casual tone. Even so, the knight's sentiment was a perilous one that should not be uttered in the presence of so many monarchs. Riftan shot a warning look at the man spouting sentiments that could topple all of his efforts over the past few weeks.

"That isn't something one would expect to hear from Wigrew's reincarnation," Riftan remarked.

Sejuleu shook his head, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I won't deny that I am flattered by the title, but frankly, I'm displeased with how the Council exploits Wigrew's legacy. The peace agreement has been reduced to a tool to curb the feudal lords power. Have you not felt it yourself?"

Riftan's expression tightened subtly. He recalled King Reuben wielding the Council's influence to corner him over his declaration of war against the Duke of Croyso. He was not blind to the truth. The armistice was nothing more than a means to maintain the current system, and this fragile order was bound to collapse. He was essentially investing his time in something ultimately futile.

Even so...

A vision of his wife, coated in blood and dust, traversing a battlefield, flashed through his mind. He would do anything in his power to ensure he never had to see that sight again. Even if his efforts were akin to building a sandcastle on the shore, he was willing to try for the rest of his life.

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