Chapter 282: 271. Intreetwined Hearts

Satrya - Edna, Roon and Ezar.

Edna spent days in the Relic City, observing how the temples and the people worked. With her advanced surveillance tools, it was fairly easy for her to soon get a sense of where everything was, and how it worked. 

It was a beautiful city. Especially the temple of Hawa. It was incredibly grand, and made with an opulence unmatched in any world Edna seen before. It’s structure was made with a kind of shimmering marble, and the arches were decorated with gems and a kind of gold paint that looked more gold-like than gold. 

It was magic, and the presence of divine magic in the area was unmistakable. The relic in the deepest part of the temple bubbled, twisting the fabric of reality in a way only domainholders like Edna could feel. 

Here, they were close to the gods, and Edna was sure of it. 

She hoped that she would be able to arrange an audience with the gods. That would help the war effort, and figure out what the hell went wrong with the demons. 

So, the time to make a scene finally arrived. 

“I’d like to see the head priest.” Edna declared frankly in the temple. She had been watching the place for a while, and noticed that the head priest was present for a meeting with the city’s King. He was frequently away, but this was one of the days when she saw him enter.

The priest stared at Edna like she was an alien. “Who do you think you are? No one sees the head priest-”

“I insist.” Edna’s aura flared, and the priest felt his hands tremble. She thought of more discreet methods, but decided against it. It was better to just hit it directly. If they were unfriendly, then she’d deal with it that way. 

“-I- I will let him know. Who- he will want to know who wants to see him.” 

“Tell him I’m a warrior from another world, and representative of another god.” Edna repeated, and the priest’s trembling looked even more intense. His eyes met Edna’s burning gaze briefly, and he ran. 

“-At once, milady.”

***

Edna expected an army of templars to charge down at her, and so, when an army of templars armed with divine weapons did in fact emerge, she wasn’t shocked. 

“This way, milady.” One of the priests said, escorted by what appeared to be a decent army of templars. They were all about level 70 to 80, which made them very strong by most measures.

With their divine equipment, they could stand a chance even with the higher level Valthorns. 

Edna was escorted into the depths of the temple, and she could sense people moving throughout the temple. There was a huge guard force appearing around the relic, as if worried that the relic would be attacked.

She just smiled, and walked past the corridors of paintings and tapestries all speaking praises of their god, Hawa. 

Eventually, she was led to a chamber far from the relic, and was clearly not the actual chamber of the head priest. But the head priest was there, decked from head to toe for war. Divine armaments, rings, armors. They would take a hit.

“Greetings, milady. Of all the outlandish attempts to get an audience with me, yours is the most ludicrous. A visitor from another world, and representative from another god?” The head priest said. He was smug. “So ridiculous. So, you succeeded. What do you want?”

Edna didn’t feel the need to answer it with words, and merely allowed her domain to ripple outwards. It shook the cloth and tapestries. The magical defenses in the room vibrated. The head priest felt his rings tremble, as if begging to be activated. 

It caused the Head Priest’s face to contort from smugness, into horror, and then, to fear. He then stood. “-you’re not lying.”

Edna shrugged. “Why would I? I come from another world, a world that also has Hawa as one of our people’s faith.” 

She looked around, and withdrew her domain. The trembling in the room vanished. 

“I will cut to the point. I want an audience with Hawa.” 

The head priest stared at Edna as if she was mad. “An audience with our god? Are you insane?”

“No. We found the demon’s sun, and we need your god’s help. Only gods can hope to strike at the demon’s power.”

The Head Priest frowned. “You’re insane- how do you hope to-”

“It’s not the first time we spoke to a god.” Edna countered. “If it helps, let your god know we have spoken to Aiva.” 

The Head Priest shook his head. “Communion with our god is a costly, resource-intensive process-”

“And it happens whenever you select your champions for this world. I know Hawa can be reached from this world.”

“-and why should we do it?”

“Because we will get it eventually.” Edna answered. “All the delays merely add time, but do not prevent the inevitable. We will find the Gods, one way or another. Be it Aiva, Hawa, Gaya, Neira or whoever other gods out there that we have not seen. AND-”

The head priest stared.

“We can help. We have the ability to breach distances through the system. Our patron god can create permanent pathways between worlds, allowing your god to extend power further than ever.”

He paused and closed his eyes. “You mean it? Proof that you are from another world?” 

“I would gladly send you to our world if you want to, but I ask that you trust me, and consult whoever you need to consult.” Edna repeated. 

The Hawa Temples of Satrya were a coalition of Hawa churches, each with a relic, each with it’s own head priests. Collectively, they operate as a council of equals, though each branch of the Hawa church were functionally independent. 

