Chapter 168: After all I’ve been through, and everything I’ve done, what made you think I was going to do this quietly?

Hi Guys!

Today is turning out to be a really busy one (a lot of stuff piled on suddenly) so the next chapter may come a bit later. I'll keep you updated if so, but the overall amount of extra chapters wont change. 

Enjoy!

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I stood in the middle of a corridor and a headache was forming in my skull. There was always a sense of pressure that pushed against me when I encountered a new obstacle. This man said he believed I was an impostor and he had come to see me directly instead of waiting.

What was his game?

Wahyu’s hand was extended in front of me, green and blue symbols carved into his skin.

The cardinal’s carvings drew my eye, each one created out of different metals, but perfectly malleable and connected with his flesh.

“It is lovely to meet you.” I shook his hand.

The metal and flesh under my fingers were cool, and his grip was firm, but he didn't force his strength on me.

This wasn't a competition to him.

"It is my honour.” His eyes twinkled. “Assuming, of course, that you are who you say you are.”

There was a challenge to his tone.

His words were a test.

“I now have the chance to show you that I am.” My lips parted into a smile.

There was movement at the corner of my eye, and I turned my head to see Gold bobbing his head curiously, examining Wahyu’s flesh.

His wings flapped lightly as he moved further down my arm towards the cardinal.

Wahyu’s eyes gazed at Gold, taking in his actions with calm acceptance.

"I've heard of your interest in symbols.” A light smile crossed his features. "I take it this is your first time meeting an Unmari.”

It was a statement, not a question.

An Unmari?

"You’re right, it is.” I took a step back from the window and glanced down the corridor. "But it sounds fascinating. Shall we walk and talk?"

Wahyu nodded, flanking me and Gold. Bishop Kavenaugh walked behind us, silent as we spoke. His eyes darted from Wahyu to me.

"You'll have to forgive my lack of knowledge." I spoke carefully. “What is an Unmari?”

"We’re a dying breed.” Wahyu saw my expression and grinned. “Perhaps more literally, we are former inhabitants of the frontier city of Unmar.”

He gazed at me intensely while scrutinising my every reaction. Whatever emotion he was expecting to see, it wasn't going to be recognition.

I had no idea what that city was.

“Do all Unmari mark their flesh with symbols?” I tilted my head curiously.

My cousin, Berlia, had come up with a battle dress made of symbols. It would shimmer and move in various directions, and she would activate the symbols as they fell into the proper places.

It was an incredibly delicate concept to implement in practice.

Symbols didn't play nice.

They had to be exact, and something as malleable and changing as flesh would be near impossible to control as a medium for symbols.

"Some of us do. Most of us used to. It is hard to maintain the arrays incorporated within us.” He glanced at his hand, the swirls and lines on his palm forming a full symbol. “After all, when Ulmar was destroyed by the previous Artus he took the lives of all but one of our skinsmiths.”

A ripple of anger crossed his emotions. Then he disappeared. It wasn't directed at me, but I didn't think it was unrelated either.

Artus. He wasn't referring to the divine.

He meant the Marked one.

"I took his life in return.” Wahyu closed his fist. “His successor would be a teenager now.”

"Is that why you came to visit me early? To check if I'm actually Artus in disguise?” I chuckled.

The notion was absurd.

"No.” Wahyu shook his head. “I came to observe you while you aren't close to master Crijik.”

That caught my interest. He meant Gerial.

I slowed down, my shows hooking into the red carpet below them. We were at the junction at the end of the corridor, an intersection that split into four different directions.

"I know about you.” His voice was strong, washing over me like a hammer. "Kidnapped as a child but outwitting the gold mask perpetrator. Impressive. Then you helped slay a monster. That’s no small feat for a child.”

I stroked my jaw and took in his words. Everything he had said was positive.

But he was still against my verification.

“Did you know that I voted against you when deciding whether or not you could keep that monster's symbol?” He saw my expression and shook his head. “You didn't.”

I hadn't even known there had been a vote. Gerial had told me the church was more than happy to give it to me.

In hindsight, I probably should have known he was exaggerating.

A head of auburn hair came between us as bishop Kavanaugh’s apologetic face entered my vision.

"The council is still gathering, master Silver. The church has prepared a room for you to wait in until they arrive.” His wide smile blocked Wahyu’s face. “I am happy to guide you there now, if you wish?”

“That would be great. Thank you so much, Kavenaugh.” I shot him a smile. "Would you like to join me, cardinal?"

I saw a flash of surprise cross Kavanaugh’s face. He'd been offering me an escape from the conversation.

However, I didn't want to escape.

This was one of the people I would have to convince. I couldn't run away from a simple conversation, nor did I intend to.

I had faced far more terrifying challenges than this man.

"I would be honoured.” Wahyu replied.

Bishop Kavanaugh moved ahead of us for the first time, going to the left side of the junction and guiding us through the corridors.

As I followed him, I thought about the symbol in my inventory.

