Chapter 241: Chapter 225: What Is Seen

The more she saw of the Delvers, the more Regina felt like she didn’t understand them. It was like they were deliberately making it hard for her. She never really knew what they knew or didn’t know, what they thought or didn’t think. She was getting closer, perhaps, but this wasn’t horseshoes or hand grenades. She had a feeling what they were trying to juggle here was more incendiary.

Staring up at what she intellectually realized wasn’t supposed to be a church didn’t help. It was like they’d seen one through a warped mirror and then recreated it from memory, but gotten surprisingly good at it. There was little religious imagery, at least, except for the cross which was taken more as an antique or conversation piece. The windows seemed to be half stained glass, with a mishmash of scenes. She suspected some of it was salvaged from digs. The other part was probably recreated accordingly.

At least she could confirm that they really didn’t seem to be religious, or weren’t supposed to be, for either option. Personally, Regina didn’t know what she might have believed once upon a time, but she considered herself agnostic and was not going to change.

Regina shook her head slightly to herself and focused back on her companions. The others from her Hive clearly didn’t share her feeling. They might have some of her knowledge, but it wasn’t quite the same. She’d already known that. They were looking attentive, though, curious at the Delvers. Those seemed a bit taken aback, if she was reading them right. If she’d intended to dazzle or unsettle them, to shake them before negotiations, she’d be happy with that.

At least they didn’t start with introductions again. She was getting a little sick of what she suspected was a local tradition now. Instead, the Delvers were exchanging a few quick words among themselves and then seemed poised to get started. Good, she’d rather get to business and get to know them that way.

“If you’ll allow me to be blunt, Hive Queen Regina,” one of the new Delvers she hadn’t met before spoke up, a woman in her thirties with a confident look. “There has been a rumor going around and I’d like to hear your answer to it. Are you Alianais’ Champion?”

“Not that I know of,” Regina replied with a sardonic smile.

It got a few answering smiles from them, at least.

“I won’t lie, Alianais has helped me in the past,” she continued. “I wouldn’t be averse to working with her in the future. I think we have at least some of the same goals; she is the goddess of progress, after all. But I’m not a particular fan of the gods.”

“I see. Thank you for the honest answer, Your Majesty,” Telkin said, inclining her head. “It was enlightening.”

“So, what you want is progress?” Owin asked.

Regina shrugged a little, smiling again in what she hoped was a disarming way. “Yes. Or what I would consider progress, going from the current state of affairs. I hope I won’t have to rhapsodize you on the good things of the past, what I believe you call the ‘golden age’?”

There were nods and murmurs around the table. So far, none of them seemed very surprised. Apparently, they knew at least this much about what she’d been doing.

“I hope you haven’t started without me?” a new voice sounded from the side. It was thin and reedy, but spoken with confidence.

The Delvers all fell silent and more than a few didn’t quite manage to hide their surprise. Regina turned to see an older man approach the table with shuffling steps. He was wearing a stereotypical robe and had thinning gray hair, with deep wrinkles lining his face. But that paled in importance compared to what the System told her.

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