They often do not intervene with each other, outside for the rare moments when Hawa descends and transmits a message. 

Divine Communion. 

Edna heard that it was possible since a long time ago. Some priests and priestesses hear the voices of their gods in their mind, through dreams.

It is unmistakable, because the god’s presence is extremely difficult to fake. 

The Head Priest looked at Edna uncomfortably, before letting out a long- long sigh.

“Can you show me that aura of yours? Again. At full strength.” The head priest answered. “I’ll take it as proof of your claims. To initiate a conversation with our god requires agreement of all the Head Priests- this is a matter far more serious than what I can do alone.”

Edna sighed, and let it rip. This time, the walls cracked, as the full weight of her close-to-level-200 aura rippled through the entire city. The entire city would have felt it, as if something pressed on them. 

A weight of power. 

The Head Priest and all the divine guards clenched their weapons. 

Edna smiled. They were strong enough to resist, because Hawa’s blessing was exceptionally strong in this world. But even the weaker few felt their legs buckle. If Lumoof was here, they would all be kneeling.

“That is unmistakable indeed.” 

“Tell the rest of the Head Priests that we offer a return trip to our world, to have an audience with my patron, Aeon. I believe once you meet Aeon, you will find that our request to meet Hawa to be not unreasonable.”

The Head Priest nodded. “I will need some time to speak to the rest of my peers. The Hawa’s Circle don’t meet often, and the next meet is in a few months. I will bring this matter up then.”

Edna nodded. “We can wait. I have plenty else to do.” 

***

“How’d it go?” Roon and Ezar asked over their shared communication.

“The Head Priest said they will bring it up to the Hawa’s Circle meet in a few months. How are things on your side?” Edna said as she retreated to an inn. 

“Went as well as expected. I popped into the Head Priestess’s room, and I got misunderstood as a suitor and apparently, if a single man appears in a single woman’s room at night, I’m supposed to take her as my wife.” Roon said.

Ezar facepalmed from his part of the city. Edna chuckled. “I think this is the second time you did something like that.”

Roon just shrugged. “I seem to attract the wrong kind of people.”

“You shouldn’t be popping up in people’s rooms at night.” Edna said. 

“She is heavily guarded as hell, and I really don’t want to knock people out just to talk to her. My attempts to get in through the front door got shut off because the head priestess gets too many people trying to meet her that way.”

“She sounds cute.” The knight smirked. 

“Oh please.” Roon said. 

“How’d she take your confession?”

“-she asks me to call the rest of you here.” Roon said. “And she still wants me to marry her.”

Edna laughed. “She takes that pretty seriously.” 

“It’s a faith thing. Some religious mumbo jumbo. I didn’t see such a rule in the Hawa documents we have back home!” 

“Tell her you are married.” 

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“I plan to. Next time, we should insist on same-sex night visits.” Roon countered. “I’m not visiting a woman at night ever again. Never seems to go well, not with my kind of shit luck.” 

“I wouldn’t call it shit luck.” The other two domain holders laughed. 

Edna smirked. “Alright, alright. Ezar, what’s your situation?”

“The Head Priestess is an old woman. She listened, but she thought I’m a madman, so chased me out. I think we’ll need Lumoof here to speak to her kind of person. It’s just a vibe I’m getting. Think she respects someone like Lumoof.”

“Darn. Very well, I think we should make ourselves seen during the coming meeting of the Hawa’s Circle.” Edna added. “That should be our best place to make our case to Hawa.”

“They don’t even say where it is- It’s one of those super secretive meetings.” Roon countered.

“Ask your fiance where it is, then?” Edna asked.

“She’s not- and I’m not manipulating a woman’s love for that.” Roon countered. “There’s some red lines in my life, and that’s one of them.”

Edna chuckled. “You’re pretty chivalrous, despite your fondness for late night visits.”

“-ugh stop it. Edna, Ezar, just come over to my side of the world and visit this woman with me. And Edna, you’re going to pretend to be my wife.”

Edna laughed. “You really want an old woman like me as your pretend wife instead of a beautiful young priestess? Why not tell her you have a wife somewhere else.” 

“I’m not marrying some priestess I barely know. So shut it and play along.”

“Very well.” Edna laughed.

 

***

 

Edna realized all the relic cities were flat out beautiful. They were so well protected and covered with divine magic that it didn’t seem likely that the demons would be able to attack them. 

The relic city of Olpash was located along a gentle slope along the hills, and the temple occupied a central location, surrounded by walls. There was a beautiful silver statue that was fifteen stories tall of a man with a sword, a shield, and wearing a knight’s helmet. 

There were five castles throughout the city, each located along the walls, and each home to one of the ducal families of Olpash. Among the five, one would be King at one time, and the role of king rotated among the five families.