"The monster I fought could hide thoroughly, and its inheritors could steal the skills and mana of others.” My words hang in the air. "If I was an impostor, its symbol would be a helpful tool to help me continue my charade.”

I didn't see his reaction. Instead, I looked outside the window.

The End, the city below me, was still glimmering with the lights of tens of thousands of magicians. Each one went about their daily lives, not a care in the world.

From this angle I could see a massive ravine at the end of the city. It acted as a natural barrier, separating the mountains on that side from the buildings that encroached it.

I could see lights within the ravine. Natural ones,or maybe ones empowered by mana. I wasn't sure.

"You are correct.” Wahyu’s voice rumbled over me, interrupting my thoughts. “Magic is a constant companion, capable of wondrous acts beyond imagination.”

There was a sharp glint to his tone, an undercurrent of suspicion and suggestion that was as subtle as a truck.

I took a deep breath and calmed any stray rises in anger, accepting them and quickly moving on. There was going to be more than just a few words spoken when all was said and done.

Wahyu was at least doing it respectfully.

"Being the first Marked one in history to gain a Mark while another of the same divine is still alive is one of those wondrous acts.” I spoke.

Gold chirped in agreement and a smile touched my lips.

"I sincerely hope so.” Wahyu replied.

My steps halted as we reached an inconspicuous wooden door.

We’d reached my room. I could tell because bishop Kavenaugh stopped ahead of it, opening the door for me to step through.

Inside there was a variety of fruit baskets, and a suspicious amount of fish, stacked on a table.

Thankfully, it was odorless. Magic was a blessing.

Before I could comment on it, Gold squawked and flapped his wings. He hopped off my shoulder and glided straight towards the food. His talons hooked onto the table as he gobbled it up without reservations.

I heard a chuckle, Wahyu entering the room after me.

"Will you be requiring anything else, sir?” Bishop Kavenaugh glanced at Wahyu.

He was unsure whether he should leave me alone with the cardinal.

"You've done more than enough for me." I nodded at him thankfully. “Please have a wonderful day and let Ophelio know I said hi.”

Bishop Kavanaugh beamed, bowing low and closing the door behind him as he left.

There was only me, Gold and the cardinal inside the room.

I took my time moving towards the seats that had been provided. The space itself was magnificent. Embroidered drapes hung over the window at the end of the room and peeking between the curtains was a perfect view of the city below.

There were small corridors leading to other sections. I could see a kitchen in the distance, and a bathroom.

"Come, let's take a seat." I gestured at the Cardinal.

I wouldn't allow him to have all of the initiative.

Wahyu moved past me, pulling back one of the sofa chairs and resting on it. I followed suit, placing myself in a chair opposite him.

He opened his mouth to speak—

"Tell me, why now?” I interrupted before he could get any words out.

Wahyu looked at me carefully and I met his gaze calmly.

“Before I organised this meeting my guards told me the council planned to meet with me soon.” I sat back into the cushion, shuffling into a comfortable position. “You’ve had years to meet with me. Months since I gained my class. So, why now?”

I knew some of the reasons.

Primarily, the fact that Gerial was keeping them at bay. But also, that they needed time to disseminate the information to those that needed to know it.

"There are many reasons.” Wahyu nodded. “Primarily, Master Crijik preferred we not impose ourselves on you. We could observe from a distance without your knowledge, and that was enough for us.

However, our other reason is far simpler. The world is not ready in any way, shape, or form, to accept a second Marked one, and so we have been dealing with the consequences pre-emptively. Every second of every minute of every hour we are working towards changing the world so that the impact of your reveal will not destroy us.”

Wahyu’s gaze drifted away from me, and I could tell his words weren't a slight on me. He genuinely meant what he said.

"Even as it is, we are rushing the process.” He frowned. “Our church is powerful, but it maintains a delicate equilibrium with the churches of the other divines. We are allies with each other, but also rivals. The idea of two Marked ones is not a single ripple in a pond. It is a tidal wave that can sweep over all of us.”

He stroked his beard as he spoke, and I listened intently to every word.

Despite our opposing positions in the church, this man was still at its head. His knowledge of the world and its organisations far surpassed mine.

"What is the first thing that’ll happen when the church declares me Marked?” I asked.

Wahyu’s gaze snapped onto me, his eyes boring holes through my head. Then he sat back and chuckled.

“For the first hour, nothing.” He waved his hand dismissively. "After that, the world will come to greet you, and test you. Noble households, corporations, governments, and finally, the immortal households. These are the groups we would be able to hold back. After them will come the churches.”

His tone sent a shiver down my spine.

“The relationship between churches is complicated. We exist in a delicate balance, no one divine taking precedence over the others, despite public opinion.” He tapped his armrest nervously. "However, if you are what you say you are, then you are new. You are a change. For the first time in history a divine will have acted out to create something original. It could be seen as a blessing, or a threat.”

He grew silent as he allowed me to take in his words.

