The next morning, Han expected to be confronted by his hanger at one moment or the other, he even prepared himself to completely leave this place and find the cardinal if she proved to be too insufferable, but to Hans shock, she didn't even mention a thing about what happened la#t night.
"Good morning, chosen! The light of the lord shines brightly on us all today!"
Han deadpanned and then rose a brow. What was going on with her? Didn't he do something that warranted at least a tongue lashing? In fact, he knew she would have given him a tongue lashing even if he only walked through the wrong corridor of the church before!
What he did last night warranted far more than just that.
He and Martha walked through the halls and over to the prayer room for the chosen. Han would have to find a way to go see the cardinal soon. Everything that was happening around him was too weird. How is it possible that nobody was reprimanding him?
Did the Cardinal's presence last night make them that compliant? No, that can't be it. There was nothing that suggests the cardinal told them what to do while Han was watching. He actually sat through the entire feast right opposite of the cardinal and there was never any suspicious behavior from the bastard.
He just kept that sick smile on his face through it all.
And what about that boy? Was it normal that he would suddenly change his mind like that. It was like he was being mind-
"Priest Han,"
Han turned around to see a simple girl with twin tails and the regular priest robe on her body. Han had to look down to look at her because of how short she was.
"Hey, little girl. What can I do for you?"
A vein throbbed on the little girl's brow.
'Hoe dare this rat call her a little girl! She wasn't that short! She was almost at 5 feet!! In fact. She was going to make sure that - !!!"
Just before anger could consume her a calming sensation washed over her and her eyes glazed over.
"Praise the Lord,"
Han rose a brow. What the hell was that?
"The cardinal requests your presence in his office."
There was a gasp from Martha behind him and then she began to lament and scream about how great the lord was for granting him this great opportunity. Han tuned her out like always and asked the little girl what the cardinal wanted from him. If he was going to see that man then he needed to prepare for anything. It was obvious that the man was not ordinary.
"The Cardinal's ways are not privy to this lowly one. It is only the lord that knoweth all,"
Well, that was a waste of time. Han watched as the little girl turned around and left the hall and he began making his way after her.
They walked for a long time, till they reached a large door on the other side of the church. The short girl pointed to it before bowing to the door and leaving Han and Martha there. Han was about to open it but he saw Martha quickly trying to smoothen her robe and her hair and pressing her face with her palms to make herself presentable. Was this how much they revered this man?
What a bunch of fanatics.
....
On the other side of the walls, a lone figure walked through the dark roads at the bottom of the walls. She wore a long robe that covered her entire body and looked around constantly to ensure she wasn't being followed.
After walking for a long time, the figure stopped at the other side of the walls where a large group of people could be seen working.
"How are things, Ping?"
The figure threw her robe down and revealed Ping's face. She smirked at the girl that spoke and revealed her sharp teeth.
"The latest batch of sacrifices finally dropped. There won't be any guards around the walls this morning. If we want to strike. It has to be right now,"
The figure nodded her head before turning to the walls again. She was the very first carnivore that Han fought on his first-ever loop, a nameless, forgettable character. But that was a long time ago.
Along the walls at the bottom of the church, a long line of carnivores that she had called and indoctrinated into her nest were digging a hole. They had been at it for years now. The sheer size of the wall was unbelievable and its quality was top notch. The carnivore couldn't believe that it only took two years to build something that grand.
"Soon, Ping. We will make our way into the city and take back all our people,"
"Will this actually work?"
"Ping, not even the lord himself can stop it from coming to pass. We are going to get in there. And I will kill that fake priest no matter what.
...
Han entered the room and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim lights. There was a table in the center of the room with the cardinal standing in front of it.
In his honest opinion, the entire setting was like a cheap horror movie. You know that part where the villain begins to reveal his sinister plan to the poor, unassuming protagonist. Really, how cliche.
[[Eyes of Horos] has been activated.]
At least try to make it a bit difficult. Han could see how the priest perked up once his eyes turned red and Han smiled back at the man. He really didn't have time to waste on such nonsense scare tactics.
"You called me, cardinal. Tell me what you want,"
The cardinal was surprised by the way Han was talking but the man's eyes were even more interesting! Red, red like those of the demon. For what purpose would a person possess a color so dark?
He stood up from his desk and walked around slowly. There was no need for him to try his usual trick here. The lord showed him already that this man was different from the others. Where others would fall, this man was unbending and where he would see sheep when looking at the other followers, this man was a lion.
Regulus was interested in Han. A man like this would be the perfect partner he needed to take the word of the lord to even greater heights. It was almost time for them to take the word further from the walls, and he needed people who would not bend under pressure to be his champions.
"Tell me, Han. What do you seek from the lord?"
"Tch... I want a drink. Preferably a tequila,"
Regulus blinked before realizing that Han was simply pulling his legs and then laughing. What an interesting man! He would indeed be the source of greater things for their ministry!
"I can arrange for that my child. But do you not wish for other things? Women, power, money. All these things could be yours!"
Han rose a brow. Was this for real? A holy man was telling him to indulge in carnal desires?
"What would your Lord think of you doing something like this? Are your doctrines so loose that the people are not expected to be chaste or clean?"
The cardinal tutted and put his hand behind him as he walked. It was always a misconception of the people who followed in the footsteps of the creator that they could be just as perfect as him. They truly did not understand.
"It is not something that I wish to preach now, but I will share with you the true doctrine of the lord our creator. It is no lie that he is perfect and it is no fable that his will is to be done, but our creator is perfect beyond our understanding. The ways he has paved for himself is one so daunting and so terrifying that the mere thought of it is enough to drive one to madness. Our job, as his followers is not to follow him, it will be our deaths if we do so. Instead, our job is to be his messengers on earth and his adjudicators among the people. The lord cares not for the path we take, so far as we are with him in paradise, then all men will be equal,"
"So what you are saying," Han began slowly, "Is that it doesn't matter what we do. So long as we are doing it for the lord, it is not a sin,"
Priest Regulus' smile was as wide as his face!
"Exactly, my child.. So long as it is for the lord, there is no such thing as a sin. So says the lord our creator,"