But Olpash was also home to a relic, and it was a gigantic divine shield too big for any man to wield. 

Still, even from afar, Edna could feel the divine energies stored within. Should a demon king attack, it was likely they could hold the city. Just like the other relic city, the presence of Hawa was strong. 

Divine magics rippled in the air, the shield’s presence warped reality. Edna briefly wondered what it’ll be like to move all the divine relics together.

“So your prospective wife is located there?” Edna said.

“Yes.” 

“Okay. Remember, our goal is really to get an audience with Hawa. This priestess is one of the Circle, so she can help facilitate that objective.” Edna repeated. “Ready?”

Roon shrugged. “-I don’t really want to see her again. Can you just go?”

“Please, you’re a domain holder and you don’t want to see a woman again. Come on.” Edna countered.

Ezar just grinned. “I must say, Roon, I don’t recall ever seeing you this flustered.”

“Look, Ezar, you go visit a woman at night.”

“I’ve done it!” Ezar laughed. “They don’t mistake me as a suitor. Maybe I just have a punchable face that women hate. You, on the other hand, look like the pretty boys that woman absolutely adore.”

Roon flushed. 

“Oh I’m never gonna let that slide.” Ezar chuckled. 

Roon glared. “I hate you.”

Edna just rolled her eyes. “Boys, focus. We got a priestess waiting for us. Let’s convince her to side with our cause.”

“Yes, maam.”

 

***

 

The priestess’s room was located in a magically protected sphere, in one of the inner buildings of the temple. It was heavily protected, that most mages wouldn’t even be able to get in, but for domain holders, the restraints and magical protections just washed off their bodies.

She was half asleep in her sleeping gown when she noticed the window was open, and felt the presence of others in her room. 

Despite her seemingly youthful experience, Edna was fairly sure she was a high-leveled priestess, in the same league as the other High Priest she met. She was likely to be around level 70 to 80, and she wore a special necklace around her neck filled with divine magic all the time.

“-oh, you’re here again. With guests?” The priestess spoke. As Edna expected, she was a beautiful woman, well equipped in all the right places, and blessed by Hawa. Edna could feel the presence of Hawa’s blessing, just like in the High Priest. It’s likely they have a [Hawa High Priest] class or something similar. “Are they the suitor’s party?”

Roon frowned. “-I am not marrying you.”

The priestess frowned. “Am I that unattractive? So many men desire me, and here you are, I offer you my hand in marriage and you reject me.”

Roon’s frustration was palpable. “-Woman, I am here to continue that conversation. We need an audience with your god, Hawa.”

She frowned. “I’ll raise your cause during the Hawa’s circle if you agree to take me as your wife.”

“I’m married!”

“Don’t lie to me. I don’t sense a woman’s presence on you. ” The priestess countered.

In truth, that was because the priestess couldn’t sense anything on Roon, who was protected by his own domain. “I don’t believe in your god.” Roon countered.

“Doesn’t matter. Hawa will forgive you.” 

Edna inwardly felt sorry for her fellow domain holder. He seemed to attract a certain type of crazy. Edna decided to breach the topic. “Milady, we wish to have an audience with Hawa, what else can we offer to get your support during the Hawa’s Circle meeting?”

She thought about it for a moment, and stared at Edna briefly. Then she frowned. “Nothing. I want this man to take me as his wife.”

Edna countered. “Priestess, we really do not wish to mix personal matters into affairs involving the fate of worlds. There are worlds that could benefit from our mutual cooperation.”

“I know. But as head priestess, I have full prerogative and discretion in my decisions, as granted to me by Hawa. And so my condition remains. He takes me as his wife.”

Edna realized this woman was nuts, and looked at her two colleagues. “Well, I believe we have nothing more to add. Let’s go.”

Edna would rather take the chance and convince the other Head Priests and Priestesses. This woman was probably a little messed up in the head.

But as Edna, Roon and Ezar was about to vanish through the door again, the Priestess realized her ways was probably too aggressive.

“-wait.” 

Roon and Edna stood. “Oh?”

“You claim to be from another world, correct?” The priestess spoke.

“Yes.”

“Take me on a trip together. Just the two of us, to your world. I don’t believe I can’t convince you to take me as your wife. If you remain unmoved, fine, I’ll support your cause anyway.” The priestess said to Roon. 

Edna looked at Roon, and Roon made a long sigh. “Fine. I’ll take you on a trip to our world. Later.”

The priestess smiled beautifully. “I can’t wait to see you again, husband~”

Roon rolled his eyes and vanished through the window.

They would visit the other head priests, and attempt to convince them of their cause.

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