The idea of a divine interfering directly with the world in a tangible mana was new. Every divine caused a change when it descended onto the world. However, even though these changes were considered a reaction to the divine’s existence, not an act of the divine itself.

Marked ones were also considered natural phenomenon. There was always one per divine, and that rule was unchanging.

Now, there was tangible proof that a divine had interfered in the affairs of humanity. Or at least was making changes in the physical world.

For all the major players in the world the church of the Crijik would transform overnight from a neutral party to a potential threat.

All because of my existence.

“My presence is a catalyst for change.” I gathered my thoughts together. “People will consider me proof of the Crijik’s existence. Followers and allies of other religions will reconsider their beliefs and allegiances. Some will wonder why the divine is making a move now, and if having two Marked ones will mean it can successfully descend then many will welcome it, and more will fear it.”

I frowned.

That didn't appeal to me. Being a symbol was one thing, being a threat was another. Threats were eliminated more often than not.

"You wouldn't be going through so much trouble if you didn't think I was the real deal.” I shot at Wahyu.

"Enough of us were convinced from initial tests.” Wahyu shook his head. “We observe you personally, from time to time. We simply do not approach you. It was necessary, even if Master Crijik did not want us to meet you personally.”

I expected nothing less.

We sat in silence as I thought over the possibilities. If there were fights over my existence, or if the church faced retaliation, it would all be because I existed.

However, they would not be caused by me, only by people reacting to me.

I couldn't control those people. It would be foolish for me to try.

"The meeting will begin soon.” Wahyu's voice broke through my thoughts. “I must go prepare.”

He lifted himself off the chair and rose into the air. He bowed slightly, and I nodded in agreement.

Despite his stance of opposition to my status, he was still respectful to me.

He strode towards the door without another word.

“What if I turn out to be the genuine article, and I'm furious with you for doubting me?” I called out to him. “I could order your death. Or exile you to whichever hellholes this world has to offer.”

Wahyu paused and turned around.

He opened his mouth, and I raised my hand to let him know I still had more words to say.

"What drives you to stand against me so openly?" I stared into his eyes.

I wanted to know what kind of person he was.

“While even a single life is under my purview, I will do whatever it takes to protect them. If you are genuine, then I will rejoice. If you are false, then you threaten the lives of many for power.” Wahyu’s tone was firm. “From the day I joined the church I was prepared to die helping those under my protection. I will face whatever repercussions occur from my actions head on.”

With those words he opened the door and strode outside, not allowing me another word before it closed.

I sat there, pondering over his words.

Then I clapped my hands together, startling Gold, and I let out a laugh.

There was no need to worry about what would happen in the future. I had no control over the reactions people had to my existence, although I would be working on changing that.

My goals were simple.

I would live my life and live it well. I would survive the ascension and when all was said and done, I'd live until a ripe old age and hopefully view as much of this amazing world as possible.

Everything else was a problem that would be overcome eventually, and although I'd keep them in my mind, I didn't have to worry about my problems every second of the day.

That was a recipe for defeat.

“Alright, buddy.” I turned to face Gold. “Time for us to get ready.”

He'd already finished all of the food provided for him.

I moved into the bathroom and gazed at myself in the mirror. My silver streaks in my hair were fine, and my purple robes were immaculate. Gold was pristine and his feathers glistened.

We were as prepared as we could be.

There was a knock on the door of my room and my head shot up.

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see bishop Ophelio, his beaming smile blinding me. He guided me to the meeting place, travelling to the junction and moving into the corridor opposite mine.

He stopped in front of a pair of large wooden doors, carved eyes gazing down at us.

It was time.

I took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, Ophelio staying outside. My footsteps echoed out as my shoes pressed against a stone floor, a large chamber entering my vision.

In front of me was a circular table, hollow on the inside.

A ring.

Around the large ring were twelve chairs, each one housing a figure draped in purple robes. I paused as I gazed at each of them one by one.

I hadn't turned off my [mana sense].

The world twisted and reality coiled above each of the people. Mana cascaded across the air. All elements gathered in a swirling storm that thundered across the surroundings. Power greater than any I'd encountered before threatened to overwhelm me.

Each of the twelve figures was on guard, and each was gazing at me intently.

These were the cardinals of the church.

I reached within myself, and an endless ocean of gold rumbled in response. I wouldn't back down from a display of power.

My mind dipped into the ocean, exploring its depths, and goading it on. I could feel its emotions, its dignity, and its overwhelming arrogance.

Then I loosened its restraints. The divine mana coursed through my veins, exiting my body through my pores. Not enough to cause alarm to the people around me, but more than enough to show them who I was.

I saw their expressions shift.

Confusion, joy, caution.

"I greet you all and thank you for meeting with me.”

My voice rippled out across the room

A presence swept through the air, its superiority undeniable. Waves of gold cascaded across the room, forcing the elemental mana to submit to it. My mana gazed down at the cardinals calmly. It didn't matter how powerful they were. Each was judged without fear.

“I am Andross Silver, Marked one of the Crijik.”