Chapter 16: Chapter 15

“The sun happened.”

Rinaldo could see the sun shining behind the clouds. He was no longer under the pitch-black night sky. Before long, the sunlight reduced the cultists to nothing but black goo, their bodies dissolving. He stood there, watching as the last of the cultists melted.

However, even as he stood there, feeling the sun's warmth on his skin, Rinaldo knew they couldn't remain here. They needed to get out of here. He looked back at the city, which was in disarray. The guards were looking for survivors, desperate to save them.

Rinaldo turned around and took Olivia's hand. “We're going back to mother's house. We need to tell her we're alive.”

The two ran off together, with Celeste following behind. He didn't know if his mother's house was still standing, but it was better than where they were at. Celeste had said nothing since the sun rose. When Rinaldo looked at her, she pointed to the empty vial in her hand and then at her throat.

“The potion's effect wore off?”

The siren nodded at Rinaldo's words. It was a statement phrased as a question. Sirens couldn't talk in their human form, but they could still make gestures and communicate with humans as Celeste did—communication Rinaldo understood.

Once they arrived, they found the building remained intact, unlike most of the rest of the city. Its owner was waiting for them, looking worried, perhaps unsure whether they were still alive.

“Thank goodness. You're both alright. Where have you both been?”

“We were…”

Rinaldo and Olivia explained their strange experiences, but they soon realised it was too much to handle at the moment. They needed  a rest. After eating a meagre meal, it wasn't long until they were asleep. They didn't wake up until later that day.

The two stayed at the house while Celeste returned to the city to look for her friends. In the meantime, Rinaldo used this opportunity to spend time with Olivia alone. He walked into the next room, where Olivia was.

She was laying in her bed, still looking somewhat pale. Her eyes were closed, and she was still asleep.

Rinaldo wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay. However, he didn't want to wake her. Instead, he gently stroked her hair, trying to reassure her. He hoped it would help her stay calm, or at least relaxed.

While Olivia slept, Rinaldo read, hoping the book's plot would distract him, maybe even relax him. As he read, he felt a presence behind him. He spun around, facing a woman standing next to the bed. Rinaldo's instinct kicked in, and he had the woman in a choke hold within seconds.

“Who are you? What is your purpose here?”

“You don't remember me, young master?”

The woman was one wrong move away from death, with Rinaldo about to throw her outside the window. However, she didn't struggle. She didn't fight him, nor scream. She just let Rinaldo do what he needed to do to protect Olivia.

“I… I'm sorry. I thought you were one of them.”

“You thought I was a cultist?”

“Yes.”

Rinaldo let go of her as soon as he realised she wasn't trying to attack him. She wasn't carrying weapons, either. The woman's hair was long and blonde, similar to that of Olivia. However, she had a pair of sheep horns on her head and wore a maid's dress.

The woman stared at Rinaldo, her eyes glimmering with a hint of gold, her lips curled into a smile. “I'm so glad you're safe. I was afraid the worst had happened.”

“Mary?”

As the woman blinked, her smile became somewhat more relaxed. “Yeah, that's me. I've been looking for you. I was worried.”

Mary was a servant of the Dordogne household during the previous lord's time—the highest-ranked one. As the housekeeper, her position was higher than Caitlin, the head maid. There were rumours she was also the previous lord's mistress, besides being the housekeeper.

Rinaldo believed it was a lie, because there was no way a prude like his father would have a mistress. However, he never brought it up because there was no way to prove or disprove the rumours. Neither of them acknowledged the fact, and neither had any reason to.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands, feeling terrible about what he had done to the woman. What if he killed her? Mary was always friendly to him and had always treated him with a great deal of respect. He was shaking as he thought about all of this.

“It's alright, Rinaldo. I understand. I wish things could have been different, but I'm glad you're alright.”

Rinaldo wanted to ask her the reason she was here. He also wanted to know what she knew about the attack and why it happened. As much as Rinaldo wished to ask questions, he wanted to give the same respect to Mary, so he didn't pry.

“So…” He looked at Mary, feeling more awkward than before. “Have you been well?”

“You have no idea. How about you?”

“I'm okay. I'm… I'm a little shaken up, but I'll be fine.”

If Mary thought he was shaken up because of the cultists' attack, she was wrong. He was shaken up because he had almost killed the woman and couldn't tell her that.

As he thought about this, Rinaldo was even more embarrassed. It was bad enough that he almost killed her, but he didn't want Mary to know he hadn't been thinking straight since the attack started. Everything he had done from then until now was his instinct reacting to protect Olivia.

Mary sat down on the bed and put her hands on her knees. “I hope you're right.”

“I'm just surprised how fast this city turned into a ruin.”

“You're surprised? I'm surprised you're surprised.” The woman looked at him, giving him a sceptical stare. “Don't you know the city was built on the top of a Hellgate?”

A Hellgate was a portal connecting this world and the outer realms. For this reason, the Hellgate's area was a hot spot for supernatural activity, sending out mystical energy affecting the nearby population and attracting otherworldly entities, even when closed.

Rinaldo stared back at her. “But… the… you know…”

The barrier maintained by the saintess prevented creatures from the outer realm from entering this world unless summoned. But what if there were no saintess? There would be no one to maintain the barrier. Rinaldo was certain nothing had ever broken the barrier before in his lifetime.

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“The saintess' barrier broke. That's why the attacks happened.”

“But… that's mean…”

“The Saintess Quem is no longer with us.”

Quem was the name of the first saintess. She had established the barrier and made the world safe for the people living here. Her name became the name for all saintesses thereafter, and they said her spirit was to be with them forever.

Come to think of it, the current saintess had made no appearances lately. She was as reclusive as the Archbishop of the Western Church, who only appeared once in a blue moon. If something happened to them, the ignorant masses wouldn't know.

The Central Church was the one responsible for the duty of locating Quem's successor. It was a tradition not to announce the saintess' death until they could find a replacement so as not to cause panic. There was no evidence they had chosen a new saintess to succeed her. It seemed like they didn't find her in time.

So that was why Dorian was here, Rinaldo concluded. Dorian was a free agent, but he worked with the Church from time to time. The Central Church had probably ordered him here to finish what they failed to do.

“The Saintess' barrier didn't break. Stop spreading misinformation, Mariamne.”

Rinaldo looked around to see Victor standing in the doorway. The man's face was stern and unmoving. He didn't look angry, though, just upset. How he entered the room with no one noticing was beyond Rinaldo.

“How long have you been here?”

“Since you choked her. My advice? Don't do that. She enjoys being choked.”

Rinaldo and Victor exchanged glances. Victor didn't seem to be joking. His expression was severe, and his tone sounded serious as well.

“You two knew each other?”

“Of course. I've known Mariamne for years. She became my family's maid after your brother married my sister.”

The revelation surprised Rinaldo. The man didn't bear any physical resemblance to his sister at all. “You're Victoria's brother?”

“I am, but that's a story for another day. Now that I've found you…” The man gestured towards Rinaldo's sword. “The cultists were here for that sword. Don't lose it.”

What Victor had said today answered two of Rinaldo's questions: what happened to the maids his mother dismissed? What could be the motivation behind the cultists' attack? Both the questions and answers to those were unrelated, but they came from the same source—Victor Franckenstein.

The man didn't bother to say his family's name when he introduced himself at the mayor's dinner. It must have been a deliberate decision. But for what purpose? His motives for withholding his family name were a mystery to him.

“The survivors are staying in the church.” Victor told them as he left the room. “If you need help, you know where to find me.”

Rinaldo glanced at Mary, expecting her to follow the Franckenstein scion, but she didn't. When Victor left, Rinaldo couldn't help but wonder why she was still here.

“Why didn't you go with him?”

“I am Lady Ragnell's servant again for a week.” A slow grin crept over his face as Mary's eyes glinted gold again. “We are preparing to welcome a very important guest.”

“A very important guest?” Rinaldo couldn't keep the curiosity out of his voice.

He wondered who they could be and why they would choose to stay here instead of the mayor's mansion, assuming it was still standing. One of the archbishops, perhaps? Whoever they were, his mother must have considered them important enough to rehire her former servants for this occasion.

“Yes, Baron de Retz is visiting our city. He's scheduled to arrive today, and Lady Ragnell invited him to stay at the house.”

Rinaldo remembered the man's name from his childhood. He was Viola's father. “Baron de Retz? The Marshal?”

“The one and the same, yes.” Mary seemed pleased to share the story. “Lady Ragnell wanted to make sure the man received a warm welcome. The Baron is… well, a man of great power.”

The marshal of Holy Remnant was a military distinction, rather than a rank. It was awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. Viola's father, Gilbert de Retz, was one such person. He had a reputation for his anti-magecraft tactics and never lost to his opponent in a trial by combat.

Gilbert de Retz was a pleasant person. If his daughter was anything to go by, he was also a loving father, though he never showed affection openly. His face was a mask of outward calm, but one could often spot his eyes holding an expression of warmth.

Rinaldo nodded. He wasn't entirely sure what he felt about this turn of events, but he thought he'd manage. “I see.”

“Well, to be fair, the Baron will not be staying long. He has business to conduct.”

“Do you know what sort of business?”

“Lady Ragnell would not tell me, but there are rumours…”

Sensing the unease in Mary's eyes, Rinaldo decided he'd better change the subject. “Are you looking forward to the Baron's visit?”

“Oh, yes. The Baron… well, he's quite…”

“A gentleman?” Rinaldo guessed.

“Yes. He's also rather charming.” Mary's face flushed with colour. She looked as if she were blushing. “I'm sure he'll just be delightful to have around.”

The maid excused herself, and after a while, Olivia stirred. Rinaldo could tell she was more rested than she was before. She opened her eyes and sat in bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Rinaldo watched her for a moment. She was still wearing the same clothes she'd worn the night before, but her expression had changed in the best way possible. He felt an overwhelming urge to hold her, to tell her how sorry he was, to let the cultists wound her. Instead, he smiled at her.

“You're finally awake.”